NAEE’s most recent blog was written by Ben Ballin. What’s the big idea? is a follow-up to a post post by Ben and Richard Dawson which took a wide-ranging look at the content and purpose of a ‘green curriculum’. What’s the big idea? picks up on that question and considers the related question of ‘curriculum intent’. This is the first of the ‘three i’s’ in the 2019 Ofsted Inspection Framework. It begs questions about what a school’s curriculum is for and how it is organised, subdivided and sequenced. The other two ‘i’s are ‘implementation’ (basically, how things get taught and learned) and ‘impact’ (whether children or young people have actually learned things as intended). ∫∫∫
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Last year, the Treasury commissioned an independent, global review on the economics of biodiversity. This, the Dasgupta Review, was asked to assess the economic benefits of biodiversity, and the economic costs of biodiversity loss; and identify actions which can protect and enhance both biodiversity and economic prosperity. It aims to shape the international response to biodiversity loss, including the successors to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and inform global action to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
An interim interim report has recently been published which sets out the economic and scientific concepts, which will underpin the final Review which will present options for change. There is a lot in here for environmental educators to be aware of, both in a general sense of being well-informed, but also because it provides clear (if sometimes implicit) arguments that their work is important, as our Chair of Trustees has pointed out. ∫∫∫
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Teach the Future has begun its Scottish campaign. Over the past week, it has published its asks document, as well as videos explaining each of the four asks for the Scottish government. It has also written to Nicola Sturgeon about the campaign and hopes that she will engage with them and push for a green recovery for education – especially after the education secretary, John Swinney, failed to respond to their letter. More detail here. ∫∫∫
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There are two CLOtC free webinar sessions this week. These feature real-world accounts from schools and providers on how they have used outdoor learning, over the past month, to welcome children back to school. You will hear the challenges they have faced and how these have been overcome, and the impact they’ve had. There will be time to ask questions and participate in the discussion.
Offering Outreach to Schools: How outdoor learning providers and schools are working together
Tuesday 14 July 2020, 2pm – 3pm
Speaker: Louise Edwards, SOLD (Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development)
Using outdoor learning to welcome children back to school: What schools are doing
Thursday 16 July 2020, 3pm – 4pm
Speakers: Charlotte Willoughby, Wood Street Infant School and Lewis Barrett-Rodger, Kendall C of E School
You can find out more and register here. ∫∫∫
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The WWF Education Network has developed a free MOOC on sustainability education. This aims to give guidance to those teachers and youth leaders who are inspired to adopt a holistic approach to ESD in work. It comprises five courses, each earning a teacher a Microsoft badge. After collecting all 5 badges, users will be awarded an additional learning path badge and can claim a WWF certificate of completion. ∫∫∫
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Did you do Plantlife’s bee and lawn survey earlier this year? If not, there’s still a chance to give it a go. Just log into the website using your user details to find full instructions. The survey is exactly the same as before – just throw a ball over your shoulder to find a random patch of lawn, mark out a square with 1 metre long sides using canes, sticks, broom handles or string, and count the number of flowers inside the square. Count several squares if you can and enter the results on the website. There are identification sheets to help you identify your lawn flowers, and a recording sheet to write down your results. There’s also a comprehensive FAQ page to answer questions. ∫∫∫
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Tuesday July 14th is Shark Awareness day. The Shark Trust says that sharks are much misunderstood and needlessly vilified but that over the past 20 years there’s been a huge positive shift in attitudes towards them. ∫∫∫
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Many now think that more careful use of soil will bring huge carbon sequestration benefits. The June edition of the Soil Care Network newsletter is here, with details of research on soil biodiversity and its perception by farmers, reports on land policy and land justice, and learning activities. ∫∫∫
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It was World Population Day last week (July 11th). Population Matters unveiled its new 24-page report detailing the links between population and each of the 17 SDGs, which clearly explains how achieving a sustainable population will accelerate progress towards a happier, healthier planet. You can download it here and view their SDGs web page for a condensed summary. ∫∫∫
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The Royal Society of Arts has announced the winners of the 96th RSA Student Design Awards. Two design students took first prize in the category of Make Fashion Circular and Moving Pictures, supported by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. More detail here. ∫∫∫
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As we have already noted, the NAAEE annual conference is on-line this year, and revised dates have been announced. The Research Symposium will be held during the week of October 6, and the Annual Conference will be from October 13–17. Happily, all content will also be available on demand. There’s more detail here. As this is a rare opportunity to experience this conference without crossing the Atlantic, NAEE urges you to check it out. ∫∫∫
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- Artistic reconnections with land
- Teacher Education’s Role in the Displacement of Rote Learning
- Developing a conversation culture to engage student teachers in critical thinking around global justice
- Idealistic Discourses of Global Citizenship Education in Teacher Education Literature
- Ethical global issues pedagogy: Research and Practice with secondary teachers in northern Europe
- Navigating transformation of fashion education through pedagogies of human and planetary health
For more details, click here. ∫∫∫