Education for Sustainable Development: The Oregon Context

Rosalyn McKeown, Ph.D. Graduated School of Education

Oregon the Sustainable State

What does it mean to educate for a more sustainable future?

Oregon the Sustainable State

What does it mean to educate for a more sustainable future?

Many organizations around the world are grappling with this question.

The United Nations General Assemblydeclared 2005–2014 as the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

UNESCO Guidelines & Recommendationsfor Teacher Education to Address Sustainability

National Education for Sustainability K – 12 Student Learning Standards

Washington State Environmental andSustainability Education Standards

UNDESD defines education for sustainable development (ESD) as: Improving access and retention in quality basic

education. Reorienting existing education to address

sustainability. Improving public understanding and awareness of

sustainability. Providing training related to sustainability to all

sectors of the economy (government, business, industry, etc.)

1st Goal of ESD

Improving access to and retention in quality education

• In 2006 the USA graduation rate was 69%. (Can the USA be economically competitive if only two-thirds of our workforce has a high school diploma?)

• According to Silent Epidemic the majority of dropouts found classes “uninteresting.”

• ESD addresses relevancy of K – 12 curriculum.

2nd Goal of ESD

Reorient existing education to address sustainability

Question: How is education for sustainable development (ESD) different than the education we are currently providing our students?

Answer: An appropriately reoriented education includes more principles, skills, perspectives, and values related to sustainability than are currently included in our educational system.

Three Levels of Action for Implementing ESD

Disciplinary

Whole school

Educational system

Level 1 – Disciplinary: Strengths ModelESD is such a large task that efforts from many

people and disciplines are needed to make progress.

Elements of the Strengths ModelEvery discipline can contribute to ESD.Every teacher can contribute to ESD.No one discipline should claim ownership of ESD.

Level 1 – Disciplinary: Strengths Model Examples Mathematics helps students understand extremely small

numbers (e.g., parts per hundred, thousand, or million), which allows them to interpret pollution data.

Social Studies helps students understand ethnocentrism, racism, and gender inequity as well as to recognize how these are expressed in the surrounding community and in nations worldwide.

Language Arts, especially media literacy, creates knowledgeable consumers who can separate fact and opinion and analyze the messages of advertisers and see beyond "green wash.”

Level 2 - Whole School Whole-school approaches

It takes more than information about sustainability to make the enormous behavioral shift needed for a more sustainable future.

Schools model environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the daily operations of a school.

Sustainability is practiced to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom.

Walk the walk and talk the walk.

Level 3 - Educational System

UNESCO identified 5 key aspects of quality education at the systems level.

creates a legislative framework, implements good policies, builds administrative support and

leadership, provides sufficient resources, and measures learning outcomes

The Oregon Opportunity

ESD helps us attain the Oregon High School Diploma Essential Skills, especially 5 – 8.

Essential Skills

5. Think critically and analytically.6. Use technology to learn, live and

work.7. Demonstrate civic and community

engagement.8. Demonstrate global literacy.

Education is our great hope for asustainable future. By taking on the important task of implementingESD we bring the possibility of a more sustainable future to our communities and state.

ReferencesEducation for Sustainable Development Toolkit

http://www.esdtoolkit.org

National Education for Sustainability K-12 Student Learning Standards

http://www.uspartnership.org/resources/0000/0062/USPEfSStandards_V2.09.08.pdf

References cont. State of Washington, Office of Superintendent of Public

Instruction, Environmental and Sustainability Education Standards http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/EnvironmentSustainability/default.aspx

UNESCO Guidelines & Recommendations for Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability http://unesdoc.unesco.org/imaes/0014/00143370E.pdf

Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts.

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/.

Presenter Contact Information

Dr. Rosalyn McKeown, Associate ProfessorPortland State UniversityGraduate School of Education/ELPP.O. Box 751Portland Oregon 97207Telephone +1 503 725 8934Fax +1 503 725 3200Email mckeownr@pdx.edu