Sustainable Development Community Project Blog

 

For the community project, myself and three of my classmates helped in the community garden outside the university building.  The garden itself is quite small, so there was not a lot that we could do. The weather was wet and windy meaning it was harder to complete some of the tasks to a high standard. We fixed benches, swept and raked leaves, dug up plant pots and tidied the ‘bug hotel’.

While helping in the garden, I was surprised at how much time and effort goes into gardening. A lot of the jobs are hard work and take patience and determination to finish. There were some challenging aspects of the project too. As it was very windy, and the weather was not ideal, raking the leaves proved difficult. While trying to keep a pile of leaves in the one place before putting them into bin bags, the wind was very problematic, and it was challenging to keep everything tidy while doing the work. However, I did find it enjoyable. Working with my friends while doing the community project was entertaining and kept the experience lively even during the unpleasant weather. It was also enjoyable, as it was something that I would not usually do so it was interesting to do a task out of my comfort zone and have fun while doing so.

The role of the community is very important, especially when it comes it public spaces. It is always pleasing to see well kept areas of communities and it is evident that the community come together to make their own place a better area. While in the garden, it was rewarding to be part of the university community and know that while working, the area we were in would be getting the attention it deserved and we were helping by making some changes and tidying up the garden. For passers-by, the appearance of the garden might be important to them and by making it look more presentable, there will be a sense of community spirit and togetherness to make the area better. While doing this community project, I found myself using skills that this module has helped me develop. Communication is key, and I feel like this skill was used well between myself and my class mates while gardening. Teamwork is essential in tasks like this and the project was very successful as we work very well together, and this made sure that our job was completed at a high standard. It was important to be determined during this task as the day was not as nice as we had hoped it to be and the activities we were doing were tough and hard work, so we had to be patient and determined to finish our volunteering to an acceptable level. There was also a sense of accomplishment when we were finished, we felt as though we had given something back to the community and worked well together to deliver a good standard of work. We all assigned ourselves our own tasks, for example two people raked and tidied away leaves, branches and anything that could be fixed and the other two focused on digging up and tidying 4 large plant pots. This gave us all our own authority and meant we oversaw something each. It was important to make sure all our own tasks were completed before we carried on with anything else.

All these skills are important for teaching and education. Using these in the classroom can help you to become a successful teacher and a good role model for the children you are teaching. Communication with both the pupils and other staff within the school is fundamental, as without communication, it would be very difficult to become successful without it. Team work is also linked to this, as it is professionals and children working together to make sure both the learning and teaching is suitable and beneficial for the pupils while they are working and learning. Furthermore, determination and drive are essential for teaching, as it is very important to never give up on a child if they struggle with the work load. Be determined to drive for the best results possible for a child and make sure they can strive for their potential and they can flourish in their learning.

There are many connections between this experience and the rest of the Sustainable Development module. This community project links in well with the environment theme. It is very important to be aware of our surroundings and know how to make a change for our own benefit. It links in also with interdependence and it is interesting to know that many people depend on gardening to make a living or it is there full-time job. While making connections to other areas of the modules, it is necessary to remember that outdoor learning is essential for children while in education. It deepens their knowledge of their own environment and can make them more creative and interested with their own learning.

  

Sustainable Development Serial Day Task

1. Within the school grounds, there is a lot of engagement with sustainable education. In classes and in the school hall there are food and paper recycling bins which are frequently used by everyone in the school. There are also normal general waste bins used in the playground. In the primary 7 class, there are litter and recycling wardens, who go around the school and playground to pick up any litter and empty the paper recycling bins. For the wildlife in the area, the school have bird boxes and bug hotels which are located all around the playground.
2. There is good play space for children. They have play equipment which is big enough for the whole school. These include climbing frames, climbing walls and obstacles to climb. There are grassy areas for children to go to and large open spaces. The school also have a small football and basketball pitch for the pupils to use.
3. After a discussion with a few children, I found that the pupils enjoy being involved with recycling and litter picking. They want to make a difference. They also enjoy having different places to play and go to at break and lunch times.
4. Mapping of school grounds:

