Interdependence (Week 3 & 4)
Before today, I had no idea what ‘Interdependence’ was and how it linked to teaching. In simple terms-interdependence- is the way in which living and non-living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy. (Palhelke, 2009). For instance: we rely on food to keep us alive and a shelter to keep us safe and warm. In return, it is man who builds our homes and grow crops to produce food which keeps us alive.
There are three main ways in which we are interdependent:
- Economic- world trade, multinational financial organizations and legislation within the EU.
- Social- dominance of technology, cultural integration and pollution
- Environmental- climate change, global actions and consequences and decreasing numbers of natural resources.
As part of this module- we were fortunate enough to visit two dairy farms. I was looking forward to experiencing a dairy farm as I had never visited one previously. The first farm we visited today was called ‘Strathhead farm’. This was a large intensive farm dependent on technology. After having a discussion with the farmer, I grasped the main objective of this farm was to produce large quantities of milk as cheap and economically as possible. In reference to social interdependence- farmers are under extreme stress due to the increasing population of vegans in the United Kingdom. (BBC news) Many people have the false perception that all animals are treated unfairly in farms which is not the case.
Some pics of Strathead Farm:
This process consists of the farmer breeding the cows to produce large quantities of milk. The consumer buys the milk in bulk at a lower price to then be sold in supermarkets. The cows are kept indoors which appears against nature without a deeper understanding of the situation-however- the farmer believes it is beneficial for the cows as they can put themselves under more distress in the wild. Typically, when they have been let out, they return shortly after, as they prefer being in the barn than out in the wild. Their diet is crucial as they need to stay large in order to provide pure quality milk. At this farm, the cows can be milked up to 5 times a day! It amazed me how reliant this farm is on technology. The cows have collars attached to their necks which monitor everything they do through robots. The collar sends signals to the robot- that can track if the cows are under abnormal stress or if they are unwell etc. The robot sends info to the farmer for them to monitor and decide if there’s any implications. Similarly, they are fed and milked through machines. I was stunned at how advanced this farm was- and how economical it is– as it would cost the farmer more to hire farmers to: feed/milk/ monitor the cows 24 hours a day. However, this farm has a negative impact on environmental interdependence as it produces an exceeding amount of greenhouse gases which is polluting the earth and resulting in more climate change which is destroying our planet.
The second farm we visited was also a dairy farm-but- this farm was a small organic farm. Interestingly, this farm was originally founded by Robert burns brother. It was then taken over in 1993 by another family. Everything is completed on the farm (milking/ pasteurising etc.) This specific farm focused on economical interdependence. Bryce who owns the farm is very passionate about his job and maintaining the family name within the farm. He is very knowledgeable about the detrimental impact of livestock farming on the environment (global warming). Therefore, he has tried to reduce the number of chemical fertilisers and pesticides used including those discovered in their food. As an alternative, they use organic fertilisers and the soil is regularly checked.
Our independent study task was to create an info graph using Piktochart based on ‘Sustainable Seas.’ I focused on WWF when participating in this task. I was not aware of how many small, coastal communities could be out of business if we don’t stop polluting the sea and causing the extinction of multiple species and destroying their natural habitats. Encouragingly, Piktochart would be an excellent software to use with the upper school to display their findings on any given topic. I can’t wait to experiment this software with my own class.
Overall, the farm experience would be hugely beneficial for children as it provides a chance for them to see where their food comes from. This lesson would be very hard to explain without a visual explanation. The trip allowed us to put interdependence into a context. As a teacher, I believe outdoor learning is vital as it provides a learning experience we can not give in the classroom through interaction with nature.
To conclude, I believe after the last couple of weeks I have become more ‘ethnically minded’ about the part I play in interdependence as a whole. I would love to be able to promote organic farming as it is more economically and socially friendly. However, this is not always feasible as organic products are often more expensive. On the other hand, I will now be able to support my pupils in making the correct decisions around interdependence.
References
BBC news (2017) Welsh farmers raise concerns over veganism [online] available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41713987
Pahelke, R. (2009) Introduction to Sustainable Development: Globalization, Interdependence and Sustainability. UNESCO ELOSS available: [online] Accessed 15th October 2019
