Happy New Year 2024

A new year is is ahead. 2024. 52 weeks of new are right here with the flip of the calendar page. 

Using ChatGPT, I created this ABC list of environmental well-wishes for your year ahead. May it serve as an inspirational checklist of 26 ways you can green your routine and your 2024.

Afforestation adventures await! Plant some trees or visit some new forests to check out their flourishing biodiversity.

Breathe deeply and take in the bliss of crisp, clean air by "getting out there."

Cultivate sustainable habits and conscious choices for a greener and cleaner future. Start by looking at your home products.

Dive into the depths of eco-conscious decisions. Say no to plastics when you have a pollution-free choice instead.

Embrace renewable energy by opening windows or curtains to bring the sun and wind power in.

Foster a love for our feathered friends. Visit a bird sanctuary or do a little backyard bird watching.

Grow a garden of green: make your backyard bloom with blossoms or a become a bounty to veggies to feed your family. 

Harness some humans-nature harmony: take time out in nature to find fellowship with flora and fauna.

Illuminate your home with energy-efficient lightbulbs to save money and energy.

Join hands with environmental advocates for Mother Earth.

Kindle the flames of environmental education to spread eco-awareness to keep knowledge going and growing.

Let love for our Earth be a guiding star, leading us toward sustainable practices and eco-friendly living.

Marvel at the beauty of marine life, less impacted by mankind, though not immune from pollution.

Nourish your body with organic food to maximize your own health and wellness.

Optimize waste management in your own home: turn trash into treasures when you recycle, upcycle, reuse, and refuse what you no longer need.

Plant the care of conservation by supporting endangered species and restoring ecosystems.

Quietly observe the delicate balance of nature, appreciating the beauty of the separate seasons.

Reduce your own transportation impact: while you might not be ready to buy a lower emission electric vehicle, can you carpool, walk, ride your bike, or take public transportation to get from point A to B?

Sow seeds of environmental stewardship, cultivating a sense of responsibility and care for our home planet.

Turn the tide on pollution, so that our rivers and oceans run free of marine debris.

Unleash your own creativity and celebrate the creativity of architects and artists who masterfully weave sustainable design and environmental awareness to their work.

Value, protect, and celebrate the variety that makes up the rich tapestry of species of life on Earth.

Walk gently on the Earth, leaving behind footprints of kindness and care.

'Xperience the joy of eco-friendly exploration. Go out and adventure into the great outdoors. We protect what we love.

Yearn for a world where green spaces thrive, especially in urban worlds where green spaces provide an escape. 

Zero in on sustainable solutions. May zero-waste lifestyles and circular economies become the norm.


Disclaimer: AI was my friend with both the ABC list and the art of this post. I used ChatGPT and the following prompt on December 17, 2023 to build the inspiration for this post. My prompt that I used to create this post: "You are a creative and genius wordsmith who loves to craft creative text. Create an inspired ABC list of environmental well wishes for the new year ahead: 2024."  I then tweaked the verbiage a bit to make it a more streamlined post. Art created using the Magic Media tools of Canva.com using this prompt (then I added the embellishments of the year and graphics): "Happy New Year picture, realistic, pixar style people of all ages and races there, including white, asian, hispanic, and black people celebrating the new year with a happy new years signs around the room, in a party setting."

Katherine Hayhoe's Inspirational Recommendations for Climate Content

I subscribe to climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe's weekly newsletter. I've written about Hayhoe in the past, and her interesting dichotomy between her data-driven profession and her faith as a Christian. Her bio on her website shows her rich background from her University of Illinois days (ILL-INI), to her current roles as Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and professor at Texas Tech University. She is also a principal investigator for the Department of Interior's South-Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and the National Science Foundations Global Infrastructure Climate Network. In her "spare" time she's also written Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World and previously hosted the podcast Global Weirding.

She knows her stuff when it comes to climate change.