Sustainable Development – Learning Log: Energy

Before this studying this theme, I believed energy was only related to physics, a subject I did not particularly like in school. However, the Oxford Dictionary gave a very helpful definition of energy to prove that energy is not all about physics:

“Power derived from the utilisation of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2018)

This definition sums up the topic of energy and allows it to relate to a broad range of sub-topics. Energy is the foundations of fossil fuels, sustainability, biodiesels and electricity although that is only a short list. As author M.M Awad said, “energy is everything” (Awad, 2016) It is simple to say, but nonetheless it is exactly what energy is. Energy is everywhere and is needed in everything for anything to be possible. Regarding fossil fuels, they involve natural gas, coal and oil. Right now, they are the global dominant dependence of energy. Fossil fuels are created from biological matters which are left for a substantial period (Chepkemoi, 2017) Fossils fuels are in almost everything we do as well. For example, electricity, transport fuels, cooking and heating and plastics are all dependent on fossil fuels. However, a source believes that oil only has 45 years of production left, gas with 72 and coal with 252 years. (Oil & Gas Journal, World Oil, 2005) This could mean as production years are on a decline, it may be time to move to more renewable energies and use viable alternatives to fossil fuels, such as new fuels like hydrogen and biodiesel.

I knew some information about energy and fossil fuels, however finding out actual statistics and how we are running out of valuable resources can be a scary prospect. We also focused on electricity in one workshop. This was very interesting as we got a chance to try our own experiments and see exactly how electricity was so intricate and the different stages of building an experiment. For example, we made circuits which consisted of positive and negative wires, switches, parallel rods and buzzers which all connected to give and light bulb enough energy to turn on. Another experiment was a Lego car attached to wires which were attached to a small light. This car only moved if the light was shining, which gave off a solar panel effect which was clearly linked to solar energy. Relating different types of energy and making links with all parts of electricity made the theme enjoyable and fascinating to learn.

Within this theme, skills which are both generic and related to primary teaching were gained by studying this subject. These skills are beneficial to have for teaching these topics in the future. Being analytical, a problem solver and driven are some generic skills which could be gained from this theme. These skills are essential as it would allow the individual who is studying to be successful in their field of work and it aids them to develop more skills like these in the future. Being analytical is a very useful skill to have while doing the theme of energy as it is important to analyse every piece of information and material you are given to achieve good results in this topic. Being a problem solver is also essential as when it comes to the practical side it will be easier to try new and different things and experiences yourself and the class you will be teaching in the future. This does not just help with science, but also with literacy, numeracy and lots of other areas of the curriculum. Regarding helping the environment to become more sustainable, being driven in fundamental to making a change to our world and helping create a better place for future generations. Being driven can happen in any aspect of life and is an important skill to obtain as it will keep you striving for the best possible results either in education or in any form of work. In term of skills related to primary teaching, there are a few that are very well linked. According to the GTCS, it is important to acquire an understanding of research and its contribution to education. Research is required to make any lesson accurate and educational, therefore for children to learning properly and hopefully teach others about their own learning, research is fundamental for successful teaching and learning. Another Element of the Standards say work effectively in co-operation with other professionals, staff and parents in order to promote learning. (GTCS, 2006) Working with collaboratively with other people is beneficial to your own teaching and learning. This is because they may have other expertise that they can implement within with class which will be advantageous to the children’s education which can then be spread to other areas of the curriculum which will take a holistic approach to teaching in a class.

As energy comes under science, there are a lot of useful resources this will aid your teaching to primary aged children. In terms of electricity, there are numerous experiments you can do within the classroom:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-GoSJpvdw This experiment is on static electricity and is easy to do with children. It only involves a balloon and tissue paper, which are cheap and easy to get and use.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ojq-0KKOL0 This video consists of 3 experiments that are easy to do within the class. The first one is creating a magnet, the second is using potatoes to source energy and the last is using a water bottle to create ‘disappearing water’

From an autobiographical point of view, this has been a very fascinating theme and it has helped give me lots of important and useful information to use with my class in the future. By learning from others and observing others teaching, I can produce effective learning for my own class when it comes to teaching a science lesson.

