So that technologies make a difference in ethics and religious culture

A radio show on cultural symbols? An avatar imagined by the student? Cultural audio guides for all of Quebec? Why not!

Here are some of the activities suggested by Benoit Petit and Joël Bouthillette, educational advisers for the RECIT national service for the development of the person, during the 24^e congress of the Quebec Association of Elementary Teachers held in Quebec City in December.

Technologies to support learning

While it is sometimes difficult to find innovative and multidisciplinary projects to interest students in ethics and religious culture, the lecturers believe they have found part of the solution thanks to technology. For them, one thing is clear: technologies must make a difference in learning.

The speakers give the example of a child with writing difficulties. If his difficulties prevent him from deploying the necessary energy to think about the task, it is worth asking him to give his answer orally. So video capture can be a good way for children to give a response orally and to keep a memory of their work. For pedagogical advisers, it is always necessary to reduce information and communication technologies to their functions for learning.

Digital identity

Bullying and the role of social media has tragically resurfaced in the news. Why not take the opportunity to ask young people to reflect on their digital identity? The course in ethics and religious culture offers an ideal framework for this ethical reflection.

Benoit Petit therefore invited the workshop participants to create their own avatar on the Pixlr photo editing software, available on the internet. Like their students, teachers often want to master software from its first use. While some teachers found the software difficult to use, they nevertheless recognized that the project was a great way to bring discussion about digital identity: do others recognize me in this avatar? What does this avatar say about me?

Listening culture

Benoit Petit chose the Culture Listening project to explain to the teachers present the importance of choosing meaningful technologies for the project. For example, there is no point in producing podcast capsules if no one downloads them to listen to them. It is better then only to create audio files.

However, the national service of the RECIT in development of the person set up the Culture with the listening project whose objective is to create tourist audio guides for all of Quebec. Each location targeted by the project would be identified by a QR code that would allow visitors to download the audio guide from their smartphone. Podcasting is useful here.

As this project is organized on a national scale, this is a great way to motivate students and raise the quality standards of French or historical research, for example. The project therefore makes it possible to assess skills in different disciplines at the same time.

All the information on the projects presented in the workshop can be found on This site.

Read also :

Ethical reflection around ICT

Copyright and the Internet: Ethics in the Classroom

Podcasting to improve reading skills