Psychological Foundation

Behaviorism

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

 Father of the Classical Conditioning.

 Stimulus-Response Theory

- is a foundation of a learning practice called indoctrination.

• Pavlov’s work contributed the following influences to the Theory of Behaviorism:

1. Behavior change stems from environmental influence.

2. Learning will be exhibited in an observable behavior change.

3. All behavior comes from the formula stimulus-response.

4. Learning through association.

 The key to learning: for learners in their early years of life is to train them of what you want them to become.

Behaviorism is a psychological theory based around understanding observable behavior.

• The theory posits that adjusting or manipulating the environment of the subject will cause them to react in observable
ways.

• Behaviorists consider the subject to be passive, and learning being something that happens to them, rather than an active
participant in learning.

• Behaviorism has a role in teaching in aiding teachers to understand how the environment affects learners’ behavior as well
as a behavior management tool.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING - A neutral stimulus is paired with – that is, immediately precedes – an unconditioned stimulus a
number of times until it is capable of bringing about a previously unconditioned now called the conditioned response.

• This type of conditioning causes behavior to occur when the associated stimulus is present, regardless of if the original
stimulus is or not.

For example, a child might associate the word test with an unpleasant experience and exhibit avoidance behavior. Or the
word chocolate with excited behavior like smiling and bouncing. In these cases, the word is the associated stimulus that produces
an observable behavioral response, not the actual stimulus itself.

*Classical conditioning associates an undesired or desired outcome with a particular stimulus, which is usually neutral.

OPERANT CONDITIONING - The key to operant conditioning is the immediate reinforcement of a response. The organism first
does something and then is reinforced by the environment. - The organism operates on the environment to produce a specific
effect.

- Learning through consequences

- Applies to voluntary responses

Practical Application:

In a classroom setting, a teacher might utilize operant

conditioning by offering tokens as rewards for good behavior. Students can then turn in these tokens to receive some type of
reward, such as a treat or extra playtime. In each of these instances, the goal of conditioning is to produce some sort of change in
behavior.

Edward Thorndike (1874-1949)

 Championed the Connectionism Theory

 Proposed the three Laws of Learning

o Law of Readiness

o Law of Exercise
 o Law of Effect

• Thorndike’s work contributed the following influences to the Theory of Behaviorism:

1. Specific behavior will form as a result of consistent reinforcement.

2. Both negative and positive outcomes can be influenced by changes in the environment.

3. Behavior that consistently results in an undesired outcome for the subject will go extinct, while behavior that

consistently results in the desired outcome will increase.

 Specific stimulus has specific response.

Connectionism Theory

 Thorndike's view of learning suggests that it consists of associations (or connections) between stimuli and responses.

 The hallmark of connectionism (like all behavioral theory) was that learning could be adequately explained without
referring to any unobservable internal states.

 The Three Laws of Learning

Robert Gagne (1916-2002)

 Proposed the Hierarchical Learning Theory

 Behavior is based on prerequisite conditions.

What is learning to Gagné?

• As outlined in his 9-events of instruction, Gagne believed that learning was ongoing and built continuously on prior
knowledge.

• Humans develop intellectually based on their physical capacity to do so.

• It is through ongoing learning that a human becomes a valuable member of society.

• Even if the input is the same, the learning outcome varies.

• Human behavior is dependent not only on the external environment, but the cognitive process itself.

GAGNE’S NINE EVENTS OF INSTRRUCTION

1. Gain attention: Get the students primed and focused, so they’re ready to learn the topic at hand.
2. Inform learners of the objectives: Tell students what they’ll learn during the lesson to get them in the proper

state of mind and so they can anticipate what they’ll need to do afterward.

3. Stimulate recall of prior learning: Prime students for learning new material by refreshing their memories of

prior-learned content.

4. Present the content: Once the environment is ready and students are receptive and primed, it’s time to teach

the applicable lesson.

5. Provide “learning guidance”: Explain clearly to students what is expected for them to understand and any instructions needed
to achieve successful outcomes.
6. Elicit performance (practice): Instruct students to practice or demonstrate their newfound knowledge so it can

be assessed.

7. Provide feedback: Offer immediate feedback on student tasks that is personalized, constructive, and positive.

8. Assess performance: Conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine how well students met their learning

objectives so learning gaps can be addressed.

9. Enhance retention and transfer: Teachers should do everything possible to help students retain the information

they worked so hard to learn and give them chances to personalize their

learned experience to apply it to their own life or job.

Based on Gagné’s ideas, specific assumptions have been made about his work:

1. Learning requires differentiated instruction and various levels of support.

• As each student has unique prior knowledge, the lessons must always address the complexity and the processing level of
the learner.

• Different strategies will be required to achieve different learning goals.

2. Both internal and external stimuli affect the conditions of learning.

• Just as new abilities are processed internally, the classroom conditions should support the learning process.

• The learning hierarchy outlines the order of instruction as well as what skills should be learned.

Cognitivism

• Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Jean Piaget’s theory states that children construct their understanding of the world and go through four stages of cognitive
development.

A child’s cognitive development is not just about acquiring knowledge, the child has to develop or construct a mental model of the
world.

Cognitive development occurs through the interaction of innate capacities (nature) and environmental events (nurture), and children
pass through a series of stages.

• The sensorimotor stage, in which infants construct an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences.
(Birth-2 years)

• The preoperational stage, children begin connecting sensory information with physical action and represent the world with
images and drawings. (2-7 years)

• The concrete operational stage, in which children can perform operations that involve objects and can reason logically as
long as reasoning can be applied to specific examples. (7-11 years)

• The formal operational stage, Adolescents who reach this fourth stage of intellectual development -- usually at age 11
years-plus -- are able to use symbols related to abstract concepts, such as algebra and science. They can think about
things in systematic ways, come up with theories, and consider possibilities. They also can ponder abstract relationships
and concepts such as justice.

Keys to Learning

 Assimilation (incorporation of new experience)

 Equilibration ( balance between previous and

later learning)

 Accommodation (learning modification and

adaptation)

A schema can be defined as a set of linked mental

representations of the world, which we use both to
understand and to respond to situations. The assumption is that we store these mental representations and apply them when
needed.

The Information Processing theory emphasizes that individuals manipulate information, monitor it, and strategize about it. By
George Miller (1920-2012)

• Focuses on how information is encoded into our memory.

