Robot-Roving Through The Computer History Museum

It's not often that we, as adults, get new experiences that daze, amaze, and dazzle us. Additionally, if you're like me, and embrace your inner geekiness as part of your effervescent charm, you tend to look for some fun and funky tech experiences that will get you here. And I did.

At the start of 2019 we go the opportunity to go to California--without ever leaving my time zone, Maryland, or my school! We were in my Maryland classroom & Mountain View California's Computer History Museum simultaneously via the Beam Telepresence Robot. It was a crazy feeling of déjà vu as I got the opportunity to revisit a place I had visited this summer! To have my robot footprints in the same place my actual feet had once stood!

I actually got to drive the Beam 3 different times this year--one, a trial run (to make sure our systems would work), and the other two as virtual field trips with my 2nd and 3rd grader. They got almost as much of a kick out of my robot driving as I did!

Prior to robot-driving, we did some diving into the Computer History website in class--in particular, their "Revolution: 2000 Years of Computing" exhibit. We explored the website to learn online about their 1,100+ computer history artifacts--everything from the abacus, early calculators, punch cards, to modern day! We also visited the online "Where To?" exhibit about self-driving cars. While investigating the website's online images, videos, and artifacts, students took notes on paper of items they're interested in, fun facts they learn online, and any questions along the way.

Then, the exciting part--the trip to California via computer! Nothing like being on a guided tour, learning about technology WITH technology! My kids were bummed they didn't get to have the experience of driving the robot... but, if you let one drive, you have to let all 30+ drive! I got to have that glory all to myself!

Among other things, on our tour we got a chance to see a prototype for the first home computer from 1969 (for your kitchen for researching recipes--wayyy too expensive and it never came to be). We also got to see the office computer from 1973 (4 years later) with a screen that was paper sized and even a mouse! We also saw the 1999 Google Server, the teapot that inspired 3D drawings on computers, and everyone's favorite: the self-driving car. I was proud that I didn't take out anyone's toes or run into any door frames while  driving the Beam Telepresence Robot around the museum.

To see more in action, visit this article from our school archives (including a video) of our experience.

If this looks like your kind of driving experience, book a tour by checking out the Computer History Museum's Tour information. Given the timing, they only offer trips at 10 am on Mondays (in their time zone), while the museum is still closed to the public. I was very glad for that, as it was tricky enough to drive around the robot!

Lastly, here are creative curiosities and questions my 7-9 year olds posed after visiting the online exhibit (prior to our virtual visit). While the list was long and we didn't get all the answers to these during our one-hour tour, we did get a great opportunity to interact with our docent and see some pretty remarkable artifacts. Not to mention, it really made history come alive!

-What's the oldest thing you have in the museum? 
-How can they have over 1000 computer "things"
      [=artifacts] in a museum? 
-How did they figure out how technology works? 
-How big was the first computer? 
-How many computers have there been? 
-Who invented the first computer? 
-How do you make a computer? 
-How do you make computers? 
-How long has the museum been open? 
-Do they have olden day virtual reality goggles there? 
-I wonder about the differences between then and now computers. 
-Will we get to see old phones and old headphones? 
-Who had the idea of a computer and how did they get it? 
-Why is technology important? 
-Who created the Internet? 
-How long has technology been a thing? 
-How is a punch card a part of computer history? 
-How do pocket calculators work? 
-What were the earliest computer games? 
-How are computer games on TV's? 
-Why was the web invented last? 
-Are they trying to make flying computers? 
-How many video games have there ever been? 
-Do they have museums like this all around the world? 

-Why are mini computers called that when they are big? (They were smaller than the mainframes, but clearly 
      bigger than personal computers!) 
-How did they build the computer that 
      "broke the code" during WWII? 
-Why were old computers so big? 
-What did earlier [mobile] phones look like? 
-How do you program a computer? 
-How does a self driving car work?
-Who invented the self driving cars? 
-Has the self-driving car ever gotten into 
      an accident?
-With the self-driving car, do you type 
      in the destination to get it where it needs to go? 


Images from either our side or the CA side of our Virtual Field trip, screenshots included!

Ahh... The Beauty & Gift of a Snow Day

There's something about a snow day. I think the phenomenon holds true for both teachers and students alike. I've not met a teacher or student who doesn't erupt into smiles (and perhaps even a happy dance) when the announcement is made. Even bigger and better: if the announcement is made the night before. We got that little gem this week. I happened to be in an educational meeting with both current and retired teachers at the time the text came through. It was definitely a glee-filled moment as the joy elevated in the room. We love our job (despite the occasional frustrations and challenges), but there is something about a snow day!

