Dr Sarah Shobrook and Dr Jenny Blunden LEADING TO LEARN & LEARNING TO LEAD AN LSIS FUNDED PROJECT ‘A NEW DAWN’

THE PROJECT Learning to Lead – a personal and strategic perspective This element considers how our personal commitments and understanding of sustainable development issues impact on or influence our everyday work and thinking – conceptual thinking Leading to Learn This element considers how to contextualise sustainable development thinking in teaching and encourage colleagues to do the same – practical applications Core elements of the project include… Why is change important? How can we look at the world differently? Sustainability and You What are the barriers to implementing sustainable practices in teaching? Actions for the future

STAFF DEVELOPMENT SESSION LEADING TO LEARN ‘Learning to Lead’ – Personal and Strategic Thinking Why is it important to embrace change? Sustainability and You Reflect on ‘What is Sustainable Development’? Reflect on ‘What is Education for Sustainable Development’? Making connections – using images and thinking

Why is it important to see embrace change?

“If the success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do... HOW WOULD I BE? WHAT WOULD I DO?” Buckminster Fuller: Fly’s Eye dome the 1960s solution to low cost housing Richard Buckminster (‘Bucky’) Fuller – Environmentalist, Engineer and Philosopher Flying Cities – based on the concept that makes bubbles fly

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? “Sustainable Development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987 What Sustainable Development means to me… SD is more than merely taking care of our environment for the future. It is about being socially aware, economically aware and wanting a just and fair society for all

WHAT IS EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? Education for Sustainable Development Education can be seen as the change agent to develop a sustainable future Rio+ 20 ‘THE FUTURE WE WANT’ Education can be used as a vehicle to raise awareness and generate action that leads to a sustainable future Mission Statement – ‘ESD Canada will promote a Canadian culture of sustainability by developing and strengthening collaboration and leadership in education and training’ The educational environment can act as an exemplar of good practice in relation to SD Educating for a sustainable future should be a priority for all

SUSTAINABILITY AND YOU If you had to describe yourself in terms of your own commitment to sustainable development on a scale of 1-10, where would you be? If you had to describe your work practices that support a sustainable environment on a scale of 1-10, where would you be? If you had to describe your institutions commitment to sustainable development on a scale of 1-10, where would they be?

DOES YOUR PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE INFORM THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE? Everyone select TWO postcards Look at the images – what DO you see? Is there anything familiar about the image? Is there anything uncomfortable about the image? IN GROUPS OF TWO USE THE LINK WORDS TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE IMAGE EACH POSTCARD – BE PREPRARED TO TELL THE STORY

EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK ON POSTCARD ACTIVITY

SUSTAINABILITY AND YOU If you could make one change to your personal life that reflects the concepts and principles of sustainable development – what would it be and why? If you could make one change to your day job that reflects the concepts and principles of sustainable development – what would it be and why? If you could make one change to your institutions policy, practices or processes that reflects embedding the concepts and principles of sustainable development – what would it be and why?

THE FUTURE Can you imagine a different future for teaching? Write down five things you think will be different in 20 years – 2033 Write down five things you think will be different in 50 years – 2063 As future leaders of education what changes would you make to influence education for future generations?

AFTERNOON SESSION ‘Leading to Learn’ – Practical Application and Teaching Practice What are the barriers to implementing more sustainable practices? How can we actively change what do? Actions for the future

LEARNING TO LEAD IN PRACTICE – Consider how small changes can make a big difference in thinking and in student learning by embedding the principles and concepts of ESD in teaching practice How is this achievable? Who can make the decision to do this? What examples already exist?

IN PRACTICE - 3 ESSENTIAL AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT Consider areas of practice that have the widest influence on students and staff. Work with staff to make small changes to their practice to embed ESD, for example… Through teaching observations and feedback Through encouraging teaching staff to use appropriate case study material By embedding teaching strategies such as critical thinking and problem solving in everyday practice

ESD A MEDIA CASE STUDY IN PRACTICE National Diploma Media Moving Image Trainee teacher is teaching a session on digital and analogue film After ESD discussion the student has chosen to use ‘documentary film’ as the medium through which to discuss the differences and changes over time of using digital and analogue filming techniques Case study chosen - Beatniks Newquay, This video demonstrates, economic decline, unemployment and prejudice and provides an excellent medium for a discussion with the students about broader issues of social inequality and environment and the role of the film maker in portraying these issues Students assessment is to make a contemporary documentary on Newquay and to reflect on todays issues and possible solutions

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO ESD? What stops governments and educational establishments undertaking more radical approaches to sustainable practices? What are the barriers to embedding ESD in teaching and learning at a college? Are the barriers real or imagined?

ACTIONS FOR THE FUTURE If you could make one change in your own life that supports SD or ESD what would it be and why? Make a one change in your approach to teaching that supports SD or ESD what would it be and why? If you could encourage your institution to take the issues of sustainability seriously both in terms of the environment that houses learning and in their approach to learning and teaching what would it be and why?

Image copyright: John Lund in Murray P, 2011 Where are we heading?