Our first input in Sustainable Development was looking at Diversity. I found this quite daunting because I was unsure what it would cover. It’s such a wide topic and I only have a little science knowledge so I thought that I could be out my depth and might struggle to understand some of it.
In our first workshop, we looked at different experiments that you could do in the class, like dissecting a flower and moving a snail around different environments. We also went outside and took some bark & leaf rubbings. I found this really interesting because I didn’t realise that there was such a large variety of plants and tree so nearby. I also thought this would be really good lesson for future practice because it can be done with the simplest of gardens and could also inspire children to take pride in their own gardens at home because they’ve learnt about the local diversity in class.
We then had an input from WOSDEC were we first discussed our probable/preferable futures. Our preferable future is how we want the world to turn out, and this included lots of ideas like less single use plastic or political stability, whist our probable future is how we realistically see our future, which included complete and utter chaos. We discussed how one of the ways we turn the probable in the preferable is by being and creating Global Citizens. We used the ‘Head, Heart Hands’ exercise to help develop our own understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. In our group, we decided that a global citizen should be positive, open-minded, creative and motivated. They should also feel empathetic and they should be willing to take part in volunteering and protesting for what they believe in. This was quite eyeopening for me as it helped me realise that although I have some of the skills needed like positivity or empathy, there was still area’s I was lacking in that would make me a better global citizen. I found the activity really useful for future practice as well because it allows for lots of discussion and for children to gain different viewpoints from each other.
The following week, our input was on cultural diversity. I was really looking forward to this because I’ve always had an interest in this area, and similar subjects like social sciences, and I hoped it would include a lot of discussion and debate. We started out with a common clusters activity which showed that even within a small group of individuals, we were all so different and that there was a range of backgrounds and life experiences. We also looked at Scotlands diversity and I was really shocked at some of the results. I had assumed that we were very diverse as a country but in reality, it’s not as high as we would like to believe. For example, only 4% of Scotland are of an ethnic minority and only 2.1% are Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Sikh (Scottish Government, 2011). Copeland and Bowden (2014) stated that children now “can inhibit a range of identities that are as confusing as they are defining” (p.386) and I thought that this was a really interesting point to take on board as a future practitioner. Children will struggle just the same, if not more than we will with finding their own identity and where they belong. This is why as teachers we should be reinforcing diversity in the classroom and celebrating what makes us different and unique. Children may also only be receiving one certain viewpoint at home so its part of our job to open up their mind to the surrounding world through discussions and debates in a safe environment.
Over the two weeks, I think the diversity topic has helped to develop some of my skills. In particular, my team working skills. I learnt that when having discussions as a group, I know when to stand up and voice my opinion but also that everyone deserves that chance and sometimes you step back for other people. However, I think a skill in particular that I need to develop more is my creative thinking and being able to think outside the box.
References
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Copeland, P. & Bowden, D. (2014) Responding to Cultural Diversity and Citizenship. In: Cremin, T. & Arthur, J. (eds) Learning to Teach in the Primary School. London: Routledge pp385-399
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Scottish Government (2011a) Scotland’s Census. [Online] Available: http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/news/census-2011-release-2a[Accessed: 23rd of September 2019]