It's a multi-faceted gift--first, with the potential to sleep in: teachers--and students--are a tired bunch. That ability to sleep in and luxuriate in bed is certainly a gift! But there's also the gift of the day. An unexpected day off. Unsuspected, unplanned. This surprise does wonders for the body, soul, and spirit!

It's a slowing down of life. You find yourself mesmerized in the meditative moment of just simply watching the snow fall. You catch yourself noticing the changes, especially over the course of a lengthy snowfall. The tree branches become blanketed in the winter white, and the whole world transforms into this whole new place.

It even sounds different as the snow muffles the typical street-sounds (which might be non-existent with buried roads). The world just seems to be hunkering in.

There's a beauty to the birds at the feeder, the untouched yard of snow before anyone gets out and traipses all over it. There's even the pups that spring out to frolic outside, wondering what on earth happened to the world just over night. It must feel magical to those crazy canines!

It's a fireplace, pajama, blanket-and-movies, curl-up-with-a-good book, hot-chocolate kind of day.

The shoveling will come eventually, as might the sled runs and snowmen, but at first, the world just sort of slows down. Even if the teacher's plate ultimately gets filled with grading papers on the couch or writing report cards (some of which I know my teacher friends will be doing), there's still the gift of time. An extra day you didn't expect, where you are free from your classroom obligations of lesson plans and learning, carpool or lunch duty, and all the other energetic elements of your class. Permission to burrow in, enjoy the warmth of your tea or coffee, and just "be" in a way that busy-ness doesn't always allow.

It causes you to take pause and watch as nature frolics in nature... and the sum total of it all brings a smile to your face.

THAT certainly is a gift.


Images from my camera from my snow day gift this week!

The Inverse Antidote

I think a lot (and write a lot) about how innovation & technology are going to solve our environmental problems.

But I was struck yesterday that the reverse is indeed also true: that the cure to all our over-techified time is indeed getting out into the environment. Nature.

It's interesting, because although I think and write about that a lot too, I was struck by an epiphany that tilted my view enough to see that this was indeed the inverse of my original thought. Technology and nature are the foil to each others.

It hit me while listening to one of my new favorite podcasts: Robert Plotkin's "Technology for Mindfulness." I was listening to episode #44 "Beauty, Nature & Capturing Moments" with John de Graaf. He brought together the marriage of environment and innovation, nature and technology beautifully.

In examining this tilted epiphany and my latest "ah ha" moment, it perfectly illustrates both the creation and the evolution of "Green Team Gazette." It certainly explains my love-hate relationship with technology. It paints my path as to how I'm now employed as a Lower School Technology Specialist... after previously teaching at perhaps the greenest school in America. It has led me to be on the sustainability committee at my current school and why we now are a Maryland Green School. It drives the stack of #eco and #edtech and #unplugging books that I can't seem to stop buying and reading.

Nature/the environment and technology/innovation need each other.

More importantly, we need them to solve each other... and to cure us AND our planet!

The Inverse antidote image created on Canva.com; woods & innovation pictures from https://pixabay.com/

A Dichotomy of Calendar Dates: Digital Learning Day & National Day of Unplugging

Sometimes as the Lower School Technology Specialist, I have an internal struggle. I've mentioned my love-hate relationship with technology a time or two. At times, I picture it like the little angelic version of me on one shoulder and the devilish one on the other. I've been using the ScreenTime feature that's now part of iOS12, writing down my weekly stats for about 3 months now, and I know exactly how much I'm on my phone and my iPad, and how many times I pick them up. Numbers that are sometimes startling! But, I know that there's so much value in using educational technology as a tool in our lives and our classrooms.

That's in part why it strikes me that these two calendar days are a mere 24 hours from each other. Both equally vital. Both as opposite as can be. Both completely worth registering for!

1. Digital Learning Day ~ February 28, 2019 
Since 2012, Digital Learning Day has served as an innovative inspiration, bringing technology and education together. The goal: to improve student outcomes and engagement through a foundation of learning with digital tools.

