Water Out of Thin Air

"Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"  The proverbial catch phrase of a magician. Making something happen when it is seemingly impossibly, out of thin air.

Making water out of thin air feels just as magical, but it's not. It's innovation at it's finest as this movie illustrates.

Not to mention, quite necessary when you consider that 1 in 3 people globally don't have access to clean drinking water.










This turbine, or the WaterSeer (as it is called) condenses water from the atmosphere in a low tech, low cost way that is a win for all. Best part: no added chemicals or power, making maintenance cheap and easy.

To learn more about the specifics of how it works, check out this article and watch the video below.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPjoNNhTh1o, image of WaterSeer from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/innovation-wind-powered-device-produce-37-litres-clean-drinking-water-every-day/1/785837.html, Infographic from https://www.canva.com/design/DACCXuzey54/6OdtizxY6UEYjzvvX2YXjA/view?utm_content=DACCXuzey54&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton and created by GTG.

Fully Charged: The Movie

I ran across a book, which had me investigating an app, which then led me to the Internet, which led me to a movie... All of these seem significantly tied to the podcasts I'm listening to these days and the observations of our over crowded lives and the pursuit of happiness.

That's my li'l trail of serendipitous breadcrumbs... and my profound thoughts for the day!

"Fully Charged" is a movie based on the conversations in Tom Rath's book: "Eat Move Sleep."  Those 3 golden nuggets, and doing them well, are the key to longevity, happiness, and good health. Interestingly enough, it's also about letting go of the technology, getting yourself outdoors, and making connections and choices that leave you feeling good and restored.

It's a good book and a quick read that I highly recommend.

 Here's the trailer, and I can't wait to see the full meal deal!



Video trailer from http://www.fullychargedmovie.com/,
photo from http://www.eatmovesleep.org/

Not Your Typical Halloween Costume: TrashMe

Despite the fact that we are here on the cusp of Halloween, and despite the fact that this outfit looks like a costume, this outfit and this post aren't really about what to wear while trick-or-treating.  \(Though, I will say, you would certainly get a lot of looks if you were to wear this!)

Rob Greenfield decided to go on an epic adventure in New York City, which definitely won't help him get lost in the crowd.  For 30 days (Starting Sept. 19th, 2016), Rob decided to take on every piece of trash he was offered, he encountered, he created, or was tied to something he consumed.  Given that the average American creates 4.5 pounds of trash per day, this could get heavy! 135 pounds in fact, mathematically!  That amount of weight would make everyone think twice about consumption and diet!

Just watch:


Now granted, Rob isn't your typical New Yorker, nor is he your typical run-of-the-mill guy, as a matter of fact. He's a self proclaimed "adventurer, environmental activist, humanitarian, and dude making a difference."  He created "The Food Waste Fiasco" campaign to bring awareness to food & hunger. While on that brigade, he was known to dive in a dumpster or two to showcase the usable food that's going to waste. He's biked across America twice to raise awareness towards living sustainability. He's significantly limited himself to just over 100 possessions to show frugal living is a happier lifestyle than having all the "stuff."  He's done a number of TED talks and written the book "Dude Making a Difference." Doing dramatic things like wearing a month's worth of trash is exactly the kind of thing that Rob likes to do to highlight our regular actions that we all take for granted.

In 2018, Rob's suit-o'trash will be on display at the busiest US airport: the Atlanta International Airport.

To learn more about Rob Greenfield's adventures, check out his webpage.  While you are doing so, ask yourself: "What big and small differences can I make now."  While you are there, contemplating the changes you can make, ask yourself "WWRD: What would Rob do?"  You don't need to go quite to those extremes, but imagine how our mindset would change if we saw Rob (or some neighborhood kids) walking door to door this Halloween in this attire.  It might make us change our minds indeed!

Reminds me of a Halloween costume I once had. But only for a day!



Video from http://robgreenfield.tv/trashme/, image from http://www.wastedive.com/news/rob-greenfield-and-the-amazing-technicolor-trash-coat/428384/, Capri Sun dress image from http://www.greenteamgazette.com/2011/10/bein-green-this-halloween.html

Get Outdoors: Find Some Fall Fests

There's nothing like a gorgeous fall day and a well-placed festival to really have you embrace the great outdoors and enjoy the changing of the seasons. Especially here at the last weekend before Halloween, there are plenty of pumpkin places still out there.

