Educational Trip

On 24th March a small group of us from the Educational Studies department took a trip to the Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT) based up in the hills of Machynlleth. The trip was designed to understand and discover what exhibitions are out there that can educate with an 'hands on' experience. The CAT is a place where it can educate and demonstrate different ways of living, to create that viable way of life for the future.
By visiting the CAT it was clear to me that the exhibit was open to all age groups due to the vast amount of information and ways of learning, however the Centre director did clarify that the majority of visitors are by groups of children from inner city primary schools, which are looking for ways for those children to be more aware and engaged in the world around them. For the Centre to become desirable for children, it had created numerous of play grounds and activities set out to help them to find the areas of learning interesting.

I noticed that most of the the CAT is built and designed outside, to help visitors understand the importance of the environment and to show them how effective different types of renewable materials can be built to produce a sustainable way of life. 
The Centre is based upon a large hill where an old slate quarry used to be situated. The environment that the exhibit has created is a very 'hands on' area therefore the importance of both fine and gross motor skills are required with the use of all senses to allow the visitor to be fully engaged with the learning experiences. 
For children that come from primary schools to visit the exhibition, they may have specifically came to gain knowledge about the new and different technologies that are out there to create a more happy environment to live in. Due to the fact that the school perhaps is carrying out a science project on renewable energy, therefore the children's knowledge of science is developed. However from visiting the exhibit authentically there was no activities on that day that were being demonstrated to recognise if any specific  subject knowledge  was being developed for visitors, part from a small insight to how the centre do grow their own products and how they preserve and look after the land around them, therefore an agriculture aspect of knowledge was developed.

From visiting the CAT first hand and reading their mission statement from their website, it is clear from my perspective that the exhibit is aiming to try to reach out to the public to demonstrate what can create an effective way of life. Nonetheless the CAT have produced a fantastic exhibit for all kinds of learners from no financial support by local authorities but there is unfortunately the lack of space for large public groups of people to come visit. Disappointingly being known as a CAT there was barley any new technology devices being used in or around the exhibit, it appeared to be out of date and I highly suggest that those areas of the Centre should be re-examined.





Refeerence
CAT retrieced on 25th Feburary 2014 from http://www.cat.org.uk/index.html 

Enquiry-Based Approach to ESDGC

Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC)

Following up from the Welsh Education report 'Making the Most of Learning' (DCELLS, 2008a) the Welsh Government have introduced ESDGC, which educates students about the importance of the world around them and how they can make a difference. Welsh Government (2012) believes that ESDGC is a way of developing citizen's skills to help create a better environment to for the world that they live in now and for the future. The ESDGC is taught and learnt through using seven interconnected themes, such as;

• Health
• Wealth and Poverty
• Identity and Culture
• Climate Changes
• Natural Environment 
• Choices and Decision 
• Consumption and Waste

DCELLS (2008b) expresses that the ESDGC is not be taught as a separate subject but to be integrated within core subjects and the ethos should be embraced throughout the school, meaning that the school will encourage students to recycle, have sustainable play grounds, use energy efficient lighting and so on. To make it an effect approach to the learning environment of the pupils, there is the need of more than just the school to promote the methods of a sustainable society, there is the involvement of the parents, carers, governors and non teaching staff. One major aspect to the development of integrating the ESDGC within education is that it will help students to understand how to make informed decisions and it will also encourage to help students to have a knowledge about the different concepts to the rights and needs od social justice around the world (DCELLS, 2008c).  

There are a number of different schemes that schools can get involved with to contribute to ESDGC. Many of the schemes help promote particular issues that effect the world and the ways that we can prevent these from happening. For instance Fairtrade schools help promote the knowledge to students about global issues, and ways for the students to get involved with making a difference to the fairtrade around the world to less unfortunate countries than the UK. The Fairtrade foundation (2014) believes that young students are the main influences to help prevent unfair trade around the globe, they also believe that the world can become a powerful and connected environment which everyone can live in harmony.




References 
Image 1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1164512/Windfarm-windbag-Ed-Miliband-claims-trying-halt-turbines-unacceptable-wearing-seatbelt.html
Image 2. http://www.friendsoftarrywilepark.org/environmental-education    
Image 3. http://www.crickhowell-hs.powys.sch.uk/news/school-news/5707/fairtrade-school/  

DCELLS (2008a) Making the Most of Learning: Implements to a revised curriculum. Welsh Assembly Government. Available at: http://wales.gov.uk/dcells/publications/curriculum_and_assessment/arevisedcurriculumforwales/nationalcurriculum/makingthemostoflearningnc/Making_Standard_WEB_(E).pdf?lang=en 

DCELLS (2008b) ESDGC: A common understanding for schools. Welsh Assemble Government. Available at: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/081204commonunderstschoolsen.pdf  

DCELLS (2008c) ESDGC: Information for teacher trainees and new teachers in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government. Available at: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/081204infoteachertraineesen.pdf  

