Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Michelle, you are so lucky to have cycle paths in your locality – I would love to encourage our pupils to walk or cycle to school more, but unfortunately the road network in our area does not allow for this. It certainly would be a great way to encourage them to consider alternative modes of transport in years to come.
In my local area which is one that is rural and coastal, sustainability is rooted in both tradition and innovation. Being far from an urban centre and larger industrial businesses this area has practised sustainable and responsible farming since before it became a government policy. They for the most part have protected the biodiversity of the environment and supported small scale fisheries that respect marine life. Renewable energy initiatives such as wind farms work hand in hand with practices like reducing waste, reusing and repurposing materials and supporting seasonal, locally produced and sourced foods. Coastal clean ups, and a move towards more eco-friendly tourism also reflect a commitment to preserving the region’s natural beauty.
With my pupils I envisage exploring these practices through hands on learning such as visits to local food producers especially artisan, organic farmers and farm shops, engaging with some of our larger seafood producers and ask if they would come do a presentation or talk for the students on their businesses and on their plans and activities around ensuring sustainability. I will encourage the pupils to partake in clean ups along our shores and in our village and to become active in encouraging other members of our community to consider their actions and impact on the environment.
We could look at how local, national and international initiatives are trying to support the campaign against global warming and help with sustainability. Many areas of the curriculum maybe used in a cross curricular fashion to support such themes Art – displays, posters, info grams etc, math, language, and SESE are particular well inclined towards supporting such activities that will help the children learn about, investigate, understand and hopefully achieve in wanting to make a concerted effort to protect our local area, its natural beauty and its ability to help sustain food production for many generations to come.Yes, Michelle, I wholeheartedly agree, it is shocking how many children have preconceived ideas and perceptions about fish and how they “don’t like it” not even having tried it. That’s why I think if you had a seafood tasting day it might help dispel some of these notions and allow them develop a taste for and the knowledge of how to cook seafood.
It has been a widely held assumption, now backed up by science that seafood is a very valuable, nutrient rich food group, that offers high-quality protein, essential omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins such as D and B12 and minerals like iodine and selenium. These nutrients play key roles in brain and nervous system development, heart health and the overall well-being of a person. Understanding the nutritional benefits of seafood also means recognising the need for balance – some species may contain higher levels of mercury, so variety and moderation are important.
Bringing this knowledge into the classroom can be achieved in many ways – mostly depending on the age of the children you are educating. I feel that one of the most valuable methods particularly with younger children is in a food preparation and food sampling opportunity – get them used to the smell, taste, texture of cooked and raw fish, have them sample prawns in marie rose sauce, or smoked Irish salmon served on brown bread, let them then compare and contrast baked and smoked salmon – try and dispel any notions or preconceived ideas they may have around seafood. Looking at introducing it through the curriculum the nutritional value of seafood can be looked at through science, geography and SPHE. Children can learn about how seafood can support their health and development, they can learn about the different species we eat, how they are caught/farmed, how they are prepared and the different forms in which we can absorb the nutritional value of seafood. Again I would suggest cooking demonstrations, tasting opportunities, local seafood producers could be asked to come into the school and explain their products and their benefits to the children.
I feel that by combining the nutritional information with hands on activities, tying in environmental issues and looking as sustainable fishing we as teachers can give our pupils valuable life long information about healthy eating habits and the value of sea to table eating.I agree with you – this course has very much widened my view of aquaculture and the realisation that it is not just confined to fish farms. I think even that realisation alone is very valuable when going back into the classroom and educating the children to “think outside the box” further in relation to our seas and farming the sea.
Using the ARC online lessons and resources from BIM I feel there is a greater opportunity to enrich my teaching by using and embedding immersive, inquiry-based STEM learning. The resources offered by the ARC allow for a VR experience which will immediately interest the children in my class, the interactive quizzes and lessons on sustainable aquaculture will stimulate the children’s interest in the sea and ocean in being a source of employment and food supply to a wider perspective than just that confined to the deep sea fishing industry and onshore support services. Thus as a result these resources will promote learner engagement, collaboration and real-world problem-solving, which are reflected and promoted within the STEM Education Policy Statement.