We did just that about a week and a half ago. We visited Maryland's Sunrise Farm in Gambrills for an amazing corn maze, hay rides, and fun for the little ones. Especially fun was the tie-in to the 50 year anniversary of "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".

Of course, my grand favorite of all is Arthur, Illinois' The Great Pumpkin Patch, which I've written about before.  If you are ever in that neck of the woods, be sure to stop by!  You'll be so glad you did!

But, no matter what your locale, you'll be sure to find one, just a quick Google search away!  It's a great way to get some Vitamin N: Nature and cure any indoor blues you might have from Nature Deficit Disorder!

All pictures from my camera.

Nonpartisan Election Classroom Resources

The Election is a hot topic this political season.  Emotions are high both for and against our 2 major candidates, & daily news calls to conversation a litany of character traits... most of which are NOT rated G or PG.

Many teachers want to stay the heck away from all of that potentially explosive commentary, especially when most kids (especially in elementary schools) tend to have the same political opinions as their parents, sentiments they glean from home.

At our school, we are approaching the election as neutrally as possible, with each grade level taking a governmental (versus political) approach, and we are definitely steering clear of analysis of who is actually running!

Our basic approach looks like this, bringing in activities and research on each theme:

• PreK-Kindergarten:  Introduction to voting
• 1st Grade:  The voting process and campaigning through naming class mascots and book characters
• 2nd Grade: Letters to future leaders about the issues that are important to the students
• 3rd Grade: Voting is a civic responsibility, voter turn out, and the characteristics of a good citizen
• 4th Grade: The Electoral College and the math associated with it
• 5th Grade: Voting around the world and women's suffrage in the USA

Here are just a few resources that may be vital in these last few weeks to help round out the final countdown and give you a little inspiration this political season.

• Election Decoder to see the Math of the Electoral College
• TED-ED's "The Fight For the Right to Vote"
• Education World's Election book list by age level
• Read Write Think's "Today Is Election Day" lesson plan on the history and importance of voting
• iCivics "Who Represents Me" Online Game
• FairVote for past statistics and information about what impacts voter turn out. (Great to use for making spreadsheet line graphs and analyzing data)
• iCivics Voting Rights lesson plan
• National American Women's Suffrage Association from the Library of Congress for a timeline of women's history on getting the right to vote
• Printable Presidential Election Maps from 1789--2012
• Mr. Donn's Free Powerpoint presentations on Elections for Kids

Images from http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/, http://www.hcpl.net/category/tags/election, 
http://government.mrdonn.org/powerpoints/elections.html

Destination Imagination's Amazing Invention Photo Challenge

It's always a beautiful day when imagination, innovation, and environmentalism weave themselves together. Thank you Destination Imagination for creating "The Amazing Invention Photo Challenge," a project inspired by the new Disney film "Moana" (which comes out November 23, 2016)

But mark your calendars, because you only have the 10 days between October 17--27th to get your creative juices flowing!

Destination Imagination (or DI, for short) is a global organization for students who's vision is "to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world." They do this by creating school groups with facilitators/team leaders who provide both instant challenges and broader thematic challenges for a team of students to work through and creatively solve together.

You can see why DI is inspired to challenge us, but how does Moana fit in? This DI challenge is meant to inspire kids to use the same ingenuity and cleverness of the newest Disney's character Moana. They want to spark kids' creativity by having them invent a toy-sized vehicle to lead that toy of their own on a grand adventure. Moana will do just that in the movie, embarking through lush natural wildlife that needs to be preserved. Given that, there's an environmental-awareness catch: the invention needs to be made entirely out of recyclables. This video details it beautifully!

Reminder: The contest is open for only 10 days!!  October 17th--27th, 2016.

Inventions will be judged on each of these 3 categories, for up to 20 points each (60 total):

• Overall creativity 
• Creative use of recycled/repurposed materials (up to 20 points).
• Creativity of your invention's name

 To learn more here are some of the places to investigate:

• The Destination Imagination website for more details specific to this challenge and how to vote.
• Submit your photo application on their specialized Facebook page.

More about Destination Imagination through their mission statement:

"To develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity.  The Destination Imagination program is a fun, hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic Challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and service learning. Our participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the collaborative problem solving process. Teams may showcase their solutions at a tournament."

