This past weekend my classmates and I got the opportunity to present at WestCast in Calgary, AB at the University of Calgary. We presented “Grounded Connections” using Sitspot and our senses. was an enriching experience that allowed me to share insights, connect with fellow educators, and grow both personally and professionally. In this reflection, I’ll delve into the highlights of my presentation and the valuable lessons I learned from the event. Leading up to WestCAST, there was a flurry of preparation. Crafting the presentation required meticulous planning, from structuring the content to designing engaging visuals. Each detail was carefully considered to ensure clarity and relevance to the audience. We wanted to show other educators how learning from and on the land has benefits for ourselves and our students. During the activity Sitspot you sit down, allowing yourself to fully relax and unwind. You take slow, deep breaths, inhaling the fresh air of the natural world around you.
As you sit, you become attuned to the sights, sounds, and sensations of nature.

“Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors”.

First Peoples Principles of Learning

We started with our presentation laying the ground work connecting our activity to BC’s curriculum, First Peoples Principles of Learning, and Wellness. Then we took those who came to our workshop outside. We started wth a sensory warm-up and then got them to do Sitspot. Well, stand spot it snowed a lot that day. Everyone pushed through the weather and we all had a great experience. The conversations with other educators was inspiring and encouraging. Beyond the presentation itself, WestCAST offered a vibrant forum for networking and collaboration. Engaging with fellow educators, researchers, and practitioners provided invaluable insights and perspectives. Through shared experiences and dialogue, I gained a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities within the field of education

Looking back on my experience at WestCAST, I am struck by the transformative power of stepping outside my comfort zone. The experience served as a crucible for personal and professional growth, pushing me to embrace uncertainty, confront my fears, and pursue excellence in my practice.

Which sense tends to dominate how we interact with the world? On your walk, think about what you notice
first. Is it a sound, smell, or something you see?

gillan judson walking curriculum 2018 p.29

Math was never my favourite subject. It’s interesting now becoming an educator who will be teaching math. My numeracy class is getting me more and more interested in it. Exploring different ways of teaching it. I was only taught out of a textbook in school when it came to math. So participating in these activities is great.

Computer science was a class I took in college. I thought there would be no way I’d be able to pass with the highest grade I’ve ever got in math or science. My teacher was so good. She explained everything throughly and for some reason my brain just understood it. So I was able to actually somewhat follow this presentation. Wasn’t completely left field for me. Joseph Jefferies is a presenter who came into our numeracy class and blew a lot of minds with his knowledge on math and science. He shared mini lessons and helped through a lot of questions. It’s always interesting learning about different lessons that isn’t just a textbook or a worksheet.

https://www.csunplugged.org/en/

CSunplugged is a website that has many different resources for educators and students. It shows different topics and different grade levels. Many different lessons that can be formatted in many different ways and understandings. It shows computer science lessons without computers.

We did a pixel lesson by colouring different sheets of paper that turned into an image. Linked to talking about pixels and compressing them.

Also, sorting games with numbers and pictures. Which sounds easy but it was not. Linking it to memory, binary numbers, and processing. Probably much more that Joseph Jefferies could tell you.

Photos from UNBCED Instagram and Facebook

We had Sandy from Science World in Vancouver come to speak to us about what digital literacy is and how AI is incorporated in that. Digital literacy is the understanding of the software and the hardware. Understanding what is going on and how we can filter it.

Technology is changing all the time. Being able to keep up with it and understand how to teach our students about it is important. The generations we teach have a large amount of access and literacy already with the internet. With social media, websites, coding, and everything in between at our leisure. As educators we can teach our students on how to find a reliable source and how to filter through biases opinions to form their own point of view. We can incorporate technology into our lessons through so many subjects to make our lessons more engaging. We can teach how algorithms work and how we can be influenced easily and how someone can fake something well. We were shown a video by the BBC April fool’s joke in 2008 about penguins flying. It looked real and to someone who wouldn’t know a lot about penguins would think it was. It of course was CGI, but the power and abilities people have it can be a lot to sort through.

The idea of AI is so interesting to me because I can see the benefits and I also am aware of the ‘conspiracy theories’ behind it. Learning about how AI can be helpful through this presentation and throughout Block 1 of the program, the idea of it is growing on me a bit. Seeing how AI is used through games, subtitles, lessons, and just by watching a video. We were given links to these AI games, which quick draw is fun.

https://quickdraw.withgoogle.com/#

https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com/train

I want to learn more, and I wish we had something big like science world here in PG. The exploration place is one of the closest things we have along with UNBC programs and some others but to be able to have access to science world for field trips etc. would be nice. They do have lots of online resources for educators and sometimes if they are able they can send someone to speak and share like we had today.

