Environmental and Sustainability Education

Professional Development Guidelines

Updated 2010

PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT

Prepared by OSPI in cooperation with the Environmental Education Association of Washington

(An earlier version of these guidelineswas reviewed by over 30 environmental and sustainability education professionals whose comments are incorporated in this draft.)

Please provide feedback/comments to Gilda Wheeler,

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Program Supervisor, Environmental & Sustainability Education

Environmental and Sustainability Education

Professional Development Guidelines

Introduction

The Environmental and Sustainability Education Professional Development Guidelines are designed to assist non-formal (outside the classroom) and formal (classroom) environmental and sustainability educators to effectively facilitatelearning and engageall learners in WashingtonState.

Theseguidelines reflect a synthesis of the North American Association of Environmental Education Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators (2004) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’sWashington State Professional Development IN ACTION Guidelines (2006).The purpose of synthesizing these two sets of guidelines is to ensure that environmental and sustainability education in WashingtonState meets both national and state professional development standards.

These guidelines describe the personalized processes that learners need to be engaged in for environmental and sustainability education to have the most positive impact on learning. The guidelines are for educators but focus on the needs of the learner. They place an emphasis on educators engaging learners in co-creating their learning experience.The guidelines include five major elements, each with a subset of components and indicators to achieve positive learning impacts.Environmental and sustainability education provides the perfect context to effectively attain this research-based learning approach.

Who are Environmental and Sustainability Educators?

Environmental and sustainability educators work in a variety of settings, at a variety of jobs. They teach in public and private classrooms, and lead activities for children and adults at non-formal educational institutions such as nature centers, zoos, museums, outdoor learning centers, and parks. They work for aquaculture and forestry businesses. They teach at universities in education, environmental studies, art, geography, natural resource, and science programs. They develop curriculum materials, put on public awareness events and administer national, state, and local programs. Regardless of the setting, these guidelines outline the strategies that will help educators to personalize learning and effectively foster environmental and sustainability literacy.

The guidelines apply to:

  • The professional development of environmental and sustainability educators who work in both non-formal and formal educational settings, offering programs at the pre-kindergarten through adult levels.
  • Professional environmental and sustainability educators as well as for those for whom environmental and sustainability education is just one of their responsibilities.
  • Practitioners of environmental and sustainability education seeking to ensure that their curricula meet the expectations of the professional organizations leading the field.

Guideline Format

The Environmental and Sustainability Education Professional Development Guidelines include elements, components, and indicators. Elements represent the big overarching ideas, the components further define those ideas, and the indicators show how one would measure the degree to which an educator is meeting the guidelines. Following the guideline language is a checklist/rubric that educators can use to gauge where they are on the spectrum and in what areas they might focus their professional development.

Background Information

The Environmental and Sustainability Education Professional Development Guidelines represent a synthesis of NAAEE’sand OSPI’s professional development guidelines. A brief overview of those documents is provided below.

NAAEE Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators

The NAAEE guidelines are a set of recommendations about the basic knowledge and abilities educators need to provide high-quality environmental education. The NAAEE guidelines present an overview of the abilities and knowledge of a well-prepared environmental educator.These can be downloaded at:

WashingtonState Professional Development IN ACTION Guidelines

WashingtonStateProfessional Development IN ACTION is intended to assist schools and districts choosing to work toward personalizing student learning. They have been developed to directly and intentionally address the learning needs of all WashingtonState students. These can be downloaded at:

Environmental and Sustainability Education

Professional Development Guidelines

Five Major Elements

1.Environmental and Sustainability Educators Develop the Art and Science of a Professional.

2. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Structured for Learner Understanding.

3. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Designed to Engage and Support All Learners.

4. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Culturally Competent, Inclusive, Collaborative, and Technologically Appropriate.

5. Environmental and Sustainability Education Uses Assessment and Evaluation to Direct Learning.

Elements and Components

1. Environmental and Sustainability Educators Develop the Art and Science of a Professional.

1.1Educators provide the interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental and sustainability education.

1.2Educators emphasize education rather than advocacy.

1.3Educators understand environmental and sustainability education as a profession that maintains consistent and high standards for instruction and professional conduct.

1.4Educators form partnerships with parents, families, and community members to meet the needs of all learners.

1.5Educators demonstrate a basic understanding of the goals, theory, practice, and history of the field of environmental and sustainability education and use these understandings to build their own practice.

1.6Educators are reflective practitioners.

2. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Structured for Learner Understanding.

2.1Learners acquire the understandings and skills associated with environmental and sustainability education.

2.2Learners think critically about environmental and sustainability issues and take personal and civic responsibility.

3. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Designed to Engage and Support All Learners.

3.1Learning experiences include interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental and sustainability education.

3.2Learners engage in relevant and meaningful learning experiencesto become environmentally and sustainability literate citizens.

