Labyrinth Locator

I was reading "Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto" by Tricia Hersey, and among the many poignangt lines in the book, this one particularly struck me: 

It reminded me of a chapter in Annabel Streets' book "52 Ways To Walk" where she discusses getting lost...in a maze. Labyrinths to be specific. Actually, mazes and labyrinths are different, in that mazes have multiple paths that branch off, while a labyrinth is a continual path that leads to center. The purpose, while whenturies old, is to provide the purpose of contemplation, rest, and relaxation. A literal "walking to nowhere" and "somewhere" simultaneously.

As with everything these days, you can find a nearby labyrinth online. Go toLabyrinth Locator, and you have a portal for labyrinths worldwide. A simple search tool lets you hone in on where you are and how far you'd like to travel, and it will show you where the nearest one is in your radius.

Makes me want to locate one and transport there, then wander until I get lost.  Until then....I'll just have to go on walkabout and get lost where I am.

Quote image created at Canva.com; screenshot from https://labyrinthlocator.com/home

Microplastics are Everywhere.

What did you do the last hour? I went to the neighborhood coffee shop to grab a hot green tea and have some quiet time while waiting to go set up for a summer PD class I am teaching some school colleagues. Apparently I also inhaled 16.2 bits of micro plastics. Add that up, that amounts to an inhaled ingestion of microplastics per week, which is equivalent to the amount of plastic in a credit card. Yikes!

Sadly, it's not news (or shouldn't be) that we consume microplastics in our food. Plastic is everywhere. Fish consume plastic from marine debris in the seas. Unfortunately too, plastic can sometimes find its way into farm animals' feed. And, it has also been found in fruits and vegetables.  Those of us who eat (aka: all of us) end up eating whatever it was that they ate.  

Microplastics are classified as any plastic material that is less than 5 millimeters long. They can be produced intentionally (like glitter) or be by-products of degraded plastic.

I learned about this new way of taking in microplastics first by seeing this Instagram post from Plastic Pollution Coalition. From there I found the following article on IFLScience's UK-based website and written by Maddy Chapman: "We Inhale A Credit Card's Worth Of Plastic Each Week - Where Does It All Go?" (June 19, 2023). They referenced the Physics of Fluids study about inhalation of microplastics. The particles, once inhaled, larger were found in the upper airways, including the nasal cavity and the back of the throat. Over the course of a week, this amount totals to being about a credit card sized quantity. 

Thinking it through, not to be gross but that's a lot of icky plastic boogies and phlegm on top of ingested microplastics via food. (And yes, there are studies that indicates microplastics found in human waste and even human blood and breast milk.) Thinking all of THAT through, it certainly has the potential for major health concern over time. Even the thought of 52 credit cards stacked on the table to indicate a year, feels frightening when you consider that all ends up in your system--and all on the microbits of plastic that we eat by way of food consumptions! This definitely indicates we need to take a serious look globally at our plastic production and consumption to address the issue at hand.

Credit card being inhaled image created using the AI text to Image element at Adobe Firefly https://firefly.adobe.com/generate/images?prompt=a+person+inhaling+a+credit+card&style=photo&seed=97454&seed=9162&seed=47619&seed=31438&aspectRatio=square&locale=en-us, Plastic Pollution Coalition Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/plasticpollutes/?hl=en

Summer Solstice 2023

According to Space.com summer officially began today at 10:57 am, EST. (And you thought it was just all day June 21st!) The reason there is an actual, specific time is because it the exact time that the sun is directly overhead 23.5° North Latitude (the Tropic of Cancer). It is for this reason that the first day of summer is the longest day of the year, summer solstice, and the official "first day of summer" and the next season here in the Northern Hemisphere. (This, of course, makes it the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first day of winter.)

What were you doing at 10:57 am EST?

Here, I was in the middle of a professional development class. (Yes, the first week of out of school and beginning of summer vacation). It's a dreary, kind of cool, rainy day and it feels pretty far from being your idyllic sunny, first day of summer. Based on both parts, I have yet to feel like it's actually summer yet... but we needed the rain.

Where I'm at, we scored a 5:38 am sunrise and a 8:37 pm sunset, making our longest day of the year 14 hours, 58 minutes. Not too shabby. Although, it does counter my initial instinct of "Oh no! Now the days are getting shorter! The end is near!😱" I need to kick in the inner conversation: No, no it's not. Just breathe, dear. We have 6 entire months of days getting shorter to get us to winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and December 21st. We have more than just a little time!

To find out just how many daylight hours you have (both here today and every day between now and winter solstice), check out the Farmer's Almanac Sunrise-Sunset Calculator. About as easy as it gets, all you need to do is put in your location and choose your date. Case in point, I'll only have about 10.5 hours of sunlight on my next birthday. Better soak up the sun now while I can!

