User:Ronaldddungu/my sandbox
| THEME: WATER USAGE: RETAIN, REUSE, AND RECYCLE
TOPIC: Contextualizing teaching and learning using Natural Resources-A case of a Rain water harvesting reservoir. TARGET GROUP: 20 Secondary school Teachers in Ugandan Schools and other countries. One from each school. FACILITATORS: 3 well trained teachers in facilitating an E-learning course METHODOLOGY: The course will last for five weeks with participants required to design a project that would enhance development of water management and sustainability issues in their schools. |
| In many of our schools rain harvesting has not been a focus for management. The students waste a lot of water since management has not sensitized them. At Gayaza High School like most of the other schools, we pump our water using a borehole drilled a few kilometers away from our school within the neighbouring community. Management has not taken an audit of the water source degradation that has since taken place as we draw millions of litres from the ground without taking steps to sustain the source. The other human activities that happen within the area are also destroying this source and in a few years time we shall hit a water peak. This is what most areas will be facing in a few years time allover Uganda and other parts of the world. It is important that we begin to educate our students who are the future leaders about such environmental challenges and draw them to participate in changing actions and attitudes of our community members. It is important that the teachers are sensitized and trained in integrating water sustainability issues within their teaching as a strategy of changing the way we teach towards solving societal problems. |
| The course will help participants to get a broader understanding of problems and issues related to water shortage in schools and our communities within the framework of education for sustainable development, and to analyse information and find workable solutions. Specific objectives of the training course are to share experiences in contextualization of teaching and learning using natural resources, to demonstrate how concepts and principles of water management can be made relevant to secondary schools and their communities, and to identify opportunities for and constraints to school-community linkages related to water and natural resource management projects. |
| Free subject teaching resources that would help teachers to teach using the context of water management within their lessons. |
| What the teachers will do is shown below in its sequency |
INTRODUCTIONS
Online introduction of self and interests, stating what motivated them to join the course. They also indicate their expectations.Participants respond to at least three postings.
| Teachers and Facilitators introduce themselves and respond to each others’ comments.
The participants read about each others’ expectations and the facilitators moderate the discussions.
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DISCUSSION OF LOCAL SETTINGS
Individual teachers report on the water availability in their local settings including:
- Water availability, sources and usage
- Water harvesting
- Overall planning of water sustainability in the local settings.
- Use of photos and videos will be encouraged
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CONTEXTUALISING TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH A FOCUS ON A RAIN WATER HARVESTING RESERVOIR
Teachers begin to discuss how a rain water harvesting reservoir can be used to teach a particular topic within their subject curriculum.
| Teaching ideas and student notes are generated on how a rain water harvesting reservoir could be used to teach certain topics.
-The facilitators help to focus the participants towards including sustainability issues within the lesson notes designed.
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FORMATION OF STUDENT GROUPS
Teachers form classes and introduce the students to water management issues. -The students make a trip to the available natural water source and discuss how it can be improved and sustained. The students further discuss how the available water can be retained, reused and recycled
- The students report about the trip and their views.
- The teachers posts this report to the course forum.
- The teacher downloads the other reports for the benefit of his/her students
- Students comment about at least three other postings and the teachers makes available such comments to the forum
- Use of photos and videos will be encouraged
TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS PLAN PROJECTS
Teachers engage students to plan a project that would enable their school to;
- harvest and retain more rain water
- reuse the available water
- recycle the available water
Teachers post these plans in the course forum and the students discuss other group projects and make comments.
| Student projects are designed and shared in the forum.The discussions of the projects in the forum help to concretise ideas and improve on the planned projects.
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'GENERAL REVIEW OF THE E-LEARNING COURSE
Teachers report about what they have gained, liked and disliked most during the course.This session will act as an evaluation of the course objectives and expectations.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS TO HELP US FACILITATE THIS COURSE STARTING FEBRUARY 2010
SIXES FOR TREES PROJECT.
Rationale: The game of cricket requires a good environment and the current global environmental changes will inevitably affect the fields we use to enjoy the game. Tree planting makes a positive difference to our environment, and provides an opportunity for schools, community groups and the public to come together for a good environmental cause. By involving cricket players in tree planting activities, it shows them how easy and fun it is to help our environment. Another advantage is that the benefits of getting involved with environmental activities such as these extend well beyond the personal satisfaction of knowing that you're supporting a good cause, it gives people the opportunity to help the community, offsetting carbon emissions, beautifying natural spaces, and having a great time.
Objectives'':
This project has been designed to:
- Encourage the Cricket players to contribute to the mitigation measures of our changing climate by planting more trees.
- Motivate the Cricket players to play for six and recognize this excellent
performance.
- Improve the game of cricket by motivating the players and making a
wide public awareness about the game.
Methodology:
Every Cricket player who scores a six automatically qualifies to plant a tree. These trees must be planted in well sought areas that should give pride to the Cricket players. The more trees a player plants in a specific period, say in a half year or a year, qualifies him/her for an environmental award.
Implementation Structure and Roles:
A.Environmentalists like the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA- http://www.nemaug.org );Trees for the future(http://www.plant-trees.org/projects/uganda.htm ); Prince Kimbugwe Foundation(http://pkfug.webs.com ) and other organisations should be approached to partner in the project and provide good species of trees, areas for planting, awards and recognition, publicity and other related funds.
B.The Cricket Association: The Cricket association should be approached to; (i) Provide records of individuals who score sixes in tournaments and the league. (ii) Sensitize its members and arrange such sessions that involve the environmentalists and other interested parties to mobilize the cricket fraternity to provide areas within which trees can be planted; fundraise for awards and recognition activities as well as related costs.
C.Gayaza High School Cricket Club: Gayaza High School cricket club is ready to involve the whole school community in; (i) Sensitizing the cricket fraternity about the need to participate in the effort to plant more trees. (ii) Lobbying and convincing the environmentalists to support this project.
PILOT STAGE: This stage will be managed by the Gayaza High School cricket club project team with the acting project manager as Miss Irene Kisakye (Senior six). The project will be piloted using the school tournaments such as the cricket week currently running (August 2010) to see how practical it is to introduce climate change issues within the cricket fraternity. The trees will be sourced by Gayaza High School in partnership with all the stake holders as they come on board. The trees will be planted in the respective schools of the great players that play for six and other areas as offered by the members of the cricket fraternity and other organisations that will be approached.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
- Gayaza High school project team to write a simple concept paper and send it out to the Environmentalists and cricket association seeking for their views and support- (August 2010).
- The pilot project should be planned to start with the schools’ cricket week scheduled for August 2010.
- Reports should be made about the pilot project and all the discussions that are held with any partner organisation and these are to be shared with all stake holders-(September 2010).
- The project calendar should be drawn for 2011 including all the necessary activities after consulting widely with all stake holders-(October-December 2010).
- Creation of a wide and all encompassing project team to run the project calendar activities for 2011 with interest and great zeal-(November-December 2010).
Notes
• Read about the game of cricket from- [1] • Learn about trees- [2] .
