This month we have been exploring the capabilities of the GoPro’s, and recently began using Movavi to edit small class projects. As with many new learning opportunities the class and I have quickly learned that there is a lot that we don’t know, and the more we learn the more we realize how much more there is to learn! It has been a steep learning curve, and I am sure that as we continue to explore the devices and programs that we will be amazed about what we can create.
Over the last three months we have been working hard on building the Lexw Qwo:m trail. Each time we have been on the trail on the trail we have rotated who is in charge of the GoPro’s, allowing a unique perspective to be captured. With no one in the class having past experiences with GoPro’s we’ve been having lots of on-the-fly learning, and multiple days where what we captured was not exactly what we were expecting. As with most technologies our knowledge has been growing with use. Unfortunately, a good portion of what was captured isn’t fitting into our planning of what we had envisioned our end product to look like. While on the trail we’ve attempted time lapse videos of students building the trail. Sometime these time lapses turned out wonderfully, other times a raindrop blurred the lens, or the GoPro shifted ever so slightly thus altering the range of captured video. Most of the time lapse videos take over an hour to film, and not knowing of the problem till after the fact has resulted on a good portion of filming opportunities being lost. Most of the work on the trail is time consuming and requires substantial energy, and it’s often not possible to replicate the task at hand. This problem is encouraging the class to sharpen their critical thinking skills and find ways to work around this the cinematography issues. Other problems that we have had pertain to audio. We have tried to conduct a variety of interviews with key stakeholders, but the surrounding area is filled with the sounds of nature, and sometimes these sounds take over and the speakers voice isn’t audible. Other times we’ve had issues where a student has said something inappropriate, and aspects of the video need to be edited to ensure the class code of conduct is being maintained. One of the biggest issues, which we feel we are getting a firm grasp on, is angling the GoPro when mounted on the head. When we have set up the GoPro we envisioned the range of field to be different from what was captured. We’ve had a few videos where just the top half of the interviewees head is visible. The Lexw Qwo:m trail is now finished, and we are starting to feel confident about our abilities to use the GoPro’s, but we’ll need work on a new trail to recapture some of the work done. As we have been looking at the footage we’ve captured we are quickly discovering how overwhelming it is to sift through the volume of video to find the optimal clip. We are now working on categorizing all videos immediately after filming and putting a description in the file for when we make our final project. We have also learned how quickly the videos consume storage on the hard drives and will be purchasing an external drive to ensure we don’t slow down the computers! On the editing front the students have enjoyed exploring the Movavi program. They’re busy making short films and editing them. The goal is for them to become familiar with all available options in creating a polished product. Many of the groups are getting creative with how they edit their short film to increase the entertainment value. I am hoping that like most things with the younger generations that they’ll soon surpass my knowledge, and be able to teach me how to better use the technology.
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With the digital age upon us creating an environment that cultivates the attributes of the digital citizen in the classroom is imperative, and all the more challenging in the alternate environment. Many students within the alternate classroom have increased struggles with moderating use, and frequently allow impulse to guide their technology use. Trying to model constructive digital behaviour, especially when the majority of students have personal cell phones and the school providing Wi-Fi has been an on-going challenge.
This month we have had a focus on what it means to educate yourself and others with technology use. Studying our local municipal election and the American mid-terms gave us plenty of fodder for learning how to digest the many opposing positions. There was an emphasis on developing critical thinking skills to help understand the political climate. Students were asked to dissect platforms, and separate subjective and objective statements, while seeking corroborating evidence to back-up substantial claims. Students in the class enjoyed learning about the many candidates, and their platforms, in the highly controversial Chilliwack school trustee election. The election created a significant divide in Chilliwack, those for SOGI 123, and those apposing it. Students learned how personal opinion can be masked as ‘fact’, and the difference between anecdotes and controlled studies. Our culminating activity is happening today, as we have Paul Henderson, one of the lead journalists for the Chilliwack Progress, come to our class to talk about what it means to be a journalist in a time where journalistic integrity is often criticized by those on the fringe political spectrums. Paul will talk to the class about writing with integrity, and how to put bias aside and focus on the facts. We are grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to sharing about how it went. Another month has come and gone, and it has been a world of change with regards to the opportunities the Outdoor Education class has had with our Synergy Project. After ironing out the kinks of having to find a new location for our project we have been busy making up for lost time. Through rain and a touch of scattered shine the Outdoor Education students have been busy learning about trail building, and more importantly, experiencing trail building.
