Environmental and Sustainability Education: An Essential Part of the Next Generation of STEM Teacher

Preparation

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lshrl2iegfclbgh/AABfTcR4Nsc409NpXLMM4qv2a?oref=e&n=226498394

Kathryn Picanco, Ed.D.Associate Professor of Education

Whitworth Universitykpicanco@whitworth.edu

Washington’s Specialty Endorsement in Environmental and Sustainability

EducationThe “Specialty Endorsement”O An enhancement to an existing

teaching certificateO Not required to teach the

subjectO Other examples are deaf

education, gifted talented, visually impaired

O Needs to have national standards included

A Unique Specialty Endorsement

O The ESE specialty endorsement is different than the other specialty endorsements in our state. All of the other specialty endorsements have competencies that focus on teaching a certain student population. This specialty endorsement prepares teachers in subject matter across content areas. ESE is not in itself a core academic subject, but this specialty endorsement includes competencies from the core subject areas. This specialty endorsement does not make a teacher highly qualified.

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)

StandardsO Standard 1 – Nature of Environmental Education and

Environmental Literacy O Standard 2 – Environmental Literacy of Candidates O Standard 3 – Learning Theories and Knowledge of

Learners O Standard 4 – Curriculum: Standards and Integration O Standard 5 – Instructional Planning and PracticeO Standard 6 – Assessment O Standard 7 – Professional Growth in Environmental

Education

Sustainability Standards US Partnership for Education for Sustainable

Development.

National Education for Sustainability K-12 Student Learning Standards

Version 2-2008

The Education for Sustainability (EfS) standards were developed by the K-12 and Teacher Education Sector of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development (USPESD) with input from K-12 educators in public, private, and pre-service (teacher education) fields. For more information about the USPESD please visit www.uspartnership.org.

Defining Education for Sustainability

Education for Sustainability is defined as a combination of content, learning methods, and outcomes that helps students develop a knowledge base about the environment, the economy, and society, in addition to helping them learn skills, perspectives, and values that guide and motivate them to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society, and live in a sustainable manner.

McMillan and Higgs(2003). In National Education for Sustainability K-12 Student Learning Standards , www.uspartnership.org.

EfS Standard 1: Students understand and are able to apply the basic concept of sustainability (i.e.: meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs). They develop an understanding of the historical context in which the definitions, concepts, and principles of sustainability and sustainable development have emerged over time.

EfS Standard 2: Students recognize the concept of sustainability as a dynamic condition characterized by the interdependency among ecological, economic, and social systems and how these interconnected systems affect individual and societal well-being. They understand and experience their connection to and interdependence with the natural world.

EfS Standard 3: Students develop a multidisciplinary approach to learning the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to continuously improve the health and well-being of present and future generations, via both personal and collective decisions and actions. They understand and can describe their vision of a world that is sustainable, along with the primary changes that would need to be made by individuals, local communities, and countries in order to achieve this.

USPESD National Sustainability Education Standards – Version 2 September 2008

Sustainability ThemesO Intergenerational PerspectivesO StewardshipO Social Justice and Fair DistributionO Respect for LimitsO Systems Thinking and InterdependenceO Importance of Local PlaceO Economic RestructuringO Nature as Model and TeacherO Global CitizenshipNolet, V. (2009). Preparing Sustainability -Literate Teachers. Teachers College Record. Retrieved from

http://www.nnerpartnerships.org/wp-content/files/Preparing-Sustainability-Literate-Teachers.pdf.

Washington’s Specialty Endorsement in ESE

Submitted jointly by the Environmental Education Association of Washington and the Pacific Education Institute with higher education support

K-12 endorsement that will enhance the preparation of teachers

Messages of support from:Environmental Education Association of Washington; Pacific Education Institute; Central Washington University; Eastern Washington University; Gonzaga University; Saint Martin’s University; Walla Walla University; Western Washington University; Whitworth University; Cheney SD; Mead SD; West Valley SD; Association of Washington School Principals; OSPI

Washington’s Specialty Endorsement in ESE (con’t)

Approved by PESB in July 2008Committee to develop competencies Competencies were then reviewed by

focus groups and revised. Committee Members:

