Hockey Stick Table

Ever since the middle of summer I have been doing a little project with recycled hockey sticks. I love the game of hockey, and I know that I have many sticks that don't get used after awhile or they break, so I gathered up my sticks, got some from the local hockey rink, and some from friends that didn't need them. With these sticks I constructed a coffee table. I have recently just finished making this table and am proud of my accomplishment. It makes me feel good that these sticks didn't just take up space or get thrown away into our over crowed garbage dumps. I also have to say that it looks amazing, especially since I got someone to paint the Toronto Maple Leaf logo on it. That makes it even more special and adds more character.

YES Program

I was really nervous for today as I didn't know how the group of students that we got were going to react to our presentation. It ended up not being that bad and the students seemed to enjoy themselves. I loved teaching in that environment and loved having a group of students who were so well behaved and passionate about the environment. I wish that all classrooms were like that as it is every teachers dream not have to deal with classroom management. I will pray for a class like that but I do not believe that it will happen any time soon, as I am yet to meet one. It helped that the students wanted to be there were willing to share what they believe in and what there concerns are. I found that the sessions flew by, it was like just after you started it was over. We did manage to get through all of our activities and learn some of the ideas that the students had around issues about the environment. I think that the event was a success.

Reflecting on Camping Trip & planning for YES program

I really enjoyed this class as I found it beneficial to hear what other people's thoughts and feelings were about the trip. I found that many people had the same feeling and thoughts that I had. I think that it is important to reflect on these experiences as a class when they are finished as it brings closure to what everyone has gone through and experienced. You also get an idea of what you would and wouldn't do next time if you had the chance to do it again. You also get to reflect on why things went the way that they went and what could I have done to prevent it from happening. Also as a teacher you can benefit from these talks as you can get an understanding of how the students feel and what they did and didn't like in order to change our teaching.
I really enjoyed the time that we had to get with our groups and talk about how we were going to present our topic to our group of students at the YES program event on Wednesday. At first I was afraid as our group drew the how to deal with government topic. This scared me as I do not know much about the government and it does not spark my interest. It ended up being easier than I thought it was going to be and I believe that we have made it as fun as we can make it with the time that we have. I hope the students love it

Camping Trip

What an experience this was! I don't think I have ever put my body through something like that before. I feel that before we left we should of had a session where we were taught ways to sleep and be with the conditions that we had. This would have better prepared me, and I would have packed more clothes and things to keep me warm. I really enjoyed the tips that Lori shared with us on Saturday as it helped a bit that night. I really enjoyed learning about what she does. It re inscribed my learning knowing that there are programs out there that take kids outside and teach them about the outdoors. I think hat it would have been amazing to have Lori do more things with us ( would have been amazing if she did the whole weekend).That is the way life goes, and I enjoyed learning from her.
One of the most beneficial experiences that I had was going to the Green Ranch and working. It was nice to help Tim out especially knowing that he does most of the gardening himself. It was also a good way to warm up. It was also great to listen to Tim's story after supper on Saturday. It made me even more grateful that I worked on the farm, as I had no idea that he supplied restaurants with food.
I really liked that the focus of the weekend was food sovereignty as it related a lot to my groups action project around food consumerism. I do wish that we would have been more involved in the choices that were made. I think that maybe the weekend would have been cheaper and not as much food would have been wasted. It is just hard having to pay extra for classes that you don't except at the beginning of the semester. Maybe being given marks for going would have been awesome to as many of us had to change our plans and sacrifice things to go.
Flying wild was really great and gave everyone a chance to relax and forget about being cold. It was awesome to plan to an activity and actually laugh while doing it. By that time everyone was over tired so everything was funny. I wish there would have been more free time, it was like everything was jam packed and every moment was planned for. I would have loved some time to myself and time to student and do homework seeing this is a busy time of the year for university students.
Don't get me wrong I had a great time I just wish somethings would have been done differently. It did not help that midterms and assignments are due and instead of doing that we were camping. Made it hard to have fun as I was stressing. There were things that disrupted and re inscribed my learning. I came away with things that I would and wouldn't do if I took students camping.

