The 7 pedagogical “reflections” of ESD
A list of pedagogical principles for Educators who want to implement the ESD approach.
Explaining in a few words this educational approach is complex and sometimes, I think it is easier to present a line of pedagogical principles that when applied in class reflects the ESD in the best possible way.
1. Prosumer – A combination of producer and consumer. This concept is used in different disciplines. It was first suggested in 1972 by McLuhan & Nevitt, and was formally used by Alvin Toffler (1980) in his book “The Third Wave”.
This concept undertakes the image of the teachers and the traditional way of teaching. From this perspective, the teacher is no longer the source of knowledge. In today’s world, information is available on every corner. Teachers are now guides and mentors who produce, but they also consume what the student produces. In terms of teaching, this concept focuses also on learning and understanding that the “consuming” role of the student in the traditional education does not serve the main purpose of learning. The student becomes the main character of his educational journey and not a spectator.
2. “Hands on” – Education must be experimental. The former National Director of Science at the Ministry of Education in Israel once told me: “We don’t teach science, we do science”. No need to talk about a process theoretically. It is better to do it, and it is the most important thing and the right way of learning about it. This applies to most subjects that are taught.
The other reason this “reflection” is fundamental is that only when you experiment by yourself you can check your hypothesis, make mistakes and own the knowledge. Today it is not “permitted” to make mistakes, but this is one of the most important things in learning- making mistakes and learning from them. Only those who try, can make mistakes, and learn from them!
3. Hands, Head and Heart – If we want significant learning we have to activate all our senses. The body is not a means of transport for our brain. When the educational experience includes Hands, Head and Heart, we are actually starting our learning.
Each of these dimensions deserves a whole blog post, but remember the importance of the educational players, the right process and the fundamental ingredients.
4. Be real and relevant – I never saw a soccer player asking what to do in the middle of a match. When you teach, try to bring the content to a context of relevance to reality. Our students should know why they are learning what they learn, and not just deal with concepts that (from their perspective) have no relations with what happens on the other side of the school fence.
You can teach whatever you teach in the frame of your community or the world that surrounds you; there is no reason to make your job harder.
5. GloCal – Think Global, Act Local. If we decide to Think Global and Act Global, we simply forget about our difference as human being and cultures. If we decide to Think Local and Act Global, we will be despots assuming that what is real and relevant for us, is also thus for everyone else. If we decide to Think Local and Act Local, we will be forgetting about the rest of the world and the fact that in today’s globalization, we all belong to a global village.
Glocality simply considers the different variables and gives local issues the privileged spot it deserves without forgetting the rest of the planet.
6. Interdisciplinarity– Reality looks a bit more complex than the way we teach it. A long time ago we decided to divide knowledge into areas of expertise, and we teach the different disciplines according to those areas. Nevertheless, we grew up and as we exit the school gates we realize that the real world is not divided into areas or disciplines. ESD is an invitation to experiment with reality the way it really is – a miracle of phenomena. Other progressive educational approaches agree with this concept, STEM or STEAM is an example of it.
7. Sharing is Inspiring – This idea is central to the way I understand ESD. I believe that in order to live in this planet and educate the next generation we have to do it TOGETHER. The way we teach and learn has to be about building a future in which the WE is the way of thinking.
As you may realize in each of these “reflections” the most important thing is the learning and the rethinking of the relation between the Teacher and the Student. This is my list, it is not closed, and I am sure you will find things to add to it. Do not hesitate to share them.