2008 Woodie Awards
Comp II teaches leadership skills
Stacy Jones
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: News
Approximately 40 at-risk youths gathered in the Rowan University Rec Center Sunday, March 25, to participate in Rowan Adventure Day, an event aimed at exposing the youths to experiential learning.
The event, organized by writing arts professor Tara Timberman and health and exercise science professor Dr. Michele DiCorcia, included activities to encourage constructive risk-taking, team building and leadership.
"This is a test-run for us," said DiCorcia. The event marks the first of its kind at Rowan, but both she and Timberman expressed intent in repeating the event each year.
Experiential learning means "stepping back as a teacher and letting your students figure things out," said DiCorcia.
Attending at-risk youths, ranging from ages 8-18, were from Robin's Nest Group Home for Girls, Together Youth Shelter, Camden Day and Residential Treatment Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Gloucester County.
The event was staffed by about 30 students from Timberman's and Loriann Fell's College Composition II classes, and three trained student facilitators: Lauren Blose, Marissa Santoriello, and Qaadir Pollard. Since last fall, Timberman has incorporated service learning into her Comp II classes.
"The students find out about the service learning on the first day of class," said Timberman. "I tell them that if they're not up for it, then they have the opportunity to drop the class. This semester a lot of my students had taken an experiential learning class."
"I want to give the students experiences to write about," said Timberman, who also teaches in Fairton Federal Corrections Facility. Ultimately, each of Timberman's students will write a research paper relating to the issues that the at-risk youths are struggling to deal with.
On Thursday, April 5, several inmates from the prison will come to Rowan to speak to Timberman's students and then participate in a luncheon during which the students will have the opportunity to individually interview the inmates for papers they will write for class.
The event, organized by writing arts professor Tara Timberman and health and exercise science professor Dr. Michele DiCorcia, included activities to encourage constructive risk-taking, team building and leadership.
"This is a test-run for us," said DiCorcia. The event marks the first of its kind at Rowan, but both she and Timberman expressed intent in repeating the event each year.
Experiential learning means "stepping back as a teacher and letting your students figure things out," said DiCorcia.
Attending at-risk youths, ranging from ages 8-18, were from Robin's Nest Group Home for Girls, Together Youth Shelter, Camden Day and Residential Treatment Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Gloucester County.
The event was staffed by about 30 students from Timberman's and Loriann Fell's College Composition II classes, and three trained student facilitators: Lauren Blose, Marissa Santoriello, and Qaadir Pollard. Since last fall, Timberman has incorporated service learning into her Comp II classes.
"The students find out about the service learning on the first day of class," said Timberman. "I tell them that if they're not up for it, then they have the opportunity to drop the class. This semester a lot of my students had taken an experiential learning class."
"I want to give the students experiences to write about," said Timberman, who also teaches in Fairton Federal Corrections Facility. Ultimately, each of Timberman's students will write a research paper relating to the issues that the at-risk youths are struggling to deal with.
On Thursday, April 5, several inmates from the prison will come to Rowan to speak to Timberman's students and then participate in a luncheon during which the students will have the opportunity to individually interview the inmates for papers they will write for class.
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