The 7 Pedagogical Reflections of ESD
A list of pedagogical principles for educators who want to implement the ESD approach.
Explaining this educational approach briefly is complex, and sometimes I think it's easier to lay out a set of pedagogical principles that, when applied in the classroom, reflect ESD in the best possible way.
1. Prosumer — A combination of producer and consumer. This concept is used across different disciplines. It was first suggested in 1972 by McLuhan & Nevitt, and was formally used by Alvin Toffler (1980) in his book The Third Wave.
This concept “attacks” the classic image of teachers and the traditional way of teaching. From this perspective, the teacher is no longer the source of knowledge. In today's world, information is available on every corner. Teachers are now guides and mentors who produce, but who also consume what the student produces. In teaching terms, this concept centers on learning and on understanding that the student's “consumer” role in traditional education does not serve the main purpose of learning. The student becomes the lead actor in their own educational process, rather than a spectator.
2. “Hands-on” — Education should be experiential. The former National Director of Science at Israel's Ministry of Education once told me: “We don't teach science, we do science.” There's no need to talk about a process theoretically. It's better to do it — that is the most important thing, and the right way to learn about it. This applies to most subjects that are taught.
The other reason this “reflection” is fundamental is that only when you experience something yourself can you test your hypothesis, make mistakes, and take ownership of the knowledge. Today, making mistakes is not “allowed,” but it is one of the most important things in learning: making mistakes and learning from them. Only those who try can make mistakes — and learn from them!
3. Hands, Head and Heart — If we want meaningful learning, we have to activate all of our senses. The body is not simply a vehicle for our brain. When an educational experience engages Hands, Head and Heart, we are truly learning!
Each of these dimensions deserves a post of its own, but remember the importance of the educational actors, the right process, and the essential ingredients.
4. Be Real and Relevant — I've never seen a footballer ask what to do in the middle of a match. When you teach, try to bring the content into a context that is relevant to your students' reality. Our students should know why they are learning what they are learning, and not just be handed concepts that, from their perspective, have no connection to what happens on the other side of the school fence.
You can teach what you teach within the framework of your community or the world around you; there's no reason to make your job harder than it needs to be.
5. GloCal — Think Global, Act Local. If we decide to think global and act globally, we simply erase our differences as human beings and as different cultures. If we decide to think locally and act globally, we become despots, assuming that what is real and relevant to us is also real and relevant to everyone else. If we decide to think local and act locally, we forget about the rest of the world, and the fact that in today's globalization we all belong to one global village.
Glocality simply weighs these different variables and gives local issues the privileged place they deserve, without forgetting the rest of the planet.
6. Interdisciplinarity — Reality seems a bit more complex than the way we teach it. A long time ago we decided to divide knowledge into areas of specialization, and we teach the different disciplines according to those divisions. And yet, as we grow and step outside the school gates, we realize that the real world isn't divided into areas or disciplines. ESD is an invitation to experience reality the way it truly is — a marvel of interconnected phenomena. Other progressive educational approaches agree with this idea; STEM or STEAM is one example.
7. Sharing Is Inspiring — This idea is fundamental to how I understand ESD. I believe that to live on this planet and educate the next generation, we have to do it TOGETHER. The way we teach and learn has to be about building a future in which WE is the way of thinking.
As you can see, in each of these “reflections” the most important thing is learning, and rethinking the relationship between Educator and Student. This is my list; it isn't closed, and I'm sure you'll find other principles to add to it. Feel free to share them.