Category: EDCI 336 (Page 1 of 2)

Traditionally, when I think about outdoor education and nature literacy, I think of ways for people to unplug from technology, connect with nature, and their from the environment around them. I don’t think I have ever intentionally used technology to enhance outdoor learning.

Don’t get me wrong, I did lots of geocaching back in my day. My parents and I would do it when we went camping, when we wanted a day at the park, etc. It was a fun family activity that was a scavenger hunt that got us outside. I had never thought about the weight of the technology behind this though.

When we talked about how technology can enhance the outdoor learning environment and experience, it was like the lights turned on. Especially after reading this article about taking technology outdoors, I realized that it is not a black and white world we live in, and that it is okay for technology to be incorporated in outdoor education when it truly is to benefit the student and cause a greater sense of engagement.

Although the video you are about to see is older, and lots has changed in the past 12 years, I think what he talks about is relevant in todays conversation about technology and nature.

In class, we had guest lecturers come talk to us from BCEd Access Society. Before this class, I had not heard of this support group, but I think the work that they do and the support they provide is really cool. As pre-service teachers, we often hear about the importance of inclusion, but are typically given very little support in understanding what this actually might look like in practice. That is why I made this IEP Resource sheet for my link2practice assignment last term.

I found the exclusion tracker both incredibly interesting and heartbreaking. I understand that there are a multitude of challenges that students face that may require them to have adapted school schedules, different start/end times, modified curriculum, etc. But it is incredibly heartbreaking to think about the social and the developmental impact exclusion has on our youth.

In this week’s class, we had a lengthy discussion about what AI is, what it is capable of, and where it is headed. I feel like this is a conversation that we have had in most of our classes this year in the Elementary PDP program. Which, makes sense, as it is a resource (and an arguable hinderance) that we will have to face in our teaching practices.

Two years ago, I knew nothing about AI. I used it, sure, but not consciously (ie. Siri vs ChatGPT). Today, I use AI almost every day. The following is an interesting video that talks about AI, though it is almost a year old, and lots has chnaged in this time.

As much as AI is amazing and can make our lives easier, it is alos terrifying, as it is literally changing modern warfare with very little regulation.

AI has the ability to reduce fatigue, speed up slow and redudant work processes, help generate ideas for creativity, help advance our medical and educational worlds, help make travel details, etc. However, AI contributes to the climate crisis, incures high costs, has irrdicated certain jobs, and is being used to shape modern warfare.

I think AI can be a beuatiful tool, but like anything, when relied on too heavily, destruction is imminent.

On Friday, we discussed and explored Edcamp. The idea of Edcamp was new to me, but I was very intrigued by the idea of it. The reason I used the photo above is because it is kind of what I think partcipating in Edcamp feels like: there is no real leader, it is a group effort, and by using each other’s strengths and interests, we are successful in the task we hope to achieve.

Traditional confrences, although they still have their place, can be very boring and repetitive in structure: keynote speakers, lectures, breaks, takeaways, home. Edcamp is a way to embrace the ideas of others and learn alongside one another in a refreshing way.

I think my class subscribes so much to the idea of Edcamp because in a lot of ways, a lot of our program reflects this learning style.

My biggest takeaway from my first year of post-secondary education being held virtually back in 2020, was that Zoom is not just a catchy ending to a Mazda commercial… it is an educational platform.

I, like probably most students who navigated higher education via Zoom, have a love/hate relationships with the platform. Zoom is great because it let’s me still be connected with classmates far away and complete work remotely that I would otherwise fall behind in. However, as much as Zoom connects us, it also is incredibly isolating. In fact, logging into the platform today gives me flashbacks to the “Covid Days”.

As an educator, I see value in Zoom; so many resources become available to students when we give them platforms like this. However, I also know it becomes way easier for students to “tune out” and focus on another stimulus with Zoom on in the background.

I found this Tedx talk discussing virtual learning to be interesting, especially given that it was published four years ago:

In conclusion, like everything in life these days, I think there is pros and cons to virtual learning. Neither is right or wrong, it just depends on the context of the learning environment.