Images from https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/ and https://www.rochesterfirst.com/weather/weather-blog/the-summer-solstice-means-youre-going-to-have-a-long-day-tomorrow/ (though not in Rochester, the concept is the same)

Happy Father's Day Weekend!

I ran across this and it really spoke to me for Father's Day. Thank you Josh Clark for this 2016 tweet!

May all the meaningful men, fathers, grandpas, uncles, and father's figures in your life be treated like family champions today!

photo screenshot from https://twitter.com/joshclarkis/status/744656537679888385

Father's Day Nature Cards

Father's Day is less than a week away. Are you planned and ready for how to make the father or father-figure in your life feel special?

If not, there's still time to prepare and make a homemade, heartfelt, and nature-themed card. Check out this video created by Mother Natured, then get outside and get your materials (and your puns) and start creating!

(And, there's a companion video for Mother's Day, if you are into planning ahead for next year! 😉)

Video from https://youtu.be/9lM_4A7uLS8 

End of the School Year Reflection

This week marks the end of my school year. I think if I'm counting correctly, it's the end of my 31st year of teaching. I suppose that makes me a well-established veteran teacher. But the funny thing about teaching is that the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. Not to mention, there's always something new in terms of trends (including those from the last few years with remote, hybrid, and pandemic teaching), and kids evolve and change. Kids I'm teaching now in this post-Smartphone & AI-era are much different than those in my first year of teaching in the early 1990s. 

This year I'm tired here at the end of the year. Yes, the end of the school year necessities are always exhausting with report card writing, packing up or tidying up classrooms, post-planning meetings, end of the year extras, and more. But this year feels more exhausting. Again, the past few years have definitely taken their toll as we've crawled to the end of the Covid years. Makes me wonder if we all are still living a little bit in that aftermath still, slightly traumatized. 

But this year too for me has been full of extra challenges. Over the last 11 months I've had two significant knee surgeries, one on each of my knees. Rehabilitating them and experiencing my first FMLA leave a new experience, one that was physically and mentally taxing (prepping sub plans for 6 weeks is never easy). On top of that, we have had 4 deaths in the family over the last 5 months, one of them within the last month, overlapping the end of the school year demands. I had a partner-colleague leave midyear which impacted the nature of my job (and my location within the school building, which means packing up my space), and we've been training his replacement--all of which will be good, but of course it takes time. And then there's the part of me which is the mom, wife, daughter, in-law, sister, friend ... all of which has its own separate demands too.

Maybe it should be of no surprise that I'm tired!!! It's been a year!

I think that this what happens to all of us. Every year has its typical rhythms and cadences, but every year is always so different by its own specific details, impacts, events, surprises, and anniversaries. Every year, your students/your classes are different, each with their own needs and challenges, making no class ever the same. Thinking about that, it strikes me that I've probably been 31 different teachers in my 31 years of teaching--perhaps even more considering summer positions and camps along the way. 

Teachers get some grief about being off for 3 months of the summer. In my personal experience, the days of "3 month-summers" have dwindled to just barely two. The demands on teachers and their plates over the years have also grown significantly. In some ways, it seems teachers are expected to be superhuman with a slew of added responsibilities. This poster kind of sums it up: 

So if you know a teacher, go gentle on them at this time of year. They may be hanging on by a thread.

And if you are a teacher, go gentle on yourself. Your summer has come (or is coming soon). Take time for you. Rest and catch up with yourself, so you can be right and ready and rejuvenated this fall. You've earned it! 

Images from https://www.svgheart.com/product/schools-out-for-summer-end-of-school-sayings-svg-file/, https://educationtothecore.com/2022/05/22-relatable-end-of-the-year-teacher-memes/,  https://i.pinimg.com/736x/82/43/2c/82432c3a8e3b501dc5a87b0fd8e2c346.jpg and https://www.weareteachers.com/wp-content/uploads/Feature-Image.jpg

All Roads Still Leading To AI

It really does seem like everywhere I turn here, even at the end of the school year, that all roads lead to AI (that's "Artificial Intelligence" to anyone who may be living under a rock). 

I'm taking a one-day workshop this summer on the subject, and it seems like every other email I get to my school email address is inviting me to attend another. The offerings are growing like gangbusters, fast and furious--as are the AI websites (for teaching, in particular).After reading The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education (The Hitchhiker's Guide for Educators Series), and perusing the Facebook feed of the The AI Classroom group, it's definitely clear that part of my summer (when the R&R is well underway and I start getting back in the groove of reading for professional development again) that I need to spend some time investigating the growing number of sites out there dedicated to AI.

