The report highlights the importance of a curriculum that focuses on local issues rather than using generic textbooks which often do not take into account local issues. The report advocates that at national level a broad framework of documents outlining broad content themes should be defined. These could then be tailored by teachers at local level. This recommendation has been adopted and is evident in the Irish curriculum. A significant focus is placed on the child as an in individual in their locality thus allowing them to explore and relate to sustainability in their local environment. According to Mayer (2005), teachers have moved away from solely transmitting knowledge to asking legitimate questions about key sustainability issues with the students actively creating their own meaning.
Where reform of the curriculum is required, it is important that governments also consider how such reform can be achieved. The case study of the Toronto (Canada) Board of Education, described in the report, advocates that well educated teachers are essential in such delivering such reform. The Toronto (Canada) Board of Education provided both informal and formal training and academic courses to upgrade their teacher’s qualifications. Such rigour highlights the importance of adequately trained teachers for new curriculum delivery.
The development compass rose, developed by the Birmingham Development Education Centre in 1995, enables children to explore the interrelationship between environmental, social, economic and political issues (Tide, 2011). It provides (Figure 1) a framework which encourages pupils to explore development issues from a variety of different angles.
It encourages children to open their minds and question broader sustainability issues, how these relate with each other and how they can be sustainable for the future. The development compass rose is constructed like a compass however instead of north, south, east and west, the four main points of the compass represent: natural/environmental questions, social questions, economic questions and who questions – such as who makes choices?
Figure 1: The Development Compass Rose
The diagonal points on the compass illustrate the relationship between the four main points. For example, NE directs children to question how economic factors impact on the natural environment; SE raises the relationship between economic factors and how such factors affect people socially (Ubuntu Network, 2007). The development compass role is used by schools to pose a range of questions for discussion about a locality, photograph or artefact representing that locality.
In order to make the children aware of what sustainability means in the school and home environments, the author would use the strategies of active participation, talk and discussion and environment-based learning. The author would enable the children to ascertain for themselves what sustainability means through a guided discovery approach. The children will explore the impact they have on the environment and how they can live sustainably for the future. The author would divide the class into groups of six and request each group to compile a ‘sustainable living sourcebook’ (Oxfam). Collaborative learning instils confidence in pupils who find whole class participation overwhelming and secondly it supports pupils with learning needs (PPDS, 2010a). Collaborative interpretation also produces greater understanding than a solo effort alone. The sourcebook could identify ways of saving resources, reducing waste, recycling and reducing transport pollution by appraising the local environment.
Information could be collected by the pupils through a number of different sources including interviewing parents, the local library, newspapers and magazines. Studies have confirmed that environment-based learning is far more engaging and stimulating for the children than study conducted solely through textbooks (NCCA, 2005). Pupils could also research the Internet for ideas and print off pictures to include in their projects. The use of Information and Communications Technology can complement the delivery of a lesson and is a key tool in supporting active learning (Ireland, Department of Education and Science, 1999).
A visitor from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland would then be invited into the classroom to talk to the children about sustainable living. In advance of the visit, the author would ensure that the visitor is fully briefed on what the children have been learning and what the visitor should cover as part of the visit. It is important that visit is conducted in line with school policy and in line with the curriculum objectives (Curriculum Online, 2005). The children could compile a list of questions that they would like to ask the visitor again promoting active learning.
The completed projects could be displayed in the school reception. Displaying work encourages participation and is a form of recognition and reward for the pupil’s efforts (Curriculum Online, 2005a). To highlight the importance of the topic, an article could be included in the local newspaper or weekly parish newsletter. Such recognition would serve to emphasise the value of the project and the importance of living sustainably to people in the wider community. Subsequent lessons on sustainability should focus on the more specific issues including climate change, waste management, recycling and fair trade.
The author’s second strategy aims to develop children’s understanding of fair trade through active participating and the use of questioning. The author divides the class into groups of six and assigns a role to each child in the group of Farmer, Cocoa Buyer Importer, Chocolate Company, Shop and Government. The author then instructs the group to consider how the cost of a chocolate bar retailing at €1 is divided among each member of the group using their estimation and reasoning skills. The author advises the children that when they are making their decisions they should also consider the contribution each party makes throughout the lifecycle of the chocolate bar. Questioning would form a significant part of this activity to direct the learning and enable the children to clarify and explore ideas (PPDSb, 2010). The use of lower order questioning prompts the pupils to use what they already know while the inclusion of higher order questions extends the pupils learning. Questions, such as those proposed by Bloom’s Taxonomy of Questioning (Dalton and Smith, 1986), could be prepared in advance.
When the children have completed their estimations, the author will then show them the actual amounts that each party receives. According to Smith and Mac Gregor (1992), collaborative learning is effective as it focuses on students’ investigation and application of the subject material to enhance learning. Through talk and discussion, the author will encourage the children to discuss the differences in the amounts and question the issue of fair trade.
To conclude it is clear that in order for sustainable development to be actively embraced, education and people awareness are essential in achieving this. From the report, Educating for a Sustainable Future, the importance of teaching sustainability through focusing on local issues and real life examples was emphasised. The classroom strategies described in the essay also support this. On a grand scale in order to make an impact, sustainable development needs to be managed and implemented by countries collectively working together on a global scale and mutually agreeing targets of achievement. Finally policies that are agreed also need be implemented and it is important that such initiatives are continually assessed to identify if they are actually making an impact. At a classroom level, sustainability should be incorporated into all lessons and practices where appropriate so that sustainable living becomes a way of living rather than a subject to learn.
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