Reply To: Your thoughts on the case studies.

[Anonymous]

#6160

I, Jacob Florian Chawala, declare that I have read all news articles and listened to all case studies shown in youtube videos. Among all these, I have enjoyed Youtube video #4, the video that reports on the Zimbabwe Sustainability Starts with Teachers Change Project Peer Review Meeting hosted in Harare in 2019. As a student with visual impairment, I did not enjoy other three Youtube videos because those videos were full of music background, and what was demonstrated was not articulated. So I just enjoyed the Music but I did not get messages portrayed in those videos.
Basing on Video #4 and news articles, I have learnt that:
1. Some ESD Change Project Examples include:
• curriculum innovation ESD Change Projects for ECD, Secondary and Primary education and TVET,
• action learning ESD Change Projects drawing on heritage knowledge and experience,
• place-based community engagement ESD Change Projects, and
• teaching practice ESD Change Projects.
2. ESD can be integrated in the curricula, all disciplines, policies, primary education, secondary education, teacher education, tertiary education, and the like.
3. When teaching, use real technology or real objects from the natural environment. Do not use things which cannot even found in the students home.
4. I now know that there are several Actions for ESD towards 2030. For example:
• There are some countries such as Zambia and Malawi have already embarked in drafting a National Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development;
• SADC has drafted an ESD Strategy;
• There are some countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Tanzania have already embarked in the Sustainability Starts with Teachers programme.

All these case studies have influenced my thinking about your ESD Change Project. Instance:
1. Formerly, I was thinking that ESD and Change Project are two different things: you cannot integrate ESD in various change projects. Now I have learnt that, in the sustainable world, ESD and change projects are inseparable.
2. As a college tutor and a facilitator, these ESD examples have changed my philosophy of life, my ways of looking things: I am now looking into things into ESD point of view in that whatever I am doing, whatever I am facilitating should have an agenda of change in it: students should be able to change their behavior when learning; curricula should be inclusive; other disciplines should be developed using the local natural environment daily observed by students.
3. ESD has added to me things to consider when developing projects. Formerly, I was drafting various projects considering gender, age, and disability status, without having an agenda of ESD, or an agenda of change in mind.

To conclude, I feel that I am late by knowing ESD now. I wish I could know it before. I would like my country, Tanzania, to emulate examples of SADC and some countries such as Zambia and Malawi to quickly draft a National Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development. When creating youtube videos for case studies, also consider auditory learners like persons with visual impairment. Make sure that what is demonstrated is also articulated. For instance, messages demonstrated in video 1, 2, and 3 were not inclusive, not understood by participants with visual impairment, like me! For a participant with visual impairment to understand what is in these videos, he/she has to seek an assistance from a sighted person. Since we preach on self-independence, self-confidence, accessibility, and inclusivity, these videos and others of this nature should be rectified to be understood by all regardless of their diversities. Remember, ESD and change projects should start from you, our facilitators!