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Learning Log: Energy

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During the inputs on energy it was good to get a quick refresher on the different types of energy and the different areas within those types that you might focus on within a primary setting. Obviously renewable energy makes a fantastic topic in the primary environment not just because it comes with great opportunities for more hands on learning through school trips to places such as wind farms or as we saw today through getting pupils to create their own examples of wind turbines or anemometers.

From what we were shown in the lectures I can definitely see myself doing a debate with a class in the future on the advantages and disadvantages of a renewable energy source. In case of the workshop we looked into wind power and it worked really well as a way to encourage us to learn more in depth knowledge on wind energy through readings and to then come together with our peers to share our findings before final presenting our research int he form of a debate. This could be a very useful activity to do with pupils as it builds on their note taking skills as the write down key information, gets them to use their negotiation skills to decide who is doing what task and who should present before finally allowing them to use presenting skills and build on their debating skills in a debate at the end of the session. In a class room environment this is also a fantastic way to bring in lots of cross curricular learning as pupils could create posters to display their information create models that would help them demonstrate or understand facts or perhaps write up a report of how they felt the debate went and the pros and cons for each side.

Through the science workshop we were also able to see some very useful and interesting ways to use energy to bring some interesting experiments into the classroom from classic circuit activities to a rather interesting experiment involving an electromagnet.  I think pupils would engage very well with these task particularly the problem solving aspect of working with the circuits and while they would enjoy building the correct circuit to get the required result I think they would find equally interesting getting to experiment with the different components.

Final the more practical input on create and building items such as the anemometer was useful as it allowed me to see what problems pupils could encounter when engaging with those sort of task and see how disappointing it could be for them if they spent all that time building a kite and then it wasn’t windy or the straws weren’t strong enough so their creation would just fall apart in the wind. I also allowed me to see some really easy ways of using the topic of energy to bring some really creative and engaging activities into the class room and to allow pupils to have a more meaningful way of gaining measurement and team work skills.

Disasters Learning Log

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The disasters topic allowed an interesting look into a variety of case studies giving me a far greater understanding into the different types of disasters, real life examples of disaster and the kind of work that goes into preventing these disasters and into recovering from them after they have taken place. I found Andrews practical science workshop particularly interesting as it offered me a wide range of ideas of potential science experiments to take into case rooms. I feel in the future I would definitely like to use the baking soda volcano with a class to show the impact a volcano can have on an area and equally I was very interested in the activity involving looking into the geology of rocks. While it was particularly disaster focused it was still an interesting activity that I feel children would engage with although with that experiment in mind in particular I would have to be mindful of pupil safety certainly where the use hammers or acid was concerned it might be wiser of this experiment was conducted as a demonstration rather than allow the pupils free rein. These experiments are also incredible useful to give children a practical way to engage with task on recording information, note taking and measuring an taking results. The lectures were also very useful for highlighting the importance of showing children these disasters but not doing it in such a way as to scare them. Before these lectures this was not something I had overly considered but I am now aware of the importance of treating the topic with care. It was also very interesting learn via each case study the difference between how an economically developed or a less economically developed country can react to these disasters and then in turn how places such as Japan have such a good infrastructure and ways of dealing with events such as this that it can make these disasters feel far more controlled than perhaps they would in an LEDC.

I found the micro-teaching and presenting task particularly useful as it sourced me to engage with one specific disaster far more than I would have other wise and then via the presenting process allowed us to share our research and learn far more about each individual kind of disaster than we would have other wise. I particularly now have a wide knowledge of case study on the typhoon Hiayan which hit the Philippines with a diameter of 300 miles and caused major storm surges along the coast line some reaching as high as 15 meters. I also felt this task had particular benefit as it wasn’t assessed so it felt as though we had more free rein to experiment with different ways of presenting and different ideas with out having to worry as much about having to get a good grade out of it. It was good to have a chance to present with out the pressure of it being an assessment.