In her latest newsletter, timed right at the holidays, Hayhoe listed out some podcasts, books, and social media accounts to jump into in order to build hope and education around the issue of climate change. You can read that newsletter here, or find her inspirational social media post (with the following images) on her Facebook page. With the doom and gloom that can be a heavy find when learning more about the climate implications on our planet, it is refreshing to land on inspirational leaders and lessons about how we can make a positive impact in our every changing world. Lots of great places to look into with the new year ahead!

These social media accounts suggestions from Katherine Hayhoe:

Alaina Wood: The Garbage Queen on Instagram and TikTok

Climate Adam on Instagram and YouTube 

Others on Instagram include:

Zahra Biabani

Future Earth

Jessica Kleckza

The Happy Broadcast

For other recommendations from Katherine Hayhoe, check out her FAQ and recommendations page. 

Images from http://redgreenandblue.org/2019/01/08/katherine-hayhoe-climate-change-thermometer-not-liberal-conservative/ and  https://www.facebook.com/katharine.hayhoe/posts/pfbid02ZHMkgYqcAeZ5Mq9zD6kSHbQRYB51Sg8AJkywDFWc2cykJVK9Ws8SQgGNpbTCvfkgl

Seasons Greetings 2023

This Christmas,

May you have the fulfillment

Of seeing around you

The people you love the most.

May you have the satisfaction

Of creating special memories

They will remember with pleasure forever.

This Christmas,

May you feel peaceful and contented,

Knowing what Christmas means,

And celebrating it your way.

By Joanna Fuchs

While this poem is about the holiday I celebrate--the holiday that is ahead this weekend--may the sentiments hit you for your holiday of choice. Replace Christmas with the word "holiday, season, winter, solstice, recently-passed Hanukkah, New Year..." or whatever wonderment you hold in your heart at this time of the year. 

Sending you my very best for a love-infused, peace-inspired holiday season.

Poem from https://www.poemsource.com/Christmas-poems.html#google_vignette, image created at www.canva.com 

Winter Solstice: December 21, 2023

This year, Winter Solstice occurs December 21st. The shortest day of the year--meaning the day with the shortest number of daylight hours. According to the Farmer's Almanac, this date happens annually, either on the 21st or the 22nd of December each year.

As a person who feels like dark at 5:30 after the November time change is blacker than midnight, I'm actually always eager to find myself on the flip side of Winter Solstice. I like daylight and sunshine! Short, dark days are harsh! Longer days ahead truthfully make this northern hemisphere girl's heart sing!

I happened on the Royal Museum Greenwich's website, which had some beautiful imagery and also some interesting facts about Winter Solstice. (They also had some beautiful pieces about Christmas in Greenwich too--who wouldn't want to go ice-skating with the Queen's House as the backdrop!)

One of the most interesting parts of their Winter Solstice page was how it is celebrated worldwide, both now and historically:

Yule

This neopagan, pre-Christian festival "the Fest of Jul" occurred in Scandinavia at this time of year. Lighting fires was very symbolic during this cold festival time, as a sign that the heat and light needed to return. Hence the born tradition of the Yule log, which historically was a tribute to the Norse god Thor. Other Norse traditions relate to the sacrificing of the Yule boar (to honor Freya) or honoring the Yule goat (a nod to Norse god Thor's two goats). Today, many still celebrate by lighting a Yule log, or taking part in Yule singing (or waisalling, a pre-cursor to Christmas caroling).

Saturnalia

My son's Middle School Latin class annually celebrated Saturnalia (and still does though he's well past Middle School age). This Ancient Roman seven-day festival began on December 17th, honoring Saturn, father of many of the gods (and of course the namesake to the planet Saturn). Saturnalia was a time of feasting, gift giving, and fun--school and businesses were shut down to take advantage of the seven days of fun and festivities. Sacrifices were made to the Temple of Saturn and revelry would be the theme during this holiday.

The Dongzhi Festival
In Eastern Asia and China, this is one of the highly important time of years. Breaking down "Dongzhi" in Chinese, you have the combination of winter + arrival...meaning literally: the coming of winter. The shift to longer daylight hours was cause for celebration as it brought about positive energy. It ties to the yin-yang philosophy of  harmony and balance. This also served as the time of harvesting the winter crops, which also brought about honoring the farms, crops, and plenty brought to the people, and feasting together as a family.

