RE: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the US

["Peter Smagorinsky" <smago@uga.edu>]

Hmmmm, this sounds remarkably like the way the 5th Dimension experience at
UCSD works.
I know that others attempt similar ways to integrate student work into
communities, a.k.a. "service-learning" in US contexts. I'm teaching such a
course this semester (see http://www.coe.uga.edu/~smago/SL/SLSyllabus.htm
for the syllabus), which I developed through a grant from UGA's Office of
Service-Learning. One of my friends from the Fellows has a great project
described at http://www.uga.edu/columns/070910/news-urbanfood.html. These
efforts can also serve as great research sites and thus combine teaching,
research, and service into one project. They also provide students with
important experiences and close the town/gown gap by serving community
members in need. p

Peter Smagorinsky
Professor of English Education and Program Chair
The University of Georgia
125 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602
smago@uga.edu/phone:706-542-4507
http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/smagorinsky/index.html

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of Mike Cole
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 12:02 PM
To: Jay Lemke
Cc: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the US

My answer to your last question, Jay.

Make participation in real world settings, linked to relevant academic work
including reading and writing, mandatory for all students attending any
college or
university. Use money to do this mainly to support grad student supervisors
who themselves are gathered into groups supervised by senior professors as
one
of their courses.

All evidence is that such practices improve student commitment to more
serious study at the university, increase the intellectual and social
capital of those with whom
they work, and increase understanding of social justice issues among more
privileged students, e.g., those who can afford to attend a university.

mike

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