We have looked at skills for sustainable communities and a futures approach to learning. Having considered these through the learners' geographical experience you might like to now re-consider the locations and concepts in text books, and other resources, in terms of how they serve and supplement this personalised teaching and learning - and not the other way around.
It has been suggested that we are responsible for striking a positive tone in our teaching and learning about communities. We can make better places. However, David Hicks does quote a caveat about visioning:
'We should say immediately for the sake of sceptics that we do not believe it is possible for the world to envision its way to a sustainable future. Vision without action is useless. But action without vision does not know where to go or why to go there. Vision is absolutely necessary to guide and motivate action. More than that, vision, when widely shared and firmly kept in sight, brings into being new systems.'
(Meadows et al, 1992)
References
ASC (2007) In a nutshell, Leeds: Academy for Sustainable Communities. This course is now called 'Understanding Place Making'. See the HCA.
Hicks, D. W. (2006) Lessons for the Future: the missing dimension in education, Oxford: Trafford Publishing. Further details on the Trafford website.
Meadows, D., Meadows, D. and Randers, J. (1992) Beyond the Limits: Global Collapse or a Sustainable Future, London: Earthscan.
Morgan, Alun (2006) 'Teaching geography for a sustainable future' in Balderstone, D. (ed) Secondary Geography Handbook, Sheffield: Geographical Association.
Popper, K. (2002) The Lesson of this Century, London: Routledge.
Taylor, L. (2005) Re-presenting Geography, Cambridge: Chris Kington Publishing.
Wellsted, E. (2006) 'Understanding "distant" places' in Balderstone, D. (ed) Secondary Geography Handbook, Sheffield: Geographical Association.
Nick Hopwood's (Oxford University) Think Piece focuses on learners' perspectives and includes a revealing document 'Illustrating Pupils' views on ESD in geography'.
Cowan, R. (2001) Placecheck: a users' guide, London: Urban Design Alliance. The full Placecheck list of questions (Parts A, B and C) is available here.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is the government's advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. It presents links to a range of tools for evaluating the urban environment on this section of its website.
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