This project, if it meets the objectives, will fulfill the experiential learning component of the course. 

You will be making an agreement with the Center for Service and Leadership and with your professor to perform the necessary course work and community service to qualify for your one credit of  experiential learning, a required part of this course.  One credit of experiential learning requires 45 contact hours of work. You will sign a "Service-Learning Partners Agreement" and submit a copy to your professor.  You will also submit a proposal, after review by your class members and your professor, to the organization for which you will be performing the technology service.  You will evaluate your performance and your group members', and write a reflective essay on your experience.

    Objectives of experiential learning project:

• gain workplace experience and extend the learning experience beyond the classroom walls
• engage in responsible citizenship by providing a service to a non-profit organization
• enhance critical thinking and evaluation skills
• acquire new and build upon current technology skills
• build upon research and analytical skills
• work with design principles
• build upon communication and group work skills
• work with clients, such as adults or children you may be tutoring, or people who need research on a particular technology subject, acting as the liaison between the client and group members.

Early in the process, you must submit a proposal  to the organization (with a CC to your professor). See the Proposal Assignment. Before you write the proposal, you need to meet with representatives of the organization to find out what service/s are required of you. This proposal will be reviewed by your peers and by me before you officially submit it.Your group will need to ascertain if the members of your group have the skills to perform the service, divide up the work , find out if any hands-outs/ guides are required , find out what software and hardware the organization has for your project, work out a schedule to perform the service, and do appropriate research as required. 

Before you write the proposal, you need to meet with representatives of the organization.  What skills will be required?  Who will the audience be?  What will you be asked to help with?  Is the time frame workable?

Develop a  plan.  Set realistic expectations of your group member' technology skills and communication skills.   presentation skills, and instructional skills.  How much  outline a realistic date and time frame.

After you set up preliminary expectations - both yours and theirs, do some brainstorming, develop your strategy and formulate your proposal.

Your proposal should have appropriate headings, for example,  the recipient/s of the proposal and position/s with the organization; title of proposal.

Provide as much information as you can, in a concise, edited format, to help the organization decide whether or not to accept your proposal.

The proposal must be presented to appropriate representatives of the organization for approval. The group will discuss and design appropriate proposal formats, to be approved by your professor.

Keep a journal/log:  You will also be required to keep a journal about your experiential learning experience.  The journal will be a good resource when you document your work for me and for the Center for Service and Leadership. Record all of your work, time spent, what you did (meetings, planning, editing, writing, publishing, travel, how this work complements your course work and vice versa, what you learnied, what you might have done differently.  This will help you write your reports.

Report: After the project is over,  you will write a report, reflecting on what you learned and what you might have done differently. You will also write a report for the Center for Service and Leadership (see form in the Service Learning Handbook.)