Tag: Sustainable Development – Learning Logs

For this theme we began with a lecture about Energy. This included learning about what energy sources (fossil fuels) we use and how long these finite resources will last. We later discussed what alternatives can be used such as wave, nuclear, solar and wind power.

 

The science workshop allowed me to develop the mist skills as a future teacher as we again had a number of stations where we could try different science experiments. The majority of these experiments could easily be replicated in school to educate pupils about energy such as the balloon experiment which involved blowing up a balloon and seeing what reaction it would have with different materials such as salt, pepper and small pieces of paper.

 

However, the second workshop allowed me to develop more knowledge and skills as a learner. We had a choice of sources about wind turbines to read and select key points from. We were later numbered into four groups and summarised our findings into points for and against wind turbines. This helped me develop my critical literacy skills as I was able to read through the text and pick out the most relevant points. Later, two of the groups joined to make the for argument with the other two joining to make the against argument. We then engaged in a debate, which was both enjoyable and informative. This helped me to build my confidence and persuasive speech skills such as altering my tone of voice. Using a debate in class is a memorable lesson and varies from every day lessons and so would be a valuable lesson to use with pupils at second level.

 

In the directed study task, we were challenged with constructing an anemometer with the given materials. We then had select relevant Experiences and Outcomes for this task before creating a lesson plan. This task developed my problem-solving skills as creating this anemometer itself required a couple of attempts before it would work properly. However, whilst developing the lesson plan my group continued to come up with many other ideas to incorporate technology into our future lessons.

Most recent inputs from the Sustainable Development module look at the topic of Natural Disasters. A disaster can be defined as a catastrophic event that seriously disrupts the functioning of […]

Prior to the inputs on Disasters, my knowledge was limited. Although I was aware of different types of disaster and the effects they can have in terms of mortality rates and mass destruction, I was unaware of the impact humans have on natural disasters and role of the government. However, from the classes I am now aware of the important roles government agencies and charities play before during and after a disaster.

 

By comparing the two case studies of earthquakes hitting Japan and Haiti I was able to develop my understanding of the political involvement in natural disasters. I was already aware that Japan was a better developed country than Haiti but many of the information from the case studies came a s a surprise to me. The level of preparation in Japan was significantly higher than that of Haiti, as well as the aid received from other countries because Japan are allied with more countries than Haiti. This left Haiti relying heavily on charities and volunteers. Before the case studies I simply believed that the Haiti earthquake was a bigger earthquake although having evaluated these case studies I was able to develop my critical analysis skills. In addition to this, the graphs used throughout the case studies encouraged me to develop my interpretation skills.

 

We then discussed how we might teach natural disasters. When educating children about natural disasters, it is important to be sensitive and aware of the material we show pupils. Rather than focusing on the death toll and the mass destruction, the focus would be on preventative measures, recovery and the disasters themselves. This could be done by inviting guest speakers from aid charities to speak to the class. In addition to this, the topic of disaster would best be covered at the second level as younger children might find the topic too upsetting.

 

The second week of learning about natural disasters required us to plan a microteaching lesson. From the presentation task I developed many skills, most noticeably, patience. For our microteaching task, I gave myself the task of creating a paper mache volcano in order to carry out an experiment of making the volcano ‘erupt’. However, during the group presentation the experiment did not work. Having the patience and understanding that not everything will go to plan all of the time, I attempted the experiment again and thankfully it was successful. When creating the volcano, I was also able to develop my art skills. The microteaching task also helped me develop critical analysis skills. I found that many of the articles I looked at were not academic and so I had to look through them in detail in order to understand what could be used in our presentation.

 

The microteaching session itself also enhanced a number of my skills. For example, my confidence when speaking in front of others. This is an important skill to develop as a learner and transfer to my teaching. Effective Communication is one of the four capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004), thus it is vital that pupils develop their confidence throughout their school career.

 

Reference List:

Scottish Executive (2004) A Curriculum for Excellence: The Curriculum Review Group. [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/26800/0023690.pdf  [Accessed 1 November 2017].

 

 

The interdependence theme was delivered in a completely different way than any of the previous themes. It was interesting to compare the two farms the struggles the farmers have gone throughout their lives to get to where they are today. Even though the final product was the same the way in which the two farms work varied significantly. The first farm relied heavily on technology – using machines to gather the feed, deliver the feed to the cows and milk the cows. This farm kept the cows inside all year using shutters to shelter them from the weather outside. At first, I felt this to be cruel on the cows however after being told of the harsh winters and the impact they have on the farmland I realised that it is in the best interest of the farmer’s income that the cows are kept healthy inside. At this farm, the cows were not subject to being milked by a farmer at certain points of the day, instead they could go to the milking area whenever they liked. This was done at a time and robotically and screened for nutrients the cow may be lacking, if that is the case these nutrients will then be incorporated into their diet.

