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ASSIGNMENT 3
The Sustainable Development Goal which I have chosen is SDG 13: Climate Action. I feel this topic is one that effects children in Ireland and undoubtedly children around the world. In the Irish context we are certainly seeing and experiencing more storms, floods and adverse weather than ever before. Further afield the effects of climate change can be devastating; from heatwaves to droughts, flash floods and more extreme weather.
Small initiatives such as a Green school committee, starting a school garden, planting trees, reducing waste are actions we can encourage our students to participate in to help students take action on this issue and support the ESD to 2030 Priority Action Area. Small tangible steps that are practical and child centred should be emphasised. It’s important to focus on what we can do at a local level and then introduce topics affecting the wider world.
Hi Shane, I think you made some great insightful points in your post. It’s so important to make connections back to our own lives or the lives of our students as I think this helps them connect on a deeper more meaningful level. After connections are made to events in our own lives we are more able to relate to more extreme examples of climate change that we hear about.
Module 2- Assignment
It always amazes me how early ideas about gender roles can influence children’s thinking. I’ve taught for almost 20 years in both junior and senior classes and can still see the vital importance of exploring and confronting gender stereotypes. A lot of children I taught in the junior end had very rigid views of what toys and games boys should play with verses what type of toys and games girls should play with. Girls played with dolls and created games centred on home making whereas boys had to stick to building sets, action figures or toy cars etc. In the senior end during golden time if the children are watching a movie I often hear some boys remark that they don’t like a particular movie because it’s for girls. Reading through other participants posts on this forum shows that we still have a way to go as educators in helping children challenge and address societal assumptions that influence their thinking.Hi Kate, I liked how you got the children thinking about embedded gender stereotypes. It was a clever way of opening up the discussion and helping the children see for themselves through their own drawings of how gender roles can influence their thinking. I think this could be a great starting point to kick off a meaningful discussion with students and help them explore and confront stereotypes.
I feel strongly that Development Education is vital in today’s classrooms, and as teachers, we have a responsibility to ensure it is meaningfully included in our classrooms. As teachers we play an important role in helping children see themselves as part of a wider interconnected world. A supportive classroom environment hopefully helps children explore their role in a globally connected world.
The paper “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”, highlights the need for education to nurture empathy, critical thinking, and a sense of shared responsibility. His work reinforces the importance of helping children understand global issues and their potential to make a positive difference.
By supporting pupils in developing values like empathy and social responsibility, we help them see that challenges faced by others are concerns for everyone. Development Education fits naturally within subjects like SPHE and SESE, where topics such as human rights, sustainability, and global interdependence can be explored in age-appropriate ways. In our school, initiatives like Fair Trade already support this, and having completed this module, I am keen to find more opportunities for pupils to engage with global topics through reflection and action.
I also hope to encourage colleagues to plan further Development Education activities, helping to create a whole-school approach that supports children in becoming informed, responsible global citizens.
Hi Colm, loved some of your thoughts and ideas on how to integrate development education into the classroom. It’s so important for a student led approach and it can make learning a lot more meaningful for our students. Really loved your idea of linking up with another school, it’s so important to hear from other voices and I think it could be a very engaging way for our students to foster active global citizenship.