Fairtrade Schools (2014) Retrieved 21st March 2014 from Becoming a fairtrade school. http://schools.fairtrade.org.uk/fairtrade-schools/become-fairtrade-school  

Welsh Government (2012) Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) Retrieved March 21st 2014 from  http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/allsectorpolicies/europeanandinternational/sustainabledevelop/?lang=en  

The Mantle of Expert

This approach to learning was developed by Professor Dorothy Heathcote in the 1980's who was known for being one of worlds most influential drama teacher which was set out to improve the ways of teaching (Bolton, 2003). Her work spans from over fifty years and her way of teaching is known to be different from others because it allows one subject to combine other skills from across the curriculum within one task (Sayers, 2011). The way of learning through the The Mantle of the Expert engages all the learners to believe that they are 'experts' within the field of study allowing them to have the chance to play together as a group while working. This way of learning can create opportunities for children from deprived areas of society to see what job expertise are out there which will encourage to engage further within education.

The video below shows a group of children that took part at being 'experts' for a few days in different subjects. As you study the children within the video you can see that they are excited to explain and tell us how they felt about what they have learnt. It shows that they are engaged with the learning and have a vast amount of information about their specific subjects.



According to Abbott (2007, cited in Aitken, 2008, p. 36) The Mantle of the Expert consists of three pedagogic structures which positions children as adult 'experts'. it also re-positions the power of the teacher to becoming equal to the students to discussing ideas and playing a role to help make children be fully engage with the situation. The three main Structures are:

1. Inquiry Learning- where the teacher will identify a problem and create a scenario for the learners to employ and then facilitate the learners to achieve their goal.                                                                             
2. Drama for Learning- also known as process drama, which acquires the  teacher and student to take on imaginary roles to help create a dramatic world which can help the learners to become more engaged with the problem solving.                                                                                                       
3. Expert Framing- the students are positioned as 'experts' and are asked to create an imaginary professional company with a particular point of view which they believe to make them right fro the investigation or problem solving.

By engaging with the use of this learning approach many of the children are experiencing different kinds of skills and having the ability to work as a group, for many this may be the first time. By working as a group children are using their social skills to communicate to one and other, they also experience many of the employed abilities which come from working in a group, these are shown within the mind map to the left.



References
Image 1. http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/about-moe/introduction/what-is-moe/ 

Atiken, V. (2008) Retrieved 19th March 2014 from Dorothy heathcote’s mantle of the expert approach to teaching and Learning: a Brief introduction. http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/MOTE-Chapter-3_Aitken_Pages-from-Connecting-Curriculum-Fraser-v3-220213.pdf  

Bolton, G. M. (2003) Dorothy Heathcote's Story: Biography of a Remarkable Drama Teacher. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books Ltd.

Sayers, R. (2011). The implications of introducing Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert approach as a Community of Practice and cross curricular learning tool in a Primary School. English in Education. 45 (1), p20-35 

Scientific Enquiry

Science is known to be able to unlock answers to questions that many of us are unable to answers simply by ourselves. According to Carey (2011) science is a powerful aspect to our way of life today by being able to investigate into phenomena's of social and natural causes and believes that science has the access to every unknown answer by processing through the scientific method. The method is a sequence of step that all kinds of scientist pursue when researching or developing a concept.

Scientific Method

The Importance of Scientific Enquiry within Education  

The way in schools deliver information about curtain subject has an major affect on the way children perceive them. Borrow (2010) believes that schools should advertise science and creative thinking in a more positive form to encourage children to become independent thinkers about the world we live in. 
Scientific Enquiry is seen to be an effective way for students to become more interested in the world of science. Score (2011) identifies that 'Scientific Enquiry' is a useful for students because it helps develop rationale thinking about specific projects and for students that are thinking to study science further develop a critical mind about the data and are easily able to think more in-depth about specific theories. 
The skills that students develop from participating in a lesson that uses science enquiry will also be able to apply them skills with other activities within their everyday lives (NFER, 2008). Therefore science enquiry is able not to just help students have a better understanding about the subject of science, but they are able to adapt their thinking within other subjects and activities which encourages them to become creative people and we are able to progress as within humanity.




 References
Image 1. http://edwp.educ.msu.edu/new-educator/2011/setting-a-new-standard/science-education/

Borrow, L. H.(2010) 'Encouraging Creativity with Scientific Inquiry'. Creative Education, 1, 1, pp 1-6. 

Carey, S. (2011) A beginner's Guide to Scientific Method. Boston: Wadsworth

NFER (2008) Scientific Enquiry Retrieved March 12th 2014 from https://www.nfer.ac.uk/what-we-offer/teacher-voice/PDFs/science-enquiry.pdf 

SCORE (2011) Scientific Enquiry and its Place in the National Curriculum. available at:  http://www.score-education.org/media/9498/scientific%20enquiry.pdf