Simple Question
Question 1: After watching ‘the story of stuff’ and 'the story of solutions' and reflecting on the reading by Gibson (2015, p.55-75) answer the following: 1. How does the knowledge you have gained make you think differently about your role as a leader in an early childhood setting? (250words) Gibson, M. (2015). Leadership for creating cultures of sustainability [Ebook]. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/e1afd517-9425-4204-a9ed-833b924f8178/1/gibson-m1.pdf YouTube. (2013). The Story of Solutions [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkRvc-sOKk YouTube. (2009). The Story of Stuff [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM Leadership for creating cultures of sustainability Copyright Notice : Commonwealth of Australia Copyright Act 1968 Notice for paragraph 135ZXA (a) of the Copyright Act 1968 Warning This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Charles Sturt University under Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Reading Description: Gibson, M. (2015). Leadership for creating cultures of sustainability. In J. M. Davis (Ed.), Young children and the environment : early education for sustainability (2nd ed.) (pp.55-75). Port Melbourne, Victoria : Cambridge University Press. Reading Description Disclaimer: (This reference information is provided as a guide only, and may not conform to the required referencing standards for your subject) Chapter 3 Editor's note In this revised chapter, Megan Gibson again discusses the vital role of leadership in creating change for sustainability in an early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting. Megan was the Director of Campus Kindergarten, a long day care centre in Brisbane, in the Australian state of Queensland, when it initiated its Sustainable Planet Project (SPP) in the late 1990s, a time when ECEfS was in its infancy. Megan reflects on her personal experiences at the centre and outlines the theoretical underpinnings that helped to shape her work as an innovative leader and a leader of innovation in ECEfS. Megan also updates her discussion of the four frames of leadership, organisational culture, professional development and organisational change and how they can contribute to creating and shaping whole-centre approaches to ECEfS. She re-emphasises that educational and organisational leadership style plays an essential role in creating cultures of sustainability within a centre and community, and that teacher professional development within a collaborative learning community is a vital aspect for creating change. Young Children and the Environment To our children's children The glad tomorrow by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (formerly Kath Walker, 1970, p. 40) An opportunity to lead for EfS For close to a decade I had the privilege to work within the Campus Kindergarten community 1 -a unique place for children, families and teachers. This community's interest in environmental issues led to the development of the SPP. From its inception at a staff professional development retreat, this project permeated the everyday 'lifeworld' (Sergiovanni 2003, p. 16) at the centre. The SPP was actively embraced by staff, children and families at Campus Kindergarten, and slowly evolved over time. My role as Director provided an opportunity and a responsibility, as I saw it, to set the conditions that would value and empower peop le in this learning community. These would in turn support the growth of the SPP, and at the same time engender a stronger sense of collegiality. These conditions created the space in which to bring about a revolution in thinking and actions in regard to EfS. So deep were the changes that they provided a platform for a shift in the centre's culture. Some years on from the inception of the SPP, I now lecture in early childhood teacher education, mainly in the area of leadership. What I initially practised and wrote about in the earlier version of this chapter in the first edition of this text remains ingrained in my work, and worthy of restating. lt is important to note, too, that the early childhood policy landscape in Australia has shifted considerably since I was Campus Kindergarten's Director. The national Early Years Learning Framework (Australian Government. Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations 2009) and the National Quality Framework (ACECQA n.d.) include requirements that early childhood centres afford attention to EfS. This was not previously the case and when the SPP was conceived there were no legislative requirements for centres to work with principles of EfS. Introduction This chapter focuses on the role of leadership in creating a culture of sustainability. It is based on my former position as Director at Campus Kindergarten and the leadership that was brought to the centre's SPP. In this discussion, the significant leadership roles of staff, parents and children are explored and interfaced with the literature. The first part of this chapter sets the scene by providing the contextual background of the early childhood centre and the origins of the SPP. In the second part of the chapter, Campus Kindergarten's SPP is further explored through the four frames of leadership, organisa tional culture, professional deuelopment and organisational change. Rather than being distinct frames, each works as an organiser and builds upon the others, creating deep and connected ways of understanding the SPP. Throughout these four frames, vignettes of the project from my time as Director highlight examples of practice that created a culture of sustainability. 