• The theory describes how our brains filter information, from what we’re paying attention to in the present moment, to what
gets stored in our short-term or working memory and ultimately into our long-term memory.

Unlike Piaget’s theory, this approach proposes that cognitive development is ongoing and gradual, not organized into distinct
stages. The areas of basic cognitive changes generally occur in five areas:

 Attention. Improvements are seen in selective attention (the process by which one focuses on one stimulus while tuning
out another), as well as divided attention (the ability to pay attention to two or more stimuli at the same time).

 Memory. Improvements are seen in working memory and long-term memory.

 Processing Speed. With maturation, children think more quickly. Processing speed improves sharply between age five
and middle adolescence, levels off around age 15, and does not appear to change between late adolescence and
adulthood.

 Organization of Thinking. As children mature, they are more planful, they approach problems with strategy, and are flexible
in using different strategies in different situations.

 Metacognition. Older children can think about thinking itself. This often involves monitoring one’s own cognitive activity
during the thinking process. Metacognition provides the ability to plan ahead, see the future consequences of an action,
and provide alternative explanations of events.

 Cognitivism is the basis for most learning theories, as it deals with the way our brains absorb, retain, and recall
knowledge.

 Cognitivism is also crucial in the development of learning new skills and memorizing concepts that would otherwise be
difficult to remember without the connection of neural pathways.

 Cognitivism theory of learning uses the concept that our mind is like a computer and explains how it accesses schema (file
folders) and then uses the stored information to create new learning and store it in a practical place. If the new information
is stored properly and permanently, then learning has taken place.

Lev Vygotsky’s (1986-1934) Socio-cultural Theory, emphasizes how culture and social interaction guide cognitive development.
(Learning in Social Contexts.)

1. Vygotsky places more emphasis on culture affecting cognitive development.

• He argued that children learn from the beliefs and attitudes modeled by their culture.

• Vygotsky assumes cognitive development varies across cultures, whereas Piaget states cognitive development is mostly
universal across cultures.

2. Vygotsky places considerably more emphasis on social factors contributing to cognitive development.

• For Vygotsky, the environment in which children grow up will influence how they think and what they think about.

3. Vygotsky places more (and different) emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development.

• For Vygotsky, cognitive development results from an internalization of language.

• Language is the root of culture.

4. According to Vygotsky adults are an important source of cognitive development.

Adults transmit their culture's tools of intellectual adaptation that children internalize. In contrast, Piaget emphasizes the importance
of peers, as peer interaction promotes social perspective taking.

Keys to Learning

 Language is the basis of learning. It supports other activities such as reading and writing. In addition, he

claimed that logic, reasoning, and reflective thinking were all possible as a result of language.

 Pedagogy creates learning processes that lead to development.

 The Child is an active agent in his or her educational process.

 Cultural-transmission and development stage.

Children could, as a result of their interaction with society, perform certain cognitive actions prior to arriving at the development
stage.

• Learning precedes development.

Howard Gardner (1943)

 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

 Humans have several different ways of processing information, and these ways are relatively independent of one another.

 Intelligence as:

1. The capacity to create solutions to life’s problems.

2. The ability to acquire new knowledge to gather understanding on a topic.

3. A skillset that is useful to the community, whether it be a product or a service.

4. All humans have all nine unique intelligences, potentially more which have yet to be researched.

5. Everyone possesses all nine intelligences in various amounts.

6. Each individual is made up of a unique combination of all nine intelligences.

7. These intelligences are uniquely arranged in each individual’s brain and may or may not work
collaboratively together.

8. Students can experience greater success if learning tasks were directly

related to their developed intelligences.

9. Intelligences can be developed or weakened, ignored or strengthened with

practice.

Humanistic Learning Theory

• Focuses on the idea that children are good at the core and that education
should focus on rational ways to teach the “whole” child.

• The student is the authority on how they learn, and that all their needs should
be met, in order for them to learn well.

The Principles of Humanistic Learning Theory.

• Student choice.

Humanistic learning is student-centered, so students are encouraged to take control over their education.

• Fostering engagement to inspire students to become self-motivated to learn.

Relies on educators working to engage students, encouraging them to find things they are passionate about, so they are
excited about learning.

• The importance of self-evaluation.

Grading students encourages students to work for the grade, but instead of doing things based on their own satisfaction
and excitement of learning.

• Feelings and knowledge are both important to the learning process and should not be separated according to humanistic
psychology.

• A safe learning environment.

They need to feel safe physically, mentally, and emotionally in order to be able to focus on learning.

Gestalt

• Gestalt Theory developed by Fritz Perls (1893-1970)

• Learning is explained in terms of “wholeness” of the problem.

• Humans are best viewed as a whole entity consisting of body, mind, and soul,
 • and best understood when viewed through their own eyes, not by looking back into the past but by bringing the past into
the present.

• Human beings do not respond to isolated stimuli but to an organization or pattern of stimuli.

Keys to Learning

• Learning is complex and abstract.

• Learners analyze the problem, discriminate between essential and non-essential data, and perceive relationships.

• Learners will perceive something in relation to the whole.

• What/how they perceive is related to their previous experience.

• Emphasis on doing and experiencing.

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

• Self-Actualization Theory; Theory of Human Needs.

• A child whose basic needs are not met will not be interested in acquiring knowledge of the world.

• Importance to human emotions, based on love and trust

• Believed that all humans are good and will do the right thing if their needs are met.

• By striving to consider the physical, emotional and cognitive facets of a student you will naturally receive a better outcome.

Key to Learning

 “Produce a happy and healthy learner who can accomplish, grow and actualize his or her human self.“

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

 Non-directive Counselling and Experiential Learning

 Client-centered/Person-Centered Therapy

 Established counselling procedures and methods for facilitating learning.

 Children's perceptions, which are highly individualistic, influence their learning and behavior in the classroom.

Two Categories of Learning:

• Cognitive (meaningless) Learning, which involves academic knowledge, such as multiplication tables, and Experiential
(significant) Learning, which is applied knowledge, such as how to repair a car.

• The key distinction is that experiential learning addresses the needs and wants of the learner, and thus has the qualities of
personal involvement, self-initiation, self-evaluation, and long-lasting effects.

Experiential education, or "learning by doing," is the process of actively engaging students in an authentic experience that has
benefits and consequences.
 • Students make discoveries and experiment with knowledge themselves, instead of hearing or reading about the
experiences of others.

