Laurence Myers K-12 Service Learning Coordinator American School of Dubai If your school experience was like most of us it would have come to a near-complete stop at some point on the previous academic year. As the wave of COVID cases made its way westward and we all drew in a collective breath of awestruck pre-panic we all, at some point. rode the wave into the unknown. Over the next few months the world - and the international schools scattered around it - tried their best to recreate what education looked like as teachers learned how to juggle being parents while simultaneously being educators. The professional-personal juggling act was intensified by the feelings of isolation, fear and, for many loss. And to grieve while stuck in one's living room half the world away (potentially) is certainly a tall order for anyone. It's no surprise, then, that strategies like service learning were put 'on hold' by many as we tried to mange a new and "almost out of control" situation. The literal isolation of our teaching/learning/family spaces brought with it a figurative isolation which, thankfully, was partly counterbalanced by the benefits of connection through technology. And in there, as we all moved down those Maslow levels with astonishing speed, we found ourselves fighting for our lives, both literally (in some cases) and as a description of our living arrangements and choices.
It seemed strange that in a time when there was so much need to be together, to unit, to join as a community, that often we became, as teachers, focused on the content of our work. It seemed like a big juxtaposition - at least to me and in my context - that when we needed a community-minded approach to our life's experience we focused further on academics. Which came first? The need for community or the lack of togetherness? It seemed like, suddenly, and perhaps for the first time in our lives, we were the focus of our own concern to the extent that we became the subject of the 'need' to be addressed. And, in so doing, some of us forgot to focus on the fact that providing support for others actually benefits of our life experience as well. What do they say in elementary school? Be a bucket filler. Not only for the person whose bucket you fill, but also because in filling their bucket you also benefit. And so, though COVID brought with it a sudden clamoring to isolate and focus on what learning might look like, we found that actually utilizing service learning allowed for people to generate a higher level of perceives self worth. Suddenly you didn't need to look too hard to find someone who was having a difficult time of things. Whether than was someone in the community who lost their job or someone having a difficult time dealing with the stress of life under COVID. Those teachers who continued to support service learning (and admittedly, there were only a few) found that doing so provided authentic conversations which not only offered themselves as ways to 'cleanse' and feel better, but also as ways to find value in what students were doing. It allowed the students a chance to reconnect as they worked to focus on immediate needs of those around them and gave them a chance to be valuable contributors in their communities, even from the safety of their home. Its hard to know if any research has been done on the causal relationship between teacher use of service learning during COVID and student level of efficacy as changemakers and civically engaged members of their communities. But anecdotally the evidence was quite present. Despite the sudden added level of difficulty that physical distance presented, and the added pressure of social emotional stress, the conversations, growth, learning and actual community support is what being a good citizen is all about, and service learning certainly doesn't need a COVID situation to do that. So what worked? It's tough to say what the answer might be around the world, but in Dubai, and specifically at our school, COVID brought with it a total home lockdown right about March, leading to an end-of-year from home experience. Naturally, service related issues focused often on wellness and mental balance. But it also moved many of our student leaders to engage in their community online. Students who we often did not hear from before COVID were suddenly moving into view and jumping into action. Specifically they focused on issues (e.g. Earth Week activities through Instagram or sharing of ideas on things to do at home) or communities in need (e.g. drivers and/or cafeteria staff who were not without employment). In general, as one might anticipate, the level of service-minded, community engagement went up as people realized that there isn't anyone else coming to our rescue necessarily. And so, through COVID shut down our face-to-face operations it pushed is into a whole new recognition of the power of online collaboration and community building. One example of this was a joint group of students at the American School of Dubai and a similar group at the American Community School in Abu Dhabi who took it upon themselves (okay, with a little scaffolding from the teachers) to create a new inter-school group called UAE Schools Changemaker Collaborative. Another example includes a student who was involved in a service learning mentorship who, with COVID necessitating a pivot in their work, decided to create a curriculum for elementary students to teach them about sustainability. So no, COVID and service learning are not a zero sum game. Though the challenges are quite different in a more physically isolated world, thankfully we live in a time that technology can support human innovation, resilience and the continuous effort to make our mark in making the world a better place. COVID service learning. Some examples:
I'm sure you'll agree that that's pretty cool stuff considering we're all stuck in our homes worried about our future, our learning and the collective wellbeing of the planet.
