Category Archives: Inquiry

After having spent 3 weeks on Vancouver Island at O.U.R Ecovillage, much light has been shed on how other educational institutions or systems approach the subject of technology in the classroom. I wanted to use this blog post to share the different experiences and new insights I’ve gained through my exposure to different educational environments.

Homeschooling: While on the farm, I had the chance to work with several of the children who receive their official education through being home-schooled on site. The farm is equipped with wifi and has cell service throughout so all members of the community have constant access to this resource if need be.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/local-teachers-unions-in-ontario-latest-to-call-for-moratorium-on-wi-fi-use-in-schools

I am doing a unit on data management with my grade 4’s. We’re learning how to create a variety of different graphs and how to interpret and input data into these graphs. Today I wanted to demonstrate how to use information taken from a survey and input this data into a bar graph, so out of my own curiosity I made the subject surrounding technological devices.

The survey question was as follows: “Which of the following electronic devices do you have access to at home?” It is important to consider that this does not necessarily mean that each student has one of these devices themselves, but that they are able to use one on a regular basis at home. The students were encouraged to respond to all of the options that pertained to them, and the results were quite astounding (in my old fashioned perspective at least…) Out of the 23 students in my class, here were their responses:

I pad/tablet: 16
Laptop/desktop computer: 23
Cellphone: 23
Kindle/E-reader: 18
Video console (of any kind): 11

It was quite a surprise that so many of my students had access to cellphones and computers while at home, which naturally connects to

As a mid point mark of our inquiry research, the Kindergarten cohort and the Montessori cohort gathered to give brief 15 minute presentations surrounding what we have discovered. You can view my power point presentation below:

Technology in the Classroom

The subject I have been exploring throughout this inquiry is the relationship between technology and modern day classrooms. Going against the dominant discourse of technology being a tool that improves and enhances our educational system I have several essential questions that I have been exlporing:

1. Are there potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to non-ionizing EMR (electromagnetic radiation) for children?
2. Are there social or behavioural risks associated with increased screen time for children?
3. What are British Columbia’s policies regarding technology in the public school system, and where does BC stand in relation to other countries perspectives on this issue?
4. What can we do as educators to inform and protect but also still incorporate the benefits of technology into our teaching practice?