I was actually quite surprised my results.   I live in a new home and we have low flow toilets, energy efficient appliances, and special windows so I thought I would have been less than the national average in this area.   We also recycle all our plastics, cans, and paper.   Maybe I incorrectly answered a question or two!   I believe I could lower my footprint at home by turning down our heat and turning off my computer.   I have an iMac and they don’t recommend you turn it off between uses.   I am going to look into this further as I could likely save a lot of energy by turning it off between uses.    As for my food footprint we could shop locally and grow a garden.   This past year has been more challenging as I have very little time to prepare meals so we do end up eating out or ordering in more than I would like.  I do feel guilty when purchasing from big box stores such as Walmart but when you have a family of five, cost is a factor and organic, locally grown food is very expensive.   When I consider my habits today compared to even ten years ago, I have made some substantive changes.   I think we are heading in the right direction but I think the larger companies doing manufacturing/business need to be held to higher standards.

My response to giving up technology for a night which I shared during the live forum chat.

Jennifer Barker
11:23 PM
I was only able to give up TV which was easy because I was behind in my coursework for this class so I traded one screen for another. Not likely the answer you wanted but it is my reality. I must say that I am finding all this screen time challenging. I look forward to next September when I can detox from the computer. I am learning a lot but between work and two Master’s class I feel like I am always on the computer reading and responding to either posts or emails. My kids have grown resentful of the computer as it appears to them that I am permanently affixed to it.

Do you think that a partnership ethic is possible given the current push towards a different format for public education? What would it look like in a school system? Does technology have any part to play in its implementation?

I firmly believe that a “partnership ethic” is possibly in a school setting.    Personally I believe we are witnessing it as teachers are begin to weave unit plans and lesson that have a social justice component, including ecological concerns.   For instance, UBC’s new teacher education program has been built upon five strands – one strand designated to exactly this topic. (See image below)

I do believe that technology has a part to play.   Through our online personal learning networks, through our online connections we must argue for change, and continue to encourage educators to teach the next generation about what has come before or else we will never be able to do what is needed to save this planet.   People need to be educated – take for example this article from Macleans Magazine titled “Why are schools brainswashing our kids?”.    I was really disappointed when I read this.   I do not think we are brainwashing our students.   Instead I think we are asking them to wake up and be critical of the status quo.

If you look at Figure 2 (Zhao & Frank p. 829), which phase would you say your school “ecosystem” is in, and why?

Brendan, for someone not in the educational field, I think you nailed it on the head.   I also feel that we are somewhere between phase 2 and 3.   Really it is contextual.    Depending on which school you are at, things look very different.   And one must be critical too, not to naively believe that simply because a school has an abundance of the latest devices (i.e. iPads) that they are using them in non-traditional ways.