Reflection: Week 15 & 16

Week 15 & 16

I totally enjoyed our junk in class challenges. I have not laughed that hard in class in a long time, also it was really appreciated that we got to have such a great guest speaker and the Subway.... Thank you Dr. V. it was fun to have to used the creative side of our brains in the classroom rather than thinking critically about heavy subjects like water privatization or FDA regualtion on foods etc. It was refreshing to see that school can so fun!:) Next, I have to say that I was completely shocked when the guest speaker revealed that she was 50 years old.... are you absolutely kidding me she looked and acted like she should hang out with our class! I was like "No way" the was she sat on the table haha it just cracked me up... makes ya think differently about getting older:) I really thought that the ideas she shared with our class, her creativeness, and willingness to try something new.... give her dream a chance was really inspirational! She was a fun lady and when I spoke with her after class she is just so full of life and really gave good advice! Moving on, I felt sad when we had our last day on class, it was interesting to see what different people took and didnt take away from the class but seeing that we have all grown together and most of us have gained a vauable appreciation for enviornmental health is very important to me. When you think about it... without health what do we have/ what would we be?... with out our environment .... what do we have..... and without protecting and learning to conserve, teach, and motivate others about the importance of enviornmental health we have nothing! I have enjoyed this class and I really want to say that in the begining I was soo unbelievable frusterate with bloggin, oh I said it but it is so true although, with the exception of to much commenting I have come to love blogging and recognize its many advantages. I leave this class with a new outlook on health and all that it encompasses, not just physical and mental wellbeing .... but so much more!:)

Thanks everyone for a great semester..... so sad to be done I love school:)

Share and Voice: Planet Green

Challenge ....

For everyone!


WHATS YOUR GREEN IQ?



FIND OUT NOW!!! CLICK HERE!:)


It was really hard I didn't do so hot??!? yikes?
Check it out?

Eye Opener: Learning Activities

Autumn and Katies Game:

Autumn and Katies games were both very kid orientated and similar regarding healthy food choices and choosing foods from a grouping that would fall into specific areas of the food pyramid! I could not for the life of me get the food to shoot into that bear things mouth.... honestly i think i played about 6 times! Also, according to the fill your tray activity I did'nt understand at first, it took me three times to get a tray that was near balanced, I just kept grabbing the wrong things, or the food would fall off the convery belt before I could grab it!!LOL Great games girls I think that the conept behind both of them is really important and that children especially in our current obesitiy ridden nation these would be wonderfula ctivities to intoduce to children.

Ben's Game:

Ben your game for me was the most fun, I really enjoyed the idea of creating my eco friendly house! It was interesting also to read about the products that you were able to choose from alot of the building materials I had never even heard of! My house ended up costing a pretty penny but it was very green.... and my front yard looked like a junk yard with all the "green" contraptions! I thought this was really fun and showcased the materials used to make a green house, as well as cost in doing so! For myself it was eye opening to see how fast it can add up and then to contemplate is it worth it?

Sara J's Game:

Yuck!With a name like puke page i was in for it..... diffidently deserves a gross! I'm not to sure if this game would be appropriate for kids, it scared me! I do feel that the message behind this madden was solid, and well pointed. It was really hard for me to look at the pictures, but the message and reasoning are all worth it. I would agree with Sara that a complete smoking ban would benefit children in schools. After seeing these photos I think that most would agree that this is a beneficial cause.

Ingrid's Game:

Its is telling me that I used 93 gallons of water per day next to the average persons 71! yikes... again guilty as charged! I guess? Ingrid I think you did a great job on this post very well thought out and defined! With the additional terms and such.... very well done! I had fun doing this activity but the whole time i kept thinking ....oh i know I am going to get a large amount.... i guess thats the point isnt it? Good find ingrid i think we should have used this one in glass during our water privitization lessons! It was eye opening for me!

Advocacy: Environmental Learning Activity Foot -o-meter!

Bobbie's Foot-O-Meter

Rational:

The activity I have provided could be used in schools to help students understand the concept of their Eco- footprint. It is very simular to the activity that we completed but interactive, colorful, and easy to understand for children in grade school. I feel that this ties in well my bill because it has a section that specifically speaks about how children in school can help to reduce.


Cites:

• Go Green Initiate
  

• US Green Building Council
  

• Green School Initiate
  

Directions:

Click on the title and complete the assigned game!Have fun!

Share and Voice: A peek at my repurposed JUNK!

Here is a peek at my junk! Rather than bringing it to class just take a peek inside my house! All of the items I have here were free expect the purple boxes (Ikea really cheap!)

