Teacher trainers at Serowe College in Botswana have come up with an innovative solution: creating teaching materials from recycled rubbish.
Teacher trainers and student teachers collect, sort and clean waste material. Waste material is then used to create different learning tools like musical instruments, masks and toys. Student teachers are afforded the opportunity to explore their creative talent during this process. This is particularly important as the 2019 Teaching Practice report stated that “students displayed challenges in varying activities [and] …lacked creativity” (p.3). This report coupled with the unsightly dump at the college inspired Taswika Kanasi, the Head of Department in Music Education at Serowe College, to start a Change Project on creating resources from waste material. She realized that student teachers were depending on commercial resources to employ practical exercises in the Department of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
Kanasi is a participant of the Sustainability Starts with the Teachers Capacity Building Programme funded by Swedish International Development Association (SIDA) and implemented by UNESCO ROSA. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in teacher education institutions for teachers and educators. Kanasi said:
“The capacity building programme and training came at the right time. I found it rightful to engage in this Change Project in order to teach student teachers how to practically make their own resources and teach the young ones too”
Change Projects are institutional change initiatives to support the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into teacher education. Trading under the name “Development of ECCE materials to by student teachers and pupils”, the Change Project promotes transformative learning for students while it also instils a sense of love for their environment.
Kanasi is one of the panel members of the Development of the Botswana General Certificate for Secondary Education (BGCSE) outcome-based syllabus. She has therefore taken a deliberate effort to show the value of ESD to the officers and teachers in the (panel). Incorporating ESD into the Syllabus will ensure lifelong transformative learning.
I like the project. Teachers are facilitated with skills which in turn are expected to instill in young learners. I am an ECD teacher educator, so this is inspiring.
I like the project because teachers will model the same to learners while instilling a sense for love for their environment
O projecto é uma das saídas para o saneamento do meio. Assim é um meio educativo para o reaproveitamento dos recursos como rege a lei da natureza: pois, nela nada nada see perde mas sim, de transforma.
The change project was a good one as it enabled students to realise that various learning and teaching materials can made from recycle rubbish. On the other hand there a value of keeping the environment clean that the students acquire as they conduct the project
This change project is very elaborate and interesting in as far as it draws from local environment, institutional and national education objectives, and instills a sense of environmental care through learning or education. It is very practical and learner centred to the extent that it is likely to instill lifelong skills in the children, trainee teachers, teacher educators and the local community at large.
A very inspiring project indeed. However, this case study also provides an opportunity in terms of behavioral transformation by the wider community of the institution particularly when it comes to garbage disposal practices. While the project created transformative change in re-using rubbish into learning tools, maximum transformation lies in empowering the community at the institutions with environmental friendly rubbish disposal practices
Creativity and innovation starts here, where everyone is allowed to use even waste material to develop their creative talents. I so much love the idea. Its not unique though, but very important for addressing the issue of waste material within the College premises.
Just keen to know what will happen to the project once all waste has been collected and used for all that creative work. Will it be sourced from outside?
Maua Omari Mabunda.
Hands on activities will arouse the interest in SD practices
Hence cultute and attitudes will change towards sustainable
This is a good change project which could be extended to other departments in the college if any. They could also use waste such as plastic bottles to make waste bins for disposing off dry waste in classrooms. They could also make some science articles using wire and plastic which could decorate the surroundings.
Very impressive to use a practical change project to stimulate creativity and innovation skills of learners whilst addressing both educational challenge due to lack of resources and environmental challenge (waste) and stimulating love for environment.
Re-use it or use it, Botswana change project is a good one as it engaged student teachers to realise their potential in re-using waste for production of teaching resources, a practice which could assist to reduce the challenge of scarcity of teaching resources at a school. This change project developed in student teachers the spirit of resourcefulness and good waste management skills. Through the same, they also developed holistic education which is crucial for sustainable development.
Maua Omari Mabunda.
Use and re use should also consider the nature of Materials Other need expert to make it safe for father use
The project is inspirational and very simple yet the impact is huge.
Small, focused doable, and easy to achieve.
Como docente de educadores de infância e técnicos de desenvolvimento e educação de infância fico feliz em perceber que a prática é possível e gera mudanças significativas na nossa forma de ser e estar no ambiente e na aprendizagem com recursos didácticos.