The NAAEE Guidelines at a Glance
Theme # 1 - Environmental Literacy
Environmental Educators must possess the understandings, skills and attitudes associated with environmental literacy. Educators must gain a working knowledge of the content and skills they will be teaching, with a mastery, at minimum, appropriate to the grade level at which they will be teaching.
1.1 Questioning, analysis and interpretation skills
Developing environmental literacy depends on a willingness and ability to ask questions about the surrounding world, speculate and hypothesize, seek and evaluate information, and develop answers to questions. Environmental literacy requires a familiarity with some basic modes of inquiry, a mastery of fundamental skills for gathering and organizing information, and an ability to interpret and synthesize information and communicate explanations.
1.2 Knowledge of environmental processes and systems
Environmental literacy hinges on understanding the processes and systems that comprise the environment, including human social systems and their influences. That understanding is based on knowledge synthesized from across the traditional disciplines (especially the natural and social sciences) and includes knowledge about: the Earth as a physical system; the living environment; humans and their societies; and how society and the environment are linked.
1.3 Skills for understanding and addressing environmental issues
Environmental literacy includes the abilities to learn about, evaluate and act on environmental issues. The skills and knowledge outlined in the first two guidelines (1.1, questioning and analysis skills and 1.2, knowledge of environmental processes and systems) are applied and refined in the context of these issues – the real-life dramas where differing viewpoints and interpretations of data about environmental problems and their potential solutions are played out.
1.4 Personal and civic responsibility
Environmental literacy is activated by individual commitment. Environmentally literate citizens are motivated and empowered to act on their own informed conclusions about what should be done to ensure environmental quality. In developing and applying concept-based learning and skills for inquiry, analysis and action, people cultivate an understanding that what they do as individuals and in groups makes a difference.
Theme # 2 - Foundations of Environmental Education
Environmental educators must demonstrate a basic understanding of the goals, theory, practice and history of the field of environmental education. This knowledge provides a solid foundation on which educators can build their own practice.
2.1 Fundamental characteristics and goals of environmental education
Educators understand environmental education as a distinct field and know its defining characteristics and goals.
2.2 How environmental education is implemented
Educators understand that environmental education takes place in a variety of settings and that sources of support, program requirements and other factors vary from context to context.
2.3 The evolution of the field
Educators are familiar with how the field of environmental education has changed over time, and how it continues to change.
Theme # 3 - Professional Responsibilities of the Environmental Educator
Environmental educators must understand and accept the responsibilities associated with practicing environmental education. In their pre-service and in-service preparation, educators should come to understand environmental education as a profession that maintains consistent and high standards for instruction and professional conduct.
3.1 Exemplary environmental education practice
Educators understand their responsibility to provide environmental education that is appropriate, constructive, and aligned with the standards of the field.
3.2 Emphasis on education, not advocacy
Educators understand that their commitment as environmental educators is to provide accurate, balanced and effective instruction – not to promote a particular view about environmental conditions, issues, or actions.
3.3 Ongoing learning and professional development
Educators are aware of the need to be active learners in their professional lives.
Theme # 4 – Planning and Implementing Environmental Education
Environmental educators must combine the fundamentals of high-quality education with the unique features of environmental education to design and implement effective instruction. Their professional preparation should enable educators to provide the interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative learning opportunities that are central to environmental education.
4.1 Knowledge of learners
Educators know how to tailor instructional approaches to meet the needs of, yet challenge, different learners.
4.2 Knowledge of instructional methodologies
Educators are familiar with and can employ a range of instructional methods that are particularly suited to environmental education.
4.3 Planning for instruction
Educators are able to plan age-appropriate environmental education instruction and programs that meet specific instructional goals.
4.4 Knowledge of environmental education materials and resources
Educators are aware of a range of materials and resources for their environmental education efforts and understand how to access, evaluate and use these resources.
4.5 Technologies that assist learning
Educators are familiar with a range of technologies available to assist student learning.
4.6 Settings for instruction
Educators understand the importance of a safe and conducive learning environment both indoors and outside.
4.7 Curriculum planning
Educators are familiar with ways of including environmental education in the curriculum.
Theme # 5 – Fostering Learning
Environmental educators must enable learners to engage in open inquiry and investigation, especially when considering environmental issues that are controversial and require learners to seriously reflect on their own and others’ perspectives.Educators’ training should prepare them to foster an environment, including participant interactions, that is conducive to learning.
5.1 A climate for learning about and exploring the environment
Educators understand how to create a climate in which learners are intellectually stimulated and motivated to learn about the environment.
5.2 An inclusive and collaborative learning environment
Educators know how to maximize learning by fostering openness and collaboration among learners.
5.3 Flexible and responsive instruction
Educators know how to augment proper planning with the flexibility that allows them to take advantage of new instructional opportunities.
Theme # 6 – Assessment and Evaluation
Environmental educators posses the knowledge, abilities and commitment to make assessment and evaluation integral to instruction and programs. Professional preparation should provide educators with tools for assessing learner progress and evaluating the effectiveness of their own programs.
6.1 Learner outcomes
Educators understand the importance of tying assessment to learning.
6.2 Assessment that is part of instruction
Educators are familiar with ways of incorporating assessment into environmental education.
6.3 Improving Instruction
Educators know how to use their instructional experiences and assessments to improve future instruction.
6.4 Evaluating Programs
Educators understand the importance of evaluating environmental education programs and are familiar with basic evaluation approaches.
References:
Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators. 2004. ISBN 1-884008-78-X. 43pp.
Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning (Pre K-12). 2004. ISBN 1-884008-75-5. 121 pp.