Yalda 

In Iran, Shab-e Yalda ‘Yalda night’ or Shab-e Chelleh signifies the ‘night of forty.’ This Iranian festival has friends and family coming together for food, drink, family togetherness, and poetry readings all night long. Pomegranates, watermelons, and nuts are specialty foods of this festival. It is also celebrated in other parts of the Middle East, including Iraqi Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

Stonehenge

While not a holiday, Stonehenge is a high profile place of celebration of the winter solstice. In part, during summer and winter solstice, the alignment of the stones with the sun is significant, especially at sunrise, which provides context for its significance as a seasonal monument when it was created around 3500 BC. It was a place of both Druid and Pagan celebrations of this time of the year, and it continues to draw visitors today.

Image from: the first one created at canva.com; the 2nd & 3rd from https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/when-winter-solstice-shortest-day 

Sustainable Gift Giving Meets Santa's Workshop

This past weekend I was in a vortex of Christmas crazy and creation this weekend. My eyes were a bit bleary, crossed, tired and hurting. My body was sore for over-sitting in worker bee mode. Santa's Workshop was at full tilt, no stops, knee-deep in Christmas construction. 

'Tis the season, right?

As time keeps ticking, we are getting closer to the mailing deadlines, priority shipping dates, and The Big Day. It can be overwhelming, trying to get it all together... especially if you are trying to "shop till you drop" to get those perfect Christmas or Hanukkah gifts.

If you are feeling like you are running out of good ideas, here's where shopping in an eco-friendly way. These two visuals can help with inspiration. Additionally, Green Action Centre's post "Sustainable Gift Giving" can help you go deeper with ideas on their ten categories listed in the infographic below. It may be just what you need to find that "something just right" for that "someone special!"

Images from https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ZK_7Ws_TD/ and https://greenactioncentre.ca/featured/sustainable-gift-ideas/

Christmas 2023: Christmas Cards

I haven't sent Christmas cards for years (with maybe the exception of a dozen to extended family I never see and who aren't on social media). With Facebook, Instagram, and the like, it seems like all my friends already know my life and what I've been up to. Sending a card almost seems redundant. It also became "one more thing" to an already busy season, and it was an easy cut for me to make in the digital era. 

Moreover, when you start adding in the expense of the cards and then the cost of the postage....it seems like an awful lot of money during an already expensive season.

Blogger, artist, author, and environmentalist Emily Ehlers (known as Eco with Em on Facebook and her website) summed it up perfectly in this poster she created. I saw it at the end of the holiday season last year, and tucked this away to share this year!

Art from https://www.facebook.com/ecowithem/posts/pfbid0eqS2DNeSTotteu3THmBUAZRMcvZvfRTg26cnco1W2gQR1RkVP6DeAErUpfZPd3Jel and the card image created at Canva.com

Hour of Code 2023: December 4-10

In January of 2013, Hadi & Ali Partovi (two Iranian-American brothers) started Code.org with the intention of making computer programming more accessible to people of all ages. They launched the first Hour of Code in sync with Computer Science Education Week that December 2013--5 years after Computer Science Education's first week, which was December 6-12, 2009.

Computer Science Education Week takes place during the full week that encompasses Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper's birthday. Grace Hopper was born December 9, 1906. She was a woman ahead of her time: a Vassar graduate, a naval officer, a mathematician with her PhD from Yale in that and mathematical physics, a World War II veteran, a computer programmer, a software developer, and one of the developers of the programming language COBOL. She's credited with literally "debugging" the first computer infiltrated by a moth, coining a term we still use today. She was the first individual woman to receive our country's highest technology award: the National Medal of Technology in 1991 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 by President Obama.

Code.org's Hour of Code is December 4th through 10th this year--making this the 11th year of highlighting that anyone can learn to code. Now a global movement across 180 countries, Hour of Code inspires people of all ages to take on some coding activities for at least an hour. In my K-5th grade tech classes, we'll all be coding this week!

