Transcript Document

What does ESD mean for
Faculties of Education in Manitoba?
Léonard P. Rivard (CUSB)
Education for Sustainable Development
Faculty Seminar
November 26-27, 2009
A caveat…
 Not an expert, but a novice in ESD
 An educator, first and foremost…
 Multiple identities and perspectives as teacher,
curriculum consultant, professor, dean, citizen, and
grandparent.
As teacher…
 Summers studying wetlands at Delta Marsh Field
Station
 Outdoor experiences (canoe tripping, winter ecology,
backpacking)
 BSCS modules (Land Use, Human Populations, Food
for Humanity) in the science classroom
As curriculum consultant …
Mosquito fogging: too controversial?
As professor in science education…
Youth, Environment, and the Future (1991)
 Atmosphere
 The North (& Aboriginal)
 Energy
 Fisheries
 Food & Agriculture
 Forests
 Health
 Industry & Commerce
 International Relations
 Transportation
 Urban Zones
 Water Quality
 Tourism
2
 One of the Canadian delegates at the Forum PlanètERE2 held in
France and organized by UNESCO (2001).
 Education for sustainable development
 Education for a sustainable future
 Environmental education
?
 Education for the development of responsible
societies … (« Pour un monde solidaire et responsable »)
 Education for citizenship
 Sustainability discourse is
problematic as an
"hegemonic, developmentalist
vision of the world." (Berryman,
Critical education
for sustainability
Orellana, Robottom, Sauvé, email, Sept 9, 2002)
 "We seek to inform critical
reflection and action whilst
safeguarding students from
indoctrination with the
procedural safeguards built
into critical pedagogy and
participative action research."
(Huckle, 2000, p. 73)
Bonn Declaration
www.esd-world-conference-2009.org
A need for change…
Although many Americans will
remember the events of September
11 as personally tragic, those events
have virtually touched everyone in
the world…
I believe that what took place on
September 11 signaled the beginning
of a "race between education and
catastrophe," to quote H. G. Wells.
Environmental education can no
longer simply stress ecology,
conservation, and the great outdoors,
isolated from economic and social
realities…
Science Activities, 38(4) 3-4 (2002)
PANCANNET
 Attended the first meeting of the Pan Canadian Network
of Faculties of Education Supporting Sustainability and
Stewartship (PANCANNET) at its first meeting in
Orangeville, Ontario (2001).
 Individuals from a wide variety of areas and perspectives
in education.
 Individual commitment and piecemeal implementation,
rather than a concerted faculty-based approach.
As Dean …
Importance of engaging learners…
Transforming Classrooms
through Social, Academic
and Intellectual
Engagement
J. D. Willms, S. Friesen, & P. Milton
First National Report May 2009
Canadian Education Association
46 schools in Manitoba were surveyed.
Engaging learners
 "less than one-half of
Canadian students are
deeply engaged in their
study of school subjects."
(p. 17)
"Certain teaching
practices and learning
processes engage
students in deeper and
more sustained learning."
(p. 1)
(p. 18)
Grade Level
Intellectual
Engagement
Elementary
62 %
Middle
44 %
Middle-Secondary
35 %
Secondary
30 %
Engaging learners…
"a framework for thinking about classroom practices that
engage students so that they might understand deeply;
gain critical perspectives; create professional quality
work by thinking and acting with the core ideas that are
unique to particular disciplines; and make positive
connections with their teachers, their peers and their
communities – locally, provincially, nationally and globally
– through the work they do together."
(p. 33)
Choose the Future: ESD (2008)
Organized by the Manitoba
Education for Sustainable
Development Working Group
(MESDWG)
Rick Wishart (Chair MESDWG)
Christina McDonald (Conference co-chairs)
Robert Adamson
Choosing the Future: ESD
"Leaders need to be trained in sustainability knowledge,
communications, reflective leadership, collaborative
problem-solving, conflict management, organizational
development, teamwork, and networking."
"need people who can work in interdisciplinary fields, not
in silos."
(C. Buckler, IISD, Sustainability leadership, p. 9-10)
Choosing the Future: ESD
 students are less knowledgeable about issues of
social justice.
 only 13% have learned about SD in courses.
 attitudes are more closely linked to behaviour than
knowledge.
(H. Creech, IISD, Assessing changes in knowledge…, p. 9-10)
Choosing the Future: ESD
 Action research for community problem solving
(C. Poudrier, Éducation Québec , p. 12)
 Anticipatory action learning, scenario planning, risk
management, analysis of vulnerability, futures thinking ...
(D. Pruneau, Université de Moncton, p. 24-25)
 How can educators prepare the next generation for the
bewildering rate of change they will be faced with?
(L. Axworthy, University of Winnipeg, p. 1)
Choosing the Future: ESD
 Challenge in ESD "lies in reaching every teacher."
 Currently ESD is being applied in a piecemeal
approach.
 "there is work being done for ESD at the K-12 level, but
the post-secondary field is dragging behind."
