Redesigning Education – initial reflections

Another education event at the RSA, and another sense of disappointment. The Redesigning Education event launched the book of the same name, developed by the Global Education Leaders Programme . It’s all very interesting and all the best and brightest innovations and buzzwords are in there.

Collaboration, connection, use of educational technology, project based learning, teachers as designers of learning rather than imparters of knowledge were all there. I did like the special emphasis on mobilising demand.

It’s a good highlights tour of current educational thinking wrapped up in the moniker Education 3.0 (with Education 1.0 being about access, and Education 2.0 focusing on school improvement). I especially like the section on scaling and diffusion of innovation.

But somehow this greatest hits tour seems slightly skewed. Not enough attention is paid to the context of the 21st Century – access to resources (food, water, energy), population growth and increased material aspirations on a finite planet, post-industrial markets, the expectation of free online content, etc.

If we were to have a completely blank slate and the greatest minds how would they redesign the education system. As such, this is a useful highlighting of ongoing trends.

At Digital Explorer we are currently working on developing a #futureminds curriculum/model, interested in the different ways of thinking that young people will need to thrive.

• How can we help young people develop compassion for themselves, their communities and the wider world?
• How can we help young people understand that they live in an interdependent world, where their every day actions can have both negative and positive impacts on the other side of the world?
• Lastly, how do we introduce the concept of delayed gratification into an instant world? The need to work hard, to save for a prolonged retirement(?), to act on environmental issues that may not see a result for 50 years?

It’s not that Redesigning Education won’t help, but the 21st Century context in terms of environment, demography and technology will require very different ways of thinking and coping, that will require a very different focus. Learning to think in new ways should be at the fore of a new design for education systems.

What would your experience curriculum include?

After an excellent event put on by Earthwatch, Why emotion matters in conservation science, it was a pleasure to talk about how we can help young people have an emotional relationship with nature and the especially the ocean.

‘J’ Nichols talked about a project in El Salvador, where every 10 year old releases a baby turtle on the beach. What an amazing experience, for every single 10 year old to have. And there is a buzz in the years beforehand, children anticipating this rite of passage and connection with nature and the ocean.

In discussions on the National Curriculum in England, we put into law what our young people should know. What would happen if we also enshrined in law the experiences that they are entitled to: spend a night in a tent in the wild, visit the sea, attend a service from a different faith background, grow food (and eat it!).

What would your experience curriculum include?

For the research on this, see the Cornell University study showing the link between adult environmentalism and nature experience before the age of 11. Maybe we should start lobbying for mandatory nature walks and camping for primary school pupils rather than climate change in the science or geography curriculum.

Guest blog: I love being a polar explorer

Many people think that being a polar explorer is only about enduring hardships and hauling massive sleds across miles and miles of ice. There are these things, but there is also so much more to polar exploring than just that. One of the largest parts of our jobs is to take vital scientific measurements. To do this we do have to go across hundreds of miles of ice, but even this has its upsides. Waking up in this beautiful landscape is one of the perks of the jobs.

Because of the serenity and emptiness of the Arctic, it is a real shock to come back to the U.K! Your brain struggles to process everything that you see around you. Your senses pick up the minor things, like food cooking, and cars going past.

After the peace and remoteness of the Arctic, it is a very sudden change! It is very funny to see all of the Londoners in their thick coats, and we are there in T – shirts and jeans!

One question we get asked a lot is if we have ever come face to face with a polar bear. They don’t usually come near the camp, but if they do, making lots of noise surprises them, probably because they are not used to having anything stand up to them!

I love being a polar explorer, and I wouldn’t swap my job for anything! It is a great feeling to know that the work we are doing could really make a positive difference to the Polar Regions. I feel honoured to have the opportunity to do this, and if anyone is thinking of a career in Polar Exploration, go ahead!

By Jake S, as part of the Colyton Grammar School Polar Challenge Day. Pupils were asked to write a blog post describing life on a polar expedition, using what they had learnt during the day.

Guest blog: What being a polar explorer is like

As you would expect, being a polar explorer is extremely difficult. For one thing, the Arctic is one of the most remote areas on the planet, and help isn’t simply a phone call away, as it is in most places. If trouble comes, you are on your own! And of course, the main problem is the cold. Temperatures can drop to -60°C! This is so cold that some things freeze instantly. One day, I was chucking out the waste water from cooking, and as I threw it, the liquid froze in mid-air and fell to the ground, a dead weight!

The cold means that things must be protected, even inside the tents! Even 1 minute exposing flesh can start frostbite, a horrible condition where extremities like fingers and toes freeze, turn black, and have to be amputated. Protecting yourself means everything is challenging. Every night, when I get into bed, I have to go through a strict ritual. First, I have to take off my clothes down to my thermals, while still wearing my mitts. Obviously this is quite difficult, because mitts are massive and puffy. After that, I have to get in 4 layers of sleeping bag! The first layer is a thermal bag, a bit like a crisp packet, to stop moisture leaving my body at night and freezing around me, then I put on a fleece, a thick heavy outer layer, and, if it is really cold, a further thick outer layer. And putting all this on ahs to be done with mitts, of course!