At a whole school level, STEM education could become a focal area within our SSE process. We would start by gathering evidence of what we are currently doing, how well or perhaps not well the pupils are engaging, our STEM capacity building, find a baseline benchmark and then collaboratively as a school staff we would set targets for improving. Embedding and utilising the resources provided by ARC will only serve to enhance the learning outcomes and so I believe it could become a very engaging, important part of the teaching of STEM within the school. The fact that Aquaculture extends further than just the traditional STEM subjects as outlined in this module ought to engage the children and promote the idea of looking at gaining a blue flag for the schoolThe majority of the aquaculture farms in Ireland are along the western coast of Ireland where there is a multitude of sheltered bays, estuaries, and coastal inlets where the water quality is excellent (aided by the North Atlantic Drift), tidal flow for quite a distance inland particularly in Killary harbour and in Ireland’s only fjiord and of course this natural protection supports the healthy growth of fish, shellfish and seaweed. There are reasons other than geographical for these sites to be chosen – they are close to the “farmers” homes, many live along or very close to the seashore they utilise for their aquaculture, there is also proximity to coastal towns where seafaring traditions and expertise are available.
Due to the geographical location of many of these aquafarm locations have very important socio-economic perspective as they can provide a lifeline for these communities. They create direct employment in farming, harvesting and processing, as well as indirect jobs in transport, equipment supply, and maintenance. The local spending from the wages supports shops, schools, and services, helping slow rural depopulation. Furthermore, aquaculture also adds value through high-quality exports in seafood and shellfish, even skincare and food tourism, showcasing Irish seafood globally.
However, sometimes however there can be tensions with local groups, those who feel the rural beauty of the area, concerns around pollution and even farming methods outweigh these economic benefits. Through honest communication and strengthening community trust there ought to be a happy medium allowing for the socio-economic benefits of aquaculture to complement the natural beauty of the area.
The majority of the aquaculture farms in Ireland are along the western coast of Ireland where there is a multitude of sheltered bays, estuaries, and coastal inlets where the water quality is excellent (aided by the North Atlantic Drift), tidal flow for quite a distance inland particularly in Killary harbour and in Ireland’s only fjiord and of course this natural protection supports the healthy growth of fish, shellfish and seaweed. There are reasons other than geographical for these sites to be chosen – they are close to the “farmers” homes, many live along or very close to the seashore they utilise for their aquaculture, there is also proximity to coastal towns where seafaring traditions and expertise are available.
Due to the geographical location of many of these aquafarm locations have very important socio-economic perspective as they can provide a lifeline for these communities. They create direct employment in farming, harvesting and processing, as well as indirect jobs in transport, equipment supply, and maintenance. The local spending from the wages supports shops, schools, and services, helping slow rural depopulation. Furthermore, aquaculture also adds value through high-quality exports in seafood and shellfish, even skincare and food tourism, showcasing Irish seafood globally.
However, sometimes however there can be tensions with local groups, those who feel the rural beauty of the area, concerns around pollution and even farming methods outweigh these economic benefits. Through honest communication and strengthening community trust there ought to be a happy medium allowing for the socio-economic benefits of aquaculture to complement the natural beauty of the area.
Clare,
You make a very valid point with regards to poorly managed sites, indeed in many cases the only time I even realised there was an aquaculture farm was due to outcry at an issue over planning or mismanagement of the site. It is something that perhaps more stringent oversights and planning controls may lessen in the future.
Órla
Hi Mercedes,
The Sea Shore Explorers programme is something I must also look into this year – we often used to have a very knowledgeable local person take the children down and around the shore, but I must check this out too. Many thanks for the idea
Working as I am in a small rural school along the coast and very close to a major fishing port I am so shocked and disappointed that I have only now learned of the ARC and the Taste the Atlantic project. The young chef programme I’d feel would be more geared to slightly older children and the new generation oyster farmers the same.
The ARC really brings aquaculture to life and relevant to children. Even though our schools geographical location ought to mean the children are very au fait with the ocean and fish – their knowledge of aquaculture is quite limited – they are more used to fish being caught on trawlers, taken ashore, processed and shipped out again. The concept of aquaculture is a bit alien to them. Thus the ARC’s mobile, engaging, hands on exhibit will really bring aquaculture to life for them through, geography, science and technology. I can see this encouraging them to think about the wider aquaculture industry and how relevant it may become in the future for them and in sustaining livelihoods for them as adults as the quotas for larger vessels and fishing are cut and careers ended.
The Taste the Atlantic is a lovely idea. We already do a ‘local produce taste day’ however, this has now inspired me to consider doing one solely focused on the aquaculture industry and there are so many wonderful seafood producers in our area – and even to branch out and look at the development of products in skincare based on seaweed.