Bike Trip

This was one of my favorite classes as it involved two of my favorite things; biking and the outdoors. I really liked the idea of a scavenger hunt as it made us pay more attention to our surroundings while we were riding instead of just going for a bike ride and getting to were we needed to be. It was also fun just to get away from the university and enjoy the outdoors and to forget about school work. I really enjoyed playing at the skate park, the park at the science center, and going to the bird sanctuary. I found the bird sanctuary really interesting. It is only my second time going their and I just found it this fall. I can't believe that I have lived in the city for four years and have never gone. It was amazing to see the different kinds of birds, especially the pelican. It was cool watching him try and eat the chip that we fed him as it was hard to chew because of his beak. I think that this would be a great place to take students to help them learn about birds and they should know about the experiences that they have right in the city. I would definitely take a class their if I get a job in the city. I think that this trip also gave us a chance to create a kind of community within our class as many people road together and were able to visit during the trip. I think that this was a great set up for the camping trip and a good way to help us get excited.

Curriculm Presentation

I really enjoyed the presentation that Dean gave us today as it helped me think about the unit assignment that is due in a couple of weeks. I think that it was beneficial for the students who do not know very much about unit planning yet. I have had this presentation a couple of times but I still took some things away from it and have a feeling of where the curriculum is going in the future.
For the second half of the class we discussed the camping trip. I found this was very beneficial as I am confused about what is going on and how things are going to work. It was great to get into a group and discuss our jobs of our meals that we are in charge of. I think that it would have been more beneficial if we just took on the responsibility of the food and prepare it during camp because I can see not everyone contributing to the meal preparation. This is way different then what I was expecting and am kind of nervous about how things are going to go over next weekend. This was disruptive to my learning as it is a funny and weird way to plan a trip and I am not sure that I would do it this way if I was planning a trip. I feel like the food is going to cost a fortune as the menu seems like things that are not really necessary and hard to make over the fire. I get that we are trying to focus on food sovereignty but think that their is a cheaper and easier way to go about this.

Resources

Today it was great to have some class time outdoors as it has been a horrible September with it being cold and rainy. It was really interesting to see how a solar oven is set up and how it works, as I have never even seen what a solar oven looks like before. This re inscribed my learning as it made me think of the possibilities that I can use in my classroom with a solar oven. I think that students would really enjoy learning about a solar oven and being able to cook something in a solar oven. I also really enjoyed experiencing the large earth ball. I think that it was a great activity to do outdoors and their are many things that you can do with an earth ball. I do question the safety of some of the games that we played with it as a teacher, but as a student I loved them all even if some of them were kind of physical. In the classroom we would just have to state some safety rules to avoid injury. This would be great resource for teachers to have in their class and be able to take outside on a nice day and learn about the environment. It was hard to come back inside after being outside. I really did enjoy the resources that were presented when we were inside as it helped me think about how and what I can use in my classroom to help my students with their learning. This helped me also think of the 4 P's of Planning resource assignment that is due soon and gave me some ideas that I can use in that assignment.

The Weekend

This weekend I had many experiences that made me open my eyes as well as feel comfort in environmental issues. The first one was the movie King Corn. I watched this documentary today and it made me be more aware of the things that have corn in it. I came to realize that there were not very many things that do not contain corn. I was crazy to think that so many farmers grow corn and that when they harvest it there is so much that it does not fit in the elevator, so they have to create new areas to put it. I always thought when I drove past a field a corn that it would taste like the stuff that I grow in my garden but instead it tastes like sawdust. It actually does not tasted like corn until it is processed. You would think that everything would be healthy when you see the name corn in the ingredients but instead it is not corn it is actually just a pile of sugar. It was interested how when these guys first started out with growing their acre of corn they wanted to track where it went after they harvested it, but seeing that is impossible to do they changed their direction. It is hard to believe that some of it goes for food and is processed and the rest goes to feed lots to be fed to the cows and fattened up so that they can be butchered quicker. I have decided that I am going to do this for my part in the research in the action project.



