Oh The Places We Will Grow: Implementing Technology Into Your School Garden

Outline

Participants will see a running video produced by 4th grade students which provides information on the history of our garden and drone footage of our garden pollinators.
Artifacts will be presented including student published books, access to student developed apps, photographs, and other art created by students.
Resources will be provided including linked documents to student and teacher timelines, book layout templates, grant possibilities, student examples, apps and websites.

Outcomes

Attendees will learn a variety of ways elementary students integrated technology into our garden projects including:
Creating a digital scavenger hunt to lead with younger classes
Publishing a garden reference book
Developing a garden resource app
Publishing a children’s book using AI to illustrate.
Using laser engraving technology to produce labels from original art
Using hydroponic gardens and hydroponic app to analyze nutrients and growth rates compared to outdoor garden plants.
Attendees will receive information on available grants to start a garden project, curriculum resources, website and app resources, and garden extension ideas.

Supporting research

Oklahoma Gardening Network feature
https://youtu.be/om7z1_lX2j0?si=fDhI3xRuin_3sQnK

Edutopia article
https://youtu.be/om7z1_lX2j0?si=fDhI3xRuin_3sQnK

Education Weekly article
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-school-gardens-can-teach-students-valuable-skills-for-a-tech-heavy-world/2025/07

Blair, D., (2009). The child in the garden: An evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. Journal of Environmental Education, 40(2), 15-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JOEE.40.2.15-38

Robinson, C.W. & Zajicek, J.M. (2005). Growing Minds: The Effects of a One-year School Garden Program on Six Constructs of Life Skills of Elementary School Children. HortTechnology. 15(3): 453-457.
https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH.15.3.0453

Newmann, F. M., Marks, H. M., & Gamoran, A. (1996). Authentic pedagogy and student performance. American Journal of Education, 280-312. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1085433?seq=1#page_scan_tab_c
Puentadura, Ruben SAMR model, An Introduction (2013)
http://hippasus.com/blog/archives/227