Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Why is it important to learn other perspectives?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Is sex-role stereotypes ever going to end?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Do you think we can find our way back?
“We live in a culture that dismisses the significance of an ecological identity, a culture that encourages us to move around, rather than by intimate connection to the land, the sky, the air. Any place can be home.” Ann Pelo mentioned this quote in the book Rethinking Early Childhood Education. This explains our generation people don’t really have a place called home. I believe we are taking things for granted. For example, in Hawaii people built golf courses, homes, buildings, and hotels on secret Hawaiian lands. Technology, economy, government, and political reasons are destroying many Hawaiians that cherish their lands and nature.
Another example, countries building transportation, cutting down tree, and wasting water. These actions affect our environment and health. If we just conserve, recycle, and reuse items, we can teach children and others great habit to save our earth.
As teachers we need to teach children how to connect to a place, find their ecological identity, and help shape themselves to their own culture and social identity. We need to show children different emotions, perspectives, and use collaboration to start this journey. When children have these connections they begin to be confident with learning and comfortable in their own skin.
Ways to support or help engage these concepts are to read books and have activities that relate to endangered species, rainforest, pollution, recycling, and different cultural connections to the earth. From doing these activities and reading children broaden their perspectives about our environment and lifestyles. Children will begin to appreciate where they live and contribute great actions on how to take care of our environment.