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Climate change in the classroom: UNESCO course for secondary teachers on climate change education for sustainable development Year of publication: 2013 Author: David Selby | Fumiyo Kagawa Corporate author: UNESCO This course has been created with the goal of bringing climate change education outside the science classroom into the many other subject areas upon which climate change now has an impact, or will impact in the future, such as ethics, social studies, economics, political science, among others. The course materials are organized into four parts: 1. Course Framework and Overview, 2. Teachers’ Education Course daily materials, 3. Regional Resource Packs, 4. Daily Classroom Materials for teachers. These materials are all described in more detail and can be accessed from the Start Menu found on the following pages. This course is designed to enable teachers at the secondary level from diverse subject areas to introduce climate change education for sustainable development (CCESD) across the curriculum. UNESCO has identified the professional development of teachers in education for sustainable development as the top priority in recognition of the transformative role that teachers and teacher educators need to play in re-orienting education to help realize a sustainable future (UNESCO, 2005, p. 19). But good intentions for the professional development of teachers have fallen short in practice. Although taken up by enthusiasts, teacher education for sustainable development has rarely been mainstreamed, and, where there are courses, is often approached within a disciplinary as opposed to an interdisciplinary frame (Wals, A., 2009). If professional development in education for sustainable development is at an adolescent stage, teacher education in climate change education for sustainable development is in its infancy. For instance, according to a 2009 international comparative study on climate change education and sustainable development in ten countries, climate change education has peripheral status in educational research and practice, and when it is addressed it is only within science education (Læssøe,J. Schnack, K., Breiting, S. & Rolls, S., 2009). There is a clear and present need to respond to climate change challenges through systematic teacher education programmes that are not restricted to a single subject area. This teacher education course is an attempt to fill the current gap and is in line with one of UNESCO’s key objectives for climate change education for sustainable development, that is, to support teacher training on climate change for sustainable development (UNESCO, 2010, p. 9). The programme has four distinctive features: 1. It helps teachers to understand the causes, dynamics and impacts of climate change through a holistic approach. 2. Teachers are exposed to, and experience, a range of pedagogical approaches and techniques, that they can use in their own school environment. This includes engagement of themselves and their students in whole school and school-in-community approaches. 3. Teachers will develop their capacities to facilitate students’ community based learning. 4. Teachers will develop future-oriented and transformative capacities in facilitating climate change mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction learning. Education sector technical notes: climate change education Year of publication: 2013 Corporate author: UNESCO Climate change is a major challenge to sustainable development. The ten hottest years on record have occurred since 1998. Sea-levels are rising. Rainfall patterns are changing, causing droughts and floods. Extreme weather events such as storms, cyclones and heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. Climate change poses a number of interconnected challenges, including water security, rising pressures on food production and health and disaster risks. ◗ Climate change disproportionately affects developing countries and vulnerable people within those countries, thereby seriously threatening progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA). It is already having a reverse impact on enrolment rates, the delivery of quality education and safe learning environments. ◗ Education has a key role to play in concerted local and global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. ◗ UNESCO promotes climate change education within the overall context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ◗ UNESCO supports Member States in building the capacity of policy makers and educators to enhance the education sector response to climate change. ◗ Closer alignment of Climate Change Education with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education contributes to safeguarding development gains and building resilience in countries vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Global Education Monitoring Report, 2016: Planet: Education for Environmental Sustainability and Green Growth Year of publication: 2016 Corporate author: UNESCO PLANET: Education for environmental sustainability and green growth, a publication taken from the full 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report, explores the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable and inclusive economic growth that does not damage our planet.This publication demonstrates how education can help people understand and respond to environmental issues and climate change. Environmental education can increase green knowledge and build sustainability practices. The publication warns that while education contributes to economic growth, education systems must be careful not to encourage unsustainable lifestyles and all learners must acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.It also argues that we must continue to learn throughout our lives in order to make production and consumption sustainable, and to provide green skills for green industries. Creating green industries relies on high-skill workers with specific training, yet by 2020 there could be 40 million too few workers with tertiary education relative to demand. Higher education and research should also be oriented towards green innovation and growth; innovation depends on cooperation in higher education and investment in research and development to transform production in vast swaths of the economy.It also recognises that education must change in order to keep up with the changing face of work. Green and transferable skills should be taught in both school and the workplace. The greening of industries requires not only the production of more high-skill workers, but the continued training and education for low and medium skill workers, often on the job. “To ensure the Sustainable Development Goals are implemented, everyone involved needs to think, to work, to organise, to communicate and to report in ways that are completely different from what has been done up till now. Education truly is key to a wide appreciation not just of the SDGs but the new ways of thinking and working that are going to be necessary to fulfil them. So the challenge to all of us is to re-learn, and that does not just apply to educators, but it applies to all of us.” Textbooks pave the way to sustainable development (Policy paper 28) Year of publication: 2016 Corporate author: UNESCO This paper’s focus on textbooks is directly related to the global indicator established for Target 4.7, which seeks to measure the extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights, are mainstreamed in national education policies, curricula, teacher education and student assessments. Textbooks are related mostly to policy implementation and curricular intentions but also to teacher preparation and student assessment. Série de guides youthXchange: biodiversité et modes de vie Year of publication: 2015 Corporate author: UNESCO | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) The YouthXchange Biodiversity and LifestylesGuidebook is designed to help young people familiarize themselves with the dimensions of global biological