Placement tasks

The primary school have an Eco-school committee that are aiming to enhance their Outdoor Learning initiatives. They are striving for other people to be involved out with the school, e.g. parents and members of community to make the town a better place. The school are keen recyclers within the classroom and also in the dinner hall. They have 2 bins that separate general waste from their recycling. The Janitor does the litter picking outside.

There have been fruit bushes planted and some extra trees within the school grounds. The school intend to develop more green areas within the school grounds. The technical department at the local secondary school helped the primary to create a reading chair and toadstool seats for the children to engage with each other and read at their leisure. The school also has a rainbow bench situated in the upper playground where children can chat and sit comfortably.

The primary school has 2 separate areas for children to play in order to keep the children as safe as possible. There are 2 playgrounds – one at the infant end and the other at the upper end of the school. There is also a rose garden which is communal. All children are allowed to enjoy the rose garden and is a popular spot in the playground area.

The school has sections of gravel and grassy areas. When is it too wet to play on the grass, the children can play on the markings of the gravel or enjoy some playground equipment, such as Hula Hoops, balls and giant Connect Four game. When the weather is good, the children are allowed to play at the goals at the top of the playing field.

The school used to have an obstacle course called the ‘trim trail’ which was very popular with the pupils. Unfortunately, the trim trail was too expensive to maintain therefore it had to be removed.

I believe that the primary school is well equipped. Having separate areas of the playground means less risk of injuries between the infant and upper end. The children have endless choice to do on their breaks which will allow playtime to be enjoyable for all ages. I asked some of the children about their surroundings. They said that they really enjoyed playing in the playground because there were lots of different things to do. The children seem to love their playground and have no complaints.

Here is a map of the school grounds created on Digimap.

Diversity

Diversity is “essential to our survival” and “a range of different things” (UNEP, 2015). It can be split into 2 subtopics: biodiversity and cultural diversity. Biodiversity  can relate to species, genetic and ecological diversity. It is important to teach biodiversity in schools because it is important to understand the importance that species have on the planet. For example, why bees are the most important pollinator of food crops. I have learned effective ways to teach children biodiversity may be food chains or studying a small ecosystem. An example of this may be the local woodland or the pond ecosystem.

Cultural diversity is an important subject to teach children within the classroom because it allows social equity. I found out from the 2011 census that Scotland is very diverse, with 138 different languages spoken in the country. We looked at recent debates in the world that be controversial, such as should a child be allowed to wear a hijab within school. We came to the conclusion that the child should definitely be allowed to wear a hijab because it is a part of their religion. Also, Scotland and Scottish schools think that it is very important to promote inclusion, therefore they should accept the child wearing a hijab. We then looked at the changes that cultural diversity has brought to Scotland. We came up with different cuisines, different food types and different religious beliefs.

Rights respecting school is an important factor of many primary schools values. Our rights are very important in the world today. It is important to have the right to education, food and shelter. Children should understand that there is a rights declaration that should be followed. I have developed knowledge that I was unaware of before, such as some professional standards that have to be met as a teacher, such as social justice and integrity.  This has been helpful in understanding the standards in cultural diversity that I should meet as a future educator.

 

Energy

Week one

Energy is a topic that I was never very skilled at throughout my school years as it was mainly linked to Physics. I was apprehensive about the energy topic because I thought that I would be unable to partake in a lot of the activities. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not as difficult as I first anticipated and developed a number of skills.

I gained a lot of new information from the lectures which gave me insight into what changes may be happening in the near future,for example fossil fuels changing to renewable energy. I developed a lot of knowledge through learning that can be transferred into a primary classroom in the future, for example the difference between a series and parallel circuit. I believe that I have become more confident through the workshops as the hands-on experience allowed me to immerse myself in certain areas that I would not have been comfortable teaching in the future. I improved my teamwork skills through working in teams to make different circuits. Through this, we had to listen to each other and communicate effectively in order to create the circuit. This was very difficult, therefore if I was teaching this in a primary school class I would make sure to dedicate a longer amount of time in this task so that the children could solve the problem.