• Students also reflect on their experiences, thus developing new skills, attitudes, and ways of thinking (Kraft & Sakofs
1988).

Key to Learning

• Curriculum is concerned with process, not product; personal needs, not subject matter, psychological meaning, not
cognitive scores.

• All human beings have a natural desire to learn. Therefore, failure to learn is not due to the person's inability to learn, but
rather to problems with the learning situation.

Daniel Goleman (1946)

 Emotional Quotient (EQ)

The 5 Essential components for Emotional Quotient:

• Emotional self-awareness – understanding the emotions that one is feeling.

• Self-regulation – the ability to redirect or control your own emotions.

• Motivation – using emotional intelligence to reach goals, using them when faced with challenges.

• Empathy – the ability to understand and sense the emotions displayed by others.

• Social skills – inspiring others, managing relationships and influencing their responses.

Keys to Learning

• Schools that have a solid level of emotional intelligence saw an improvement in their academic performance as well as
their overall behavior levels.

• Curiosity is stimulated by learning. This, in turn, develops satisfaction or joy as a student immerses in the process of
learning.

Sociological Foundation

Society

• Society as a source of change

 Schools as agents of change

 Knowledge as an agent of change

Education and Society

• Schools exist within, not apart from, social context

• Schools emerges within society

Why schools exists in society?

Is education “neutral”?
Why do we have non-sectarian schools?

Is bias in education alright?

Society as a Source of Change

• Society changes rapidly

• Sometimes education can not cope up with the fast changing society

• Making the “Preparing for students for the world of Tomorrow” is difficult

• Think about what we (society) have today that we don’t have last year, or five years ago, or even ten years ago.

Schools as Agents of Change

• Changing the literacy.

• From 3Rs to cultural literacy, scientific literacy, computer literacy, technological literacy, television(or electronic) literacy,
and information literacy.

• Dealing with diversity of culture.

• Impact of globalization, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

Knowledge as an Agent of Change

Has knowledge grown?

• Explosion of Knowledge.

• What Knowledge Is of Most Worth?

• Organizing Knowledge

Subject-centered or Content-centered

• Areas of Knowledge

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

• Influence of society and social context in education.

• Things that surround individuals can change, develop their behavior.

• Considered two fundamental elements which are schools and civil society.

John Dewey (1859-1952)

 Considered two fundamental elements – schools and civil society to be major topics needing attention and reconstruction
to encourage experimental intelligence and plurality.

 Learning by doing.

Alvin Toffier

 Wrote the book Future Shock,1970

 Believed that knowledge should prepare students for the future.

 Suggested that in the future, parents might have the resources to teach prescribed curriculum from home as a result of
technology, not in spite of it. (Home Schooling)

Paolo Freire (1921-1997)

• Education as a means of shaping the person and society through critical reflections and “conscientization.”

• Teachers use questioning and problem posing approach to raise student’s consciousness

• Emphasis on questioning, problem-posing and critical thinking.

• Book: Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1968

LITERACY

LEARNERS CLASSROOM

Literacy - State of being able to read and write.

- Comes from the word “literate”

- Derived from the Latin word “litteratus”- “a person marked with letters”, “distinguished or identified by letters”- such a
person is cultured and educated.

Three Sub-Categories

1. Basic Literacy - The ability to correspond visual shapes to spoken sounds in order to decode written materials and
translate them into oral language.

2. Comprehension Literacy - The ability to understand the meaning of what is being read.

Ex. Basa – to read

3. Functional or Practical Literacy - The ability to read (i.e., decode and comprehend) written materials needed to perform
everyday vocational tasks.
- Functional Literacy is the level of literacy that includes not only reading and writing but also numeracy skills that would
help people cope with the daily demands of life.

Three things have been critical in the rise of the New Literacies:

Increased Reach – We are communicating with more people, from more diverse cultures, across vaster distances than ever
before.

Increased Means of Communication – We are communicating in more ways and at faster speeds than ever before.

Increased Breadth of Content – We are communicating about more things than ever before.

Multiple Literacy/multiliteracy

a. are multimodal ways of communication,

b. which include communications among different languages,
c. using language with different cultures,
d. and the ability to understand technology and multimedia.

Literacy - "The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials
associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop
their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.” UNESCO

Traditional Literacy Versus New Literacies

• The meaning of literacy has evolved through time. From being simply known as “the ability to read and write”

• Literacy in now viewed as inclusive of other skills needed for one to cope in this fast-paced world

• Traditional literacy is defined as "the quality of being literate; knowledge of letters; condition in respect to education, esp.
ability to read and write."

• It is the building block for all other literacies; without it, they would be impossible to master. (OED Online, "literacy," 2nd
ed.).

• Moreover, foundational or traditional literacy is about print on a page, or decoding and making sense of words, images and
other content that a reader can string together and then begin to comprehend.

• They are the words and pictures students read and pore over that are contained in textbooks, in novels, on standardized
tests, and even in comic books.

• The New Literacies encompass much more, their utility lies in online reading comprehension and learning skills, or 21st
century skills,

• required by the Internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including content found on wikis,
blogs, video sites, audio sites, and in e-mail.
 • They require the ability not just to "read" but also to navigate the World Wide Web, locate information, evaluate it critically,
synthesize it and communicate it - all skills that are becoming vital to success in this century's economy and workforce.

• “New Literacies” that arise from new technologies include things like text-messaging, blogging, social networking,
podcasting, and video-making.

• These digital technologies alter and extend our communication abilities, often blending text, sound, and imagery.

• Although connected to older, “offline” practices, these technologies change what it means to both “read” and “write” texts.
They change the meaning of “text,” as well.

• The 21st Century Education

21st Century Education Contexts:

• Education prepares students for life in this world that can make them communicate, function and create change
personally, socially, economically and politically on local, national and global levels.

• There is a drastic change brought about by the advent of the 21 st Century education in the context of a curriculum,
classroom environment, technology, learners and demands of the job market.

• 21st Century education implies challenges among teachers in the way they need to embrace technological advancement
and instructional innovations.

• With the paradigm shift from 20th to 21st Century education, transformations and transitions are taking place.

• Teachers must be multi-literate, multi-specialist, multi-skilled, self-directed, lifelong learners, flexible, creative problem
solver, critical thinker, emotionally intelligent and passionate for excellent teaching.

The Eight Attributes of 21st Century Education:

1. Integrated and Interdisciplinary. Interfacing various disciplines in an integrated manner rather than compartmentalizing
its subsequent parts.