Video and image from https://www.destinationimagination.org/blog/amazing-invention-photo-challenge/

Waking Up at #Wanderlust

Two weeks ago, I had a day o'play. It was well-timed after being a single mom for a week while my husband was away at a conference. I needed a sweet day for me after holding down the fort while my husband was hunkered down at a swanky hotel.

My day came in the form of Wanderlust 108 DC.

After first hearing about Wanderlust from the Lewis Howes' School of Greatness podcast, I did what I often do--a little more digging via the Internet.  As exotic and wonderful as the 3-4 day retreats sound, I felt a quick jaunt down to neighboring DC for a one-day "Mindfulness Triathlon" might be more in my budget. So, I got up early, thanked the Weather Gods that no rain was in store after 2 straight days previously of rain, grabbed my yoga mat, and hit the road heading south to DC and RFK Stadium.

By 10 am, I already had 10K steps under my belt from completing the 5K portion of the triathlon. No, I didn't run, but it didn't matter. What followed was an hour of barefoot yoga, which indeed stretched me beyond my limits--in good ways. Seeing the sea of participants was rather inspiring! Part 3 of the triathlon was a guided meditation--just as the sun began peeking through the cloud cover.  I think our sun salutations worked!

Meandering about, checking out the shopping and health food booths brought in the flavor of the festival.  Not to mention, it's always glorious spending the day outside.  Additionally, the spirit of adventure filled the afternoon with half-hour workshops of specialized yoga such as aerial, acro, hooping, slacklining and more.  I got to be in touch with my inner "Cirque de Soleil" by flipping upside down in the aerial slings, and I got to reminisce about my days as a first grade hula hooper during the hooping activity. All freeing, relaxing, and leaving me smiling (and perhaps a bit sweaty) at the end of the day.

As I had been driving in, I'd been listening to another Lewis Howes' School of Greatness podcast episode, #385: The Art and Science of Epic Adventure with Jon Levy about going forward and having an adventure. How perfectly timed, and indeed I did.

All of my activities that day definitely emphasized the point that yes indeed, adventure and new experiences are great for the mind, body, and spirit. We become so coaxed by our routines, we forget.

Let us remember to remember. Likewise, let us wonder and wander!




PicCollage photo a collection of my photos, as was the Wanderlust banner to begin with.  The other two photos came from the Wanderlust 108 Facebook page of DC photos https://www.facebook.com/search/photos/?q=wanderlust%20108%20dc

International day of the Girl 2016

With International Day of the Girl yesterday (and a whole boatload of political noise about women.


Last week here in the US), it only seems fitting that this week was "International Day of the Girl."



Here is a nice collection of stats, proving that you are indeed on top of the world if you are here, and though you women face challenges, our perseverance will take us far!!

  

Video from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2016/oct/11/a-girls-life-how-inequality-starts-before-birth-video-international-day-of-the-girl; Image from https://www.cintl.org/ebulletin/in-brief/2014/july and http://citizenjanefilmfestival.blogspot.com/2012/10/international-girls-day.html

Making It Real & "Harnessing Our Nerdiness" With Mayim Bialik

I think this Mayim Bialik vlog  about being "geek chic" and being different is poignant.  ("Vlog" for anyone who is unsure, is the mashup for "video blog."  Of course, if you're a bit of a geek chic, tech-head like me, you already knew that)

Amy Farra Fowler's... er, I mean... Mayim's audience is largely for teens.  However, I think anyone who watches & gets "Big Bang Theory" was probably the kind of kid who might have had different interests, or been a little bit quirky, when they were younger.

I like to say that being quirky is part of my effervescent charm!

Steve Jobs and the technology and innovation industries have indeed made it great to be a bit nerdy. Along with the tech-inspirers of the last decade, this video does a wonderful job of helping everyone who might be a little unique to feel a little more comfortable in our own skin.  It also helps inspire us (and our children) that all those STEAM subjects of science, technology, engineering, art, and math are what can drive us to our passions.  It is through those passions and innovating that we are going to make the world a better place! And that starts by embracing our inner greatness, and knowing it's okay to be different and true to ourselves.



Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzMQOan-tcc, image from http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2016/04/14/pro-life-activists-cheer-life-affirming-episode-of-the-big-bang-theory/

Shout Out to Sprout: The Plantable Pencil

Graveyard-destined pencils:

We've all seen them. Parents have, adults have, kids have... but teachers probably have the most. The stubbiest little pencil that leave you wondering why on Earth that kid is even still using them. But, for whatever reason, kids love them, and hold on to them until you can sneak them away, for always and forever.