Coleen Putaansuu (OSPI)Abby Ruskey; Carole Kubota; Carolyn Carey; David Greenwood; Dennis Sterner; Gilda Wheeler; Kathy Kimball; Lynne Ferguson; Margaret Tudor; Martha Kurtz; Michael Papritz; Mike Town; Patsy Whitefoot; Paul Newton; Tim Bombaci; Victor Nolet

Washington’s Specialty Endorsement in ESE (con’t)

O There are a total of 32 competencies in three categories:O ContentO Instructional Methodology O Professional Competencies

Washington ESE CompetenciesCommon Core 1.0 – Environmental and Sustainability

Education ContentTeachers know and critically analyze the historical development, purposes, interdisciplinary nature, defining characteristics, and guiding principles of environmental and sustainability education.

Common Core 2.0 – Environmental and Sustainability Education Instructional Methodology: Teachers use the unique features of environmental and sustainability education in the design and enrichment of curricula and school programs. They teach and assess environmental and sustainability curricula and create stimulating and motivating learning environments.

Common Core 3.0 - Environmental and Sustainability Education Professional Competencies: Teachers belong and contribute to the environmental and sustainability education professional community and understand that professional development is a life-long endeavor.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O 2.4 Employ effective strategies for environmental and sustainability education inside and outside the classroom.

O 2.4.1 Teach a variety of inquiry methodologies including place-based learning, field investigation, and action research.

O 2.4.2 Teach the use of graphs and models to represent data and communicate results of environmental and sustainability investigations.

O 2.4.3 Teach the basic principles and tools of systems thinking for learning about environmental and sustainability issues.

O 2.4.4 Use community resources to promote student learning about environmental and sustainability issues.

Developing a Program

O Individual colleges and universities can develop programs to meet the competencies and submit them for approval.

O The submissions will need to include plans for the institution to assess the competencies including a final culminating assessment.

O Programs can be pre-service or in-service, undergraduate or graduate.

Approved ProgramsO Antioch University

SeattleO Eastern Washington

UniversityO Lesley UniversityO Seattle Pacific

UniversityO Walla Walla UniversityO Western Washington

UniversityO Whitworth University

Whitworth’s ProgramO Competencies are met by completing the 21

semester credit Environmental Studies minor with the EDU 410 Environmental and Sustainability Education in the K-12 Classroom Course as one of the electives for the minor.

O The Environmental Studies minor is an interdisciplinary approach to the development of environmental literacy and competency.O Natural scienceO Social scienceO Humanities

What will the specialty endorsement in ESE Mean for

students and teachers?O Create new roles and leadership opportunities for

teachersO Developing courses, outdoor learning opportunities,

sustainability coaches, overseeing school gardensO Enhance preparation

O Teachers will have more knowledge and skills to enhance their teaching

O Professional development opportunities O Offer students new opportunities for learning

O Senior projects related to ESE, community partnerships

O Encourage interdisciplinary teaching and learningO Connections between science, social studies, CCSS

in math and ELA

How does ESE fit with NGSS?O Expanded role for environment-related

content/skills in standards-based science instruction

O Greater opportunities for incorporating environmental content into disciplines in addition to science (ELA, Math)

O Increased chances for students to learn about and work in their local environment including real-world problem solving (and real solutions)

O More and stronger working relationships between schools and environmental organizations, agencies, and non-formal environmental educators

O Dr. Gerald Lieberman, Director, State Education and Environment Roundtable. Retrieved from The Next Generation Science Standards and Environmental Education Webinar http://www.seer.org/Webinars/3-17-14NWF.wmv.

NGSS Connection Opportunities

O Green Ribbon SchoolsO NAAEE Affiliates (E3)O Geo LiteracyO Green technology jobsO Common Core ELA and MathO Business and community

partnersO Topics such as climate change,

natural resource management, restoration projects

O STEM field studies

Gilda Wheeler (2014). Retrieved from The Next Generation Science Standards and Environmental Education Webinar (http://www.seer.org/Webinars/3-17-14NWF.wmv

Dr. Gerald Lieberman, Director, State Education and Environment Roundtable. Retrieved from The Next Generation Science Standards and Environmental Education Webinar (http://www.seer.org/Webinars/3-17-14NWF.wmv

Project Based Learning“Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups.”~The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Place-Based LearningPlace-based education immerses students in local heritage, culture, landscapes, opportunities, and experiences as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects. Place-based education encourages teachers and students to use the schoolyard, community, public lands, and other special places as resources, turning communities into classrooms.

Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative. In Wheeler, G., Bergsman, K., Thumlert, C and Kelly, B. (2010). Sustainable Design Project Teacher Manual. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Sustainable Design Project

Education for Environment and Sustainabilityhttp://www.k12.wa.us/

EnvironmentSustainability/

Other Resources

 “Sustainability means thinking not just about yourself but about the world and everything in it, on it, and around it - taking care of these things for the future. Everything is connected.”

-Third grade student, Bellingham School District.

In Wheeler, G., Bergsman, K., Thumlert, C and Kelly, B. (2010). Sustainable Design Project Teacher Manual. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. P. 7.

Washington ESE Competencies

Environmental and Sustainability Specialty Endorsement

Common Core 1.0 – Environmental and Sustainability Education ContentTeachers know and critically analyze the historical development, purposes, interdisciplinary nature, defining characteristics, and guiding principles of environmental and sustainability education. As a result, candidates will provide evidence to demonstrate an understanding of:

O 1.1 The ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability.

O 1.2 The interconnectedness of and significant changes occurring within and among local to global ecological, economic, and social systems.

O 1.3 How culture influences people’s interactions with the natural and built (human constructed) environment.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O 1.3.1 Environmental justice, including the causes of inequitable distribution of resources and impacts over time.

O 1.3.2 The various ways humans perceive, learn, and live in the environment, including those of the Indigenous peoples of our region.

O 1.3.3 The role of media and technology on environmental and sustainability issues and actions.

O 1.4 How to evaluate a variety of natural and human systems for sustainability.

O 1.4.1 The basic principles and tools of various systems thinking methodologies including ecological and organizational models as they apply to environmental and sustainability education.

O 1.4.2 Interdisciplinary inquiry methods appropriate for investigating environmental and sustainability issues.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O 1.4.3 How they are connected to the communities in which they live (place-based learning). They employ geographic understanding to describe and analyze ecological, economic, social, and historical relationships.

O 1.5 The need for action on specific environmental and sustainability issues. They identify and facilitate action projects, and evaluate potential outcomes of those action projects.

O 1.6 How environmental and sustainability related policies are developed, implemented and interrelated.

O 1.6.1 How local, national, and international cooperation is necessary to address environmental and sustainability issues.

O 1.7 Current and emerging career paths in environmental and sustainability fields.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O Common Core 2.0 – Environmental and Sustainability Education Instructional Methodology: Teachers use the unique features of environmental and sustainability education in the design and enrichment of curricula and school programs. They teach and assess environmental and sustainability curricula and create stimulating and motivating learning environments. As a result, candidates will provide evidence to demonstrate an ability to:

O 2.1 Align environmental and sustainability curriculum and instruction with district, state, and national standards.

O 2.2 Integrate environmental and sustainability education with standards-based curricula and school programs.

O 2.3 Develop and implement curricula, including projects, which are relevant to students’ lives and others within local and global communities.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O 2.4 Employ effective strategies for environmental and sustainability education inside and outside the classroom.

O 2.4.1 Teach a variety of inquiry methodologies including place-based learning, field investigation, and action research.

O 2.4.2 Teach the use of graphs and models to represent data and communicate results of environmental and sustainability investigations.

O 2.4.3 Teach the basic principles and tools of systems thinking for learning about environmental and sustainability issues.

O 2.4.4 Use community resources to promote student learning about environmental and sustainability issues.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O Common Core 3.0 - Environmental and Sustainability Education Professional Competencies: Teachers belong and contribute to the environmental and sustainability education professional community and understand that professional development is a life-long endeavor. As a result, candidates provide evidence that they:

O 3.1 Identify the benefits and recognize the importance of belonging to a professional community engaged in environmental and sustainability education.

O 3.2 Engage in professional development and/or leadership opportunities related to environmental and sustainability education.

O 3.3 Provide accurate, balanced, and effective environmental and sustainability education instruction.

Washington ESE Competencies (con’t)

O 3.3.1 Critically analyze the theories and current research in environmental and sustainability education.

O 3.4 Are able to articulate a rationale for environmental and sustainability education and reflect upon their role in the ongoing development of the field.