(B. Willard & B. Kelly, Sustainability and Education
Academy, Schulich School of Business, p. 21)
A collage of ideas…
 Problem solving, decision making
 Connectedness and stewardship
 Critical thinking
 Participatory teaching methods
 Engaging learners
 Community-based learning
 Systems thinking
Pedagogy of hope, not despair

 Empowering students
 Awareness to action
Benefits of going green in the classroom (CCL)
 Canadians believe that it is either important (46 %)
or essential (50 %).
 Many teachers are reluctant (lack of resources,
inexperience, lack of confidence, insufficient training,
interdisciplinarity, controversial issues).
 Improved critical thinking skills, motivation, and
engagement.
Making the environmental grade: The benefits of going green in the
classroom. Canadian Council on Learning. June 24, 2009. Retrieved Nov 25,
from http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/06_24_09.pdf
UNECE Expert Group on Competences in ESD
"…the competence of educators [is seen] as a frequent
bottleneck vis-à-vis improving the quality of education and agreed
that one priority for future implementation of the Strategy should be
developing competences in ESD." UNECE Steering Committee on ESD
Outcome: report "should be addressed to policymakers, while
providing clear guidelines for educators."
Timeline: February, 2011
United Nations Economic Council for Europe or UNECE
Competencies in Education for Sustainable
Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC)
We are increasingly aware that our
current lifestyles are not
sustainable.
What knowledge, skills and
behaviours are going to be needed
to understand the challenge that this
poses? How do we educate our
students to develop the attitudes to
"do something about it"?
… unpack the competencies that
are needed to develop ESDGC.
Wales (June, 2009)
Competencies in Education for Sustainable
Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC)
 Use a range of experiential and informal learning
opportunities to encourage participatory and enquirybased approaches. (p. 16)
 Use outdoor and environmental activities to develop
the learner’s sense of place. (p. 16)
 Use current controversial issues to explore and debate
conflicting viewpoints. (p. 21)
Competencies in Education for Sustainable
Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC)
 Empower learners to take appropriate actions by
encouraging positive personal action. (p. 21)
 Develop a culture of peer learning through group work.
(p. 22)
 Understand how enabling learners to become active
citizens can engage learners in education and connect
learners to their community and to society. (p. 31)
Competencies in Education for Sustainable
Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC):
CONCEPTS
THEMES
• Wealth and poverty
• Interdependence
• Health
• Stewardship and citizenship
• Identity and culture
• Quality of life
• Climate change
• Sustainable change
• Natural environment
• Diversity
• Consumption and waste
• Conflict resolution
• Choices and decisions
• Needs and rights
• Values and perceptions
• Uncertainty and precaution
ACDE/CATE Joint Session at CSSE 2010
Competences in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Panel / Table ronde
In June, 2009, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
established an Expert Group on Competences in Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) with representation from 19 of the 56 member countries.
The mandate of the Expert Group is to prepare general recommendations for
policymakers and to define a range of core competences in ESD for both
educators and learners. The work of this group is considered an important
contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (2005-2014) and will undoubtedly have a great impact on teacher
education in Canada. The work in progress of the Expert Group will be
described and panelists, as well as participants to the session, will be invited to
comment.
As citizen …
 "Canada has one of the
poorest environmental records
of the industrialized countries."
 "… for the twenty-five
environmental indicators
examined, Canada’s overall
ranking among OECD nations
is a dismal 28th out of 29."
(D. R. Boyd, Eco-Chair of Environmental Law and Policy, U. of Victoria, 2001)
OECD Environmental
Outlook to 2030
 How will economic and
social developments drive
environmental change to
2030?
 What policies are needed to
address the main
environmental challenges?
OECD (2008)
OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030
 some of the key environmental challenges can be
addressed at a cost of just over 1 % of world GDP in 2030,
or about 0.03 percentage points lower average annual GDP
growth to 2030. (p. 3)
 Policies needed to stabilise atmospheric concentration at
450 ppm CO2 – Such action would reduce GDP by 0.5 %
and 2.5 % below Baseline estimates in 2030 and 2050
respectively, equivalent to a reduction in annual GDP growth
of about 0.1 percentage points per annum on average. (p. 3)
OECD (2008)
As a grandfather…
What does ESD mean for Faculties…?
 Course on sustainable development and systems thinking (UM –
University 1, Earth: A User’s Guide, Faculty of Environment, Earth
and Resources)?
 Competencies specific to ESD? Identify gaps in pre-service and
in-service programs? Links to program renewal?
 Courses for the critical study of models, approaches, and
practices for ESD?
 Affective education (values, attitudes, dispositions)?
 Participatory teaching/learning methods?
 Community-based (and place-based) teaching/learning methods?
Working from our strengths…
 Manitoba universities have strong programs for developing
generic competencies.
 MECY’s leadership in policy development and
instructional support.
 MERN’s support (Winter Forum on Learning what Works
for Social Justice).
 World-class partners: Canadian Museum for Human
Rights, International Institut for Sustainable Development…
My wish list…
 A network (or networks…) for sustaining conversations
about ESD in teacher education (or SD in our
community: Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for
Sustainable Development)
 Concerted coherent approaches rather than piecemeal
efforts…
 A sounding board for the work of Expert Group (UNECE).
 Other suggestions?