2. Technologies and Multimedia. Optimum utilization of available Information and Communication Technology (ICT), as
well as multimedia to improve the teaching and learning process, including online applications and technology platforms.

3. Global Classrooms. Producing global citizens by exposing students to the issues and concerns in the local, national,
and global societies.

4. Creating/Adapting to Constant Personal and Social Change and Lifelong Learning. Learning does not end within the
four walls of the classroom. Instead, it can take place anywhere, anytime regardless of age. This means that teachers
should facilitate student’s learning even beyond academics.

5. Student-centered. Education in the 21st Century is focused on students as learners while addressing their needs.

6. 21st Century Skills. Demonstrates the skills needed in becoming productive members of society. Beyond learning the
basic skills of the 3Rs, students should also develop life work skills in the 21 st Century communities, such as critical and
creative thinking, problem-solving and decision-making and ICT literacy skills.

7. Project-based and Research-Driven. Emphasizes data, information and evidence-based decision-making through
student activities that encourage active learning.

8. Relevant, Rigorous and Real World. Education in the 21st Century is meaningful as it connects to real-life

experiences of learners. Implies the use of current and relevant information linked to real-life situations and contexts.

The Three 21st Century Skill Categories

Each 21st Century skill is broken into one of three categories:

1. Learning Skills (the Four C’s) teaches students about the mental processes required to adapt and improve upon a
modern work environment.
2. A literacy Skill (IMT) focuses on how students can discern facts, publishing outlets, and the technology behind them.
There’s a strong focus on determining trustworthy sources and factual information to separate it from the
misinformation that floods the Internet.
3. Life Skills (FLIPS) looks at intangible elements of a student’s everyday life. These intangibles focus on both personal
and professional qualities.

21st Century Skills - a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits

critically important in today’s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and
workplaces.
 1. Critical Thinking - Finding solutions to problems

2. Creativity - Thinking outside the box

3. Collaboration - Working with others

4. Communication - Talking to others

5. Information Literacy - Understanding facts, figures, statistics, and data

6. Media Literacy - Understanding the methods and outlets in which information is published

7. Technology Literacy - Understanding the machines that make the Information Age possible

8. Flexibility - Deviating from plans as needed

9. Leadership - Motivating a team to accomplish a goal

10. Initiative - Starting projects, strategies, and plans on one’s own

11. Productivity - Maintaining efficiency in an age of distractions

12. Social Skills - Meeting and networking with others for mutual benefit

* These skills are intended to help students keep up with the lightning-pace of today’s world.

Each skill is unique in how it helps students, but they all have one quality in common…

21st Century Literacies as the ability to:

• Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;

• Build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively
and strengthen independent thought;

• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes;

• Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;

• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts;

• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments. (NCTE, 2013)

LEARNERS and NEW LITERACIES

• Online research and comprehension is a self- directed process of text construction and knowledge construction.

• Five practices appear to define online research and comprehension processing:

(1) identifying a problem and then

(2) locating,

(3) evaluating,

(4) synthesizing, and

(5) communicating information.

LEARNERS and NEW LITERACIES

• Online research and comprehension is not isomorphic with offline reading comprehension; additional skills and strategies
appear to be required.

• Adolescents are not always very skilled with online research and comprehension.

• Online contexts may be especially supportive for some struggling readers.

• Collaborative online reading and writing practices appear to increase comprehension and learning.

NEW LITERACIES and the CLASSROOM

• How will the role of educators change with the rise of new literacies?

• With a world of digital materials at students’ fingertips, traditional instructional materials like textbooks are no longer
canonical.

• Educators could be even more important as they guide students through the contexts of learning materials, not simply the
content.

• Educators must learn to engage with new technologies and the literacy practices surrounding them

• New literacies will bring about new challenges for schools, because in no small part, new technologies (and the cultural
practices around them) are changing incredibly quickly.

NICHOLSON AND GALGUERA (2013)

Suggests: Five skills that must be taught to address the gap in students’ new literacy skills.

1. The ability to identify questions and frame problems to guide reading on the internet,

2. The capacity to identify information that is relevant to one’s needs,

3. Competence with critically evaluating online information,

4. Facility with reading and synthesizing information from multiple multimedia sources, and

5. Understanding how to communicate with others in contexts where information is learned about and

shared collectively.

Multicultural and Global Literacy

 Multi-cultural Literacy - a term coined by E. D. Hirsch (1983)

- the ability to understand the signs and symbols of a given culture and being able to participate in its
activities and customs as opposed to simply being a passive observer.

• The knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that any communication with a culture different from our own is clear,
productive, and respectful such that their differences are celebrated and neither culture is demeaned or treated as
inferior.

• “Different culture” is not just limited to “someone from another country”, but could also include someone whose
gender, economic background, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or even sense of fashion is different from our
own.

• Multicultural literacy depicts diversity, equity and social justice to foster cultural awareness on discrimination and
oppression toward other ethnicities.

Signs and symbols include:

• Formal and informal languages

• Idioms and forms of expression

• Entertainment

• Norms

• Values

• Laws

• Roles

• Traditions

IMPORTANCE

It broadens the minds on individuals and gives them alternative perspectives on people and things that are different from
themselves.
 It opens the doors for people to engage in a culture other than their own and come up with varying similarities and
differences between the two.

Cultural differences gives individuals the opportunity to alleviate ignorance and grant them a better understanding of
differences and similarities while also giving them a deeper cultural sense of self.

Cultural literacy can branch in so many different directions, from people, to art, religion and many more areas.

BENEFITS TO CHILDREN

1. Becoming more globalized. One has a deeper understanding of things and people around him and the world!

2. Becoming more understanding. When one learns about other people and things different from his/her culture
he/she becomes more understanding of those differences.

3. Embracing others’ differences. One learns to appreciate things that might not be unique (or special to him!)

4. Learn about others. One makes sure he learns about things different from himself.

5. Better Communication- We can communicate, interact, and work

positively with individuals from other cultural groups.

6. Helps Avoid Bad Stereotyping. Having a good cultural diversity helps one to understand the dangers of
stereotyping, or judging people before he knows them individually, and teaches him the importance of learning
about cultural differences (things people do differently from us).

7. Teaches About Others History. Learning and understanding others’ history is a great way to start opening one’s
mind to new things that help him build his cultural literacy.