Looking for some ways to host your own Hour of Code, check out these activities:

• Hour of Code's Library of Activities -- You can filter by activity, device, age, and more.

• Create & Learn's Hour of Code Free Activities  -- Curriculum is designed by Google, Stanford, MIT and more.

• Promotional resources and videos from Hour of Code

• Tie it in with your librarian using Shannon McClintock Miller's idea of linking library books about coding from her blog The Library Voice. I was fortunate enough to take a FETC workshop from Shannon years ago. She's a phenomenal edtech educator, leader, and author and I love this tie in between classes.

Image from  http://twofifthsfudge.blogspot.com/2012/12/amazing-grace.html (posted December 9, 2012), https://hourofcode.com/us/learn, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/12/22/honoring-grace-hopper#:~:text=Grace%20Hopper%20was%20born%20in,a%20woman%20during%20that%20era), and https://goglobalways.com/blog/benefits-online-coding-classes-kids-2021/; videos from https://youtu.be/Fg82iV-L8ZY?si=aJn97UyePKWMEn0T and https://youtu.be/ybBUd9-0ZJQ?si=doqsuS-veK8v1NYd

Simple Acts of Kindness

This felt like a natural follow up to my last post. How can you send kindness into the world--both to people and the environment? Use this Sketchnote created by Dr. Hayley Lewis as a springboard to come up with even more ideas to brighten both your and others' day!

Image from https://www.facebook.com/MindShift.KQED/posts/pfbid035wPaR5AyrLVRwvjneaiG5AT5dWpViPcoyZska4A47JyFPizaDubu1XGUvbACa94cl

From One Holiday to the Next

The frenzy is upon us. That super tight window of time between Thanksgiving and the December holidays. In our house, that holiday is Christmas. Of course, in the retail world, the aisles were rivaling each other with the trifecta at the end of October. In a few stores I went to, the Christmas goods were far outnumbering the Halloween items!

I'm definitely a fan of one holiday at a time. When my daughter was younger I had to enforce the "no Christmas music before Thanksgiving" ruling. Some years that was harder than others. This year, for Thanksgiving, we had a table set for 18, making it very necessary to stay singularly-focused on Thanksgiving. Works that way when you are hosting! But now that Thanksgiving has now passed, the table has been stripped, the fall autumnal colors have been replaced, the tree is now up in a bit of a whirlwind. As a teacher with a 5-day Thanksgiving break and the supreme gift of time, the timing just seems to work out well to transform the house into the winter wonderland. [Though, even with that, I am always keen on making it so that all the decorations can go up (and ultimately come down at the end of the season) in roughly a 24-hour time period.]

I've long had a complicated relationship with Christmas. I suspect many parents do. The memories of the seasonal childhood magic gives you a definite eye-opening when you see how much work goes into making all that magic happen for children. There's a lot of moving parts, changing wish list items, shopping, decorating, outings, shopping, spending, more shopping, and "extras" that come during this time of the year. I can get exhausted and/or overwhelmed pretty darn easily. (Doubly harsh when I'm not a born shopper or spender.) I'd imagine I'm not alone. I think as an elementary teacher (where classrooms and bulletin boards also rotate seasonally, and kids' eyes sparkle in the hopes of all that's ahead), it adds to the tight timetable and the magical demands of this time of the year.

Additionally, I know that it can be a difficult time of the year for many in other ways too. The longer we spin on this planet, the more we live, love, and face loss. That can also bring hard emotions upon the season. Memories and merriment at times can counter each other.  Like I said, Christmas can be complicated.

This year, our halls got decked in a timely and patient manner. (I can't always say this.) I did it around naps and with the proper balance of sanity and serenity. I'm hoping to approach the entire season semi-holding on to this sentiment. One way I'm hoping to go about this mindset is through this advent calendar that I purchased from Sharing Kindness--one for me, one for a friend. We can be in sync with each other, and hopefully too it will soothe my tendency toward Christmas chaos during this in between season.

