Month: October 2020

Building towards global citizenship virtues

by Nidhi Thakur

1. They VOTE(as often as they can, but especially in the general election that everyone agrees is the election for the ‘soul’ of the world’s most developed country).
2. They VOTE, even when the act of voting is just a choice, not a mandated duty like ‘jury duty’. No one will put them in jail for not voting, but they know that voting is the bedrock of democracy (unlike dictatorship and monarchy).
3. They VOTE, despite a global pandemic, because, either they have a no-hassle mail-in ballot, or even if they have to physically stand in a line to vote, they vote, because they realise, and strongly cherish, their RIGHT TO VOTE, knowing fully well that this right is a privilege acquired after many a hardships. (They are amazed to learn that African Americans did not win the right to vote until the 15thAmendment to the U.S. constitution in 1870- approximately a 100 years after Independence, and that women were not granted this right up until the 19thAmendment in 1920!).
4. They VOTE, because the right to vote is granted to only ‘special’ people– who are at least 18 years of age on voting day, have legal (and sometimes hard earned) citizenship of the U.S.A. and are eligible to vote as per the specific rules of the State they are registered to vote in. Being ‘special’ enough to be thus granted this right, is not something that they take lightly. (https://www.usa.gov/who-can-vote)
5. They VOTE, because each vote matters way more than one imagines. Of the 240 million eligible voters this year, going by past trends, approximately 40% of these voters may NOT vote. This number would not be troubling, if elections were NOT as close as they have been in recent years. For example, the 2016 election went one way versus the other largely because of non-voters in the state of PA.
6. They VOTE because voting record is public information! They know that their peers/employers/families (can) know whether they voted or not.

(Please note: WHO they voted for is ALWAYS confidential, but whether they voted or not is not.

Source: https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/access-to-and-use-of-voter-registration-lists.aspx)

7. They Vote because all civic societies are formed by/around laws and laws are formed by elected officials. They know that their only shot at influencing the laws that are made, is by ELECTING the people who reflect their sense of basic/universal human value.

 

Dr Thakur can be contacted –[email protected]

 

 

Radhika Iyengar,

Earth Institute, Columbia University

“Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their mental and social conditioning. We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom.”Laudato Si, Pope Francis.

COVID-19 had led to mass destruction of lives and economies, but it has also shown us that humanity can come together in many unique ways. Among many lessons from the pandemic, we should not forget the lesson of empathy that COVID19 teaches us. Many ordinary citizens from across the globe have become #coronaheroes. Some are running community kitchens for migrants, others are organizing mass mask supplies for frontline workers. What can we learn from each other and how do we integrate this in our curricula? Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has become even more important for the COVID-19 era and beyond.

The National Education Association in the United States has put out a statement that Social Emotional Learning should be the priority during and post-COVID-19 crisis[1].Many teachers and experts are calling to include SEL in all components of the current curricula. The World Bank education experts agree that the SEL component has been neglected thus far and given that millions of children are out-of-school and families continue to suffer financial, mental, emotional and health risks, SEL must be prioritized[2]. The World Bank report states that nearly half of the students surveyed in the United States reported feeling worried about the potential risk of a close relative getting infected, but they are also concerned about not learning enough at home to be ready for the next school year. The report also quotes a survey study by the University of Oregon, showing that children are experiencing difficulties in their socio-emotional development and present higher rates of disruptive behaviors than before the pandemic started. At the same time, families are experiencing household economic insecurity that limits their capacity to meet their basic needs. Given this need, the World Bank has started a youth skilling program in Kaduna State Nigeria that gives SEL the substantial treatment it deserves[3]. Therefore, there is ample evidence that SEL needs to expand much more than what was required before COVID-19.

