Tag Archives: environmental education

Tree-huggers and Bloggers Unite: Project Scope

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Just as a tide pool swirls with new life during high tide, my mind is now swirling with new ideas. I have reached the high tide of LIBE477 and must find the best way possible for those ideas to intermingle, grow, and feed off each other. My brain is screaming out for a visual representation on its tangled web of ideas. Yep, you’ve guessed it… Mindmeister!

I feel this will be a much clearer way for me to outline the projected scope ( or hoped-for scope) of this project. So here it is: the main points sum up what I would like the scope of my project to encompass at some point in its fruitful and successful (yes!) future. The bullets off of those are directions to help me reach those goals.

Enjoy!


Create your own mind maps at MindMeister

I just want to add how excited I am by this assignment. It has really got me thinking and feeling inspired. First blog post to come soon! The tricky part will be where to start. That first one’s got to be really great!

Oh, and feeling inspired by today… I will have to add in an infographic at some point. I have seen some great ones that lay out environmental statistics in a way that draws in people that may not normally be interested enough to read a text-heavy document on the subject.

Oh, Hello Summative Presentation!

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learningWith today’s sudden change in presentation schedule came a suddenly influx of ideas. Turns out, I was more than ready to give you eight minutes of insight into the learning journey of Kate. Here’s what it looks like:

Past:

  • I have always been passionate about the environment and about incorporating environmental education into my practice.
  • When it comes to using technology in the classroom though, I was viewing it as more of “it is my duty to keep up with this and teach it” rather than “I wonder what sorts of innovative ways I can incorporate technology into my classroom?”
  • Never was there any thought to combining the two.

Guilty!

 

 

 

But that was the PAST (as in two weeks ago, before this class started)

 

 

 

Present:

  • Mega lightbulbage going off these past couple of weeks: why not combine the two to get the most out of each?!
  • Environmental education and technology can have a symbiotic relationship, just as technology and learning can/should. Let’s use technology to enhance the efficacy/impact of meaningful environmental educatIon.

And how you say? Oh I’m so glad you asked! Read ahead to the future section for some ideas.

** One more thought about my present learning journey before we get there: how cool is the concept of autopoesis? That’s a whole other summative presentation in the making. But I feel so strongly about the fact that students ( and people in general) need to genuinely respect the environment and feel themselves as part of it and not above it if they are going to be environmentally responsible citizens.

Future:

(or, where I hope my learning journey will lead me next):

My work in progress project, which is being fuelled by two main ideas:

  1. Using social media to foster positive change in the community/environment  (both in terms of student and teacher involvement). Check out my cool blog! ://ecoeducatorsvancouver.weebly.com
  2. Focussing on the power of their symbiotic relationship: using technology to enhance environmental education. This means not using either in a superficial way.

** Also, melding my idea with Jenny’s idea with the mountain of ideas Tess and I came up with in class today.

And a big question: is there an online presence for environmental educators or teachers passionate about including environmental education in their practice?

Answer…well, yes and no.

And finally, here are some awesome resources I have come across throughout my learning journey (some from before this class, many from during)

1. Green Teacher – this is both a book, and, as I just discovered, a great website: http://greenteacher.com

2. http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm – both for students and teachers

3. http://theworldinagarden.com – workshops for all ages and levels. Local!

4. http://stanleyparkecology.ca – resources, field trips, news

5. http://www.walkingthetalk.bc.ca – my membership is now pending…seems the most similar to what I was looking for

6. http://www.dearmrharper.com – kinda funny. What are the odds he actually reads those letters?

Mind Meister #2

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Create your own mind maps at MindMeister

Here is the mindmeister that Tess and I were working on today…so far it is as it is when the clock chimed 1:00 and we were shuffled out of the room to our next adventures of the day. My next adventure led me right to the Education Library (woo hoo!) – but only after a 15 minute catnap in the grass outside. It was great to be able to share where my thoughts are headed for this class. Something I didn’t share was the second part to the question…what I am leaning towards in terms of a work in progress project. So, here it is in a nutshell so far:

1. To look at the balance between screen time and time in nature – what is the best way to encorporate both effectively
2. To look at the balance between online connections via social media etc, personal/face to face connections, and spiritual, emotional, etc connections with nature – the best way to do all of this effectively so that one is not getting left behind the others (because I feel all are important in their own ways)
3. And finally, looking at how to connect these different connections – phew! – essentially, how can we use technology and or social media to foster positive change in the environment, resulting in positive and impactful learning experiences for our students.

*Using technology to ENHANCE our learning and teaching rather than simply for the sake of using it.

What Jenny mentioned today about taking iPads out into nature – that was and idea I had that I included in my initial mindmeister (I used that for last Friday’s post). Taking picture of native species, finding out right then and there about those species, and posting findings to a class blog, twitter, instagram, etc. As Jenny reiterated today – this is covering so many concepts with just one project. Yay! I would love to look with more detail into ideas like this.

Again, I am rambling. Two final thoughts:

1. It was great to discuss my thoughts with a fellow student today – Thanks Tess for approaching me!
2. I was so so impressed by everyones’ ideas today – Jenny is right – what a smart bunch of students/teachers you all are!