“I hope I can do good for my teacher.” This was Helen Pappas’ first status update on her freshly made Facebook page. The 86-year-old resident of St. John’s Meadows Senior Living Community was learning to create her first status update from St. John Fisher College senior, Emily Sobilo.
Emily and her classmates from a Digital Literacy class taught by Dr. Rik Hunter have taken on the mission of teaching the St. John’s Meadows seniors how to use Facebook as part of a semester long service-learning project.
Service learning integrates service projects in academic courses to enhance student learning, teach civic responsibility, address community needs and strengthen communities.This service goes beyond the traditional understanding of community service, charity, or volunteerism. St. John Fisher’s Service-Learning Initiative Coordinator Lynn Donahue who has been with the college for 10 years, suggests “it’s a meaningful partnership that benefits both St. John Fisher students and our community.”
Donahue explained that service learning is fairly new at Fisher as it started three years ago. The college officially became federally funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service Learn and Serve America two years ago. Currently, 17 classes are involved with about 260 students participating each semester.The numbers have proved that not only do Fisher students get a real benefit from this, but the community does as well. According to an assessment survey Donahue created for fall 2010 Service-Learning courses, 96 percent of Fisher’s service learning students said they gained knowledge, skills, or awareness that added value and meaning to their course. Community partners agreed; 92 percent said that students’ work contributed to fulfilling their organization’s mission.
St. John Meadow’s Vice President/Community Ambassador Gerry Stryker comments, “We were presented with this opportunity by St. John Fisher College and I realized how Facebook can connect others such as grandchildren, and family in general. It’s connecting across all generations.”
Pappas says, “I’m learning more about it every day. I’m glad Emily has patience with me. I can see it does a lot more than e-mail; it connects me with my family. My kids, and grandchildren, are all on it.”
Sobilo mentioned in response that the Fisher students are learning just as much about themselves, others, and Facebook every time they meet with the seniors. After observing some of the elders and students, it was clear to see why Fisher students and community partners are so supportive of this program. It was no longer a classroom project, but instead there were relationships forming.
Facebook puts these relationships on a different level, helping to create a merging of young and old without boundaries of age. There was learning and development of relationships. As Pappas commented, “Emily and I are becoming good friends!”
St. John Meadow’s seniors Alfred and Jean Vincent, who are married, sat next to each other during the learning session and were taught how to Facebook chat with others. With the help of some Fisher students, Alfred’s first message said “I <3 You” to Jean. She smiled and laughed, as did some of the Fisher students.
Many of the older generation grew up in a time and place where none of this was imaginable; whereas the current generation considers Facebook a norm in their everyday life. Facebook is creating a way to connect people of all ages, as Stryker notes, “Facebook is changing society’s point of view.” What once seemed impossible to half of the people in the classroom is reality to the remainder.
Stryker says “Everyone has their story to tell.” Whether it be growing up during times of war and depression, or growing up in the technological era everyone finds a way to come together, Facebook just so happens to implement this connection.