From this module, I can say that I feel a lot better about teaching in the future. Through the workshops, I was able to immerse myself in the topic and will most certainly teach energy in the classroom. I believe it is important to teach children about energy as it is a current topic where vast changes are happening in the near future, therefore it is only fair to keep children updated on what is happening currently in the world.

Week two

Today has given me insight into a STEM ambassadors feeling about teaching technology within the classrrom. I was very surprised to see that the ambassadors primary one class were creating models to such a high standard. I would never have thought that a primary one class would have the capabilities to do this task, therefore it has allowed me to become mindful to really challenge pupils in the future. It was also interesting to see that the STEM ambassador used a wide range of books to get the children into an engineering thought process, such as Rosie Revere Engineer. This has allowed the children to improve design and thinking skills.

We made individual turbines which would be a fantastic idea to teach in the classroom. The instructions could have been clearer which made me use my problem solving skills on how to determine what the instructions meant.

My wind turbine creation.

We then had to create a lesson plan on making the wind turbines as if we were going to be teaching a class. This improved my thinking skills because it put me in the mindset of a class teacher. In the future, lesson plans will be a huge part to my success in teaching, therefore it was very useful to do this.

Overall, the energy topic helped me to improve a variety of different skills which will prepare me for my future career.

Disasters

The topic that we covered in the past two weeks have considerably built up my knowledge on disasters. In this weeks input we were asked to take part in a micro teaching task where we were split into groups and given separate tasks to do. My group was assigned to give a presentation on floods.

The micro-teaching task was not only interesting, but useful as I have improved various skills. My group had to have effective communication to decide what we wanted to include in our PowerPoint presentation and also assign roles for each person. In the beginning, communication was poor because everyone had different ideas of what we should include but eventually we all agreed and listened to each others ideas. I also improved my time management skills because we had to make sure our PowerPoint lasted 15 minutes. This was difficult because we were all speaking quickly so we had to slow the pace down. This also meant that the audience would be able to  hear everyone clearly. I focused on improving my presentation skills because I felt like this would be useful for the future. As a teacher, I will be presenting regularly. I wanted to make sure that my body language was positive and that I spoke clearly and concisely in order to present myself effectively.

I was intrigued to learn new facts and figures about floods and other disasters. The PowerPoints presented were helpful in giving information that I can take to the classroom and also if I am ever involved in a disaster.

Click on the link below to view the Floods Presentation.

Floods Presentation

Interdependence

In week 5 Sustainable development we looked at Interdependence, the way in which two or more living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy. There are 3 components of Interdependence: economic social, environmental. All components are as important as each other.

We looked at two different farms to explore interdependence. Environmental interdependence in farming is extremely important as farmers have to be aware of the implications that be caused not only locally, but globally. Farmers should keep farming as sustainable as possible and be aware that slight changes in farming may result in consequences globally.

We had the opportunity to visit Strandhead and Mossigel Farm where methods  were different. Strandhead is a technological farm and Mossgiel is an organic farm therefore it was very interesting to compare the two.

I first visited Strandhead which is a farm that is very reliant on the latest technology to feed and milk their cattle.

Strandhead farm.

It has been said that Strandhead is one of the most technologically advanced farms in Scotland. Strandhead breeds Holstein cows (the average black and white cow you would see in Scotland) where they are free to be milked, feed and rest as they please.

Holstein cows at Strandhead farm

The cows stay inside at all times which is not a typical method  of farming but farmers of Strandhead assured that the cows were happy because they were less stressed and enjoyed the temperature inside which remains constant all year. The calves are seperated from their mums at 8 weeks and are fed powdered milk.

Overall, I believe that Strandhead is a very advanced and can imagine this being the future farm of Scotland. The process is a much quicker and efficient way of farming. It was different that the cows did not go outside but I think that if the cattle are happy and healthy then there is nothing wrong with this method. One criticism I would have is that the calves are fed powdered milk rather than their mothers milk which may not give the calves as many nutrients.