During our class we squeezed into the small rooms at the UNBC Wood Innovation and Design Centre in downtown Prince George. To learn about the advantages of 3D printing and how we can use it in our classrooms. 3D printing can be used to print almost everything. We learned how different printers print different things. What kind of things you can print and how far you can push the technology. We were shown examples that move straight from the printer, flat surfaces and even printing characters. So many things can be printed and if you can’t find it you can create it. With free programs like Tinkercad and Openscad printing can be don in a class with a 3D printer. Students can create their own designs and play around with different objects. 3D printing adding material Wood cutting subtracting material.

Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.

Bill Gates

3D printers can be useful in printing learning materials for many different subjects at any grade level. Objects can be used in the BC Curriculum by incorporating objects in Science, Math, Art, ADST, and English. An octopus that is 3D printed can be used to show how Octopi move and look during a science lesson. The legs can be chained and be used in math; counting the links. If the legs were removable it can be used the same way; asking the students to show a certain number, “show the number 10” etc. With Highschool it can be integrated in the same way just using more in depth coding or in final projects in metal or wood works or a computer class. It can be used as a fidget for those with a disability. Different materials print different ways. There are materials that dissolve in water, materials that are soft, biodegradable and ones that are solid.

Also, 3D printing is being incorporated into the medical field. Printing different body part and organs. That can be used to help treat or replace missing pieces. Usually used with materials that are dissolvable. More research needs to go into this. I feel like this would help a lot of people but can be very expensive.

Introducing this can inspire our students to change the way we do things as a society or change the world.

At UNBC there is also kids camps through “Active Minds” that include elements of STEAM (Mostly summer camps) including camps like:

“How to Engineer Everything”

“Be an engineer for a week! Put your thinking cap on as you jump headfirst into the practical application of science and math made fun. Get firsthand experience designing, constructing, and testing your creations. Problem-solve, work, play, and laugh through the week as you engage in the many disciplines of engineering that are critical in the development of our modern society.”

Which can be good to introduce these kinds of camps and resources to students to learn more about STEAM and how it’s more than just worksheets.

With 3D printing, we can actually create structures that are more intricate than any other manufacturing technology or in fact are impossible to build in any other way.

Lisa Harouni

Being outside in bad weather seems to be a pattern in this course. It does show that learning can still be done when you’re cold and not in your comfortable bubble that is the classroom. We went to Cottonwood Park which is a local park of trails next to the Nechako and Fraser rivers. I’ve been going to this park since I was very young. My family always loved going down to the river. We’d always throw rocks into the river, skip rocks, even learn about the environment around it. Thanks to my grandpa, he always has information about rocks and mountains. The paths that were there when I was kid are not all there anymore. They’ve been washed away from the river flooding. The farthest bridge had not always been there it used to connect with a path, but it washed away one year so they had to make a bridge. It’s not as fancy as the first one but it works.

This weather this time was cold winds and snow. We used the walking curriculum looking and focusing on elements that we would have missed or not have taken the time to see, especially in the winter weather. Movement, shapes, and faces are the walks we did. The movement that I saw was the clouds, the branches when the wind blew and how the branches grew above. Shapes was mostly in the trees. The branches created shapes in the air and there were more shapes that were man made. Faces were carved in the trees, were carved by a local artist Elmer Gunderson, who has been carving and sculpting for more than 25 years. So, if you don’t take the time to look around you may miss all these things. We also saw some ducks that started walking towards us. My group talked about do we lose the imagination do the ability to look for these as we get older or do, we not take the time to look for them? I think it’s both. We are always rushing and focused on other things we forget to take in the beauty that is the environment that we live on.

Learning from the land is educational but it also connects us back to where we live. We see things we might have missed on our own.

Coding is not just with computers. You can code with red, black, blue and green markers, white paper and little robots. Little robots called Ozobots. The Ozobots we had, had little faces on them or were designed to look more robotic. They read the code that is drawn on paper using the coloured markers. The main path is drawn is black. These markings move the Ozobots around. You can make it spin, go faster slower, backwards, forwards and turn left and right. Many people created designs to for their path. My group did a infinity sign for it, there was also a Christmas tree done. Thanks to the Exploration Place we were able to enjoy and experience these materials. Having these resource outlet helps us as teachers be creative and engage our students rather than just a worksheet. Making connections with coding and creativity without computers. Coding can look and be done by many things. When I thought of coding I thought of computers but this post and the next will show you as well it can be anything. Learning activities can look different and be fun.