Hopefully you are managing the flip from one holiday to the next with the right energy and joy levels.  May you share kindness, compassion, and warm spirits along the way...even when the lines are long, the nerves are frazzled, and your over-packed schedule starts tipping your scales. 

Video from https://youtu.be/eJkGzsLUhRI?si=ZJ2wWUN2KDEEb6Fn and pics from my home.

Happy Thanksgiving

Having a little fun with the Canva Magic Tools, I created this graphic as a sticker for some candles I'll be placing around my house for Thanksgiving this year when we host our family gathering. Seemed also like the perfect one to share here today too.

Here's a little poem, in honor of the season, that ChatGPT crafted and I modified to round out my full sentiments of the season. 

In the amber glow of autumn's embrace, 

Hearts gather together, full of love and grace. 

A tapestry of love, woven tight and strong, 

A symphony of gratitude, a heartfelt song.

Nature's palette, a canvas so divine, 

Golden hues in the autumn sunshine. 

Beneath the boughs where the leaves surrender, 

Friends and family, a bond to remember. 

Grateful hearts, like leaves in the wind, 

A celebration of love, where memories begin.

Laughter dances in the crisp, cool air, 

A harvest of blessings, more than a feast we share.

So on this day of thanks, let's raise a cheer, 

For the bonds we cherish and hold dear;

In the company of family and our friends,

A Thanksgiving bounty that knows no end.

May you all have warm memories of Thanksgivings past, hearts full of love for friends and family, and loads to be thankful about this year. 

Image created on Canva.com using their Magic Media tools.

Thanksgiving Tech 2023

It feels like it was just summer and Labor Day, but already Halloween is in our rear-view mirror and Thanksgiving is ahead in a week.

Might be time for a little bit of Thanksgiving Tech. Especially if you are struggling to try to come up with what to do the short week of school, right prior to Thanksgiving. (Those days sometimes are the longest days of the school year.

Here are some great edtech finds:

• Turkey Templates for Thanksgiving Creativity and Writing--From 2017, but this is a perennial favorite that never gets old. Eric Curts of Control Alt Achieve shares some great Thanksgiving Google Slides template activities including these two: Build a Turkey & Disguise a Turkey. Fun creativity for your younger Google-friendly students.

• Build a "What I Am Thankful For" Turkey with Google Slides --Eric Curts was back at it again in 2021 with another Google Slide Template full of fun

• TCEA's 11 Thanksgiving Activities for Joy & Learning--Written by Peggy Reimers here in 2023, this TCEA Tech Notes blog post. It includes Thanksgiving trivia & "Would You Rather" games, along with links to story starter spinners, giving thanks word walls, a Gobble Gobble break out room, Wheel of Thanksgiving, Thankgiving Madness Bracket, and more. It is a somewhat updated version of her 2020 post, with some new ideas and some repeats.

• Best Free Thanksgiving Lessons and Activities--This Tech Learning 2023 article by Diana Restifo has focused lessons on perspective (taking us away from the long ago Pilgrim-centric "first Thanksgiving" stories to look at all of the parties involved--including the indigenous people. Looking at history through the lens of multiple perspectives is vital for building compassion and empathy AND learning the past. Here you will find lessons and links to about 18 different learning websites to enrich student knowledge on the history of Thanksgiving. 

• Elementary Nest's Ideas for Digital Thanksgiving Activities--Lots of links connected to Elementary Nest creator's resources at both Teachers Pay Teachers and her own website. Most items here are her creations and can be purchased.

• This Wixie board of Ideas for Thanksgiving has a multitude of cross curricular ideas for the season. It includes some design thinking activities in addition to digital ways to bring gratitude, creativity, and more together.

• For a compilation of just about anything else you can think of, check out this Thanksgiving Tech Activities Board from All Saints Episcopal School. It's definitely a cornucopia of computer activities for all grades.

From the looks of all of these activities, no one will go bored while they are getting their Thanksgiving tech activities all in order!!

