Some Important Viewpoints from Sterling:
Instrumental view of education and sustainability: What Education is for (the outcome)
From this reading, I have been exposed to different philosophies regarding sustainability and the importance of resiliency in youth. As seen above, different philosophies may sound similar and have similar goals, but the focus, process and reason for achieving those goals vary greatly. As for where I stand, I find that sustainability can only be achieved if we are able to educate the future generations so they are able to think critically and feel passionate about current issues, and issues we have yet to face. On issues such as sustainability, we must be able to think of solutions that have not been thought of, and come to conclusions that have yet to be suggested. The only way we are able to do this is not by teaching students what to think, but rather, using what is known as a platform for teaching them students how to think. Students will need to develop these skills individually, using teachers as a guide. One important thing I’ve learned is that teachers do not have all the answers; we are learning right along with students. It is our job, however, to create an environment that allows students to reach their full potential so they are able to think in a productive way about important issues and solutions in the future. Although our main job is to create an environment that supports student learning and success, I also believe resiliency is an important component of any person fighting for something they believe in. As growing individuals, students must also be given the opportunity to learn what it means to be resilient. Students should use what they know, and what they continue to learn, to continue to succeed in their own lives, whether that be in their careers, their personal lives, or in their contributions to a larger issue (like sustainability). As teachers, we have to allow our students to make mistakes, and students have to learn, with the support of their teachers, how to cope with mistakes when they are made. Regardless of the path a student takes, they will be faced with failure and resistance. Students must learn to be flexible in their thinking, and use how they learn to re-think their own ideas alongside the ideas of others. If we are able to teach individuals how to turn this resistance into debate, failure into a lesson and inaction into action, they can then properly and importantly contribute to the greater picture.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2017
Categories |