Author: brynnfreeland (Page 2 of 2)

In class this week, we had the chance to have a group discussion around the topic of GenAI power/water use. The question prompts were:

1. Do we have any choice about using GenAI?
2. Can we avoid its use?
3. Can the environmental impacts be mitigated?
4. Will the tech giants solve the power and water overconsumption?
5. Will Elon Musk save us with an orbital data centre solution?
6. Does whether I use GenAI or not really make a difference?

We found that the first two questions were intertwined, as in some situations, you do not have much say around if GenAI is used; therefore, you cannot avoid it. An example of that we discussed was simply doing a Google search; the first answer you will see is powered by Google Gemini. Now there is a setting where you can turn off the automatic use of Google Gemini; however, it is hard to avoid. Multiple other services now have GenAI built into the programming without you even know which makes it very hard to avoid the use of GenAI. With this being said, I am sure you could find a way to turn off all the uses of GenAI, but it would not be easy.

Moving on to the next three questions, we ended up bouncing between them as well, as they seemed to be very connected. When it comes to the question “Can the environmental impacts be mitigated?” our first reaction was to say yes, as we hope that is the case, but we feel it is hard to know. We felt that we ourselves could try to mitigate the impacts, but we do not feel we have enough power to make a big difference. This is how the next question comes into play: we believed the tech giants who created these problems must be able to find solutions and ways to mitigate the impact, but will they? Is there enough drive for them to want to? What benefit will they gain from it? These questions answered the next question, as we do not believe Elon Musk will save us; there is not enough in it for him. His current proposed solution with the orbital data centres seems unrealistic and bound to have its own problems.

That leads us to the final question: Does it make a difference if I use Gen AI or not? I related this topic to recycling, as much as I always try to recycle as much as I can, I will bring recyclables home just to recycle correctly. I will clean any food container in order to recycle it. I will even pick up recycling that my roommate throws out and clean it to recycle it, but in the grand scheme of things, how much does this make an impact? Can I individually help save the environment by having good recycling principles? That I do not know, but I do know it allows me to live up to my own standards and values, and it makes my ethical consciousness feel at ease. I believe that if I can stand by my own values and educate others, eventually it can help make a difference. If one day I throw out a plastic cup because I can not find a recycling bin anywhere, will that make a big difference? Probably not. I see using Gen AI in the same way. I can do my research, find ways to use it ethically and with the least amount of water/power usage as possible, but if it is necessary for me to use it or more convenient at times, it won’t destroy the world. I can try to educate others and promote ethical use of GenAI, but at this point, I feel that is the best I can personally do.

It was very interesting to get the chance to tour the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) with our class. I had never seen a school designed so deeply in inquiry-based learning and was very curious about how the structure worked and if it was beneficial to the students. During the tour, we learned about the foundations of the school, why it was started, how it supports the students, and how it still ensures the students receive a BC high school diploma. We got a chance to walk through the different rooms, seeing the different resources the school provides to support the students’ inquiry projects, and see the students at work.

This experience made me reflect more on the question “Do we need to reimagine education?” as the creators of this school clearly did. They created a different approach to providing a high school education to students that is more student-focused and provides more freedom for learning. The way PSII school reimagined education to support diverse learners who do not thrive in a traditional school setting. Giving students the freedom to choose their inquiry project based on their interests can create more purpose to their learning experience. It also allows them to learn about subjects when they are ready for them and interested in learning them, rather than being on a strict schedule. I think the school’s design is very interesting and could see from just a small visit how much of an impact it could have on students’ learning experience; however, I am not sure if full inquiry-based learning would be beneficial for all students. This approach would also be hard to replicate on a larger scale as it requires access to many expensive resources and guidance from teachers. With that being said, I do think it has made me reimagine how I want to be an educator. I am hoping to teach primary ages, but would love to find ways to include more inquiry-based learning into my teaching style. I would also love to find ways to give students more autonomy and freedom in their school experience. I could see more challenges in creating an inquiry-based school structure for younger students, as some fundamentals in pedagogy are highly beneficial in young kids’ learning processes. There are nature based school such as: EPIC Learning Community (Power to Be / NiDES), Blossoming at the Farm (Mary’s Farm and Sanctuary), and Heartwood Learning Community – Sooke that involve more inquiry learning than traditional public schools for elementary-aged children in the greater Victoria area. We have the opportunity to visit on of these schools for another class in our program and I will be curious on how that will also make me reimagine education and what I can add to my teaching style for when I do teach at a public school.