Main photo created in Canva.com. Other Photos screenshot from https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2017/11/turkey-templates.html, https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2021/11/thankful.html, and https://blog.tcea.org/11-thanksgiving-classroom-activities/

Happy Veterans Day 2023

Veterans Day has been a major ceremonial event at both my current school and my previous one. I've spent at least the last 17 years honoring the men and women who have served our country and the gratitude we have as Americans. I've annually shared that moment with school children and our school community. Highlighting the importance of those who have served for our American freedoms to our youngsters is wonderful way to showcase the beauty of that sacrifice. It truly is a uniting holiday... and one divisive politicians should honor more often.

Earlier in the week, I shared this video with our 5th grade students who were our Lower School leaders for Veterans Day school community assembly. For the last month these students had been compiling research on the 6 branches of military and the history of Veterans Day to be our resident experts. By the time we'd watched this video, they were already well-schooled in the information so it served as a reinforcement for all that they had already learned. For those of you who might need to brush up on your Veterans Day history, today's a good day to do it. 

Thank you to those who have fought for our freedoms. 

Video from https://youtu.be/mWD4Oy6fKlo?si=jUPO4jHg6Y3ghxjl, image from https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/

Animal Loving

Who doesn't love animals? 

I ran across the website Switchzoo while looking for some elementary STEM activities for my Tech/Maker Lab classes. This website ended up being a Mecca of all sorts of free online activities and teacher resources, all related to Animals. While not a new website (it's been around in different degrees since 1999), it was new to me and has some valuable resources and some striking reviews.

Some of the great finds you will find there:

• Go to the Animal List & Profiles and click any one of over 130 animals to get its bio and find out more about it. 
• Be creative and design new animals by switching up animal body parts
• Learn about birds by playing Words of a Feather and matching the feathers.
• Learn about the animals and habitats of the 6 major biomes by playing Build a Biome.
• Play the Where Do I Live game to match animals to their habitats.
• Discover music performed by animals and their natural sounds at Animal Music.
• Investigate other games such as the Scavenger Hunt game and Please DO Feed the Animals.
• Visit the teacher resources, which include cross curricular lesson plans.

Logo from https://www.switchzoo.com/

Nature Journaling

This weekend has been a pretty one. Sunny leaves all a rainbow of crisp fall colors. A little warmer than normal for the first weekend of November. Downright idyllic.

For our house, we have a big playoff ahead and will be spending the day outdoors. Couldn't have asked for a better day for it.


While I'll be knee deep rooting for the home team, others will be taking advantage of the beautiful day in other ways. Some will be meandering in downtowns, weaving in and out of cute shops. Some will be hitting up apple, pumpkin, or other fall festivals. Still others might be hiking about in the woods, watching squirrels frolic in the leaves or searching for nuts.

And others might be following in Eriko Kobayashi's footsteps. Encouraging others to grab paper and pens and bond with nature in another way. Eriko Kobayashi is Japan's sole nature journaling instructor. She encourages folks (largely those who busily live in the city) to get outside and connect with both themselves and nature by guiding them to journal and take notice of what surrounds them in the great outdoors. 

The practice of nature journaling started in the United States, and gained popularity during the pandemic. Not only was it a way to create space outdoors during social distancing times of Covid, but it is also a great way to decompress--an outdoor meditation time with surrounding nature sounds. Additionally, it stimulates your brain through observation and concentration, while also adding a hands-on component with the journaling.

Nature journaling is credited to Clare Walker Leslie, a self-taught naturalist from the United States. "Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You," one of the nearly dozen books written by Clare Walker Leslie (this one in 2003). Over the years, nature journaling clubs have gained momentum world-wide. Kobayashi has stated that there are more than 140 that span the glob.

To read more about Eriko Kobayashi's nature leadership through journalling, check out this article in The Japan Times: "How a Notebook and Some Pens Can 'Connect Yourself to Nature' by Niko Nojima. Likewise, check out Clare Walker Leslie's website.

To find a Nature Journaling Club, check out these links:

• John Muir Laws: Find (or start) a Nature Journal Club Near You!
  
