|
Dec. 1, 2000
Integrating Technology into Environmental Education: A Summer Program
By Donna Schnupp
Nature and technology--two seemingly disparate and often opposing forces in our culture came together this past summer with the help of middle school children from the greater New York City area.
Sponsored by Media Workshop New York, a special project of the Bertelsmann Foundation, Tech Camp was created for children aged 10-14 of Bertelsmann employees and its affiliate companies. The overriding goal of the program was to help young people explore various new media technologies in the context of everyday life, with a particular focus on environmental issues. Both entertaining and educational, the program was designed to empower young people with the knowledge and the tools they need to continue to develop both interpersonal and technological skills through teamwork, Web design, and various forms of research.
The summer program encouraged collaboration by bringing together a diverse group of youngsters from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Children came from Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Westchester County, New York. One even commuted three hours daily from Philadelphia to participate in the program. Over the course of three sessions, nearly 50 children became ecological and technological specialists.
Tech Camp opened with a "Mission Impossible" theme and introductory video. Produced by staff members from Media Workshop and the Children's Museum of Manhattan, it briefed the participants about the events that were to take place during the program. In the video, Agent Z piqued the interest of the kids, informing them that they would be "special scientists" sent on a top-secret mission. Their goals were to find out more about the negative effects of pollution and determine strategies for communicating the very important message of preserving the natural environment.
Each participant then chose an area of specialty based on his or her interest and knowledge about a given topic, selecting to become botanists, geologists, water ecologists, or zoologists. Botanists were responsible for collecting information on plant life and its importance to ecology as a whole. Geologists gathered information about litter, landfills, and the affects of pollution on soil. Water ecologists learned about water sources throughout New York City and how pollution affects our drinking water. Zoologists conducted research on animal life, including endangered species and how they are affected by pollution.
The young specialists carried out their missions by conducting both in-depth field and Web research. Participants went on various field trips around the city, including Central Park Zoo and Wildlife Center, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, American Museum of Natural History, and a Department of Environmental Protection wastewater treatment plant. While on these trips, under the supervision of Media Workshop "counselors" and educators, students learned more about their areas of specialty. They used Sony Mavica digital cameras to capture still images and small movie clips. For interviews conducted with randomly selected people in the park, they used a Panasonic Handycam Hi-8 Camera and a Sony Digital Video camera. They also had journals (traditional pen and paper) with which to take notes during interviews and scavenger hunts.
Back at the Media Workshop multimedia lab, the field research was complemented with online Web research (using Netscape Communicator) and hands-on science lessons. Jose Rosa, a 5th grade teacher who served as one of the counselors, engaged the scientists in practical activities that helped them learn more about their chosen topics. With complex Web design and digital manipulation software, the youngsters then learned how to create a Web site based on the information acquired during their field and Web research. Applications used included Adobe Photoshop 5.5, Microsoft Office (PowerPoint and Word), Claris Home Page (web authoring software), and Adobe Premiere. During some of the science lessons, we had several interactive PowerPoint multimedia presentations that engaged the kids in learning about specific content (i.e., biodiversity, ecology--circle of life, etc).
The Web sites they created serve to educate and motivate users. An educational technology professional noted, "The children in the program did a great job and each topic was informational, but not boring. What really came through was the passion some of the children felt about their subjects."
Each group developed a theme or logo for its home page, such as The World Will Glitter if You Don't Litter. One group even created a song about recycling that they sang and recorded to the tune of Aretha Franklin's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T".
On the final day of camp, after all the Web pages were uploaded, we developed a "fun" activity for them, which was intended to unite all their recently acquired skills (researching the Web, using Photoshop, and building a Web page). Each youngster designed a Web site about something personal--such as favorite music, hobbies, or interests. Using images from the Web and/or pictures taken with digital cameras, they constructed collages in Photoshop, which were then posted on a personal home page. The students also created their own t-shirt slogans and logos. On the back of the t-shirt was the Media Workshop logo, and the front sported the original work. A formal celebration was held, and the students presented their sites to invited guests and parents. We then hosted a luncheon where each child was awarded a certificate.
Parents praised the program, commenting, "My son truly had a wonderful time. He looked forward to Tech Camp every morning, which is a rare event." One of the more tech-savvy young scientists commented that he had more fun at Tech Camp than he did at his grandmother's house at the beach, or while attending Sailing Camp on Long Island.
Counselors also learned about the subject matter they were teaching, while finding out a little about themselves. Nadica Henry, one of the high school counselors, told us, "I became more attached to my coworkers and learned to work with people of many different age groups. The activity that I enjoyed the most was visiting the water filtration plant in Manhattan. It was such an excellent experience. I learned how water is filtered and recycled."
The adult counselors--most of whom are teachers or staff developers during the school year--equally enjoyed the summer program. Having an opportunity to work with young people was truly enlightening and refreshing for them. Jose Rosa was brought to teach the science content from Washington Heights. He remarked, "Working with the kids this summer taught me so much concerning a subject I knew little about."
Kim Pandos, a school media specialist, commented, "I had the best summer job in the world. I got to go on cool field trips all over NYC, and use the newest technologyýall in the good company of young campers with whom I became very attached. Working with these kids inspired me, made me excited about my work, and gave me the good feeling of having a sense of purpose in my life when I both began and ended the day."
To find out more information about Media Workshop's Summer Tech Camp program or to view the kid-produced sites, log on to their Web site.. Enjoy!
Email: Donna Schnupp
Donna Schnupp is program director for Media Workshop New York.
|
