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PART 1: My EAC Foundation

Module 2: A Community of learners – EAC Philosophy, Vision,
Mission Objectives
Introduction:
Module 1 invited you to reflect on definitions and development of your sense of place in your
learning journal. Think back to your ideas and reflections in the module and relate it to the
concepts in this module 2. This next Module invites you to a dialogue in affirming views of the
EAC School Philosophy, Vision-Mission, and Objectives as it is put in the backdraft of
education for sustainable development. As you have successfully demonstrated you are
encouraged to continue practice reflective habit. Reflective practice is your ability to reflect
on one's actions so as to engage in a process of continuous learning ( Schön,1983). It involves
you "paying critical attention to the practical values and theories which inform everyday
actions, by examining practice reflectively and reflexively. This leads to your developmental
insight"(Bolton, 2010). A key rationale for reflective practice is that experience alone does not
necessarily lead to learning; deliberate reflection on experience is essential (Loughran 2002;
Cochran-Smith and Lytle, 1999). Rolheiser and et al. (2000) assert that "Reflection develop
metacognition –your capacity to improve ability to think about your thinking; to self-evaluate;
to judge the quality of your work based on evidence and explicit criteria for the purpose of
doing better work; the development of your critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-
making.”

YOUR LESSON OBJECTIVES:

In the context of nurturing an Emilian culture, the students will be able to:
 Demonstrate dialogic open-mindedness and respect in affirming views of the EAC School Philosophy,
Vision-Mission, and Objectives;
 Reflect agreeably by implicating oneself on Education for Sustainable Development goals
 Interpret the lyrics of EAC Hymn and empathize with its meaning
 Combine ideas and propose students actions to maximize and value EAC resources
 Implicate sustainability concepts in local development situations

Day 1
Activity 2.1 Reflection
Reflective-Discussion (30 minutes)

(Student read the literature individually and later share answers to Guide Questions in Think About it. Facilitator
will synthesize and further the understanding of the literature by explaining the purpose of Parables.)

Parable of the Sower (Parable #11 Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-8, 13-20; Luke 8:4-8 11-15)
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5
Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil
was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because
they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still
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other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but
not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does
not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘you will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be
ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly
hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But
blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it…
Think about it
1. What resulted when the seed fell on each type of soil?
2. What does the “seed” represent? Why, in your estimation, is this such an appropriate figure?
3. How did Jesus conclude his parable? What did he mean by that? (13:9)
4. Why do some listeners discover the truth in a parable and others do not?
5. What kind of people today might be represented by the seeds?
6. Why was Jesus speaking in parables?
7. What do you believe is the main lesson to be learned from this parable?
(Courtesy of: A Study of the Parables of Jesus; Gene Taylor)
(*students will write their learned answers on their notebook or journal). Writing a short narrative of
learning experience is encouraged.

What do you think?

Understanding Parables

“Literally denotes a placing beside. (akin to paraballo, to throw or lay beside, to

compare). It signifies a placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison.” (W.E.
Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p.840). It is derived from the Greek
word “parabole” that comes from two other Greek words. “Ballo” (verb): “to throw or cast.”
“Para” (preposition) “alongside of” “That which is thrown alongside of,” thus resulting in a
comparison. Generally speaking, a parable is a comparison or analogy drawn from nature or
human circumstances, the objects of which is to set forth a spiritual lesson. In the parables of
Jesus there are comparisons of spiritual realities and nature occurrences.
“The primary lessons of a parable must be grasped but not each and every detail is
always to be forced to yield a distinct lesson. Parables are like pictures, in that they require
details to make up the general pictures but without each detail having of necessity a special and
separate lesson. It may or may not be so.” (G.H. Lang, the Parabolic Teaching of Scripture, p.17)
(Courtesy of: A Study of the Parables of Jesus; Gene Taylor)

Developing your sense of community

Activity 2.2– My/ Our vision and ideal of a good community
Team Reflective Activity (60 minutes):
Activity Guide: Facilitator at this point must have encouraged the section to form 5 Groups.
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Part 1. In this activity each group will use their pooled resources (personal valuables and ‘not
valuables’) to create an ideal community and later share in plenary what are the features of their community
and how did they designed or planned this community. They will build their “community” on the floor within 15
minutes (students will put all chairs on the sides of the room to create large space for the activity). Each group
shall capture at least 4 digital photos of their built community. Later to be printed and pasted with captions in
their journals.