To dive deep at their website and get inspiration on how to plan your own Digital Learning Day, here are a few links to learn from:
--Digital Day 2019 Graphics
--Activities & Ideas
--Digital Tools
--Online Resources
--Check out their Interactive Lesson Plans
--Watch their 2018 video
--Watch their Live Webinar: How School and District Leaders Can Create the Conditions for Innovation and Change (10:30 am EST)


2. National Day of Unplugging ~ Sundown to sundown March 1-2, 2019
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the National Day of Unplugging and goes off the idea of this quote by Anne Lamott: "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." Last year, 65,000 people took the world wide unplugging pledge. As I read in both Florence Williams The Nature Fix and Jean Twenge's iGen, there's many reasons to unplug! I've got 3 more books on my bookshelf on the same subject, waiting to be read!

To get some great ideas from their website, check out these links:
--Take the Pledge
--Host an Event & Get Toolkit Resources
--Youth Kits for Unplugging kids of all ages
--Download posters
--Unplugging Stories & News

Header image created on Canva. Logos from the Digital Learning Day & National Day of Unplugging websites.

Loving Nature This Valentine's Day!

In thinking about Valentine's Day, I was struck by this quote:

Given that, this spoken poem/song by David Attenborough (originally created for BBC One in 2011) seems spot on. If you can't get enough animals, you can always check out ARKive.org,

May we all love what surrounds us: people, animals, nature. Happy Valentine's Day!


 Photos from http://downtownmontessori.com/auto-draft-19/ and http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/love-nature-organic/ and https://zeebeemarket.com/blogs/news/13274453-celebrate-earth-month-with-us; Video from https://youtu.be/auSo1MyWf8g

The Nature Fix

I just spent a bulk of the weekend finishing the book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams. Of course, the irony is not lost on me (or my children) that I spent a bulk of my weekend indoors reading a book about the outdoors.

However, I will say, upon wrapping up the book's epilogue today, I did go out and just sit outside for awhile to watch the birds at the bird feeder and study the Jackson Pollock-like fractals in our trees. (The latter of which I learned all about in the book.) Our 47 degree weather today is feeling remarkably warm in the sun after the frigid cold snap we had earlier in the week. Hard to believe that 2 days ago we ended up with an early out for a sudden snowstorm and icy conditions--and now the melted snow water is running noisily through our gutters, with almost every evidence of snow disappeared. It feels like spring out. In fact, I've landed in one of my favorite writing places--my back patio, basking in the sun, looking at the birds as they fly between the trees and the frolicking squirrels as my fingers find the keys.

As with any book I read, I find the information I've read swirling around, making its mental connections, becoming part of my DNA. (Of course, that's the same with us all.) There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this book. It's reminding me of this past summer of counting my outdoor hours (inspired by 1000 Hours Outdoors), and how good I felt at the end of the summer. My 2019 hours are probably growing exponentially here today as I'm not innately a fan of the winter, preferring to hibernate over just about anything else. Many thoughts have me circling back to Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, making this an excellent companion piece to follow that book for those who want more.

This book also connects with the reading I've done on brain studies, particularly when it comes to executive functioning and the elementary/teen brain & ADHD. Additionally, it deeply resonates within me as I look at our overly-techified world (and how that relates to my role as Lower School Technology Specialist).

Noteworthy notes that my highlighter found in this research-heavy (yet highly readable) book that are worth pondering:

• "We don't experience natural environments enough to realize how restored they can make us feel, nor are we aware that studies also show they make us healthier, more creative, more empathetic and more apt to engage with the world and with each other. Nature, it turns out, is good for civilization." (p. 4)

• "Nature employs the mind without fatigue yet exercises it; tranquilizes it yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system" (Quote by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1865, from p. 48)

• "Psych studies using birdsongs consistently show improvements in mood and mental alertness." (p. 100)

• "Our tendency to wear earbuds during all hours of the day [is called] 'learned deafness.' We are tuning out the real world in favor of our own personal soundscapes. The cost is we forget how to listen." (p. 102)

• "When we stare at screens all day, we blink less." (Quote by author's eye doctor, p. 126)

• "To elevate mood and stave off depression most reliably, 5 hours per month is the lowest amount of time to get the effect, then after, if you can go for 10 hours, you will reach a new level of feeling better and better." (Quote by Liisa Tyrväinen, p. 141)

• "A thirty-to-forty-minute walk seems to be enough for physiological changes and mood changes and probably for attention." (Quote by Kalevi Korpela, p. 147)

• "The '30 x 30 nature challenge'--30 minutes a day of walking for 30 days in a row." (p. 182) [which elicited the following effects in the Trent University study that the author participated in: "significant increases in all measures of well-being, including mood and mental calm, and also decreases in stress and negativity. We slept slightly better, and also reported feeling slightly more connected to nature."] (p. 182-183)