8. Raises Awareness- Being culturally literate helps to teach one about sensitive issues regarding different cultures,
and group struggles with things like segregation and racism.

IN THE PHILIPPINES

 National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA)

 the government body tasked with the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of Philippine culture, both locally
and abroad.

 Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP)

 established to envision a “nation of culturally literate and empowered Filipinos”

 Cultural literacy in the Philippines is quite a challenge, given that Philippine culture is a complex blend of many indigenous
and colonial cultures.

WHAT MAKES SOMETHING OR SOMEONE “FILIPINO”?

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE MULTI- CULTURALLY LITERATE INDIVIDUAL

• Be selfless- one that is less concerned with “how I feel” and more concerned with “how I am making others feel.”

• Know that good and useful things can (and do) come from those different from us - acknowledging that good ideas and
products have come from culture we may not like.

• Be willing to compromise - a reciprocal adjustment of demands and expectations to accommodate what the other party is
willing to give.

• Accept that there are limits - accepting that you cannot get what you want from a particular source.

• Accept the idea that we cannot be friends with everyone.

Global Literacy

 aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity and social justice.

 it requires awareness and action, consistent with a broad understanding of humanity, the
 planet, and the impact of a human decision on both.

 it also aims to empower students with knowledge and take action to make a positive impact in the world and their local
community (Guo).

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015), a global citizen should possess the following characteristics:

 respect for humans regardless of race, gender, religion or political perspectives;

 respect for diversity and various perspectives;

 promote sustainable patterns of living, consumption, and production; and

 appreciate the natural world and demonstrate respect on the rights of all living things.

Global Competence

 Global competence refers to skills, values and behaviors that prepare young people to thrive in a diverse, interconnected
and rapidly changing world.

 Global competence is a multidimensional capacity. Therefore, globally competent individuals can analyze and rationalize
local, global and intercultural issues, understand and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews, interact
successfully and respectfully with others, and take responsible action toward sustainability and collective well-being
(OECD publication).

Globalization

Globalization can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified

into a single society and function together.

This process is a combination of economic, technological, socio-cultural and political forces.

 Globalization is often used to refer to economic globalization, that is, integration of national economies into the
international economy through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, and the spread of technology.

The process of interaction and integration between people, business entities, governments, and cultures from other
nations, driven by international trade and investment and supported by information technology. (Levin Institute, 2017)

 FINANCIAL LITERACY

The ability to read, analyze, manage, and communicate about the personal financial conditions that affect material well- being.
(National Endowment for Financial Education)

- The ability to discern financial choices, discuss money and financial issues without (or despite) discomfort, plan for the
future, and respond competently to life events that affect everyday financial decisions, including events in the general
economy. (Incharge Education Foundation, 2017)
- The ability to use knowledge and skills to manage one’s financial resources effectively for lifetime financial security
(Mandell, 2009)

Knowledge of financial products

Stocks - stakes of ownership in a company that are given in exchange for cash

Bonds - loans made to a large organizations

Mortgage - debt instrument, secured by the collateral of specified real estate property, that the borrower is obliged to pay back with
a predetermined set of payments

fixed rate mortgage- mortgage loan where the interest rate remains the same through the term of the loan

Adjustable-rate mortgage - mortgage loan in which the interest rate applied on the outstanding balance varies throughout the life
of the loan

inflation- the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily use (food, clothing, transport)

compounding- the process whereby interest is credited to an existing principal amount as well as to interest already paid
diversification- process of shifting an economy away from a single source toward multiple income source

credit score- a numerical expression based on a level analysis of a person’s credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of an
individual

FINANCIAL LITERACY - Having the mathematical skills or numeracy necessary for effective financial decision making

-Being engaged in certain activities such as financial planning

Financial education and advocacy programs of the public and private sectors have been identified as key areas in building an
improved financial system in the Philippines. Go (2017)

DepEd has been mandated to “ensure that economic and financial education becomes an integral part of formal learning. (R.A.
10922: Economic and Financial Literacy Act)

BENEFITS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY

- It determines one’s ability to provide basic needs, attitude toward money and investment, as well as one’s contribution to
the community.
- It enables people to understand and apply knowledge and skills to achieve a lifestyle that is financially balanced,
sustainable, ethical, and responsible.
- It affects one’s financial behavior. These changes in behavior pay dividends to society as well.
FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE PHILIPPINES
-World Bank study in 2014 estimated 20 million Filipinos saved money but only half has bank accounts.
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) study in 2015 revealed that Philippines does not have a national strategy for financial
education and literacy.
-In 2016, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released the national strategy for financial inclusion, stating that while
institutions strive to broaden financial services, financial literacy should also complement such initiatives.
- As per Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Ratings services surveys in 2018, only 25% of Filipinos are financially literate. This
means that about 75% have no idea about inflation, risk diversification, insurance, compound interest, and bank savings.
- Ten years after discovery of the stock market, still less than one percent of Philippine population is invested in it.
- More than 80% of the working middle class have no formal financial plan.

Six Major Characteristic Types in

How People View Money
Incharge,2017

 Frugal - living below means and saving money. Frugal people save money because they believe that money will offer
protection from unprecedented events and expenses.
 Pleasure - using money to bring pleasure to themselves and to others. Pleasure seekers are more likely to spend than to
save. They live beyond their means and spend more that they earn.
 Status - using money to express their social status. They like to purchase and “show off” their branded items.
 Indifference - placing very little importance on having money. They would rather grow their own food and craft their own
clothes. It is as if having too much money makes them nervous and uncomfortable.
 Powerful- using money to express power or control over others
 Self-worth - spending money for self- worth. They value how much they accumulate and tend to judge others based on the
amount of money they have.

ARTS and CREATIVE LITERACY

 the knowledge and understanding required to participate authentically in the arts

 Artistic literacy requires that individuals engage in artistic creation processes directly through the use of

 Artistic literacy requires that individuals engage in artistic creation processes in specific spaces like

Creativity

 Is the process of having original ideas that have value.

 Is the ability to see the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns to make connections between seemingly unrelated
phenomena, and to generate solutions. It involves two processes: thinking, then producing (Naiman, 2011).

Aesthetics - Is the philosophical study of beauty and taste and is concerned with the nature of art and the concepts that are
interpreted and evaluated.