1 I am appreciative of the Campus Kindergarten Board of Management, the team of staff, parents and children who afforded me the opportunity to work with an extraordinary community of people (1996-2005). Chapter 3 · · · · , . As the reader, you are encouraged to engage with the 'provocations' interspersed throughout the chapter, to support your thinking and meaning making around leader ship for creating cultures of sustainability. Through updating and retelling this story, I hope to provide a window into the structures and systems that supported the project and to share insights into how to bring about collective change so that a community of people feel empowered and have ownership. Therefore, this chapter explores some of the conditions, systems and structures that enable EfS to grow in an early childhood setting. Part one: The context Campus Kindergarten is an ECEC centre situated on the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. It is located in a 'green corridor' on the university's site map, and has expansive outdoor playspaces, dominated by gum trees and open spaces. The kindergarten building was the original university care taker's cottage, and has been extended and renovated since the centre's opening in 1971. The building houses three main kindergarten rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and storerooms. Verandas wrap around the building and, due to the warm climate in Brisbane, there is a strong focus on the outdoors, with links between the indoor and outdoor environments. During my time as Director, the centre operated dually as a long day care centre and a kindergarten/preschool and opened from 8.00 am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday during school terms. Children were enrolled from 2.5 years of age to approximately 5 years of age, or school-entry age. Approximately 70 per cent of families who accessed the centre were engaged in work or study at the university, with families coming from a Figure 3.1 Campus Kindergarten, University of Queensland (2002) Young Children and the Environment ------� wide range of language and cultural backgrounds. Approximately 80 children across three age groups attended weekly. At the time of my directorship, the teaching team comprised 19 full-time and part-time staff, including teachers, group leaders, assistants and those working in administrative roles. Integral to Campus Kindergarten's operation was families' involvement and con tributions, which enabled a strong sense of community. There were varied ways through which families were able to be formally involved, including sitting on the Board of Management. This group of both past and present parents, together with people outside the Campus Kindergarten community who offered particular skills to the centre's operation (for example, an early childhood professional and an account ant), met approximately five times during the year. A systematic and strategic system for policy development and review supported a strong organisational structure. Another formal way for parents to participate was through the 'class reps' system. Each of the three classrooms had two parent representatives who met together regu larly to coordinate centre-based social and fundraising events. Parents were also encouraged to contribute informally by spending time in the centre, sharing interests, skills and hobbies. Both formal and informal levels of families' involvement were important aspects of the centre's approach to EfS. During my directorship, there was strong philosophical debate and program cri tique at Campus Kindergarten, which contributed towards program evolution and renewed approaches to pedagogy. The centre's educational philosophy drew upon a number of theorists, including Malaguzzi (1998), Rinaldi (2006), Gardner (2006), Dahlberg, Moss and Pence (2007) and Vygotsky (1993). Key elements that were embed ded into the centre's philosophy at the time I was Director were that educational and management practices be child-centred, holistic and futures-oriented. Key organisa tional values of rights, respect and trust were articulated through centre policy and curriculum documents and staff enactment of the culture and program (Campus Kindergarten 2004). Children's rights and their say in what happens in the centre were integral in these values. In a practical sense, this meant that the teachers made connections between their care and concern for children's wellbeing, with concern and respect for the centre's natural and built environments, and that these were embedded into everyday practices. A strong sense of democracy, shared decision making and consultation were key features in the centre - within classrooms and within centre management. These qualities underpinned all facets of Campus Kindergarten's organ isation and culture, including the SPP. Origins and first steps of the SPP When I first commenced as Director of Campus Kindergarten