» A MODERN TEACHING METHODS MANUAL FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS « ■■ Prepared by: People in Need, 2010 ■■ Officially Supported by: the Ministry of Education in Ethiopia A MODERN TEACHING METHODS MANUAL FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS People in Need (PIN) is an international NGO based in Czech Republic that provides relief aid and development assistance around the world People in Need Safarikova 635/24 120 00 Prague Czech Republic Tel: +420 226 200 400 Fax.: +420 226 200 401 mail@peopleinneed.cz www.peopleinneed.cz Published thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and its Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Program www.mzv.cz This manual is officially supported by the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia to be used for promoting active learning in all educational facilities Authors: Solomon Wondimu, Petra Skalicka, Hana Kostalova Co-authors: Damtew Wolde, Tiglu Nano, Tsegab Meles, Agazit Gebru, Petros Tibbo, Zemenu Tadesse, Margareth MacDonald Edited by: Solomon Wondimu, Zuzana Pernicova, Tereza Porybna Proofreading by: Katrina Byrne Cuffey, Jennifer Thompson Design by: Mowshe Published by: People in Need Addis Ababa, 2010 © People in Need 2010 Acknowledgment People in Need (PIN) would like to express its thanks and gratitude to all those involved in the process of the manual preparation First and foremost the recognition belongs to the team of Ethiopian and Czech education experts – Solomon Wondimu, Zemenu Tadesse, Tsegab Meles, Damtew Wolde, Tiglu Nano, Agazit Gebru, Petros Tibbo, Margareth MacDonald, Petra Skalicka and Hana Kostalova – who have been for several years steadily contributing to the quality of PIN’s educational programs and the value of this training manual Equally important were the comments of numerous other professors, teachers, students and education officials whose invaluable remarks have helped revise the manual’s content and maximize its relevance for the Ethiopian context About People in Need Founded in 1992, People in Need (PIN) is a Czech non-governmental organization that provides relief aid and development assistance around the world Apart from extensive work abroad, People in Need administers social integration, informative and educational programs in the Czech Republic PIN is one of the largest organizations of its kind in post-communist Europe, and has administered projects in thirty-seven countries over the past fourteen years In 2003 People in Need started working in Ethiopia Since the beginning of its action, PIN has been focusing on projects in the areas of education, drinking water resources, agriculture, environmental protection and social programmes helping women and children PIN implements projects in the Addis Ababa City Administration, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region, and Somali region Through local partners, PIN is also present in the Amhara and Oromiya region In the education sector, PIN focuses on improving both access to and quality of education The Czech public participates in the fundraising campaign Let’s build a school in Africa, which has so far enabled construction of 12 primary schools Additionally, PIN supports cluster schools, develops teaching aids and conducts various teacher training programs promoting modern teaching methods Over 3000 teachers, students, principals, education officials and lecturers have participated in these trainings Education has been PIN’s priority since the very beginning of its mission to Ethiopia, and will continue to be so, as the organization believes that an educated population is one of the most crucial assets to any country’s development page CONTENTS: Introduction ■■ Week Day by Day Program Week 10 Handouts: Pebbles 28 Mingle Mingle 29 Objectives, principles and rules of the training 30 Requirements for certification 31 MARKET of pedagogical ideas 32 Venn Diagrams 33 Comparative Table 34 Names – attributes – features 35 Professional features 36 Brainstorming – rules for the procedure 37 Brainstorming – analyses of the method 38 Making rules and procedures 39 Clustering – mind mapping 40 Model lesson – work with an educational text 42 Is Climate Change “natural”? 44 I.N.S.E.R.T (Interactive Noting System for Effective Reading and Thinking) 45 Table of I.N.S.E.R.T 46 Framework for thinking and learning 47 Socio-pedagogical constructivism 50 Model lesson on reading – Special Praise by Jaroslav Culek 51 Assessment 53 ReQuest Procedure 54 Portfolio Development 55 Criteria and principles of portfolio assessment 57 Active Learning 58 Critical Thinking 59 ■■ Week 61 Day by Day Program Week 62 Handouts: Three-Step Interview 73 Trunks and Roots 74 The Hippopotamus 75 Jigsaw 77 Jigsaw puzzle – The Hippopotamus 79 Providing students with Feedback 81 Mind Map Examples – Examples of Descriptive Feedback 82 Running with a Message 85 Free Writing 87 Community circle 88 The Four Wives 89 Our Collective Tree 90 Brief Lesson Plans – Examples 91 Peer Assessment 93 Appreciation and Question 95 page ■■ Week 97 Day by Day Program Week 98 Handouts: Rotating Review 114 Cinquain 115 Cubing 116 Model lesson – Christopher Columbus 118 Cooperative puzzle 122 Self-reflection sheet – GROUP WORK 123 “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes 124 Literature Circles 127 An enhanced lecture 128 Observation 