Mossgiel is a farm that has recently become an organic farm due to economic issues of the price of milk decreasing drastically. The farm has now changed their methods in which they sell most of their milk to high end coffee shops situated in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Mossgiel farm breed Ayrshire cows (native to Ayrshire) which have a higher fat content in the milk they produce.

Ayrshire calf at Mossgiel farm

They keep all the fat in their milk unlike most manufacturers which separate the fat from the milk to make other products. This results in a creamier milk which high end coffee shops look for a better and creamier taste. It was interesting to find out that the calves drink their mothers milk throughout which was different to Strandhead farm.

Overall, I thought that Mossgiel was a farm with many fantastic ideas to keep their farm sustainable. I am aware that this farm is unlike most farms and would be unrealistic for all farms to be organic in the future.

In conclusion, I believe that both farming methods were efficient and effective. Both farms paid close attention keeping animals happy as well as being sustainable as possible. In my opinion, I preferred the methods of Mossgiel farm because everything was organic and natural. On the other hand, I think that Strandhead was a very interesting farm which may represent the future farms of the world. As a society, we have to remember that our actions come from our ancestors in the past which have brought us to this time in history with some consequences. We also have to think about what happens in the future will be impacted upon by our actions now.

This is the pictochart that we created for the Interdependence topic on sustainable seas. Please click on the link to view.

https://create.piktochart.com/output/25440578-sustainable-seas

Climate Change

Week 3- Politics, Weather and Global warming

Climate change is a subject that has become very important in recent years. A definition for climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns which has been happening particularly from mid-20th century onwards. An explanation for this is the increased levels of carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels. There may still be sceptics that believe climate change is natural, but many disagree with this.

Learning about climate change this week has opened my eyes to the destruction that we are causing to the planet. Desertification, rising sea-level and extreme weather conditions have almost become ‘the norm’ which I find frightening. I believe that as a society we must reduce the level of gases, especially carbon dioxide, being emitted into the atmosphere.

I was nervous about the Politics and Global Warming workshop because it is a subject I have always struggled with. To begin with, we were asked why politics might be an important factor in considering Climate Change. After discussing, we decided that it was because politicians have higher power than the average person. We can recycle as much as possible, but unless the rest of the world is doing the same it is highly likely that you are going to make a change. On the other hand, politicians can make change happen.

In groups, we were given the task of finding out what was important for our stakeholder in the issue of global warming (a fisherman living in Tuvalu), the actions we want the government to take and reasoning for this. Through research, we found that Tuvalu is an island in the South Pacific that seldom rises higher than 15 metres. Due to carbon dioxide emissions from the USA and China, the sea-level is rising which threatens the island becoming underwater. Most Tuvaluans are fishermen and refuse to leave the island because it is where their livelihood is. Actions that the government should take are to sign the Paris Agreement to ensure vulnerable countries like Tuvalu are protected against climate change. For me, this opened my eyes to the sheer destruction we are causing to the planet and people’s lives. Simply asking a person to move away from the island where they have always lived is completely unacceptable, therefore we should think before we emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Weather and Global Warming workshop was very active and interesting. The workshop consisted of different work stations that are be intriguing ideas to teach in a primary school classroom. In one station, we created tornados by filling a glass jar with water, washing up liquid and food colouring. By swirling the glass vigorously we were able to do this. This would be a fun experiment for children that links science and social studies together and is also an easy task to set up. Another experiment we carried out was exploring hot and cold. We filled a tank with room temperature water and put pebbles in 2 plastic cups. After that, we filled one cup with cold water and blue dye and the other cup with warm water and red dye. We then immersed the 2 cups in the large tank and found that the red dye was on top of the blue dye which showed that heat rises.

    Red rising to the top and blue at the bottom.

Again, it was an easy task and very enjoyable. This workshop was incredibly helpful to me because I struggle with the Climate change topic and I now have a better understanding on how to teach the subject.

