This first quote resonated deeply within me and made me consider how I'd been raised and the thoughts and feelings I now have in my head.
When learners are confronted only by the dangers of Earth’s dire situation, the result can be feelings of despair and hopelessness, leading to the very opposite of the response that is needed. Students need facts, but then they need to know that they can make a difference.
Looking back on life, it feels like the only sustainable habit I developed was putting recyclables into the recycling bin. I grew a bean sprout in a little clay pot at school once, but there really wasn't much of a focus on sustainability or the environment at all there. It wasn't any better at home either since my dad was working long days in construction at the time and my mother was working a nine to five only to come home and start cooking, cleaning, and making sure my brothers and I were doing our homework. I was also a straight A student growing up which meant I was sitting at the table most of the day to make sure I would keep getting those grades. Really the only time I enjoyed thoroughly interacting with nature was when I'd go out with my friends and go adventuring through our neighborhood. Joining the Boy Scouts really helped me to reconnect with my love for nature, and I've loved hiking through forests and mountains ever since. I just wish I could've started on it earlier than I did.
I found the following quote to be quite interesting when I compared it to the playgrounds I remember growing up with.
Sørensen provided an enclosed space originally known as a “junk playground,” supplied with scrap materials and simple hand tools where children could work with earth, water, even fire, interact with farmyard animals, and build their own communities, overseen by skilled playworkers who provided materials and managed risk.
I still remember my old playground in Pre-K and how it was nothing like the kind of playground described in the quote. Mine was fenced in, consisted of concrete and mulch, had the typical steel castle centerpiece, some individual seesaws, and a couple of old swing sets. On the concrete, there was a structure resembling a basketball hoop except it had four tunnels facing opposite directions through which the ball would be fed back to us. Back then I couldn't throw the ball hard enough to reach the basket at the top, which eventually led to my peers taking the ball from me in favor of someone that could actually reach. I also remember how I got quickly bored of the rest of the playground and eventually started spending most of my time on a swing. It really makes me wonder if I'd have more of an appreciation for the environment or less of a negative outlook on it if my playground environment had been a bit more diverse.
This last quote just amused me a bit, but I must admit it does make sense.
Kuan-Tzu, a collection of Chinese philosophical writings from the third century BCE, said: “If you are thinking a year ahead, sow seed. If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking a hundred years ahead, educate the people.”
I've always enjoyed the simple approach of Oriental philosophic writing. It seems like they're always taking a simple situation, expanding it a little, and then connecting it to a much larger idea. I feel like it is a very effective method of teaching and should be utilized more in in the West.
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| http://suprememastertv.com/cs1/v/63086370366.html |
Sources:
- Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
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