130 Open and Closed Questions 131 Questions 132 Self-assessment (self-reflection) 133 Rotating Questions – Examples 134 ■■ Week 141 Day by Day Program Week 142 Handouts: Pens in the Middle 151 Know/Want to Know/Learn 152 Discussion Web 153 – – 154 Lines of Future 155 Bingo (Game) 156 BIO FUELS 157 Final Evaluation of the Training 159 page Introduction Access to and quality of education have been a long-term priority of the Ethiopian government and great improvement has been achieved in this regard As for quality of education, the current education and training policy gives due attention to pre-service and in-service teacher trainings offered at all levels of the education system The focus on quality of education is further proved by the introduction of General Education Quality Improvement Program (GEQIP) by the Ethiopian government Emphasis is given on active learning strategies in the teaching and learning process and various attempts have been made by the government, NGOs and other stakeholders to familiarize teachers with theories and practice of learner centerd methods and integrated approaches, which have in various socio-cultural contexts proven to enhance the learner’s ability to learn In line with these efforts, People in Need prepared this publication, which is based on years of preparing and conducting in-service trainings It offers a complex overview of active learning and other related strategies and demonstrates in an understandable way how teachers can use these methods in class Objectives of the Manual The general objective of this manual is thus to bring a change in the quality of teaching in primary and secondary schools and improve students’ learning Specifically, the manual aims to familiarize teachers with theoretical and practical understanding of the learner centerd methods and encourage their implementation The different methods presented are thus carefully selected according to their practicality and applicability in the context of Ethiopian schools Modern Teaching Methods Manual Authors of this manual define modern teaching methods (MTM) as a variety of learnercenterd approaches that promote literacy and development of life skills such as communication skills, lifelong learning skills and critical thinking skills The content of the manual also considers the culture and indigenous knowledge of the Ethiopian society The specific methods included in the manual are: –– Active learning methods (such as brainstorming, clustering, rotating review, etc.) –– Techniques of assessment and evaluation (such as peer assessment, self-assessment, etc.) –– Portfolio development –– Lesson planning –– Various games and refreshers The manual contains numerous hand-outs which further explain the theoretical basis of the methodology and explain each method and activity in detail Theoretical Bases of the Manual The overall approach of this manual is based on the socio-pedagogical constructivist theory of learning, which assumes that all learners are unique and the most effective way to build their knowledge is through connecting the “old” with the “new” in a meaningful way If this occurs, learners are more likely to understand the content and also to use acquired knowledge in their everyday life Sociopedagogical constructivism also argues that information is remembered better if it is gained through an active learning process that encourages learners to build their own knowledge structures One of the practical tools produced by this theory is the ERR framework of thinking and learning (ERR stands for Evocation, Realization of Meaning and Reflection) This framework helps teachers convey knowledge in a very effective way and is often referred to in the manual, where it serves as the foundation for organizing the methods and delivering the content Steele, J L., Meredith K S., Temple, Ch A framework for critical thinking across the curriculum 1998 page The ERR framework of thinking and learning devides the learning process in three phases: Evocation Process during which learners are motivated to retrieve prior knowledge on the given topic Realization of Meaning Process during which new information presented in an active way and students learn this new information in relation to what they already know Reflection Process summarizing the new content by the learners A thorough theoretical presentation of the framework is presented at the beginning of the manual, and later its practical use during lesson planning is introduced Authors of this manual believe – based on their experience and feedback from teachers – that the ERR framework is a truly efficient tool and that students in primary and secondary schools will benefit from its implementation The MTM Training The MTM manual was originally developed for trainings of primary and secondary schools teachers organized by People in Need The training is designed for weeks, with pauses between the individual weeks, during which trainees return back to school and implement what they have learnt The participants get direct firsthand experience of all the methods as they try them out in the role of actual students The training also facilitates personal development of the trainees, for instance, in some activities the trainees become skilled at cooperativeness, partnership, communication, etc As part of the training, the participants are asked to develop