The latest edition of the NAEE journal ‘Environmental Education‘ has just been published, including articles on story and literacy. It’s distribution is currently restricted to members, but the contents are set out here.
Findlay Wilde is a young conservationist who is fascinated by all wildlife, but especially birds. He wants to do everything he can to protect nature now and in the future. Currently he is trying to raise awareness about hen harrier persecution in particular, but he is also trying hard to move the natural world higher up the political agenda. You can read about what he thinks in a newly published article on the NAEE website. This was first published in NAEE’s 2017 journal, Environmental Education (Vol. 116). To read more articles like this, you can join the Association and receive three journals a year.
There’s more information about Findlay here.
The BEACONS Guides to Climate Change discusses the little known Eunice Foote, who was the first to discover greenhouse gases by showing that gases in the atmosphere were affected by the Sun’s radiation in different ways. Of all the gases she tested, it was CO2 that trapped the most heat. UK physicist John Tyndall independently demonstrated the same effects, and he usually gets the credit for making the connection because he published his results, including data on how the absorption of radiant heat differed from gas to gas. Foote’s work was not published, and she wasn’t even allowed to present her findings to fellow scientists as no woman could do that in the USA at the time. It is reported that she also speculated about whether changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air might lead to a warming of the Earth.
BERA has announced a revised (4th) edition of its educational research ethics guidelines. Anyone active in environmental education research at any level will be familiar with this long-standing publication because of its usefulness. BERA says:
Research related to education is varied and complex, rarely amenable to precise measurement or given to all-encompassing solutions to its many challenges. Nevertheless, the continued pursuit of improved knowledge and understanding of all aspects of education is vital for our democracy and social wellbeing. To this end, these guidelines are designed to support educational researchers in conducting research to the highest ethical standards in any and all contexts.
This edition has been updated to take account of the many new developments that have affected educational research since the publication of the third edition in 2011, including the rise of social media and online communities, new legislative requirements, and the growing impact on our research of internationalisation and globalisation. It also includes a wealth of links to other resources on ethics, legislative requirements and best practice.
MEEN is hosting the Save Our Soils Intergenerational Conference on Friday 6th July, followed by MEEN’s AGM. There will be two key note speakers; a range of workshops delivered by young and old; two sessions from the floor, like ‘Teach Meets’, offering an opportunity for the schools involved in the Save Our Soils project to present their findings and for everyone else to share their knowledge, skills and ideas in relation to soils and educating others about soils. If you would like more information or to book a place contact coordinator@meen.org.uk
TEESNet has given details of workshops at its conference. These include:
May East from Gaia Education will be sharing her work on developing SDG Flashcards, a practitioner resource aimed at collaboratively identifying actions and solutions for implementing the goals. May will also be inviting participants to collaborate in development of a similar resource for early years contexts.
Kate Lea from Oxfam GB will be exploring the relationship between education and taking action. She will be asking for thoughts and input to help prepare the new Teachers’ guide to the SDGs. Kate will also be sharing news about two Oxfam programmes focusing on the SDGs: the ‘Future Youth Schools Forums’ model that has supported young people to explore and take action in response to SDG5 (gender); and ‘Walk the Global Walk’, an exciting new ten-country European project led by Oxfam Italy to mobilise European young people in support of the SDGs.
Clive Belgeonne from DECSY (Development Education Centre South Yorkshire) will explore through his workshop, strategies and activities for creating a learning environment where controversial issues can be addressed. In a time when we are bombarded by information from a range of sources, political discourse seems increasingly polarised and social media seems to amplify extreme opinions, teachers and other educators are often wary of engaging with what may be perceived as controversial issues. However, there are a number of reasons why educators need to help young people develop the critical thinking skills to make informed choices in an uncertain and rapidly changing world.
London’s Natural History Museum says “Whether you’re a night owl ready to have a hoot at a Museum sleepover, or you’d bend over backwards to try one of our morning yoga classes, our events allow you to experience the Museum’s iconic space in new and exciting ways. Access the galleries and exhibitions away from the daytime crowds and enjoy a range of quirky activities day and night at the Museum.” Details here.
Teachers at a Birmingham Special School have published a research report that suggests that there have been small but significant benefits to the mental health and wellbeing of pupils as a result of global learning work across four subjects. Towards an understanding of the contribution of global learning to the wellbeing and mental health of young people with special educational needs, authored by Ben Ballin, Ann McGuire and Laura Murphy is published as part of the Global Learning Programme Innovation Fund Research Series. You can download the paper here.
The UKSSD report on how the UK is facing up to the sustainable development goals will be launched on July 3rd. UKSSD (UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development) works to mobilise people, communities and organisations in the UK so they can play their part to create decent work in a prosperous economy and a fair and just society – all within the Earth’s limits. NAEE has contributed to the education chapter of the report.