This post in particular from The AI Classroom Facebook Group has led me on my latest detective investigatons. This graphic by Dan Fitzpatrick (one of the Admin of The AI Classroom FB page and also one of the authors of the book) is fascinating. 

Here are the links to these websites for you to start your own investigation. I have a feeling this is a "to be continued" kind of conversation in the months/year ahead!

Teachable Machine

GrobotsAI

Packback

Teaching AIssistant (notice that extra 'I'...it's important!)

WowTo

And, while running across the websites for those 5, I ran across this article from Ditch That Textbook: "30 AI Tools for the Classroom." Then I got a link for this teacher resource from Richard Byrne in his Practical EdTech eNewsletter I get weekly.

Yes, this is definitely going to be an ongoing conversation!!!!

Photos screenshots from administrator and author Dan Fitzpatrick's post in The AI Classroom Facebook Group, a public group anyone can join.

June 5: World Environment Day

It's not an advertised fact that June 5th annually is World Environment Day. This truly is unfortunate give that it has been around now as a designated UN General Assembly global day since 1972. 51 years since it was established, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first celebration in 1973 where the slogan was "Only One Earth."

50 years later, there is STILL only one Earth, and yet it faces a lot of hardships in many ways, but particularly from and environmental standpoint.

This year, World Environment Day is hosted by Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands. The theme: "Solutions to Plastic Pollution." You can follow the social media hashtags at #BeatPlasticPollution. You can learn more about the necessary and nefarious effects of plastic by watching this video below, as well as watching and reading the United Nations Environmental Programme's visual feature here. Big takeaway: globally we produce about 400 MILLION tons of plastic pollution a year!

For resources to learn even more, check out the following:

• Get Involved: Get Solutions (3 more interesting videos [on local governments, business & finance, and people & communities] and a wealth of other info in their Practical Guide.

• Read the UNEP Report on how we can reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040 & watch the video here at "Turning Off the Tap: How the World Can End Plastic Pollution and Create a Circular Economy

• Learn more about Côte d'Ivoire hosting this year (and watch another fabulous video) at this link.

World Environmental Day Logo from https://socenv.org.uk/theme-announced-world-environment-day-2023/, Video from https://youtu.be/-wp99xFa76U

2023 Graduation Season

I've been feeling a little contemplative and reflective lately. I think the end of the school year has you doing that, much in the same way a funeral does the same. Hence the need for graduation speeches and eulogies for both of those events. Wise words to transition to the next step along the way.

If done well, a good eulogy and a good graduation speech stick with you for a long time.

Given that, when I ran across a few articles about graduation speeches from this year, it really struck me that these are all good words to live by. Some are wise. Some reverent. Some irreverent, but equally wise! 

May they serve as inspiration!

The Guardian's Michael Cantor's article: " 'To the Class of 2023, I Say Three Words: You Poor Bastards’: The Year’s Best Graduation Speeches ~Included here are excerpts and video from the following:

• Patton Oswalt ~ actor & comedian, at William & Mary
• Isabel Wilkerson ~ journalist & author, at Occidental College
• Raphael Warnock ~ Georgia senator, at Bard College
• Tom Hanks ~ actor, at Harvard University
• Karine Jean-Pierre ~ White House press secretary, at Rice University
• Sanna Marin ~ Finnish prime minister, at New York University
• Nikole Hannah-Jones ~ journalist & author, at Spelman College
• Oprah Winfrey ~ talkshow host, actor & producer, at Tennessee State University
• Lester Holt ~ journalist, at Villanova University
• Mae Jemison ~ astronaut, at University of Delaware

GatesNotes: The Blog of Bill Gates: 5 Things I Wish I Heard at the Graduation I Never Had

Image created at www.canva.com

Have a Meaningful Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer. For many, sumer is the time when they really get out and explore nature. With the thrill of summer ahead (especially for teachers and students who are wrapping up their school year), summer is like the promised land.

But, rather than lumping this weekend right in with summer, I hope you find time this long weekend to honor, remember, and celebrate those who have fought for our country.

Image created at Canva.com

ABCs of Artificial Intelligence

Earlier this month I posted that I was reading "The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education" by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, and Brad Weinstein. Since writing that, I have finished the book and it has given me both a lot of AI websites to investigate, and a lot of food for thought.

One of the things I have been thinking a lot about, especially when talking with people who are still very new to the concept of AI (and often times bringing the mega fear factor of "why would we open this Pandora's box?!"), is the fact that we have actually had artificial intelligence swirling about quite a bit over the last decade. Many times in subtle ways, but also in a great number of ways we haven't even considered as algorithms give us that "thing" we just so happen to be thinking about or discussing.

Given that, what has begun swirling about in my mind is an ABC list of AI, to show that while yes, it is a very powerful and growing phenomenon, it's been here for awhile!