a lesson plan in line with the ERR framework and by using active learning methods They also try to implement these lesson plans in their schools during the pauses between training weeks; and during the next training session share their experiences with the whole class and the trainer Trainees are visited by trainers in their respective schools throughout the training and are provided with supportive feedback on their implementation of active learning methods The trainees are also familiarized with the concept of portfolio development and assessment and in addition to that, each trainee develops a personal portfolio capturing their development during the training The trainer is in constant dialogue with the participants and together they seek the best ways by to practically apply Modern Teaching Methods in the context of Ethiopian schools How to use the MTM Manual As explained previously – the MTM manual was originally designed for a four-weeks of training with breaks in between the weeks, during which trainees implement in schools However – the material is flexible and can be used according to the specific needs of the user For example, the user can consider the weeks as “chapters” and organize a longer/shorter training by spreading/condensing the program of each “chapter” Or the users can select only some methods they want to address (eg portfolio development, brainstorming or Venn diagrams) Furthermore, even though the manual is prepared primarily for training sessions, it can also be used by individuals who want to learn some new methods or refresh their previous knowledge The manual can teach both groups with trainers and individuals how to use modern teaching methods, prepare active lesson plans, promote continuous assessment and much more On a more technical note, the program for each week includes specific contents for each day The program for each day has three vertical columns The first one is time allocation for each activity However, the given time is an estimate and does not mean the trainer must always follow it Allocated time should reflect the specific needs of the trainees The second column briefly describes activities/methods and how they should be conducted Detailed information for each activity or method is included in the handouts for each week The third column is “Remark” It includes possible materials to be used, suggestions on organizing the class and the activities It is not necessary to complete the entire program on the given day because the lesson should be adjusted according to the groups’ interests or capabilities In addition, it is not necessary to follow exactly what is described in the program The trainer has the possibility of changing some aspects of the program page such as topics for reading, organizing the class (group organization) and questions etc The reading topics were selected based on their accessibility for most readers But they can be replaced by other texts, for example a local story or an article about current issues from the newspaper The user-trainer can also freely include cross-cutting issues (such as gender equality, HIV/AIDS etc) while practicing the methods, rather than just following those suggested by the manual Regarding games and refreshers, the trainer should choose the appropriate time for a game Again it is possible to use games from the list or prepare new games and songs It all depends on the requirements and creativity of the person using the manual However, these changes should not deviate from the main idea of the program Feedback is part of everyday’s program, but it is not compulsory to get feedback from participants each day Feedback can be collected from trainees depending on the available time The trainer should take feedback seriously, discuss it with the group and make adjustments to the training when relevant Final Comments People in Need (PIN) and the authors of this manual hope that teachers, trainers, students and all other users will find it helpful Serious efforts are being made to continuously improve the manual and increase its adaptability to the local education environment One of these efforts was the translation of the manual into Amharic The Amharic version is currently successfully used during in-service trainings conducted by PIN The Modern Teaching Methods Manual presented to you is a general one, applicable to a wide range of subjects, be it humanities, natural science or aesthetics PIN is also publishing subject specific manuals, which show in a clear and practical way how active learning methods can be applied to specific subjects, for example biology or Amharic In case you wish to provide us with feedback or are interested in some of our publications or trainings, please feel free to contact us at the address below People in Need P. O. Box 27565/1000 Addis Ababa pin_manual@gmail.com www.peopleinneed.cz page week 1 week day Time allocation Activities Remarks 9.00 Good morning, teachers! 