MOM2: Subject learning and teaching in Science and Education for

Sustainability

Course (UB313F)
Spring 2024, MOM2, Individual Reflection
Ioanna Stamelou

Introduction

This individual reflection will be about three of the seminars I attended during
the course. I chose the seminars: Sustainability- Education for sustainable
development, Ecology and Pedagogical documentation and scientific concepts,
because I found them very interesting and useful for my future work as a preschool
teacher. In general, I am very interested in environmental issues and through these
seminars I was able to reflect and think more about sustainable development. I
discovered new ideas and It helped me understand more things about the topic and
inspired me for my future work.

The seminars

TITLE
Sustainability- Education for sustainable development

Through this seminar, we had the opportunity to discuss in small groups our
experience around sustainability issues. We started by comparing the ecological
practices that our countries follow, and we realized that there are several differences.
The discussion helped me to reflect and recognize the importance of environmental
education. Schools need to raise children's awareness of ecological issues and help
them to recognize the impact of their decisions. Only if we know the value of our
choices can we change habits and consciously choose sustainable practices. More than
ever before, in a world burdened with uncertainty and disquieting future prognoses,
poverty, natural disasters, increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other pressing
sustainability issues, the situation demands empowering the next generation with
positive beliefs and to entrust them to participate and contribute in a democratic way
to future sustainability (Cecilia Caiman & Iann Lundegård, 2014).
The seminar then, continued with a scenario, from an optimistic perspective in
which we were asked to imagine possible ways in which we have managed to save the
planet. We assume that it is 2054, thirty years later, and the planet has been saved.
Each of us had to list three things that we did that prevented the ecological disaster.
Then, based on the suggestions we had written down, we had to keep five words that
we thought were important. These words formed the basis for us to collectively create
a poem. I felt that we were able to work together in harmony to create our own poem
about sustainability. Finally, each group presented a poem and we all listened to the
ideas of the other students.
I would really like to try using this method of creating a poem with kids. Kids
can think about how they feel about the environment and try to express through
aesthetic practices, like poems or paintings. I believe that after discussion, children
will be able to create something of their own, about the future of the planet. Learning
with fantasy, play, embodiment, empathy, aesthetic modes of expression, storytelling
and systematic inquiry is characteristic for preschool teaching. It is captured by the
term ‘multidimensional teaching’, where the teaching of science content is
intertwined with multiple dimensions of children’s lives, such as, emotions, play, and
physical experiences (Sundberg et al 2019). In addition, the process of creating a
poem will help children to think creatively, collaborate and share opinions. I believe
this practice will raise awareness and empower children to feel skillful to bring the
change. As the concerns and ideas of the disregarded ones are at risk of being
overshadowed, the educational challenge is to make space for all children to become
‘‘agents for change’ (Caiman et al 2017).

TITLE
Ecology

Today's seminar started with the observation of different tree branches. My

group and I were asked to discuss about the branch that the teacher had placed on our
table. I realized that I had never looked a branch so carefully before. I found very
interesting the fact that me and my classmates could make different metaphors from
observing the branch.
Afterwards, we discussed about ecological systems and biodiversity. Through
understanding the food chain, we can think about our role on the planet and the value
of all organisms. The ecosystem is one of the main topics I would like to work on
with the children in different aesthetic ways. In this way, they will be able to define
themselves in relation to other organisms and become environmentally aware. We are
repositioning children within the heterogeneous and interdependent world, where
children learn from interacting with other species, entities and forces in their
immediate shared world. (Taylor & Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2015).
What I found most interesting was the fact that we went out with the whole
group and walked on the mountain. I think that by going out with the class, something
is happening. This is a practice that I would like to follow in future education because
I think it has a lot to offer to kids. Outdoors offers a unique environment, which is
qualitatively different from indoors because it offers the space and a greater degree of
freedom to try things out, to explore and experiment without the constraints
associated with an indoor environment (Tovey, H., 2007).
Our task was to collect things from the forest to create our ecosystem. In the
future, I would like to organize nature trips with students to observe and explore the
environment. Through such trips, children will have the opportunity to explore and
get closer to nature. In this way, they will gain a better understanding of the
relationships that develop between organisms, and they will be able to raise awareness
of environmental issues. In early childhood education, we work with children in ways
that explore exactly how our lives are already entangled with the lives of other
species, in ways that stress that we do not just belong to our own human-kind, but that
we are members of interconnected and interdependent multispecies common worlds.
(Taylor & Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2015).
On our return to the classroom, each group organized their ecosystem and we
could see the different ideas of our fellow students. Through the presentation we
discussed more about the interactions that develop in the environment. I would
choose such a way of working with preschool children, after we would all explore the
concept of ecosystem, biodiversity and environment together for a long time. I think
that preschool kids can explore the ecosystem by using their imagination, through
different aesthetic activities. I would like to let the children work together, try
different things on their own and offering help where they needed. Society could
provide educational opportunities where all children can participate in open,
imaginative inquiry in order to contribute to global change (Caiman et al 2017).