What if you could bring new life to that li'l guy?

Sprout is a company that is all about doing just that. Created by 3 MIT students who were given the task to “design the sustainable office article of tomorrow,” the plantable pencil was born. They are bringing sustainability to this classroom classic consumable, by having their pencils pocket a seed inside.  When the pencil is ready to move on, it literally can be buried in your backyard garden or planter.  Pencils are labeled with what their ultimate harvest will be. They have a flower, herb, and vegetable variety of regular pencils, as well as a colored pencil set too.

These two videos will you you some shout outs about the ins & outs of Sprout!





Pencil image from https://tomschimmer.com/2011/11/19/implement-that-part-3-plan-with-a-short-pencil/; videos from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vXLw7oVbaU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYYQY_3rF3o

Huffington Post #Reclaim Food Waste

I wrote earlier about Huffington Post Original Series "Sustainable Self."  At the time I wrote it, there were only a few videos.  Now they're up to 9 mini-movies, with the most recent posted just last week. No doubt, there's more to come.

But the Huffington Post isn't ready to just stop with sustainability.  They've got another mini-movie series called #Reclaim.

The rational behind creating #Reclaim:

• 1/3 of all food produced worldwide goes to waste.
• 800,000,000+ people go to bed hungry world wide.
• Food waste generates over 3 billion tons of greenhouse gasses.
• In America alone, 40% of the food goes uneaten due to waste.
• In America, 15+ million children do not have enough food to eat.

From their website, here is their mission through #Reclaim:

"Our food waste campaign is the latest expression of our global What's Working initiative, which aims to empower our audience to positively change the world by highlighting the art of the possible."

In addition to raising awareness, the Huffington Post also has several key action plans in motion to help petition for less food waste, tackling the distribution problems that get the food where it is needed.

Their current Youtube #Reclaim playlist is up to 15 videos:


Here are the current 15 titles to check out in the HuffPost #Reclaim series.  They were posted between July to September, 2016.

• Help Us End Food Waste
• 5 Ways To Reduce Your Food Waste
• This Chef Made Delicious Dishes From The Dumpster
• Ugly Produce Gets A Bad Rap
• Walmart's Ugly Produce Problem
• How To Start Your Very Own Worm Composting Bin At Home
• Wecyclers Is Fighting Nigeria's Waste Crisis
• This Man Only Eats Perfectly Good Food Waste
• The Rust Belt Riders Are Not Your Average Garbage Collectors
• This Company Is Putting Coffee Waste To Good Use
• These World-Renowned Chefs Are Feeding Rio's Poor
• Fighting Food Insecurity In Appalachia
• This Compost Collecting Bicycle Is Helping Reduce Food Waste In NYC
• This Company Uses Bacteria And Food Waste To Power Homes
• This Designer Uses Flower Waste To Create Truly Magical Clothing

Huffington Post's #Reclaim Youtube playlist from https://youtu.be/s5T6T6IQi2c?list=PLV6Qc21U3jVLW_vbXKlg4QKnqSMnb5imu; image from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/huffington-post-reclaim_us_576be8c4e4b065534f490c1f

An Impromptu Day on the Bay: Fifth Grade Field Trip Style

The circles of life are so fascinating!

Wednesday I got to go last minute to Chesapeake Bay Foundation with son's 5th grade class on a field trip today, as they didn't have enough chaperones.

When your Head asks you to go, you go. And when you get there...you are so grateful that you did!!

It hit me when the bus pulled in and I saw Tiffany, our always "First Mate" of the boat--it hit me then that I almost missed this trip because I was über in back-to-school teacher mode here at the beginning of the year, and I nearly missed the bigger picture: my "mom" and "historic side."

I was not truly thinking that this was THAT trip.  The big ah-ha moment:  This was essentially my Eagle Cove 3rd grade oyster boat field trip, where the boat came right up to our pier. The one that was always was:

"Best.    Field Trip.    Ever."

As my son and I were talking to his buddies on this trip, we came to the conclusion that this was year 9 of the past 10 years I have gotten to go on this trip!!! Last year, in particular, I was teaching 5th grade at my current school when we made this trip.  Such good memories of the past, and so many smiles from this week.

