Saturday, February 1, 2025

I ❤️ FETC 2025

January 14th--17th I attended FETC 2025 in Orlando--the Future of Education Technology Conference.

FETC could really stand for "Freaking Excellent Tech Conference!" I'm still swirling about all I learned in those 4 days in my mind. It took the traditionally "feels-twice-as-long month" of January and made it magical for me this year.       (It didn't hurt that we went to Universal and Hogwarts afterwards either. 😊)

Even though it was over 2 weeks ago, I'm still mentally there every day. 

My Biggest Takeaway:

This 4 day conference and the immersion with like-minded people completely renewed my energy for teaching in a way I haven't had since before Covid and the perils of pandemic teaching. (Interestingly enough, I attended FETC in 2017 & 2018, also pre-Covid!) 

So many fresh, new, inspirational, innovative ideas in education. No surprise: half the offerings were on some version of AI. I learned SO much, and it is the gift that keeps giving as I am still learning from that experience. I am loving this energetic spark!  I have so many new websites and tools I want to check out. I've been compiling the wealth of session notes from the ones I attended (and finding slide decks on the digital FETC program of amazing ones that were held when I couldn't attend because I haven't yet figured out how to clone myself). I have a growing master document that I know is going to become like my own personal edtech handbook.

My Favs:

1. Anything with Eric Curts, creator of Ctrl-Alt-Achieve. On his website he includes links to all that he shared at FETC. So. Much. Good. Learning!!!!

2. Christie Thompson-Cloud & Heather Brown's presentation "A Ravenclaw's Guide to the Latest & Greatest in EdTech" was completely engaging. Harry Potter's Ravenclaws love to learn, so what could be more perfect than a Ravenclaw-centric session in Orlando?! They followed thru the theme beautifully and I really need to go back and spend some time with all I learned from them.

3. Themes played out in other ways. 

4. Keynote speaker Guy Kawasaki was a true inspiration. I came home with his book Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life & Make A Difference. I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but it is at the top of my stack. He had 12 tips on "How to Help People Be Remarkable," starting with fostering a growth mindset and providing a growth environment. It truly was a "remarkable" talk and I adored his humor, expertise, and optimism! He has a podcast called "Remarkable People" that I also want to check out now too.

5. Another great keynote speaker was Dr. Sabba Quidwai, who talk was titled "From Classroom to Creator: Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow." Speaking on ways to thinks smarter, not harder, her talk centered on innovation, empathy, and the culture of your organization. It was phenomenal seeing a young female leader showing how innovate as an educator and tech dynamo.

6. Several sessions had tie-ins to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I still firmly believe that innovation and technology are what we need to solve our environmental issues. I love that this was part of an edtech conference--and wish this was a larger conversation in the world. I imagine this is still something about which not near enough people know.

7. The annual ending is always a session called TECHShare Live with Leslie Fisher, Adam Bellows, and Dr. Adam Phyall III. They are hilarious and have great chemistry with each other. It was a fast action shout out on all sorts of amazing things tech out there. That right there could have been well worth the price of admission!!!

8. I was able to soak up ideas for STEAM, coding, robotics 3D printing, circuits, design thinking, maker ideas, and more to add to my K-5 Tech classes in the variety of sessions I attended. But my favorite part is that even though it's a tech conference, it's an education conference first. I think many people would be apt to think FETC wasn't for them because they as teachers, administrators, PD developers, educational leaders, or more don't "do" edtech. But WE ALL do edtech any more. In today's day and age--in 2025--we all use technology, therefore this conference would be engaging for everyone. 

As for my favorite new edtech tools.... More on that in a later post!!


UN Sustainable Goals image from https://sdgs.un.org/goals, Control-Alt-Achieve logo from https://www.controlaltachieve.com/p/edtech-links-of-week.html, and all other images from my camera from FETC, Jan 14-17, 2025



Sunday, January 26, 2025

One Week In: Resources for Dealing With the Rollercoaster of Change

In the United States of America, we are approaching one week under the new regime since Inauguration Day 2025. I'm actually not going to go all political---this is an education, technology, innovation, and environmental education blog. But, it's been a lot. Rapid fire, whiplash-level, deep impact change has come from our new president and his executive orders, sweeping pardons, walking-back previous policies, and more. 
It's. Been. A. Lot! 