Part 2. describes what and how the community was built by the group. Groups shall assign one or two
to explain the features and processes they went through in building their community. Other Groups listen, may
comment, and appreciate. The groups’ communities will be deconstructed only after the last group sharing.
They shall return all pooled resources orderly. Community Description Guide: What are the features of your
community? What are the suggestions? Why? / Who makes the decision on the design? What process did you go
through in building your community? What do you think and how do you feel about this activity? How long did
it take to deconstruct your community? (*students will also print and paste digital photo of their community
with caption in their notebook or journal). Writing a short narrative of learning experience is encouraged.

Day 2
Activity 2.3 A Community of Learners Inquiry-based Interactive Lecture: (45 minutes)

Guide Questions: From 4 to 5 Pillars of Learning

1. What is a “community”?  Learning to Know
2. What concepts are involved in building a  – knowledge, values and skills for respecting
community? and searching for knowledge and wisdom
3. What are the features of sustainable  Learning to Do
community? – knowledge, values and skills for active
4. Why is education linked to sustainable engagement in productive employment
development? and recreation
5. What can you contribute to build sustainable
 Learning to Be
community?
- knowledge, values and skills for personal
Topic 1: From 4 to 5 Pillars of Learning and family well-being
(Teacher facilitate Lecture-discussion)
 Learning to Live Together
- knowledge, values and skills for
Student Task: In your learning journal, draw a
diagram/ Symbols to represent the five pillars of international, intercultural and community
learning. cooperation and peace
 Learning to transform oneself and
society 
- knowledge, values and skills for self-
Topic 2.2 Education for Sustainable reflection and active citizenship
Development

Think About it: An individual’s connection and interpretation of a sustainable development through
education.
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WHAT IS A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY?

A sustainable community is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough to

maintain its natural, economic, social, and political support systems.

A sustainable community continues to thrive from generation to generation because it

has:

 A healthy and diverse ecological system that continually performs life sustaining
functions and provides other resources for humans and other species;
 A social foundation that provides for the health of all community members, respects
cultural diversity, is equitable in its actions, and considers the needs of future
generations;
 A healthy and diverse economy that adapts to change, provides long-term security to
residents, and recognizes social and ecological limits.
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Activity 2.4 RATE YOURSELF

Independent Activity
Student Name: ____________________ Course/ Section: __________ Date: ______
Things that help me learn and share in a Community of Learners
Write briefly in the boxes what concepts, beliefs, emotion, material things, skills, ability you can contribute and
willing to share to the EAC Community of Learners

I think… I feel… I have… I can… I will…

Knowledge
How natural
processes work

How our lives

connect with others

The planet earth as

a finite resource

Values
A commitment to all
living things

A desire for social

justice /
Empathy and
awareness
Understanding of
quality of life /
Rights and
responsibilities
Skills
Co-operative
working

Critical thinking /
Negotiation

Reasoned
argument/
Problem solving
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Day 3
Activity 3.1 Group Interaction: Interpretation of EAC Philosophy, Vision-Mission, and
EAC Hymn

Teacher supervised Focus Group Discussion (30 minutes): Use student’s manual and available mobile
applications for referencing.

 Guide: students by group shall interpret the concepts and propose students behaviors and actions
to maximize and value EAC resources.
 Each group shall focus discussion by topic: 1- EAC Philosophy / 2- EAC Vision / 3- EAC Mission/ 4- EAC
Objectives / 5- EAC Hymn. Make them choose or assign one group facilitator, one writer, and one
reporter. Write their interpretations and prepare for plenary discussion.