When my old school, Eagle Cove, closed, my son was in 2nd grade. I was the 3rd grade teacher. The following year he was destined to be in my class, and take part of "all things 3rd grade." On that day that it was announced that our school was to close in June (and all the subsequent months to June), I mourned.  I mourned many things, but one element that was particularly heartbreaking was that I would never get to go on the CBF trip with my son. 

But this week, I did! I had always said it previously--9 times these last 10 years, but it was true:  
Best.  
Field Trip.  
Ever.

This Wednesday, I had a goofy grin on my face all day.

The kismit in the day was immense the more I thought of it--especially when I realized how easily I could have missed it. The boating. The "green" building. The canoeing. The shore-side picnic. The more I thought about it after the fact, the more it hit me that I was blessed, encountering a rare and magical moment that was meant to be.  Something I thought would never happen.  Something in my daze of "back to school" I almost missed.

There's nothing more rewarding than a day outdoors, a day chock-filled with memories, and a day with your kids.

Best.

Field Trip.

Ever.

HuffPo's "Sleep Your Way to the Top"

This summer I did a lot of both "listening to" and "reading about" sleep. In podcast and book form. Arianna Huffington (of Huffington Post fame) and Shawn Stevenson (from The Model Health Show Podcast) both have books out there on the subject of sleep:

• The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time: by Arianna Huffington
• Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success by Shawn Stevenson

Both authors have been featured on a lot of the podcasts I listen to.

Moral of the story--sleep is huge for so much of our health and wellness.

Along those lines, Huffington Post has a playlist over at YouTube with 15 videos focusing on the sweetness of sleep titled "Sleep Your Way to the Top"

Here's one of the 15 examples from the playlist:



So watch and learn, then go head to bed!



Images from Amazon.com, video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVo0UK6fcAc&index=2&list=PLV6Qc21U3jVJ_Ar96wz0nyrKeDm95AkIH

Turning Trash to Telephone Cases

When you start talking both #eco and #iTechnology, you've grabbed my attention.

Add in  innovation...and that came about from teens?! Pretty impressive.

Alicia Barron at Upworthy posed a great quote in her article:

"Recycling should be as simple as buying a can of soda at a vending machine, right?"

Who doesn't agree?! The simpler that recycling and waste reduction can be, the more we all will do it.

5 high schoolers from a Sicilian, Italy town tried to see what they could do with this concept. And what did they do? They created a prototype that made recycling that simple! They created a vending machine that encourages people to deposit their plastic bottles there upon finishing with them.  The machine then grinds the bottles to plastic pellets, which are then melted to plastic filament that is then extruded through a 3D printer, where the students craft phone cases made from their specially designed 3D printer.

Kudos to Marco Tomasello, Daniele Caputo, Vincenzo Virruso, Vittorio Maggiore, Toni Taormina, and their teacher, Daniela Russo!  With team work and innovation, their project won the AXA Italia Social Impact Award.

I've said it before:  It will be innovation and technology and bright minded individuals who craft the solution to our many environmental issues.

Photos from
http://www.upworthy.com/a-vending-machine-that-eats-trash-and-makes-phone-cases-invented-by-teens?c=ufb1

Earth Porn & More--Say What?!

 Earth Porn: Don't let the name deceive you. It's more rated G than it sounds!

Sometimes, you just want to see something beautiful. And sometimes, you just can't get yourself out in that beautiful place.  Earth Porn, despite the name, is one of the many places you can get out in nature digitally, if you need a quick fix of the great outdoors.

Earth Porn is a Facebook page where you can go and find beautiful images of this li'l home of ours called Earth. They don't take the photos nor claim the credit, they just pass along the loveliness that they happen to find on Earthables photo sharing website. There's also their website EarthPorm (notice the spelling change).  

Here are some other great sites if you are searching to soak even more, when you need a visual gem to remind you of the nature that surrounds.

Nature Picture Library

Earthables

Department of Interior Photo Gallery

National Geographic Photo of the Day

Conde Nast's 50 Most Beautiful Places in the World

Earth Porn Logo & waterfall pic (from Tropical Cauldron in Kihei, Maui; Photo by Mike Dawson) from https://www.facebook.com/earthporndotus

Washed Ashore: Pollution Awareness & More

I'm writing this with a mixture of missed opportunity and self-loathing, as I live near DC and I missed the chance to see an amazing environmental awareness exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoo.  Insert "kicking myself" here.  I guess that's what happens when you miss that piece about it being a temporary exhibit, on location until only September 5th.

