One teacher. One world. Sustainability. Eco-friendly. Classroom-friendly. Teacher-friendly. Green-school friendly. Parent-friendly. Kid-friendly. World-friendly. Planet-friendly.
What can we do to increase the likelihood that this one li'l world will be here eons from now? Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or just someone who firmly believes that every tiny bit helps, let's check it out together & be part of the solution rather than adding to the problem!!
Saturday was Global Wind Day. It is every year, annually June 15th. Yes, I know, here after Father's Day, I'm 2 days late and at least 2 dollars short. But, that doesn't mean it's too late to learn a little bit about it, and wind power.
Anyone who has experienced a "Bad Hair Day" on account of the wind, knows the power of wind power. Same holds true for anyone who has set sail in a sailboat, or seen the damage in Oklahoma this past month--wind can do a lot. This infographic is good for putting it all in layman's terms. Check it out!
Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink....a saying that sums up this salty, watery planet of ours. At about 71% of our planet, we're "blue" for a reason--the oceans abound, rich with wildlife.
June 8th annually is World Ocean's Day. This year's annual theme: "Together we have the power to protect the ocean!"
Check out some of the many great things you can do to celebrate World Oceans day by way of learning, appreciating, and honoring that 71% that surrounds us over at http://worldoceansday.org/. It's a super stopping spot for resources!
Graduation season is upon us, and the season of commmencment speeches. My daughter, graduating from 5th grade, is even giving one, a few days away.
'Tis the season of reflection, the state of transition and change.
And perhaps even a hanky or 2!
As a teacher, this time of year is always a time of assessment--for students and teacher alike. Report card season begs the question of where we are, and what we still need to work on. From the teacher-side, again, it's a question of where we are, what worked, what didn't--both personally and professionally. These are the times that always get you thinking!
In a way, it's like being "reptilian," this "being a teacher" thing: As you wind up the year in your class, you also begin wondering how you are doing, which "skins" are worth saving, and which ones you want to shed. Some things, not all things, are keepers for next year. The same holds true for personality traits, moods, and habits of behavior: as a teacher, which ones are worth saving, and which are worth shedding?
It doesn't take much to get me in a wistful and thoughtful mood, especially here at the end of the year. Especially when you have a graduation speech or 5 on your brain like I do.
I have an elementary-aged girl, who is going to middle school in the fall, complete with the presentation of a speech she wrote. Times 10. I taught 10 of the 13 students in her class, including my girl herself. That alone serves as a double-hanky event!
This year is the last time my 2 kids will be in the same school at the same time. Ever. It's all my li'l buddy knows, is to be there with his sister. In a way, me too, since we started the school the same year, my graduate and I.
This week on "My Radio Show" (as I like to dub my morning musical brain space), Bert and His Crew of 2 more each wrote commencement speeches to "the powers that be." They were powerful indeed. (and though I'm finding Bert interesting--especially since I listened to him years ago on MIX 107.3, I'm so missing my Jack Diamond morning show terribly! But I digress):
Lastly, I'm just coming off of a reread ofRandy Pauch's "The Last Lecture" book. As a man who was dying of Pancreatic Cancer back in 2008, he has a poigniant perspective.as he says goodbye to his trio of "under 7" set. I have decided that "The Last Lecture"should be seen/heard/read--as a COMMAND PERFORMANCE--annually, by everyone! Period. Exclamation Point. No questions. There are so many pearls of wisdom in there, and it helps to see things straight....as well it should be.
So this season, I open up a challenge to you. Write your own "last lecture," graduation speech, commencement address..whatever you want to call it. Really look at what you would write--what you feel is important on a human level! Then reread it...really READ it! But more importantly "HEAR" it! Then, live it!! Insert "Pomp and Circumstance here!"
(And yes, this is a "continuation of a theme for anyone who has been playing along, taking notice, or who is equally wrapped in this graduation season ahead!!) See: GTG's "Balancing a Life, a Blog, and a 3 Day Weekend".
Lately, there's been some great eco news in and around Anne Arundel County Maryland--that kind of good news worth sharing. Some of it has involved "Yours Truly"...other is just plain great things going on in Maryland regarding environmental education. Check it out!
Yes, I still DO write an environmental education blog (with a twist of edtech on the side). It's been awhile, so I know some of you have been wondering about that!