Interdependence Learning Log

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As part of the topic on interdependence we visited a farm and had a lecture from the Scottish soil association. During the farm visit  we were able to see the benefits of getting to know your food and seeing the conditions in which the animals in which we depend on for our milk at breakfast are currently being reared in. Personally I was very impressed and surprised by how modern the farm was and by how happy all the cows seemed to be. Interdependence was shown through the cows need of grass, hay or other sources of food to survive but then our own need of the cows for milk and beef. Although at first keeping the cows permanently inside seemed slightly cruel however having had it explained that it kept the cows at an ideal temperature and allowed them to regulate their feed to ensure each animal was eating the correct amount it did make a lot of sense and in many ways it makes more sense that they would be happier inside as we have spent many years perfecting inside for ourselves as humans why wouldn’t other animals appreciate the same change. It is definitely the sort of trip I would consider doing with pupils in the future as it really would help them open their eyes to wear their food comes from, the effort that goes into farming it and allow them to get to ask a lot of questions they might have about the process first hand. I know this was certainly very useful for us as university students so I can only begin to imagine how questions pupils would have.

The talk from the soil association was fantastic from a teachers point of view it allowed me to see the variety of ways soil can be incorporated into learning from showing me how to identify different types of soil which could be used to get pupils used to reading charts and graphs and recording information. To the different studies and research task thats could be conducted into the large varieties of soil, how it is formed and the variety of life that it supports. It also helped build on them of interdependence as soil is in many ways one of the building blocks for all life being what allows plants the support and nutrients they need to grow it is many ways the start of the food chain as the the base for all primary organisms.  I feel pupils would also really engage with the hands on learning of getting to go and out and feel and mold different types of soil in order to be able to gage what its consistency and colour is and ergo find its type.

Moving into talking about the group study task on building an infographic this helped bring to light the significance of interdependence mainly via the fishing industry and how dependent a lot of countries are on fish to feed their people. I also felt I learned more about the political aspects and economic aspects of fishing and the amount of work that goes into mapping out fishing arrears to protect areas and different types of sea life. It also gave an excellent opportunity to work with peers and share our learning and findings as we created the infographic and allowed me to gain a wider overall knowledge on the subject.

Climate Change: Learning Log

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Key Learning:

Fridays lectures and workshops definitely made me more aware of climate change and the impact we are having on issues such as global warming. It specifically allowed me to gain a deeper understanding into:

  • What climate change actually is and it differs from day to changes in the weather. I now have a better understanding that climate change is taken from the average weather and temperatures over a considerable period of time.
  • How politics and climate change are so closely linked and the impact our politics and our beliefs can have and are having on climate change. Louise’s workshop allowed me to see that as humans we are far less likely to support a party that is aiming to fight climate change and global warming as the language we use when discussing it is always so far in the future meaning we struggle to want to take responsibility for it when we aren’t going to see its affects immediately in our day to day lives.
  • Some interesting ways of teaching or doing practical activities in class related to climate change and the weather. In particular I found the cloud in the jar and the thermometer task quite interesting experiments and our both something I would consider doing with a class in the future.
  • The impact that climate change is having. The lectures and work involved in this module to do with climate as always when dealing with the issue of climate change and global warming makes it shocking clear the impact its having on the planet with videos of ice caps melting and others showing the amount of CO2 that we are putting into the air.

Impact on my views/lifestyle/practice:

This weeks work has impacted on my views of climate change. I am now far more aware of it than I have been in the past and far more concerned about doing my bit to help reduce my own carbon footprint which while already not too bad at 71% could probably be slightly lower. As a flat I know that we are now trying to recycle a lot more, this is something that I have never really done in the past but as Ayrshire council provides recycling bins and with their being a bottle bank near by it seems only fair that we start to our bit their and recycle more.

In practice I can definitely see myself using a lot of the activities and experiments Andrew showed us linked in with some lessons on climate change as I could see how making a tornado in a jar and building their own thermometer could be very interesting for children. It is also very important that we educate children in climate change from a young as they will want to do something about it they will be keen to do walk to school weeks and recycle more and contribute to other environmentally friendly projects in and around the school. This then makes them more aware of the impact they are having on the environment and gives more hope for a healthier future for the Earth.

Areas of interest to explore further/develop:

  • I plan to look into the politics behind climate change slightly more as it was something that I had never truly considered just how much it impacted in how we try to tackle the issues of climate change and global warming.
  • I also plan to look further into the experiments Andrew showed us to see what other ideas are available when teaching about climate change and how others would suggest linking them into a lesson.