The exhibit:  Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea.

The purpose:  To transform plastic pollution into art to create awareness and potential change in the way we treat "trash."

The art:  All of the art for the various sculptures comes from reclaimed trash found in oceans. In total over 6 years, the team of artists created 66 sculptures using 38,000 pounds of marine debris found off the coast of Oregon.  Unfortunately, this is a mere fraction of what is actually out there in the world's oceans.

So whereas it's now mine and the Greater Metropolitan DC's loss, there's still a few more days for anyone in Atlanta, and here are the next cities in line.

• The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta until Sept. 25th, 2016

• Denver Zoo in Colorado: Sept. 24, 2016 to Jan. 16, 2017

• Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma Washington:  Apr. 17--Oct  16, 2017

• Reiman Gardens in Ames Iowa: May--October 2017

You can also follow future exhibits on the Washed Ashore Exhibit page.  Likewise, the Washed Ashore website is a great place to go to learn more including videos on the making of the art work and also ways to get involved.


Images are from Washed Ashores Ocean Ambassadors:  http://washedashore.org/ocean-ambassadors/; video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEJhPj_yUY

Back to School QR Code Ice Breakers

This school year is exciting for me because I'm back to Tech, going into all the grade levels: Preschool to 5th. Some of my favorite students are my beloved faculty and colleagues!

Here's part of my bulletin board outside my Tech office at school.  Using a QR code generator online, I started created codes loaded with the questions below.  I popped them all into a word document to make for easy printing. (This is my cheat sheet so I know "what's what" once it is in my files). I then cut the codes off and put them on shapes for a ready-made investigation board.   I've opened it up for students and faculty/staff to grab an iPad and a QR scanner app, check out the questions, then share their answers with me.  Can't wait to hear their responses!!

Qr Code Bulletin Board Back to School Questions from Vicki Dabrowka

Document created by me, from http://www.slideshare.net/VickiDabrowka/qr-code-bulletin-board-back-to-school-questions

Visual Reminders to Breathe in Nature

I've previously raved about New Age Creators and their videos they post in connection with SoulPancake.  They are ideal to watch when you need to rearrange your brain space and really refocus on what's important in life.

"All We Need is Nature" is a perfect "case & point!" The visuals in this video are a perfect blend of the great outdoors with unbelievable tech talent.  It is such a rich masterpiece of creativity, "maker education," light, texture, and nature.  It makes you want to get outside and go play, or maybe collect little odds and ends to create from there. It might inspire you to take a hike, to let the grass tickle your toes, or to play in a stream.  It's a video showcase of the power of Vitamin N: Nature!

Watch, be filled, then get yourself out there.



Image from http://naturehacks.com/nature-the-original-playstation/; 
Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-egZKkCznJ0

Starting The New School Year with a Maker Mindset

Today is my first official day of school--with kids! (Not to be confused with the 1st first day where I say adios to summer!) Given we are a school with a maker mindset, these 4 videos felt like a great way to greet the year, looking at the maker movement, and both individual & collaborative approaches to creativity and the design process.

May your year ahead be filled with all of it, inspiring you to innovate all year long! "Make" the most of it!  Additionally, here's a great list of maker resources from the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance to use in your classroom.






Maker Manifesto image from http://www.mcgrawhillprofessionalbusinessblog.com/2014/03/07/the-maker-movement-is-changing-the-world/;"Maker Movement & Mindset" movie from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVZ1GABQcEA; "Born to Do This" movie from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyGRr4QyP7c; "Why Do You Create" from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiBFF198jz8;  "An Honest Look at Creativity" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM6LLo5l6Oc

My Cross-Country Podcast Travel Companion: "The School of Greatness"

This summer, I did an annual Jack Kerouacian trek from my home to the childhood homeland. 770 miles, two kids, packed car, snacks galore. And caffeine! Don't forget the caffeine as the 12.5 hour trek is a one-day deal, powering on, with this gal as the solo driver. That makes for a 25 hour round trip cross country tour! It's easier these days now that the kids aren't so little.  Stops are in-out missions and we are on the move.  The things you do to go home to the people you love.