No,I'm not on a hiatus or sabbatical... just in a current chasm: I have fallen, and I can't get up! That's what you get at the end of a school year. (Less than 2 wks away, but who's counting?)
This past week, my earliest bedtime was the wrong side of midnight, and some nights well past that. Time and responsibilities and soccer practice and cooking dinner and doing the laundry and paying the bills and being Single Mom while Dad was in Canada for work....no wonder I've been up late! Then after the kids go to bed, there's still the grading of papers, the planning of lessons, and the attempt (even at the end of the year) to be a teacher who still creates things which will actively engage her school kids.
The bigger problem is that I haven't figured out a way to turn off that side of me that wants to be the "human sponge"... That part that wants to be soaking in information from everywhere about everything! So in the still of the night when all are snuggled in bed, I find myself strolling in Cyberspace for all sorts if things to satisfy my perpetual mental quests.
It's been said before: there are not enough hours in the day!!!
Yet, at some point there's a breaking point of exhaustion. A point where the best solution is to sleep--to sleep in the same way we eat popcorn at the movies: voraciously! Or you find yourself deep in the need to go off and wonder the woods for a getaway!
There's more to this brain space, but I have a 3 day weekend ahead, so it'll have to wait. No doubt, it'll crop up here in my blogosphere in the next few weeks.
So here during this Memorial Day weekend, in addition to taking some time to think about the real reasons we should be celebrating this weekend, check yourself. That's my plan. At the crossroads of "Work" and "Relax," which way will you find yourself not only pointing, but going?
Maybe I'll see you there!!
Image from http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/academicskillscoaching/scrap-time/work-relax/
Now I think he answers the calls of downy-fluffed birds.
My son has an uncanny knack of being "one with the Animal Kingdom." He's not quite Grizzly Adams, but he has a talent.
At the tail end of last week, my boy brought me out to the front yard to show me the little robin he found. The tell-tale signs our li'l friend was a robin was from a smidgen of orange on his feathery chest, and his mama who was occasionally squawking from a nearby fence.
We got a quick and up-close peek, but knew not to touch or even feed (despite our natural instinct to want to). We'd been paying attention to Jennifer Keats Curtis when she came to Eagle Cove School during our Earth Week to talk about Animal Rehabilitators. My Nature Boy asked if I knew of any "Wildlife Protectors" to call, and aside from Jennifer (who was probably busy with dinner right about then), we didn't. So we relied on Mother Nature and Mama Robin, and gave our baby fledgling some space, peace, quiet, and privacy.
A half hour later I came back to look for our li'l fluff ball, and he was nowhere to be seen. Safe, no doubt under a bush or with his mama. As it should be! And this mama had a warm spot for her li'l human buddy who has an outdoor eye and a way with wildlife!
Pictures from my camera, using the Motivational Poster app for iPhone to create the above images.
I saw this picture today on The Green School's Facebook Page, and thought it was just too striking not to share--especially here on Mother's Day. It has a great image of honoring Mother Nature, children, and of course, the mothers that were so vital in creating them (from body to being who they are)!
May all of you mother's out there (those that are grands, steps, ones in our memories, and ones that are not mothers by blood but by love, commitment, and heart) have a glorious day today!
I've said before that Earth Day at Eagle Cove School is an event bigger than just one day. Yes, we are an eco-week in the making!
One of the things my class did during our ECS Earth Week was to make outdoor exploration kits for each of the other classrooms. I've written before about "Exploration Backpacks." In my mind, I have been thinking this was a vital addition to recess...and Earth Week was the perfect place to make this happen.
When you picture recess at an elementary school, you see a lot of different things: games of tag, kids swinging on swings, playing soccer or kickball games, and a myriad of other activities. But there are also the drifters who are trying to find something else to do. The scientists. The explorers. Maybe not the run-around-types, but maybe the look-under-the-rock types. So with a tote with a bird chart, a leaf identification card, a couple notebooks, some pics, some pencils and crayons to record the observations, a magnifying glass, and even a compass....you've got a true bag of goodies!!