With SEL being the immediate need in curricula across all levels, values such as empathy towards each other and towards the planet will help communities to recover from this pandemic and avoid future pandemics. Religious leaders like the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis have emphasized empathy towards each other and our environment. Pope Francis’s Laudato Si[4], or “On Care for Our Common Home,” urges us to be empathetic about our environment. This “Environmental encyclical” is a meeting point between the environment and spirituality. He delicately balances using scientific words such as “global warming” and “carbon emission” and puts it in a spiritual perspective. Pope Francis takes his inspiration from St Francis of Assisi and relates to nature as “sister earth”, “brother sun” and “sister moon”. He urges us to get connected with different aspects of the planet to cultivate the “ecological virtues”. A broadened understanding of SEL that incorporates empathy for our shared home on earth as an extension of empathy for each other, and that links individual and community resilience to environmental resilience, can help raise awareness of how issues like environmental degradation and biodiversity loss pave the way for spread of deadly pandemics like COVID-19, droughts that cause mass hunger, and other human challenges.

Pope calls for a “consciousness-raising” to prevent further all the health and environmental risks caused by humankind. An approach to SEL that incorporates empathy for each other and for environment will help us to be mindful of our own actions and will help us to look deeper within ourselves to break the “myths” of a modernity grounded in a utilitarian mindset (individualism, unlimited progress, competition, consumerism, the unregulated market).” This reflective practice will also help in “establishing harmony within ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God.”

The mass destruction has taught us about empathy in real-life, how can we take this lesson and integrate it into our schooling systems? Pope Francis thus explains the real purpose of environmental education, which can be incorporated into SEL, is to not teach facts, but an approach to question one’s own practices and meaning-making. He urges educators to encourage “ecological ethics” in developing “ecological citizenship.” Pope Francis gives examples of small, but essential practices that we could all learn from this form of education”…such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. “This could be such a profound way of “cultivating sound virtues” where people will be empowered to “..make a selfless ecological commitment”.

This pandemic has given us the time to reflect on our past, including the way we have mistreated sister earth. The sixth mass destruction is underway[5]. In order to reverse these catastrophic trends in human health and environmental degradation, it is time to revisit Laudato Si and bring humanity back to humans.

The SEL intervention that has been part of the SENSE activity should therefore be broadened to include supplemental teaching and learning materials that help teachers, pupils, and community education volunteers make links between foundational SEL concepts like self-awareness, empathy, and resilience with critical challenges of our time like COVID-19 and climate change. Stories, discussion questions, role-playing activities, and other SEL activities can be curated to align to the current curriculum, with key messages shared within school communities through the engagement of community education volunteers and school-based management committees. This broadened approach to SEL implementation will help young people, teachers, and communities build the critical consciousness that will enable understanding and mobilization around solutions to protect our shared environment and promote health and well-being.

[1]https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/social-emotional-learning-should-be-priority-during-covid-19 [2]https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/importance-monitoring-impacts-covid-19-pandemic-young-children-and-their-families [3]https://blogs.worldbank.org/digital-development/new-skills-youth-succeed-post-covid-world [4]http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html [5]https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn

 

Thank you to Tara Stafford Ocansey for her valuable inputs to this article.

 

Anant Bhaskar Garg and Manisha Agarwal

Director, HaritaDhara Research Development and Education Foundation(HRDEF)

Abstract

As per data from various studies, quality, climate education, and 21stcentury skills are ignored in mainstream education. To bridge this gap, HRDEF provide quality skillful education, problem solving, creativity, communication, design and computing. Building capacity for citizenship, Climate Action, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among school students and youth so that they are able to tackle future challenges.

HRDEF is using games, project, and hands-on approach for interactive learning. HRDEF conduct teachers, student’s development programs for capacity building on ICT, SDGs, climate change, disasters, STEAM, andwork towards Sustainability, Green Swachh, (Hindi word for Clean) and Sustainable Campus/Living in government schools.

Students, youth of our after-school GOAL program become motivated, equipped with self-confidence to excel in life and creating sustainable future. As systemic changes required continuous working and time for visible performance. Change, transformation will come through working gradually taking a step-by-step approach.