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by Laurence Myers
K-12 Service Learning Coordinator American School of Dubai With a good number of years under my belt as a Service Learning Coordinator I am finding some "recurring themes" that become evident only after work has begun on infusing service learning (and sustainability education?) into the classroom. The biggest issues is what was informally called "blank space" by Cathy Berger Kaye when she visited the International School of Kuala Lumpur a while back. This search for white space is similar in many schools where curriculum is developed (as it should be) and largely defined by common agreements (as it should be). There is much anecdotal evidence in my experience experience to suggest that service learning is an excellent way of allowing student initiated learning (in a developmentally appropriate way). Likewise, the conversations that take place with the infusion of service learning revolve around topics of authenticity, allowing students to lead in their own learning, the plethora of opportunities for integrated learning and lots of real-life connections. In short, service learning has proven itself to be a great instructional methodology for combining curriculum with authentic learning experiences. But there are a few hurdles that schools need to overcome for service learning to truly shine. One of the biggest challenges seems to be the creation of "space" in a curriculum to allow for authentic experiences to take shape. Truthfully it's simpler to have a unit packed with pre-determined activities and learning experiences that fill the entire timeframe of the class, especially for educators who have a difficult time relinquishing a bit of control in their classroom. But it might come as no surprise that, in the absence of "space", authenticity becomes more challenging to find and the inquiry that guides learning is thwarted to some degree, leading to questions such as the proverbial "why do I need to know this?". In addition to the "space" in the planning of units, another often identified challenge is the school schedule itself. Some successful school programs have solved this by creating flexibility in the daily schedule but even when the schedule itself needs to be defined, the fact that service learning is the ultimate "integrator" means that units and lessons can be done concurrently, allowing for "smarter, not harder" planning and execution. The third challenge to "space", in my experience, is that the fact that in schools where service learning is new, there is tendency for teachers to want more time to get their heads around what service learning is and how it can be planned and executed. Typically what this means is that teachers who want to pilot service learning in the classroom push it back a bit in the school year. I have found that when has happened, planning for "year two" almost always includes an earlier introduction of the service learning cycle in order to allow for authentic opportunities to take shape. In my experience what has come of the post-service learning debriefs (following a pilot year) is that:
As with most other things, so too the infusion of service learning is a developmental process. The experience itself often serves as a change catalyst for the better and serves as a necessary component to cultural change within a school. For those who have utilized service learning - and made the necessary adjustments based on their personal experiences - have been able to work out the "space" variable so as to more authentically engage their students who, in turn, develop a real sense of purpose in their learning. All great stuff! Laurence Myers
K-12 Service Learning Coordinator American School of Dubai With my new position of K-12 Service Learning coordinator I am visiting classrooms and teaching teams to gauge our level of understanding with, and preparation for, service learning. Often teachers have a good grasp of service learning conceptually but have a bit more difficulty in "unpacking" it. I've found myself breaking down service learning into common characteristics found in engaging and powerful service learning experiences. 1. Is Directed by Learning Outcomes No, it's not community service. No, it's not simply fundraising. It is a well orchestrated cycle of progression that revolves around a central learning outcome (or perhaps two). Service learning, for it to be "sticky" needs to have a reason for being. This often lives in the curriculum, but even when when it doesn't take place in the classroom - say it's an after school student organization - it should still maintain it sights on the target: The learning outcome. 2. Involves Student Agency The term "invites" is a loose one for ideally you want to have students doing work "for the students and by the students". It's just that teachers often have a hard time letting go (which we need to get used to) and students are sometimes not developmentally prepared for a full release of all decision making. Still, a good teacher will be able to find that balance between guiding questions and providing freedom to wonder. 3. Is Inquiry Based Most teachers are now well aware of the power and opportunity provided by student inquiry. Given a chance to ask questions, and a structure and opportunity to follow where those questions might lead, students can truly shine. So let 'em! 4. Addresses Authentic Needs What constitutes a "need" is not always our impression of doom and gloom. No, it's not always helping the poor in some far away land (or even down the street). No, it's not based on assumptions we - often as outsiders to the "need" we are addressing - have about a community situation. It's a well investigated approach aimed at authentically recognizing a community need. Take a walk around your campus (for the little ones). Interview members of your community. Burst the expat bubble and see where it leads. Sometimes there are wonderful connections just waiting to be uncovered! 5. Connects Students to Real World Issues Thing global, act local, they say. Just like that it's important for students to recognize the interconnections between the classroom and the world at large. If it's real to them it's worth inquiring about. 