and cultural diversity, as well as help them to develop essential skills whileengaging with biodiversity.The guidebook aims to:• Explore the interactions between biodiversity and lifestyle choices by explaining the interrelatedness of food, consumption, culture and biodiversity conservation;• Help young people familiarize themselves with the dimensions of global biological and cultural diversity, as well as help them to develop essential skills while engaging with biodiversity; and• Help young people consider how they can preserve biodiversity though responsible lifestyle choices, engagement and action. Teacher Training for Multicultural Education in Favour of Democracy and Sustainable Development: the Territorial Approach Year of publication: 1995 Author: Raúl Galiardi | Paula Bernadini Mosconi Corporate author: UNESCO This publication is part of the book Teacher Training and Multiculturalism: National Studies. This book presents the outcomes concerning the initial training systems of teachers in eight countries at different levels of development in different regions of the world but who are faced with a common challenge to educate for cultural diversity. Both the conclusions of each particular study and the general outcomes demonstrate the complexity of the problems and the benefits of comparative analysis. Overcoming prejudices and stereotypes is not an easy task nor likely to be achieved in the short term. Mentalities change far more slowly than knowledge and, because of this, educational strategies need to be applied in the long term. This study also shows that it is necessary to improve the exchange of experiences as well as contacts between people and institutions who are confronted with the same problems in different contexts. The publication of the initial outcomes of this project is intended to enrich the quality of discussions between specialists and institutions who, in different parts of the world, are concerned by multicultural education as an instrument to promote understanding, respect and dialogue between cultures. Address by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Seminar on Climate Change Education; UNESCO, 27 July 2009 Year of publication: 2009 Corporate author: UNESCO This document is the address of Mr Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Seminar on Climate Change Education; UNESCO, 27 July 2009. He presented the climate change issues and highlighted the importance of education for sustainable future. Sandwatch: adaptar-se à mudança climática e educar para o desenvolvimento sustentável Year of publication: 2012 Author: Gillian Cambers | Paul Diamond Corporate author: UNESCO Sandwatch provides a framework for children, youth and adults, with the help of teachers and local communities, to work together to critically evaluate the problems and conflicts facing their beach environments, and to develop sustainable approaches to address these issues. It also helps beaches become more resilient to climate change. The preliminary chapters of this publication focus on how to get started with Sandwatch activities and examine ways to address climate change impacts. The principle aim of this publication is to document the Sandwatch methodology: monitoring, analysing, sharing and taking action. An activities-orientated approach is used to provide step-by-step instructions to cover monitoring methods and data analysis, including observation and recording, erosion and accretion, beach composition, human activities, beach debris, water quality, waves, longshore currents, plants and animals. The activities are related to (a) sustainable development issues, including: beach ownership, mining beaches for construction material, conflict resolution between different beach users, pollution, conservation of endangered species, and (b) climate change adaptation issues: sea level rise, rising temperatures, ocean acidification and increased extreme events. Ways to share findings and create a Sandwatch network are detailed including methods such as the use of local media, websites, social networking and video production. Finally, ways are discussed to design, plan and implement a Sandwatch project to fulfill one or all of the following criteria: (a) addressing a particular beach-related issue, (b) enhancing the beach, and (c) promoting climate change adaptation. Sandwatch stands as an example of Education for Sustainable Development in action, and is being targeted as one of several flagship projects for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). As the world confronts the growing threat of climate change, Sandwatch presents an opportunity to help people and ecosystems respond to present and future changes in a practical manner. Beaches are among the ecosystems most at risk from climate change as they face rising sea levels and increased more intense storms. By contributing to ecosystem health and resilience, Sandwatch can help people from all walks of life learn about climate change and how their actions can contribute to the adaptation process. Learning to mitigate and adapt to climate change: UNESCO and climate change education Year of publication: 2009 Corporate author: UNESCO This report is a result of the UNESCO International Seminar on Climate Change Education at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, 27-29 July, 2009. Over the past 30 years, UNESCO has actively contributed to building the global knowledge base on climate change. Primarily through its contribution to climate science (global ocean observation systems, assessment and monitoring) and secondarily by promoting education, capacity development, public awareness and access to information. As Task Manager of Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 – which relates to the promotion of education, public awareness and training – and lead agency for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014), the Organization plays a lead role in promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Climate change is one of the key action themes of the Decade, as was reaffirmed at the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in Bonn in April 2009. Education has a central role to play in understanding, mitigating and adapting to the changing climate. While education at all levels and in both formal and informal settings is needed, instilling climate change awareness and understanding at a young age is ultimately the best way to change behaviours and attitudes. What children learn today will shape tomorrow’s world. Through the New Delhi work programme – which is a flexible programme for country-driven action engaging all stakeholders on education, training and public awareness on climate change, UNESCO supports its Member States to implement Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Similarly, the UNESCO Enhanced Plan of Action for the Strategy for Action on Climate Change recognizes the importance of and outlines action for education in promoting mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. UNESCO associated schools news infos: climate change education Year of publication: 2009 Corporate author: UNESCO As the United Nations Climate Change Conference takes place on December 7 to 18 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, this special issue will focus on selected climate change education activities carried out by the ASP network around the globe. Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of sustainable development and a key action theme in the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). ASPnet schools around the world work on Climate Change Education in order to enable students to make informed and responsible decisions, turn passive awareness into behaviour change and make sustainable behaviours a daily habit. The development of good practices and innovative educational materials in climate change education is a key element in ASPnet’s strategy to meet the pressing educational needs of the future generation. This newsletter highlights only a few of the large number of activities of ASPnet worldwide.