Presented at our Earth Day celebration concert, it's been fun seeing the kids of all ages (PreK to 5th grade) embrace the intrigue of investigation. From little ones in PreK and Kindergarten to bigger kids grades 3rd and up...seeing them running around with eco kit in hand, trying to spot treasures, hunt worms, or find all sorts of hidden goodies in nature.... THAT makes for a great recess!!
Just like a recipe: Combine a synchronized study of Rivers of the World and Bridges. Insert some mapping. Fold in in reading and writing. Add in some environmental studies. Mix in some math and measurement. Then pepper in some paintbrushes, a scenic locale, and some creative water color techniques.
With all of this, you have the makings for a great field trip!
Combine with iMovie and you've got an excellent movie-style memoir!!! Check out our li'l video collection of 3rd graders hitting up Sandy Point State Park with paintbrushes in hand to "paint" the bridge!!!
I've said it before....a day is not enough for Earth Day atEagle Cove School. We need a week!
2013 is no different.
For a history of our Eagle Cove Earth Day,check the GTG archives for some great moments in our history (and there have been a slew).
Earth Week Day 1:Earth Day: Monday
Annually like clockwork, "green" author Jennifer Keats Curtis comes to talk about all of her amazing children's picture and non-fiction books. This year, our younger ones heard the tales as she read them; middle-aged kids get to hear of some of her experiences as an author who interviews a lot of environmentalists and were inspired to write their own story of animal rehabilitation (and 3rd graders even got to be animal rescuers by helping a little songbird find its way out of our room after it found its way in); and 4th and 5th graders Skyped with JKC's illustrator for 3 books, Laura Jacques. She inspired both the budding authors within our students AND the animal-loving eco-warrior!
Earth WeekDay 2: Tuesday
School friends Grace Episcopal Day School from Silver Spring, Maryland came our way and spent 4 hours with us doing a Water Walk (Did you know that many people world wide walk 6 km or approximately 3 miles to get fresh, uncontaminated water daily. It does without saying that women and children are the ones who had to do this. We carried a set amount of water for 3 treks down the causeway outside our school that runs adjacent to/across the Magothy River and outside our school. We rotated in 5th and PreK/Kindergarteners, then 4th and 1st graders, then finally Grace's and ECS's 2nd and 3rd graders...all carrying the same water we transferred off to get a cumulative feel of 3 miles. The water and I felt it. 8,000 steps on my pedometer later.... we had some minimal water loss, but loads of fun on campus doing eco-outdoor games while our walkers all carried on!
The afternoon had us checking out some river wildlife and playing a fun migratory bird activity. After Grace Episcopal had to bid adieu's on their bus and head back, we still had one more activity: the solar power races. Each class designed a car out of recyclables. Now all we had to do was wait for the sun to arrive, which it finally did around 2 pm!! It was a heated race indeed. Check out our Smilebox!
More to Come: Earth Week Days 3, 4, and 5: Can't wait for the student-led theatrical performance (with humor and music, of course!!) based on Dickens "A Christmas Carol"--aptly named "An Earth Day Carol." Then we'll have musician in residence Linda Richards here to write Earth Day parodies with the classes, for our Friday grand finale concert! Fun times still to come! Stay tuned...
Photos from me and Jennifer Keats Curtis. All Smilebox photos from my camera.
Here are 3 dandies for your Earth Day viewing pleasure. May you learn a little bit along the way, and gain a new appreciation for this planet of ours!More importantly, make every day Earth Day!
BrainPop:
Join Tim and Moby as they explore "Humans and the Environment. Free to viewers without subscription logins for a time being.
About a week ago, my family and I were at my daughter's soccer game, rooting for her during one of the first really nice days of spring. My son, of course, was on the move, so I went to track him down every once and awhile. He was hanging out by the baseball diamond, so I touched base with him...at which point, he pointed up to the lights and said, "Hey mom, look at that!"
An osprey mom and pop (and we later saw little heads) were hanging out in the nest they had built on the lights. The adults would fly out and back, perhaps looking for food. What was almost more surprising and noticeable to my son was the flapping white plastic bag that was waving in the wind, as part of the nest. (You can see it here in the picture as the white mass right under the osprey, which is in the top left hand corner of the lights structure.)