This week has been a valuable lesson for me because I have learned a lot about Climate Change that I didn’t know before. It has also given me insight into the danger that fossil fuels can cause. In the future, I intend to find ways of reducing carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere and help to make the planet a healthier and happier place.

Week 4- Climate Change

In recent years, climate change has become an important subject around the world. The change in the worlds climate has many consequences, such as desertification and sea level changes. There may still be some sceptics, but overall most people have accepted the climate change is not natural, but man-made.

The Climate change (Scotland) act 2009 aims to meet their final outcome in 2050 to make sure that net Scottish emissions should be at least 80% lower than the baseline of a particular gas. As well as the act, Scottish ministers should set annual targets in secondary legislation. An example of this being the carrier bag charges in 2014 in order to reduce use of carrier bags and litter in Scotland. This legislation has changed my bad habits as I was always guilty of wasting carrier bags and rarely recycling. Looking back, I can say that my recycling overall has improved greatly and I now encourage others to recycle as well. In the ‘One year on’ report that was released on 2015, it claimed that the new legislation had reduced carrier bag wastage by up to 80% (650 million carrier bags) in one year which has shown huge success for Scotland. I am proud to say that I have taken part in this legislation and believe it is a start to improved recycling in Scotland. I also believe that the Climate change act will influence me in improving the planet in the future.

When completing the WWF Carbon footprint finder I was appalled to find out that my carbon footprint was a staggering 105%, higher than the 2020 target set by UK Government. I was also shocked that my total annual carbon emissions came to 10.9 tonnes per year!

My highest contribution to the carbon footprint was food at 32%. I believe this is due to having a lot of meat in my diet and also that I rarely buy seasonal and local produce.

I was very shocked to find out that travel was the second largest contribution to my carbon footprint at 31%. I mostly take public transport but never took into consideration the impact of travelling abroad for holidays in the past year. It has allowed me to think if it is necessary to travel long distances abroad every year.

The WWF footprint finder not only helped me to understand my carbon footprint, but also gave me advice on how to reduce my carbon footprint. Due to living in the western world where meat and dairy products are high, I have slipped into the way of eating these things in high quantities. Not only is it unhealthy for my body, but also for the environment. Farming meat and dairy products takes up a lot of our land which is one of the biggest causes of deforestation. I have realised that a few simple changes in my diet can help reduce deforestation, such as eating meat once a day and eating more vegetables as they produce less Carbon dioxide emissions than meat products. I would urge the Western world to think about their diatery habits and find ways to reduce their meat and dairy intake. Another way to reduce my carbon footprint is to buy seasonal produce. Not only is it tastier, but healthier because it is probable that the produce has not been grown intensively. I will consider buying more local and seasonal produce in the future and also support schemes such as Fairtrade.

In conclusion, climate change is an issue that has to become an important subject in everyone’s lives. As a society, we have to change our bad habits to reduce our carbon footprint and meet the Climate Change (Scotland) act 2050 outcome in order to improve the planet.  In the future, I intend to find ways of minimising my carbon footprint and take on board the ideas that the WWF website has given me.

 

The Environment

The Natural Environment

Today’s lecture has been very helpful in getting to know what the Sustainable Development module entails. I am looking forward to participating in more outdoor learning. As a child, I remember loving outdoor learning so it will be interesting to experience this as an aspiring teacher.

Before attending the lecture I was unsure on how to define ‘sustainability’. I can now say that sustainability is when people are enabled worldwide to satisfy their basic needs as a human being and to enjoy a better quality of life without negatively effecting the quality of life for generations to come. The lecture has also shown me that there are topics that are linked to sustainability that I wouldn’t make an immediate connection with, such as equality and fairness. Before, I would have linked sustainability to topics such as recycling and waste production.