The second farm was an organic farm and portrayed what I expected a farm to look like. At this farm, the cows were kept outside for a lot of the year and only spend the harshest winter months indoors. The milking process was manual and involved the farmer connected the cows to the machines himself. This process meant that multiple cows could be milked at the same time.

 

Below shows pictures of the two different milking parlours 

 

However, the two farms also had some similarities. For example, they both kept the calves in individual pens away from their mother. This was to give them the best possible start as one of the farmers explained that when they had left the calves with their mother, they had a higher chance of dying within a matter of weeks after birth.

 

I personally preferred the second farm as it was, in my opinion, a traditional farm. Although it was impressive to see the more modern farm and be able to compare the two. Taking pupils to a farm on a school trip would be insightful for the pupils as they could develop a better understanding of how products – like milk – get from the cow to the shelves. Arranging a trip to a farm through RHET is something I would like to do as a teacher, we were informed that they do the risk assessment for the teacher which takes some of the pressure off the teacher/school.

 

The Sustainable Seas study task allowed us to look at interdependence in the sea. We worked in groups and each member of the group utilized different materials to gain a better understanding of the topic. We then used the knowledge taken from the readings and made a Piktochart. I learned a great deal from this task such as the existence of the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) an organisation aiming to protect the species our seas and safeguard the seafood supplies for the future. I also became familiar with some policies involved with the sustainability of the seas. For instance, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which is the guidelines used to regulate the number of fish in EU waters (COM (2015) 812). It was also interesting to hear story of a family who run their own fishing business and discover how it has changed over the years – similar to the farmers last week.

 

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about interdependence. I feel this is due to hearing from people who make a living from interdependence and hearing how their lives are impacted through policies and communities. Although I do also think this would be a challenging topic to address with school pupils and would perhaps best be taught through practical lessons like what we experienced.

 

Reference List

 

European Commission. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). COM (2015) 812.

Interdependence is the way in which two or more living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy (Palhelke, 2009).   There are 3 components of interdependence. Economic […]

Prior to the lecture I was aware of what climate change was having studied Geography in school but had never paid much attention to how I contribute to it and how it might affect me. In the lecture, we were shown how our planet has changed over the years (increase in temperature and decrease in ice cover) as well as how it is recorded and the effects it can have on the likes of agriculture and sea level.

 

The first workshop was very active and included a series of experiments. One of the first experiments we tired was making a tornado in a jar. This was done by filling a jar with water and adding food colouring and washing up liquid. The container was then swirled in a circle for a while and once stopped, it was clear the see what looked like a tornado. The aim of the experiment was to understand how real tornados are made – cold and warm air combining and spinning. Another activity involved having two plastic cups: one filled with cold water, pebbles and blue food colouring. The other with warm water, red food colouring and pebbles. Both cups were then put into a large tub of room temperature water. It was interesting to see that watch the red water rise to the top of the tub whilst the blue water sank to the bottom. I found these experiments amongst others to be very engaging and this workshop helped me understand ways in which climate change can be taught in the primary school using a cross-curricular approach.

 

In the second workshop, we looked at politics and global warming. I had not considered how much of an impact politics can have on global warming. However, after this workshop and the directed study task I now recognise the type policies being implemented by the government to reduce our carbon footprint and, ultimately, slow down global warming.

 

Through the tasks from last week and the directed study task I can now see how global warming can be taught in the primary school and how a cross-curricular approach can be used to link global warming to other subject areas. In addition to this, I have identified experiences and outcomes which could link learning to relevant curriculum areas.

 

I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a

 

I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally responsible way. SOC 2-08a

 

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

 

I can investigate the relationship between climate and weather to be able to understand the causes of weather patterns within a selected climate zone. SOC 3-12a

 

This topic has changed how I view climate change by allowing me to evaluate the impact I have on climate change. I think I will now be more conscious of my decisions as I know that even though my actions may be small they can influence others and therefore have a large impact. I have also learned ways in which I can teach this in the classroom.

 

Prior to participating in the first Sustainable Development input I was unsure what to expect from this module. When asked to define our own personal meaning of the environment, and […]