Reminded me of the Jennifer Keats Curtis environmental children's book "Osprey Adventure." In that story, Pete and his Dad ("Doc") find the exact same thing on a channel marker, though a blue bag rather than my white one. Unlike me, Doc is a wildlife expert who was trained to check osprey nests for trash (and successfully remove it without harming or scaring the bird). Not to mention, at the height of the lights, there was little I could do about the situation other than discuss it with my son. Lucky for him, he's got an eco-warrior for a mom, and was already schooled in the perils of plastic.
Lucky for us both, Jennifer Keats Curtis will be visiting us this week at Eagle Cove School for our Earth Week (because one Earth Day just isn't enough at our Maryland "Green" School).
To get schooled more in the "perils of plastic" and "Osprey's Adventure" (a great book), check out the following links. (Note to self: If you see plastic trash floating about or laying around, pick it up and dispose of it properly to keep it out of the way of wildlife!!)
We're 2 "sleeps" away from Earth Day, which be Monday, April 22nd.
We're also wrapping up EE Week (Environmental Education) week, which typically is the week prior to Earth Day (April 14--20 this year). Below is a great infographic on this year's EE Week theme: Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors. Additionally, here are some interesting facts from their website.
75% of 1,900 surveyed educators said students who spend regular time outdoors tend to be more creative & better problem-solvers.
77% of teachers believe using tech in the classroom increases student motivation to learn.
So whether math and and technological documentation are involved in measuring rainfall, school electricity usage, planting, or more, there are a lot of great tie ins with science.
As a visual person, I am a Pinterest nut! It is completely my style of bookmarking. There is so much out there...and in this Earth Day Season, I have found so many goodies! A trip to my EcoMania board will have you in Earth Day Heaven!
To check out some of my other boards, investigate:
To just find me in general over at Pinterest (as I have a bundle of boards on a boatload of topics), be sure to check out my link: here. Happy Earth Day planning!!
This past weekend I went to an Eco Fair at Bodkin Elementary School in my hometown. Kids, parents, teachers, vendors, musicians, and community members all gathered together for a fun day o'green.
The goal: to raise environmental awareness at this Maryland Green School since 2007.
One of my favorite highlights: my son working up a sweat on the "Smoothie Bicycle." His muscle power is what blended the ice, banana, and strawberries! A neat treat indeed!!
Earlier this week I wrote about the children's book "For the Birds," the biography of Roger Tory Peterson.
As I mentioned then, we all know that the Lorax speaks for the trees. Well, the Lorax is not alone.
One could also argue that John Muir, founder and the first president of the Sierra Club does as well. In fact, a Californian grove of redwoods near San Francisco (the Muir Woods National Monument) was named in 1908 in his honor.
"The battle we have fought, and are still fighting, for the forests is part of the eternal conflicts between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it... So we must count on watching and striving for these trees, and should always be glad to find anything so surely good and noble to strive for." ~ John Muir, 1895
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength body and soul alike." ~ John Muir, 1912
To learn more about John Muir and to "speak for" the trees, check out these sites:
Here are two great sights around Eagle Cove School as we get prepped for Earth Day, a mere 12 days away!! In fact, at ECS, our Earth Day evolves into a whole week! To learn a little bit about our past Earth Weeks, click here.
Thanks to Dr. Seuss (and now Universal Pictures due to the 2012 movie), we know that the Lorax speaks for the trees. If the Lorax speaks for the trees, then who is it that speaks for the birds?
The answer to that is Roger Tory Peterson. Not sure who that is...odds are high you already know, especially if you ever picked up any sort of pocket sized, Peterson field guide. The very first ever written was the Peterson bird book "A Field Guide to the Birds," published in 1934. His simplified system of sketches, prominent & distinguishing field markings, and brief descriptions became known as the "Peterson Identification System." This system is now used from reptiles, to seashells, more!!
When reading Peggy Thomas' children's picture book "For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson," you will find it chock-full of a bevy of bird metaphors and similes, you get to see budding naturalist Roger in action as a small boy and follow him through adulthood. In following him, you can see how he followed his passion for birding and creating an easier method of classifying them.
Given his attention to conservation, his voice out against DDT in the middle 20th century, and his help in getting it banned in 1972, it perhaps is not surprise the Roger Tory Peterson's tombstone reads "Birds cannot speak for themselves. I must speak for them."