6. Develops "Critical Consciousness" About the Issue Critical consciousness might need to be unpacked in your own context but, by and large, from where I see it, it is the connections made between students regarding their own place in the systems and structures in the world, their recognition of personal leverage and their analysis of personal behaviors as they relate to the people and place around them, both near and far. 7. Involves Reflection Throughout the Process Nope, not just the debrief type of reflection, but the reflection that allows, as Cathy Berger Kaye notes, students "to become reflective". The constant offering of opportunities to reflect in a variety of manners - as they are most personally beneficial - is essential to the learning process, to pivoting when it is necessary and to adjusting and re-adjusting on an ongoing basis. 8. Makes Learning Visible This is a catch word of the day, it seems, but demonstrating learning - both as a final product and throughout the process - is essential in building a community of service learning. Collaboration starts from working with others, sharing experiences, providing exemplars, changing things that have not worked and making them ever-better. Such is the nature of life, and such should be the nature of learning through service. That's it in a nutshell. These elements, along with the recognition that learning at its best is "messy" (as is service learning) are a great starting point upon which to embark on an incredible journey toward building world changers. 7 Elements to Building a Sustainability & Service Learning "Ethos" at International Schools5/2/2016 By Laurence Myers
Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator International School of Kuala Lumpur Recently I was asked to speak to a visiting group of educators and educators-in-training from Macau. I rummaged through my old slides, pictures, notes and the like and put together a presentation that would probably put the world's most hardened HS students to sleep within minutes. :-) But this crowd engaged in lots of meaningful conversation and pointed questions. Slide nine, titled "How ISKL Develops a 'Green Ethos' seemed to generate a buzz with the small crowd of 26. To be sure the role of a sustainability and/or service learning coordinator is often rather obscure. But when one takes a step back to look at what really is happening, one starts to realize the enormity of a position such as this. As Dr. Brent Mutsch, Superintendent of the American School of Dubai mentioned to me earlier in the year, the responsibility of this position (which, at ASD, is titled K-12 Service Learning Coordinator) is one of taking the school's mission and making it real. To do that often involves a deepening of thinking, a more purposeful educational experience and, a deep internalization of positive empowerment through service learning. It's a tall order. So, how is that to be done. Well, here is my list: 1. Determine your direction. As with anything, one needs to know where one is going if one is to reach the destination. Missions, visions and definitions are all good, but so are the practical elements of the direction. How do we define sustainability? What does service learning look like to us? What characterises an "authentic" need? The answers to these, and many more such questions need deliberation and confirmation. They need to define the direction, but also be flexible enough to ebb and flow as movement begins in earnest. 2.Invite everyone to be part of the conversations it is not possible for one person to change everything. Sure, one person might hold the title, but really community change is slow, gradual and everywhere. Theory of change will indicate that there is a nature to change that is somewhat predictable. First the innovator (meaning anyone bringing change to a system), then the change agents, the transformers and beyond. There are people waiting to give the green light. Others are already moving in the direction. Let them all lead the way (as long as the direction is mutually determined) in their own respective areas of leverage. Though this takes time the conversations are put into practical context and different people are able to address the change in their own time and place. All good stuff! 3. Take small (and big) steps Most ethos building will take shape in small steps, and quite often will require steps backward as well. No matter, it's those small steps that make a big difference in the big picture. A passing conversation, for example, might seem insignificant until one day there is an "aha" moment that takes shape, a change of mindset, perhaps behavior and, finally a change in culture. There will. however, be big steps too. Enjoy them and make the best of the opportunities. 4. Put it in writing One of the biggest difficulties in international schools is attrition and movement. It lends itself to a sense of continuous change. But it's important to recognize too that change can alter the culture of schools. Too little and it becomes bogged down. Too much and it creates a lack of direction, cohesion or purpose. This is why putting things in writing is essential. Written documentation allows for a school to establish a sense of history and guide those new to a community. Written documentation of sustainability and/or service learning policies, guidelines, expectations, missions and visions is crucial in this regard. 5. Demonstrate, Celebrate, Repeat. There is lots of research to indicate the demonstrating learning (e.g. "making learning visible") is crucial in learning. It provides several benefits. It allows for authentic exposure to a community. It also serves as a reference for what is expected and highlights to students, faculty, staff, parents and friends the significance of sustainability education and/or service learning. Once demonstration of such initiatives (including the challenges) is shown publicly the benefits of multiple, from students recognizing the value of serving to teachers understanding the ins and outs of service learning to a community seeing the involvement of students in changing the world... in short is makes a school's mission practical and visible, both essential elements to supporting a school's ethos. 