Human Nature Newsletter Arrives!

It's a new concept, but an old one. We have a website and a blog. We have in-class visits and curricular discussions. We have spontaneous teaching moments and officially recognized 'indicators'. The Human Nature newsletter (above) is in its infancy, but serves as a 'one stop shop' of the highlights of sustainable and service related practices at ISKL. Read on. Send some feedback. Write an article. Let's get involved and do some celebrating sustainability and service all year round!

Sustainable Holiday Decisions

This is it. As soon as you're done reading this article (or instead of) you'll be out the door and on your way to some far-flung location for a well-deserved vacation. Perhaps it's with family. Perhaps it's in a place that makes you relax. Certainly you'll be taking the time to enjoy your 'down time' and looking forward to a new year filled - as it should be - with hopes and promise. 

So, here are some ideas for sustainable choices for the break:

• Travel as much as you can in public transport. It's such a great way to really get to the place!
• Ask that presents intended for you are given unwrapped (or in something reusable) and save on single-use paper. Do the same for others.
• Make at least one meal vegetarian and minimize the impact on the environment from grazing animals
• Enjoy time outdoors and while you're there plant a tree (or a flower)
• Make a new-year's resolution that involves sustainability and/or the environment
• Take some time to help others and show appreciation for those around you (don't we always?)
• When you come back offset your carbon. ISKL often uses Climate Care but you can feel free to assist future energy production and/or carbon sequestration

The list could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that as big as that list is, so too are the options for things you can do, right now and over the break, to make your choices more sustainable. Some are easy. Others are not. All are helpful. 

Happy Holidays for those who celebrate them, and all the best for the new year!  See you in 2013.

Sustainable Technology: 'Switching' Things Around

Despite efforts to turn off the lights and ACs, in the past two months the energy meters are inching higher when we're all hoping they will reverse direction.  So, when I had the chance to chat with Dave Neudorf about the possibility of turning servers off at night (when use is less) the conversation twisted and turned itself into all sorts of directions. It is to the little victories such as these that I hope to turn out attention to in this article.

Does anyone know what a switch is?  No, not one that you turn the lights on/off with. If I understand it correctly a switch is a connection between devices within the same network. Say we have a computer and it needs to connect to a network to access information or any type of service. A switch will be present between the server and the device to transmit and relay data from one device to the other. Apparently there are switches all over the place at the moment and each switch remains 'on' in case any device needs its functionality. But not for long!

As we take a few weeks over the semester to re-energize and relax, the Ampang campus will be undergoing great changes. When we all return to ISKL in January this will be a whole new place. Except we won't be able to see it. New technology will allow these new and improved switches to use only the power necessary (depending on what is being used). Say a switch provides power to 48 devices (it's maximum) but only one is being used. At present the switches need to remain 'on' for all 48 connections. Not so with the new ones. Needless to say this is the type of 'behind the scenes' technology that makes things more efficient both in information transmission and in energy consumption. 

And what of new plans?  Well, the future could hold great things for our Tech Department. As we move to putting a computer in every student's lap at the Ampang campus we will need more energy. Or will we?  Future ideas, such as server virtualization, might be around the corner for our technology infrastructure as well. Still only in the "brainstorming" phase, a move to virtualization would mean using possibly 90% less energy with more power to make adjustments simply by allowing the servers to recognize what is necessary and funneling the power for that purpose. No more turning on the entire school server system 24/7. No longer keeping everything on because there might be someone using Moodle at 3 am. 

Is if safe to say that as our school grows so does the energy it uses?  Though we are working hard to answer "no" to that, at the moment our data indicate that yes, it tends to. But that shouldn't mean we don't take the time to marry technology with sustainable decision-making for the future. In so doing we can become ubiquitous with 90% less server energy. Now that's a 'switch' worth making!

Bringing Home Life's Lessons

I'm suspecting that when we were all in high school there was little discussion about sustainability. The Earth and its resources were so far form finite in our eyes that waste was not regarded as a problem and we all clambered to have more than our parents, and they more than theirs and so forth. Along the way we missed some critical learning that we are now trying to catch up with. Choices are an essential part of life that allow for people to establish priorities, determine directionality, make decisions and reflect. If you were like me you probably missed the lesson about ecological footprints. Thankfully our children are getting the education we missed, and bringing it home with them. 

