Sorry to Bob for cutting the presentation short, but there was lots to nosh on today.
Here are the questions (not quite verbatim) we'll address at next week's meeting around this issue:
Should a group of students and faculty take a plane to go to Belize (or anywhere) to study climate change and sustainability in a far away place?
How can we combine the global and the sustainable? Are they mutually exclusive?
Can technology bridge the GAP (Skype with a school in Belize) between our experience and theirs or do we have to be there "on the ground'?
If we wanted to make a trip to another place/culture/climate, can we do it in a sustainable way without being hypocritical?
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17 comments:
My question in response is:
If this is going to be part of our program/curriculum are we ok with only a small group participating? Shouldn't the things they learn there be for all students? Is there a way to have all 8th graders participate in global education in a meaningful way?
I feel strongly that taking students on trips out of the country is not the direction we should take for our students. (This includes taking a small, hand-selected group to Mexico for an end-of-year project.) I think the resources available closer to home are incredibly rich and sufficient for our needs.
Kathleen M
I am conflicted.
On the one hand, there is no substitute for global ed and raising global citizens and having our students "on the ground"
My own travels abroad as a student had a profound impact on me.
That having been said, I think it would be interesting to see what is available that might accomplish the goals of global education with less of a carbon footprint than flying a group somewhere.
We do fly a whole grade to JT, and I would not want to change that. When the pros of the experience outweigh the cons of the carbon footprint, are we okay with that?
As to Sue and Alice's questions, I think the very nature of the projects at the end of 8th grade speak to the fact that different kids have transformational experiences that are different: oceanography, play, art, service, sports, Spanish immersion trip, and I can actually live with 8th graders not all doing the same thing...and, it seems, so can they.
Anyone else?
Although I love the notion of experiential learning, I do feel a bit leery about extended travel that creates a large carbon footprint. While I can see the arguable benefits of small selected groups (e.g. an 8th grade spring project or a Community Council group) going someplace distant, I think that we should carefully evaluate sending an entire grade to a far-off setting. I love Joshua Tree, for instance, but feel that we should run the numbers (financial, travel time and ecological impact) to see if bus travel there and back may be more in keeping with our sustainability goals than the current combination of air & land travel (with parents delivering & picking up kids at the Oakland airport.) Swami
I share swami's thoughts. We have to think and act locally first and examine our practice. Do we in fact practice what we preach/teach.
I love that we're thinking so critically and carefully about this issue, weighing the benefits and the costs (and I don't mean financial) of such an endeavor.
I'm with "Sweet Sue" and Sweet Alice.
Let's think globally and act locally. Only after we clean up our acts (figuratively and literally) here at home do I think we should look beyond.
These are exotic trips and thy do have the potential to be elitist. I agree global education should be be all concerned and the experiences shared. The carbon footprint factor has also become an issue which questions 'Do we practice what we preach"
I think that we always need to come back to the "what's the goal?" question. If the goal is to start a conversation, share in a collaborative project and expand our students' horizons about Belize specifically and global warming in general, we can certainly come up with lots of ways to meet those goals technologically.
If, however, the goal is to give kids experience in the field, to create personal relationships with folks in a different culture and to "live" global ed a trip would make complete sense. My 2¢...Barb
The idea is wonderful and I think we all should be exposed to culture beyond our own. However I don't think it is necessary for the students here at MCDS...a lot of them probably already have experiences beyond our local borders.
Well, to me, the essential question is if we (or you Bob) thinks that taking a group of students on a trip like this would provide awareness and leadership in the future that is so significant it would provide greater environmental awareness then the footprint needed to do the trip then it is worth it. I believe that a group of students who are motivated and properly prepared can gain an awareness that can be far reaching and provide a wonderful impact for our future. If this is true than the environmental impact of such a trip is well worth it.
Bob, my feelings in this matter are divided. Speaking from personal experience and observations of others, travel experiences can provide a transformative experience and a profound shift in perspective that cannot be replicated in a classroom. My travel memories are so treasured and have indelibly shaped my personal and world views.
However, my doubts arise about whether environmental sustainability is the right cause for travel, knowing that the trip will be environmentally impactful. Are there other ways we can utilize the power of a travel experience for educational purposes in a way that is not so obviously contradictory to the initial objectives of the trip? If this particular opportunity holds great promise for our students, perhaps the question to ask is: do the benefits out-weight the drawbacks?
Not a very decisive response- sorry!
I would lean towards developing an understanding of/learning about the community/environment here in Marin/San Francisco/Northern California...
I agree that experiences such as we are considering have life changing possibilities for our students. In some regards, I think the carbon footprint of the proposed trip should be amortized over a lifetime rather than being measured against the environmental benefit of the activities during the trip.
I can imagine qualities of a trip that would better suit the global, sustainable goals of the school. It would include the whole grade, be local, address environmental issues and entail engaging cultural groups our students don't normally encounter. I'm sure there are other qualities that would be part of an ideal trip but I don't know of a trip that meets them right now.
My .02
I agree with Sue that even the Spanish study in 8th grade projects should be a local endeavor.
Ah, KM says finish up...
Bye
Global education. What does that mean? I looked it up. The Center for global education says, "to foster cross-cultural awareness, cooperation and understanding...Learning with an international perspective. I asked the seventh graders on a autobiography assignment to mention where they had been outside of the bay area...most of them listed 4+ countries outside the US. Some are very well traveled...others not so much.
I'd love for us to see and experience this first hand, but it seems like these issues are all around us. Marin is often an oasis that allows us to forget the issues our world faces, perhaps we should tend to our own backyard first.
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