In our new normal there are two issues that stand out to me. They both involve teaching in our new normal ad in one way or other address the effect COVID has had on our world and communities as a whole. Could I possibly combine these ideas to explore my two itches in one big ‘scratch’?
1: Global Citizenship and LfS
A passion of mine is Learning for Sustainability and helping our learners to understand and be ready for the new world they will inherit. Some of these real world issues can be complex and overwhelming for adults so how do we make these important issues relevant and meaningful to our little people?
In partnership with WOSDEC, I have been trained in delivering Global Storylines, which combine traditional interdisciplinary methods of Storyline, with values-based research, process drama and deep reflection, to address some of these. Learners “become” characters within a community affected by a particular global issue. How will using this method of teaching affect the attitudes of staff, pupils and families?
2: Parental engagement, family learning and learning at home
More than ever, we know that parental engagement leads to better outcomes for our learners. This is why parental engagement, family learning and learning at home is a key theme within our schools. Within my own establishment, we used this as a vehicle for change, with a particular focus on closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
Parental involvement means “being available to speak with parents at the school gates” However, in this new normal the ‘school gates’ have changed. My itch is how do we make ourselves as welcoming, nurturing and inclusion with our families and communities while we must stay physically apart.
In exploring these two itches, I wonder, could I combine them and involve parents in home and family learning through the use of Storyline methodology?
Hi Claire, your idea of focussing on both parental engagement and global citizenship sounds really interesting, just make sure you don’t stretch yourself too thin! Have you had a look at the UN Global Goals? While not all are linked to this, a few of these could tie in well to your sustainability focus to give a relevant context to your learners. Might be worth looking into if you haven’t already 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas, Claire. I agree with Colin. It would be better to focus on one of these areas – there’s no reason why you couldn’t go on to explore the other at a later date!