I'm not going to go into detail on them all, but here's a substantial list from Axios if you'd like to check out the list yourself. Many of these have been a significant step away from US climate leadership.

With change, no matter if it's good or bad, positive or negative, or whichever side you are on, change comes with a lot of emotions.

Given that, I felt these resources might be of assistance for anyone on the rollercoaster of change.

🌐 Greater Good Magazine: Where Do We Go From Here? In the wake of the 2024 election, our contributors weigh in on what we can do now to preserve our well-being and our democracy. (Article by multiple authors, Nov. 6, 2024)

🌐 Greater Good Magazine: Seven Skills to Foster Connection in Divided Times (Article by Juliana Tafur and Chriss Cuervo, Oct. 28, 2024)

🌐 Greater Good Magazine article: "Can We Build a World Where We All Belong?" (Article by Sahar Habib Ghazi, Jan. 20, 2025)

🌐 Upcoming free webinar from Greater Good in Education: "Teaching in Troubling Times: A Conversation with Parker J. Palmer" on February 24, 2025, 3:30 pm PST (Register here.)

🌐 Earthjustice's webpage: "Action Tip Guide: Find your way to speak out for change"

Image created at Canva.com

Saturday, January 18, 2025

California Wildfires, Climate Anxiety, & What You Can Do to Help

We all have been devastated by the ongoing destruction of the California wildfires. Our hearts go out to our California friends (those we know and those we don't but know because we are fellow humans) as they continue to deal with the enormous power of nature. The photos coming through media sources of all kinds are heartbreaking.

I think too, the question of climate events being made more and more extreme and exacerbated by human activity is only becoming more and more obviously clear.

I ran across this from Heather White's Facebook page. Heather is an environmental policy expert and author of  60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action 60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action Eco-Anxiety: Saving Our Sanity, Our Kids, and Our Future and  Eco-Anxiety: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet. Her commentary on her post I think helps guide how you can help through donations and how to help yours and other's climate anxiety.


Images from https://www.facebook.com/myonegreenthing/posts/pfbid0DdRRqZh8eKmjrEbvB4icEhfzCyuhwnPF8iFc8joiHv823G56tTPRzbWHWRD1VxWgl

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Presidential Medals of Freedom

On January 4th, 2025, President Biden presented the Presidential Medals of Freedom to 19 individuals in a public ceremony. This honor is the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed to people. In his stated remarks, he gave them out to individuals who are "great leaders [who] keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world."

Biden's recipients included scientists, environmentalists, entertainers, political leaders, philanthropic leaders, and humanitarians: 

Denzel Washington, known for his work in entertainment as an actor, director, and producer, for his 25+ year work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Dr. Jane Goodall for her work in conservation and environmental stewardship for over 60 years.

Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State, and first woman backed by a major political party to run for president for her many years of work in public service.

Bill Nye, known as "The Science Guy," for his work advocating science education, space exploration, and environmental activism.

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren for his philanthropic work including fighting cancer, environmentalism, and strengthening community through advocacy and access to resources.  

Bono, known for his musical career with the band U2, for his activism against AIDS and poverty.

Actor Michael J. Fox for his advocacy for Parkinson's disease research.

JosΓ© AndrΓ©s for his work with Central Kitchen & humanitarian efforts to feed people during natural disasters and global conflicts such as the Ukraine War.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, known for his basketball talent with the LA Lakers, for his philanthropy for underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation.

George Stevens Jr., known for his work writing and directing and for being the founder of American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center Honors. for his work preserving American cinema. 

Vogue's editor in chief for 3+ decades and co-chair of the Met Gala, Anna Wintour for her work in fundraising for AIDS & the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Global investment leader David Rubenstein for his philanthropic gifts toward  historic landmark restoration and many other institutions.

Holocaust-survivor, investor, and philanthropic leader George Soros for his human rights, education, and social justice projects which have impacted people in 120 countries. His award was accepted by his son Alex Soros.

