What do they talk about? Well, climate change, conservation, wildlife on TV, … Did you miss it? For many it was the TV event of June; others we know were disappointed. The Guardian has a short clip here, and the full 30 minute programme is available on BBC iPlayer. See what you think. NB, Barack…
If you haven’t heard Ellen MacArthur speak about her sailing in the southern ocean, or what this inspired her to do, or you don’t know the key ideas driving the circular economy, or what her Foundation is doing about this, and how it might just change all our lives for the better, then her recent TED talk…
The Executive Director of NAAEE, the North American Association for Environmental Education, Judy Braus, was in the UK briefly at the end of last week, en route to the 8th WEEC in Göteborg. While here, she met NAEE President, Bill Scott, and discussed a range of issues that are common to both organisations. They also explored some of…
New NAEE guide highlights ‘environment’ in the school curriculum How can teachers respond to the challenge of teaching about pollution, endangered species, deforestation, climate change, and other environmental issues? The National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE UK) has looked carefully at the numerous opportunities that the new early years and primary curriculums provide, for teachers and children in early years settings and primary schools, to…
UNESCO’s report on delivering global citizenship education, Global Citizenship Education: Topics and Learning Objectives, is aimed at anyone who wants to promote the idea of global learning. The report sets out a series of nine topics to explore GCE in the classroom. It identifies learning objectives and themes for teachers to explore with students, and for policy makers to incorporate into the curriculum…
The Vatican has published the Pope’s long-awaited encyclical on climate change: On Care for Our Common Home. It runs to 246 paragraphs and ends with a prayer for our earth. Pope Francis argues for a new partnership between science and religion to address human-driven climate change, and chides those who remain sceptics on the issue. The encyclical is necessarily spiritual,…
Research in Barcelona, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and reported in the Guardian, explores the relationship between children’s exposure to green spaces at school, and their learning. The Guardian report says: “The researchers carried out mental performance tests on 2,593 children aged seven to 10 attending 36 primary schools in Barcelona every three months…
Have you caught up with Gary Mantle’s blog: A Daily Dose of Nature? Gary is Chief Executive of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and President of the Sensory Trust, but his blog provides personal reflections about his experiences of nature with occasional comments on both environmental issues, generally, and on how both Trusts are working to reconnect people and nature.…
What do you think about zoos? If you’re ambivalent about their message and morality, then you might find Gordon Eaglesham’s blog a useful aid to your thinking, and that of your students. The post refers to Chris Packham’s recent article on zoos and their role in conservation, for the BBC Wildlife magazine. This is as honest…
UNESCO has released two education-focused reports: Global Citizenship Education: Preparing Learners for the Challenges of the 21st Century This is an overview of the delivery of yet another adjectival education: GCE – Global Citizenship Education. The report makes recommendations on how GCE can become a more integral part of teaching and learning. It focuses on support for teacher education, better…