Teacher teaches environmental engineering with innovative tools

The activity, developed within the framework of the Transmodern Digital Educational Model, took place on November 22nd at the Facatativá extension campus. The event was attended by the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Víctor Hugo Londoño, the Director of EFAD, María Nancy Garzón, knowledge managers, and representatives of the university community.

UCundinamarca News interviewed this knowledge manager, an environmental engineer who graduated from the Girardot branch and won in the category of best prototype for problem-solving. Eager to learn more every day, he holds two postgraduate degrees from the Francisco José de Caldas District University and is a firm believer in the Transmodern Digital Educational Model, which states that students should experience learning firsthand, solve problems, and make decisions through interaction with the teacher.

UCundinamarca News: What does the work that earned you the award consist of?

John Jairo Castañeda: It involves using a tool called a watershed management plan, which is managed by environmental agencies such as the regional autonomous corporations, the entities responsible for land-use planning. I supplement this tool with information from NASA and the European Space Agency. So, what we do is apply these real-world tools to different watersheds within the territory, in this case, the department of Cundinamarca.

This is how the students begin the first stage with preparation, identifying stakeholders, and developing a three-phase work plan. In the second phase, they conduct an environmental assessment. For this, they use geographic information systems with 36 variables, including land cover, land use, habitat types, the rural communities and municipalities that comprise a watershed, among others. In the third phase, they propose solutions to the problem, focusing on watershed management, and the students outline future scenarios for the territory. This methodology exposes them to real-world scenarios they will face as professionals.

UCundinamarca News: What kind of feedback have you received regarding your learning methodology?

John Jairo Castañeda: Something very curious has happened to me: after they've graduated, I've run into them on the street. They approach me and say, "Hey, professor, thank you so much for all the knowledge you gave me, because what you taught me has helped me in the job I have now." These are rewarding experiences that stay with you and tell you that what I'm doing is on the right track.

UCundinamarca News: What does this recognition from the university mean to you?

John Jairo Castañeda: This is very important because I'm a graduate of the Girardot branch of the university, and it highlights my work and motivates me to continue. Furthermore, returning to my alma mater as an educator is very rewarding. We are simply knowledge facilitators who coordinate teaching processes so that students become the protagonists and can use all the knowledge they acquire to address the problems facing the country, as outlined in the Transmodern Digital Educational Model.

UCundinamarca News: What are you grateful to the University of Cundinamarca for?

John Jairo Castañeda: I am grateful to him for training me as an environmental engineer. I was one of the first graduates who were given the opportunity to become a professor. After me, others gradually joined and are now part of the faculty at the University of Cundinamarca.

This event created a space for dialogue and knowledge sharing among teachers. Therefore, within this process of strengthening academic, scientific, cultural, and social relationships through interaction and work, which is one of the core functions of UCundinamarca, this Fifth Meeting of Innovative Experiences takes on special relevance, as it emphasizes this principle and motivates them to continue innovating in various pedagogical strategies.

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