Computer software programmer and entrepreneur Tim Gill for his LGBTQI activism and advocacy for equality. 

Senator Robert F. Kennedy (posthumously): Awarded for who work fighting racial segregation and poverty prior to his 1968 assassination. His award was accepted by daughter Kerry Kennedy.

George W. Romney (posthumously): Awarded for his work in public service as Governor of Michigan, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development and his work supporting civil rights. His award was accepted by his son Mitt Romney.

Professional soccer player Lionel Messi (who was absent due to scheduling conflicts) for his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and the Leo Messi Foundation, supporting children's healthcare and education programs.

Fannie Lou Hamer (posthumously): Founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, she was awarded for her work toward racial justice including her work with the 1964 Votings Right Act. Her award was accepted by her niece by marriage, Doris Hamer Richardson

Ashton B. Carter (posthumously): Awarded for national security and being the 25th Secretary of Defense, serving under 11 bipartisan Secretaries of Defense over his career and expanding the military rights for women and transgender service members. His award was accepted by his widow, Stephanie Carter.

The world needs changemakers who take the lead in service of others!


Images created in Canva.com using images from these websites: https://www.weforum.org/stories/authors/georgesoros/https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/602689/ashton-b-carter/https://mississippitoday.org/2025/01/04/fannie-lou-hamer-receives-presidential-medal-of-freedom/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250104-messi-misses-presidential-medal-ceremony-with-bidenhttps://www.gmtoday.com/news/national/hillary-clinton-george-soros-and-denzel-washington-received-the-highest-us-civilian-honor/article_342a9720-cb64-11ef-a04d-dbb3e24c30be.htmlhttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-presidential-medal-freedom-honorees-include-hillary-clinton/story?id=117325468https://wwd.com/pop-culture/culture-news/gallery/presidential-medal-of-freedom-2025-photos-1236789059/us-politics-medal-biden/https://people.com/2025-medal-of-freedom-honors-given-by-president-joe-biden-photos-8769298

Saturday, January 11, 2025

President Jimmy Carter's Environmental Achievements

With his passing on December 29th at the age of 100, his funeral on January 9th, and his body being in the DC U.S. Capitol this week for people to pay their final respects, President Jimmy Carter and his legacy have been very much in the news. Rightfully so. 

In addition to being a man of high ethics, strong faith, and moral integrity, he was an avid environmentalist and conservationist. He was a state senator and governor of Georgia and later our 39th President. He was the first and only president to live to 100.  

At the time of his presidency from 1977-1981, he was faced with a lot of challenges with the economy, oil embargo, and the Iran Hostage situation. Ronald Reagan did a major sweep of the 1980 election due largely in part to those two pieces. Yet Carter's legacy lived on for 44 years past his presidency. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for "his decades of untiring efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” He was dedicated to Habitat for Humanity and in 2017 he used 10 acres of his land to supply solar panels which provide electricity for about half of Plains, Georgia.

Growing up on a family farm in rural Georgia, Carter had ties to both his community and the land. He was a charter member of the Georgia Conservancy in 1967.

Some of President Carter's achievements while he was in the White House include:

These are all the making of a great human being who has accomplished incredible things in his life time.

We thank you President Carter for your service. 

To read more, check out these articles, where I researched this post:



Saturday, January 4, 2025

Top 10 TED Talks from 2024

The age-old traditions in the days between Christmas and New Year's include both looking forward and looking backwards. Making New Year's resolutions for the year ahead. Doing a year-in-review for the year that just passed. In thinking along the lines of both of these this week, it's no surprise when I saw this graphic on the TED Facebook page for the most popular TED Talks of 2024

Looking at the list of subjects, it's no surprise these are the top TED Talks: the economy & financial future of Generation Z, AI, Israeli-Palestinian relations, climate change, life beyond our planet, US politics & journalism in an election year, and women in the world of work. All of these topics have made headlines this past year, and all most certainly fall into the 3 tenets of TED: "Technology, Entertainment, and Design," 

If you are looking for some ways to direct your 2024 reflection and broaden your horizon, this list may be just the place to start.

