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Environment - Durban climate change conference 2011

"What causes climate change? Aside from some notable skeptics, everyone knows that it's caused by greenhouse gases produced by human activity. It's common knowledge today that emissions get trapped in our atmosphere and increase the planet's temperature. But where do these gases come from?"

"Moving The Conversation From Bullying To Climate"

In teaching and for learning relationships are everything.   This is one of those statements that cannot be overstated, it is true now, it has always been true.To craft a truly positive school climate demands our fullest attention to every detail of every relationship we build but the effort is well worth it.  

"While last year was a global human tragedy, it is not likely that pandemic will be the change force that most shapes the lives and livelihoods of young people, it's the climate crisis and artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, it's easy to leave high school and college without having considered either. Both factors will influence where and how people live, how they earn a living and the politics of the common good. Both have built-in accelerators that will expand inequality and negatively impact those least advantaged. Young people deserve a chance to learn about climate change and AI and develop an informed opinion about the path forward and where they can make a difference."

Tread Lightly is a climate change education initiative offered by TakingITGlobal through the generous support of the Staples Foundation for Learning.®

"In May of last year, Ken Robinson-he of "Is School Killing Creativity"/TED Talk legend status-gave a brief talk on the idea of contrast, specifically the difference between who we are and how we teach. His general message was that we, as human beings, are wired for certain tendencies. Three of those most immediate to education, Robinson explains, are our diversity, curiosity, and creativity, calling children "natural learners." He contrasted these hallmarks of being human with the tone in which public education in the United States currently operates-a tone that promotes conformity, compliance, and standardization."

How do we prepare students for work that hasn't been invented yet? While it's difficult to predict what the social and economic climate will be like in the years to come, we can analyze trends and extrapolate future scenarios.

Why allow ed-tech access? 'We owe it to our students' For improving the learning climate with the help of technology, NMHS is our 'eSchool of the Month' for November/December

What did Earth's continents and oceans look like 250 million years ago, or 1 billion years ago for that matter? Can we say anything about Earth's climate as far back as our planet's origin? 

After two days of talking about curriculum, integration, STEM, STEAM and HASS I am left with more questions than I started with. In some respects, the concept of curriculum integration is simple. It is after all something that Primary teachers almost take for granted. But for Senior and Tertiary educators the question of curriculum integration is inherently complex. At all levels questions emerge of what curriculum integration might achieve, what purposes it serves, what it could and should look like and how it should be supported by curriculum planners. In the current climate, with its debate around the role of education within an innovation economy, shaped by technology and confronting demands for a STEAM enabled workforce the shape of our curriculum is under pressure. 

I want my students to be sceptics. I believe that in the present age scepticism is more important than ever. Easy access to information, ease of publishing, scams and confidence tricksters combine to create a climate where blind trust is dangerous for our security, our finances and our knowledge bases. For students of all ages a healthy dose of scepticism is much needed not just so they may reveal falsehoods but to allow them to discover new truths.