The other experience that I had was going to Prince Albert. I have never been their before, other then basketball in high school, but that does not count as I was not able to explore what PA had to offer. It is so beautiful their with so many trees and plants to keep you in awe. We went to the Little Red River and went for a hike. It was awesome to walk through the trees and climb up sand hills and over trees that had been cut by the beavers. It was also to see the amount of people that had taken their kids there and spent the day having a picnic and going down the trails. You don't really see that in this neck of the woods. It has been a while since I have seen that many kids out their playing outdoors and enjoying the beautiful environment that is right around them. It makes me proud to be from Saskatchewan as I continue to explore and see the beautiful places that this province has. It is hard to come back to school and sit in a classroom all day after that. I would rather spend my time outside enjoying the outdoors.

September 22, 2010

Today we had the opportunity to talk to Colin via skype. It was awesome to listen  to his action plan of running across Canada during the winter and stopping in schools along to way to talk to schools about the importance of getting students outdoors. I think that these students will learn lots from Colin, and I believe that he will get media attention (or at least he should he is running in the winter) that will get the message out to everyone. I believe that help inspire all of us for our action projects, maybe not to the extent that he is, but it is reassuring to know that every little thing that we do will make a difference.
Today we also got to talk about the unit plans that we are to do. I think that it will be a challenge to get it done on short notice but think that it can be done. I am excited to learn new ideas from fellow classmates that I can take and use with my students.

September 20, 2010

Today our class had the privileged of skyping with a grade 6/7 class from Moose Jaw. It was a great opportunity for them to learn from us what we are learning about and what we think is the important about the environment. We also had the opportunity to learn what they are learning about and what they are doing to help the environment. I believe that this type of technology provides amazing opportunities for students and classrooms to connect with others from all over the world. It makes the learning possibilities richer students as they learn from other cultures and places.
Today we also got to hear the presentations from the other groups about their action projects. It was awesome listening to the different ideas and the action that they are trying to achieve. These action projects can easily be incorporated and be done in classrooms, as they are excited to challenge themselves to help the environment. It will be interesting to find out if each of the groups was successful in their action and what they have learned throughout the process. I am excited to continue my journey through the action project that my group is doing. Something that makes me a little uneasy is trying to change the way I live as it is hard to change something that you have been doing your whole life.
It was also exciting listening to Kathleen talk about the YES program and it makes me feel better that their are programs that are coming into the school that helps with environmental issues and also educate them on the issues. I am excited to be working with these kids and working them through the sessions.

Opening my eyes

I see today as one of those days that I have changed my way of thinking about the world. This morning I watched the movie Food INC., as part of my action project around food consumerism. It opened my eyes to what we pump into our bodies 3 times a day. It actually made me disgusted, and made me not want to eat ever again. It definetly hit home for me as my family use to be dairy farmers and now we are just beef farmers. I found myself comparing our style of farming to the ones that were displayed in the movie that worked for the production companies. I would not be able to live with myself if my family treated our animals as badly as they were. It makes me sick thinking about all the chemicals and toxins that we eat at every meal. It hurts thinking about all the people who have gotten sick or have even died because of all the diseases that form in our meat during production. It makes me upset to think that these companies can get away with it because they are so powerful. This movie has made me re-think the way I have been living, and I want to help be the change in food consumerism.
This afternoon I took some time to be still and process what I had just witnessed. I actually never did this activity the other day, as I wanted to do it in a place that is very special to me. I have waited, and I am doing it at my family farm away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is hard to be still and find somewhere quiet in the city as there is always something going on and it is never truly quiet. Instead I am in the environment that has shaped who I am and has provided me with many of my memories. As I sit here and listen to the pond drip water outside my front door, and watch the bugs and plants move around me and when I look up I see nothing but open space for miles with uncombined fields it helps me try and grasp what I have witnessed today. It is hard sitting here (in my perfect world) thinking that this and other environmental issues are going on and effecting us. I wish I could stay in this place where it seems like nothing bad can happen. In reality I know when I leave this place I will re-enter the fast paced society that we live in and all these issues will arise again. It is hard to think that I am only one person and that these issues are way out of my reach to fix completely. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try to change my habits to make a little difference and educate other to hopefully make a bigger difference.