Image from https://www.facebook.com/TED/posts/pfbid0P6rGtxFUAC3RJmst2Fi72mRm2reZm1Fb6bNd866A9SDPFvvaoTbCEsMgxkbQKigBl

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Happy New Year 2025

Let these sentiments be your daily guide and inspiration to the year ahead....

May...
Every sunrise bathe the world in warmth and promise.
Each day ahead be a blank canvas for you to decorate with your unique creativity and aspirations.
Your heart inspire your actions toward endless growth and possibilities.
You be awash with the spirit of renewal, the soaring of hope, and the energy of curiosity.
Make every moment count for time is precious.
Seize the endless potential that 2025 has to offer!

Happy New Year!

Image created using canva.com and https://wordart.com/create

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Happy Holidays 2025

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, something different 
or some combination of them all, may this season be one of family, friends, festivities, fun; memories and meaning and moments to cherish. Happy Holidays. 

Image created using Canva.com.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Winter Solstice 2024

The slow fall descent toward Winter Solstice, where shorter days and longer nights are multiplied by daylight savings time, is always a long slide for me. This fall, in some ways (perhaps with the election and political noise being a contributing factor), has seemed particularly dark in many ways. 

Because of all of this the shortest day of Winter Solstice (this year December 21)  always hits me as a magical, pivotal moment. I think that is why this Winter Solstice Blessings meant so much to me when I ran across it on Intersections: Faith Culture Politics Facebook Page

May this weekend of the longest nights and the shortest days bring you peace, guidance, and hope as you enter the holiday season, the new year ahead, and the season of new cycles.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/intersectionsfaithculturepolitics/posts/pfbid035newYT4wM1tccSHZg23wM57tnDdmc1juGh8ccz47EDHEEr158XSc85czaCTLhYQEl

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Crystals in Action

Given it is the "Frosty the Snowman" time of year, this video struck my eye. You can watch the creations of crystals from the comfort of home. Maybe it will inspire you to get outside and take advantage of some of the outdoor sights and sounds of the season. 


Sunday, December 8, 2024

Online Advent Calendars For This Season


Advent calendars are fun way to celebrate the season during the month of December. Here are two wonderful ones I ran across for 2024, both accessible by way of the wonderful world of Facebook.

#OneGreenThing Advent Game

Author Heather White (who has written Eco-Anxiety and One Green Thing) has created a digital daily advent calendar where she is posting new small, bite-sized eco-actions you can do every day. Posting daily to her Heather White, Author Facebook Page, you can find her daily inspirations. Given she's a week in already, some ideas include: using little libraries for your next read, going outside for a winter walk and connecting with nature, reducing your plastic footprint and more. Great daily doses of little things to make your day and help the planet!

The 25 Days of CANVAmas for Teachers

Created by Canva Education Creator LaNedra Johnson, this private Facebook group is an amazing collection of Canva creations. LaNedra Johnson has a public FB page, then she created the CANVAmas group for special for this advent season. Some special treats she has in there for teachers are a teacher planner page for 2025, lesson plan template, substitute teacher guid template, and more. Additionally she has another private group entitled "Canva Creators for Teachers" (with 40,000+ members). She's a great resource for teachers on how to maximize Canva creations for your classroom!

Title header created at Canva.com; Screenshot from https://www.facebook.com/heatherwhiteofficial and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1219727522639849

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Brave New Words: Sal Khan's Take on AI

Like I mentioned a few posts back, I'm knee deep in books lately. Here's another one that really got my teacher brain thinking.

Salman Khan, creator of Khan Academy, released "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That's a Good Thing)" at the start of this year. I really enjoyed this one as an audiobook given that it was read by author Sal Khan. In a lot of ways, it was like listening to him detail one of his Khan Academy videos.

I've read a number of books and articles on artificial intelligence as well as attended several webinars since the release of ChatGP--exactly 2 years ago on November 30th, 2022. Not to mention, I've used AI quite a bit and written about it a number of times (see here and here). Similarly, I love the "Magic Tools" of Canva. I've also played around a bit with Khanmigo, (which is free to teachers), and which Sal Khan discusses quite a bit in Brave New Words. The Khanmigo for Educators tutorial to learn how to maximize Khanmigo as a digital teacher assistant is excellent.