From the point of view of a pupil, learning about energy can be exciting. Even though there can be theory involved, the practical side will always make a topic more interesting and fun to learn. Pupils may be encouraged to participate more if they are shown an experiment, they find very interesting and intriguing. The practical side of science can sometimes be more interesting than the theory side.

In terms of peers and colleagues, working together is essential to produce the most beneficial lessons for the whole school. A teacher who specialised in science or who has a interest in the subject could take the lead and give some guidance on how to make experiments exciting and different for the pupils.

In terms of theory and policy, science is part of STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics.) This means that it is already a focus within the curriculum and is very relevant in teaching in almost every school. Therefore, throughout Scotland, science is needed and should be taught in some depth.

 

References

Awad, M. (2016). The physics of life: The evolution of everything. Energy, 114, p.568.

Chepkemoi, J. (2017). Countries Least Dependent On Fossil Fuel Sources For Energy Needs. [online] WorldAtlas. Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-least-dependent-on-fossil-fuel-sources-for-energy-needs.html [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].

General Teaching Council for Scotland (2006). Professional Standards | General Teaching Council for Scotland. [online] Available at: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/professional-standards.aspx [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].

Oxford Dictionaries. (2018). Oxford Dictionaries. [online] Available at: https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ [Accessed 13 Nov. 2018].

Sustainable Development – Learning Log: Natural Disasters

“A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources.”

There are many types of natural disaster, some being; earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes. There are also composite hazards, for example an earthquake that in turn cause a tsunami or floods that cause public hygiene problems and leads to an epidemic of disease. These composite hazards seem to more likely to happen and can be very dangerous.  “As the odds of any one event go up, the odds of two happening at the same time are more likely. We’ll see many more examples of cascading crises, where one event triggers another event, which triggers another event.” (Glasser, 2016) The result of two disasters happening back to back can be devastating and life threatening therefore risk assessment, preparation and response from local service, communities and the government are vital when a disaster strikes (Sustainable Development, 2018)

Before starting this theme, I always thought the subject of natural disasters were extremely interesting and was something that we were taught a lot about throughout school. However, during the micro-teaching task, as each group did a different natural disaster, we were given a better, in depth explanation of each disaster and their formations, impacts and case studies. In my opinion, case studies are the best way of relating a disaster to real life. For example, we looked at the Haiti Earthquake in 2010 and the Japan Earthquake in 2011. Both case studies included the cause, the impact and the response. This was very insightful and interesting to read as the facts in relation to fatalities, casualties and people who were missing.  These provide extra information which could be a great resource for upper school children to give them a better insight into the disaster. Both the lecture and the micro-teaching task were very insightful and educational for the learning and teaching of this topic which will be helpful when teaching these sorts of subjects to classes in the future.

Throughout this topic, both generic skills and skills relating to primary teaching according the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS). For generic skills relating to this topic, being inquiring, research-minded and influential are important qualities to have developed. Being inquiring means finding out a lot more information about the subject which increases knowledge level of current events and it also shows an interest in learning new things which is always important. Being research-minded is another important skill to have. It allows you to find relevant information and understand the importance of research. Research is important when it comes to serious themes such as natural disasters. Furthermore, being influential when teaching a class is the best thing you can be. By teaching pupils in your class about topics such as natural disasters and showing the children the help that is needed after some disasters, you can influence to make their own change and help by doing charity work around the school, which will have stemmed from the research carried out in class and the children themselves being inquiring. These skills can be developed in any area of learning. Being inquiring in the subjects of science, art and physical education means the pupils is always interested in learning new skills and qualities which will aid them throughout their time in education. There will always be connections with other areas of the curriculum and these generic skills are they are fundamental to be a successful individual throughout their time in school. Regarding skills relating to primary teaching, the element of the standards says, “Communicate effectively, using a variety of media, to stimulate pupils and achieve the objectives of lessons.” (GTCS, 2006) This means that while teaching pupils about natural disasters, it is important to show videos of actual events, to make sure they know that these disasters happen and are not too far away from our own homes. Also, communication is key, however communication is fundamental in any area of learning. Through recent placement serial days, there has been good practise for communication with pupils and other member of staff which is always very important, and it is a key skill to have as a future teacher.