25’ Little Pebbles Instructions and completing the activity Possible changes: –– participants can work in two groups (half and half) –– participants can put back only one of their pebbles in the center of the circle and say only one piece of information; during the second round they give back a second pebble, if they have any; during the third round they put back the third pebble and so on, until the last member puts back their last pebble ■■ see handout Reflection of the activity “Little Pebbles” Think back about the completed activity Did you feel comfortable during the activity? Why yes, why no? When yes, when no? How did you like it overall? What did you like about it and what did you dislike? Do you think that your students could feel similarly if you conducted this activity? Would they feel relaxed? Would they feel uncomfortable? Why? Implementation of ideas For what purposes would you use this activity in your class? How can you use this activity in your subject areas? Give examples Participants sitting in a circle 40’ Prepare the pebbles beforehand Select several questions from the list, or you can add your own according to the needs of the group Let them discuss each question first in pairs and only afterward should they share their answers with the rest of the group Participants work in groups and present their ideas to the whole group Use some way of grouping – e.g stones of four/five colors 20’ Break 20’ Name rehearsal Participants (including the trainer) put on name tags and sit or stand in a circle Then someone starts by saying his/ her own name and the person sitting next to them repeats the name of the first person and adds his/her own The activity continues until the last person repeats all the names in the circle Then the activity continues in the reverse direction to balance out the challenge of memorizing the names of all participants All this can be done while the name tags are on For the third round the participants take off the name tags and the participants are expected to say the names by memory In case a participant forgets the name of another participant, the first letter of the name is said so that he/she can guess the name 15’ Reflection of the activity “Name rehearsal” What is the importance of this game? How can you use the activity in your teaching practice? Stress for the trainees that the game can: –– Help students get to know each other better, particularly at the beginning of the school year –– Be used for teaching some concepts which require remembering simple facts page 10 week day Time allocation 14.00 Game 20’ 80’ Presentation of lessons 20’ Break 50’ Presentation of lessons 15’ Feedback 17.00 page 148 Activities Remarks 4 week Time allocation 9.00 Activities day Remarks Program for today Suggestions of participants 5’ 20’ Game or song 90’ Presentation of model lessons prepared by trainees – Peer Teaching 20’ Break 45’ Presentation of model lessons 12.00 Lunch break 14.00 Game 20’ 75’ Presentation of model lessons 20’ Break 40’ Presentation of model lessons 15’ Feedback 17.00 page 149 week day Time allocation 8.00 Activities Remarks Program for today Suggestions of participants 5’ 20’ Game 1:20’ Presentation of model lessons 20’ Break 1:55’ Presentation of model lessons 20’ Break 25’ Future cooperation The expectations of the stake holders regarding the implementation of the input gained by the trainees are discussed The discussion will be based on the following leading questions: W  hat general challenges are there to implementing the training input in your teaching? (this may relate to: resources, administrative issues, curriculum issues, etc) What you expect from PIN and other stake holders to further strengthen implementation? P reparation of tentative action plan 20’ Game 15’ Final feedback Evaluate the training as a whole and let the participants fill in the final evaluation sheet 13.20 page 150 Follow the same procedure as the previous day week Pens in the Middle The activity Pens in the Middle is a cooperative learning strategy The teacher assigns a problem or question to students The students share ideas in groups (3 to members) Each student marks his or her contribution by placing a pen (or pencil or pebble ) on the table in the middle of the group That individual may not contribute again until all pens are in the middle All members are equal in their ability to contribute, and no one may dominate The teacher may also select a pen and ask what contribution it represents page 151 week Know/Want to Know/Learn (Ogle, 1986) The students list in a K-W-L chart what they already know about a topic and then frame questions to be answered by inquiry At the conclusion of the lesson, the students return to the K-W-L chart and decide what they’ve learned in the lesson Begin by asking the students to form pairs and take minutes to list everything they know or think they know about the topic In the meantime, construct on the blackboard a Know/Want to Know/Learn (K-W-L) chart such as that: What we think we know? What we want to know? What did we learn? Ask pairs of the students to share their ideas with you As they do, write the points about which there is general agreement in the left-hand column under “What we think we know?” It helps if you group ideas into categories Help students frame questions regarding the points they are unsure about Questions may arise from details over which there is disagreement, or from categories of knowledge about which the students are curious List those questions in the “Want-to-know” column Now ask the students to keep those questions firmly in mind as they read the article about the topic Once the students have had time to read the article, call their attention back to the questions they raised before reading, questions that are listed