Climate Change: Study Task

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Through the reading and work on this module I have become more aware of the factors that our effecting my carbon foot print in my day to day life and what are consequentially affecting global warming when looked at across the world as a whole. From completing the survey my carbon footprint was outlined at being 71% however I was slightly surprised at some of suggestions that the site made to reduce my carbon foot print. It is easy to forget that simple things such as buying more locally produced produce and just less items in general can reduce my footprint as things have become so easily accessible and readily available within our society it is easy to forget how far they have been transported or where they have been imported from and the effect that must be having on the environment. It was also surprising just how much goes into calculating my carbon footprint I hadn’t realised quite how many factors of my life contribute towards calculating it.

It also reminded me that I should be more mindful of throwing food away with the World Wide Fund for Nature stating that “one third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted”. However the survey did also remind me of what I am now doing to help the environment our flat has recently begun ensuring that we recycle more by using the recycling bins provided and making trips to places such as bottle banks so that our glass is reused. Therefore one value is definitely in reminding you of the bigger affect every little thing that we can do can have on the environment.

Learning about climate change in school is vital so that children take responsible for the environment and are more aware of the damage we can cause to it from an early age. It also allows linkage to other aspects that will help improve children’s lives such as encouraging them to walk to school or to use more public transport as not only will this lead to them reducing their carbon footprint but in the case of walking or cycling it could lead to them having a more active life style.

I was also intrigued to learn that the government had such long term goals in place to be completed by 2050 to reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint with the government’s legislation stating that by 2050 Scotland’s emissions will be 80% lower than the baseline. It will be interesting to see if by 2020 they are on track with their target of 42% lower as it is going to take some fairly drastic steps to lower Scotland’s emissions so dramatically. The document in general made for quite an interesting read to show more what the government has put in place to deal with climate change although ideally it looks as though some stricter rules and targets would be better for the planet however they would be a lot harder to implement and stick to. 2016-09-27

The Environment Learning Log

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The environment itself could be defined according to Kemp, D (2004) as the surrounding area and everything within it, although it is most commonly thought of in terms of nature. Our interest in environment stems from an early age from our want to become aware of and then to start exploring our surroundings. Spatial awareness plays a big part in this. As when a child is first born it depends on taste and touch to engage with its surroundings but as it develops it begin to be able to focus on and see objects with in its environment and then as of about the age of ten months the child is capable of crawling and hence able to begin to explore its environment for itself. The environment itself could be defined according to Kemp, D (2004) as the surrounding area and everything within it, although it is most commonly thought of in terms of nature.

With regards to the environment Scoffham (2010) claims that “Our sense of identity, it seems, derives in some part from the social and physical environment in which we spend our childhood.” This means that our environment plays a part in how we learn to interact with others and how we feel towards certain tasks. In interacting with their environments children gain essential survival skills, life skills and learn to accept the consequences of their actions. This prepares them well for developments in later life however it can now be suggested that current generations of children are not fully engaging with the outside world and although schools cannot hope to take the place of the child’s own self-discovery it is important that we take the steps to encourage a child’s interest in nature and their environment through data collecting activities, field work or even school trips. This in turn allows us to encourage children to be more active learners and discover things in their environment for themselves rather than simply being passive learners.

A lot of my own attitudes towards the environment probably come from growing up in the countryside and having a very large garden meaning that there was always plenty for me to explore and lots of adventure to be had. I have also been left with plenty of positive memories of the outdoors through having a family that is very keen on hill walking and cycling whilst also being a part of the scouts and duke of Edinburgh.

Fridays session allowed me to see interesting examples of how we could encourage pupils to become engaged with the natural environment. Personally I found the tree identification task the most interesting and feel it would be easiest for pupils to undertake as unlike wildlife and birds trees are less likely to wander off or remain to elusive for the pupils to survey. I found the bug survey task to be the least engaging however I can see how pupils might have more luck as they would probably be more willing to dig around the mud for beetles where as we found very few. I also like the example used in the Andrews workshop of giving the class plants to grow. This educates pupils in plants and their needs whilst teaching pupils responsibility and getting them excited and interesting in plants and the environment around them. It also helps move pupils away from being in the bubble wrap generation that Scoffham by letting get involved and become active learners so that they can experience things first hand for themselves and learn not just from the lesson itself but from their mistakes.