3.3Learners experience a positive, safe, supportive, and conducive learning environment both indoors and outside.

4. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Culturally Competent, Inclusive, Collaborative, and Technologically Appropriate.

4.1Learners prepare to live and work in a multicultural world.

4.2Learners work in collaboration with others.

4.3Learners extend learning into life experience.

4.4Learners are technologically competent and use appropriate technology to further their understanding of environmental and sustainability issues.

5. Environmental and Sustainability Education Uses Assessment and Evaluation to Direct Learning.

5.1Learners know how standards of quality assessment are used by others to evaluate their learning.

5.2Learners are supported in the planning and assessment of their learning by instructors, parents, community members, and other learners.

Elements, Components, and Indicators

1. Environmental and Sustainability Educators Develop the Art and Science of a Professional.

1.1Educators provide the interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental and sustainability education.

  • Educators use environmental and sustainability education as an integrating context to effectively teach core subject areas (e.g. science, social studies, math, and language arts).
  • Educators are proficient in and use hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching strategies.
  • Educators use the natural and built environments in their teaching.

1.2Educators emphasize education rather than advocacy.

  • Educators promote learning through understanding and provide accurate, balanced, and effective instruction—not by promoting a particular view about environmental, economic, and social conditions, issues, or actions.

1.3Educators understand environmental and sustainability education as a profession that maintains consistent and high standards for instruction and professional conduct.

  • Educators advocate equity, ethics, integrity, excellence, and respect to support all members of the educational community.
  • In formal educational settings educators know how to teach to Washington State Standards (Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Grade Level Expectations).
  • Educators access, evaluate, and use a range of environmental and sustainability education materials and resources.
  • Educators remain current in their content field/subject area(s).
  • Educators participate in professional activities to further their own understandings and skills in the environmental and sustainability education field.

1.4Educators form partnerships with parents, families, and community members to meet the needs of all learners.

  • Educators identify and meet learning needs of traditionally under-served populations.
  • Educators communicate appropriately with and engage parents, families and/or other community members.
  • Educators are knowledgeable of and use appropriate community resources to assist in their teaching.

1.5Educators demonstrate a basic understanding of the goals, theory, practice, and history of the field of environmental and sustainability education and use these understandings to build their own practice.

  • Educators know the defining characteristics and goals of environmental and sustainability education and how the fields have changed over time and continue to change.
  • Educators understand that environmental and sustainability education takes place in a variety of settings and that sources of support, program requirements, and other factors vary from context to context.

1.6Educators are reflective practitioners.

  • Educators check on their effectiveness throughout instruction, and evaluate their effectiveness after instruction.
  • Educators receive and respond to feedback from members of the learning community (i.e.: learners, parents, administrators, colleagues, and community partners).
  • Educators analyze their practices using standards and educational research tools.
  • Educators collect, analyze, and share evidence of how professional growth positively impacts learning.

2. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Structured for Learner Understanding.

2.1Learners acquire the understandings and skills associated with environmental and sustainability education.

  • Learners acquire knowledge about environmental and sustainability processes and systems including:
  • The Earth as a physical system;
  • The natural environment and ecosystems (local, regional, and global);
  • How humans adapt to and change their environment;
  • Interdependence of life;
  • Social dynamics of community decision making and regulations;
  • How society, economy, and the environment are interconnected.
  • Learners acquire and use appropriate skills associated with environmental and sustainability education including:
  • Basic modes of Inquiry (question, interpret, hypothesize, and synthesize);
  • Gather and organize information;
  • Interpret and synthesize information from a variety of sources and perspectives;
  • Effectively communicate their ideas based on evidence.

2.2Learners think critically about environmental and sustainability issues and take personal and civicresponsibility.

  • Learners have adequate time to ask questions about their surrounding world, consider dilemmas, identify their initial thoughts and preconceived ideas, explore multiple resources and perspectives on their own, and develop options and courses of action.
  • Learners articulate, evaluate, and adjust their thinking – they are able to track (through journaling or other means) how their understandings of concepts and issues change and deepen over time.
  • Learners are motivated and empowered to act on their own informed conclusions about environmental and sustainability issues.
  • Learners cultivate an understanding of the effects and impacts of what they do as individuals and in the larger community.

3. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Designed to Engage and Support All Learners.

3.1Learning experiences include interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental and sustainability education.

  • Learners use developmentally-appropriate and research-based learning materials.
  • Learners experience a range of instructional methods that are particularly suited to environmental and sustainability education (e.g.: inquiry-based, hands-on, experiential, place-based, problem/project-based, outdoors).
  • Learners work individually and in groups using skills and strategies that meet the needs of, yet challenge, all learners.

3.2Learners engage in relevant and meaningful learning experiencesto become environmentally and sustainability literate citizens.