Alexa and autocorrect

Big data and built-in bias (based on the models AI can be fed)

ChatGPT & other Chatbots

Deep fakes (where a video has been altered digitally and is believable with the intention to spread misinformation)

Email & document programs predicting your sentences you are about to type.

Facial detection & recognition 

Google search advertisements (based on your previous searches)

Healthcare-related AI virtual assistants which buy nurses and pharmaceutical companies (and those of us who use them) back time and money.

Instagram, Facebook, social media, & search algorithms

Jobs: machine learning engineers, data scientists, and natural language processing (NLP) engineers

Kitchens with voice activated lights, coffee pots, and reverse-engineered image to recipe generation

Language learning chatbots

Maps & navigation (it's more than just GPS)

Netflix's viewing suggestions

Opening your phone with Face ID 

Predictive text

Quantitative data processing in financial institutions which can apply automation and anti-fraud systems

Robotics like Roomba vacuums and more

Siri, "smart" home devices, and self-driving cars and other autonomous vehicles

Text-to-Image, Text-to-Audio, Text-to-Code, and more

Universe: Taking us beyond this planet to outer space. The Mars Rover is a great example.

Voice generators and voice-to-text technology

Wetware, or cybersecurity slang for the human element of IT (versus "hardware" or software")--human error accounts for most of the problems in tech data breeches

X, Y, & Z....These got hard. For them, go to Joe the IT Guy & his A-Z list!

Image from https://www.amazon.com/Classroom-Artificial-Intelligence-Education-Hitchhikers/dp/1959419110/ref=sr_1_1? and https://innovationorigins.com/en/hey-siri-please-stop-using-your-artificial-intelligence-for-a-moment-our-weekly-recap/

World Bee Day: May 20th

Since 2017, the United Nations has commemorated May 20th as World Bee Day to draw attention to bees (and other pollinators) to showcase how vitally important they are to our food system. The date was chosen to commemorate Anton Janša, a beekeeper and bee expert from Slovenia (born in 1734).

This year's theme is "Engaging in Pollinator-Friendly Agricultural Production" to heighten awareness how valuable pollinators are to flowering plants--many of which are major food items in our groceries such as fruits and vegetables, and even nuts and seeds. A healthy bee population indicates strong biodiversity, which is important in many ways to our planet's ecosystems....not to mention our human health!

In fact, it is estimated that about 75% to 95% of our Earth's flowering plants need help with pollinations. Yes, bees and butterflies too, but also moths, flies, beetles, wasps, bats, and small mammals can help with this task of moving pollen from one plant to another. Potentially this accounts from anywhere from "1.2 and 5.4 billion dollars in agricultural productivity in the United States." 

"Without bees to pollinate crops, yields on about 35% of agricultural land worldwide would suffer, and 87 of the world's leading food crops would be affected."

To further highlight the importance of bees and Unesco's Women for Bees organization, program godmother Angelina Jolie was in a March 2021 photoshoot of National Geographics photographer Dan Winter's to bring attention to the importance of bees. No surprise, it has resurged this year in honor of World Bee Day.

To learn more, check out...

• The United Nations' World Bee Day homepage
• Protecting Bee's website's 25 Facts About American Wild Bees
  
• The International Federation of Beekeepers' Association
• Apimondia’s Trees for Bees Campaign
  
• For a list of pollinator dependent foods, go to Pollinator Partnership's list of over 30 foods.
• Unesco's Women for Bees website 

Image from https://www.apimondia.org/world-bee-day.html, https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day, video from https://youtu.be/5d5BYpyq79c

One Green Thing: Top Take Aways from the Book

Earlier this year I wrote a post all about the seven service superpowers from One Green Thing--Heather White's book and website. Created to help combat eco-anxiety, Heather uses this assessment tool to help focus people to their strengths and point them in the direction of inspired activism.

Earlier this winter I read her book. It was excellent. Not only does it talk about eco-anxiety, what it is and how to cope with it, but it gives some very actionable ideas, all centered around the 7 "service superpowers." [To learn more about that, check out my post on that subject.]

While my highlights were many, here were the elements I found most striking and serve as my top 6 thematic takeaways (and reasons why you should read her book for more information).

The Bad News First. 

But don't worry, as there is a lot of good news too.

Eco Anxiety Is on the Rise

One thing Heather quoted was "The Eco-Anxiety Trifecta" which she said is comprised of "anxiety, loneliness, and environmental stress" (p.145 from Heather White's book, One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Save the Planet). [All quotes from this book will be tied to parenthetical page numbers.] She's largely talking about Generation Z (aka: anyone born after 1997) With generalized anxiety, suicide, and depression on the rise since 2011--along with increased screen time and then a pandemic--anxiety and loneliness go hand and hand. (paraphrased from p. 145). Since 2018, the United Kingdom has had a "Minister for Loneliness" (and other countries like Japan are beginning to follow suit). Layer in the fact that people and news outlets are finally now talking about the climate crisis (whereas for years it was a largely absent news topic), it has given our Gen Z'ers a lot of concern about what we adults have left them. 

