Month: September 2017

I was unsure of what to expect within the module of Sustainable Development before participating in the first input.  When we were asked to define our understanding of the word ‘environment’ I was firstly unsure of my response as I’ve never really stopped to actually consider my own views on this topic but I’ve also mainly heard the term used within a negative context.  However, after my involvement in the first session and engaging in further reading, I have learned that as a prospective future educator it is vital for me, especially in today’s society, to be knowledgable on the subject matter involved within this module.

Over the two weeks of ‘The Environment’ I have been able to learn about  the natural environment as well as my own urban environment which have both allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the benefits of sustainability.  These include not only the environmental benefits but also the health and social benefits such as promoting respect, creativity and culture.  As a future teacher, I believe that these are largely relevant aspects to consider including when teaching children as it allows them to develop a more positive attitude about their environment.

Our first workshop on the Environment involved BA2 participating in various outdoor and indoor activities within the University grounds and Science lab in order for us to fully experience the surrounding environment.  The activities I participated in throughout this workshop included dissecting a flower and taking tree and leaf rubbings.  I got involved with many of these tasks and made sure to try to see them through the mind of a child to fully engage in the tasks.

The second workshop involved us taking part in a number of activities within the grounds of the University campus.  I found the most effective activity to be the sensory walk.  Within this walk we were permitted to split off into several groups where we engaged in hearing, seeing, feeling and smelling our surroundings and share our sensory experiences with the others within our groups.  We discussed that this activity would be beneficial to primary education as it can help to educate them on their natural environment and also allows the children to work in teams and collaborate their ideas.  We were also able to discuss how this activity could be adapted to suit in a primary school context by ensuring the children have a clear sense of their boundary limits.  I also found this activity to be highly beneficial in my own learning as it allowed me to see how to integrate various other curriculum subjects into this task.  For example, the children could be asked to find a stick that is roughly a metre long and find out the length of the school building which can incorporate their mathematical skills or they could be asked to pick out something from a specific area and develop a story involving that specific object which could develop their literacy and story-writing skills in an enjoyably practical way.  The sensory walk activity helped to develop my skills as a teacher as I was able to experience effective communication, idea sharing and lesson planning within the one task.

The task we were assigned within the second week of ‘The Environment’ involved us finding out about and experiencing our own urban environments.  As a student, this allowed me to develop on my research skills as I had to interact with and educate myself on my own environment and develop it into a piece of writing which I will find myself doing throughout the course of my University career.  As a teacher, I was able to develop my skills on planning how I could incorporate my own findings into teaching a class of children about their own urban environment in a fun and enjoyable way.

Being able to research and find various resources and lesson planning on the Environment such as the Woodlands Trust has helped me to develop my own knowledge of the environment alongside the importance of the topic to the education of children.

Links:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives

http://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/keystage2-ks2/ks2-topics/ks2-the-environment

My urban environment is the largest town in Scotland, known as Paisley.  It is situated in the western central lowlands of Scotland, around 7 miles from Glasgow.  The population of Paisley is just under 77,000 and is currently in the bidding process for the 2021 UK City of Culture in order to help to regenerate the town.

Paisley was used primarily as a farming area before growing, in the 19th Century to a large source of producing textiles such as weaving, cotton threads and printing.  The name ‘Paisley’ was given to the now famous Kashmiri pattern which can still be found on various fabrics and prints nowadays. (Paisley History, 2017)

Paisley is well known for its extensive range of historical buildings such as the Paisley Abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century, the Town Hall – opened in 1882, and the redevelopment of the Anchor Mill into apartments and business space which was opened by the Prince of Wales in 2005.

Paisley’s town centre was previously a busy, lively environment, however the accessibility of newer, nearby shopping centres has left Paisley’s high street feeling a little deserted.  The Paisley Town Centre Action Plan shows

Paisley’s hopeful plans to bring life back into the town centre by connecting key sections of the town to the high street shopping district which can help to increase the number of pedestrians potentially visiting the retail units.  (Paisley Town Centre Action Plan 2016-2026, p.11).

Paisley is the home to PACE Theatre Company which has produced various stars such as Paolo Nutini, James McAvoy and David Tennant.  As well as being a fun activity for children and young people to get involved in, it is also a highly beneficial source of social education.  PACE organised an online source which is targeted to educate P7-S6 pupils on the effects of drug use known as ‘Choices for Life’.  As well as education, PACE runs various shows throughout the year in the Paisley Arts Centre with the most notable one being the annual pantomime.  Although the Arts Centre is only a small studio theatre, is is a vital building in the town for bringing people together and allowing for the sense of community.

Paisley is connected by road to the motorway with the M8 running along the northern edge of the town.  There are 4 train stations within the town with Paisley Gilmour Street being the largest of these.  The train stations allow links to Glasgow, Inverclyde and Ayrshire as well as to ferry routes which allows people to travel further afield to places such as Dunoon and Northern Ireland.  Glasgow International Airport is also located within the boundaries of Paisley, to the north, and is the Scotland’s largest airport.

The specific suburb in Paisley in which I live is known as Glenburn.  Glenburn has a large area of green spaces, specifically the The Gleniffer Braes with its entrance located just a 2-minute walk from my house.  The Braes boasts miles of walkways through various woodland areas and provides beautiful scenery, waterfalls, children’s playgrounds and, due to its vast area, it is somewhere for everyone in the community to enjoy.

The air quality in my area as of the 28th September was ranked at 3 which is regarded as low on the scale (Scottish Air Quality, 2017).  There are 3 primary schools in Glenburn with the nearest high school being a 20-minute walk from my house in the suburb of Foxbar.  Glenburn has a community centre as well as a library which is currently under renovation.  The nearest sports centre is situated across from the Police Station in the town centre however, there is access to the Thornly Park Campus facilities which is located between Glenburn and Barrhead.

If I were to investigate the Urban Environment with a Primary 5 class I would start by getting the children to consider the history of their own urban environment (SOC 2-01a).  This would allow them to find out more about their area’s previous history and recognise the comparison with their environment nowadays.  I would then organise a walk for the children in order to let them explore their local area where I would lead a discussion on the effects of pollution emitted by transport (SOC 2-09a) and how we could lower these levels of pollution.  This would also be beneficial in promoting  a positive outlook on health and wellbeing by encouraging pupils to walk or cycle to school.