Given this year's adventure, podcasts were my friends while the backseat crew had movies, books, and tablets as their best buddies.  Yes, there were dictionary word games and song-a-thons, but mixed in between was the fortification of a lot of good brainspace.  I've been investigating many different podcasts, but I keep coming back to the same ones:

• Michael Hyatt's "This Is Your Life" (though I'm all caught up, having listened to every one)
• Shawn Stevenson's "Model Health Show" (see Michael Hyatt)
• Lewis Howes' "The School of Greatness"
• Chalene Johnson's "The Chalene Show"
• The Good Life Project

Plus, I've just recently started listening to "Inside Quest" with Tom Bilyeu.

But this trip was largely brought to me by Lewis Howes.

His interviews were fascinating, and brought many insights.  Plus, it made for some good car companions for when my kids were sleeping or too busy playing to pay attention to me.  (Though, I did actuallly catch them listening from time to time.

Here's a bit of wisdom I gleaned while "on the road:"

• From Larry King--the importance of asking questions & tackling life through humor
• From Taye Diggs--the importance of gratitude
• From Shawn Stevenson--the importance of sleep & ways to improve the sleep you're getting
• From Lisa Nichols--the power in faith & overcoming your own personal obstacles
• From Laird Hamilton--the power of breathing & meditating to "get in the zone"
• From Tom Bilyeu--the power of growth over fixed mindset & achieving self-awareness
• From Gretchen Rubin--the importance of habits to build happiness

Good road companions and messages along the way. An excellent way to get geared back up with all the back-to-school business as that's the season we are in!

Good brain space always makes for a loyal travel companion--no matter where you go!!


Lewis Howes image from http://lewishowes.com/; podcast image from http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/58169/find-old-podcast-iphone/

Finding Your Inner Selfie: Soul Pancake-Style!

It almost doesn't matter what day of the week you do it: watch the news these days and you see more negatives than positives.  Especially during an election year!

Additionally, narcissism also has taken on a new meaning this year, both with the election and the onslaught of social media selfies.

Soul Pancake & New Age Creators are taking on the front-facing camera.  And, in doing so, building video below.  Good stuff!
kindness, empathy, compassion...and building our "inner selfie."  To learn more about what that is, watch their

My favorite line:

"How do we start using social media & technology to make ourselves more awesome as humans?"

Very excited to see what else the New Age Creators are putting together regarding "creativity, love, home, happiness, and finding the real you."  I love too how there's an implication that getting away from the phone and getting outside is grand plan as well!

 

Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYdjXZ3gYA; Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu9kWTEQVS0

The End is Here: Goodbye Summer, Hello New School Year

Here is my view, the last official "day of summer." (Weekends, excluded--hallelujah, I still have my weekend ahead!)

It's always a bittersweet moment.
It feels like the antithesis of the toasting glasses welcoming the wonder called summer ahead!

As I sit here and reflect on the dark, leafy green fullness of my backyard trees, and compare them to the still-newish, hopeful spring trees of June, it's easy to see the passage of time. The cicadas tell me that. The birds that hone in on the known-feeder, tell me that. The ever-growing grass in August heat tells me that (and that it's time to mow again).

So too do the June, July, and August days that have passed. Adventures, vacations, home improvement projects, books read (for pleasure and professionally), workshops taken, games played, decompression time, and even the days of the minutiae and mundane.

For those who are not "in teaching," it's pretty hard to understand. They see the glory in those "3 months off." For those of us who do teach, we know half of June is spent wrapping up the year and our classroom, and half of August (if not more) is spent looking forward to the year ahead. It's more like 6-8 weeks of true summer if we're really truly lucky!

Additionally, people who don't have work where they "bring home homework" also don't understand. We teachers are packing a whole lot of expectations and catching up into our summertime. We are frantically trying to make up for those nights-'til-11pm grading papers, lesson planning, laminating cutting, or keeping the house going in a forward motion by having clean laundry to make it through "tomorrow." We try to repair the ruffled edges where our house has gone awry from the over-busy-ness of the school year schedule.

As I sit here and look at my list of summer goals for around the house (along with school-prep for the year ahead & bonding time with my kids), I see a lot that didn't quite happen. But then that begs the question of whether the list was realistic to begin with? Can "9 months" of undone chores, projects, and more truly get done in those 3 months?  Plus, in the hectic-ness & mess of school, sports, and schedules, can we even sustain on that same go-go-go level that often feels 24-7?  Decompression time is vital.  I for one need to remember that I love to read "real" books, binge watch shows on the DVR or Netflix, and catch up on documentaries or podcasts that are meaningful to me.  It's almost like I need to remember how to play, have fun, and just "be" with the people that are important to me.

