sol.net

photoActivism, spreading news on Palestine

// November 16th, 2007 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

so I am disturbed….and extremely sad about the atrocities/genocide on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

People say it’s complicated, people think they are Terrorists, but when you carve out a country in the name of Peace….where the basis of Muslim and Christianity colllide, you are going to have war.

But think about this…for the last half of the 20th century…and going….you have been moved, mutilated, killed and forced to live on land with no resources and people are killing your families, friends, and loved ones all the while driving around with guns, harassing you…threatening your life. you, no food, clean water…You throw a rock because you are pissed! They….drop a big bomb to kill all of you. Something is wrong with this. Why don’t more people know about this in our country!

President Bush’s branding of a ‘War on Terror’ has scared everyone to think that anyone in the middle east is evil…deserves to die, etc….but in reality…albeit a sad one, we, the United States are the biggest terrorists, having military bases in many countries, using other governments for proxy wars….all for resources, our quality of life, but isn’t there a better way?

And, of course whenever I hear someone speak out about things of this nature….we supposedly hate our own country! I support our troops (they are absolutely brave, but I feel misguided by Bush and his supporters, but I want them home and safe)….I don’t want proliferation of nuclear weapons (who does?)….am I not patriotic? of course I am, but I am angry! Angry at what is going on in this world, where media glazes over things like Palestine and spins it in a favorable light….America is good, America always does good for the world…we are the benevolent force behind democracy! Everything is not going well in this world….we have to do something; we ALL have to do something positive….VOTE, educate people about what is going on….

Most people I talk to refuse to believe that we (as in our government) are supplying “oxygen lines” as well as providing popular “public opinion” to continue this…sad sad…enormity

Anyways….go see Anomalous on flickr.com or view the pics below

Nasa’s World Wind and Environmental Education

// October 16th, 2007 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

So there has been a lot of buzz about Google Earth and how cool it is and everything. I have certainly downloaded it and did the ritual ‘look up your home, friends’ homes, etc’ and found it really cool if you harness the extendability of it…using xml/kml, shapefiles and such. Although I’m probably a little more savvy than the average ‘end user,’ I still find this stuff time consuming and a little steep on my learning curve. And when I say ’stuff,’ I mean fully customizing Google Earth to show things you normally don’t see and such. I guess what I am getting at is that there is a lot you can do with this program (ie. look at cool landmarks, cities, and addresses of your friends), but ‘out-of-the-box’ it doesn’t seem to do much else. Sure it is pretty snappy/fast, and has a very user friendly interface…good overall….but this post wouldnt be titled with, “World Wind” if I were to talk all about Google Earth, now would it?

So here is “World Wind” – a screenshot (click for large view)

At first glance, it seems ordinary when compared to Google Earth, but what I found really appealing about it is it’s ability to tap into so much data that NASA has in it’s image databases as well as a project I currently am involved with called, “GLOBE” or Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment.

As quoted on their site, GLOBE:

GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. GLOBE’s vision promotes and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations of the environment and the Earth system working in close partnership with NASA and NSF Earth System Science Projects (ESSPs) in study and research about the dynamics of Earth’s environment.

This program is AMAZING! With many participating countries and areas of recorded data, this program truely gives a snapshot of our current state of the environment. Twice a week, I take children out to our estuary where we measure different hydrology samples including: dissolved oxygen, salinity, turbidity, pH, along with water temperature, cloud cover. and precipitation. The data we record is then documented on the GLOBE website, where you can view in many different views the changes over time. Well, World Wind lets you tap into that data and visualize it on the global map….the inner geek in me is still screaming with excitment at that fact. The potential for this is really limitless as far as teaching children about how our environment is changing as well as keeping up to date on weather trends, etc. Figuring out how to incorporate this program into my classes is going to be hard, but if done right….it can be a powerful teaching tool (World Wind).

There are many others features of this program that I don’t really want to get into right now, but you can look at agricultural data, human impact, and even look at venus, mars and the moon!

check out “World Wind”

wow…teaching is fun!!

// June 10th, 2007 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

So I am in the middle of applying to a few jobs, one of which is a Science Teacher Position at Environmental Charter High School in Los Angeles (very cool)

One of the requirements was to send some examples of my teaching through video!

Below is a video of me teaching my class about sea turtles. The quality is not that great, but I had to compress heavily for it to be more portable.

Enjoy!

teaching has its perks!

// March 3rd, 2007 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

I just wanted to write this post to brag a little about some of my students and what they’ve learned.

To actually teach someone, anyone, something, requires a little patience and enthusiasm, but the rewards outweigh some of the difficulties! For almost a year I have been teaching children and adults about the fascinations of our environment…the outer banks of North Carolina, and it has been a dream. Both living on the beach and empowering kids that they are in control of their own learning have given me a lot to reflect upon.