–—˜™–—
 Philosophy: Emilio Aguinaldo College is a private, non-sectarian institution
of learning that fosters equal and fair opportunities for the holistic
development of persons, conscious of their national identity and their roles
in the global community.
 Vision: Emilio Aguinaldo College envisions itself as an internationally
recognized autonomous academic institution rooted in its nationalist
tradition that consistently pursues advancement and welfare of humanity.
 Mission: Emilio Aguinaldo College provides an outcomes-based education
with relevant curricula geared towards excellent research, active industry
cooperation and sustainable community extension.
 Educational Objectives: The objectives of Emilio Aguinaldo College are to:
1) Offer opportunities for quality and relevant education to all; 2) Cultivate
the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social and physical aspects of a person; 3)
Instill appreciation of pride for one’s national identity; and, 4) Produce
graduates of global quality equipped with competencies in their field of
expertise
–—˜™–—

Student Connection
 Proposal Making
Students by Group shall propose students actions applying principles of 5 Pillars of learning and
Sustainable development with the EAC PVMO depending on the Group assigned Topic (30 minutes):

Plenary (30 minutes):

Sharing of interpreted concepts and proposed students actions (to be printed/ written and pasted in their
journals) other groups may comment, suggest, and appreciate.
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Day 4
Activity 3.2 Group Independent Learning Activity: Mapping the City
Taken that the Groups already have an elected group Leaders, students will be directed to utilize various learning
resources/ technology to perform the following tasks:

Part 1 Group Creative mapping with Google map assistance (students will first use Google map satellite to see and
capture photo (and later print) of the whole City of Dasmarinas observing its natural landscapes and physical
development. Discuss among members comparison of the city from today to the captured image/s. Select 2 points
of interest from the list of 13 indicators of a sustainable community (ex. Population, transportation, water supply
i.e. rivers) and then gather digital visual data about them. Superimpose these digital photos in your City map and
put label/ legend.

Part 2 Write a narrative (TABULAR or CONCEPT MAP) that summarize the local situation inviting yourselves to take
the role of a member of that community. Your task is to analyze the problem and then use principles of 5 pillars of
learning and sustainable community development to suggest possible solutions.

Completing the module: 

Extending your learning

Activity 2.5: Individual Reflection (facilitator share introductory notes about reflective thinking)

Experiential - Conceptual Learning Application.

Students by group will be tasked to watch an animation film to discuss among themselves and
write (200 words) or sketch/draw (1 whole page of journal) an Individual Reflection: My sustainable
education goals (connected with the EAC PVMO and EAC Hymn) relating concepts of 5 Pillars of learning
and sustainable development as interpreted or paralleled in the experiences of the characters in the film.
You may also describe how relevant and/or useful you find the objectives of Education for Sustainable
Development, then give a reason for your opinions, or describe how you would feel – personally –
about the challenges facing you in adapting to this reorientation of education.

Suggested viewing Material: Happy Feet 2 movie (not Happy Feet 1)

(*students will write, sketch or print and paste in their notebook or journal)

Look back through the activities and tasks to check that you have done them all and to change any that you
think you can improve now that you have come to the end of the module.

Congratulations! WELCOME TO MODULE 3!

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THE OBJECTIVES OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The long term goals of Education for Sustainable Development include:
 To promote understanding of the interdependence of natural, socio-economic and political systems at
local, national and global levels.
 To encourage critical reflection and decision making that is reflected in personal lifestyles.
 To engage the active participation of the citizenry in building sustainable development.
Source: Lopez, G. (1997) Putting new bite into knowledge, in I. Serageldin et al. (eds), Organising Knowledge for
Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, The World Bank, Washington DC, p. 10.