Striking Statistics

These statistics startled me.

• "Only 8% of plastics are recycled." (page 6)
• "A study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund found that we eat about a credit - card size worth of plastic each week." (p. 196) 
• "Most families throw out 3 kg [6.6 pounds] of otherwise edible food a week." (p. 267) This then leads to the following two statistics: 
• "Food waste generates 8% of global carbon emissions." (p. 181)
• “If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest emitter of CO2, after China and the United States. ” (p.181)
• "The fashion industry contributes 10% of global carbon emissions." (I)

All of this leads me to think (after a decade of writing this blog): How is this possible? Shouldn't the numbers be so much different after so many years? Shouldn't we be doing better? As with politics, I'm finding we aren't always as quick to learn or move in a forward direction as I think we should. Some of this is due to greenwashing. We feel like we are doing a great job because we are "recycling," but recycling is a complicated system, and many of our infrastructures can't handle it all...leaving us to believe we are nobly doing the right thing for our environment, but then things start falling through the cracks.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity keeps our planet healthy. Unfortunately, as animal species diminish, we start creating a less diverse plant and animal system, which sadly then can create major issues. This is called "zoonosis" where habitat distruction and overcrowding leads all more susceptible to disease. Insert pandemic outbreaks here. (Paraphrased from p. 220-221.) Because of this, we need to work to protect our threatened, vulnerable, and endangered plants and animals from higher levels of endangerment and extinction.

Climate Justice
Social justice is tied to environmental justice. The climate crisis leads to greater incidents of extreme weather like drought, wildfires, hurricanes, as well as water pollution. This then can impact more and more people. "Malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition  and heat stress will be the biggest causes of death." (p. 135) Sadly, the biggest countries for polluting wind up heavily impacting other smaller more vulnerable countries. So wealthier countries like the US who are creating some of the bigger problems are gifting these other countries a pretty crummy gift.

Additionally, within our own country, it tends to be the black, indigenous, people of color who are living in poorer areas, near harmful factories spewing off waste and polluting the air. They are further from the green spaces, making the areas concrete, heat jungles more so than white neighborhoods, so overall health is worse, and as a population, they are more vulnerable. Equity and climate change and justice go hand in hand. (Paraphrased from p. 158)

The Good News, As Promised!

The "Brené Brown of Environmentalism"
The Foreword of One Green Thing was written by Erin Brockovich. Might have heard of her. She called Heather "the Brené Brown of the environmental movement because she makes environmental action personal, doable, and joyful" [Forward, page x] It is through the collective action of small steps which grow upon each other that momentum is created. Fun and easy repeatable habits become rituals, making it more likely for you to keep doing it. The more you do it, the more you inspire others to do it. These are the basic tenets of Heather White's philosophy. (Paraphrased from page 6-10.)

With each of the 7 superpowers in the book, she dedicates a chapter to each. She also gives concrete coping methods to help you decompress (in ways that are ideal for each "superpower"), while also giving you ideas on how to be energized to work for our planet. She also invites laughter, joy, community, creativity, and humor. Even if it is laughing at yourself, it opens up for a release and helps you embrace both the positive gains and helps make the difficult times more manageable. (Paraphrased from p. 148.) I know I for one had lost a little bit of the joie de vivre with the monotony of the pandemic. We need to remind ourself that we all feel better with a little bit of laughter. Yes, things can be difficult and overwhelming and serious... but life was meant to be lived, and that includes laughing and lighthearted approaches too. Especially if it helps us maintain our motivation and our momentum!

The Benefits of Being Outside

When we get outside and connect to nature, it provides a lot of benefits. It addresses our stress, slows our breathing, and can increase our general sense of health and wellness. Even just 5 minutes of time outdoors can lower our blood pressure. It's all about balance--we live live indoors and online and 24-7 connected. Our physical, mental, and emotional health need a break. We are made to spend time outdoors--walking, observing, and taking part in nature. More schools are connecting educational programs with environmental and outdoor education. (Yay! Maryland was listed, alongside with Oregon & California, as being leaders!) This in turn helps students strengthen their critical thinking skills. (Paraphrased from page 225.) In order to create generations of kids who care about nature, we need to get them out there and show them what it is like to be an environmental steward.