• International Nature Journaling Week's Website
  
• Educating Children Outdoors' Nature Journal Club page
  
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Nature Journaling Page

Images from canva.com & my neighborhood tree picture and https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/11/02/travel/travel-nature-journal/ 

The Beauty of Each Season: Fall

I've had the opportunity to be outside quite a bit this fall. A couple of festivals. Walks in the park with friend. A hike or two. And just being out and about and paying attention on pretty days.

We all should make the time to do all of that!

As the calendar shifts to November, and we dive deeper into fall, and as I look outside my window and see the sun dappling on the leaves that are changing daily, I'm taking a pause. Each season certainly comes with its own beauty. Let's all make time this November to get outside and take notice of the beauty that surrounds!

Image created on Canva.com with my own photos.

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween

Whether you are celebrating Halloween this weekend in your community, or if your trick-or-treating plans are Tuesday on Halloween night, may your evening be filled with memories and merriment!

Image created using the Canva.com Magic Tools™ design elements.

The Magic of Canva When It Comes to Digital Design

Canva is one of my go-to design websites. It recently got even more fun with the addition of a lot of their "Magic" elements. They released their Magic Tools™ a few weeks ago. Just in time for a little magical wonderment for the Halloween season. Take a look at some of the AI generated awesomeness that it can do:

I ran across a post in the Facebook Canva Teachers Community and used a prompt created by teacher & "Canvassador" LaNedra Johnson that had darling pictures she created using the following prompt:

"Magic Media -> Text to Image -> Enter Prompt: Chibi (girl/boy), (color) hair, with glasses books, lap top, desk, professional, ultra realistic, Pixar style, 3d render, photo, anime, illustration"

So I tried my hand at it, as it certainly was an invitation to play. I tweaked the prompt somewhat and came up with the following:

I got 4 images upon my first prompt, and I could regenerate the images and tweak the text as many times as I liked. 

Of course, thinking about the Halloween & Thanksgiving seasons ahead, I had to get creative with that too.

I think we're about to have a lot of fun in my Digital Design class we have for upper elementary. 

(Note: At the start of the year, I did have the students and their parents fill out the Canva Consent form since they are under the age of 13.)

All photos created at canva.com, video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVCRcNlY1yw

Good Environmental News

We all can ALWAYS use some good news. Especially amidst world, national, and political news that sometimes is fraught with such heavy topics. We've seen a lot of that over the past several years, now more so than ever with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the War in Ukraine, the battles in the GOP over the new Speaker of the House, the upcoming noise already for the 2024 US Presidential Election, and more.

So it's time for some good news.  

One Tree Planted's website (which focuses on global reforestation) has been committed to finding that good news, especially on the environmental front. Monthly, it has been posting the top environmental good news. Let's celebrate!

• GOOD NEWS! 6 Positive Environmental News Stories from SEPTEMBER 2023
  
• News focusing on 
• Mini forests
• Formerly extinct tree rediscovered in Brazil
• The success of climate strikes
• Cities working toward tree equity
• School credit for climate action
• New York University divesting from fossil fuels

For previous months for 2023 alone (with the exception of April for some reason), check out these links:

• GOOD NEWS! 6 Positive Environmental News Stories from JANUARY 2023
  
• GOOD NEWS! 6 Positive Environmental News Stories from FEBRUARY 2023
  
• GOOD NEWS! 5 Positive Environmental News Stories from MARCH 2023
  
• GOOD NEWS! 5 Positive Environmental News Stories from MAY 2023
  
• GOOD NEWS! 7 Positive Environmental News Stories from JUNE 2023
  
• GOOD NEWS! 7 Positive Environmental News Stories from JULY 2023 
  
• GOOD NEWS! 6 Positive Environmental News Stories from AUGUST 2023
  

That's 48 pieces of good news for 2023 alone.....that's definitely a lot to celebrate!

