Steve Van Matre will forever be associated with the Institute for Earth Education. IEE’s website sets out what it sees as the differences between Earth Education. and Environmental Education. Here’s a summary:
Environmental Education (Tendencies)
- supplemental and random
- classroom based
- issues oriented
- focuses mainly on developing secondary concepts and conducting environmental studies and projects
- activity based
- claims to teach how to think, not what to think
- relies heavily upon conducting group discussions to achieve its instructional objectives
- integrates the inputs (messages) and consolidates the applications (projects)
- infused with “cornucopian” management messages and views
- accepts a wide range of definitions and intentions
Earth Education (Aims)
- integral and programmatic
- natural world based
- lifestyle oriented
- focuses largely on developing “ecological feeling” based on a combination of mental and physical engagement with the natural world
- outcome based
- claims to instill values and change habits
- relies heavily upon conducting participatory educational adventures to achieve its instructional objectives
- consolidates the inputs (messages) and integrates the applications (projects)
- infused with the original ideals of deep ecology
- rejects becoming everything to everyone
This is, of course, written to be more positive about Earth Education than it is about and Environmental Education, and unsurprisingly it’s successful in this.
But what do you think?
Why is this on our website? Is this a current issue?