Working with Ozobots connects to the 7 Principles of Learning:

1. Learners at the Centre– We were able to create our own path with our own trial and error.
2. The Social Nature of Learning– Working in groups
3. Emotions are Integral to Learning– Being connected to the little Ozobot and being patient in creating the path
4. Recognize Individual Differences– All of our paths were different and which codes were used were different
5. Stretching all Students– All of us had to think and take the time to create our paths
6. Assessment of Learning– Creating our paths and following the criteria of using 5 different codes and continuing movement
7. Building Horizontal Connections– Cross connecting/cross curricular with coding, art, and design

The art gallery tour was a really cool experience. There were two art installations “Nonreturnables” and “Dismantled Worlds”.

“Nonreturnables” had multiple artworks from different artists using plastics and commenting on the use and destruction of plastics. The one that stood out to me was the one by Carlyn Yandle, called Scaffold. Long pieces of plastic weaved together scoffolding onto each other. It was very tempting to touch but of course we were not allowed to.

“According to the Government of Canada, more than 30% of all plastic waste comes from the construction industry. Included in that category is the building wrap material of polyethylene fibers commonly known as Tyvek.”

carlyn yandle

In “Dismantled Worlds” artist Jude Griebel created artworks commenting on the climate crisis and how we treat our world. There were three artworks that stood out to me. One was a sculpture of a pile of animals intertwining with each other. It is Jude’s idea of the food pyramid. There is even a butterfly included because he ate a butterfly as a child. Which takes something that looks and means so powerful and adds a little bit of humour to it. I took it as how we eat everything not thinking of where it come from. Especially meat and other proteins we tend to forget where they come from unless we hunt for them ourselves.

Meticulously crafted figures personify overconsumption, dissolving the boundary between landscape and anatomy.

Jude Griebel

Another one was a dismantled and burnt city with a giant plant in the center. We were told to look at a piece for longer than 10 minutes taking it all in. Imagining ourselves in it and really looking at the details. I chose the plant city one to look at. It was powerful. To me it shows how we destroy our land but the plants still thrive and grow. Or after we leave how the earth can regrow again. Plus on a non serious note it reminded me of the Lorax how the city around him was taking the earth fro granted.

The last one by Jude that stood out to me was a creature made of shells on top of plastics and garbage. This one was right in the middle of the room, so when you walked in that’s the first thing you see. Which can be taken as the creatures that once lived on the ocean floor now have to work together to ge through the garbage below.

The final activity of the day was creating our own creature out of play dough that had its own purpose in the world. Which was fun to see everyone’s creations and which ones would fit into the themes of the instalments.

For teachers this is a good place to bring your students because they’ll get exposed to different kinds of art and different installations as they move them around. They’ll learn different ways to experience art and how powerful art can be. Plus an activity that connects them to what they’ve seen so they too can be the artist.

https://www.pgpl.ca/content/teachers-educators

During a tour of Prince George’s Public Library, I learned there are so many tools and advantages for teachers. Okay, where do I begin? Well, we all know libraries have books. This library has books… a lot of books. Which is good considering their name and entire image. Yet it’s not all books.

Let’s talk about the books first. They have so many at a lot of different reading levels. For the most part their already sectioned into them. Which makes it easier to find the level you need and get and get out if you are in a rush. Or if you have the time take and peruse the shelves you’ll be there all day. So many genres, fantasy, mystery, comedy, biography, magazines, cultures, fiction, non fiction and even bugs. All at different lengths too. They even have some books that have built-in storytelling no disk required and ebooks. Which are really good for students with exceptionalities or those who like to be read to. For teachers they have an entire section for us on their website. They can get books together for us on any topic like if you want 20 books on cats early reading levels they’ll get that together for you. So we don’t have to spend time trying to scan through the shelves. But you can do that too if you’re into that. Almost their entire catalogue or wait I’m pretty sure it’s their entire catalogue is online. You can place a hold on anything, can checkout for pick up or see if they have what you want without leaving your class or home.

They have more than books too. All which brings value to teachers. They have a variety of learning kits that include lesson plans on so many different topics, which as a educator anything to help create engaging lessons is great! They offer school tours where they can either try and come to you or you can bring your class to them, and the students can get library cards. They’ll learn about everything the public library has to offer. Which is a lot. They have a variety of movies, games available to take out or to play in the teen area, computers, printers and different classes and clubs that meet at the library. So if your school doesn’t offer it the library probably does. They also have two locations in PG and can do interlibrary loans so if you need anything that is not at the main branch they’ll find it for you. Plus, they have it where there is not late fees. So no rush to get them back but remember someone else might be waiting. 

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

Dr. SEUSS

The public library has so much value for educators it creates a welcoming environment and will support us to try and make our jobs easier. With all the services they provide especially for us. Plus they help us introduce access to books for some who don’t always have access to them or a quiet space.