Here are some rewards (as said from some of my students):

4th Graders:

“At the Sound [Bogue Sound] I learned that you can find a lot of cool things that don’t look alive, but are.” -Lily

“Dear Calvin, I would like to thank you for making me a lot smarter. I was amazed that a little pond could turn into a forest. [succession]” -Harrison

“I learned so many words my head is exploding!” -Libby

“It was amazing how salt, wind, and soil can change a tree!” -Caroline

“I learned that teamwork is the only thing to get it done.” -Kat

“I also liked the challenge course. It was definitely challenging! These activities made me pumped!” -Jana

“…if you look at a glass shrimp, you can see its heart!” -Nowell

“I thought I was going to throw up when everyone was laughing so hard after the stump game.” -Mia

“You taught the group so much about the Maritime forest and how you can eat the Pennywort and how it helps with arthritis, clean your blood, help with eyesight, and clean your teeth.” -Mia

7th graders:

“When I get my Nutria, I’m going to teach it how to ride the waves in and I’m going to surf on it. I’m also going to ride on the Nutria’s back like a horse.” -Tori

“I liked the great view of the beach and how you showed us where Africa and Florida was by pointing directions to the ocean. I also liked seeing how the earth was round by looking at the horizon line.” -Max

“You taught me how important it really is to work with your team members.” -Arsenio

“It was really cool when you let us take the water sample before we went into the sound. It made me feel like I was helping the world.” -Tanner

Well, as you’ve read, my life is rich with excited kids that want to learn! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I made videos! kinda lame-o, but sometimes funny.

// January 14th, 2007 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

the above video is a brief intro to the beach in Salter Path, NC

In the above video, we discuss a few animals found in Bogue Sound, NC

This above video talks about a native plant that can be made into tea called, Illex Vomitoria (Yaupon Holly)

Podcasting in Outdoor/Environmental Education!

// July 26th, 2006 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

Just Click below to listen Enjoy!

powered by ODEO

This podcast is just some vocal notes (usually when I say something, it’s harder for me to forget) on utilizing podcasting for reflection for my students in the fall.

As as sidenote: I’ve really been starting to play around with Odeo Studio and Audacity!!! There is sooooo much you can do!

Let the Podcasting Begin!!!

// July 26th, 2006 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

Below is an introduction of myself and my purpose for podcasting…more to come!

powered by ODEO

Service Learning! typology, best practice — and IMPACT!

// February 16th, 2006 // Comments Off // Uncategorized

Adhered to emotion and assimilated through a cumulating framework of skill, motivation,learning, service, adversity, and failure, this past week has been a keystone reflection for my ‘Service-Learning’ experience during my term with NC Campus Compact. I feel accomodated in that I have gained an invaluable perspective on my career path as well as definitive insight on how a pedagogy of service learning can have profound impact in higher education, across all disciplines.

It has been a great year of service and learning. Being provided with challenging work, professional training, valued friends & colleagues, and meaningful rewards, I could not ask for a better year of ‘education.’

Imagine how coincidental that, in these last few days of my service, I get to attend a conference of specialists in educating, evaluating, and motivating the leaders of tomorrow? There is so much energy and inspiration! I want to be permanently involved with these people.

At the conference:
Robert Sigmon spoke briefly about his experience in Service Learning. He is truely an inspirational person who has greatly given credence in the Academy to the field.

Service-learning combines service objectives with learning objectives with the intent that the activity change both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.

His typology:

service-LEARNING: learning goals primary, service outcomes secondary

SERVICE-learning: service outcomes primary, learning goals secondary

service learning: service and learning goals completely separate

SERVICE-LEARNING: service and learning goals of equal weight and each
enhances the other for all participants

I also attended a sessions talking about:
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Service Learning

and

NC Campus Compact Research and Scholarship Initiative: Pitfalls and Possibilities in Statewide Collaboration on Service Learning Scholarship

Both of these workshops provide me a solid platform to think about how we unite efforts at different institutions as well as to gain buy-in to service learning. I’ve heard by some that there are ‘academic fads’ that come and go, but I truely see this (service learning) becoming a mainstay in education and a change agent in tomorrow’s society, not to mention how it already affects people nationwide.

The ‘Cross Discipline Collaboration and Service Learning’ workshop was presented by the APPLES program at UNC Chapel Hill, with presenters Jenny Huq, Martha Arnold, and Janaka Lagoo.

Through their workshop, they highlighted how they interest faculty in service learning and how they collaborate with their Center for Teaching and Learning. What I gained most from their presentation was how they draw resources from different parts of campus (Center for Teaching and Learing, Research and Assessment) and really push students in the forefront (APPLES was started by students)…as well as truely seek community collaboration and feedback.

The ‘NC Campus Compact Research and Scholarship Initiative’ was also very informative. Although initial phases are still underway, the presenters: Patti Clayton, Cathy Hamilton, Jenny Huq, Lynne Bercaw, Beth Warner, and Vicki Stocking provided a clear itinerary on how they are gaining ground for a statewide network of collaborators to refine the scholary pursuits around civic engagement and service learning. I hope to become involved in this effort.

I think I could go on for days on how these sessions have been refreshing to experience! I am definitely going to try and write more about my interest in service learning.

It’s hard to believe that this year in service has passed so quickly, when I have only begun to scratch the surface….but I’m not done yet!