in the “Want-to-know” column Find out which answers to the questions have been found in the reading, and note these answers in the “What-didwe-learn” column Next, ask students what other information they encountered about which they had not raised prior questions Note this information in the “What-did-we-learn” column as well Some of their questions may have remained unanswered, and there also may be new questions If so, these questions can be the basis for further inquiry Discuss where the students might go for answers to those questions References: Jeannie, L S., Kurtis, S M., Temple, Ch Further strategies for promoting critical thinking 1998 page 152 week Discussion Web The Discussion Web (Alvermann, 1991) is one of a class of strategies that use a plan to orchestrate a complex lesson, the result of which is to guarantee that everyone gets to participate in the discussion It is recommended for group sizes in between 15–20 students The Discussion Web requires that you design one binary question (one that can be answered positively or negatively) that goes to the heart of the issue raised by the text You ask pairs of students to draw a grid with the question in the center On the left-hand side of the grid, they should designate space to list the reasons that support a positive answer to the question, and on the righthand side they should set aside space to list the reasons that would support a negative answer YES NO “Should the government make chewing ‘chat’ prohibited?” The activity begins with the pairs discussing the question, and then listing four or five arguments that support a positive answer to it, followed by four or five arguments that tend toward a negative answer After the pairs have listed reasons on both sides, each pair of students should join another pair of students, and share the reasons they listed under Yes and those they listed under No As the pairs discuss the reasons they listed on both sides of the argument, the pairs should add reasons to their own lists When all of the quartets have finished, invite individuals to take a minute to decide how they really feel about this issue Then invite all of those who agree with positive answers to the question to move to the left-hand side of the class All of those who agree with negative answers to the question are asked to move to the righthand side of the class Because individual participants may have joined each group for different reasons, they should begin by discussing the reasons they feel as they do, and then compile their strongest arguments in defense of their position You should allow or minutes for each group to decide what its best arguments are Then have the two sides debate each other Ask a volunteer from each side to state that side’s position (in under minutes) Once statements from both sides have been shared, members of any group may join in, to rebut what has been said and to offer further defenses of their position Set a time limit of one minute per statement Individuals should be challenged to listen carefully to what the opponent said before making their statements If necessary, you may institute the rule that they must restate what the opponent said before making their own statement Take steps to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate Introduce and enforce these two ground rules: You must allow a person to finish his/her statement before answering You must be polite Anyone who is persuaded away from her/his position may change sides during the debate, by physically moving to the other side of the room After 10–15 minutes of debate, ask the students to stop and write a short argumentative essay At the conclusion, one volunteer from each side is asked to give a summary statement References: Jeannie L S., Meredith, K S., Temple, Ch Further strategies for promoting critical thinking 1998 page 153 week 5–1–4 This is an activity for the evocation or reflection part of the lesson through which students can share their questions about a topic It develops questioning skills Make groups of (or 4) students The group sits down around a table in a small circle – this is important for the method Everybody has their own piece of paper or an exercise book At first, everybody writes down a question concerning a topic that is taught or discussed Devote enough time so that everybody can identify and formulate his/her own question After each member of the group has written down their question, all students send their note book or paper to the person to their right Students read the question they’ve received from their neighbor and answers in writing Once the answers are written, the papers/exercise books are again passed to the right The recipient reads the question at the top of the page and also responds Certainly, they can also read the first answer that is already written on the paper and they can relate their answer also to the first one After the notebooks or the papers with one question and four answers are back to their authors and owners, the group can discuss them briefly and select one question for public presentation for the rest of the class Name of the method “5 – – 4” means groups members each of them asks question and they each receive answers after the exercise book is returned If you have only four members in a group the name of the method will be – – References: Košťálová, H Training of