For resources for teaching, there are many that extremely useful. Firstly, case studies are very helpful in giving pupils ground information about actual events and supplies lots of interesting facts about the cause, impacts and response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above are the two case studies we worked on in class and would be a good starting point for teaching upper school classes. Secondly, my group’s disaster for the micro-teaching task was hurricanes and we found good, child-friendly videos that explains the formation of a hurricane for children. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2__Bk4dVS0) Lastly, there are easy experiments to do with pupils to help show them the formation of hurricanes with water. This one involves two water bottles, some water and cello tape. This experiment is quick, easy and fun to do and show children. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMoiPb3FtJs)

From an autobiographical perspective, this theme has always been an interesting one for me. From primary school age, I have always wanted to know how these disasters impact the earth and the people involved. Therefore, teaching this to children is exciting for me, as I know how much I enjoyed learning about this topic so would hopefully pass my enthusiasm onto the pupils I am teaching.

From a pupil’s perspective, the children may find looking at other parts of the world interesting, if they have never had the chance to see this side of the world. Seeing children being affected y these disasters may shock them, and it might seem unbelievable, it is important they are aware of this going on all over the world. This might encourage pupils to do their own bit for certain charities that help with the response to these events, for example, The Shoe Box Appeal does great work for children in deprived areas, especially those affected by serious disasters. (http://internationalaidtrust.org.uk/get-involved/shoebox-appeal/)

 

References

General Teaching Council Scotland (2006) Standard for Initial Teacher Education Accessed: 3^rd November 2018  http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/the-standard-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf

Glasser, R (2016) World heading for catastrophe over natural disasters, The Guardian Accessed: 3^rd November 2018 Available: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/24/world-heading-for-catastrophe-over-natural-disasters-risk-expert-warns

Shoe Box Appeal – International Aid Trust, Accessed: 3^rd November 2018 Available: http://internationalaidtrust.org.uk/get-involved/shoebox-appeal/

Sustainable Development (2018) Natural Disasters [Module Resource] Accessed: 2^nd November 2018

Sustainable Development – Learning Log: Interdependence

Interdependence is “the way two or more living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy.” Early human cultures, such as; Native Americans, Aboriginals and Maoris, comprehended their dependence on their own surroundings for vital supplies and appreciated that fact. However, now there are three main components that are included in interdependence:

• Economic – Global market and trading, multinational/global financial institutions, multinational financial regulation.
• Social – Cultural integration, media, advertising, worldwide demand for market access, global/multinational.
• Environmental – Need to look beyond local impact, increasingly apparent that species has a function to fulfil in sustaining web of life, slight changes in an interconnected system can mean great fluctuations in other parts.

(Sustainable Development, 2018)

Along with the interdependence lecture, we also got to visit two farms, a small, organic farm and a large, technologically advanced farm. It was interesting to visit both places and see the massive difference in size, number of livestock and work. Each of the farmers that ran the farms gave us a detailed insight into their background, how they manage the farm, their workload and what they do with the cattle they have there. I found this visit very useful and educational as it is a first hand look at what it is really like working in the agricultural business and how cattle farms are ran. This excursion would be excellent for primary aged children as they can see animals up close and actively engage in their learning. A school trip to local places, like these farms, makes learning for the children so much more interesting which will intrigue them, and it is a lot different to sitting behind a desk with pen and paper.

As a directed study task, we went into groups and each took a document about “Sustainable Seas”. The document I had was the endangered species list. According to the IUCN Red List just under 30,000 of the world’s species are at risk of being endangered. “31% of sharks and rays, 33% of reefs and corals and 27% of selected crustaceans are threated with extinction” (The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species). Through this directed study task, I found out a lot about the variety of species and habitats that are in danger of becoming extinct. This allows us to have a wider knowledge and understanding of our surroundings and problems that are happening so close to home.