• "The ultimate paradox is that humans need both wilderness and civilization." (p. 192)

• "Awe is considered one of the core positive emotions along with joy, contentment, compassion, pride, love and amusement... 'Basically, awe is something that cloys your mind.'" Secondary, interior quote from Paul Piff, p. 196) ".... Awe promotes curiosity." (p. 199)

• "We consume 74 gigabytes of data every day." (p. 224)

• "Exposure to nature reduced reported symptoms of ADHD in children threefold compared with staying indoors." (p.226) [Of note--recess and outdoor exposure during school has decreased over time! "Preschoolers in the United States average just 48 minutes of exercise a day in their schools, even though the recommended level is 2 hours. Of that 48 minutes, only 33 minutes is outside." (p. 233)

• "In the U.K., two-thirds of schoolchildren do not know acorns come from trees." (p. 233)

• "Nearly 1 in 10 children has a vitamin D deficiency. That's 7.6 million children. And, two-thirds, another 50.8 million, are considered vitamin D 'insufficient.'" (p. 234)

• "Distilling what I learned, I came up with a kind of ultra simple coda: Go outside, often, sometimes in wild places. Bring friends or not. Breathe."    (p. 254)

Not to mention, here's a short list of new (and some not-so-new) environmental terms to consider investigating:

• nature deficit disorder
• forest bathing 
• biophilia 
• task switching (versus "multitasking")
• the science of forest smells 
• natural soundscapes 
• accidental nature (exposure you get to nature without even trying)
• myopia (nearsightedness)
• ecotherapy
• solvitur ambulando (in walking will be solved)
• toddlers are "containerized kids"
• Metro sapiens (what the human species became in 2008, when we crossed to the majority of us living in cities)
• The Nature Pyramid (I'll be writing about this soon!)

So as I've spent the afternoon pondering all of this, here's my next stop: a local park with my family and our overly-energetic dogger. Purposely unplugging us all, and sharing some of my "Nature Fix" finds with them, hoping to re-inspire my very tech-friendly family get out and get what's good for them. For us all!

Images from https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Fix-Happier-Healthier-Creative/dp/0393242714, other images from my phone!

Virtual Valentine

I love The 10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Vicki Davis (aka CoolCat Teacher). 10 minutes is the perfect nugget of knowledge for busy teachers, and I always learn something new.

It's here I learned about Virtual Valentines--just in time for that sweet holiday ahead!

This is a passion project created by Dyane Smokorowski, Michael Soskil, Micah Brown, and Stacey Ryan. Their goal--to connect students around the world, inviting them to a take part in a creative design challenge while learning a little bit along the way, making a global connection.  Authentic audience anyone?! I love the tagline: Melting the Miles Between Classrooms!

There are a slew of creative ideas for your valentines here on this portion of their website.

There are 2 levels of involvement options:

* Level 1: Students create a virtual valentine to share with others who have participated around the world to see work from all over the globe.

* Level 2: Get a partner classroom, research the community your partner class is from AND determine the mileage away they are. Then "virtually meet" via Skype.

But move fast! The registration window is closing--this week! The deadline to register is THIS FRIDAY, FEB. 8th! Click here to register!

Images from http://virtualvalentines.weebly.com/map.html and http://virtualvalentines.weebly.com/

Environmental Films & Documentaries

In the mood for some movies--especially during these chilly days?

Here's a portal for some great eco films and documentaries! Click your computer, set your DVRs, or just make time to hunt down some of these cinematic finds!!

18 Films about Food to Inspire, Outrage, and Mobilize

Top Documentary Films on the Environment

11 Must-Watch Environmental Documentaries From The Last 10 Years

Earth Day Watch List: 17 Films About Sustainability and Climate Change

8 Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Documentaries You Don't Want To Miss In 2018

The Years of Living Dangerously Project

Videos on the National Geographic Years of Living Dangerously Channel

The Best Health Documentaries On Netflix Right Now



Image created at Canva.com.

Erik Jensen Art: Computer Keyboard Artist

Art is a great place to repurpose materials.

Erik Jensen, who's medium is computer keys popped of a keyboard has shown just that! Keyboards often are a commodity that lands in landfills. So Erik salvages the keyboard keys, dyes them, then lays and glues them into designs that become art!

Reminds me of Lego Artist Nathan Sawaya and the maker movement!!