Modern Teaching Methods People in Need 2005 page 154 week Lines of Future Students focus their consideration on possible course of events in their future Students prepare a time line of their lives They can work in pairs or individually They record on the time line key events of their life They can use pictures and notes for recording First they remember past key events in their life until they come to the present The events can be personal, local, national or global Afterward they record expected (probable) and preferred (wished) events Also from present to future is the line divided into two separate branches One branch represents expected future and the second branch represents preferred future Each student can decide how far is between both branches Discuss with your students: How the key events affected your life? How much effort you need to achieve the preferred future? What can you yourselves for realization of your wishes? What you cannot affect? expected future birth present preferred future References: Skalická, P Training of Modern Teaching Methods People in Need 2005 page 155 week Bingo (GAME) Find in this room at least one person who can answer “yes” to any of the questions posed in the windows Don’t ask the same person more than one question in a row You can return to the same colleague after you have asked at least one other person It is not necessary to gain more than one person’s name for each of the questions As soon as you fill one row (horizontally) or one column (vertically) you should call loudly: “SMALL BINGO” When you gain one person’s name for each of the windows on the whole page, you should call loudly: “BINGO” That will be the end of the activity (and you will be the winner…) Find a person who has motivated his/her students to create their own portfolio Find a person who has written his or her dual entry diary Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Find a person who did a reading lesson with his/her students Find a person who played some games or sang some songs with his/her students Find a person who used an alternative way of assessment in his/her school (descriptive feedback, appreciations and questions, etc.) Find a person who has used the brainstorming method more than twice during the last school year In subject: ………………… Which one: ……………… Which one: ……………… Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Find a person who has prepared their own lesson plan according to socio-pedagogical constructivism (evocation, realization of meaning, reflection) Find a person who has used a mind map in his/her subject Find a person who has used Venn diagrams in his/her subject In subject: ……………… In subject: ……………… Name: …………………… Name: …………………… Name: …………………… Find a person who likes the song Bon Cheeky Bon Find a person who has done some kind of discussion with his/her students (community circle, discussion web, etc.) Find a person who has shared new knowledge from training with his/her colleagues within his/her school Which one: ……………… Name: …………………… Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Find a person who has created ground rules with his/her students Find a person who has collected students’ work during the last year Find a person who has displayed student work on the wall Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… Name: ……………………… page 156 week BIO FUELS Bio fuel is defined as solid, liquid or gas fuel derived from recently dead biological material and is distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material Humans have used biomass fuels in the form of solid bio fuels for heating and cooking since the discovery of fire Following the discovery of electricity, it became possible to use bio fuels to generate electrical power as well The discovery and use of fossil fuels: coal, gas and oil, however, dramatically reduced the amount of biomass fuel used in the developed world for transport, heat and power Nevertheless, before and during World War II, due to the high demand of the wartime period, bio fuels were valued as a strategic alternative to imported oil After the war, inexpensive oil from the Middle East contributed in part to the lessened economic and geopolitical interest in bio fuels Then, in 1973 and 1979, geopolitical conflict in the Middle East caused OPEC to cut exports, and non-OPEC nations experienced a very significant decrease in their oil supply Throughout history, the fluctuations of supply and demand, energy policy, military conflict, and environmental impacts, have all contributed to a highly complex and volatile market for energy and fuel Since the year 2000, renewed interest in bio fuels has been seen The drivers for bio fuel research and development include rising oil prices, concerns over the potential oil peak, greenhouse gas emissions (causing global warming and climate change), rural development interests, and instability in the Middle East Bio fuels offer the possibility of producing energy without a net increase of carbon in the atmosphere This is because the plants used in the production of the fuel remove CO2 from the atmosphere; unlike fossil fuels, which return carbon that was stored beneath the surface for millions of years back into the atmosphere Bio fuels are discussed as having significant roles in a variety of international issues, including: mitigation of carbon emissions levels and