The document presents a relational teaching approach called "Ecologize education" based on ecological thinking. It proposes a 5-level model for how teachers can conceptualize relationships in a learning community. At each level, teachers should communicate and integrate different relationships, including their relationship with the subject matter, students' relationships with it, and external relationships within families, communities, society, and the global context. The goal is for education to be a context where intentional relationships stimulate learning and development for all participants in a holistic, nested system.

1. ECOLOGIZE EDUCATION PART I RELATIONAL TEACHING APPROACH Rudy Vandamme Ph.D student Tilburg University (EU) [email_address] www.ecologize.net For teachers

3. How can we translate an ecological worldview into a teaching approach? By learning to think, act and communicate relationally. All trained competencies are about ‘how do I/how do you relate to...?’

4. Ecology is not about adding a green topic into a curriculum. It is about understanding that everything is connected with everything. You are interdependent with your environment. Your subject-matter is intertwined with the world by its worldview.

5. So... Not teacher centered Not knowledge centered Not student centered But relationship framed

6. So... ECOLOGIZE education Education is a context in which relationships are intentionally interacting upon each other in order to stimulate learning and development for all participants.

7. FIVE LEVELS ECOLOGIZE TEACHING I present a 5-level model of relational teaching approach Each level represents competencies in how you, teacher, can be part of a relational network. Communicate about all relationships in which you and your students are nested!

8. Level 1: triangulate your communications Teacher communicate his relationship with the subject-matter Teacher collaborate with students Teacher coaches the relationship between students and subject-matter Collaboration Students Teacher Inspiration Learning Subject-matter/knowledge

9. By contrast: oppositional (instead of triangular) Knowledge Teacher is transmitter Students are receivers

10. By contrast: teaching without voice Knowledge Students Teacher is coach

11. By contrast: teacher without voice Subject Selfdirected learning Teacher as facilitator Subgroup Subgroup Subject Subject Subject Subject Colloborative learning amongst students

12. Relational questions, level 1 Do you express your personal passion and negotiations with your subject-matter to students? What common project do you have with your students? Is how students feel and think about the subject-matter brought into communication? Are students been coached in how the subject-matter affects their personal development? How do you communicate that you are learning as well? How is the subject-matter present? What is your unique voice? What do students bring in?

13. Level 2: integrating multiplicity (Hubert Hermans: dialogical self) Each participant is a multiple self ! The multiplicity of each participant makes the learning community more alive. Student role I as curious I as naive I as critical I as I am Teacher role I as expert I as facilitator I as coach I as researcher I as I am I as factual/ I as perspective I as incarnated idea I as historical rooted I as related to someones biography I as developmental Learning community circle Knowledge

15. Training Teachers with I-positions, level 1 & 2 I as program designer I as classroom manager I as cocreator 1 2 8 I as Facilitator I as coach 4 5 7 I as expert I as researcher Students 3 I as I am I as student 6

16. Relational thinking, level 3: integrating extended self (Hubert Hermans: dialogical self) The dialogicality of all participants creates a complex field of interactions that enhance the possibility of development and creativity. Student role My friends My teacher My life world Teacher role My students My husband My child My university My costumers My context My students My media Learning community circle Knowledge

18. Relational thinking, level 4: integrating external relationships The external relationships helps the learning to be embedded in context. Student Teacher Learning community circle Knowledge Academic community Partner Hobby Childen Friends Parents School Colleagues Student job Parents Siblings Hobby Lover Friends Placement Manuals Universities Internet community (Ken Gergen)

20. Relational thinking, level 5: contextual, holarchy Teacher, students, knowledge and their relationships are ‘nested’ in the development of the larger whole, e.g. the society (e.g.powerrelations, cultural patterns, educational reform, professional identity), development of human civilization, global issues (e.g. Peak oil, financial crisis, migrations, ecology, climate change). Student Teacher Learning community circle Knowledge Academic community Partner Hobby Childen Friends Parents School Colleages Student job Parents Siblings Hobby Loved one Friends Internship Manuals Researchers Internet community (Ken Wilber)

22. Ecologize : model of nested education Professional community Society/Culture/Global Local community Students Teacher

23. By contrast Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design . Cambridge: Harvard University Press. In those days in pedagogy the child/student was put in the centre. Not completely isolated, but still isolated in the centre.

24. Ecologize education = teacher + student in the centre of a nested system

25. Reactions, recommendations? Email: rudy@ecologize.net website: www.ecologize.net