One Tree Planted logo from https://onetreeplanted.org/pages/business-assets and other image created at canvas.com

Fall Into Fall Bingo Board

October is a month of color and seasonal fun. It provides lots of opportunities to get out there, enjoy the brisk weather, and have fun with your family and friends. Time to get plenty of Vitamin N: Nature!

Here's a Fall Into Fall Bingo Board. How many can you tackle this fall?

Ideas in part inspired by https://www.mdmountainside.com/blog/post/top-fall-activities-to-cross-off-the-list/; Bingo board created at Canva.com To print more easily, go to: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFvYeU0OTk/d5jTX-xx0fUWmi8muaijTQ/edit?utm_content=DAFvYeU0OTk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

DigCit Week: October 16-20, 2023

Welcome to Digital Citizenship Week. October 16-20th this year. This serves as a focused reminder that truly, digital citizenship is an every day topic to address with our youth. 

Looking for resources to help your learners be safe, be respectful, and be responsible online...look no further:

Discover Education: My Digital Life

My Digital Life is a resource center created by Discovery Education and Norton as a way to share standards-aligned, ready to use activities about digit citizenship. When you are here you have a variety of resources for grades 3-8 all centered around smart decision making online.

Two of their digital animations are on Misinformation & Being an Oversharer. Educator Guides and classroom activities are included with each of these.

Surf Smart 2.0: Generation Digital

Brought to you by the World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts,
and Norton, Surf Smart 2.0 has five main sections. Working through all of them, students can earn their Surf Smart 2.0 Girl Scout Guide.

Common Sense Education
A leader in helping parents make smart choices for their students, Common Sense education has a multitude of tools that were co-created by the Center of Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education:

• 
  2023 Digital Citizenship Week daily trackers
  
• K-2 Daily Tracker & Gr 3-5
• Middle School
• High School
• New Digital Well-Being Lesson Plans for Middle & High School--these are created to build agency, minimize anxiety, and amplify mindfulness around tech usage.
• MS Lesson Plans
• HS Lesson Plans
• New Device Advice lesson plans for elementary school students--these include care of device, managing distractions, and keeping yourself safe. 
• Family Engagement Toolkit

Image from: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/details/discovery-education-launches-new-digital-citizenship-resources-in-partnership-with-norton/, https://mydigitallife.discoveryeducation.com/pages/de94de58-36c6-478c-8cfe-57f96e733ef6, https://www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/surf-smart-20/, common sense education digital citizenship, video from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/what-is-digital-citizenship

Podcasts, Podcasts Everywhere

If you've been around awhile, you know I'm a major fan of podcasts.

I happened on this website somewhere on social media and it's a complete treasure trove of classroom podcasts on a variety of subjects over at Jeff Glade Tech. Jeff Glade is a Digital Learning Consultant in Iowa who focuses on literacy instruction through a variety off mediums beyond just traditional texts. He has been compiling monthly curated lists of podcasts on a variety of subjects. Each list is in a google slide (typically 2 pages plus a third with explanation), and each podcast he mentions he lists the grade level range for which each podcast would be appropriate. Lots of supplemental resources for your classroom!!

This link takes you directly to the Hispanic Heritage Month Podcasts. Hispanic Heritage Month is rounding out here as it annually is September 15-October 15. 

Other curated lists of Jeff Glade's include:

• AAPI Podcasts -- Asian American/Pacific Islander Month: May
• Conservation Podcasts -- Think Earth Day: April 22nd
• Women's History Month -- March
• Black History Month -- February
• Native American Heritage Month Podcasts -- November
• Halloween Podcasts 
• Pride Podcasts -- Pride Month: June (Other Pride Related Special Days can be found here)
• Disability Awareness Podcasts -- Disability Awareness Month: March
• At this writing, he also has lists for the following months: February, March, April, Sept, December

He's been compiling current lists since 2019, so you will find multiple clickable lists with the same titles for a true wealth. (They are dated in the bottom right-hand corner.)

He also has some practical ideas about to incorporate these into your lessons with some meaningful activity suggestions and tech integrations that you can easily put into practice in your classroom.

Image created at https://imgflip.com/i/81wa5n