Week 1 and 2 – Introduction and Diversity

Over the past two weeks I have gained a deeper insight into what sustainable development is and how it is essential that children are taught in schools about the importance of sustainability. During the lecture, I learned that the aim of sustainable development is to ensure that everyone has a satisfactory quality of life and that all needs are met without negatively impacting the lives of future generations (Scottish Government, 2010). The lecture focused on some of the benefits of sustainability and I found this to be very beneficial as it highlighted to me the significance of teaching children about this as it will encourage qualities such as respect and equity. I believe I gained essential knowledge from this lecture as I previously associated sustainable development with the environment and I now understand that it relates to many different aspects such as diversity and equality.

As a teacher, I intend to use the following videos when introducing the term sustainable development to children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZzBbO6Y0uc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Wl3crN8eU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V8oFI4GYMY

During the WOSDEC input we worked in groups and considered what our probable future would look like compared to our preferred future and through this discussion we became aware that we all had similar ideas of what our ideal world would look like however the reality is quite bleak. This exercise highlighted to me the responsibility I will have as a teacher to encourage children to take action and look after the world they live in.  I learned that there are 17 global goals which were created in 2015 with the intentions of making the world better by 2030 (United Nations, 2018). I think through activities, books and wall displays children will gain a deeper understanding of the global goals and will want to make our world better for everyone.

In the science lab, we explored the theme bio-diversity and completed a number of activities based on plants and living things. In groups, we went outside and collected tree rubbings. My group found this enjoyable and it made us aware of the positives of going outside into the environment. Taking children outdoors has many benefits as it motivates and encourages them to participate and learn (Education Scotland, 2007). We also carried out other activities such as dissecting flowers. I think that children enjoy going outdoors and doing activities they have never done before as it is something new and exciting for them to experience.

We looked more closely at the theme diversity and focused on what cultural diversity is and why it matters. Through group discussions it became apparent that people had differing views on certain aspects related to cultural diversity. This workshop encouraged us to give our own views and respect other people’s opinions.

I have developed a number of relevant skills during these inputs such as being an effective communicator, being creative and becoming more culturally aware.

Effective Communicator

I believe that during the group discussions on cultural diversity I was an effective communicator as I was able to convey my thoughts clearly and concisely. I also made sure to show respect to my peers and listen to their viewpoints. I think that being an effective communicator is important as it enables you to convey your point of view well and it encourages people to listen. I believe that I am becoming more vocal during group discussions and this is giving me more confidence in my abilities. As a teacher, it is vital that I am able to interact with a range of people effectively.

Creative

I think that it is important to allow ourselves to be creative as it will help us to thrive and reach our potentials. I think that when conducting the activities outside during the science workshop this allowed me to be creative and this reinforced to me the importance of being creative as a teacher. Conducting activities outside will excite the children and encourage them to learn. Being creative relates to another module called Integrated Arts where I have learned about the significance of creativity as it allows us to be open-minded and achieve positive results.

Culturally Aware

I also think I have become more culturally aware through looking at the theme diversity in more detail. This is important as it vital to appreciate different ways of life and show respect towards people who have different views to our own. Teachers must be culturally aware and be considerate of the diverse range of children they have in their class.

Overall, I have learned a considerable amount over the past two weeks. I now have a lot more knowledge on what sustainable development is and how and why it should be promoted in schools. I understand the relevance of the theme diversity and how prevalent it is in society today.

References

Education Scotland (2007) Taking Learning Outdoors, Partnerships for Excellence. Glasgow: Education Scotland

Scottish Government (2010) Learning for Change Report.Edinburgh: Scottish Government

United Nations (2018) The Sustainable Development Goals Report. [Online] Available: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/files/report/2018/TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReport2018-EN.pdf [Accessed 22 September 2019]