SDG EXHIBITION (SELF-REFLECTION)

Organizing the SDG Exhibition was a fulfilling and enriching experience for me and my fellow TESL students. As TESL students, we sought to create a meaningful and interactive exhibition that would educate visitors on SDG 4: Quality Education and make learning an enjoyable process. We selected the SDG to be compared with the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou because of its strong themes of resilience, perseverance in the face of adversity, and empowerment, which coincidentally align with the objective of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all. During the preparation phases, we had a number of challenges that we faced, including coming up with activities to attract and keep visitors' attention, developing nicely designed materials, and how our information will be fully understandable. Nevertheless, through collaborations and careful planning, we were able to have our booth stand out by having a number of interactive activities such as the Jar of Questions, Flip the Future Cards, Voice of Education, and a mini photo booth. It was pleasing to see that our visitors were willingly engaging in our activities, and it made me realize the kind of impact interactive learning activities can have on fostering sensitivity regarding world issues. Further, the experience taught me the importance of proper communication and also cooperation, since we had to collaborate to convey our ideas in a proper and attractive manner. Overall, the exhibition was an educative learning experience that enhanced my skills to teach others better and widened my knowledge on SDG 4.

The responses of visitors to our booth were quite varied, but overall they were positive and encouraging. The majority of the visitors were interested in our booth setup and how literature is connected to SDG 4. Some of the participants who attended our Jar of Questions activity were surprised to learn about the challenges children everywhere in the world face in accessing education. They indicated that they took their own education for granted and never considered how poverty, lack of resources, and institutional discrimination could prevent others from accessing quality education. Flip the Future Card proved to be a favorite activity and visitors enjoyed playing the exercise in matching words and pictures pertinent to SDG 4. Some even returned more than once, proving the power of gamification as an effective learning vehicle. The Voice of Education activity also resonated greatly because it allowed visitors to leave their personal opinions and observations on education. Some wrote down their dreams for a better education system, with issues raised about the availability of more diverse learning environments, highly trained teachers, and equal opportunities for all students. We also received compliments on our mini photo booth, as visitors enjoyed the opportunity to take photos of their experience at the exhibition. The guest free small sweets and treats that we handed out also prompted interaction, and several guests appreciated us for turning learning into an enjoyable experience. Their comments reassured me that our booth successfully called attention to and caused reflective consideration of SDG 4.

Amongst our most eye-opening discoveries, one of them was that several of our exhibition visitors had virtually no knowledge whatsoever about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before visiting our event. Whilst others had actually heard of hearing "SDG" mentioned in some context, they were never fully aware of what it comprised and how they used it daily. This made our exhibit more valuable because it was an educational showcase to introduce SDG 4 and its relevance. Through our activities, discussions, and posters, we were able to teach people about the SDG4: quality education. We talked about how SDG 4 will promote quality and inclusive education and provide lifelong learning opportunities for all, regardless of socio-economic status, gender, or ability. The majority of the visitors were shocked by the fact that millions of children around the world are still denied proper schooling and that even in developed countries, there are inequalities in education. When they were about to leave after their visit, the majority of them appreciated the information and stated that they would be glad to learn about other SDGs. This experience only reaffirmed my belief that more efforts like our exhibition are necessary to create awareness and encourage people to act in support of sustainable development.

Literature is a good tool for educating students on SDGs because it forms an emotional connection between students and major social issues. Through literature, poetry, and drama, students can get acquainted with elements of poverty, discrimination, pollution, and human rights, so that SDGs become more relevant and reflective to them. We used Still I Rise by Maya Angelou as an example in our exhibition and utilized it to highlight resilience and determination at school. The poem's ideas of coping with adversity, self-empowerment, and opposition to oppression are fully aligned with SDG 4 because many individuals around the world have difficulties accessing education due to gender imbalance, financial hardships, or institutional barriers. Through analysis of the poem, students can develop critical thinking skills, engage with contemporary issues, and draw correspondences between literature and social justice. Furthermore, literature allows learners to have another perspective and to know individuals who belong to diverse backgrounds, creating world responsibility. The incorporation of SDGs in literature lessons can make learning more engaging, meaningful, and efficient, finally inspiring students to take action and make the world a better place.

To prepare pre-service teachers like me to incorporate SDGs into English language instruction, the B.Ed TESL program should incorporate SDG-focused training into its curriculum. A good way to do this is through lesson planning activities that have us incorporating SDG themes into English lessons. For example, in our Teaching of English Literature course, we may be asked to design lessons with poems, short stories, or plays to teach different SDGs. This would give us hands-on experience in making learning both language-focused and socially relevant. Another important project is conducting workshops or seminars on SDG education, where experts or experienced teachers share best practices for incorporating SDGs into education. More than this, micro-teaching classes can be utilized to make us capable of teaching SDG-oriented lessons within a model classroom setup under the facilitation of peers and lecturers. Further, group projects that engage with other faculties, education, environmental studies, or social sciences, for instance, it will help us visualize the same SDGs in multiple disciplinary settings and how it connects to each discipline. Finally, the TESL program can promote community outreach activities in which we implement our teaching competencies in practical settings, for example, in volunteering with schools that have less fortunate students or in organizing SDG-awareness workshops. In providing us with the knowledge, skills, and resources that we need, the B.Ed TESL program can prepare future teachers to be the key players in promoting awareness of the SDGs and developing socially conscious students.