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| Casper David Friedrich's Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. This artists works from the German Romanticist era are well known for simultaneously portraying a sense of human dominion over a landscape, yet the belittlement of individuals in nature. |
What is Futures Thinking?
Outcome.
Giving them the opportunity of having time, alternatives, motivation, choice & using holism results in personal ownership of that world and the process of getting there (ARIES 2009; & Tilbury and Wartman 2004). See more about this in the previous post. The process explores how to achieve change, offers direction for taking action (ARIES 2009) as well as empowers participants to "realize the stake they hold in the future with a positive framework that motivates them toward taking action on those visions (Tilbury and Wartman 2004)."
Futures Thinking is an exercise that engages people from their own perceptions and ideas on the topic of sustainability.
Purpose.
The Future's Thinking process asks participants to envision their ideal future guided by key questions (see "Questions for Participants" below). These futures can be drawn, written about, or expressed in other manners. By doing this they are instantly immersed in creating what their sustainable world would be like.
Outcome.
Giving them the opportunity of having time, alternatives, motivation, choice & using holism results in personal ownership of that world and the process of getting there (ARIES 2009; & Tilbury and Wartman 2004). See more about this in the previous post. The process explores how to achieve change, offers direction for taking action (ARIES 2009) as well as empowers participants to "realize the stake they hold in the future with a positive framework that motivates them toward taking action on those visions (Tilbury and Wartman 2004)."
Do not direct all your energies towards seeking pleasure but rather towards a sublime ideal. Your energies will then serve you and contribute to the realization of your goal or ideal. - Omraam Aivanhov
Planning an Activity.
Though I'm a fan of stream of consciousness art and believe it has value beyond aesthetics, maybe entering into psycho-analytics, "going with the flow" might not be a good start when doing a Futures Thinking activity. Educators should generally always enter educational activities with a plan knowing what are their outputs, short-term desired outcomes, and long-term desired outcomes. See more about that here.
Questions and Considerations for Planners...
Tilbury et al (2005) use the following questions and considerations sort of as checkpoints for a complete Futures Thinking, Envisioning process for the participant, I thought they'd look nice on a chart
Though I'm a fan of stream of consciousness art and believe it has value beyond aesthetics, maybe entering into psycho-analytics, "going with the flow" might not be a good start when doing a Futures Thinking activity. Educators should generally always enter educational activities with a plan knowing what are their outputs, short-term desired outcomes, and long-term desired outcomes. See more about that here.
Questions and Considerations for Planners...
Tilbury et al (2005) use the following questions and considerations sort of as checkpoints for a complete Futures Thinking, Envisioning process for the participant, I thought they'd look nice on a chart
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| An entering script for the 'futures thinking' envisioning process. (Tilbury and Wartman 2004) |
The image to the right depicts a possible entering script for the Futures Thinking, Envisioning process, but there are many ways Futures Thinking can be done.
Be as creative as you want.
There are key questions towards participants that will help guide a Futures Thinking activity while exercising core education for sustainable development (EfSD) principals.
Questions for Participants...
Draw your vision… think of five key [sustainability] words that you associate with it… take time to reflect…what assuptions influenced and informed your vision?...Do any assumptions underpin it?… What elements would need to be present to create this vision?… What implications does this vision have for what you or your community does now?…. What are the implications of this vision for your life, work , and future action?... How does your neighbors vision differ from yours? (Tilbury & Wartman 2004). I came up with, Why might your neighbors vision differ from yours? What do your vision and your neighbor's have in common? Why might this be?
Guinea Pig Myself.
I was part of this Futures Thinking activity in a class. The prof. asked the class to close their eyes and clear our mind. Then asked us many questions similar to those above. I envisioned my world and what I wanted for the future. When that part of the "trance like" exercise was done the prof. eased us back into the room and asked us to grab a paper and go somewhere in the room to express ourselves on the page for 15 mins. (more or less). Afterwards, when that time was sadly over the class was asked to walk about the room and look at everyones expressed visions while we reflected on some more questions. Then we chose the closest partners and explained our work and our vision. When we sat down and got back into class-mode the prof. guided a reflection on what just happened; what the purpose of the activity was and about the what we learned.
My Short Reflection.
Like all activities that allow you to explore yourself internally, this felt like precious free time, even despite being guided by someone else through the imagery I created in my mind it. It was very relaxing. I can see how this exercise gives the imagineer a feeling of motivation and ownership of the future world and the path to get there. To be honest, I wanted to keep drawing and coloring for the rest of the class... ¬ ¬ , not possible.
Guinea Pig Myself.
I was part of this Futures Thinking activity in a class. The prof. asked the class to close their eyes and clear our mind. Then asked us many questions similar to those above. I envisioned my world and what I wanted for the future. When that part of the "trance like" exercise was done the prof. eased us back into the room and asked us to grab a paper and go somewhere in the room to express ourselves on the page for 15 mins. (more or less). Afterwards, when that time was sadly over the class was asked to walk about the room and look at everyones expressed visions while we reflected on some more questions. Then we chose the closest partners and explained our work and our vision. When we sat down and got back into class-mode the prof. guided a reflection on what just happened; what the purpose of the activity was and about the what we learned.
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| I envision... |
My Short Reflection.
Like all activities that allow you to explore yourself internally, this felt like precious free time, even despite being guided by someone else through the imagery I created in my mind it. It was very relaxing. I can see how this exercise gives the imagineer a feeling of motivation and ownership of the future world and the path to get there. To be honest, I wanted to keep drawing and coloring for the rest of the class... ¬ ¬ , not possible.
The five words that have to do with sustainability that I related this to were:
Okay I know they aren't just words, but it counts. These words helped me give my vision some direction, if it weren't for them, I would have never come close to finishing any specific idea at all in 15 mins.
Ecologically Sound.
Integration.
Local-ism.
Energy Smarts.
& Pristine.
Time to reflect on my work afterwards and the way that it compared to others got me thinking. There were many assumptions in my vision. I assumed we'd leave fossil fuels and become a solar powered world. I assumed that everyone would be down with changing the structures of their entire communities anndddd ...would willingly grow trees that would engulf their homes.
I suppose what influenced these crazy thoughts was that...at my very core I feel close to the earth, I'm a green-y, and I wish everyone else could be to, or at least understand why they should go along with green-y or sustainability efforts. I've taken many environmental courses so I understand these things that aren't the norm of knowledge...I cannot assume that others would understand the immanence. Moreover, I grew up being exposed to raw nature, so I have experienced the power of its aesthetics overcoming me ...so I love it even more.
Others who have grown up never knowing this might not have this appreciation of the natural world, thus creating even more of an obstacle to understand why its important that we change.
To create this vision there needs to be more education on the matter, its urgency and what can be done, there should be an effort to expose more young people to the wonders of nature, accompanied by legitimate policies, and stronger global agreements. This means, the community has to change and I have to change too.
___Cite___
ARIES 2009, Education for Sustainability - the role of education in engaging and equipping people for change, ARIES, Macquarie University, Australian Government - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts, Australia <http://www.aries.mq.edu.au/publications/aries/efs_brochure/pdf/efs_brochure.pdf
ARIES 2009, Education for Sustainability - the role of education in engaging and equipping people for change, ARIES, Macquarie University, Australian Government - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts, Australia <http://www.aries.mq.edu.au/publications/aries/efs_brochure/pdf/efs_brochure.pdf
Tilbury, D., Keogh, A., Leighton, A. and Kent, J. 2005, A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Further and Higher Education, Canberra: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES).
Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. 2004, Engaging People in Sustainability, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, Gland and Cambridge
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