Both generic skills and skills related to primary teaching were developed through the theme of interdependence. With the Graduate Attributes tables, being ethically – minded and culturally aware was developed, along with socially responsible, ambitious and driven. These skills are important because these were the skills and qualities the farmers had when we visited their own farms. They must be very aware of their surroundings and their business. If things do not go as well as they had planned, they must continue to be driven and ambitious to get the outcomes they strive for and need to keep their farms and businesses progressing. As we learnt more about the topic of interdependence and all the different aspects of the theme, we have seen it from a different perspective and all these skills have been considered. To be successful, in any area of work, you must be ambitious, driven and culturally aware at the very least. I feel that these skills have a lot of relevance to my life experience so far and everything new I am starting. These skills are fundamental and will be advantageous to anyone who has done well and who wants to do even better in their life. Interdependence is a diverse topic and the generic skills and qualities developed have aided the learning of this theme.

Additionally, skills that are relevant to primary teaching are found in the General Teaching Council Standards. Professionalism, communication and effective co operative working. These skills are important to have for a future primary teacher. I feel the most important could be communication. This is because everything is based off communication. Delivery of learning to pupils, conversations between staff and parents and the ability to listen when children have their own problems, questions and concerns. Already through placement and school experience we have developed these skills and are vital in any area of learning. To be a good role model to children and perhaps other teachers, professionalism is a must. Pupils should have someone to look up to and feel confident that they can come to you if they are ever having any problems. This is where communication can come in as well as children may need someone to listen to them and reassure them that they will always have support. Overall, interdependence has provided both generic and primary teaching skills, which are essential for a successful career in the future

 

                 

 

 

These pictures were from out farm visits. The one on the left is from the organic farm, showing cows out roaming a field whereas the second shows the larger, technologically advanced farm which shows a bigger number of cattle inside in pens. These visits can be very useful and educational for children and will make their learning more fun and interesting.

Another resource would be a book called “Sharing a Shell”. This book is based on symbiosis, which is a specific relationship between members of two different species that has evolved over hundreds of years of evolution. This book could help children understand the meaning of interdependence and see it from another perspective and not farms and cattle.

From an autobiographical perspective, the information provided on interdependence, the visits to the farm and the independent study task we did on the sea, has broadened my knowledge on the theme as I did not have much interest in this topic. It is important information and knowledge to have in general and to teach children of any age.

From a child’s perspective, relating the information to things children will enjoy learning about, such as farms, animals and different things like fruit and vegetables, might encourage them to take their learning further and find out more about the topic. However, the knowledge they will gain is important for children to know as they get older.

In terms of peers and colleagues, it will be important to share your own information and thoughts on the topic as you will be able to help each other. Someone might have more experience on the theme which will be helpful in your own teaching and can make the learning for children better to experience.

 

References

Sustainable Development (2018) Interdependence [Module Resource] [Accessed: 19 October 2018]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (2018) [Online] https://www.iucnredlist.org/ [Accessed: 20 October 2018]

Sustainable Development – Learning Log: Climate Change

 

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a low carbon economy will help create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth” (Climate Change Scotland Act, 2009). Climate change effects every country in the world. However, Scotland has been working to fix their own issues regarding the prevention of climate change which will then enable them to help other places whose problems are larger.

Even though climate change is a topic that is always talked about globally in the news, personally, I had not realised the issue itself is so complex and detailed. The effects climate change has on many different aspects of the world is astounding:

• In agriculture, a large sum of farming land that lies at the side of deserts is unworkable due to desertification. On the other hand, in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather, like flooding, their annual production will suffer heavily which will affect growing season in some areas.
• Regarding sea level changes, coastal and low-lying land near rivers are at risk and threatens the lives of 80 million people across the world.
• In addition, global sea level increases 1-2 mm each year; in 100 years, a rise in sea level between 9-88 cm in expected.