  • Learners are individually committed, motivated to learn, and take ownership of their learning.
  • Learners, as is age appropriate, take more and more responsibility for what they do as individuals and in groups with awareness and thoughtful judgment of their actions.

3.3Learners experience a positive, safe, supportive, and conducive learning environment both indoors and outside.

  • Learners engage in open inquiry and investigation, especially when considering environmental and sustainability issues that are controversial and require learners to seriously reflect on their own and others’ perspectives, behaviors, and actions.
  • Learners know everyone in the learning environment receives “fair” treatment, has a “voice,” and are appropriately listened to, especially where differing viewpoints and interpretations of information about environmental or social problems and their potential solutions are explored.

4. Environmental and Sustainability Education Is Culturally Competent, Inclusive, Collaborative, and Technologically Appropriate.

4.1Learners prepare to live and work in a multicultural world.

  • Learners recognize and value the contributions of others.
  • Learners understand cultural diversity and develop cultural competency, displaying knowledgethat their cultural identity is respected and respect the cultural identity of others.
  • Learners use culturally respectful learning materials and curriculum and are able to identify bias in material.

4.2Learners work in collaboration with others

  • Learners understand how groupswork effectively and they are able to work with others.
  • Learners know the personal strengths and weaknesses they bring to group work.

4.3Learners extend learning into life experience.

  • Learners apply their learning about the environment and sustainability to life-long and community learning contexts.
  • Learners apply their learning by exhibiting appropriate community behaviors where they live, work, and play.
  • Learners learn about diverse roles and career opportunities in the environmental and sustainability fields.

4.4Learners are technologically competent and use appropriate technology to further their understanding of environmental and sustainability education.

  • Learners develop technological competencies to integrate technology into their learning and are familiar with a range of technologies available to assist their learning.
  • Learners access and use technical equipment responsibly.
  • Learners understandthe role of appropriate technology in helping to solve environmental and social issues.

5. Environmental and Sustainability Education Uses Assessment and Evaluation to Direct Learning.

5.1Learners know how standards of quality assessment are used by others to evaluate their learning.

  • Learners know the relationship between their learning targets (standards) and assessments.
  • Learners track their progress using a variety of appropriate methods and sources such as portfolios, field notebooks, and journal entries.
  • Learners reflect (meta-cognate) on their learning process.

5.2Learners are supported in the planning and assessment of their learning by instructors, parents, community members, and other learners.

  • Learners are active partners in the assessment of their learning with their peers, parents and/or other members of the community.
  • Learners support each other in assessment of learning.

Environmental and Sustainability Education

Professional Development Guidelines

Checklist

Element 1
Environmental and Sustainability Educators Develop the Art and Science of a Professional.
Components / Indicators / Rating
1
Below Standard (occurring infrequently or not at all) / 2
At Standard
(occurring 50% or more of the appropriate times) / 3
Above Standard
(occurring at all the appropriate times)
1.1 Educators provide the interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental and sustainability education. / Educators use environmental and sustainability education as an integrating context to effectively teach core subject areas (e.g. science, social studies, math, and language arts).
Educators are proficient in and use hands-on, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching strategies.
Educators use the natural and built environments in their teaching.
1.2 Educators emphasize education rather than advocacy. / Educators promote learning through understanding and provide accurate, balanced, and effective instruction—not by promoting a particular view about environmental, economic, and social conditions, issues, or actions.
1.3 Educators understand environmental and sustainability education as a profession that maintains consistent and high standards for instruction and professional conduct. / Educators advocate equity, ethics, integrity, excellence, and respect to support all members of the educational community.
In formal educational settings educators know how to teach to Washington State Standards (Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Grade Level Expectations).
Element 1
Environmental and Sustainability Educators Develop the Art and Science of a Professional.
Components / Indicators / Rating
1
Below Standard (occurring infrequently or not at all) / 2
At Standard
(occurring more than 50% of the appropriate times) / 3
Above Standard
(occurring at all the appropriate times)
1.3 Educators understand environmental and sustainability education as a profession that maintains consistent and high standards for instruction and professional conduct. / Educators access, evaluate, and use a range of environmental and sustainability education materials and resources.
Educators remain current in their content field/subject area(s).
Educators participate in professional activities to further their own understandings and skills in the environmental and sustainability education field.
1.4 Educators form partnerships with parents, families, and community members to meet the needs of all learners. / Educators identify and meet learning needs of traditionally under-served populations.
Educators communicate appropriately with and engage parents, families and/or other community members.
Educators are knowledgeable of and use appropriate community resources to assist in their teaching.
1.5 Educators demonstrate a basic understanding of the goals, theory, practice, and history of the field of environmental and sustainability education and use these understandings to build their own practice. / Educators know the defining characteristics and goals of environmental and sustainability education and how the fields have changed over time and continue to change.