The ultimate goal of sustainable development is to improve the quality of life for all members of a
community and, indeed, for all citizens of a nation and the world – while ensuring the integrity of
the life support systems upon which all life, human and non-human, depends. Sustainability is
the goal of sustainable development – an unending quest to improve the quality of peoples’ lives
and surroundings, and to prosper without destroying the life-supporting systems on which current
and future generations of humans depend. Like other important concepts, such as equity and
justice, sustainability can be thought of as both a destination and a journey.
 Source: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (2004) See Change: Learning and Education for
Sustainability, New Zealand Government, Wellington, p.14.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (or Global Goals for Sustainable

Development) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations in 2015. The formal name
for the SDGs is: "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." That has
been shortened to "2030 Agenda." The goals are broad and interdependent, yet each has a separate list
of targets to achieve. Achieving all 169 targets would signal accomplishing all 17 goals. The SDGs cover
social and economic development issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, global
warming, gender, equality, water,sanitation, energy, urbanization, environment and social justice.

EDUCATION: A FORCE FOR THE FUTURE

Education has a major role to play as a force for the future also. As UNESCO states:

It is widely agreed that education is the most effective means that society possesses for confronting the
challenges of the future. Indeed, education will shape the world of tomorrow. Progress increasingly depends upon
the products of educated minds: upon research, invention, innovation and adaptation. Of course, educated minds
and instincts are needed not only in laboratories and research institutes, but in every walk of life. Indeed, access to
education is the sine qua non for effective participation in the life of the modern world at all levels. Education, to be
certain, is not the whole answer to every problem. But education, in its broadest sense, must be a vital part of all
efforts to imagine and create new relations among people and to foster greater respect for the needs of the
environment. Education can ensure that all citizens, young and old, are knowledgeable about the changes that are
needed, capable of envisioning alternative futures, committed to democratic ways of achieving them, and sufficiently
skilled and motivated to work actively for change. This is Education for Sustainable Development. Source: UNESCO
(1997) Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action, paragraph 38.

FROM FOUR TO FIVE PILLARS OF LEARNING

Education can play a major role in supporting national development and meeting the needs and aspirations of a
society. While the relationship between education and sustainable development is complex, education is the key to a nation’s
ability to develop and achieve sustainable development, especially when it is directed to improving agricultural productivity,
providing skills for work in new industries, enhancing the status of women, promoting environmental protection, developing
capacities for informed and ethical decision-making, and improving the quality of life for all.

In the introduction to Learning: The Treasure Within, Jacques Delors, the Chairperson of the UNESCO Commission on
Education in the 21st Century, identified many ways in which education is contributing to such goals. However, he also noted
that economic and social progress has been uneven and often brought with it a widespread sense of disillusionment over the
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prospects for future generations.

As a result, Delors argued that the aims of education need to balance and integrate several tensions:

The tension between the global and the local

Education should help young people become world citizens as well as play an active part in the life of their own
country and community.
The tension between the universal and the individual
Education should help young people learn how balance the promises of globalisation and its risks as well as choose
their own future and achieve their full potential within their own cultures.
The tension between tradition and modernity
Education should help young people appreciate and value history and cultural traditions, balancing these with the
ethical discernment and cooperative skills to appreciate where change and innovation are necessary and worthwhile.
The tension between long-term and short-term considerations
Education should help young people learn how to balance short- and long-term goals, in the full realization that the
solutions to many problems call for patience and a consideration of the needs of future generations.
The tension between competition and cooperation
Education should help young people strive for excellence in all they do whilst balancing the principles of
“competition, which provides incentives; co-operation, which gives strength; and solidarity, which unites”.
The tension between the spiritual and the material
Education should help young people act in accordance with their cultural traditions and convictions while paying full
respect to pluralism and concern for the well-being of others.
The tension between the existing curriculum and important new areas of knowledge
This means that the aims of education must balance the best of traditional curriculum content with important new
areas of learning “such as self-knowledge, ways to ensure physical and psychological well-being [and] ways to an
improved understanding of the natural environment and to preserving it better”.
The Delors Report argued the aims of education need to respond to and accommodate these tensions – and if it does this
successfully, then education will be central to personal, community and national development, enabling all young people to
reach their potential, be responsible for our own lives, care for family, friends and neighbours, engage in productive and
sustainable employment, contribute to social, cultural and community well-being, minimize the impacts of their lifestyle
choices upon the natural world, and engage with others as informed and active citizens in local, national and global contexts.

