The keynote speech entitled, “Life, the Universe and Everything; a Bunch of Roses” was presented by Alan Dyer who is the Associate Director of the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Plymouth.
Alan opened with this extract from The Sense of Wonder, by Rachel L. Carson, copyright 1956.
A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Parents often have a sense of inadequacy when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature, inhabited by a life so various and unfamiliar that it seems hopeless to reduce it to order and knowledge. In a mood of self-defeat, they exclaim, “How can I possibly teach my child about nature -- why, I don't even know one bird from another!”
I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused -- a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love -- then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.
This in essence is what the message of the day seemed to be…that we as educators, teachers, adults, leaders, parents have a duty to maintain in our children that sense of ‘wanting to know’ the ‘sense of awe’ and to do this through experiences of the real world. What was evident and somewhat reassuring is that the Rose Review is opening the doors to the real world and experiential learning. It is allowing us to step back to the wonder of childhood. We want the children to engage with the real world making it an experience that they will never forget…allowing them to take risks without being at risk. It allows us to be less constrained by an over abundance of key objectives, to be more creative in the way we pick up current themes and topics and encourages us to engage the children in compelling learning experiences. The Rose Review in my mind presents us with an exciting time ahead.
Dr Fran Martin from Exeter University gave an Overview of the Rose Review of the Primary curriculum.
The three aims of the new Primary Curriculum are that children become
• successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
• confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
The Report details Essentials for learning and life
Literacy
Numeracy
ICT capability
Personal
Development (which encompasses; Learning and thinking skills; Personal and
emotional skills; Social skills)
Currently there are six areas of learning which are
Understanding English, communication and languages
Mathematical understanding
Scientific and technological understanding
Historical, geographical and social understanding
Understanding physical development, health and wellbeing
Understanding the arts
In terms of this conference and the focus being Global Citizenship the third of the key aims was our focus. How can we encourage and engage children who will:
The workshops that followed aimed to demonstrate a Global Perspective in key Subject areas. My particular interests for the day were in Maths, Science and Geography.Be responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society
Respect others and act with integrity
Understand their own and other’s cultures and traditions within the context of British heritage, and have a strong sense of their own place in the world
Appreciate the benefits of diversity
Sustain and improve the environment, locally and globally
Take account of the needs of present and future generations in the choices they make
A Global Perspective in Maths (led by David Moore, Drake Primary School, Plymouth)
David looked at how including a global perspective in maths lessons can enhance children’s experiences, helping them make not just to develop their awareness of being a global citizen, but also help to strengthen their mathematical understanding.
Key Concepts in Global Education and links to Maths
Interdependence: Showing that mathematicians from many cultures have contributed to the cultural development of modern day mathematics. Maths is a universal / global language
Diversity: explore number patterns from a range of cultures. Through this they can learn to appreciate the mathematical ingenuity of other cultures. Number patterns / mathematical igenuity of other cultures
Sustainable Development: understanding the need to maintain and improve the quality of life without damaging the planet for future generations. Data handling
Social Justice: understanding the importance of social justice as an element of both sustainable and the improved welfare of all people. Fair Trade - prices / raw materials etc
Values and Perception: developing a critical evaluation of representations of global issues. Average pay (mean / mode / median) political statistics!
tbc