You definitely need to check out his website to see the breadth of his work. A mosaic in keyboard keys (some of which you might recognize.) Cheers to Erik & his upcycled art!

Video from https://www.facebook.com/georgetakeipresents/videos/2138423206471768/ and image from https://www.erikjensenart.com

Recycling Conundrums: The Silver Lining

"Boy oh boy, you sure know how to bring someone down!"

I'm sure that was the general sentiment after reading my last post: Recycling Conundrums: The Dark Part. Reading and writing it, I was feeling it in the pit of my stomach (so I know you were too). But, it was all news that needed to be known. Cower away from it might have been what we wanted to do, but knowledge is power. We needed to become experts on what's going on in the recycling world so that we can make sense of it, and shape the system to serve us.

The good news is this is the Part 2--the bright side--where we can make actionable pieces to go forth and "clean up" our recycling routine to make sure we can get better at doing what we're doing with all the "stuff" that comes in and out of our house.

Here's a little laundry list of pro-active steps we all should take. The first 4 come from 538.com's 1/18/2019 post "How to Make Sure Your Recycling Gets Recycled." Then I added some more to the list. Knowledge is indeed power!

1. Learn Your Local Rules.
Not all programs are created equally. Know what you need to know for where you live.

"I had always figured that if I didn’t know whether a thing was recyclable, I was better off putting it in recycling than in the trash. But the phrase you’ll hear from recycling experts is now 'when in doubt, throw it out.' "

2. Clean Off The Food.
Waste of water? Maybe... but it might be worth the collateral loss of water to save the waste from the landfill. Cans, jugs, bottles, tubs. All of it. Crystal clear isn't necessary, but a rinse for sure. The last thing you want to do is get food scraps from your containers onto the paper products, contaminating those, making them harder--if not impossible--to recycle.


3. Break Down Your Boxes.
All those Amazon boxes (and other home deliveries) have upped cardboard's usage/creation rate 8% over the past 5 years, however recycled cardboard rates haven't kept up. Likewise, that includes taking off the tape, throwing out portions with labels, and even box-cutting them down to regular paper size. That feels like a lot of work that a lot of people won't do, but it'll get things more recycled, less-landfilled, than not.


4. Consume Less.
The no-brainer here. Less consumption means less is wasted. However, in our over-packaged world of sometimes plastic-wrapped apples, that does become harder and harder to do. The word "Reduce" purposely comes first in the "Reduce-Reuse-Recycle" trilogy. Actually, maybe "Refuse" should be the first word in a four-word mantra!


5.  Check out Waste Management's Recycle Often Recycle Right Myth Page.
The Recycle Often Recycle Right Myths Page is a clickable list of major things to consider when it comes to recycling. Perfect for the hands-on and visual learners out there! Additionally, there are videos, printable, school curriculums, and other resources on their website that will help you navigate "what goes where."

6.  Look into WasteDive.

WasteDive's "How Recycling is Changing in All 50 States" page invites you to search for your state and see what's changed. From their reports, the effects of the changes are "heavy" in 13 states, "noticeable" in 28 states (and DC), and "minimal" in 9. Where are things in your neck of the woods? There you will see not only the negative "side effects" of the changes, but also the "changes & solutions" per state.

7. Visit Insider's "Don't Recycle" List

Insider's article "17 Things You Should Never Recycle — Even If You Think You Can" is a great place to get a quick run down of those things that you should automatically trash.  I definitely saw a few things that I need to re-train my family on--paper towels being one of them!

8. Earth911's Recycling Guide

Earth911 has been a great go-to for years to learn where to recycling things--whether it's household or specialty items. Their clickable Recycling Guide will help set the record straight on how and where certain items can be recycled.

9. Investigate Terracycle

Terracycle has turned specialized recycling into an art. Look into their recycled waste streams and see what you want to invest your time in with them. I love their innovation to keep waste out of the landfill!!

It may be a little more effort, and a little more work, but if the goal is a cleaner, more protected planet, it seems like a small price to pay forward!

Images from https://recycleoftenrecycleright.com/myths/ and https://recycleoftenrecycleright.com/ and https://earth911.com/recycling-center-search-guides/

Recycling Conundrums: The Dark Part

Over Christmas when I was home (as in, "my childhood home") visiting my family, we got into a quandary conversation about "where does 'this' go?" The 'this' in question was one of many things--a bottle, the pizza box, foil...you name it. The "where" in question was either "trash" or "recycling." We've all been recycling for years, but it seems as if the rules are always fluid, always shifting as to what "can" and "cannot" be recycled.