It is hard getting to sleep, even once I am in my sleeping bag. In the summer, it is light all day and night long, due to the planet’s tilt, so I have to cover my eyes with something, e.g. a hat, to have any chance of sleeping. In the morning, when I get up, the day starts straight away. Each member of the team has to pull a sled weighing an incredible 200 pounds, and that is just the minimal amount needed for survival be! 200 pounds is the weight of about 5 12 year old children! 10 hours of the day is spent travelling, pulling the necessities like food, shelter and scientific equipment. The sleds must be pulled over anything, including sharp ice rubble, steep ledges and even floated across rivers like a raft! But, of course, while travelling, the great beauty of the Arctic can be seen. A vast plain of ice, the sun reflecting off them, is one of the greatest sights in the world.

At the end of the journey, it is time to set up camp. In nice weather, around – 30°C, this can be ok, but at -50°C, in the driving winds, after a day spent pulling heavy sledges, this isn’t fun. At least when it is up, it is a bit warmer. Food is normally high calorie things, like Mars bars, that have been sliced and put into bags to stop them freezing, otherwise they would break your teeth! An electric fence is set up around the camp, to deter any curious polar bears. Once, when I was going to the toilet tent outside the fence, a polar bear appeared, so I had to leg it back over the fence before it got closer!

It is always a bit sad coming back home after visiting the Arctic, because nothing feels the same. However, it is nice to have some warmth! The whole point of Arctic exploration is to conserve and protect the Arctic. The Arctic is incredibly important in the world, as it helps control the climate. But unfortunately it is melting. That is why people explore the Arctic and brave the challenges; to discover more about how fast it’s melting and why. The Arctic is worth saving!

By Jake L, as part of the Colyton Grammar School Polar Challenge Day. Pupils were asked to write a blog post describing life on a polar expedition, using what they had learnt during the day.

Guest blog: What is it like to be a polar explorer?

Polar exploring can be extremely hard but it can also be rewarding. It is an amazing experience that very few people get to have.
The hardest thing to get used to is the climate, as on one day it can be sunny and clear and the next extremely foggy. This can also make it hard for planes to get in, so if anything goes wrong you could be stranded for weeks. The temperature is definitely not helpful to the expedition and can range from +1° to – 60°celsius. This means that any simple task such as zipping up a sleeping bag can become one of great difficulty. Most of these tasks are hindered by the bulky clothing that explorers have to wear, In order to keep warm.

However, the experience is almost definitely worth the suffering. The beautiful, if hostile, landscape of the arctic is breath-taking, and might not be around much longer. Explorers and scientists do tests to try and work out how much longer the arctic ice will last. Other explorers attempt to break records and travel to the pole dragging sleds behind them.

This exploring is difficult because all the supplies needed for the journey, including enough food, tents, and any other equipment, needs to be dragged in this sled for the whole journey. Explorers have to try and pack light to make sure they can drag it. They can weigh 120kg or possibly even more!

The terrain can also be a challenge; because of ice moving in the opposite direction, ridges, rifts and large stretches of water or thin ice can form. Pulling a sled through all this requires a lot of stamina and accuracy. It also means that it can be difficult for planes to land if help is required in this remote area of the earth.

By Emily O, as part of the Colyton Grammar School Polar Challenge Day. Pupils were asked to write a blog post describing life on a polar expedition, using what they had learnt during the day.

Guest blog: A day in the life of a polar explorer

It’s hard living in the Arctic. Six weeks stuck in a small tent, freezing outside, permanently covered in at least 5 layers of fabric and clothing. It has to be the most gruelling challenge in my life. It requires perseverance, lots of stamina, a willing to fulfil what you set out to do, and most importantly, the ability to stay sane (by far the hardest to achieve).

Every morning, peel yourself out of 4 or more sleeping bags (each more difficult to open than the last), then, when you finally feel like getting up, you zip down the tent, and reveal the arduous cold, (once again, each day more cold than the last!). Today I managed to forget my over layer when I went outside, and boy did I remember quickly! My hands and feet went instantly numb as I fumbled to zip up the 2 inch puffy coat.

I came to the Arctic because I was offered a science job after the lead scientist backed out a week before the expedition was due to leave. I wasn’t woefully unprepared, but signing up at the last minute meant I didn’t have time to remember every essential item, and if you forget anything, you’ll regret it when you realise you need it! I made my way to the mess tent, a rather large tent with tables and a cooker. The cook and other scientists where already there, eating warm porridge. There were about 10 people at this site, with about 15 tents on the site.