Politics have a large part to play in the governments aid to slow down the process of global warming;

• Some positive actions would be the preservation and protection of natural resources, areas, habitats and species. Also, to rehabilitate endangered plants and animals. To educate the public of the actions they can take to help do their part within the community.
• These actions have been effective. Different nations have been cooperative within and between each other. They have been working together to find regional solutions and have done this by drawing on evidence from science and economics. (Klein, 2015)

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/06/dont-look-away-now-the-climate-crisis-needs-you

It was interesting to learn about the different ways climate change has affected and is affecting the world constantly. The actions the government are taking are also intriguing as different parts of the world are experiencing various types of climate change. This means countries who could be facing drought are offering a helping to those countries that are experiencing torrential rain and floods. As this problem is inevitable and everyone will be affected at some stage, it is good to hear of nations working cooperatively to help one another.

 

While studying the theme of climate change, some important, relevant skills were developed. Some generic skills would be; critical thinking, inquiring, collaborative team work, research-minded and creativity. Some relevant skills which are specifically related to primary teaching would be: professionalism, motivation, intellectual independence and critical engagement with evidence. These are regarding the GTCS Professional Standards (http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/the-standard-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf). Considering the four levels of the Brookfield diagram, these skills are important, not just generically but also as future teachers, as this topic is can be very diverse and intricate. It is important to be able to think of the information critically and ask questions to find out more about the theme. It is essential to be able to work collaboratively and include everyone as different people will have different perspectives on things and listening to other ideas and thoughts can benefit your own learning. Within the module, these skills can be achieved as whenever we are on campus we can work in groups which allows us to be creative with each other and work collaboratively. I found this helped a lot, as I could listen to everyone else’s inputs which allowed me to boost my own thinking for the task at hand. These skills are very relevant as it forms a person’s characteristics and personality. It shows someone can be versatile and can adapt well to different situations. In the future, professionalism and motivation will be a huge aid to be a successful teacher. Therefore, these skills have huge relevance to how successful I will allow myself to be in the future.

 

http://teachclimatechange.org/teaching-climate-change-to-children/ 

This link provides an in depth look on how to teach children about climate change. There are 2 animated videos provided which are child friendly and easy to follow for the children. It will help the students gain a good basic knowledge of the topic, what is involved and what and who are affected.

If I think back to when I was at primary, we were not provided resources like this meaning my understanding of the topic was not as basic and primary as the learning of the children would be if they used these videos. Easy and helpful resources like these videos are always useful for children.

 

From an autobiographical perspective, the information on climate change, although some of it has been basic and well-known, has broadened my understanding of the topic and widened my knowledge on certain facts and figures which is useful for me to then project to a class of students in the future.

From a child’s perspective, learning about such a hard and intricate topic could be challenging at first but as their learning progresses, it can become interesting. By relating it to something children are interested in, for example, animals, they can be more intrigued in the topic if they are aware of all the creatures are can be affected by climate change.

In terms of peers and colleagues, they may have a better knowledge of the task and topic so can help you with resources and the actual teaching of the theme. This could be very helpful and aid you in being more successful in the delivery of the topic. It also helps put together a collaborative opinion and view of the theme so will be useful when teaching in the future.

Theory and policies say, “we have passed an historic, ground-breaking bill that sets an international example that we hope others will follow.” (Climate Change Scotland Act, 2009) I believe Scotland want to be a role model to other countries and be able to help in the global mission to prevention of global warming and the slowing down of climate change. This has proved to be effective thus far and I think Scotland and the UK can provide help for other countries in need.

 

References

Fields, G. (2018) Teaching Climate Change To Children – Teach Climate Change. Available: http://teachclimatechange.org/teaching-climate-change-to-children/ [Accessed: 7 October 2018].

Klein, N. (2015) Don’t Look Away Now, The Climate Crisis Needs You | Naomi Klein. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/06/dont-look-away-now-the-climate-crisis-needs-you [Accessed: 7 October 2018].

Scottish Government (2009) Climate Change (Scotland) Act Available: http://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/climatechange/scotlands-action/climatechangeact [Accessed: 23 November 2018].