Keywords

Climate Action, Education for Sustainable Development, Quality Education, Hands-on, Game, Project Based Learning

1 Introduction

Beginning with 21stcentury the United Nations (UN) started Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and decade of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (2005-2014) that highlighted vibrant role of education towards sustainable development for saving our planet as world witnessed extreme events due to climate change. Further, the UN adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 to advocates for SDG 4 that provide inclusive, equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all to build sustainable, inclusive and resilient societies. SDG 4.7 targets that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge, skills needed to promote sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, peace, non-violence, global citizenship, and cultural diversity (UN, SDSN Reports).

Through education we transfer knowledge, values, and skills across generation to facilitate societies to build the foundation for sustainable future. But many barriers to education access, outcomes, and monitoring of progress are main challenges that need to be addressed for achieving SDG 4.7. The global climate educationand the concept of ESD are unable to provide radical transformation of education systems needed to guard against climate change. Five roadblocks identified in a Brookings report needed to resolve in a time of climate change (Kwauk, 2020). India’s Philosophy of ‘One World’, Global Partnership, and culture of support is known for centuries. Uniting all stakeholders for their role in shaping the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs on three pillars of economy, social, environment with culture based on the principles of equality and humanity was very important for the global society.

2 Why need Transformative Learning for ESD, Climate Change Education

As per UNICEF study, 50 % of Indian Students don’t have 21st Century Skills required for Jobs and around 15 Crore school students lack job skills by 2030 published in 2019. ​21st century skills such as critical thinking, inquiry based learning, collaboration, communication, and SDGs, sustainability, and hands-on learning are missing in school educational institutions. School education system require maker spaces, DIY (Do it yourself), smartphone, tablets, relevant software, and computers for successfully implementing STEAM education.Yale University research on climate change communications pointed out that 65% of the Indian population is not aware of climate change published in 2016. Thus, everyone urgently needs to include climate change and ESD in a radical way to address future challenges.

3 Experiential, Embodied Learning for Sustainable Development

How do we learn? As a child we learn by exploring, by touching things, moving things and taking things apart. This is really an experiential way of learning i.e. learning by doing. But in school’s classroom, we sit down quietly, without moving, talking or playing. Making as a construction, DIY process provides various insights, knowledge about our surroundings, and actively participate in enjoying transformative learning. Playing games, making provide an entertaining, fulfilling experience of doing, creating new things, have many advantages for students, as it makes the player, a decision-maker, facts investigator, evaluating strategy, prioritizing their actions and abilities.

Integrated, hands-on, project, game-based learning that incorporates technology is crucial for the 21stCentury Skills. MAKER (Manufacturer, Author, Knowledge analyst, Exhibitor, Recycler), Project, Game-based learning provides a new emerging ways to understand difficult concepts and further it provides opportunities for students, learners to experience the phenomena. Therefore, it promotes interactive, experiential learning that helps the learner to develop curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving that are essential for the 21stCentury skills. Thus, learning a concept, its understanding, and practice involve different steps such as exploration, curiosity, asking the question, discussion, create, design thinking, making model, games, role play, drama, story, and present (Scott, 2015). Students of our GyanDhara Opportunities for All with Learning (GOAL) worked, developed a miniature, presentations, played board games, card games for embodied, immersive learning related to climate change, and sustainability concepts as given below in the case study. Figure 1 describes experiential learning for biodiversity concepts in the field.

4 Quality Skillful Education: Games for SDGs, Sustainability

Games require players to think systemically and consider relationships instead of isolated events or facts for sustainability and sustainable development (Stommen et. al., 2016). Some games are externally designed while we designed games keeping in mind Human Work Interaction Design approach through studying work settings and embedding screenplays, rules for better understanding (Clemmensen et.al., 2005), (Campos et. al., 2009). Games need not be restricted to educating schools or colleges, but on learning new things, maybe cooking virtually, learning yoga, explaining and teaching complex problems such as climate change, and sustainable development (Katsaliaki et. al., 2012). In figure 2 students playing an energy board game to understand concepts such as electricity conservation, renewable energy.

The educational game is a form of social interaction, as learners tries to map out situations that will encourage solving compelling problems. For example, to learn about climate change and sustainability problems, learners team-up for gathering and discussing information in a project way (Garg et. al, 2017). Such games foster effective learning habits to change our lifestyle for sustainable living as described in fireworks example later on.