oil prices, the “food vs fuel” debate, deforestation and soil erosion, impact on water resources, and energy balance and efficiency There are two common strategies for producing bio fuels One is to grow crops high in sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum) or starch (corn/maize), and then use yeast fermentation to produce ethyl alcohol (ethanol) The second is to grow plants that contain high amounts of vegetable oil, such as oil palm, soybean, algae, or jatropha Biodegradable output from industry, agriculture, forestry and households can be used for a third method of bio fuel production, either using anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, or using second generation bio fuels; examples include straw, timber, manure, rice husks, sewage, and food waste Biomass can come from waste plant material The use of biomass fuels can therefore contribute to waste management as well as fuel security and help to prevent global warming, though alone they are not a comprehensive solution to these problems There are different types of bio fuels These are: first generation bio fuels, second generation bio fuels, third generation bio fuels, and fourth generation bio fuels ‘First-generation bio fuels’ are bio fuels made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology The basic feed stocks for the production of first generation bio fuels are often seeds or grains such as wheat, which yields starch that is fermented into bioethanol, or sunflower seeds, which are pressed to yield vegetable oil that can be used in biodiesel Second-generation bio fuel production processes can use a variety of non food crops These include waste biomass, the stalks of wheat, corn, wood, and special-energy-or-biomass crops (e.g Miscanthus) Algae fuel, also called oilgae or third generation biofuel, is a bio fuel from algae Algae are low-input, high-yield feed stocks to produce bio fuels It produces 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans With the higher prices of fossil fuels (petroleum), there is much interest in algaculture (farming algae) Second and third generation bio fuels are also called advanced bio fuels An appealing fourth generation bio fuel is based on the conversion of vegoil and biodiesel into gasoline Food vs Fuel There are various current issues with bio fuel production and use which are presently being discussed in the popular media and scientific journals It has been claimed that bio fuels are “even worse than fossil fuel”, that bio fuel production is driving millions of poor people into starvation, that bio fuels are a “crime against humanity” – it is reported that tropical rainforests are being destroyed to make way for bio fuel crop plantations, while good farmland is being used to raise bio fuel crops instead of food, creating food shortages and driving up food prices, especially for the world’s poor Dozens of countries have seen food riots as prices soared out of reach and angry people took to the streets Are bio fuels really to blame? page 157 week Yes, partly, but there is more to it than that – First of all, not all bio fuels are the same There are “good” bio fuels and “bad” bio fuels Real bio fuel that causes no anti-life devastation is being produced worldwide by thousands upon thousands of small-scale projects focusing on local production for local use They use renewable, locally available resources wherever possible, including wastes, and they fit in with the local community and the local environment Sustainable farming Bio fuel crops have to be grown, and there is a lot of common ground between growing sustainable fuel and growing sustainable food A sustainable mixed farm can produce its own fuel with much or possibly all of it coming from crop by-products and waste products without any dedicated land use, and with very low input levels That sheds a different light on how much land is needed to grow “enough” bio fuels: less land with sustainable farming, which also has much lower fossil fuel input than industrial farming Sustainable farming is the fastestgrowing agricultural sector in many countries; millions of farmers worldwide are turning to sustainable methods A different approach Replacing fossil fuels with bio fuels is not the answer Replacing fossil fuels is not even an option – current energy use, especially in the industrialized countries, is not sustainable anyway, whatever the energy source A very large portion of the energy we use is just wasted, and that is where to start, not with trying to replace the 60 billion gallons of petroleum diesel and 120 billion gallons of gasoline the US consumes each year, not to mention the heating oil and the power supply In order for bio fuels to have a significant effect on our world, this excessive energy consumption must be curbed page 158 week Final Evaluation of the Training What in the training was most valuable to you? What would have made this training more meaningful for you? What will change in your future teaching as a result of this training? Which of the skills, knowledge or attitudes you have gained during the training can you use also in your private life? Have you learnt during the training something also from your colleagues in the team? Suggest topics you would be interested in discussing in future meetings Please make any comments you would like on the training page 159 week page 160