There were a set of two old, nasty, brown, tables for free at a garage sale, with a little paint theysprang to life and their old style almost looks little mod again my red curtains and large block patterned rug (you can see the rug) in my living room.

These little metal candy dishes were at my parents 25th wedding anniversary party, now fit my bathroom well!
When my roommates locked me out of my house by accident when day I was driving around and saw this wine jug on the side of the road and stopped picked it up, soaked it to remove the label, and filled the bottom with coins to anchor my flowers!


Okay this is in my bedroom! I sit here on my FREE yellow chair which I LOVE! It foldes into a bed, and the foot part folds up inside also to make a big chair instead! It was on the side of the road, i picked it up aired it our cleaned the fabric and love it so much!

The purple boxes were from Ikea, they were brown and I painted them wit the dots!

The lamp was an awfully ugly brown lamp with gold, I brought out the black spray paint and put one in my room and living room!


This is another one of those candy dishes from my parents anniversary that I have in my bathroom too! This one has plasitc lemons w/black washed stones in the botton and a candle!


This metal thing, i don't know what it is but my om gave it to me and it found a home in my bathroom.

Well hope you liked the little glimpse inside my house and at my things, ill be honest when I say i didnt realize that I had so much stuff I foudn or people gave to me that I have reused, repainted etc. in my place!

Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14

WEEK 14:

Over week 13 we learned more about advocacy by adding onto the advocacy project through completion of an issue overview on the topic we has chosen to advocate for. For myself it felt good to expand my knowledge by looking up information and becoming something like a subject matter expert on my topic, I like when I have researched and know the specifics on a top (like yoga, health etc.) because then you are able to reach so many more people, informing them of what the benefits are, why you are so passionate about the subject and what they can do to better themselves. In this project we did just that.

Also, I thought the walk was a great way to get out of the classroom and into our actual environment, I enjoyed doing something new, I have never used a compass prior, and thought it was a great out of the norm experience for our class. P.S. I do not think we could have asked for a nicer day to get outside also, it was great!

I have learned about through week 13 that it pays off to spend the time doing research when it is needed. By taking the time to look up information on my issue, it helped me tremendously to write my letter in week 14. It was a great feeling to have done the work, know the facts, and then use that information to help make a difference! And i learned how to use a compass you could complain, now I won't get lost in the woods:)

WEEK 14

Over week 14 we completed our advocacy projects by writing our letter to elected officials or editors. I felt that the advocacy project was something that grew on me and after completion I see the significance of advocacy in our responsibility's....thanks Dr. V! at first I was totally not digging it..... but I get it now. After, reviewing the letters written by our classmate... I was really impressed. My congrats to all of you... good work!

Also, this week we did our junking activity. I personally really enjoyed this. I think that ideas of re purposing, reusing and what not is really great and I didn't realize how much of this I was all ready doing with my house and things already!:) It was really fun for my and I'm especially excited for Sue Whitney after I saw here book on the Today Show!

Well thats all for now all,
Abbey:)

Advocacy Project: Letter to Officials

April 26, 2009

Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Dear Ms. Klobuchar,

The proposed Bill H.R. 58 "Schools Going Green" will make a tremendous impact on schools throughout the United States. Creating a matching grant program with the United States Government, the Environmental Protection Agency and school across America will be begin to provide improved teaching and learning environments for students and staff alike. The proposed bill will provide opportunities for students to learn in an environment that is safe, and promotes Eco friendly living. This will have an impact not only on the students and staff, but will affect the community members as well. The impacts will span from students, staff, to community members, towns as a whole, and will work to enforce, promote, and encourage others to work on a national green movement for schools. Not only will these individuals benefit from clean air, and safe, Eco friendly learning environments, but the planet will benefit from all those who are working to improve their schools and communities. Recent studies show that "...nearly twenty percent of Americans go to school everyday:, showcasing the vast amount of people that would benefit from such a movement. It was said that as of now "...nearly 1000 schools have met the or are seeking LEED certification..." although, this many schools are taking green measure to help protect their students and staff and increase the protection of our planet, think of how many more could participate if there were a matching grant program in place to help provide some additional funding for their green efforts? We hope you realize the best course of action to promote school across American to go green is to vote "yes" to House Bill #58.

Thank you for taking interesting in school across American going green.

Abbey Linstad

555 Go Green Dr.

GreenSchool, MN 55545

FOR BLOGGER PURPOSE ONLY:

RESOURCE:

http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/08/29/big-growth-spurt-us-schools-going-green