ENTRE A SALA DE AULA, O RIO E O CIBERESPAÇO: TECNOLOGIAS COMO RECURSOS EDUCATIVOS E DE CONSERVAÇÃO AMBIENTAL NA AMAZÔNIA

Abstract

This research focuses on the insertion of technologies in environmental education actions promoted by the Citizen Science Project for the Amazon managed by the "Wildlife Conservation Society" and carried out by Sapopema in Santarém-Pará, with an emphasis on understanding the training roles played by these resources in the scope of fisheries and water quality monitoring. In this sense, it analyzes the activities involving the uses of the mobile application Ictio in the observation of fish migration and the Foldscope, a paper microscope for microbiological analysis of water. The resources were used by students from Escola São Sebastião and Escola Nossa Senhora das Graças, located in the Aracampina and Aldeia Solimões communities, respectively. In terms of methodology, it is characterized as a qualitative research, exploratory and descriptive in nature, adopting the semi-structured interview as the main strategy for data collection and construction, with the participation of a total of 13 (thirteen) students. As a result, it was observed that students were able to identify different aspects of environmental education, technologies and interfaces between them. For the interviewees, the Ictio and Foldscope technologies acquired meanings as a sociability tool, a means to carry out research and search for information, in addition to being an allied resource in environmental conservation actions. Based on their experiences, the interviewees also pointed out some of the limitations related to the presence of technologies in the community and, particularly, in their school, such as infrastructure restrictions, difficulty in accessing the internet, lack of activities that integrate technologies into learning processes. Regarding environmental education, the strengthening of awareness regarding the need for a broad and permanent defense of the ecosystem among most students was highlighted. In the interviews, the protection of the forest was indicated as an essential principle for promoting respect and care for biodiversity. Despite the technical restrictions of schools, students recognize the importance of learning supported by ictio and foldscope technologies, especially with regard to understanding the process of spawning and fish migration. Likewise, the students associated the Project with the promotion of actions related to the environment and sustainability at school, such as participatory data collection involving inhabitants of the region. Finally, it is considered that this integration between members of the same community, entails forms of engagement in defense of the ecosystem, as well as the sharing and collective construction of knowledge through the practical experience of science and research inside and outside the classroom.