Global Citizenship

August 31st, 2010

Our changing world lecture series

imenzies

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories sustainable development

Edinburgh University is organising a series of public lectures examining the global challenges facing society, and the role of academia in meeting these challenges.

There is a growing recognition across the world of the urgency of tackling a range of difficult, complex and inter-related issues that impact human well-being.

These issues include food, energy and water security, the spread of infectious diseases, developments in technology and medicine, and climate change.

The series, delivered by distinguished speakers, will focus on the contribution academia can make to understanding and addressing these global challenges.

For full details of the programme visit:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/events/changing-world

August 26th, 2010

Environmental education for Early Years and schools

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories international, sustainable development

Eco Schools Scotland has published a new Early Years Guide, designed to enable practitioners and parents to teach young pre-school children ‘about the importance of leading a greener, more sustainable lifestyle, and to provide advice on how to get more involved in environmental projects’. The guide was launched by Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, at Hollandbush nursery school in South Lanarkshire.

Scotland is at an advanced stage in development of the Eco Schools aproach to Sustainable Development Education, with a very high percentage of its schools registered and working towards their Awards.

There has also been strong progress on the use of the natural environment, forest and woodland for educational purposes, through the work of the Forest Education Initiative , the Forestry Commission Scotland and the various charities around Scotland such as the Borders Forest Trust and the John Muir Award.

Support for teachers through public agencies such as Scottish Natural Heritage has also assisted development of a real strength in Sustainable Development Education. SNH recently published a Biodiversity activities pack for schools, as part of their contribution to the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. Learning and Teaching Scotland has done a great deal of work on Outdoor Learning, including ‘Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning’ a new pack for teachers.

This year’s Scottish Learning Festival 2010 has a number of seminars for educators interested in doing more with sustainable development and outdoor education, including sessions on Global Footprinting, Climate Change, and Woods for learning.

August 20th, 2010

Annie Lennox, Global Citizen

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories africa, citizenship, international

Annie Lennox, the Aberdeen-born singer who now actively campaigns on issues of HIV /AIDS, was in Edinburgh last night to deliver a moving and inspirational presentation on her current work for women and children in South Africa. Her lecture to an audience of Scottish teachers and education professionals was sponsored by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and part of the annual Festival of Politics.

The presentation included video clips about the work of her SING campaign, which raises awareness and funds to support treatment and change programmes in South Africa. A dedicated YouTube channel offers more video.

The event was held in the Chamber of the Scottish Parliament, and the Parliament website has video of her presentation. The GTCS magazine ‘Teaching Scotland’ has an extended interview titled “The whole world in our hands” in which she speaks of the importance of preparing young people to be responsible global citizens. And today’s Times Educational Supplement Scotland piece “Pop star ups tempo in HIV and AIDS effort” covers her visit to Scotland. Today she is meeting teachers and pupils from Edinburgh at James Gillespie’s High School, a school with a strong track record in global citizenship.

August 20th, 2010

Global Citizenship and Teacher Education

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories citizenship, international, sustainable development

The IDEAS association, a network of organisations involved in global citizenship and development education in Scotland, has published ”Education in a Global Space: research and practice in initial teacher education”. This new book brings together a series of pieces written by lecturers at Scottish institutions of initial teacher education (ITE) and staff of organisations actively involved in education for global citizenship and sustainable development. It is targeted at ITE staff in universities and offers a range of perspectives on the question of how best to prepare new teachers to approach global citizenship themes with the learners they teach.

The work that led to this book was supported through an IDEAS programme ‘Taking a Global Approach to Initial Teacher Education’, part-funded by the Department for International Development. The Global Approach Network is a community of ITE practitioners with a professional interest in this area of work, and facilitates the exchange of views and ideas.

The book can be purchased from IDEAS. Email them for details [email protected]

August 10th, 2010

International Sports and Games

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories commonwealth, europe, international

Lanarkshire in Scotland is hosting the ’2011 International Children’s Games’ which will bring thousands of youth sport competitors from over 70 countries to South and North Lanarkshire next summer. An article in the Evening Times, “On your marks for Children’s Games in Scotland”, covers aspects of early work as the two Lanarkshire Councils seek to maximise the benefits of bringing these Games to the country. International events such as this help to engage young people in sporting activity and intercultural dialogue, but also offer a great opportunity for school students to consider issues of global citizenship. For example, travel to the Games can stimulate discussion about sustainable development, and the manufacture of sporting kit can be tied in with discussion about ethical production and trade. Also, there will be local television and online video coverage, some already available on a South Lanarkshire YouTube channel, which opens up opportunity for media studies.

Glasgow is to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and this sporting celebration will kick off in July 2014 - four years from now. “And they’re off”, an article in the Glasgow daily newspaper ‘Evening Times’, reports on some of the preparations underway in the city to make the most of the experience.