6. Keep moving forward. There will be days when a sustainability and/or service learning coordinator will walk away from a meeting frustrated. This too is to be expected. Changing perceptions and mindsets and sharing learning is not always delightful and the pressure, the push back, the limitations are often front and center more than the feel-good stories. Most anyone will tell you that this too is character building. As long as one maintains their sight on the purpose it becomes perhaps a bit easier to pick up that leg and take the next step. Tomorrow will hold a better day, to be sure. 7. Be creative and put sustainability everywhere you can. There are moments when sustainability might not seem like it "fits", especially for members of a community who don't see its value. But sustainability is not a thing, it's a habit of mind. Just as we want our grade two students to recognize the inter-relationships between human and natural behaviors, so too we want out administrations to recognize the effects of their actions on their students, we want parents to see the potential of students taking on service learning experiences, we want operations managers to see the benefits of sustainability on their environment, we want trip leads to acknowledge both the benefits and challenges of service trips. It is very difficult - and I would say impossible - for sustainability to not be somehow related to every conversation related to schooling, to education, to global citizen building. The six elements above are not the end-all of sustainability and/or service learning. But for one with often little guidance, it's beneficial to remember that all over the world there are people working on making the world a better place. But saying that and doing it can be very different things. The day-to-day conversations, experiences, decisions all form the essence of taking a mission statement and making it real. And what sense of pride when we notice our children doing just that! The following is a post written by Elena Ortiz (ISKL class of 2017) who worked tirelessly as a member of the organizing committee for the 24 Hour Race (to Stop the Traffic) aimed at addressing the issue of modern day slavery. Away from the eyes of most of us, she worked day after day for six months in a true collaborative project spanning a number of schools and the entire region. Her story is shared here as an example of our students' engagement with the community and a living example of ISKL's school-wide learning results. If you were able to ask her about it you would see her eyes shine with pride as she talks about her experience.
Here is Elena's story, shared with her permission: This year I had the wonderful opportunity of being Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Director of Advocacy and Impact of the 24 Hour Race. This was both the most challenging, and eye-opening experience that I have ever undertaken. When I started my responsibilities back in May, I knew that it would be a challenge, but I had absolutely no idea just how far in over my head I was. But I was full of passion, energy, and ready to learn. Our only adult ‘supervision’ was in Hong Kong, meaning that it was up to the five of us directors to put on an entire event start to finish. And that meant everything from writing business proposals, to selecting and maintaining a partnership with beneficiaries and even trying to coordinate permits with the Malaysian government. I essentially devoted most of my life to trying to keep up with its mountain of demands, and cannot count the times where my teachers have caught me formatting the financial spreadsheet instead of doing math problems or finishing my essay. The factor that drove me most was knowing the impact that I was having. Human slavery is one of the biggest problems in the world, claiming the lives of 35 million people and plaguing every single country. The industry is a 150 billion dollar problem that nobody is talking about. Knowing in the back of my head that my efforts were helping to save lives and shut down some of the biggest injustices the world drove me to put every single challenge and task at the top of my priority list to complete. I am so proud of what my team and I were able to accomplish, and I’m so excited to see how the movement grows in the future. by Laurence Myers Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator International School of Kuala Lumpur In just a few days the world's leaders are congregating in Paris - fresh off the recent terror attacks - to define a way forward. There is general optimism about how much headway has been made over the past few years are the politicians are finally recognizing the need for long-term commitments to curtail carbon emissions. As of the writing of this article, 179 countries have submitted their intended nationally determined commitments. This is supported by an ever increasing number of cities and businesses and universities that are, likewise, doing their part by looking into their supply chains, and considering a revamping of the way operate. There is an ever increasing number of inspirational stories regarding more and more initiatives and the climate movement feels like it is gaining momentum. From a pure carbon emissions perspective international schools often do not (or cannot) determine the level of their emissions. As generators of university-bound populations, sometimes with a profit motive, schools have generally lagged behind from a pure operations perspective. Even if their curricula focus on skills for sustainable development the schools themselves are "behind the curve" so to speak, with regard to necessary change. Yet, even as scientists argue the exact value of the world's climate commitments on a national level, international schools have been focusing on the small, and admittedly positive, things that their students have done as examples on how sustainability has been embedded into their school culture or behaviors.. Perhaps, though, it's time for schools to have a heart-to-heart with themselves and to analyse, quantitatively, the true cost