When I got out, I surveyed the horizon. White Plains for as far as the eye can see, not a cloud in the sky, and the sun about 30 degrees. It would be a lovely day, if it weren’t -30. I made my way to the science tent for another monotonous day of drilling into ice and looking at copepods, but my work is essential, as in 20 years, or less, this arctic sea ice I’m standing on may not exist. So it is vital that we get our facts and figures before this marvellous place vanishes forever. Looking at the horizon I realized that if anyone saw this view, they would know how important it is to save this magical place.

By Adam C, as part of the Colyton Grammar School Polar Challenge Day. Pupils were asked to write a blog post describing life on a polar expedition, using what they had learnt during the day.

An educational challenge

Many of the debates in education are narrow and unimportant compared to the enormities of the challenges facing the planet and the potential future for humanity.

When will we stop listing the 50 best apps for something and consider the bigger questions? What is the best form of education for a planet that is finite, with a human population that is estimated to grow to over 9 billion by 2050? What lifestyle can future generations aspire to?

James  Lovelock ends ‘The Revenge of Gaia’ with an interesting educational challenge. More important than a MOOC?

What we need is a book of knowledge written so well as to constitute literature in its own right. Something for anyone interested in the state of the Earth and of us – a manual for living well and for survival. The quality of its writing must be such that it would serve for pleasure, for devotional reading, as a source of facts and even as a primary school text. It would range from simple things such as how to light a fire, to our place in the solar system and the universe. (more…)

Climate change education debate

Below is the transcript of a conversation I had with my incredibly precocious seven year old nephew. We were gathered for Easter lunch and he asked me about the debate surrounding the proposals for a slimmed down mention of climate change in the curriculum.

Peter: So, Uncle Jamie, tell me what all the fuss about this climate change education thing is.

Uncle Jamie: Well, Peter, there are plans afoot to give schools more flexibility to teach climate change in a way that suits them, and to reduce the explicit mention of how carbon dioxide affects the Earth system.

P: Hold on. Tell me more about this climate change malarkey.

UJ: Well, there is overwhelming evidence from a lot of scientists who say that by burning fossil fuels and various other things, that we are altering the behaviour of the climate system and that these changes could have catastrophic impacts on all life on the planet including humans.

P: Sounds bad. So what steps are being taken?

UJ: At the moment, we have decided to make the problem worse through basing our exit from this recession (we’ll have to leave that topic for another conversation) on greater growth and further exploitation of natural resources.

P: Are you telling me that, you are going to teach me that the world is completely up the creek in a few years’ time and adults have decided to make the problem worse and you want to tell seven year olds about this? That’s a bit of a downer.

UJ: I know, I know. There are a lot of people who feel that the best way of dealing with this issue is to tell you how bad it is and do nothing about it. Makes complete sense, no?

P: But I read all these articles in the newspaper. It reminds me of the Christmas pantomime. “Humans are causing irreversible climate change.” “Oh no they’re not!” “Oh yes they are!” I thought you were supposed to be the adults in this situation.

UJ: Yes. I can see how this might be confusing. There is an issue of natural variability and various other trends to take into consideration, but seeing as you’re seven, we think that the best thing to do is to teach you the “Oh yes they are” bit, and leave out the reasoning and the reasons why the “Oh no they’re not!” people aren’t right.

P: Still, it’s a bit of a downer, putting all this responsibility for saving the world on the shoulders of a seven year old.

UJ: I see. You may have a point there. What would your ideas for this be?

P: I think you have to consider three areas: rigour, agency and stewardship [I did say he was precocious]. I think that the best place to start would be stewardship, then agency and finally rigour.

UJ: Can you go into these three areas in a bit more depth?

P: Certainly. By stewardship, I mean the values and skills needed to look after the natural environment. This could be anything from planting and caring for a tree in the school grounds; monitoring a rock pool and cleaning up litter; or being a junior warden for a local park or wild place. I imagine that you’ve read the 2009 ‘Report by the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change’, that shows a clear correlation between developing a local and personal relationship with nature and engaging in broader environmental and climate issues later in life.

UJ: Gotcha.

P: Love not loss, Uncle Jamie. Love not loss. You have read the IUCN work on this haven’t you? I know it relates more to the protection of charismatic megafauna and their supporting habitats, but the psychology’s the same.

UJ: And agency?

P: Agency is important. As it stands, you people are advocating teaching about something without the ability to take action on what we have learnt. If there is something that makes complete sense to change, because it would be better for people and planet, and especially for future generations, then maybe we should start with small steps. I would like to work on a project when I am about 9 years old, investigating the use of resources in school. Pupils should be able to learn about the consequences of their actions. I am undecided whether this should include impacts on the Earth system yet. Maybe we could look at the Greek root of the word economy, i.e. to manage one’s household. Fossil fuels are unsustainable, waste costs money. These things are fairly obvious to anyone who can get their head round the fact we live on a finite planet.