5 Transformation of Education to create “Sustainable Consciousness”

We need more focus on skill development, innovation, decision-making, and problem-solving through establishing Centre of Excellence with focus on 21stcentury skills. With the advent of sustainable consciousness, our GOAL program youth decided to reduce pollution during Diwali celebration, thus some children haven’t burn any crackers to save the environment and others burned 60 to 70% less firework as per previous years based on student and parents stories. Further, they saved Rs. 200 to Rs. 600 that made them very happy. Some senior students decided to devote time for providing quality education to poor students. Now, same students dream is to become a doctor, IAS, IPS, Judge, dancer, cricketer, banker, lawyer, army officer, and teacher (maximum girls dream) rather than focusing on their social background as most of them come from low income group.

Thus, we are doing capacity development programs for 21stcentury skills, STEAM, and Sustainability through:

– Teacher development programs designed to develop and teach students for SDGs, climate change, and 21stcentury skills

– Focusing on employability, skill development and entrepreneurship with industry orientation and linkages

– Learning science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM) linking with SDGs with hands-on, game and problem-based approach

– Establishing learning centers with the community to imbibe responsibility, accountability, global citizenship, gender equality, values

Therefore, ESD is crucial for the SDGs awareness and success for all. Education in school and higher education institution (HEI) play key role as prevalent in our golden time, e.g., Nalanda, Takshila Universities in India. Schools (Ashrams), universities happen to be not only seat of learning but also providers of solutions to humanity’s problems; however, modern schools, universities are not very well connected with their local communities and the environment.

6 Conclusion

Using games to teach a specific curriculum topic related to sustainability such as climate change, water cycle, energy, biodiversity, associated concepts such as light, plant identification, disaster management, and renewable energy increased players’ motivation towards science and sustainability. Besides this, learners showed interest in English, personality development, and improved their leadership skills.

Games and makerspaces can motivate students to turn to textbooks with the intention of understanding rather than memorizing. Learning occurs not just in the gameplay but other kinds of making activities, encourage collaboration among participants, thus provide a context for peer-to-peer teaching and for the emergence of communities of Learners. It will go a long way in nurturing a spirit of inquiry, fostering creativity, and developing a culture of innovation among students; equipping them with skills and competence to create an equitable and sustainable future.

References

Campos P., Campos A. (2009), An Educational Game Created through a Human-Work Interaction Design Approach. In: Gross T. et al. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2009. Vol 5726. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

Clemmensen, T., Orngreen, R. & Pejtersen, A. M. (2005). Describing Users in Contexts: Perspectives on Human-Work Interaction Design. Workshop Proceedings of Interact’05

Garg, A. B. & Agarwal, M. (2017). Educational Games for Learning Sustainability Concepts, INTERACT Workshop Human Work Interaction Design meets International Development, pg. 290-297

Katsaliaki, K. & Mustafee, N. (2012). A survey of serious games on sustainable development, Proceedings of IEEE Winter Simulation Conference

Kwauk, C. (2020). Roadblocks to quality education in a time of climate change, Centre for Universal Education, Brookings Institution

Scott, C. L. (2015). The Futures of Learning 2: What kind of learning for the 21st century? UNESCO Education Research and Foresight, Paris. [ERF Working Papers Series, No. 14]

Singer, N., Farahaty, E., Mahmoud, E. S. (2020). Motives of the Egyptian Education Future for Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis Between 2020 and 2030, Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3585908

Stommen, S.M. & Farley, K. (2016). Games for Grownups: The Role of Gamification in Climate Change and Sustainability, Indicia Consulting LLC

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/23669BN_SDG4.pdf

https://indicators.report/targets/47/#:~:text=Target%204.7%20by%202030%20ensure,%2Dviolence%2C%20global%20citizenship%2C%20and

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-half-south-asian-youth-are-not-track-have-education-and-skills-necessary

https://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication-OFF/files/Climate-Change-Indian-Mind.pdf

