Education for Sustainable Development Network

Alona RauckieneLithuania

2009Visby

Provisions of National Education Strategy for 2003-2012

The improvement of education quality should be targeted to the development of key competences that are necessary for the life of an individual and society.

The contents of education should be “based not so much on the transfer of knowledge, as on their analysis, critical assessment and practical application; such competencies shall relate the contents of education to real life, specific problems and solutions”.

National Curriculum and Standards

A shift away from reproducing academic knowledge to the key competences needed for

personal fulfilment and development throughout life, active citizenship,employability.

Various aspects of sustainable development are integrated into guidelines for subjects.

ESD NETWORK

Goal

encourage teachers to participate actively in developing and implementing models of ESD at the school.

Coordination Group: permanent assessment of the progress and the development of future guidelines, methodological materials, workshops, consultations at the school, interaction between current policy developments and practice

Experts (scientists, practitioners TTC, teachers)

Participants: 30 schools.

Objectives

Make connections between school curriculum and sustainable development issues/real life problems

Encourage students to identify, investigate and take practical actions toward the prevention and solving problems in local community

Incorporate culture of sustainable development in school life (policy, management, partnerships)

Themes

Quality of life and lifestyle

Citizenship

Democracy, human rights

Health

Consumption

Energy

Agriculture

Industry

Waste

Nature resources

Biodiversity

Steps

The concept of ESD, themes and targets

Interdisciplinarity, models for integration of SD issues into school curriculum

Lesson guideliness: from knowledge to action competence

Interaction of the school and local community, public relations

Participatory planning, using logical framework

Assessment/self-assessment of achievements; Indicators of various levels: children, teachers, school

Targets

Interdependence - of processes in society, economy and nature.

Citizenship and stewardship - rights and responsibilities, participation and co-operation in problem solving.

Diversity - cultural, social, economic and biological.

Equity in achieving better quality of life.

Prediction of the action consequences.

Meaning of local actions in the global context.

Limits to growths and needs of future generations.

Results

Co-operation of teachers to achieve an integrity of the content and co-ordination of the subject curricula as well as out-of-class and project activities.

Opening the school to important issues of the local community and co-operation with social partners;

Orienting an overall school strategy and management towards sustainable development.

Development of school as a learning organization and dissemination of experience among colleagues.

Results

Co-operation of teachers to achieve an integrity of the content and co-ordination of the subject curricula as well as out-of-class and project activities.

Opening the school to important issues of the local community and co-operation with social partners;

Orienting an overall school strategy and management towards sustainable development.

Development of school as a learning organization and dissemination of experience among colleagues.

ESD cluster: : University, Teacher in-service training centre, School (demonstration centre)

ESD network

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER

http://www.pprc.lt

http://www.mii.lt/KORSD-2009

X Stream: Sustainable Education in Knowledge Society

Organizers: Laima Galkute and Alona Rauckiene

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) stimulates re-thinking the role of education in social change and to find new learning paths. A midterm of the Decade provides an opportunity to share experience of various educational institutions and discuss a future perspective. Particularly, activities of higher education institutions in education for sustainable development (ESD) are interesting for promoting relevant research and lifelong learning

Strategies to implement ESD at the Higher Education Institution

ESD indicators: contextualization at the Higher Education Institution

Learning outcomes: links between ESD and Bologna process

Higher education and knowledge transfer to society Competencies for ESD teaching at the Higher

Education Institutions