Valuable lessons or benefits that education can learn from arts (Elliot Eisner)

- Form and content cannot be separated. How something is said or done shapes the content of experience.
- Everything interacts; there is no content without form and no form without content.
 - Nuance matters. To the extent to which teaching is an art, attention to nuance is critical.
- Surprise is not to be seen as an intruder in the process of inquiry, but as a part of the rewards and reaps when working
artistically.
- Slowing down perception is the most promising way to see what is actually there.
- The limits of language are not the limits of cognition. We know more than we can tell.
- Somatic experience is one of the most important indicators that someone has gotten it right.
- Open- ended tasks permit the exercise of imagination, and an exercise of the imagination is one of the most important of
human aptitudes.

Characterizing Artistically Literate Individuals

 Use of variety of artistic media, symbols and metaphors to communicate their own ideas and respond to the artistic
communications of others
 Develop creative personal realization in at least one art form in which they continue active involvement as an adult
 Cultivate culture, history, and other connections through diverse forms and genres of artwork
 Find joy, inspiration, peace, intellectual stimulation, and meaning when they participate in the arts
 Seek artistic experiences and support the arts in their communities

Seven Habits of Highly Creative People

1. Prepare the ground. Creativity requires an absorbed mind, a relaxed state of focus and attention by giving the self-sufficient
time and space needed while letting the desire to create from the pleasure of creative expression and inspiration.

2. Plant seeds for creativity. It is important to put attention on what you want to create, not to complaints and set an intention to
produce the desired results.

3. Live in the question. Ask questions, instead of trying to find immediate answers and pay attention to questions that other
people ask.

4. Feed your brain. Get interested in something that later can provide you wisdom and ideas if you learn to make connections
between people, places and things that are not usually connected.

5. Experiment and explore. Follow your curiosity, experiment with ideas, learn from your mistakes therefore, the

quality of your creativity will improve.

6. Replenish your creative stock. You must learn to be self-nourishing and translate hobbies, talents and skills into wonderful
potentials.

7. Liberate creativity. Your child’s play provides the clue to your creativity, potentials and passion.

Issues in Teaching Creativity

Challenges for educators:

• Educate the well- being of learners and shift from the conventional learnings toward academic ability alone

• Give equal weight to the arts, the humanities, and to physical education

• Facilitate learning and work toward stimulating curiosity among learners

• Awaken and develop powers of creativity among learners

• View intelligence as diverse, dynamic and distinct, contrary to common belief that it should be academic ability- geared.

• Creativity can be defined as the process of having original ideas that have value.

• All children have the capacity for innovation and creativity.

MEDIA LITERACY

- The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages across a variety of contexts.

(Christ and Potter, 1998)

- Meme, advertisement, viral video, video game, social media

- The process of critically analyzing and learning to create one’s own messages.(Hobbs, 1998) Like audio, video )
- The ability to identify different types of media from a wide array of sources and understand the messages they bring.
(Hobbs, 1997) (TV, radio, newspapers, handouts, flyers, books, magazines, banners, posters)

The MEDIA
 - Media were created by someone and there are reasons for creating them.
- While the producer of a particular media has an intended meaning behind the communication,
- what actually gets communicated to the consumers depends not only on the media itself but also on the consumers
themselves and on their respective cultures.
- The consumer's perceived meaning is what then develops into how people understand social reality.

• Essential concepts necessary for analysis of media messages:

1. Media messages are constructed.
2. Media messages are produced within economic, social, political, historical, and
aesthetic contexts.
3. The interpretative meaning-making processes involved in message reception
consist of an interaction between the reader, the text, and the culture.
4. Media has unique “languages,” characteristics which typify various forms,
genres, and symbol systems of communication.
5. Media representations play a role in people’s understanding of social reality.

Media Literacy Concepts

1. The ability to critically assess the accuracy and validity of information transmitted by the mass media and produce information
through various forms.

2. Also known as Media Education, it is the ability to realize that all kinds of media show a representation of reality.

3. The process of accessing, decoding, evaluating, analyzing and creating both print and electronic media. (Aufderheide, 1993).

4. It depicts experience of reading texts and designing hypertexts made possible through technology (Hobbs, 2007).

5. It pertains to understanding how to use today’s technology, how to operate equipment, use various software and explore the
Internet.

6. As a 21st Century approach to education, media literacy builds understanding of the role of the media in society, as well as the
essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for democratic citizens.

7. It represents response to the complexity of the ever-changing electronic environment and communication channels.

8. Critical evaluation of media requires the ability to analyze and disseminate various features to others.

9. It is about teaching critical media management strategies, including ICTs in schools and learning centers.

10. It includes the ability to perform effective internet searches, awareness and respect of intellectual property and copyright law
and the ability to identify truth from fake news. (https//www.igi-global.com/dictionary/media-literacy/18156)

• Roles of Media Literacy

1. Learn to think critically. When we evaluate media, decide if the messages make sense, including the key ideas before being
convinced on the information that we get from it.

2. Become a smart consumer of products and information. Learn how to determine whether something is credible, especially
the advertising before you can be persuaded with the products on sale.

3. Recognize point of view. Identifying an author’s perspective helps individuals appreciate different ideas in the context of what
they already know.

4. Create media responsibly. Recognizing one’s ideas and appropriately expressing one’s thoughts lead to effective
communication.

5. Identify the role of the media in your culture. Media conveys something, shapes understanding of the world, and makes an
individual to act or think in certain ways.

6. Understanding the author’s goal. Understanding and recognizing the type of influence something has, people can make better
choices.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL)

- Is a combination of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices requird to access, analyze, evaluate, use, produce, and
communicate information and knowledge in creative,legal and ethical ways that respect human rights (Moscow
Declaration on Media and Information Literacy, 2012).

Seven Dimensions of MIL (Shapiro and Hughes, 1996)

1. Tool Literacy. This is the ability to understand and use practical and conceptual tools of current information technology,
including software, hardware and multimedia that are relevant to education and the areas of work and professional life.

2. Resource Literacy. This is the ability to understand the form, format, location and access methods of information resources.

3. Social-Structure Literacy. This is knowing how information is socially situated and produced, fits into the life of groups about
the institutions and social networks.

4. Research Literacy. It is the ability to understand and use IT-based tools relavant to the work of researchers and scohlars that
include computer software for quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis and simulation.

5. Publishing Literacy. It is the ability to format and publish research and ideas electronically, in textual and multi-media forms.

6. Emerging Technology Literacy. It is the ability to adapt to, understand, evaluate and use emerging innovations in information
technology.

