Indigenous Knowledge, Entrepreneurial Thinking, and the Recycling of Waste: Three Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development In Early Childhood Social Economic John Siraj-Blatchford Honorary Professor University of Swansea Environmental http://network.earthday.net/profile/johnsb
What is an entrepreneur? Stereotypes Used car Salesman Spiv Minority World
What is an entrepreneur? Majority World Jane is a street-side lunch lady in Nairobi. She is a micro-entrepreneur, and small business owner. http://www.poptech.org/blog/index.php?s=entrepreneurship
What is indigenous Knowledge? Indigenous knowledge refers to detailed and complex systems of knowledge that Indigenous peoples have gathered and developed of their natural environment, including plant and animal ecology, climate, and other local conditions and resource management. http://www.globalautonomy.ca/global1/glossary_pop.jsp?id=co.0056
What is indigenous Knowledge? 7th century Windmill Design (Afghanistan) Hall, D. (1991) Mechanical Engineering in the Mediaeval Near East, Scientific American Windmills were developed to grind grain and irrigating land in the Near East. The Crusaders brought the designs back to Europe in the 12th century. http://www.greenimprints.net/windmill.html
What is Recyling? Minority World Every ton of plastic bottles recycled saves ~3.8 barrels of oil http://vertvogue.blogspot.com/2009/02/introduction-united-states.html
What is Recyling? Majority World A recycled oil barrel and an old axle used to transport water in South Sudan http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngari/3318693947/
Scientific literacy in the Early Years Progress? Knocked 200 minutes off the time it took to transport 100 people from London to New York (Cost: 20 Million+) Knocked 14 hours off the time it took to transport a day s supply of clean water to a village (Cost: 40) Which is...the best?..the most appropriate?
Education for Sustainability in the Early Years: Cultural Issues Sustainable development requires an ethos of compassion, respect for difference, equality and fairness.
in 1900
Scientific literacy in the Early Years Minority World Science and Tecnology Majority World Science and Technology Progress?
Research shows that children associate Wealth with White skin: being happy being good having good employment prospects being clever Relative poverty with Black skin: being sad being bad having poor employment prospects being less clever Research Report: http://www.327matters.org/paper.htm
Scientific literacy in the Early Years Edward Said (1994) has refered to this as the 'impressive circularity' of British self identification: "...we are dominant because we have the power (industrial, technological, military, moral), and they don't, because of which they are not dominant; they are inferior, we are superior... and so on and on. One sees this tautology holding with a particular tenacity in British views of Ireland and the Irish as early as the sixteenth century it gradually extends its sway to include practically the whole world beyond British shores" (p127).
The part played by the children s common sense evaluation of technology Which is the best house? Which is most economic? Which is most sustainable? Which is the most appropriate building?
Appropriate Technology Education in the Early Years e.g. Houses Which is the best?..the most appropriate?
Scientific literacy in the Early Years
Appropriate Consumption in the Early Years e.g. Toys Which is the best?..the most appropriate?
Siraj-Blatchford, J. (1996) Learning Technology, Science and Social Justice, Education Now Handbook (PDF Chapter 3 ) Siraj-Blatchford J. & MacLeod-Brudenell, I. (1999) Supporting Science, Design and Technology in the Early Years, Open University Press Siraj-Blatchford J. & I.(2004) A Guide to Developing the ICT Curriculum for Early Childhood Education, Trentham Books in association with Early Education john@327matters.org Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2008) 'The implications of early understandings of inequality, science and technology for the development of sustainable societies' Samuelsson, I and Kaga, Y (Eds), The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society. Paris: UNESCO. Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Siraj-Blatchford, J. (2009) Improving children's attainment through a better quality of family-based support for early learning. London: C4EO. http://www.327matters.org http://www.327matters.org/sustainability/index.html