We have now spent five Thursdays earnestly working on the Lexw Qwo:m Trail (Halq’emeylem for “Always lots of moss) within the Hack Brown Park https://www.theprogress.com/news/new-trail-link-from-chilliwack-community-forest-to-the-valley-floor-underway/. Over the month the trail has transformed from a mucky marsh to finely manicured trail that has aesthetics and function for years of public use! Students demonstrated resilience’s when hauling literally tons of gravel to the muddiest parts of the trail. Thankfully, the city helped out where our engineering skills were lacking, and built a bridge on the most challenging part of the trail. Most of the heavy lifting is completed and fine some tender loving care will be needed to get the trail ready for the public to start using. Many of the students have expressed their excitement when they see their photos posted on the Chilliwack Park Society’s Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ChilliwackParkSociety/) and Instagram page. Students have benefited from the opportunity of giving back to the community, but also as a result of their actions being recognized by the community. It has allowed them to gain confidence in who they are and to silence some of the stereotypes that ‘alternate students’ often face. While on the trail we have been talking about what it means to be a role model in the community, and why it is important for a society to embracing volunteering. Many of our students are excited for the next stage, when we invite one of the local elementary schools Outdoor Education class to the trail. Students will be able to put their theory into practice as they demonstrate role modelling to the grade 3 & 4 class. Overall it has been a great experience where we’ve have given back to the community while strengthening the sense of community in our class. Our students have been able to learn about the levels of government required to make a forested area become a park for all. We look forward to getting out again before the rain turns to snow and our physical work will be put on hold till the spring melt! October 22nd, 2018
Authored by Caelah Merrick – Outdoor Education Teacher Welcome to the Outdoor Education classes Synergy Project blog! We are excited to share our adventures and what we’ve been experiencing during our place-based learning opportunities in the wilderness. This blog will be maintained by the students and staff of the Outdoor Education class from the Education Centre. Each week, we aim to have new contributors offering a different perspective of our work on this project! When we first applied for the Synergy Project grant, we envisioned developing a trail near Ryder Lake in partnership with the Chilliwack Park Society and their dedicated volunteers. Unfortunately, not all stakeholders from the surrounding community were on-board for the potential increased traffic in their quiet community, and subsequently the project was put on hold for further consultation. Thankfully, there was need for many more trails within the Chilliwack community and we quickly designated a new project for the Outdoor Education class. The new project is located at the base of the Eastern Hillsides, and it will eventually link a trail from the newly created parking lot to the Community Forest via a scenic three km winding trail through Chilliwack’s temperate coastal rainforest. This Thursday, the Outdoor Education class had the opportunity to enjoy the crisp mountain air, fresh morning dew on our boots, and rich soil falling from our shovels as we began to work on the parking lot trail that will connect to the Community Forest. The path of our new trail traverses Nevin Creek, which was historically a source of pristine water for the city Chilliwack’s. The abundance of water originating from springs and runoffs has created a natural—and messy—obstacle to building a trail intended for heavy use. Today’s goal was to build up an elevated path at the base of the dam and to remove organics along the desired trail. Our next steps will include digging culverts for a water drainage system that will keep the moisture under ground and off the trail! We worked hard on the 'ground' work and look forward to coming back next week to installing the drainage pipes. Once the pipes are in place, we will begin the grueling work of hauling buckets of hard crushed gravel to form the surface of the trail. During our time building the path, students got to learn the importance of slope on trails and consider the impact of erosion from water. Our experiences will help students develop a greater understanding of the planning and engineering that goes into buidling future trails. Our students will slowly be taking a more significant role of leadership on future trails. Under the guidance of Dr. Greidanus, our students were given the opportunity to master an array of tools and techniques required to meet our objective of developing a trail that could withstand heavy use from the community. Each day on the trails, the class has a social theme for discussion and reflection. Today we focused on the impacts of giving back to the community. Students offered many insights pertaining to the value of giving back to the community:
All in all, our first day on the trails was a success. Even it if wasn’t the trail we originally planned for. Our obstacles allowed us to cultivate resilience through working towards a similar goal on a different trail! I look forward to reporting back next week on the literal tons of gravel we’ll need to carry through the forest as we pack down our trail! Watch us on YouTube: youtu.be/ozcMeo_R3_E youtu.be/EpjZjjKgpFg youtu.be/qw93Dmmtr9k The Education Centre’s Outdoor Education class is excited to explore placed-based learning opportunities through designing and building hiking trails within Chilliwack's Community Forest. Linking with community mentors students will gain a sense of community, foster an appreciation for volunteerism and the environment, while meeting requirements for graduation. Staff and students will blog and vlog their experiences, inspirations and stories. |
AuthorsThe Education Centre's Outdoor Education Class!!! Archives
May 2019
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