The Natural Environment workshop was very helpful in the sense that it has given me several new ideas for outdoor learning activities. We completed a few activities such as looking for different types of leaves and bugs and also looking at different types of lichens on tree bark. The activities were great stimuli to get ideas flowing for other outdoor learning activities. In my group, one idea was to use the leaves in arts and crafts to create different shapes and patterns. Another idea was to create a play using different types of bugs and thinking how they would move and sound. This workshop has also taught me that learning doesn’t always have to be tedious and in front of a screen.

The Planet Earth workshop also gave us good ideas to take into the classroom. There were several tasks, some being to create a food chain and making tree bark rubbings. This was helpful in creating lessons that you didn’t necessarily need to go outdoors for, for example if weather made it impossible to go outdoors.

In conclusion, I would say that the workshops have given me more confidence in learning and teaching outdoors. I believe that engaging in this module will progressively improve my confidence in the environment around me and hopefully create new and interesting ideas that could be taught outside.

The Urban Environment

The term ‘Urban’ can be defined by a place relating to, or characteristic of a town or city. For me, I live in a rural environment which can be defined as living in the country.

I live in a village which is located in South Ayrshire. Whilst researching for this blog it has been very interesting to see the similarities and differences between rural and urban areas.

In my hometown, the transport is extremely limited. Other than cars, the only other mode of transport is by bus which can cause problems for many people, such as getting to work on time. Due to this, many people travel by car which causes increase in exhaust emissions. The Urban Environment article given states that people living in an a town or city use less energy due to more walking, cycling or public transport being used.

There are limited community spaces in my hometown. Unfortunately, there is only 1 school and 1 shop. Unfortunately, there is no longer a community centre due to lack of funding and also housing development. This can be linked to the Ted Talk by Alessandra Orofino.  Although she is referring to the city Rio de Janeiro, you can see the similarities between an urban and rural environment. As humans, we are social animals, but social encounters seem to be declining over the years. Due to public spaces decreasing, unhappiness has become more frequent and participation in communities has become less frequent. There is no recreational space for children or adults which means travelling to urban town’s Maybole or Girvan (10 minutes from my hometown).  This can be difficult for those who do not drive or own a car to access facilities due to public transport being poor in my rural environment.

In the rural area that I live, agricultural work is very common. Apart from that, the majority of people have to commute to local towns or cities for work. In urban areas, employment is a lot easier to find in comparison to rural areas because the communities are larger and more advanced.

The term peri-urban space was something I was not familiar with until researching for this blog. Peri-urban areas are defined by the structure resulting from the process of peri-urbanisation. It can be described as the an area between suburbs and the countryside. The Peri-urban Land Use Relationships project (PLUREL) is an organisation created to establish, develop new strategies and plan to develop sustainable rural-urban land use relationships. I am not aware of peri-urbanisation in my local area but believe it could be an effective process because rural-urban interaction is necessary in creating a more sustainable environment.

I was very shocked when comparing air quality between my hometown and the local town Ayr. I found that both air pollution in my rural and urban area were the low, but Ayr was the lowest. In hindsight, this point is backed up by the EEA report as it was said that people living in an urban environment created less exhaust emissions due to walking, cycling or using public transport as it is more available.

Reflecting as a teacher, I believe there are many ways to meet the Curriculum For Excellence experiences and outcomes in social studies. Focusing on P5 (level 2), one out come is:

‘Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit.’

SOC 2-10a

Exploring the local area is important for children in order to discover their surroundings. Comparing a local towns air pollution, community spaces and characteristics to a less familiar city (or vice versa) will give the children a clear understanding that places all have their own attributes and differences.

Another Cfe outcome is:

‘Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing the impact on the environment.’

SOC 2-09a

Researching different types of transport will allow the children to determine which mode of transport is the least/most eco-friendly. Also, looking at which modes of transport are used in their local area can help the children to think of which transport is most suited for their local environment.

To conclude, I have noticed a large difference in urban and rural communities after my research. I have also found that there are also similarities between urban and rural communities despite the large amount of differences, such as the lack of recreational spaces such as community centres. To create a more sustainable environment, I believe that peri-urbanisation should be taken into consideration more.

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