To learn more about Roger Tory Peterson, or build your own love of bird watching this Earth Day season, be sure to check out:
"The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them." ~ Roger Tory Peterson
Today walking out of church, I saw the same sign that I see each week in the vestibule:
Each week I'm struck by how it is a spiritual testament beyond church alone, that spreads to both environmentalism and human nature. It speaks the message of Earth Hour, Earth Day, and most religions through its message of peace and prosperity. If each one of us does one thing to work to make our world better, think of how beautiful it could be.
Speaking that same message is this 7 minute video entitled "A New Story of the People" from SustainableMan. The premise: the more we change the story, our human story, from one of separateness to one of connectedness, the more we will see the significance, the serendipity, the synchronicity that surrounds us. It's a story worth watching, and a better story worth living here in this post-Easter, pre-Earth Day season. Quote poster from http://inspiredanyway.com/tag/anne-frank-quotes/, Video from http://youtu.be/2wviYuKDlKs
Click the Pic for Your MEGA 1-Stop Spot for Eco-Books, Websites, Videos, & Resources for Both in the Classroom and Out! We're talking Resources Galore!!
About Me
3rd Grade Aficionado & Teacher @ Eagle Cove School (ECS = "Green" School in Pasadena, MD)
Half of the ECS "Green Team" Dynamic Duo & Lead iPad teacher
This past week, my earliest bedtime was the wrong side of midnight, and some nights well past that. Time and responsibilities and soccer practice and cooking dinner and doing the laundry and paying the bills and being Single Mom while Dad was in Canada for work....no wonder I've been up late! Then after the kids go to bed, there's still the grading of papers, the planning of lessons, and the attempt (even at the end of the year) to be a teacher who still creates things which will actively engage her school kids.
In the past, I have called him the The Deer Whisperer.
I've said before that Earth Day at Eagle Cove School is an event bigger than just one day. Yes, we are an eco-week in the making!
When you picture recess at an elementary school, you see a lot of different things: games of tag, kids swinging on swings, playing soccer or kickball games, and a myriad of other activities. But there are also the drifters who are trying to find something else to do. The scientists. The explorers. Maybe not the run-around-types, but maybe the look-under-the-rock types. So with a tote with a bird chart, a leaf identification card, a couple notebooks, some pics, some pencils and crayons to record the observations, a magnifying glass, and even a compass....you've got a true bag of goodies!!
Earth Week Day 1: Earth Day: Monday
Happy Earth Day!
BrainPop: 
About a week ago, my family and I were at my daughter's soccer game, rooting for her during one of the first really nice days of spring. My son, of course, was on the move, so I went to track him down every once and awhile. He was hanging out by the baseball diamond, so I touched base with him...at which point, he pointed up to the lights and said, "Hey mom, look at that!" 
Reminded me of the Jennifer Keats Curtis environmental children's book "Osprey Adventure." In that story, Pete and his Dad ("Doc") find the exact same thing on a channel marker, though a blue bag rather than my white one. Unlike me, Doc is a wildlife expert who was trained to check osprey nests for trash (and successfully remove it without harming or scaring the bird). Not to mention, at the height of the lights, there was little I could do about the situation other than discuss it with my son. Lucky for him, he's got an eco-warrior for a mom, and was already schooled in the perils of plastic. 
We're 2 "sleeps" away from Earth Day, which be Monday, April 22nd.
As a visual person, I am a Pinterest nut! It is completely my style of bookmarking. There is so much out there...and in this Earth Day Season, I have found so many goodies! A trip to my EcoMania board will have you in Earth Day Heaven!
Earlier this week I wrote about the children's book "For the Birds," the biography of Roger Tory Peterson."The battle we have fought, and are still fighting, for the forests is part of the eternal conflicts between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it... So we must count on watching and striving for these trees, and should always be glad to find anything so surely good and noble to strive for." ~ John Muir, 1895
The answer to that is Roger Tory Peterson. Not sure who that is...odds are high you already know, especially if you ever picked up any sort of pocket sized, Peterson field guide. The very first ever written was the Peterson bird book "A Field Guide to the Birds," published in 1934. His simplified system of sketches, prominent & distinguishing field markings, and brief descriptions became known as the "Peterson Identification System." This system is now used from reptiles, to seashells, more!!