7. Critical Literacy. It is the ability to evaluate critically the intellectual, human and social strengths and weaknesses, potentials
and limits, benefits and costs of information technologies.

WHAT MEDIA LITERACY

IS NOT

Actions that are often mistaken for being representative of media literacy:

Criticizing the media is not, in and of itself, media literacy. However, being media literate sometimes requires that one indeed
criticize what one sees and hears.

Merely, producing media is not media literacy although part of being media literate is the ability to produce media.

Teaching with media (videos, presentations, etc.)does not equal media literacy. An education in media literacy must also include
teaching about media.

Viewing media and analyzing it from a single perspective is not media literacy. True media literacy requires both the ability and
willingness to view and analyze media from multiple positions and perspectives.

Digital Literacy

- also called: e-literacy, cyber literacy and information literacy

- The ability to locate, evaluate, create, and communicate information on various digital platforms.
- The technical, cognitive, and sociological skills needed to perform tasks and solve problems in digital environments.
- The set of competencies on the effective use of digital devices for purposes of communication, expression, collaboration
and advocacy.
- Skills and Competencies comprising digital literacy from contemporary scholars:
(Bawden, 2008)
- Underpinnings - skills and competencies that “support” or “enable” everything else within digital literacy
- *traditional literacy and computer/ ICT literacy (the ability to use computers in everyday life)

Background Knowledge - knowing where information on a particular subject or topic can be found, how information is kept, and
how it is disseminated

► Central Competencies - skills and competencies that most scholars agree on as being core to digital literacy today

- reading and understanding digital and non-digital formats

- creating and communicating digital information

- evaluation of information

- knowledge assembly

- information literacy

- media literacy

► Attitudes and Perspectives - skills and competencies grounded in some moral framework
* independent learning - that initiative and ability to learn whatever is needed for a person’s specific situation

* moral/ social literacy - an understanding of correct, acceptable, and sensible behavior in a digital environment.

Concepts related to Digital Literacy

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks (Cisco).

• These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from
users; or interrupting normal business.

Cyber Citizenship refers to being responsible when using the Internet.

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying by a group or an individual using electronic means usually among minors in a school setting
and has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers.

Cybercrime – Avast defines cybercrime as any criminal activity carried out using computers or the internet.

DIGITAL NATIVES
Popularized by Prensky (2001)

► - generation born during the information age and who has not known a world without computers, the internet, and
connectivity

DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS

► generation that acquired familiarity with digital systems only as adults

SOCIO- EMOTIONAL LITERACY WITHIN DIGITAL LITERACY

“How do I know if another user in a chatroom is who he/she says he/she is?

“How do I know if a call for blood donations on the internet is real or a hoax?

Socio-emotional literacy requires users to be “very critical, analytical, and mature”- implying a kind of richness of experience that
the literate transfers from real life to their dealings online.

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DIGITAL LITERACY

► Teach media and digital literacy integrally.

► Master subject matter.

► Think “multi-disciplinary”.

► Explore motivations, not just messages.

► Leverage skills that students already have.

Social Literacy

• Social literacy is the development of social skills, in a social setting, which helps people to communicate in a respectful
manner, as well as becoming involved in a community.

• It is the development of social skills, knowledge and positive values that engender the desire and ability in human beings
to act positively and responsibly in a whole range of complex social settings.

• It is the knowledge of how to behave and treat other people in a way that is morally upright, just and equitable, with a view
of promoting positive and productive relations that are free from unfair prejudices, hate, and discrimination.

• It’s very important that when in a classroom, the students understand the norms and expected behaviors of one another
so that they can build cooperation amongst each other, as well as positive social dispositions.

Social Skills

Social skills are an integral part of functioning in society as they involve good manners, communicating effectively with others,
being considerate of other’s feelings and expressing personal needs.

Social skills can be attained through:

 1. gaining ideas, information, techniques and perspectives from people with different areas of expertise;

2. providing their own perspective for the benefit of others;

3. accomplishing tasks and working together toward shared goal;

4. providing mutual support for difficult situations;

5. expanding network to learn about and pursue new opportunities;

6. expanding feedback and referrals from people who can personally attest to work, skills and qualities; and making the
school truly a healthy and conducive learning environment.

Types of Social Skills

Social skills teachers can demonstrate among students to attain a harmonious relationship with them.

1. Effective communication. The ability to communicate effectively and shape thoughts and ideas with students through
group conversations, discussions, etc.

2. Conflict Resolution. The ability to get to the source of the problem and find a workable solution by weighing both sides
from the involved with the goal of mediating for reconciliation.

3. Active Listening. The ability to pay close attention to a student in times of counseling, introspection and consultation.

4. Empathy. The ability to understand and identify the feelings of students in times of difficulty and trouble.

5. Relationship management. The ability to maintain relationships and build key connections with school stakeholders for
the student’s development.

6. Respect. It can be done by knowing when to initiate communication and respond during interactions or even in times of
heated arguments and confrontations.

7. Problem-solving skills. These involve seeking help, making effective decisions and accepting consequences to derive
better solutions to the problem.

8. Interpersonal skills. These include the abilities of sharing, joining activities, asking for permission and waiting for one’s
turn in every facet of school undertakings.

9. Strategies for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

by Goleman (1995)

Emotional Intelligence can bring about maintaining a healthy and purposeful relationship with others that may best depict a socially
literate person.

1. Think about feelings. A person has to be sensitive to one’s and other’s feelings to come up with the right manner of approach
or appropriate response.

2. Pause. Taking a moment to stop and think before doing anything to refrain from resorting to an unsound decision at the height of
anger.

3. Strive to control one’s thoughts. This is controlling the reaction to emotions by focusing on one’s thoughts in harmony with
goals and values.

4. Benefit from criticism. Criticism, even not delivered in a favorable way, is an opportunity to learn and it gives idea on how
others think about you.

5. Show authenticity. This is saying what we mean with what we say and we have to stick on to our values and principles.

6. Demonstrate empathy. Whenever we show empathy to others, such as understanding their thoughts and feelings, we can
easily establish a connection with them.

7. Praise others. Acknowledging and appreciating others toward attaining self-fulfillment and building trust.

8. Give helpful feedback. Although negative feedback may hurt one’s feelings, at some point, it can be turned to constructive for
one’s improvement.

9. Apologize. Saying sorry demonstrates humility, a quality that will naturally win others as you value the relationship more than the
ego.