TITLE
Pedagogical documentation and scienctific concepts

In this seminar we discussed about the article "How scientific concepts come
to matter in early childhoodcurriculum: rethinking the concept of force". I was
interested by the concept of materialism and I realized that things we often consider as
"dead" they can take on a different perspective and become active. In this way, our
identity is redefined and we can take on more and new roles.
Next, the course focused on pedagogical documentation. I find this
pedagogical practice very useful for working with preschool children. The children
can document what they want and they are free to explore. The process thing is that in
pedagogical documentation is not predetermined and evolves based on the children's
interest. So, the teacher needs to be open to children's suggestions and consider their
interests and quests. Working with pedagogical documentation is about trying to
perceive and understand what is going on among the children, to listen carefully to
their questions and ideas, and to observe children’s learning strategies without
predetermined expectations and norms (de Freitas - Palmer, 2014)
 We were then, invited to participate in a workshop, based on pedagogical
documentation. We split into small groups, appointing one member as documantator.
The documentumator needs to record throughout what is happening, take videos,
photos and observe the process. The rest of the group had to organize an activity
about force and gravity. We cut large pieces of cardboard to use as conduits to create
pathways for a ball. Through our various attempts, we noticed that there were many
factors that affected the speed of the ball and the time we could hold it without it
falling to the ground.
I realized that the fact that we were experiencing this on our own, helped us to
be engaged and better understand science concepts. I think that in the future I would
like to organize a project of pedagogical documentation for sustainable development
with children, as I feel that through their involvement in the topic, they will be able to
reflect and understand the sustainability issues better.

Conclusion

Through these seminars I realised that education for sustainable development

(ESD) is significant for preschool students. I think that the best way for kids to
understand these concepts is by exploring them on themselves. Experiential activities,
documentation and nature trips are some of the ideas I would like to implement to get
children interested in sustainability. So, through their personal involvement, children
will be able to reflect on and better understand environmental issues.
 References

Affrica Taylor & Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw (2015) Learning with children,

ants, and worms in the Anthropocene: towards a common world pedagogy of
multispecies vulnerability, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 23:4, 507-529, DOI:
10.1080/14681366.2015.1039050
Caiman, C. & Lundegård, I. (2013). Pre-school children’s agency in learning
for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 20(4), pp. 437-459.
doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.812722 (22 p.)
Cecilia Caiman & Iann Lundegård (2014) Pre-school children’s agency in
learning for sustainable development, Environmental Education Research, 20:4, 437-
459, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2013.812722
de Freitas, E., & Palmer, A. (2016). How scientific concepts come to matter in
early childhood curriculum: Rethinking the concept of force. Cultural Studies of
Science Education, 11(4), 1201- 1222. doi:10.1007/s11422-014-9652-6 (20 p.
Sundberg, B., Areljung, S. & Ottander, C. (2019). Opportunities for Education
for Sustainability through multidimensional preschool science. NorDiNa, 15(4), pp.
358-369. urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-79732 (20 p.)
Tovey, H. (2007). Playing Outdoors. Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge.
Open University Press. (150 p.)