Learning in Nature: The Ecological Consciousness Shift of Future Education

2023-11-23

Education is the key to addressing many global and local challenges. In order to protect the Earth's ecology, which is facing increasingly severe challenges, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has released the document "Together, Reconsider Our Future: Creating a New Social Contract for Education". This document responds to the global environmental crisis and calls for future education to focus on ecological care, maintain ecological justice, advocate ecological ethics, and adhere to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. From 2019 to 2021, the "Future of Education" committee established by UNESCO drew on the opinions of experts from different regions and professions, ultimately reaching a consensus on building an eco-friendly future education. This collective wisdom is condensed in the report "Reconsidering Our Future Together". The report focuses on ecological care and re-examines and answers key questions about the goals, content, methods, and venues of future education. What should future education look like? UNESCO Director General Audrey said, "We urgently need to change direction because the future of humanity depends on the future of the Earth." Therefore, the report proposes the concept of a new social contract aimed at reconstructing the relationship between people, people and the Earth, and even technology. The Chairman of the "Future of Education" Committee, Sahel Walker Zud, emphasized that humanity has only one Earth, but we have not fully shared the resources of the Earth and have not utilized them in a sustainable manner. Education, as a way of organizing teaching and learning that runs through human life, has had a fundamental impact on the transformation of human society since ancient times. To achieve a peaceful, just, and sustainable future, education reform itself is imperative. The report believes that the purpose of education should be to gather wisdom and provide the necessary knowledge, science, and innovative approaches to build a sustainable future based on social, economic, and ecological justice for all. The report points out that for a long time, there has been a problem of one-sided economic growth orientation in global education, instilling values that advocate competition. This not only weakens people's willingness to unite and collaborate, but also hinders our understanding of each other and the interdependence of the Earth. The report not only draws a blueprint for a vision, but also sends out a global invitation, calling for people to unite and work together through dialogue and action to build a more inclusive, economically equitable, and ecologically sustainable future. To achieve the goals of future education, the curriculum should focus on ecology, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary learning. It should not only cultivate students' ability to acquire knowledge, but more importantly, develop their ability to criticize, apply, and create knowledge. The course should understand humans from an ecological perspective to rebalance the relationship between humans and the Earth. Due to profound changes in teaching content and objectives, teaching methods should also change accordingly - teaching should be organized around the core principles of cooperation, collaboration, and unity, using participatory and collaborative teaching methods that emphasize empathy and empathy to cultivate students' intellectual, social, emotional, and moral abilities. Future education based on ecology regards the ecosystem as a learning place, integrating nature, artificial and virtual learning places, and bringing education back to the embrace of nature. To achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, it is necessary to expand traditional understanding of learning places and transform busy urban streets

Edit:GuoGuo    Responsible editor:FangZhiYou

Source:gmw.cn

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