Last year I undertook a Learning for Sustainability 10 week course through Edinburgh University and British Council. Having had time to reflect on my learning from this course over the summer and beginning follow up reading into this session, I have found that this course had a greater impact on me than initially expected. It has revealed ‘my itch’ however my itch is like one of those itches where you can’t actually find the source to scratch it. This ‘itch’ has taken my thinking beyond what was my initial interest of gaining some more ideas to support me with my role as the lead of our school’s eco-committee.
Following this course I re-read the Education Scotland Building the Curriculum Documents with a completely new perspective and outlook. With an improved understanding of Learning for Sustainability and the broad definition of the word ‘Sustainable’ I had the realisation that Sustainability, in various contexts, is at the heart of education in Scotland. The result of this new perspective has changed my role as a teacher. Never did I set out to be simply a ‘knowledge giver’ and always attempted to make my learners independent thinkers, responsible citizens, successful learners and confident individuals through the principles of CfE but I know there have been times when I have found it difficult to adopt this approach. I see myself now very much as a facilitator of sustainable skills and learning and aim to work more collaboratively with pupils to lead their learning. The beginnings of this have resulted in a higher retention rate with more sustainable learning.
I created this diagram to model my thinking of the key elements addressed with an understanding and focus on Learning for Sustainability. I want to explore these areas further with an aim to use Learning for Sustainability to promote the principles of CfE within my classroom.
I’m very much aware that Learning for Sustainability covers such a broad area of education and hope that with further reading I will be able to select and area to start with that will become the focus for my enquiry project.
I love that diagram, Faye.Lots of potential areas there for you to choose to focus in on over the next few weeks. Is there a particular area or two which stand out for you just now?
Love the diagram! Learning for Sustainability threads through so much of our curriculum. I think this will be really interesting.
I think LfS is such a huge area but for me I would like to embed outdoor learning within the curriculum rather than it being an add on. There are so many valid reasons for using outdoor learning as a resource/method/environment for teaching but I want to use it across the curriculum rather than see it as its own curricular area.