September 15, 2010

I have to admit at eh beginning of this class I was so confused and stressed beyond belief. When we first started talking about the action plan and the twelve steps I had no idea where it was going. But once a couple of groups had taught us about some of the initial steps it all came together. At about step 3 when we were getting into our groups it started to become relevant. When everyone was saying what issues they were interested in pursuing I thought to myself how messed up this world is as there were so many issues brought up. I am so happy to be a part of the food consumerism group. It is an issue that I was never really concerned about, as I have never thought about it. I feel that it is going to be a huge challenge for me, but I am up for it. I have discovered that it is such a huge issue, and I don’t want to get caught up in it instead I want to be a part of the change. I can’t wait to begin my journey around the issue of food consumerism.

September 13, 2010

Today was an interesting class, as we were outside. This is not a bad thing the only negative is that it was raining. I really enjoyed this class as I am a person who loves being outdoors and was never really given a chance to go outside for classes growing up. I think that it is important to get students outside even if it is for other subjects not just in science. We can learn so much from the environment and in my case I can focus, and I want to learn when I am outside. I really liked the assignment called magic spot as it gave me a chance to just be still and let my mind wander and my body relax. I really want to do this activity with my students when I am a teacher as it is an easy way for them to connect with nature. I think that it is a good idea to give the students options like drawing or giving them something to think about while they are in their magic spot. When we came back to the circle I really enjoyed the reading as it explained that kids these days are so plugged into technology that they would rather stay inside and be plugged in rather then going outside and interacting with their environment. I also liked how it mentioned that teachers sometimes focus on the things that are going on in the environment that the students cannot change, such as the oil spill. I think that as teachers it is important to teach students that these things are occurring and maybe talk with them how it could have been prevented, but instead we are making them worry about things that they cannot do anything about. I think that we could teach them instead how to be environmentally friendly by recycling, choosing the right mode of transportation, etc.
I enjoyed the assignment that we had to do called what does environment mean to me? It was a good way to get to know the people that are in my tripod. It is awesome when you can put a picture to what their environments are like and how they are similar and different then mine. I am looking forward to working with my tripod as well I am excited  to try some of the activities that we did in class today with my students.

September 8, 2010

Today was the first day of ESCI 302, and we were asked to keep a journal and record our thoughts and feelings about what went on in class. I have decided to do my journal entries on a blog because it is easier for me to type rather then print as my hands seem to cramp easier these days. Also because we are entering a generation where most of our students have lived most of their lives working on computers. It is an easy way for students to write and enjoy writing, as they know that people from all over the world can read their posts.
I found today was a lot of information to process but it was expected for the first day of class as it happens all the time. It was nice to come to a class were it is designed for high school students, but being an elementary teacher I feel like I was welcome, and I feel that this class will and will continue to establish a sense of place and community. It was awesome to see and get to know everyone in the class, as it reminded me that we are all here for the same reasons and that we can help each other to reach our goals.
I believe that it is important to teach students that the environment is all around us and that there are environmental resources everywhere around us. It is important to teach that just because we have the environment all around us inside does not mean that we shouldn’t go outside. That is the center of the environment and where everything that we use in our daily lives comes from. Something that disrupted my thinking was being told that the people in our lives shapes our environment. This is not a bad thing, I have just never thought about it in that way