Health & Wellbeing in Integrated Learning Communities

I’m often asked for innovative resources to engage young people in sustainable education, I think I’ve just stumbled on a real stonker of a resource. I’ve read with interest  my fellow bloggers posts on using emerging technologies, games and graphic novel type media, animoto and games. This ingenious creation provides a tool that probably caters for all learners.

WORLD WITHOUT OIL is an alternate reality gaming event, a serious game for the public good that takes multi-player games to the next level. World Without Oil concluded on June 1, 2007.  However you can still sign up as a Netizen Hero and to participate in “WWO Lives,” an ongoing blog about all matters WWO. There will definitely be current links to good in-game stories from the WWO Lives blog.

WWO invited players across the world to help simulate a global oil shock. Anyone could participate by contributing original online stories, created as though the oil shock were really happening. The game’s masters rank the participants (“players”) according to their contributions to our realistic portrayal of the oil shock. The game also places value on player-created communities, collaborative stories, and collective efforts. 

Each contribution helps the game arrive at a larger truth. No team of experts knows better than a given individual what effect an oil shock would have upon that individual’s life, or what action he or she will take to cope. Personal reactions to our simulated oil shock, placed in context with many other points of view, will help us all realize what’s at stake in our oil-fired culture.

Considering recent fuel price hikes and schools making an impressive effort to become Eco Schools and reduce their impact on the environment, this is a subject that is always current. On the WWO site there are lesson plans for teachers that can still be used, but I guess really the whole point is self-expression, being creative and active learning, the web more so than ever provides tools in which to do this.

The youtube clip below explains the whole concept. The feedback from young people is mighty impressive. I’m considering how the world would be different for me…..how would it be for you?

Kilchoan Primary School - Recycling on Sanna Beach 

I’ve come across a few new resources that might come in handy for project work on sustainability. There are quite a few sites that allow you to calculate your carbon emmisions. These are some of the best I’ve road tested..

You can check each journey with Traffic Scotland and compare different types of transport

http://www.trafficscotland.org/carboncalculator/

 This one designed for pupils aims to increase awareness of leaving those appliances switched on in the bedroom and keeping the heat in.

 http://www.mtv.co.uk/switch_carbon

My parents words are now ringing in my head, “Were you born in a barn?”  and the immortal words “Anyone would think we lived in a lighthouse, turn the lights off when you go out!”