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Education for Sustainability
From WikiEducator
This is an 8 week course to help you understand the status and terminology of Education for Sustainability internationally and in New Zealand. The course may be completed in more or less than 8 weeks depending on the pace you chose.
Each week you will complete an online reading and answer a question on your blog. If you are new to blogging, refer to this resource for getting started. When you have your blog set up, send your blog address to me the course facilitator at annah at tekotago dot ac dot nz.
Note: Please do these readings online in order to save paper in printing. Reading online becomes easier with practice! Thanks. :)
Note: If you find links do not open when you click on them, try copying and pasting them into the address bar of your internet window.
Objectives
- Identify the process and content of Education for Sustainability
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the terminology and concepts that underpin Education for Sustainability (EfS)
- Analyse their own teaching in relation to EfS using reflective practice
- Utilise the concepts of action competence and critical thinking in relation to EfS
Learning support
- Peopled enroled with Otago Polytechnic as students of this course have access to learning support services such as the libraries, the Community Learning Centres, regular contact with learning facilitators and lecturers, assessment services and certification.
- Otago Polytechnic offers learning support and assessment services through the Educational Development Centre phone 0800 SMART MOVE (762 786).
Course Schedule
- You may enrol in this course at anytime and complete it at your own pace. Staff at Otago Polytechnic will be offered support and assessment free of charge. Successful completion of the course will be acknowledged on your Individual Development Plan. There will be a fortnightly face to face component of this course. The face to face component of the course will start when we have 5 people from Otago Polytechnic The face to face component is currently suggested for a Tuesday lunchtime 12.05-12.55, but this is up for negotiation with course participants. This component will be completely made up of activities and discussion. Although it is frowned upon in the Maori culture we maybe required to eat lunch during this session if this is the only time participants have to do this - also up for negotiation.
Welcome and Introductions
Welcome to Education for Sustainability. As the facilitator of this course I encourage you to get to know me through my blog Anna Hughes. Please send me the link to your blog when you have one set up for this course. Here is a list of course participants. I encourage you to read and comment on other people's blogs as we move through the course. This ensures the course is an interactive learning experience and that we can help each other with questions and ideas now and well after the course.
To do
Post to your blog your background and motivation for attending this course. Introduce yourself to other course participants by commenting on their blog.
Resources
If you are new to blogging, refer to this resource for getting started.
What is Sustainability?
To do
We'll start off with this reading What is Education for? by David Orr. This emotive and discussion generating article will kick off our first face to face meeting scheduled for (at this stage!) Tuesday 13th October from 12-1pm, venue TBA. After introductions we will discuss our thoughts and reactions to this article. Prior to our face to face meeting (or instead of if you can't make it) please write these comments on your blog. You may choose to add to them after our meeting. Please read and comment on other course participants comments.
Below are some resources relating to the concept of sustainability. These are for your information and resource.
Resources
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=top-10-myths-about-sustainability This resource is no longer available free of charge. Please email me annah at tekotago dot ac dot nz. Thanks :)
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/visualisingsustainability/
New Zealand's sustainability issues
positive responses to the issues of sustainability
http://www.slideshare.net/Annah/ecological-footprint
Ken Robinson's Utube presentation
Ten things you can do to live more sustainably
What is Sustainability anyway?
Otago Polytechnic website
To do
If you are not yet familiar with the Sustainability pages of Otago Polytechnic's website please go to Otago Polytechnic and read this page and related links - Education for Sustainability and updates, LivingCampus, Sustainable Operations, Centre for Sustainable Practice, SHAC 09.
Education for Sustainable Development: an international perspective
To do
Read Chapter 2 of Education and Sustainability as well as the following:
Answer the following question on your blog. Comment on another participants response to the question.
How does the reorientation of education (according to this article) and the knowledge and skills needed to educate for sustainability, fit with Otago Polytechnics aims, vision and policies?
Links
- Hopkins, Charles and McKeown, Rosalyn. (2000). Chapter 2, Education for sustainable development: an international perspective in Tilbury, D., Fien, J., Stevenson, R.B., and Schreuder, D. (2000). Education and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge. CEC Education and Sustainability
Explaining education for sustainability
To do
Read Chapter 3 of this report and answer the following questions on your blog. Comment on another participants response to these questions.
What are the key aspects of Education for Sustainability that underpin your current approach to teaching and learning in New Zealand and why?