About Authors

Anant Bhaskar Garg, Director, HRDEF, Engineer and Educator with 23 years of exp. in various capacities in academia, industries. Published two books, 53 papers in Intl. Journals, Seminars, 2 chapters in Springer’s book, Invited Speaker at 98th ISC, member of Prof. Societies IEI, ACM, CSI, ISCA, IETE, ISTE. Senior Member 2011 of ACM, USA. Climate Reality Leader, #MentorofChange, AIM, NITI Aayog, MIEE. Organized various seminars, faculty, and student development prog. Learned best practices on education, environment through visiting Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, involved in community services for computer, and sustainability.

Manisha Agarwal, Director, HRDEF, Educator having done M. Sc. (Botany), PhD (Forest Botany) Forest Research Institute University. MBA in Education Management. Sixteen years of research experience in the field of Botany, Wood Anatomy, medicinal plants, papers in international, national journals, member of Indian Botanical Society, ISCA, Climate Reality Leader, Society of Wood Science and Technology, USA – 2013-14, Involved in environment education, climate action, STEAM teaching, raising awareness and skills development

HRDEF established as non-profit social enterprise and in Special Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2018. HRDEF established afterschool program, conducting workshops, and training on climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, and STEAM. HRDEF worked with school students, youth to develop their learning capacities for 21st Century Skills through game, project based interactive learning. Provide makerspace, hands-on experiments for school children to understand concepts, Climate Change, SDGs and Sustainability.

 

Updated: Oct 26, 2020

Reaching the Hardest to Reach with Education Technology During COVID Co-Sponsored by The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), Earth Institute, Columbia University & South Asia Special Interest Group (SIG) at the Comparative International Education Society (CIES).

Education has been disrupted during the COVID19 pandemic. Millions of children have trying different models of learning remotely with the help of parents, teachers, extended families and others. What have we learned so far from the ground? What has worked and what needs to be improved?

This panel will look at the Kerala model from India and learn from the governmental and NGO actions on the ground. Join us in discussing education in the COVID19 times with concrete examples from Kerala on the use of technology to ensure learning continuity.

Let us also learn the lessons for sustainable development and what we can infuse in the education systems to build back better.

Our esteemed panelists:

• Anvar Sadath, CEO, Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education, Government of Kerala
• Professor V.K. Damodaran, President Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust and Member, Governing Board and Executive Committee Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment
• Sajitha Bashir, Adviser, Office of the Global Director for Education, World Bank

Remarks

• Tania Saeed, Assistant Professor-Tenure, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, LUMS University, Pakistan
• Yanis Ben Amor, Executive Director of Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University

Moderators

• Radhika Iyengar, Director Education of Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University. Chair of the Environmental and Sustainability Special Interest Group at CIES
• Haein Shin, Education Technical Adviser, Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University

Please see below documents and links shared by our speakers:

Facing Forward : Schooling for Learning in Africa. By Bashir, Sajitha; Lockheed, Marlaine; Ninan, Elizabeth; Tan, Jee-Peng.   World Bank regional flagship

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29377?CID=EDU_TT_Education_EN_EXT

TV Based Learning in Bangladesh : Is it Reaching Students?

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/34138

Status Report – Government and Private Schools During COVID-19, India.  By Oxfam

https://www.oxfamindia.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/Status%20report%20Government%20and%20private%20schools%20during%20COVID%20-%2019.pdf

Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures  – UNESCO-  UNICEF- World Bank

https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/survey-national-education-responses-covid-19-school-closures

The effect of school closures on standardized student test outcomes.    Study about Belgium schools during COVID

https://feb.kuleuven.be/research/economics/ces/documents/DPS/2020/dps2017.pdf

National report at Times Of India published on 22nd October

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/what-kerala-did-that-others-could-not/articleshow/78783667.cms

Comparative and International Education Society (CIES)

https://www.cies.us/

South Asia Special Interest Group of CIES

http://sigs.cies.us/southasia/

Center for Sustainable Development

https://csd.columbia.edu/