Every few weeks or so I get an update from Rebecca Lemos or Everette Burke, MS Mathematics teachers. Their math 8 Algeo classes have taken on a wonderful environmental unit that lasts the entire year. Here's basically how it works: The students go home and identify an area of sustainability that they would like to focus on . The students, whose blogs grace our ISKL cyber world, follow through by establishing a baseline understanding of what it is that they use at home. The next step is to choose an indicator to follow and gather data. A project on electricity, for example, might use kWh units per month. The task then is to create an action plan on how to become more environmentally (and wallet) friendly with regard to the issue at hand. Continuous reflection as well as using mathematical concepts for ongoing curricular work (e.g. magnification) are an integral part of the process also. Often such actions mean that students need to engage their families in coming up with achievable solutions. 

Through the Algeo 8 environmental project, students are able to go back home and have frank and open discussions about the value or appropriate decisions. They are engaging in collaboration, planning, and systematic higher level thinking. In other words, they are engaging in real life learning and expanding that learning to those around them, the families. This is as powerful as one can expect an education to be and a true testament to the goals of the project through the authentic use of mathematics as an analytical and reflective tool.  From the point of view of service learning and sustainability education, projects such as these highlight the true potential of making learning come to life. 

So if you find your son/daughter sauntering through the door one day and asking you about your family's health habits, flying choices, consumer behavior or anything of that nature don't be alarmed or defensive. Instead celebrate the fact that they are utilizing what education often calls "21st Century Skills"; empowerment, communication, stewardship, collaboration and decision making. It's the kind of thing that - though potentially contentious at times - should fill you with pride in knowing that your child son is headed in the right direction.

Bio-Diegster Up and (almost) Running!

The new digester has finally been put in place and is "up and running", so to speak. Well, actually it will take close to a month for the gas generated from food waste to generate enough bio gas to provide enough energy for our pancake/omelet burner in Sam's at Melawati, but the hubbub of last week was hard to pass up. 

It's construction really did take a village: 

• Two visiting experts (one from India and one from Singapore) here to supervise the installation, 
• Over 15 external workers helping out with cutting, placing measuring, building  attaching and connecting all sorts of tanks and pipes, 
• A number of ISKL staff members running back and forth ensuring that everything was working, 
• A very supportive and flexible canteen staff who put up with invasions of their space as deliberations took place, 
• Several fifth grade classes coming by for quick visits and discussions about what a digester does, how it works, where the food and gas go, making designs and taking pictures (not to mention plans)

The area around the back of the cafeteria was almost busier than the election stations in Florida for Tuesday's elections! But unlike the emotional back-and-forth of the US elections, at ISKL the digester brought with it just euphoria and learning!  

A big big thank you to everyone who participated in the construction, with particular kudos to Krish and his staff, Alex Wong, John Hollenback and the Sam's Snacks cafeteria crew for their support in bringing the project to life!  Though the construction is mostly done (there remains just a bit of gas piping and plumbing to be completed) the process continues as we take baby steps to making it fully functional. During the next three months we will add increasingly more food waste, allowing the bacteria to grow accordingly and deal with the increased food supply. By January we are hoping that the bio-digester will be a fully-functional part of our community!

Classes, families and individuals are welcomes to pop over and take a look. It won't impress you with the way it looks. But it sure is impressive with what it does. 

Food (Waste) for Thought?

I could give next week the label of "ISKL Digester Week" but I'm not sure that anyone would relate to it very well. So instead, I will just make note of the fact that from October 29 to 31 our Melawati campus will be part of a new sustainable development.  By the end of next week we hope to welcome our very own composter!  How completely exciting, no?  I know what you're thinking right about now. "What in the world is a composter?"  It's a valid question. The answer might impress you.

The organization assisting us in setting up the digester, Drive Change, is one that works with a number of sustainable projects in the region. For this particular project we have been through two months of meetings, data collection (specifically with food waste at Melawati), design and now, finally, implementation. Once the digester is functional it will do the following:

• Accept food and water waste from the Melawati Cafeteria - This will reduce Melawati waste by 9000 kg annually!
• Go through a passive process of biogas generation from the food waste
• Create biogas to be re-used in the kitchen for cooking
• Create fertilizer for planting and gardening (we'll have plenty for everyone!)