Small Steps Make a Big Difference & Final Thoughts

Some of us get stopped (by our own selves) when we feel we can't "do it all" or make a huge difference or do it perfectly. We may fall into the rut of a "what's the point" mentality. But the collective, small green things all add up. Take for instance this statistic: "Close to 70% of Americans are experimenting with more plant-based protein." (p. 180) This is powerful when you look at the following fact: "the ten most climate-damaging foods, in order from most to least harmful based on emissions required to produce them, are beef, lamb, butter, shellfish, cheese, asparagus, pork, veal, chicken, and turkey." (p. 180) Any flexitarian approach to reducing your meat intake helps the planet. Do you need to go all out vegan or vegetarian? No! Every little thing helps. Taking on small green actionable things feels wholeheartedly doable. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. In between counts.

This book is full of the many ways you can take small steps to make a difference. I love that it's geared to fit your personality through these 7 superpowers, meaning you can more easily be guided to what feels natural. Just think of the collective difference we all could make if we did just one green thing!

Book image from https://www.amazon.com/One-Green-Thing-Discover-Hidden-ebook/dp/B09D7J665V, screenshot of 7 superpowers from https://www.onegreenthing.org/profilesoverview, Van Gogh quote from https://cmpdigitalupdate.com/-Quote--71--Thought-Provoking-Tuesday, eco-anxiety image from https://climate-creativity.com/blog/eco-anxiety-article/, biodiversity image from https://www.safeworldhse.com/2020/04/biodiversity-types-importance-loss-conservation.html

Happy Mother's Day

With it being Mother's Day weekend, I was thinking of my mom, of being a mom to my children, to the grandmothers in my children's lives, and to all the other moms who are out there in so many ways: aunts, friends of family, confidantes, and more. We are moms to our kids in our classroom, in the same way that female coaches are to their athletes, and day care providers are to their little ones. 

All of those thoughts led me to this poem by Denise McKay, which strikes a chord to the heart of what it means to be a mother.

Honor and celebrate all your mothers out there this Mother's Day.

Poem art from https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/list-poetic-terms-used-poem-give-example-term-identified-point-form-list-comparisons-mothe-q68950364 

Eco-Literature

I ran across 2 articles that got me thinking about the genre of "eco-literature:"

• The Wire's: "Could Eco-Literature Be the Next Major Literary Wave?" by literary critic Rajesh Subramanian
• Lit Hub's "Beyond Apocalypse: How the New Eco-Literature Points Toward Ways of Reshaping Our Consciousness" By Alan Rossi (9-21-2022) 

As an avid reader, the concept of "eco-literature" definitely has its draw for me. I loved the older elementary aged students Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French. Carl Hiaasen's "eco-adventure" books for young adults are always entertaining, as are the Calpurnia Tate series. I also adore a slew of picture books with an environmental slant. 

But I will say, "cli-fi" (= climate fiction) actually brings about a little more fear factor to my heart than even sci-fi does. I instantly picture the apocolypse and raging oceans sweeping down buildings. I worry about this genre--how depressing are these books going to be? Eco-anxiety is already at an all time high, along with the pandemic of mental health problems that seems to have followed the Covid pandemic. 

I've read a lot of environmental non-fiction books, and they all talk about how important it is to take action and how that is a major way to counter the doom and gloom. (Case in point, my posts on "A Trio of Messengers on Hope" and Heather White's One Green Thing book). I've read some non-fiction books that did not have this focus, and I felt like I was walking away with a slight state of despair. There needs to be some element of hope or inspiration, otherwise what is the take away? That the world will be wrecked if we don't do something. For those of us who are drawn to environmental issues, we already know that. More doom and gloom just kills all motivation and leads to doomscrolling our phone in a blob on the couch.

So, when I encountered these two articles about eco-literature, I instantly wondered if a good ol' fashioned rom-com read of escapism was what might better soothe my soul rather than the apocalypse of climate disaster. Secondarily, I took inventory of my list of books mentioned above. Perhaps the common denominator here are they are all books for pre-teens and teens, and maybe that's where the doom and gloom stays away!

But I read the articles anyway. And I didn't walk away frightened.

In The Wire's article by literary critic Rajesh Subramanian , cli-fi is defined as such:

"Cli-fi often ventures into the realms of sci-fi and/or speculative fiction when the narrative gets rooted in future or in an imaginary geographical locale. The litmus test is how far such fiction evokes in the reader a sense of urgency towards an action to save the environment, or, if they are capable of leaving a deep impression to humans conscious of their role in saving the earth."

He goes on to write:

"Eco-lit needs to delve deeper into portrayals of how environmental degradation leads to human agony, suffering and displacements; how citizens turn into refugees within their own country; how economic and political exploitation turn human life upside down and jeopardise the environment, thereby making it unsuitable for life in future. But it needs to be done as literature, as human stories of subtlety, not just the sterile badgering of activism."

