Prática de ensino supervisionada em educação pré-escolar: promoção de sustentabilidade em educação de infância

O presente relatório da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada (PES) visa descrever e explicitar o trabalho desenvolvido no âmbito das Unidades Curriculares Prática de Ensino Supervisionada em Creche e em Jardim-de-Infância do Mestrado em Educação Pré-escolar da Universidade de Évora, com o objetivo de promover a sustentabilidade ambiental, económica, cultural e social, nestes dois contextos. Tendo como ponto de partida o interesse pessoal pela temática que considero fundamental ser promovida e trabalhada precocemente (em creche e jardim de infância), com vista ao desenvolvimento de uma literacia ambiental, acresceu a constatação de práticas de sustentabilidade ambiental, económica cultural e social pouco consolidadas na instituição onde decorreu a PES. O recurso à escala ERS-SDEC, num processo de investigação ação, onde a análise, reflexão e avaliação conduziu a um planeamento intencional e a uma ação educativa que envolveu crianças, famílias, equipa educativa e comunidade, promovendo aprendizagens e produzindo mudanças ao nível da adoção de hábitos e práticas mais sustentáveis. Foram essenciais para a concretização dos objetivos da PES, a inscrição da instituição no Programa Eco Escolas, os princípios pedagógicos do Movimento da Escola Moderna e as Orientações Curriculares para a Educação Pré-escolar; ABSTRACT: This report of Supervised Teaching Practice (STP) aims to describe and explain the work carried out within the framework of the courses Supervised Teaching Practice in Creche and Preschool of the Masters degree in Preschool Education of the University of Évora, in order to promote environmental, economic, cultural and social sustainability in these two contexts. The starting point was my personal interest on the theme, which I consider fundamental promoting early on (in creche and Preschool), to develop an environmental literacy, as well as the realization that environmental sustainability practices were poorly consolidated in the institution where I developed the STP. The use of the ERS-SDEC scale, in a process of research-action, where the analysis, reflection and evaluation led to an intentional planning and an educational activity involving children, families, educational staff and community, promoting learning, changing habits and developing more sustainable practices. It was essential the enrollment in the Eco-Schools Program, the adoption of the pedagogic principles of the Modern School Movement and of the Portuguese Curricular Guidelines for Preschool Education.

Early Childhood Education For Sustainable Development in Portugal

This chapter reports on the Portuguese trial of the Environmental Rating Scale for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood (ERS-SDEC) scale which was carried out in the context of the initial training of pre-school teachers at the University of Évora and during their practicum in local pre-schools. The particular context of this trial in initial teacher education provides a particular focus on the professional development of the students, and the cooperating teachers provided by their engagement in a collaborative action-research project that was focused upon Education for Sustainable Development. After providing some Portuguese contextual elements related with ESD, we will report on the trial of the scale in Évora and its results in terms of improving the quality of classroom practices and students and teachers professional development provided by their participation in the project. Finally we will share some reflections on the project, the format and use of the scale and on some critical issues that we learned to be critical in terms of ESD in Early Childhood.

Mechanical properties of adobe blocks used in building construction in Huambo Province - Angola

Despite significant advances in building technologies with the use of conventional construction materials (as concrete and steel), which significantly have driven the construction industry, earth construction have demonstrated its importance and relevance, as well as it has matched in an efficient and eco-friendly manner the social housing concerns. The diversity of earth construction techniques allowed this material to adapt to different climatic, cultural and social contexts until the present time. However, in Angola, the construction with earth is still associated with population fringes of weak economic resources, for which, given the impossibility of being able to acquire modern construction materials (steel, cement, brick, among others), they resort to the use of available natural materials. Furthermore, the lack of scientific and technical knowledge justifies the negative appreciation of traditional building techniques, and the derogatory way how are considered the earth constructions in Angolan territory. Given the country's current development status, and taking into account the environmental requirements and the real socio-economic sustainability of Angola, it is considered that one of the viable and adequate options, could be the recovering and upgrading of the ancestral techniques of earth construction. The purpose of this research is to develop the technical and scientific knowledge in order to improve and optimize these construction solutions, responding to the real problems of housing quality as well as to the current social, economic and environmental sustainability requirements. In this paper, a description of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the adobes typically used in the construction of traditional houses in some localities of Huambo, province in Angola, is carried out. The methodology was based on mechanical in-situ testing in adobe blocks manufactured with traditional procedures: i) tensile strength evaluated with the bending test and compressive strength test on earth blocks specimens; and, ii) durability and erodibility test by Geelong method adopting the New Zealand standard (NZS) procedures (4297: 1998; 4297: 1998 and 4297: 1999). The results allow the characterization of the materials used in the construction of raw earth in the Huambo region, contributing to the development of knowledge of these sustainable and traditional housing constructive solutions with a strong presence in Angola [1, 2]. This study is part of a larger project in the area of Earth Construction [3], which aims to produce knowledge which can stimulate the use of environmental friendly construction materials and contribute to develop constructive solutions with improved performance, durability, comfort, safety and sustainability.