10. Forgive and forget. Forgiving and forgetting prevent others from holding emotions and allowing one to move forward.

11. Keep our commitments. The habit of keeping one’s word in things, either big or small, develops a strong reputation for
reliability and trustworthiness.

12. Helping others. One way to positively win others is through helping them because listening to and helping them can build trust
and inspire them to follow.
13. Protect ourselves from emotional sabotage. This is being wise enough in protecting ourselves when others attempt to
manipulate our emotions for personal sake.

People Skills

People skills are patterns of behavior and behavioral interactions.

- Tools used to communicate and interact effectively with others.

In general, there are three people skills:

1. Ability to effectively communicate, understand and empathize

2. Ability to interact with others respectfully and develop productive working, relationship to minimize conflict and maximize
rapport

3. Ability to build sincerity and trust, moderate behaviors (less impulsive) and enhance agreeableness. (Portland Business
Journal)

Ecological Literacy

• Essential Ecological Concepts

Ecosystem - a community or group of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment

Succession - the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time

Energy Flow - the flow of energy through a food chain

- During the process of energy flow in the ecosystem, plants being the producers absorb sunlight with the help of the
chloroplasts and a part of it is transformed into chemical energy in the process of photosynthesis.

Conservation of Resources - the act of protecting Earth’s natural resources for current and future generations

- It includes maintaining diversity of species, genes, and ecosystems, as well as functions of the environment, such as
nutrient cycling.

Competition - the struggle between two organisms for the same resources within an environment. The resources might be food,
water, or space.

Niche - describes how a species lives and interacts with other organisms in a habitat

- The niche of an organism within an ecosystem depends on how the organism responds and reacts to the distribution and
abundance of these factors, and in turn how it alters the factors.

Materials Cycling - changing fates of nutrients within and between ecosystems, moving from inorganic to organic forms, among
and between both biotic and abiotic environment components. For example, the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, or phosphorous
cycle.

Community - a group or association of populations of two or more different species occupying the same geographical area at the
same time.

Food Webs - represents feeding relationships within a community

- It also implies the transfer of food energy from its source in plants through herbivores to carnivores

Species Diversity - the number of species and abundance of each species that live in a particular location.

- It may include the presence of four or five different species in an area.

Limiting Factor - a resource or environmental condition which limits the growth, distribution or abundance of an organism or
population within an ecosystem (i.e. drought, predator, competitor, parasite, disease)

Carrying Capacity - the number of organisms that an ecosystem can sustainably support

Environmental Sustainability - a state in which demands placed on the environment can be met without reducing its capacity to
allow all people to live well, now and in the future

- a state which meets the human needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs
Ecosystem Fragility - a state of species, communities, or ecosystems that are likely to be strongly damaged by human activities

inverse of ecosystem stability

the degree of change in species abundance and in species composition, following disturbance.

Ecological Adaptation - change in an organism so that it is better able to survive or reproduce, thereby contributing to its fitness

- All adaptations help organisms survive in their ecological niches. Adaptation is the evolutionary process whereby an
organism becomes better able to live in its habitat or habitats.

Ecological Literacy (Ecoliteracy)

- first introduced by David Orr in 1989 in his essay “Ecological Literacy”

- Knowing, caring and practical competence form the foundation for ecological literacy

- Ecoliteracy is the ability to understand the organization of natural systems and the processes that maintain the healthy functioning
of living systems and sustain life on Earth.

- * He emphasized the importance of experience in one’s natural environment that can enable humans to shift perspective from one
of an economic emphasis to one of balance among economics, ecology and culture.

- The ability to understand the natural systems that make life on earth possible.

- The root of environmental crisis is the individual’s inability to think about “ecological patterns, systems of causation, and long- term
effects of human actions. (1994)

To be ecoliterate means understanding the principles of organization of ecological communities (i.e. ecosystems) and using those
principles for creating sustainable human communities.

Ecological literate person understands the dynamics of the environmental crisis, which includes an understanding of how people
have become so destructive.

Identifying students’ ecological literacy levels is a necessary step to investigate their behavior, attitudes, sensitivity and behavioral
intention.

In order to create awareness among students, it is important to foster correct knowledge to ensure positive approach to the
environment. (Hares, Eskonheimo, Myllaytaus & Luukkanen, 2006)

Developing environmentally responsible behavior requires correct knowledge about climate change, the cause of global warming,
carbon emissions, and carbon footprint. (Kuo & Chen, 2009)

Ecological literacy is meant to enable conscious and participant citizens to make informed decisions or take action on
environmental issues. (Jordan, et al, 2009)

Ecoliterate Person of the 21st Century

“The responsible, lifelong learner who strives to improve the human condition and the environment within the context of self, human
groups, the biosphere and the ecosphere” (Dr. Tom Puk, 2002)

Ecological literate person should become:

o an inquirer, who actively secures the basic skills and knowledge in order to carry out ecological responsibilities.

o a reflective learner, who understands the values and limitations of human knowledge, the power and limitations of the
natural world, the role of intuition in real life pursuits, and the role of self as it is manifested in one’s personal narrative.

o intelligently self- directed, who engages in self- appraisal, sets new learning objectives, develops plan to achieve those
objectives, carries out those plans in a flexible inquiry- directed manner, and reflects on the whole process.

o morally responsible, who governs actions with precepts (responsibility, seeking justice and equality for all) that maintain
harmonious relationships.

o ecologically responsible, who embodies ecological ideals in daily life.

o seek self- transcendence, who moves beyond the limitations of personal ego by identifying with human groups (past and
future), flora and fauna, ecosphere that transcend the individual life in scope and time.

- Self-transcendence is a personality trait that involves the expansion of personal boundaries, including, potentially,
experiencing spiritual ideas such as considering oneself an integral part of the universe.

The ecoliterate person of the 21st century has a positive view of life, grounded in the faith of interconnectedness, and has
the capacity to competently perform significant life work and related tasks.
 Such a view enables her to look upon the human experience positively and all living things compassionately.

Seven Environmental Principles of Nature

 Nature knows best
 All forms of life are important
 Everythng is connected to everything else
 Everything changes
 Everything must go somewhere
 Ours is a finite earth
 Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God’s creation

Greening Initiatives

Greening initiatives, although challenging and demanding, yield significant benefits.

 Environmental and economic sustainability

 Reputation as a leader through example

 Economic benefits

 Real-life work experience for students

 Improved quality of life