It's no question that AI is here to stay, and I've heard it said that the AI of today is the slowest you will ever experience. Anyone who has used artificial intelligence in the last 2 years would probably NOT use the word "slow" to describe it.

In Brave New Words, Sal Khan continues the conversation that Richard Culotta had in his book Digital For Good: we can maximize technology in so many ways. Khan discusses the importance of using AI for personal learning that's available 24-7 for people. Through Khanmigo, the AI has been set up to ask questions along the way to build engagement and deepen the learning through the chat--where the chat asks questions as a way to have the user grow on their own knowledge. Yes, AI has limitations in that there are risk biases built into the data sets, and it can create over-reliance on a machine (which lacks emotional intelligence) versus human connection. Then there is the thought that many students have learned how to use it to shortcut their learning and thinking process because they essentially are using it to cheat. 

But Sal Khan's conversations in the book focuses on how to use AI as a tool. It is our role as educators to teach our students to use it in a way that can have real meaning. It can serve valuable purposes in automating repetitive tasks and upping one's productivity. AI can also be used to accelerate certain skills like brainstorming which in turn helps people deepen their own learning. In his book, Khan details several exchanges with AI in Khanmigo where the user can have interactive conversations when the AI assumes a role as a historic figure such as Harriet Tubman or Abraham Lincoln, or literary character Jay Gatsby. The AI is programmed to continually remind the user that it is, in fact, generative AI. Yet it also creates a power of engagement and enhancement for the learner. His book is excellent for leading teachers to think about ways to innovate in the classroom and re-think education and our role in it.

Check out Sal Khan's article "What Khan Academy’s Founder Thinks About AI in Education" in Next Big Ideas Club to learn more about his book. 

Or, see what Bill Gates has to say in his article "Sal Khan is Pioneering Innovation in Education…Again: 'Brave New Words' Paints an Inspiring Picture of AI in the Classroom" in Gates Notes. 

Or watch his 15 minute TED Talk here.


Image from https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-Words-Revolutionize-Education-ebook/dp/B0CFPJ2FB1/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZL4f2k-1SGJYHfHGBQCC8Z8ItW_iE0UX2NuoMU62WIp93s378Jxhu27cQz-gee1pFSsJj1FBeGR0EGCL4kTP2T1NSe1AYdmjVVl56QElfLtKzhDA1oBckIkp-Ls2HR8rtAaNtF6RhSo-XpLeoAR_uWigEtWrlFeMbtNcPHfgGyVz2RdNF9WfOR2G_qQ6m1jxmMlN9u26iLxRT0wjwzo2nRAeJzNif3VFXTtlAWYo_mE.3jD5ENMNIk2ZMJMIE9D67H2fz8_z_x4Q4I_G0RnONxA&dib_tag=se&keywords=Salman+Khan&qid=1732370616&sr=8-1 and https://excelined.org/2023/09/20/sal-khan-returns-to-eie23-artificial-intelligence-the-future-of-education/video from https://youtu.be/hJP5GqnTrNo?si=VNecyD_CMwLq2NSF

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Saturday, November 23, 2024

"Digital For Good" When It Comes to Digital Decision Making

This year, I've been devouring books. Mostly on my Kindle app on my phone. (I know, it's crazy, my husband makes fun of me.) This year, though, I have also started consuming a lot of audiobooks--especially while I'm driving. Always one to soak up knowledge, I seemed to have replaced my podcast-listening during my car radio time the last 6 months or so with e-books.

Nonfiction books are good ones for me to listen to in the car. (That and mysteries, not sure why.) I think it's my podcast Pavlovian response: I'm in the car, I must be an info-junkie. Regardless, I happened on a really good one recently that ties into school, written by Richard Culotta--the CEO of ASCD* and ISTE.* His book: Digital for Good: Raising Kids Thriving in an Online World.