Of course, it takes me back to high school English class and all the general themes of conflict in novels:

• 
  Man versus Man
  
• Man versus Nature
• Man versus Self
• Man versus Society
• Man versus Supernatural
• Man versus Technology

Clearly, Man versus Nature as a thematic conflict isn't new.

Rajesh Subramanian goes on to discuss how it can't be moralistic or dogmatic, which some writings can take this slant. I felt that when I read The Overstory, and it felt heavy. 

As Alan Rossi explained in the Lit Hub article, "With the climate crisis as its animating force, new books are asking new questions about what it means to be a mind experiencing a world in crisis."

The world is in crisis. In more ways than one. So looking at that through the lens of books and characters and how they deal with it, maybe there are things to learn not only about the world, but about ourselves, in reading books with this slant. He goes on to analyze several books and how their themes are allegories to the environmental crisis in some ways. Interesting food for thought. In one book discussion in particular, he discusses how it focuses on how do the characters go about taking action.

He ends with a great quote about this genre:

"In this way, the new eco-literature is not just about the pending apocalypse or dystopia or climate change alone. Rather, these books are about how we encounter the world, which means they are about our minds. Everything begins in our consciousness, and these books point toward ways of reshaping that consciousness in order to really encounter the vast thing we’re changing."

Images created at Canva.com

Appreciating Teachers

Teaching is a tough vocation. People go into teaching (and stay in teaching), because they have a passion for watching minds grow, they are filled with optimism, and they hope to make a difference. But many people leave teaching because of the workload:  limited planning periods, state and district curricular standards and requirements, stacks of papers to grade, emails and phone calls to parents, standardized testing, creative problem solving and managing a room full of different individuals and emotions. In fact, researchers have noted that teachers make about 1,500 decisions a day (which breaks down to about 4 per minute in the typical classroom).

No wonder we come home tired! And, not surprising that many people leave the profession. Especially in the last few years after the educational demands of remote and hybrid teaching during Covid.

After 30+ years of teaching in at least 6 different schools (both public and independent), I abide by the fact that teachers are some of the hardest working people I know. We're certainly not in it to make our millions, but the dedication I have seen in so many colleagues is astounding. Even on our hard days (weeks, months, or years), we still go back... knowing it doesn't get any easier as the challenges change daily. Additionally, they change over time as new situations (like the integration and expansion of technology both in our classrooms and society) change up the challenges. No two days are ever alike.

For you teachers out there...

This year, it came with a bit of confusion. Teacher Appreciation Day is always the first Tuesday in May--this year, May 2nd. Since 1984, Teacher Appreciation Week annually falls on the first full week of May starting on Sunday--so May 8-12th this year (or May 7-13th, depending on how you look at it). Take for instance President Biden's 2023 Executive Order that he issued, proclaiming the week to be May 7-13, 2023. (This, by the way is a good read, if you haven't read it yet.)

Whether you celebrated Teacher's Appreciation Day or Teacher's Appreciation Week, I hope you feel appreciated. Honored. Celebrated. Important. We do a hard job... and we make it look easy. (And, I chuckle at the things we have to say daily that most people have probably never uttered.) Take time to celebrate you, my teacher friends!  Even better...celebrate with your own teacher friends and toast each other!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week.

Images from https://www.mrsbeattiesclassroom.com/2018/03/how-to-maintain-your-love-of-teaching.html and https://www.nea.org/TAW  

The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education

My latest read is The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education (The Hitchhiker's Guide for Educators Series) by Dan Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, Brad Weinstein. Given it was published March 23, 2023, which is about a month ago, it is about as current as you can get. But, even given that, ChatGPT-4 came out (as of March 13, 2023), and ChatGPT-5 may be out be end of 2023.

The world is moving fast! Which can be scary. As I shared in my March 29th post "Chasing Life Podcast Season 6: The Science of How Tech Is Impacting Our Brains" and in reference to seeing author Tom Friedman, people are resistant to change--especially when it comes with the speed of tech, globalization, and environmental climate change. Takes you to that old adage: "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." 

As the book points out--the future is here and the future is now. And it brings about a lot of thinking about ethics. Not only when it comes to AI/Artificial Intelligence and the power of chatbots. Same is true when it comes to genetic research and editing with CRISPR (= "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats"), animal testing, human medical trials, weapon development, and the idea of space colonization. A lot of this sounds like it come right from a sci fi movie or Star Trek episode. But, tracking the timeline of major inventions over the last 100-125 years, we have had a lot of innovation and change. Smart phones, computing, modes of transportation, medicine...innovation equal change. 

