CRITICAL REFLECTION

Community Service Writing was not what I expected. I entered the class believing that would be learning more through the writing portion of the class (ie: how to write a grant) as opposed to learning more through lens of community service. While I may not have emerged from the class with knowledge about how to write grants, I believe what I gained from the class is more valuable than I could have ever expected. Through service learning I have learned how to take excellent fieldnotes, view the world through a new and more objective lens, triangulate sources to further investigate issues, and how to use cultural artifacts to my benefit. I think my major projects and writing are a perfect example to see how I have grown as a writer, especially in relationship to service learning, over the course of the semester.

My hopes are that my writings available in this blog show readers the importance of service learning and the ability to write about issues relating to community service. I believe if more people are exposed to this kind of class they will benefit by gaining a whole new way of thinking and method of viewing the world.

MAJOR PROJECTS
Positioning Essay
Verbal and Visual Portrait
Critical Bibliographic Essay
"Big" Ethnography

SUPPORTING PROJECTS
"Body Projects" Analysis
Symbol of a New Age: Nintendo DSi
Low Income Youth Development
Boys and Girls Club Fieldnotes Reflection

ARTIFACTS AND CULTURAL PERFORMANCES
Nintendo DSi Image

Boys and Girls Club Fieldnotes Reflection

Taking fieldnotes at the Boys and Girls Club can at times be difficult because the children are so fascinated by what outsiders are doing, especially those carefully observing them. That being said, over the semester I've been able to gather a substantial amount of fieldnotes that need summarized and reflected on. I will try and further investigate my fieldnotes from my time at the Boys and Girls Club in the blog post. I spend most of my time in the art room at the Boys and Girls Club. One thing that stood out to me was the clothing children wore during the 8 and under girls homeroom. There were three young girls in Justin Bieber shirts and another girl with a Mickey Mouse umbrella accessory, which she proceeded to show off during show and tell. I think this shows the ability of the media to influence children. They are influenced not only by multimedia devices but also clothing items, like Justin Bieber zip-up sweatshirts. I wonder how the media affects kids unknowingly and whether it works in positive or negative ways. Another important part of the art room is clean-up time. Surprisingly, the majority of the kids are not only willing to do their part in the clean-up process, they are also excited about. I noticed children fighting over who got to scrape the paint off the table and making sure their teacher, Matisse, was watching when they were the ones cleaning. Kids are rewarded by Matisse for being excellent cleaners, and, if a child doesn't receive a prize, Matisse reminds them that "tomorrow is another day." I think this sort of reminder can unknowingly influence the children in other aspects of life as well. There is an abundance of positive reinforcement used in this classroom, and, judging by the children's excitement about cleaning, it works. One day at the Boys and Girls Club, I attended a club meeting which occurs once a month. All of the children at the club gather for a variety of announcements and awards. I watched and noticed that the majority of volunteers took this opportunity to sit in the gym bleachers while the kids all sat together on the gym floor. When a volunteer chose to sit with the children on the floor, the children's affection towards the volunteer was apparent. I think this brings to light a problem. How do we get people to do more than just show up to volunteer? Volunteers need to be more interactive with the children rather than the other adults. They are at the club, after all, for the children, right? The club meeting last about an hour and by the end of the meeting kids were really starting to get antsy. One little boy was rolling around the floor crying. Another girl was telling all the kids her friend farted. Yet another girl was waving her rear end in the air while the club program director tried to speak. It seemed that these kids needed to actually do something rather than just sit. I would imagine a full day at school already affected them substantially. I would also imagine this is why they have club meetings only once a month. Another important part of the club meeting was their emphasis on calling the children "members." To me, this erases the stigma of the Boys and Girls Club being a cheap daycare or something the children might not willingly attend. By being called members, this place becomes a club that children choose to attend. I have a great amount of fieldnotes from the Boys and Girls Club. I know I am really going to miss these kids and my fellow volunteers when the semester is over. I think the club is a great place for the development of Bloomington's youth.