Standard For Initial Teacher Education. (2006) Available: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/the-standard-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf [Accessed: 12 November 2018]

Sustainable Development (2018) Climate Change [Module Resource] [Accessed: 7 October 2018]

Sustainable Development (2018 Politics and Global Warming [Module Resource] [Accessed 7 October 2018]

 

 

Sustainable Development – Learning Log: The Environment

 

“The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.” (Scottish Government, 2010) It is important to teach children and young people about sustainable development as it will give awareness of the environment and the changing world unbeknown to them. This topic also aids all four capacities; successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals. As a future teacher, it is important to include in depth lessons on the environment and evolving world as it will help students broaden their knowledge of their own community.

This module so far has been interesting for me. Normally, I would say I would not have a lot of interest or desire to learn about the environment and science. However, as the module started, and we began to look at a different side of our environment, I began to become very intrigued about the things I was going to learn. We were asked to look at our local urban environment and think about various things in our own town like transport, infrastructure, community spaces, and industry and work. This allowed us to engage with our towns and perhaps look at them in a different perspective. Additionally, in the first week of class, we had first-hand experience in learning about our environment but spending lessons outside and studying the nature around us. This was useful as it gave us a useful insight of what the module would entail and allowed us to aid our own learning and reflect on what we already had learnt in previous educational experiences. The Scottish Government produces very helpful documents on outdoor learning and believes that “integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors.” (Scottish Government, 2010). It is possible that outdoor learning could aid every aspect of the curriculum which could help students to strive in their strong areas or even find a new subject to be successful in.

Within the first two weeks of the module, some important, relevant skills have already been developed. Some generic skills would be; critical thinking, inquiring, collaborative team work, research-minded and creativity. Some relevant skills which are specifically related to primary teaching would be: professionalism, motivation, intellectual independence and critical engagement with evidence. These are in regard to the GTCS Professional Standards (http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/the-standard-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf). Considering the four levels of the Brookfield diagram, these skills are important, not just generically but also as future teachers, as this topic is can be very diverse and intricate. It is important to be able to think of the information critically and ask questions to find out more about the theme. It is essential to be able to work collaboratively and include everyone as different people will have different perspectives on things and listening to other ideas and thoughts can benefit your own learning. Within the module, these skills can be achieved as whenever we are on campus we can work in groups which allows us to be creative with each other and work collaboratively. I found this helped a lot, as I could listen to everyone else’s inputs which allowed me to boost my own thinking for the task at hand. These skills are very relevant as it forms a person’s characteristics and personality. It shows someone can be versatile and can adapt well to different situations. In the future, professionalism and motivation will be a huge aid to be a successful teacher. Therefore, these skills have huge relevance to how successful I will allow myself to be in the future.

 

These two pictures were taken on our first day of the module where we explored outside. This could be a useful resource for children in your own class as they can document and record what they see on their venture outside. They can develop more critical thinking and reflection skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These resources help to provide evidence of the environment around us. It can help pupil’s make comparisons between both rural and their local urban environment. This will help build their knowledge of the theme and allow them to engage more with their own environment around them.

From an autobiographical perspective, this theme in the module has been a good starter and very eye opening. As I said previously, at school I was never interested in the environment and outdoor learning was not a part of our learning as a pupil. However, now I can see how important it is to incorporate outdoor learning into the curriculum as it can make things a lot more enjoyable for children in the class.

From a children’s perspective, outdoor learning can be different and exciting. It will be a nice change of scenery and means they would not be stuck behind a desk. It may also be a topic they are very interested in it meaning they can excel and be confident in their learning.

In terms of peers and colleagues, they may have a better knowledge of the task and topic so can help you with resources and the actual teaching of the theme. This could be very helpful and aid you in being more successful in the delivery of the topic.

Theory and policies say that outdoor learning can strives where indoor learning cannot (Scottish Government, 2010).  I believe that as the years go on, outdoor learning will become a larger and more substantial part of the curriculum, if not so already.

 

References

Scottish Government. (2010) Available: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/SustainableDevelopment [Accessed: 23 November 2018].

Standard For Initial Teacher Education. (2006) Available: http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/the-standard-for-initial-teacher-education.pdf [Accessed: 12 November 2018].