Step 3

Goal setting

Now that you know more about the issue you want to tackle you need to make a goal. You should have collected some data that you can measure as your goal needs to be a SMART goal. 

 

Step 4

Logging your progress

Create a timeline of when you want to have your research and your goal completed. How will you decide when you have met your milestones? Every day you work on this project create a journal entry. Write down the date and what you did on that day. Explain how it will help your goal. What got in the way and what helped you to achieve your goal.

 

Once you have completed your research you should create a report on it. This is to help you make your ideas clearer. In the next lesson we will look at creating an action plan and putting it into action.

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Making a plan to improve your environment is both exciting and daunting. Where to start?

I recommend using Agile for the project planning. You can research it more here. But what it will mean for you is the following.

 

What do you want to achieve? Make sure everyone has a clear idea of the goal.

Break it down: Break down all the elements into smaller tasks.

What to do first: Don't try to do everything at once. The good thing about Agile is its ability to change on a dime. Prioritise all the tasks. Put the most pressing at the top.

Assign tasks to different people in the group: Trust your team and make sure everyone has something to do. If it is a difficult task create a smaller group within the group to work on it.

Set deadlines: When should everything be finished? Make the expectations clear.

Communicate: Meet regularly where everyone feeds back on what they have done.

Identify Barriers: In your regular meetings (at least once a week) talk about things that are issues and as a group see if you can come up with solutions.

Reassess: Once you have hit your first deadline look at your list of priorities and decide if they need to change. Assign new tasks to people.

 

You will need to keep notes and a journal on what you do and your meetings. Take photos and copies of emails and other communications for evidence of your work.

 

This involves developing a plan for personal action in response to a current local sustainability issue, including:

– an outline of the importance of the issue with reference to at least one aspect of sustainability

– a time-frame and steps of action

– how data is to be gathered

– what measurement methods will be used.

 

Undertaking the personal action in accordance with the plan and modifying the plan as necessary to reflect required changes drawing conclusions about:

– the validity of the data collection and measurement methods

– the effectiveness of the plan, including an explanation of any modifications made

– how the action contributed to a sustainable future based on the aspect(s) of sustainability addressed in the plan.

 

The personal action that contributes towards a sustainable future may be enhancing, preventative, mitigating or remedial. It reflects the notion of taking responsibility for our choices and decisions and in particular taking positive actions that lessen our negative impact on environments to contribute to a sustainable future.

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Demonstrate understanding of how different personal values have implications for a sustainable future involves: using examples to examine the characteristics of different personal values (own and others’) and the behaviours associated with them drawing conclusions about the implications of certain personal values (own and others’) and behaviours for a sustainable future.

 

A sustainable future requires the development of ways of thinking and acting to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations (of all living things) to meet their own needs. In Aotearoa New Zealand, a sustainable future reflects, wherever possible, consideration of Māori concepts and values relating to the environment, which may vary between hapū and between iwi.

 

Values are deeply-held beliefs that influence the way people think, feel and act.

 

Behaviours in this context are actions in a given situation that arise from people’s values.

 

Implications for a sustainable future are the potential result of behaviours that promote or disrupt the sustainability of an environment.

 

Conduct a reflective social inquiry involves:

• deciding on the focus for the inquiry by developing questions

• gathering information and background ideas

• describing people’s points of view, values and perspectives

• considering the ways in which people make decisions and participate in social action related to the focus of the inquiry

• reflecting on and evaluating the understandings that have developed and the responses that may be required.

Reflecting on a social inquiry requires students to address questions such as:

• is there anything more we need to know (about values, information, and participation)?

• how could the inquiry process we have been using be improved?

• how reliable are the sources?

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Take action to enhance an aspect of people’s well-being within the school or wider community involves:

• identifying an issue that affects the well-being of people within the school or wider community

• developing a workable plan to improve well-being

• implementing the plan

• evaluating the effectiveness of the action by reflecting on the implementation of the plan.

A workable plan relates to SMART goals

 

Design a questionnaire involves showing evidence of using each component of the questionnaire design process.

 

The components of the questionnaire design process involve:

clarifying the specific information needs of the survey and the groups who will use the data

posing survey questions, considering sources of variation by:

• determining relevant variables

• determining appropriate measures for each variable

• using an appropriate range of question types

checking the survey questions by:

• carrying out a desk review

• conducting a pilot survey(s) including collecting and recording data

refining the questionnaire based on the results of the pilot survey

documenting the design process including the draft and final questionnaire.