LEARNING & LEADING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY
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Learning & Leading Through Technology: Teach Environmental Science with iPads, QR
Coded, and StoryKit
Emily Owen
EDIT 2000
LEARNING & LEADING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY
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In the article “Teach Environmental Science with iPads, QR Coded, and StoryKit” in
Learning and Leading through Technology, an Environmental Sciences class at Clemson
University participated in an interactive scavenger hunt enhanced with the use of just an
iPad and two applications. In their plan to learn more about different sources of pollution
around campus, the students were able to accomplish this with a much greater
understanding for the subject than would be possible through lecture. Each group of
students was given an iPad with a QR Coding application as well as the application
StoryKit, which allows students to post text, photographs, and audio all together. There
were six stations set up at six different sights of pollution. At each station, a QR code was
posted and it directed students to their task upon the QR Coding apps decoding. At each
station, students were to follow the instructions of the QR code and record their
answers/findings on the StoryKit app. Upon completion of this activity, students claimed
they had a better understanding of the information, the apps allowed them to better record
their information, and the technology made the activity more engaging.
I selected this article because I am very interested in Environmental Science and I am
originally from the Clemson area. Although neither of these things drastically affect the
activity presented in the article, it did grab my attention. I took two years of International
Baccalaureate Environmental Sciences, and learned, in great detail, the causes and effects
of different types of pollution, and I believe that my experience allowed me to better
understand the practical application of the technologies utilized in the article.
LEARNING & LEADING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY
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I would not describe myself as “technologically savvy”, therefor there was actually a lot
of information that I took from this article that I was not already aware of. First, both
apps used in the activity were unfamiliar to me, and simply learning of their different
functions allowed me to see their usefulness in the activity outlined as well as other reallife situations. For example, the StoryKit app could be implemented in almost any
interactive research activity to add to the one-dimensional and more traditional essay
format that has been so commonly used.
The technology used in this activity, as mentioned above, could have many implications
in the real world as well as in classrooms. Adding the technology does not change the
lesson, however it does engage students at a much higher rate, allowing them to fully
understand the information presented. At a much smaller scale, a similar activity applied
to different subjects using the same method could be very effective in lesson plans for all
classroom ages.
After reading the article, I am slightly curious about the effect the QR codes had on the
lesson. I imagine they would be minimal, as the codes simply redirected students to
written instructions. By cutting out the QR codes, I am wondering if this would save the
professor or teacher a considerable amount of time, without affecting the lesson plan?
Besides this rather miniscule detail, I believe that the rest of the article was very clear and
a very nice alternative to what could have been an unpleasant lecture.
LEARNING & LEADING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY
Works Cited:
Alston, Daniel M., and Cynthia C. Deaton. "Learning & Leading Through Technology May 2014." Learning & Leading Through Technology - May 2014. Learning and
Leading with Technology, May 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
Twitter:
In "Teach Environmental Science... ...StoryKit" an Environmental Studies class use
technology to track pollution around campus #edit2000yoon
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