As a result, Learning the Treasure Within proposed that the aims of education be built on four pillars of learning:
 Learning to know – knowledge, values and skills for respecting and searching for knowledge and wisdom
 Learning to do – knowledge, values and skills for active engagement in productive employment and recreation
 Learning to live together – knowledge, values and skills for international, intercultural and community cooperation
and peace
 Learning to be – knowledge, values and skills for personal and family well-being
Considering the all-encompassing scope of Education for Sustainable Development, and its aim to equip individuals with skills
and capacities to transform attitudes and lifestyles, we could consider adding a fifth pillar of learning:
 Learning to transform oneself and society – knowledge, values and skills for self-reflection and active citizenship

Aims Education should achieve changes in the community which:

 Lead to changes in work, lifestyle and consumption patterns.

 Encourage people to consider alternatives.
 Enable people to take part in decision making.
 Enable people to find information.
 Give people opportunities to participate.
 Encourage principles leading to a fairer society.
 Help people to understand the links between issues.

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
 The kind of change required by sustainability implicates each community, each household, and
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each individual. Successful solutions to problems at this level of society will need to be rooted in
the cultural specificity of the town or region if the people are to be supportive of and involved in
such change.
Source: UNESCO (1997) Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for
Concerted Action, paragraph 114.
 In the end, sustainable development will be made at the local community level. All the other
changes in favour of sustainability – by business, by national governments and by international
agencies – help create the conditions that facilitate action for sustainable development at the
local level by individuals, families, schools, hospitals, workplaces and neighbourhoods.

As a result, all over the world people are working together to build a sustainable future at the local level.

Source: Sustainable Community Roundtable.

13 indicators of a sustainable community.

 Natural Environment
In a sustainable community, people acknowledge the interconnectedness of all life, put the
needs of the ecosystems and the human spirit above special interests, and accept responsibility
for creating a healthy, sustainable environment.
 Population
In a sustainable community, the population is stable and within the ‘carrying capacity’ of the land,
water, and air.
 Water Consumption
In a sustainable community people use water no faster than it can be naturally replenished. This
means that consumption can be no greater than the maximum sustainable yield of the water
supply.
 Food Production
In a sustainable community, farmland is preserved for local food production, farmers and workers
earn a living wage, non-toxic and humane practices are utilized, and soil and water are protected
for future generations.
 Use of Raw Materials
In a sustainable community, people use materials efficiently, producing little or no waste that
cannot be reused, reprocessed, or reabsorbed by the Earth.
 Transportation
In a sustainable community, most daily needs can be met by foot, bicycle or public
transportation. Public and private vehicles are powered by clean, renewable fuels.
 Housing
In a sustainable community, structures are designed and built in ways that meet human needs
and support social and environmental health. Housing is safe, affordable, energy and resource
efficient, and available to all.
 Economy
In a sustainable community, a diverse local economy supports the basic needs of everyone
through satisfying, productive work, while making efficient use of materials and energy.
 Social Equity and Justice
In a sustainable community, human culture holds a high standard of equity and justice in the
relationships among people and in their relationship with the natural world. People honor and
uphold the well-being of the whole community.
 Governance and Participation
In a sustainable community, everyone is involved in community affairs and there is a high level of
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co-operation, collaboration, and consensus at all levels of governance: neighborhood, city and
region.
 Education
In a sustainable community, everyone is engaged in lifelong learning – developing the self-
esteem, knowledge, skills, and wisdom to live in ways that support personal, social, and
environmental health.
 Health
In a sustainable community, people take responsibility for their individual well-being and co-
operate to nurture social and environmental health.
 Spirituality
In a sustainable community, people appreciate their unique potential for growth, invention
becomes a daily event and random acts of kindness become the norm. It means showing by
your actions what your true beliefs and values are. A safe, caring community comes about with
work, interaction, communication, and planning.