of their environmental operations. It's possible that the end results might astound their communities, or even challenge their very nature of being. But it would behoove those who take that step, to provide a systematic data collection, reporting and goal setting with regard to climate commitments. Often international schools are considered the light houses of their respective countries. Their students will become world and business leaders, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. The price of educating them is high, as is, more often than not, the environmental cost of their education. If COP 21 is revealing anything, it's that, in contrast to the top-down model of climate conferences of the past, the bottom-up and all around approach is catching on much better. Perhaps it's time international schools became more obvious parts of a necessary sustainable movement. As examples to their communities, as educators of the "next generation of leaders", as pioneers and authentic learning experiences, climate commitments from international schools would be an ideal next step to bridging the gap between educating world citizens and ensuring that the institutions themselves "walk the talk" toward a more sustainable future. What would this look like? One option would be a movement, similar to the President's Climate Commitment in which university presidents in the United States have committed to climate related changes on their campuses. Wouldn't it be great to have an EARCOS, NESA, ECIS (etc.) commitment of the same sort? But in all fairness school administrators have their hands full with issues of education, staffing, curriculum and the like. So, perhaps better yet, would be a movement, by students for students (and schools and the wold at large) to the same end. That would be the ultimate bottom-up approach to climate commitment and certainly a way for students to address what is arguably the world's most pressing problem in a meaningful way that supports and informs the adult crowd toward making meaningful, necessary and bold decisions that pave the way for a truly bright future for the very students our schools are aiming to support. Bottom-up. Student initiated. Authentic. Relevant. Is looks like good education all round! The following is the script of a speech presented by Sonja English (Class of 2016) to the Global Action Program assembly on October 20, 2015. Is is shared here with her permission.
"In light of the expiration of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, they have released a new set of ambitions: the Sustainable Development Goals. In essence, they aspire to achieve a series of ambitious proposals by the year 2030. Here is a taste of what they have to offer: ending all poverty, everywhere, and with that an end to hunger and promotion of nutrition and sustainable agricultural practices. Another crucial goal, is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Most studies strongly support the view that giving women a voice in their communities fosters a higher and more lasting level of development. Consequently, the role of women and girls needs to be emphasized ,especially in poorer regions of the world. We need more projects like The Girl Effect, as seen in 2008, which directly funded education for girls in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, with great success. We need to tread lightly on cultural issues like female genital mutilation and child marriage that results in girls trying to avoid the process by breast ironing. Child marriage and FGM isn’t going to go away by the developed world simply lambasting these practices. Instead, we must promote alternate ways of celebrating womanhood that still preserve indigenous values. Amhef Health Africa has founded an Alternate Rite of Passage (ARP) that replaces FGM with life skills teaching, and a ceremony. Over 9000 girls and their families have opted into ARP in Nigeria and Kenya. The UN functions on respecting the cultural traditions of communities, yet at the same time identifying where sometimes these practices do more harm than good. We must be able to consider both sides of the coin, because it’s too easy to say that “the world needs fixing”. It’s harder to suggest the means of solution that protect cultural identities and values while promoting universal human rights. The SDGs are attempting to bridge this divide and attain a more humane and respectful development for all. Consider another issue: the part of the world that lives in darkness. We often take for granted the ability to turn on air conditioning, running water, lights. Even in Malaysia, many orang asli tribes not far from KL still do not have electricity. Liter of Light and MIT have invented a solar powered plastic water bottle light that has been introduced to rural communities. These ventures have not been government sponsored, but rather NGOs and normal citizens have worked to bring light to communities in Brazil, the Philippines, and Malaysia. This is only the beginning. Access to electricity and safe shelter go hand-in-hand. The UN’s Sustainable Development goals are all interlinked, and with the achievement of one, we get a domino effect into another. With the majority of you embarking on GAP this week, keep these goals in mind because they’re supposed to be the foundation of the trip, and we often forget this. Malaysia with all it’s beauty invariably has its own struggles to quell. Before we embark on new journeys, we first should tackle those closest to home. Hence, Malaysia week and a Malaysian Action Program is what we should pursue. Act local, think global." by Laurence Myers Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator International School of Kuala Lumpur It was with great anticipation that the Global Goals for Sustainable Development were announced in late September. Within a week or two a number of world-wide initiatives have gone back and forth across the cyber waves to ensure that the world knows all about them. 17 goals with over 150 sub-goals are a tall order for humanity, but the approach is quite apropos. The use of all manner of social media, big big names in science, entertainment, sports and the like, and