Digital For Good is indeed a good book, and it makes for excellent reading for all educators in today's world. Parents too. The title is spot on, and matches his theme about how we need to be using digital for good in today's world. I found the book also paralleled many of the concepts I teach at school through The Social Institute (a digital decision making curriculum platform created by Laura Tierney). The focus is on the positives, on making high character choices, and "the do's" versus "the don'ts" of digital citizenship. You can see the parallels in Digital for Good's 5 themes versus the 7 standards of "The Social Institute" in the images below. (Additionally, there's a lot of overlap between both of them with Google's Digital Citizenship Curriculum: "Be Internet Awesome.)



I found it interesting too, listening to many of Richard Culotta's points about digital democracy and the urgency toward building a civil digital world--especially so in the aftermath of the 2024 election. His emphasis on the importance of improving lives is striking: through digital government commitments in order to build a sustainable virtual world that is focused on humanity, democracy, and civility over profits from platforms and the spread of misinformation.

Looking at the publication date, I saw that Digital For Good came out July 21, 2021. This places us a year after the height of the pandemic, yet before former-president Donald Trump's Truth Social posted it's first post on February 16, 2022 and also before Twitter (now X) was acquired in October 2022 by Elon Musk.

It made me wonder "What would Richard Culotta Think About where we are today?" How would he write this book differently, addressing where we are, a mere 3 years later? 

Richard Culotta is still a strident defender of digital democracy for all here in 2024. In his current role as ASCD and ISTE CEO, he still emphasizes the importance of:
  • Teaching self-control and accountability for balanced and healthy tech use;
  • Building skills to identify the difference between true and misleading information;
  • Being inclusive to all by way of respect, empathy, compassion, kindness, and equality in digital spaces;
  • Using tech in a way that builds and enhances family, community, and relational connections;
  • Operating with caution and privacy in mind to stay alert in order to keep ourselves and our information safe.
Just as with voting, it's up to us. We need to use our voice as educators, as parents, as citizens to speak up to create the world we want for ourselves and our children. Using our digital impact for good is a great place to start. So is reading this book!


*ASCD stands for Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and ISTE for International Society for Technology in Education.


Saturday, November 16, 2024

Plan a Green Scene This Thanksgiving

Feasting season is swiftly approaching with Thanksgiving. With that in mind, here's an infographic I created to getting you thinking about ways to green your scene for your Thanksgiving celebration ahead. Ideas were inspired from Green Business Benchmark's article 15 Sustainable Tips for a Green Thanksgiving Celebration and The Junklugger's article Guide to a Green Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Infographic by Vicki Dabrowka &created using Canva.com

Saturday, November 9, 2024

"Are Bioplastics Really Better?" Quiz & America Recycles Day: November 15th

Time to test your knowledge friends? What do you know about bioplastics....and are they really better? Take the quiz from the Story of Stuff Project. Even if you are a tad test-averse, these 6 questions aren't too frightening...though you might be surprised by some of the answers. Once you get your results, you can watch a 2 minute video and learn even more about bioplastics: what they are and how they impact our world. Likewise, you can check your answers and learn from your mistakes.

All of this gears you up and gets you ready for America Recycles Day -- annually on November 15th. To learn more:


    Saturday, November 2, 2024

    NOAA's 2024 Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters

    Just like my Leaf Peeping Maryland map I ran across last week, I happened upon another interesting graphic on Justin Berk, Meteorologist's Facebook page. This one from NOAA detailing the 2024 Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters. The data on this map, which goes through October 2024, is more than striking!

    I decided to look up NOAA's website on that subjects and found a wealth of interactives covering 45 years of data: from 1980--2024. Clearly different than the visual I have included here, just from this year. But during that 45 year time period, there have been 400 events, with the cost in damages surpassing $2.785 trillion. On the website, clickable tabs will take through an overview, to disaster mapping by type, risk mapping, climate date, statistics, FAQs, and more. The wealth of date here is immense and you can spend a lot of time researching and analyzing the many climate events we have had--both from an overview stance and by year.

    This database of interactives for Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters is only one part of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Other data-centric tools they have available include:

    Environmental data nerds (like me)--go forth and get lost in all the info!

    Image from: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0dpQ3jqgtjkAfxSoz3WPYhUiYzmbhydq9qYZGTx8hd2Zf3y1tJ39XccFKhpXNhuDql&id=100044454488732

    Thursday, October 31, 2024

    Happy Halloween!

