This week in our Internet for Educators course, we had the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Reynold Reddekopp. His presentation shed light on an issue I personally have never thought of: the impact technology has on not only the environment, but also the people involved in creating and sourcing resources for the devices we all are so immersed with in today’s world. Dr. Reddekopp made us think about technology and digital tools beyond the scope of what you usually hear about Digital Citizenship.
I found a 10min. YouTube video, that could potentially be used in a classroom to spread awareness around this issue in our classrooms. I think this could spark off a small research project, where students could delve into the issue, and try and come up with solutions together in groups. I think that part of the reason that this is something that can still be happening in the world today, is that there isn’t that much wide-spread awareness about it, and if we as teachers make sure that our students know that there is an environmental and ecological impact with the technology we use, they might overall become more mindful about how they recycle their devices, and how often they choose to upgrade them. This is, of course, not enough, but with more awareness, there is more potential of finding a possible solution, as we get more minds that may want to work towards technology that is more sustainable and not detrimental to the ecology of your planet.
– Martina
Martina’s Marbles 
Martina, like you, I hadn’t really thought about e waste prior to this discussion or had a broadened view on global citizenship either. I really appreciated that you took a video that impacted you and how you could use it as a teaching tool in your classroom. I hope that you, our colleagues, and myself are able to spread important awareness regarding the environmental implications of e waste. Hopefully we can spark a change in the world!
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Thanks for this video, Martina! I was most certainly enlightened by this presenter, so much that I’m planning a “Beyond DigiCit” unit for a Life/Works class in my final practicum. I saved this video as a resource to include!
I think about fair trade practices for other industries and I wonder how/why we keep falling into the same issues when we’ve already been through this. It’s frustrating that industry continues to prioritize profits over people. What’s most tragic is it’s us people who keep industry alive. Like you said, the more awareness there is, the closer we can get to reaching a solution for these issues.
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So I finally watched the video you shared about our e-waste problem, and it definitely has a lot to consider. I’ve watched quite a few videos and documentaries on e-waste and how exactly our thrown-out electronic products get handled and disposed of, and as always, they leave a guilty and sour taste in the mount.
Honestly, I feel somewhat helpless when I research e-waste practices because I feel like I’m pretty much doing all I can to reduce, recycle, and properly manage e-waste in my personal life, and don’t really know what else I could do besides advocate for a change in how e-waste is handled, or bring public awareness to the practices that are going on. Which, I suppose, is a lot.
The subject of e-waste and our “Ecological Footprint of Technology” is a topic that really needs to be explored and considered in our classrooms.
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Yes, absolutely! I kind of feel the same way – there’s only so much the average person can do in their daily lives to be helpful. It’s all about the big companies and corporations getting on board and doing something that will help, rather than contribute to the problem.
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