some pretty big corporate names supporting it the goals through a variety of mediums are sure to impress the average international student who walks around with an iPhone and does his/her work on a computer. Will those same goals make it to those they are intended to? The approach this time is very different than it was 15 years ago when the Millennium Development Goals were announced. Technology has changed the way we communicate and motivate and this, in turn, allows the word to get out, loud and strong. The average person on any street in any any city in any part of the world has a much better image of what globalization means, how climate change affects us all, how global problems are related to local issues. Social media has also connected people and issues in such ways that just were not present a mere decade ago. Understandably the awareness is at a record high, and change-making is regarded as a necessary skill. All in all collaboration of all sorts has been impressive; a true testament to goal 17, global partnerships. If the MDGs were an indication these goals too might only be partly successful, but right now, at the outset, it's hard not to be optimistic about things, even if only for a while. Where our students are concerned these goals, if approached the right way by educators in schools around the world, could create the blueprint for programs in education for sustainability, service learning and global citizenship. With technology leapfrogging the "old" system of things - as is the case with cell phones being used in lieu of land lines in many parts of the developing world - it seems at least conceivable that, likewise, energy systems, communication systems, transport systems, food systems (and on and on) can be drastically disrupted in order to do away with the inefficiencies of the past and reinvent the way development is done. by Laurence Myers
Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator International School of Kuala Lumpur As one who is involved in creating global citizens and fostering sustainable practices, from the age of 3 to 18 (and beyond) life can have it's ups and downs. Even the smallest things might feel more like pulling teeth. Every little change can take years. We recently found out that our payslips will be sent to us electronically. After years of asking if it was possible, and being told that the "system" wasn't able to do that, the word came out just the other day. It was a moment of splendid pride, albeit bitty. It represented visits, over a three year period, to the business and HR offices, to people who otherwise are quite lovely but who are more limited than I in their belief that change is possible. I'm still not convinced that the "system" that wouldn't budge wasn't the mental one, but change did take place and smiles as well as congratulations were shared. Which got me to thinking... why should congratulations be necessary for one simple change in the manner by which something is communicated? Of course it isn't so much the adjustment as the symbolic "moment" of the shifting of the mind to a more sustainable (and, in this case, probably easier) method of communicating. It represents many such visits to the very same office where "no" was the answer or, often, the conversation was deflected onto another department or group who were doing this, or doing that. How often have I walked into the art department, for example, to talk Earth-friendly paint only to be asked to focus, instead, on bus exhausts, and then to have bussing tell me to talk to admissions about their numerous brochures. The truth is that we are all to blame. And none of us are to blame. We are going though a profound change of a professional and personal nature. As adults we are learning to unlearn. We are searching to know the unknowns, and this takes energy, and time and commitment, and action. But on an increasingly steady basis, I can find solace - lots of it - in the way things are going. Truth be told that the aforementioned change in pay slips was not of my prompting (this time). That in and of itself speaks volumes of the conversations I no longer have to be part of in order to promote changes. There is a liberating feeling in that. Like the world is getting it. And not only that. That we each have a role to play and don't need the "green guy" to do it. And then there are the kids. Those wonderful, youthful voices of inspiration and hope (perhaps a bit less so when they hit puberty). I'm walking down the hall and see kids spontaneously performing songs for Earth Week. I see grade 1 students actively engaging their peers and teachers in requesting trees to shade a playground they feel to be too hot. I see students recognizing their role in shaping a new future. The beauty of it, though, is that for them this doesn't reprsent an 'unlearning'. It merely represents learning. How powerful a moment to recognize that we, as educators of sustainability and service learning, can give our students the support they need to learn by changing the world through learning. Pretty cool really. It makes the moments of teeth pulling somewhat irrelevant. Or, more likely, it makes them worth it. By Laurence Myers
Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator International School of Kuala Lumpur This post is originally posted on the International School of Kuala Lumpur Sustainable ISKL blog (http://sustinableiskl.blogspot.com) Sometimes when the holidays come around everyone rushes out to buy presents. Sometimes we're happy to be with the ones we love. Sometimes we find warmth in the words of our young. And hope. As the semester ends grade six is asked what a global citizen means to them. It's part of their unit by the same name. Here is a smattering of their definitions. May their words lead the way to a wonderful new year for all of us!
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October 2020
AuthorThis blog is currently being updated by Laurence Myers, K-12 Service Learning Coordinator at the American School of Dubai. We are hoping the blog becomes a compilation of posts from a variety of people in the region and around the world. Want to add something? Send it along! Categories |