Is it a municipality thing?
Is it a real thing?
Is it a "we feel vindicated because we're recycling" thing, but really a "we're being snowed" thing?
Are we making our recycling unrecyclable because we're not putting enough effort into the act (and perhaps "art") of recycling?

At one point years ago, our local recycling was pitching the motto: "when in doubt, recycle it out." (Well, give or take--I added the rhyme.) They wanted to encourage over-recycling, saying they'd sort it out. Having just gone online and checked out their website, they've since come to change their view.

Recycling just doesn't seem easy nor intuitive anymore!

As part of my quest to re-figure out this recycling thing, I checked out a few articles.

538.com's 1/10/2019 article "The Era Of Easy Recycling May Be Coming To An End" reiterated the point that recycling has changed. Single-stream recycling (where we put them all into one bin and let the recycling center sift & sort it out) has made recycling efforts grow from 29% to 80% in the 9 years between 2005 and 2014. However, single-stream is not as cost-effective as it once was. Add in the fact that the mixed mess we are throwing out in that recycling bin can cross contaminate other recyclables, making our recycled items UNrecyclable! We're essentially shooting ourselves in the foot (about 25% of the time), BUT feeling good while we do it, because we wrongly think we are doing something for our planet!

Put plainer: we ultimately have higher rates of recycling happening when it's single-stream, but higher contamination rates too. Which means higher rates of recycling landing in the landfill.

This line struck me;

"There are also electronics and batteries, plastic grocery bags and Christmas lights — all of which can be recycled, but only through specialty drop-off programs, not the curbside bin. There are perfectly recyclable cans and paper coated in food, grease or cleaning fluids that render them unrecyclable. There are plastic bottles full of glass syringe needles that break open at the sorting facilities like a piñata from hell."

Additionally, glass bottles break, water bottles flatten, tin cans get smushed and misread by the machines. Shards of glass wind up enmeshed in cardboard boxes. Even some of the glues, inks and or packing tape wind up fouling up the machines. All of these cause problems, making single-stream more expensive and lowering recycling rates. It's not surprise that communities are starting to move away from one-stop-shopping recycling.

"Even the seven most common types of plastic used in consumer manufacturing–stamped on the bottom with a number inside a triangle–are replete with inconsistent resin composition, color, transparency, weight, shape, and size that complicate and often rule out recycling. For example, a #1 soda bottle has different melt properties than a #1 lettuce container, making the lettuce container a contaminant for the soda bottle. Colored soda bottles cannot mix with clear soda bottles. Yogurt containers cannot mix with milk jugs, even though both are white. Filmy cling wrap can be recycled in theory, but is too often contaminated by food. The limitations are too many to count."

If that didn't make your heads spin right there... just wait. There's more. National Geographic's article China's Ban on Trash Imports Shifts Waste Crisis to Southeast Asia details how China's trash import ban has been a game changer for all of us. For a year now, China (previously the largest importer of plastic waste) stopped buying the majority of what's out there. Their pursuit was for the 99.5% pure plastic trash. That upset a $200 Billion plastic scrap/plastic crap global industry... uprooting a 25 year roll!

But the trash has to go somewhere--and most Americans buy into the "NIMBY" philosophy--"Not In My Backyard! So where has all this recyclable waste gone? Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam,, & Malaysia. And, being "newbies" versus 25 year veterans, the learning curve led straight to overwhelm due to quantity alone!

From the article:

“I hate seeing my country as the dumpsite for the developed world,” said Yeo Bee Yin, whose full title is Minister for Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change, and Environment. She declared that 'no developing nation should be the dumping site for the developed world.' "

Malaysia may now be considered the world's largest importer of plastic trash--and potentially the largest trash heap. Who wants that for their country?! But, perhaps it's the wake up call we all need in terms of thinking about our use of resources in order to help minimize the idea, especially with a potential of 10 billion people on our planet by 2050. The rate of waste is only growing. More people could get us to an increase of 70% over the next 30 years, meaning the garbage problem is only going to get worse!

Economy always rules the game. Especially when it is often exponentially cheaper to ship from the American West Coast to China by boat versus land-transport across our own country. The uncertainty in the recycling markets doesn't help. Additionally, there's now become a market for illegal importation of plastic trash. If there's a potential economy for anything, I suppose there's the potential for an illegal market of "that thing" as well. Sad but true.