    Linus is not wrong! Even in 1966 when "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" came out on TV, and even in 1959 when Charles Schulz introduced it in the comic strips. Little did they even know the world ahead in 2024 during a pretty wild election year!

    This year, may you have a wonderfully joyous and safe Halloween, with more treats than tricks. And, may we all survive the craziness of this year's Election Season--peacefully, respectfully, and honoring the power and privilege of a voting democracy. 


    Linus Image & quote from https://dcbarroco.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/linus-van-pelt-on-life/, Happy Halloween image created at Canva.com

    Saturday, October 26, 2024

    Leaf Peeping 2024

    The beauty of fall abounds. I'm underneath a gorgeously brilliant yellow-turning tree as I sit outside typing this morning. Not only is the weather amazing today, but so is the view. These glowing yellow leaves and the fire red trees of fall may be my favorite! I just love the subtlety of change with the colors every day during this time of year.

    I ran across this image on Facebook from a meteorologist in my home state of Maryland, marking peak days across the state. Looks like we are hitting the prime "leaf peeping" days as the fall foliage color changes abound. 

    Marylanders, you can get the Fall Foliage Report week-by-week here.

    If you are like me and can't get enough of the beauty of the changing leaves, here are some resources to check out:

    • My own GTG's "Mapping Out Your Quest for Fall Foliage" from last year -- Here there are 2 links to data visualization websites to track nationwide how the leaves look this year on given dates. You can also glean some science along the way.
    • GTG's "Fall Foliage 2021" -- Here you can find a link to the Farmer's Almanac and a state-by-state list of when peak colors have peaked, or soon will.
    In the meantime, get yourself outside and check out some leaves of your own. Watch them fall for a little while--for it IS... FALL! Shuffle your feet and take advantage of hearing the crunch underfoot. Make it be ones of the treats of Halloween Season!

    Fall tree image from my camera, map from Justin Berk, Meteorologist's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02v5eMZ4SBdbGJLcjB54RtreEC7L5E33LgmgGVCx8cLgxzrHw1w7x7h2iqhesGu2DAl&id=100044454488732, original image from https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2024/10/24/fall-foliage-report-for-october-24-2024/

    Saturday, October 19, 2024

    Climate Change Course Comes to College

    According to the Education Data Initiative's website, approximately 19 million people went to college this fall in some capacity: full or part time, freshman through senior. undergraduate or graduate status. 

    As a parent of "big kids," I know a few of those 19 million people.

    The purpose of college follows this quote of Oprah Winfrey:
    “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” 
    Additionally....
    • Education is a lantern that lights up our mind, illuminating knowledge. 
    • It's a compass that guides us to navigate through fact, fiction, mis- and disinformation, understanding, and perspective. 
    • College is a bridge to new ideas, an avenue to insight, and a doorway to the future. 
    This year, one college is opening that door even further for their new first-year students. UC San Diego has added the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement. This new course requirement was named for a long time professor of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in November of 2023.

    Beginning this fall, student schedules over their college tenure will need to have a one-quarter class on the subject of climate change. (UC San Diego runs on a quarter system.) Students have a choice of selecting one of many classes from a range of many cross-disciplinary options. Why? Being a school that has had long ties to climate research, UC San Diego and its administration solidified this commitment to broaden global awareness and create a mindset of environmental problem solvers. This change in their college requirements does not affect the total number of requirements as this class will overlap with the current general education/diversity requirements.

    Click here to see the approved courses, nearly 50 classes ranging from Climate Justice, Religion & Ecology, Climate Ethics, Ocean Studies, Literature and the environment, and more.

    Imagine a world where 19 million people heightened their awareness by taking a class in eco-stewardship.  Think about where we our world would be.

    If this has gotten you curious to expand your own climate change knowledge, check out UC San Diego's Scripps Institute of Oceanography Climate Change Resources page.

    Saturday, October 12, 2024

    25 years

    I recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary. Here's a condensed version of what I shared among friends regarding this milestone...