But that's not all. The digester will also be used for on-the-spot teaching. The fifth grade students are currently covering a unit on energy and the digester allows a fortuitous teachable moment, so to speak. Our fifth graders will be given tours of the area not only when the digester is completed, but throughout the construction process. If a visit to Mrs. Williams' room on Tuesday was any indication, they will be thrilled to see how it works and what it looks like.  We are hoping the students will get to see the plans, look on as the construction takes place and, of course, recognize the benefits of the final result. 

I am not sure that the digester will be an impressive structure to look at. It may or may not make the Melawati campus tour "must see" list either. It's location (next to the compost site) might minimize the opportunity for the average campus stroller to run into it. But it will, none-the-less, be an excellent source of sustainable design. 

As the world continues to recognize the benefits of reduced consumption and waste patterns, it is important that our students not only talk about it, but have a tangible example to study and understand.  This isn't the kind of learning tool that you can leave in your closet. It's not the type of educational resource that you let gather dust. It's a functional, solution-based opportunity to let our students into little secrets with real life implications. What does it teach them? No, we don't need to generate waste just to be an excellent school. Not all waste is treated equally. We can do things - right here and now - to take care of this place. It is, after all, The Melawati Way.

The Power of Service Learning

This past weekend I had the good fortune to make my way to the Jakarta International School and attend a workshop entitled Service Learning for Humanity and the Environment conducted by a front-runner in the world of service learning, Cathryn Berger-Kaye. It was one of those workshops that has direct implications on teaching and which empower you, as the participant, to walk away thinking that "wow, I can make the world a better place with this"!  

But even in this setting, with all of us service learning believers, conversations came up that could well have been placed in faculty meetings. Thoughts about whether this was a good model for higher level coursework (IB, for example) or whether using this model of educational approach would somehow sacrifice curriculum. Time and time again Cathryn put our concerns at ease by explaining exactly how the service learning format can be used from our prep reception all the way to our HL IB courses (Hint: According to Cathryn, the "IB people" love this!). The concept is simple. Put mindful, solution-based action at the forefront of learning. 

It's an empowering prospect. How many teachers would disagree that doing this is a more powerful teaching tool than traditional classroom-based learning. Every teacher training course instructs pre-service teachers to do what they can to "make it real" and to allow students a chance to recognize the age old "why do I need to know this"?  Service learning is essentially a way to get students to marry their skills and interests with community problems in a way that allows them to be part of the solution. 

The process is straight forward when you first look at it. Exactly at the center of the visual used to represent service learning is the word "curriculum" where the entire process begins.  A circular diagram of clockwise aiming arrows joining concepts surrounding "curriculum" includes "investigation", "planning" and "action". Between every one of those three steps are nestled the terms "reflection" and "demonstration" adding to the importance of those particular elements to ensuring a solid educational process. It is important to note, however, that service learning can be applied to many settings. It can be done in the classroom, in organized trips (like GAP and Malaysia Week) or within the context of clubs. What makes it powerful is the process. 

None of these words are new. The concept seems so simple. Yet the end result can be so powerful.   Time and time again examples were shared of students making positive change in their communities. Time and time again the participating teachers were impressed with the power of student thinking and the variability of solutions that students can find in addressing community concerns. 

Why does this matter to ISKL?  Well, apart from my position being established, we are all on board with the concept that 21st century skills (our SLRs are based on many of them) are important to being successful in life. The new educational paradigm is that students actually address problems here and now. Why study about them from a book and come up with hypothetical situations when you are actually able (and so often willing) to do something about them now? Whether it's the environment, social inequality or health-related issues (note the strong connection to ESD) students are being asked to come up with solutions in their future. The best way for them to make a difference is for them to try and try again. Even failure is success sometimes, because it allows one to re-evaluate, to reflect, and to address an issue from a different angle. This is what service learning has the power to provide in our students.

The world's adult population is a sign of how people can be successful. Imagine how successful the world would be if students were allowed the possibility to engage here and now. It brings solutions into the hands of so many more people. It empowers us all. It generates the realization that, yes, every one of us is part of the change we want to see in the world. It also allows our students to recognize the power in themselves to make positive change and, in so doing, makes them better world citizens: Our mission as a school.