UJ: And rigour?

P: I need a bit more time on this, but I would want some intelligent people to come up with a way to introduce me to the difference between short-term variability and long-term trends, the interconnectedness of the Earth system, how scientists predict, model and test theories, gather data, and the moral imperative of acting on science.

UJ: Morality and science?

P: It’s odd, isn’t it? What we are really arguing about here is using education as a tool to show young people that in the midst of doing sweet nothing about climate change, that action needs to be taken to mitigate an unholy, global balls-up in fifty years’ time.

UJ: Oops. Any suggestions?

P: In terms of engagement with current changes, there are a few questions you’ll need to answer:

1. Will the current proposals weaken or remove opportunities for young people to develop a personal relationship with nature?
2. Will the current proposals remove or weaken the opportunity for schools to offer agency to young people to act on what they learn?
3. Are there sufficient opportunities for schools to teach with appropriate rigour the science (including geographical science) I need to understand to grow my appreciation of my local environment to the Earth system?

UJ: You’ve put this to schools, does government not have a role to play?

P: To a degree, but I’ve found that governments come and go. As long as they don’t prevent the appropriate teaching of these issues, it is up to wider society (schools, teachers, education experts, academics, child psychologists, naturalists, environmentalist, industry and commerce) to work out how best to teach young people about climate change. Words in the curriculum are perhaps the least of our worries.

Class Skype – a great way to speak at schools

It was wonderful to take part in a Skype call with Middleham Primary last week to talk about life in the polar regions. The wonderful Catherine Monaghan is doing wonderful things with her Year 3 & 4 class to bring learning alive for the pupils, amongst other things they are building an igloo in the classroom using old milk bottles, which looks amazing… the kind of teacher I wish I’d had.

Using Skype to talk to a school is something that I have done when on expedition, but never when I have been in the UK. Normally, I have gone into schools to talk directly to classes. It was a great way to interact with young people, without having to take a long time out of the ‘office’. Talking to schools is one of the highlights of my job, but the travel time to and from schools limits the amount of schools that I can visit. So, if there are more schools out there who would like to have someone who has been on expedition speak via Skype to their class, then I would be delighted to look at how we can make better use of this technology when the team is back in the UK.

Catherine put up a wonderful video of the class reflecting on what they had learnt and to my surprise I have also become a scientist!

I like to think that I am getting better at polar and ocean science, thanks to the wonderful support of Helen and Ceri, who have held my hand through being a novice a year or so ago. I even have a ‘beaker’ (polar slang for a scientist) award to prove it.

A great use of technology and thank you to Catherine (Mrs M) and Class 2 at Middleham for a great Skype chat and also to Al Humphreys for helping to put it all together.

Awesome Sarah – explorer and educator

We were sad to hear of the extreme weather earlier this year that has delayed  Sarah Outen’s London2London expedition. Sarah had to be rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard after she and her rowing boat were hit by a huge storm in June.

Digital Explorer has been working with Sarah on the education side of things, developing resources and competitions for primary schools and so it was great to read this blog post on her education blog:

Recipe for Adventure Competition: the results

Hello Everyone,

A little while ago we set a competition for L2L Primary Schools to design me a ‘Recipe for Adventure’ – dreaming up a tasty meal that would give me of all the different food groups that I need for adventuring.

London2London HQ received some excellent entries and I have just spent some time getting very hungry and excited at the thought of trying some of the recipes.

Everyone has been spot on in thinking about the food groups I need when I am cycling, or kayaking or rowing – so we have lots of protein for helping me rebuild my muscles, carbohydrates and sugars for giving me energy, vitamins for keeping my skin and gums healthy and all washed down with plenty of water to keep me hydrated.

My favourite entries came from English Martyrs School in Oakham and Mr Kirkland’s Class at Manor School in Didcot. Both schools will receive L2L stickers and some adventuring books, including ‘The Boy who Biked the World’ by Alistair Humprheys and my book ‘ A Dip in the Ocean’. As well as that, I shall be visiting both schools to tell them all about my adventures so far and what treats and surprises I have eaten on the way.

Coming next on the Education Blog…. I shall be sharing some of the stories from my attempt to row across the North Pacific in my boat Gulliver. You may already know – but it didn’t go quite to plan this time.

Happy summer holidays to everyone who is on them already or about to start. Make sure you pack in some adventures!

Cheerio,

Sarah, Nelson, Hercules and Gulliver x

Congratulations to both schools who won.

And sending all our best wishes to Sarah as she prepares to face the challenges of the Pacific again. See this CBBC Newsround clip that really brings home the scale of her ambitions, and do follow her on twitter.

And, Sarah, drop by the Digital Explorer office for a cuppa and a chat next time you’re in town, you’re an inspiration and role model.