3.2 Discussing making changes – four key questions

In order to get discussion within those on the course going and keep the discussion focused on sustainability issues you could use the following key questions. The questions are framed to allow for an inclusive discussion, where everyone’s voice is respected and valued and could be lightly modified to use learners in your setting as well as those who work within it. Modelling sustainable pedagogies as you undertake this work will be important in assuring successful changes are made.

These questions can be used as a basis for discussion and reflection on an individual, group or institutional level.

  1. In what ways do you currently include or promote sustainability concepts, values and skills in your curriculum area?
    • What is the student view?
    • What are your main achievements or successes to date?
  2. What more could you/would you like to do?
    • In what way(s) could you contribute more effectively and directly to student learning in relation to sustainability?
  3. What opportunities and barriers are there currently?
    • What factors are assisting you in this, and which are hindering progress?
  4. What kinds of support might you need to take this work further? – What needs to change to help you go further, and/or what support might you need?
(Stirling, 2012, p. 51)

Activity 2.3  Developing sustainability literacy

Timing: Allow around 30 minutes

1a.  Download The Future Fit Framework [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] and read Chapter 2 ‘Why bother?’, p. 12–18.

1b. Now turn to page 54 and read the CPD activity ‘Developing sustainability literacy: eight dimensions, eight questions’.

By signing in and enrolling on this course you can view and complete all activities within the course, track your progress in My OpenLearn Create. and when you have completed a course, you can download and print a free Statement of Participation - which you can use to demonstrate your learning.

2a. To introduce the ideas of compassion into your practice in your setting, devise a professional development activity using the ideas in either of the:

  • 4 Rs model
  • four key questions
  • eight dimensions, eight questions.

You can choose to collaboratively plan a way for your learners to learn through pedagogies of community compassion, or to introduce a way that they can learn through using their hands creatively, or one of the other ideas discussed.

3a.  Post a brief summary of your thinking under the Activity 2.3 forum discussion. It is suggested this is no more than one or two paragraphs.

3b. Read and comment on at least two posts from other people, expressing on how their ideas have added to your thinking.

3c. Remember to add to your plan as you learn more sustainable pedagogies.

3.1 Using the ‘4 Rs model’

4 Summary of Unit 2