Links and resources
Strong Sustainability for New Zealand
To do
Read the document Strong sustainability for New Zealand. Principles and Scenerios, produced by Sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand Inc (SANZ)and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.)
Based on the future scenerios of a strongly sustainable New Zealand, in what ways are you developing your students to contribute to a strongly sustainable future for New Zealand?
Explain what you are teaching (or could teach!)and how you are teaching it to develop students who will contribute to this potential future in terms of your industry and how you are teaching to develop a strongly sustainable person.
Links and Resources
http://www.phase2.org/documents/SSFNZ_web_310809.pdf
Education and Sustainable Development: perspectives and possibilities
To do
Read Chapter 18 of Education and Sustainability and answer the following question on your blog. Comment on another participants response to the questions.
In this article, what is Steveson's view of an innovative approach to education in the future?
In what ways could you develop the process and content of your own teaching to meet Steveson's summary of what is required for education in the future?
Links and Resources
- The Sabre Tooth Tiger Curriculum
- Experiential Learning
- EfS_Swirl
- Action Competence Models
- Integrated Approach
- Stevenson, Robert B. (2000). Chapter 18, Conclusion: Education and sustainable development: perspectives and possibilities in Tilbury, D., Fien, J., Stevenson, R.B., and Schreuder, D. (2000). Education and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge. CEC Education and Sustainability
Engaging People in Sustainability
To do
Read: Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. (2004) Engaging People in Sustainability,Commission on Education and Communication, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Link:Engaging People in Sustainability
'You are the experts in your own lives, work and
context, so use this framework as a source for
inspiration, reflection and further reading. Draw
upon this, the experiences and lessons of others
grappling with similar issues and invest in the wealth
of local knowledge and experience in your own context
in order to work towards change for a better future.'
Kate Henderson (2004)
Using examples from the reading, in what way(s) could you engage your students in action that is relevant to improving the sustainability of your industry? How does this fit with Otago Polytechnic's strategy for 'Inspiring Capability'?
Links and Resources
http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2004-055.pdf
Action Competence and Critical Thinking
To do
Read the following 3 readings related to action competence and critical thinking and answer the following question on your blog. Comment on another participants response to this question.
1. Soren Breiting, Kristian Hedegaard, Finn Mogensen, Kirsten Nielsen & Karsten Schnack. ( ) "Action Competence, Conflicting Interests and Environmental Education." Research Programme for Environmental and Health Education, DPU, Aarhus University. Action Competence, Conflicting Interests and Environmental Education Chapter 6 page 43 and the start of Chapter 4, through to page 60. This is a large document. It needs time to download and has been temperamental with me and has needed refreshing every now and again. Please persevere.
2. Mogensen, F. (1997). Critical thinking: a central element in developing action competence in health and environmental education, in Health and Education Research, Theory and Practice. Vol. 12, No. 4, 1997, pp 429-436. Link: Critical Thinking
3. Action Competence Learning Process, TKI, NZ Link:Action Competence Learning Process
Analyse the concepts of Action Competence and Critical Thinking and give examples of how you already do, or could further use each concept in the classes you teach.
Links and Resources
Reading 1. https://pure.dpu.dk/ws/fbspretrieve/122/Some_further_comments_on_the_action_competence_debate.pdf
Reading 2. http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/12/4/429
Reading 3. http://www.tki.org.nz/r/health/cia/make_meaning/teach_learnappr_proc_e.php
Additional resources
http://wikieducator.org/Sustainable_practice_1 This course is set up as a teacher resource. It has been trialled as a face to face course and documented on the discussion page of the course's wiki site. There are many more resources attached to this course for your information and use with students. In our face to face sessions we will be experiencing a number of the practical activities documented in this course and more! For more information on the content and process of education for sustainability specifically to do with this course please contact me at annah@tekotago.ac.nz.
Meadows, D., Randers, J. & Meadows, D. (2004) A Synopsis. Limits to growth. The 30- year update. Chelsea Green, US. http://www.sustainer.org/pubs/limitstogrowth.pdf
Final Task
Please comment on the value you have found in doing this course. Please comment on what parts have been useful to your teaching and how you think the course can be improved.
Thanks for your participation. All the best in integrating Education for Sustainability into your teaching and helping Otago Polytechnic achieve the goal "That every graduate may think and act as a sustainable practitioner by 2009." Please feel free to contact me for support in reaching this goal for your students. Thanks again. Anna :)