Urban Environment

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Within my local Urban area which is within the large town of Ayr there are a variety of physical characteristics blending both natural and man made features. Ayr is a coastal town which has shaped the types of development that
have taken place in the area. Such as larger numbers of homes being used as holiday lets or bed and breakfasts so that people can capitalise off the seaside location. There is also a larger number of fish and chip shops, ice cream venders and leisure facilities such as laser quest, bowling and arcades to encourage tourism to the area. The area also offers large areas of grassy land for outdoor activities. A good example of this is the well maintained wellington square which is an excellent place for tourists and locals alike to relax whilst still supporting nature by offering a greener area with more varieties of plant life.ayr-beach

Ayr is also showing signs of development through regeneration schemes. Major examples of this can be seen along the river Ayr. As part of the Ayr town centre strategy more unsightly buildings are being converted in to new flats and public buildings which brings new life in to the community and helps prevent the area from getting too run down whilst preserving the environment by regenerating existing buildings rather than taking over new land to build new buildings. Part of this is being done as part of the Ayr riverside framework project. This can be viewed in more detail via this pdf:  http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/documents/ayr%20riverside%20framework.pdf . The areas of land by the river have also shown signs of development within recent times through the construction of the UWS campus and halls of residence. The main building itself cost 81 million pounds to construct and was opened in 2011. This development helped raising Ayr’s student population whilst expanding on the facilities within the area.

Ayr also has good public transport links through having a decent bus network and good access to other areas out with Ayr via its train station. This is also helped by Ayr having its own bus station which allows people the option to use public transport for their daily commute. There are also sections of one way streets in place to help with congestion and the road down Ayr high street is reserved with in specific times purely for public transport. However the area doesn’t offer any sort of tram system and lacks in a lot of places pedestrianised zones. However there is evidence of good use of land with the presence ayr-shopof a multi-storey carpark as a part of the kyle shopping centre near the high street reducing the need for on street parking within the area which in turn reduces congestion.

Ayr has multiple primary schools including Braehead primary school, Grammar primary school and Forehill primary school which means local children have a higher chance of living closer to their primary school minimising their commute. This also allows communities to have stronger bonds to their respective local school whilst have wider connections to the other schools within Ayr.

There are also contains a couple of options of community centres giving people somewhere to go to socialise and take part in activities to raise skills and create bonds within the community. These include Heathfield community centre and Lochside community centre. However as the John Pollock community centre is now closed it could be observed that more could be done to encourage people to become more involved with their community.

The area also includes a library, Carnegie Library, offering people an access to technology and information showing signs of good development within the area. The south Ayrshire council is also working to continue to expand the amount of allotments available in the area. This is a good benefit to urban environments as it helps create more green spaces and in many cases offers up activities for elderly members of the community. It also allows people to then give something back to the community once they have grown their produce on their allotment.

Ayr offers plenty of opportunity for work during the summer months being a seaside town it can attract plenty of tourism meaning there are plenty of opportunities within the area to capitalise on tourism such as plenty of fast food outlets and hotels such as The Mercure Ayr hotel which is just up the road from where I livedsc_0337. This encourages tourists to bring more money into the area meaning the area is given more of a chance to thrive. There is also a strong agricultural and farming presence in the area which is supported by having an SRUC campus in the area helping to inspire future works in agriculture. Ayrs high street is still suffering some regard like most high streets across Scotland however there is still a large variety of large retail industries within Ayr as well as large choice of super markets including Morrisons, Lidls, Tescos and Aldi. This means people can do their shopping within Ayr without feeling the need to commute to cities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh.

In terms of recreation Ayr notable has the Gaiety theatre which has just been renovated showing signs of development and improvement within the area. This is important as it is things like this that help create people image of Ayr and what helps them define what it means to be a part of Ayr’s culture and environment. The area also offers sporting opportunities through places like the Citadel Leisure centre. This helps people get involved in their local community and allows people to live a more active life style.

With in Ayr there are 92 people per square kilometre. This is far less than the major cities within Scotland such as Glasgow which is currently estimated at 3415 per square kilometre and even the other surrounding counties such as East Ayrshire which is currently sitting at 97 per square kilometre.  This suggests the area offers far more open spaces and that people in general have a lot more room. The air quality within my area considered low (2), shown 2016-09-20from the results taken from www.scottishairquality.co.uk which suggests that the area is far less industrial and is putting out far less pollutants that would affect the areas air quality. This is good as it means buildings like the UWS that are more environmentally friendly and the lack of certain industries within Ayr is helping to keep the air quality at a healthy level.