Sometimes that all gets lost in the school year.  Maybe this summer I was right where I was meant to be, doing what I needed to be doing!

Herein lies the blessing and the curse, which are all just two sides of the same coin. As sad as it is to say goodbye to summer, going back to school has a rejuvenation effect. Newness surrounds and abounds. The creative flow of new ideas, new curriculum, & new classrooms of students all serve as energetic catalysts. The same holds true with the colleagues next door to banter with & bounce ideas off of.  For a teacher, the swirling ideas and beautiful brain spaces don't or can't happen in the backyard alone.

Yes, there's also a beauty in back to school.  I'm starting my 25th year as a teacher on Monday. Luckily, I have a week of set up time & meetings where I get to get my feet wet before the young lads and lassies come.  I can gradually ease back into that oh-so-familiar groove.  But, there's a year of unexpected surprises ahead that does bring a natural glee with it. 'Tis time to bring on the newness that's married with the familiar sights and sounds of school. 

Hmmm... In a lot of ways, it's not much different than sitting on the back patio, toasting the start of summer with champagne. The feeling is the same, if you're open to it!



Backyard pic from my camera; back to school pic from Amanda Burton at http://www.amandaburtondesign.com/blog/2014/9/2/happy-back-to-school; clip art  from http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/teacher-apple-clipart; "solar" image from http://floromondaymorningmusings.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-not-so-lazy-days-of-summer.html

My Backyard BFF

Today I reunited with one of my very best friends: my pool! It's not anything exotic, but that 18' diameter above-ground pool is my sacred summer place.

My buddy and I had been on a bit of a break--about six weeks smack dab in the middle of the height of summer. That, in and of itself, is a travesty! With two vacations book-ending July and a hole in the liner (& the time necessary to fix it)... along with a minor surgery recovery, I was in my own personal drought while the pool was out of commission.

But today I was able to return to my happy place. My personal space out in nature where I get to watch the birds visit our feeders and the tree-side birdhouses where they've made their homes. 

It's where I can watch squirrels scampering and scavenging on the fallen seeds from the bird feeders. I dazzle at the dappling light as it perks through the greenery of the tree.

It's where I exercise (which is huge because this kid is NOT "Sporty Spice" and exercising doesn't come naturally to me, unless it's walking to get in my 10,000 steps. 

My pool is where I relax (& same with pool side). Its where I read and really play with my kids and my dog. It's where I actually can be in the moment, doing my version of sun salutations. It's where I'm as close to meditating as this over-thinking girl gets. It's my source of Vitamin D, Vitamin N, & true energy.

And it certainly makes the hot humid summer days bearable!!

Even though the start of school is right around the bend, this happened at THE perfect time. Reuniting with my backyard bud was just in time to get some last bits of rejuvenation right before in back in business!


Image from my backyard!

Another Periodic Table of iPad Apps: STEAM-Style!

Mark Anderson, creator of The Updated Periodic Table of iPad Apps (Vol. 2), is at it again this summer, concocting yet another periodic table of apps.  This time, STEAM based apps!  Thank you Mark Anderson for your brilliance!!

For a higher resolution picture, click here to go to Mark's resource.

Next stop....getting busy at the Apps store!

Image from http://ictevangelist.com/periodic-table-steam-ipad-apps/

"Sustainable Self" Via The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post's tag line is "Inform. Inspire. Entertain. Empower." Under the leadership of
Arianna Huffington, the Huffington Post has been around over a decade since it originally launched May 9, 2005. For some of us, it feels longer as it has become such a news mainstay as it's popularity has simply soared. Clearly readers are being informed, inspired, entertained, and empowered!

Always pushing the creativity envelop here in the digital age, The Huffington Post once again lives up to it's tagline. This time, it's by way of "Sustainable Self," an online series of original, animated short videos about the importance of making simple environmental choices in our own homes. The shorts first aired July 26, 2016 with 2 trailers introducing "Sustainable Self." (Check them out here and here.) They also aired their first official short: "BYO: Bring Your Own."

Wet your whistle here, then make a date to check out the videos each week!

Sustainable Self logo and "Bring Your Own" Video from http://shows.huffingtonpost.com/sustainableself; Arianna Huffington pic from https://alexofarabia.com/2014/08/30/will-huffington-posts-entry-into-the-gulf-be-a-game-changer/