Ecological-Literacy

1. Ecological Literacy
Lesson 5

2. Objectives
Define ecological literacy;
Distinguish among environmental literacy, eco-literacy,
and ecological literacy;
Describe an eco-literate person; and
Recognize individual and collective roles in protecting
and rehabilitating the environment and ecosystem.

3. The development of ecological understanding is not
simply another subject to be learnt but a fundamental
change in the way we see the world.
-John Lyle, 1994

4. Ecological Literacy
Refers to an individual’s understanding not only of
ecological concepts, but also of his or her place in the
ecosystem (Meena & Alison, 2009)

5. Ecological Literacy
David Orr in 1998- indicated that knowing, caring, and
practical competence form the foundation for
ecological literacy.
He pointed out that the root of environmental crisis is
the individual’s inability to think about “ecological
patterns, systems of causation, and long-term effect of
human actions.”

6. Ecological Literacy
He emphasized the importance of experience in one’s
natural environment that can enable humans to shift
perspective from one of an economic emphasis to one
of balance amongst economics, ecology, and cultures.

7. Ecological Literacy
Orr argued that the ecologically literate person
understand the dynamics of the environmental crisis,
which includes and understanding of how people have
become so destructive.
Therefore, identifying school students’ ecological
literacy levels is a necessary step to investigate their
behavior, attitudes, sensitivity, and behavioral intention.

8. Ecological Literacy
Kahyaoglu (2009) also stated that positive attitudes and
values towards the environment are occurred with a
good knowledge.
Developing environmentally responsible behavior
requires correct knowledge about climate change, the
cause of global warming, carbon emissions, and carbon
footprint.

9. Ecological Literacy
Ecological literacy is meant to enable conscious and
participant citizens to make informed decisions or take
action on environmental issues (Jordan et al. 2009)
Efforts in this direction include books by experienced
ecologists for the general public, of which two
outstanding examples are Levin (2000) and Slobodkin
(2003).

10. Characterizing an Eco-literate Person
Dr. Tom Puk (2002)- “a responsible, lifelong learner who
strives to improve the human condition and the
environment within the context of self, human groups,
the biosphere, and the ecosphere.”

11. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
An inquirer
-who actively secures the basic skills and knowledge
in order to carry out ecological responsibilities. This also
enables her to reach her own potential and place in the
physical and natural environment.

12. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
A reflective learner
-who understands the value and limitations of
human knowledge, the power and limitations of the
natural world, the role of intuition in real life pursuits, and
the role of self as it is manifested in one’s personal
narrative.

13. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
Intelligently self-directed
-who engages in self-appraisal, sets new learning
objectives, develops plan to achieve those objectives,
carries out those plans in a flexible inquiry-directed
manner, and reflects on the whole process.

14. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
Morally responsible
-who governs actions with precepts (responsibility,
seeking justice and equality for all) that maintain
harmonious relationship.

15. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
Ecologically responsible
-who embodies ecological ideals in daily life

16. To achieve the ultimate goal a person
should become:
Seek self-transcendence
-who moves beyond the limitations of personal ego
by identifying with human groups (past and future), flora
and fauna, ecosphere, that transcend the individual life in
scope and time

17. Environmental Literacy
General Conceptions of Environment
Problem Field of Values
Dominant Educational Objectives
Develop problem-solving skills, from diagnosis to action
Develop a system of ethics
Adopt environmentally responsible

18. Environmental Literacy
Primary Pedagogical Approaches
Cognitive Pragmatic Affective Moral
Example of Strategies
Case study, issue analysis, problem-solving project
Analysis and clarification of values, criticism of social values

19. Ecological Literacy
General Conceptions of Environment
Object of study system
Dominant Educational Objectives
Acquire knowledge of ecological concepts and principles
Develop skills related to the scientific method: observation
and experimentation.

20. Ecological Literacy
Dominant Educational Objectives
Develop systems thinking: analysis and synthesis
Understand environmental realities in view of informed
decision-making

21. Environmental Literacy
Primary Pedagogical Approaches
Cognitive Experiential
Example of Strategies
Observation, demonstration, experimentation
Case study, environmental system analysis, construction of
ecosystem models

22. Eco-literacy
General Conceptions of Environment
Shared resource for sustainable living Gaia
Dominant Educational Objectives
Promote and contribute to economic development that
addresses social equity and ecological sustainably

23. Eco-literacy
Dominant Educational Objectives
Develop the many dimensions of one’s being in interaction
with all aspects of the environment
Develop an organic understanding of the world and
participatory action in and with the environment

24. Environmental Literacy
Primary Pedagogical Approaches
Cognitive, Pragmatic, Holistic, Intuitive/Creative
Example of Strategies
Case study, social marketing, sustainable consumption
activities, sustainable living management project
Immersion, visualization, creative workshops.

25. Significant Benefits of Greening
Initiatives
Environmental and economic sustainability
A system-wide culture of sustainability helps
preserve and enhance what the institution values today
as well as for the future.

26. Significant Benefits of Greening
Initiatives
Reputation as a leader through example
As colleges and universities offer courses in environmental
management, engineering, laws and regulations, and assessment,
greening initiatives provide them opportunities to practice what
they preach and make their mark as environmental leaders.
Colleges and universities need to examine their own
organizations and implement on their own campuses what they
and the public expect their industry to do.

27. Significant Benefits of Greening
Initiatives
Economic benefits
A routine, curriculum-based, environmental audits and
program that reveals waste and inefficiency associated with
campus activities, coupled with the identification of environment-
friendly alternatives, can yield significant cost savings for the
institution.

28. Significant Benefits of Greening
Initiatives
“Real-life” work experience for your students
Environmental audits and pollution prevention evaluations
can be integrated into the curriculum, providing students with
hands-on investigative and problem-solving experience that they
can take with them when they enter the workplace . This
experience not only makes your students more marketable, it also
provides them with the kinds of broad-thinking skills that allow
them to succeed and thrive once they are employed.

29. Significant Benefits of Greening
Initiatives
Improved quality of life in the campus
A Green Campus is a cleaner, safer, and healthier place to
live and work.

30. Ecological Literacy
Is a form of transformative education that
requires shifts in three related areas:
1. Perception (seeing)
2. Conception (knowing)
3. Action (doing)

31. Ecological Literacy
Is a form of transformative education that
requires shifts in three related areas:
1. Perception (seeing)
2. Conception (knowing)
3. Action (doing)

32. Ecological Literacy
From parts to whole- subjects are to be taught as
integrated not as isolated units in the curriculum.
From objects to relationships- an ecosystem is a
community. Communities are characterized by sets,
networks, or relationship. School put premium on
relationship-based processes such as cooperation,
collaboration, and decision-making by consensus.

33. Ecological Literacy
From objective knowledge to contextual knowledge-
this shift requires one to explain properties of the parts
within the context of the whole or in terms of
environments and systems.

34. Ecological Literacy
From quantity to quality-assessments have traditionally
emphasized standardized testing in terms of quantities,
numeric scores, and measurements. Schools are
challenged to design assessment more adequate than
the standardized tests if they are to practice this
principle.

35. Ecological Literacy
From structure to process- systems are dynamic and
evolving. Thus, the understanding of living structures is
linked to understanding renewal, change, and
transformation. This shift is embodied in project-based
learning, which highlights the application of knowledge
within evolving real-life contexts.

36. Ecological Literacy
From contents to pattern- when we draw maps of
relationships, we discover certain configurations of
relationships that appear again and again. We call these
configurations patterns. Instead of focusing on what a
living system is made of, we study patterns

37.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmVLcj-XKnM
 #NatureIsSpeaking