So what ARE you supposed to do? Curl up in the fetal position? Bury your head in the sand? Drink ourselves silly? Those strategies, while temporarily comforting, aren't going to help.

Given this feels like the doom & gloom, mind-numbing portion of the program, I hate to stop here. But as you can tell, there IS a lot here. Given that, I'm going to share the silver linings in a secondary post. The good news is there ARE still ways we can take action and rein in the recycling.

For other eye opening articles for your own deeper dive, be sure to check out: 

• Huffington Post's "The Dirty Truth Is Your Recycling May Actually Go To Landfills" 
• WasteDive's "Market Effects Vary By State, But Widespread Agreement Is Recycling Needs to Change"

Images from
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/america-china-recycling-crisis-landfills_us_5b5170b1e4b0de86f48b7740 and https://recycleoftenrecycleright.com/resources/for-home/ and https://harmony1.com/recycling-sustainability-quotes/ and https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/10/14/plastic-waste-govt-forms-committee-to-look-into-recycling-industry/

Martin Luther King, Jr: Day of Service

With Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday next week, this week we shared the following videos with our 5th graders. We focused on the idea of using the day as a day of service--the perfect way to commemorate Dr. King.

We had a secondary activity where students scanned a QR code linked to a Padlet board. Here they could record reflections on the videos, Martin Luther King in general, and their idea of service. Their level of empathy and the commentary was striking.

What will you do this year to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King? 

At the very least, watch these videos. It's always good to remind our selves where we've been historically, and how powerful Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words are in this speech alone. Cheers to a great leader.













Photos from http://www.volunteersanantonio.org/aem/general/event/?doc_id=2373 and http://www.fireyourexcuses.com/tag/martin-luther-king/; Videos from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE&t=72s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKyQV0-z6HE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMhrBKwtbVs; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhQJWvyYn_E; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwEqCWeEQOM; and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMhx8HV4Ozo

How To Not Be (Completely) Depressed About Climate Change by Sarah Lazarovic

I just ran across Sarah Lazarovic's beautifully hand-drawn and poignantly true, illustrated infographic "How To Not Be (Completely) Depressed About Climate Change" on YesMagazine's website.

The title grabbed me, because... let's face it: climate change is not the most uplifting conversation. Focusing long and hard on our planetary decline (especially in the age of deniers and folks that disregard facts) certainly can bring a person down.

Sarah has some good food for thought--and humor to go along the way. Click this link to see the 4-panel infographic in its entirety. My favorite line: "Be bold, but not a buzzkill."

Lazarovic's infographic also ties to another YesMagazine article that includes a book excerpt from Charles Einstein's book Climate: A New Story. The book excerpt (also published January 2019) entitled "Why the Climate Message isn't Working" with the title tagline: "Threats of global catastrophe won't move people to action. Only the heart can inspire zeal.

And...upon digging this up, I ran across some of her other work, that also is good food for thought!

Small Works: Little Actions Everywhere (click the link to see the infographic in its entirety)

The Buyerarchy of Needs (which is on the home page of her website, LongLiveIrony.com ) and her book: A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy

I

mages from https://www.amazon.com/Bunch-Pretty-Things-Did-Not/dp/0143124714; https://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/mental-health/5-ways-small-actions-have-huge-power-20180910, https://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/how-to-not-be-completely-depressed-about-climate-change-20190107, http://longliveirony.com

Zaria Forman: Climate Artist & Activist

This weekend, from the Midwest to the East Coast, snow is coming, temperatures are dropping, and iciness is on the horizon. Typical winter in most of these parts for mid-January. Makes us all shiver at the thought of that "arctic chill," as the meteorologists often describe it.

But what about life in the true arctic? Where that "chill" really is and where glaciers and icebergs truly live?

Climate artist and activist Zaria Forman knows a little bit about that, as she features such extreme locations as Greenland, Antarctica, and Arctic Canada as well as places like the Maldives, Hawaii and more in her pastel drawings.

I learned about Zaria Forman from a former colleague of mine--as she was a former student of his. He was detailing her environmental advocacy in a Facebook post of his. Upon looking into her website, I found that she's both a talented artist and a passionate champion who shares her knowledge, experience, and expertise about climate change through her work. From her website's "About" page, these are some striking accomplishments:

• She's flown with NASA on Several "Operation IceBridge" missions.
• She's been featured on many news shows and multiple publications (including the Smithsonian Magazine, Nation Geographic, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times and links to many more on her press page).
• She's spoken at Amazon, Google, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• She was a National Geographic artist-in-residence aboard their ship "Explorer" to Antarctica.

