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Like you Jessica, many of our pupils have connections to farming and fishing. Teaching them and helping them to understand about sustainability would, as you say, be very meaningful for them. I agree also that it is important to teach them about sustainability from a young age thus developing good habits and creating strong connections with their own locality. In the words of Gandhi “Be the change you want to see”
There are many opportunities to observe sustainability in action within my local community. It is important to balance the protection of the environment, develop the local economy and social wellbeing. In my own locality there are many initiatives that promote recycling, biodiversity conservation, responsible tourism, and sustainable food production. There are regular community clean-up events, beach conservation projects, biodiversity initiatives, and efforts to reduce waste. This brings people together to make a positive contribution to sustainability.
In our own school there are lots of activities around sustainability taking place. We have a very active Green Schools Committee and the pupils engage in recycling and waste reduction, as well as litter, energy use, biodiversity, and environmental awareness. Under the guidance of the teachers and visiting parents they enjoy planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables in the school polytunnel and give of their time to maintain these plants and polytunnel. They often bring food and dishes into school that they have prepared using the fruit and vegetables which they brought home. The pupils are also active in maintaining the school sensory garden and enjoy seeing the fruits of their labour.
Within the locality the pupils learn about the local windfarm and engage with Energia. A recent project with Energia has seen the school secure two rainwater harvesting tanks. Visits to the windfarm form part of the curriculum along with nature walks, beach visits, and outdoor learning activities. The installation of the solar panels and analysing the data collected brought great excitement amongst the pupils.
In the classroom, I would encourage projects that investigate issues such as litter management, biodiversity, renewable energy, water conservation, or sustainable food production. The pupils could carry out surveys, collect data, record their findings and share them through photographic presentations, posters made during visual arts, recorded videos, digital storytelling, or interactive presentations. Cross-curricular learning would involve other areas such as science, geography, mathematics and literacy.
Pupils with diverse learning needs, including those with complex needs, could explore sustainability through sensory activities, visual supports, practical investigations, and community-based experiences. Planting seeds/flowers, creating wildlife-friendly spaces, sorting recyclable materials, or participating in school gardening projects ensure meaningful engagement with sustainability for everyone.
I like the idea of a local aquaculture producer visiting the school Rosemary. Pupils would definitely benefit from this. We had the ARC at the school this year and it was huge success. It would be great to see it extended to accommodate younger pupils also as we want to promote STEM (and indeed aquaculture) from a very early age. The younger pupils were fascinated with this large “room” that descended on the school playground and were naturally curious about what the older pupils were doing.
Aquaculture can be used in a meaningful way to promote STEM learning as shown by the online lessons and resources developed by the ARC. They help to engage pupils in scientific inquiry, problem-solving, critical thinking, and environmental awareness. They encourage me to consider how I can integrate these approaches into my own teaching whilst also supporting the aims of Ireland’s STEM Education Policy Statement. The STEM Education Policy Statement, promotes active learning, creativity, collaboration, and the development of critical thinking skills which the ARC resources do very well. As a teacher I can help to create opportunities for pupils to explore scientific concepts that have meaning for them, making connections beyond the classroom with the wider world. The hands-on and multidisciplinary nature of aquaculture promotes accessibility to the content for pupils with diverse needs ensuring that all pupils can engage and learn in meaningful ways.
Cross-curricular learning is also key and the ARC resources promotes this. There are endless opportunities to incorporate STEM with other curricular areas as promoted within the STEM Education Policy Statement as well as using digital technologies through video, photography, digital presentations etc to promote digital learning.
Our school can use SSE to identify our strengths and the areas for development in STEM teaching and learning. As part of the process, we could look at ways of providing opportunities for hands-on STEM investigations, improving our pupils’ problem-solving skills, or strengthening links between STEM and the real-world. We already encourage professional collaboration among staff by encouraging the sharing of effective practices across other curricular areas and this can be done with STEM. We also promote a STEM week annually, engage in local environmental projects, and a community partnership helping to promote our STEM learning within the school.
Great point Claire. It’s only as I do this course I am seeing the value of aquaculture particularly in small coastal areas. Keeping smaller local communities as a viable option for workers to stay in the locality is imperative. These communities have so much to offer and they can become vibrant hubs again for locals to live and work.
I have never considered how aquaculture contributes to coastal communities. It provides valuable employment in rural and island areas, helping to sustain local populations, support families, and contribute to the economy of the communities where population decline or limited economic growth are major concerns. Businesses in the locality also benefit e.g. transport companies, suppliers, restaurants and tour operators. These communities can thrive on the many different types of employment created.
Living near the coast I have often thought that salmon farms etc were not the most attractive visually. I had never considered the contribution they were making to the local communities. I can also understand the importance of engaging with the local community to build trust. The economic benefits of successful aquaculture must be balanced with environmental protection and local community interests with coastal communities having strong connections to their local environments.
I believe I have developed a greater understanding of aquaculture and its potential to make a positive contribution to coastal communities. It helps to provide employment, support the local economy, promote the production of locally sustainable food while respecting the needs of the environment and the local community.
I also work in the beautiful County of Donegal with access to lovely beaches. It is such a shame that children are unaware of what is right there in their own locality. There is quite a lot of oyster farming in the vicinity providing vital employment and we are also not far from a busy fishing port. It is important for the children to see what can be offered in terms of future employment and to develop an appreciation of what is on their own doorstep.
I will be teaching as SET this school year and wanted to do a completely different course but one that I could also make use of in my setting. I would be hopeful that the pupils could be afforded opportunities to explore water, aquatic animals, shells, seaweed, and related materials through hands-on activities. It would create opportunities to build vocabulary, learn about living things, understand where food comes from and develop responsibility through caring for living organisms.
While social licence is a complex concept, the pupils can explore it through the notion of fairness, caring for the environment, and listening to others. They can learn that people may have different opinions about a topic, that everyone has a voice when making decisions, that people have different concerns and priorities but that everyone is listened to in the decision-making process.
Our school was very lucky to have the ARC at the school this year and the 5th and 6th class pupils had a wonderful experience. The school is in a beautiful part of the country with access to the coast and many of the pupils learned so much from the facilitators. Many of the pupils are not aware of what is on their own doorstep and the industry that is thriving nearby and in local fishing ports.
