Sample SL Application - Biology: Revised Birds of Oregon

Lane Community College
Service Learning Application
(Please find the typed responses to the application below. These are answers to the questions found on the website).

Applicant: Pat Boleyn (ext. 5083)
Dept: Biology
Type of Proposal: Revised Birds of Oregon 103 Course

Description of Proposal:
Revise Birds of Oregon course to incorporate opportunities in the area of forest ecosystem management and environmental awareness.

Course Prefix and Title: Birds of Oregon 103

Agencies where Students would perform :
These may include Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Bureau of Land Management Wetlands Group

Detailed description of what you will require students in terms of community service:
I would require approximately eight hours of service per individual to an agency. This would be offered as an optional or required assignment to replace an exam or several exams in the course. The work would be evaluated after the completion of a four page, double-spaced, paper describing a summary of service completed, dates, objectives of the work, description of how the objectives relate to forest biology, and the student’s impressions and evalution of the work. There may also be a required product that will be submitted to the agency, using a format acceptable to the agency and to me.

Will all of the students in the course be required to perform the service?
All of the students will be required to perform the service. All of the students will be offered the opportunity for instead of completing the in-class final exam. The project will have the same possible points as the exam(s) that it replaces.

How will the project benefit the community?
The community service projects proposed would benefit the community by increasing the number of volunteers that would become active in conserving and managing our local public wetlands and other bird habitats. Many of the public agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management are required by law to include public opinion and participation in their land management decisions. Active student participants would be a welcome part of their policy making.

How does the project offer the student’s cognitive benefits?
Community service with above mentioned management agencies and non-profit groups will help students become aware of environmental and bird conservation issues. The student’s will improve the quality of their education through invaluable, practical experience with local agencies. The students will become active learners and develop better self-esteem by practicing newly learned skills.

For example, in the class we learn about bird behavior, identification, habitat requirements and population trends.. A potential project involving gathering bird count data in threatened habitats such as wetlands would give the student an opportunity to practice their identification skills learned in the classroom. It would also provide the student with knowledge of how each bird functions within the ecosystem where it lives.

How does offer me an alternative to traditional teaching methods?
will enhance my current course because it will give the students an opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience in bird conservation. My current field trips in this course allow hands-on experience but they are conducted with large groups. A experience will give students a chance for more in depth study of birds and ecosystem relationships and issues in smaller groups with more individual attention from professionals.

Mainly, the in-class and field trip activities are not always sufficient to convey many of the important concepts in this course. I am excited to experiment with this pedagogy because I think it will provide students with a more fulfilling and more complete understanding of bird identification and habitat requirements.

How will I evaluate my overall success?
I will ask the students and the participating agencies to evaluate my participation in the contract. I will present each party with a written evaluation form.

How will I communicate with the agencies? Will I work with the co-operative education coordinator?
I have already communicated with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and plan to organize an appropriate project with this group via the Internet. I will continue to communicate with this group via e-mail.

I will communicate to the other agencies via e-mail, telephone and personal visits.

I will not be working with the co-operative education coordinator.

Resources needed:
My needs are financial and these are itemized on the attached budget.

Timeline for preparation
Following is an outline of my timeline:
March, April, May 2004:
· Visit off-campus sites to coordinate with agencies
· Develop curriculum to include for a class that will be taught in winter of 2005
· Drive to off-campus sites that agencies suggest for
·
Is this a revision of an existing course?
Yes.

Division Chair signature:

Signature: ____________________________________________

Division: Biology

Date: ______________________________________________