While I'm still mid-book with my reading, I'm fascinated by and curious how AI will impact schools. In some ways, I'm glad I teach technology in the elementary school. In some ways, it feels like we are still young and insulated. But even thinking about digital citizenship alone, with the prevalence of phones, computers, and other technology in every space and place for kids these days (schools, home, beyond), the trickle down is there. What used to be high school problems can now be middle school problems with social media and tech connection at play. In that same way, what was once primarily 6th-8th grade digital drama is now moving its way down to 4th and 5th graders' friendship issues. I'm sure it is the same with AI.

It's a good thought experiment for sure, yet I also am enjoying the practical side of this book as well. The book also focuses in on 4 major sections that can help maximize the effectiveness of AI for teacher productivity and teaching critical thinking skills: "The AI Uprising" (including that part about the future is now), "The AI Educator" (and what that looks like for teachers now), "The AI Tool Repository" (listing tools you can use immediately), and "The AI Horizon" (looking forward to where we go next in this AI world).

I highly recommend the book for anyone in education.... and for parents of curious kids. 

Kids are digital native and have been for the last 20+ years. It's important to see what kids will most certainly find fascinating, and it's a good way to get maybe one step ahead of them. Not to mention, this book and it's analysis of where we already are with AI is about as close to a crystal ball as we may get!

Image from https://www.amazon.com/Classroom-Artificial-Intelligence-Education-Hitchhikers/dp/1959419110/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ai+in+the+classroom&qid=1681567313&sprefix=ai+in+%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1 and the second one was created at www.canva.com

Nature Activities for Kids

Because Earth Day should really be everyday....

Because spring has spring.... 

Because kids need to be outside more and get more Vitamin N...

And because I absolutely love this graphic....

graphic from https://www.facebook.com/MindShift.KQED/posts/pfbid02Rn8AZxPQSoAWiSa1PkqyQjepk1LG58Zjxa9GYEMAtUyuBqBgbMFZvZVMmVNmQyXFl

Just in Time for Earth Day: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All

On Earth Day this past Saturday, I was delighted to run across this post on social media from the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

I love that the White House issued this the day before Earth Day! As I have learned more and more over the past decade about environmentalism, it has been striking how much a part of it is tied to environmental justice. NIMBY is a real thing, and it impacts black and brown communities and those less affluent in many ways! 

NIMBY, by the way, stands for "not in my backyard," which is a philosophy of many of where we want -- and need -- different global solutions, but people don't want them in their backyard. Classic examples include subsidized housing, waste facilities, factories, wind or solar farms, homeless shelters, and more. Typically the ones complaining and who are heard, are also the ones with power, influence, voice, money, and majority. So more often than not, these items appear in lower income neighborhoods, where the negative impacts affect minorities disproportionately to those in the majority. Additionally, these populations also feel the greater impact of climate change.

Hence the need for environmental justice!

To read the White House Fact Sheet of Biden's Executive Order, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, click here.

Additionally, among the many facets of the executive order, Biden and the EPA have released the draft for "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution." Open to the public for comment, this 41 page document (that you can access online), highlights the following 3 quoted objectives and proposed actions from page 1 of the document:

1. Reduce pollution during plastic production
2. Improve post-use materials management
3. Prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment.

Marine pollution is certainly a problem that even if we tackle it today, there is pollution and waste that is out there that will still make its way into waterways over time. 

Commitment such as both of these major moves is worth celebrating and I'm proud that Biden and the EPA unleashed it right during Earth Day season. It's time we start making forward movement collectively in favor of our planet!

Facebook post from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=606086091547046&set=a.478972317591758 and https://sustainability.uconn.edu/environmental-justice/ and https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/5-ways-we-can-improve-ocean-health/

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!  What will you do today?

Infographic from https://elearninginfographics.com/10-ways-to-make-everyday-earth-day/

Earth Day Videos You've Been Looking For

With Earth Day this Saturday ahead, odds are high that classrooms all over are talking about Earth Day either this week or even next ... or both. Here are some last minute visual finds that might be just what you are looking for in your classroom, no matter what level you teach:

Early Elementary

You can also find more at this link to SimplyKinder.

Middle to Upper Elementary

Middle School, High School, or Older

Earth Day Animated in 5 minutes is also pretty cool. Click here to watch as the creator does not allow playback on other websites.

Image created on canva.com and Videos from: https://youtu.be/IkBRbiRyeuU; https://youtu.be/BIRJgGgqSgU; https://youtu.be/YKhRmZskj9k; https://youtu.be/HnepmcAt1JA; https://youtu.be/qtyBzFV9yTs; https://youtu.be/RNFIPZE5KEg;https://youtu.be/PL31i1cu22U; and https://youtu.be/b6LUaGy1ChA