Below is her TEDTalk, where you clearly see her passion, love of our planet, concern, but also her optimism for the future.

As she states (and I paraphrase): to love nature, you need to know nature, and it is then that you will protect nature. May we all do the same! One way to do this is to be sure to check out her "Reduce Your Carbon Footprint" page while checking out more of her art on her website.

Vi

Photos from https://www.artstar.com/collections/zaria-forman and https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/01/zaria-forman-pastel-icebergs/; Video from https://www.ted.com/talks/zaria_forman_drawings_that_show_the_beauty_and_fragility_of_earth?language=en#t-416899

New Year, New Reads

What was on your Christmas/Holiday Wish List?

Mine was heavy hit with books. And boy oh boy, did I get some good ones:

As a homeroom teacher, my classroom library was one to rival the school library. "Treat books lovingly" has always been one of my messages. No folding back the covers or bending down the corners. Treat them as your friends!

I also always had the Harry Potter books in my class library. Gotta love Scholastic book points! But given I'm more of a fiction or non-fiction versus fantasy reader, I never read them. Nor did I see the movies: "It's not my genre," I always used to say.

But that was until this year, when my Middle School son started reading the series. Simultaneously, we made plans to go to Orlando's Universal Studios over Spring Break to Diagon Alley, Hogwart's Express, and all that's Harry Potter. With our plans to go, I did what I do: I started researching:

• We started a week long binge-fest of watching 6 of the 8 movies.
• This led us to a friendly family competition: who would finish Book #7 first. 
• I started reading book #7 first.... then we went to Universal.
• Then I started the series from the beginning and read all 7, while simultaneously watching the last 2 movies upon our return from Florida.

I. Was. Sucked. In!! And surprised. And stunned by some 20 year surprises that I'd never learned the spoiler. (My kids chastised me, saying, "Mom, where have you been...we knew that! Everyone knows that" How, I asked? You haven't seen the movies. "Mom! The Internet!" But of course! Given that, the philosophy and back stories fascinate me, and the illustrated trio of the first three books are just down right amazing. I'm starting my reread again!

From my techie side, I've got another trio of books. This set though is to help neutralize tech time (for both myself, my family, and my elementary school students), helping us all to balance out screentime in a positive way. I'm eager to dive into those 3 books: "The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place" by Andy Crouch, The Art of Screen Time: "How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real" by Anya Kamenetz, and "Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World" by Deborah Heitner.

All this leads me to my next set of books: More and more, I think the way to offset the over-techification of America is to got back to nature and environmental education. Upon reading Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" as part of our school summer read, my school has created book groups with this and 3 other books in order to create a positive change internally within the school. I opted into a group centered around this book since I feel this and the "teching of America" are two sides of the same coin. Nature will help us neutralize the FOMO associated with technology, yet technology and innovation will help solve some of the environmental issues our world is facing. Given that I'm eager to read The Nature Fix and Love Earth Now: The Power of Doing One Thing Every Day.

And then there's Michelle Obama's book, which I did finish reading over break already. Always interesting to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take a peak into the White House and see what it would be like learning yourself into being a member of the first family. It's always good to embrace hope and optimism too.

Clearly, I'm going to be busy for a while! But what's better than curling up with a good book? 

What's on your reading list for the 2019?

Photo from my camera of my reading stack!

One Word 2019

For the last several years, I've embraced "One Word" as an approach to the New Years and resolutions.

One word to focus on for my year.

Some years, it's more tried and true than others. Some of my words in the past:

8/-ate (2018)
Notice (2017)
Up (2016)
Make (2015)
Change (2014)

So it's 2019. Where do I want to go from here?

My word this year: WIN.

But, because I can't just go with one word and leave it at that, "WIN" has extra meaning as it's an acronym.  WIN:

• What is Necessary?
• When, If Not Now?
• When In Nature...
• What Do I Need?
• What's Important Now?

My hope is that if I'm at a thought crossroad here in 2019, I'll check in with myself. Do I need to lay down my phone/tech? Do I need to stop and reach out to my kids? Do I need to head outside? Do I need to take a break, read a book, do something different? My "WIN" questions should be able to step up and answer what needs to be answered!

What's your "One Word" this year?

Image from http://jongordon.com/books/one-word/;

 and My "Win" image created on Pic EDU and shared here!