    25: What a weird number when you start looking at it in the context of your life. Mainly--How are we "that" old? How have we been with ONE person "that" long? I mean, seriously, we don't feel that old! 

    25: That's XXV in Roman Numerals, 5 squared, two & a half dozen, the sum of the first five consecutive odd natural numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9, & a quarter of a century. (Back to that weird number thing.)

    Looking back... 
    ...We have seen a hurricane reroute our wedding in 24-hour window, followed up by a flight-induced sinus infection which sidetracked our honeymoon. A layover, an ER trip, and steroids got us back on track to our desired honeymoon destination.

    ....We wrestled the roller coaster ride of having a premature baby 8 weeks early at 32 weeks versus the typical 40. During my 2-week hospital hangout prior to our wee one's arrival, I attended my brother's wedding by phone, long before Zoom days. Then 6 days later we welcomed a very tiny baby at a whopping 3 lb 1.3 oz. I came home first, then our wee one stayed in the NICU for 5 weeks, but grew solid, strong, and healthy, and we all never looked back.

    ....We welcomed Baby #2 into our family 3 years later, who always kept us on our toes when young. Now, that one is on the cusp of adulthood, tackling college, serious-minded, working hard, and pointed toward their own goals.

    In these 25 years, we...
    • have lived in 2 different states with at least 6 addresses to call home;
    • have had 6-7 jobs between us, owned a handful of cars, & had 3 crazy canines;
    • survived surgeries and replacement parts and are both officially "new and improved;"
    • made lifelong friendships, lost loved ones, and grown stronger together in so many ways;
    • endured all the parts of parenting: taking family vacations, watching countless soccer/sport games/kid concerts/more, tackling intensive homework projects, teaching kids to drive, getting wisdom teeth out, watching our kids walk high school graduation stages, and the list goes on.

    9,131 days is a lot of days!

    In thinking about 25 years of "my" days, I mentally shifted to what else has changed in these 25 years of days. Newsworthy events which will make the history books. We've seen...
    • The Y2K roll over to 2000 and all lived to tell the tale.
    • The election of the first African-American President in 2008: Barack Obama.
    • The legalization of same sex marriage in 2015.
    • The NASA confirmation of water on Mars in 2015.
    • The #MeToo movement of 2017 and the #BlackLivesMatter movement of 2020 to strengthen both women's rights when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse and greater equality and justice for Black Americans.
    • The rise of technology in so many ways--from the development of the first iPhone in 2007 by Steve Jobs which catapulted tech innovation to include the pros and cons of such things as social media, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence to new levels.
    • The COVD-19 Pandemic, a year of shutdown (including 2020 Zoom-style graduations & weddings & at home, online learning, though luckily with the swift move of science and modern medicine we were able to create vaccines and come out from behind our medical masks.
    • The shifts in the British Royal Family with the death of Queen Mother in 2002 at age 101, the marriage of Prince William & Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Henry & Meghan Markle 2018,  the lengthy 70 reign of Queen Elizabeth II with her death 2022 which led to the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

    And environmentally, we've seen many major environmental strides these past 25 years with...
    • The Paris Climate Agreement was adopted in 2015 where only nearly every country in the world (minus Syria & Nicaragua) united to fight climate change. Likewise that same year, the UN Sustainable Development Goals were created.
    • A rise in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power as well as electric vehicles.
    • Conservation strides such as growth in Marine Protected areas, the Trillion Tree Initiative to aid in reforestation, and endangered species recovery, downgrading their status from endangered to vulnerable for the giant panda and the American eagle, among others. 
    • Shifts and advances in sustainable agriculture which have helped biodiversity and grown organic farming.
    • Efforts to ban single use plastics and create more biodegradable materials while also increasing efforts on a company level for circular economy practices.
    • Forward movement with green technology such as carbon capture and greater energy-efficient home appliances. 
    • Steps toward greater environmental justice and awareness with movements working toward Indigenous land rights and louder voices from youth activists such as Greta Thunberg.

    All of this goes to show us that even though sometimes while we feel like "the more things change, the more they stay the same," we actually CAN see and feel the forward movement. 

    This level of awareness makes 25 years definitely worth celebrating!

    Images created at Canva.com