I found the guest eco poet to be very interesting last week. I came into class not at all knowing what to expect from the blog assignment, but I felt it was a refreshing change of pace. When she introduced herself, I first wondered what on earth eco poetry really consisted of, but her details and outlines legitimized her form of art for me. This initial reaction I had was consistent with the idea that culture had somehow made poetry scary, as she said. My immediate wariness made me reflect on why I jumped to the conclusion that her idea would be strange or not relatable. Most striking for me in her presentation was her assertion that the we are living through a traumatic even. In comparing the earth to a rape victim that still cannot speak of her attack, her perspective was put into a new light. IF this paradigm could be more widespread, perhaps we could learn to have the same sympathy for the earth as we would for the victim. WE are so quickly appalled by the crimes committed against the victim when we are in fact criminals of a different sort. I thought her poems from the perspective of nature made her work stand out from other poems I have heard before. I like the idea that there is no such thing as "just a thing" in that everything has a right to life.
I am going to make my second open blog entry about recycling on campus. Everyone uses recyclable materials. Some people seem to see the value of this, but others do not. Every day, I notice people who throw recyclable materials in trash cans. I don’t really know the reason why they do this. Maybe it is because they are too lazy to take a few extra steps to get to a recycling container. It also could be because they just don’t care about the environment. Regardless of the reason, I feel that this is unacceptable to do. It really is discouraging how little value some people place on the environment. This is even worse considering the number of recycling containers here at the university. There are places to recycle in every building on campus and even some places that are outside. If people throughout the US and world (since this issue is not restricted to the USC campus) did not throw away recyclable materials, there would be a noticeable impact. However, I think that this issue is a hard one to solve. No matter how many recycling containers there are, there will still be individuals that just don’t care. I hope that this problem does get solved in the near future.
I'm going to take the open blog #2 as a opportunity to discuss the environmental impact Hurricane Sandy has had on the coast, specifically the Jersey Shore. With the hurricane pushing the ocean towards the land, it also pushes debris that the storm has collected inwards. This debris is often contaminated and unsafe for the humans and animals in the area. Also the sewage pipes are expunged of their contents, emptying them in the common water supply and into actual houses. I know many, many people at home who have an entire basement full of raw sewage. Most of the coast is still under a water advisory, such as my own, due to the contaminated water supply. It is difficult to boil the water though because the power is still out and will not return for at least another week. Another aspect of the environment that has taken a hit along with the coast is the gas supply. Because of the generators and cars that need gas, the lines are hours long. The EPA just instituted a law in a few counties, including mine, that odd number licensed plates can only get gas on odd numbered days, and vice versa for even. The gas still pollutes the air just as it normally would, but its more concentrated. A less obvious environmental issue is the animals themselves that have been displaced. There are multiple pictures of large sharks and other animals that have washed up on driveways and in houses. The ocean was upturned so you know that there were many ocean environments destroyed and the animals were washed away. It is devastating to see the effects that the hurricane has had on so many beach communities and it will be a long time until the environmental and economical effects are unnoticed.
Thanks so much for reflecting on this tragedy. I know you, and several other students have loved ones affected. I am hoping they have been able to find help and start rebuilding
Over the years multiple people have pushed climate change aside. They believe that global warming is a hoax. If the weather over the past few years hasn't proven enough, I believe that Hurricane Sandy did. The normal hurricane season lasted from early July until late August or early September, but not anymore. This year the largest storm was seen in the middle of October. This storm destroyed much of the northern eastern coastline and left millions of families still struggling to put the ends back together. Still don't believe we need to make a change? Over the past few years living in South Carolina I have experienced the coldest winter seen here and the warmest, within a year of each other. In 2011 we had what is considered in the south to be a huge ice storm, closing schools, businesses, and roads for a week. At my house, in the middle of the state we received 6 inches of snow, and unheard of amount in South Carolina. However, last winter I was still wearing shorts and a tshirt into December. Not only did it not become very cold, but the "season" did not last long either. Spring came by February and by late April the temperatures were in the 90's. Those temperatures are usually not seen until around the middle of June. Although in the text book climate change may sound like it has a while before it makes a big difference I believe that we can see it in our everyday lives and it needs to be changed now. We can't wait a week or a month or a few years, we won't have an Earth left by then.
So in the beging of the of the semester i was assigned an 3-d design project, for my art class, that had to be made out of one recycled material. Meaning that it wasnt a new material. So since ive been taking this green explorations class i have been trying to be more eco friendly. You could get extra credit if every material used was recycled, since im in this class i went 100% recycled. So for my project i got a old chair for good will and turned it into an abstract piece. I used old twin i found. And borrowed someones glue and nails, There for creating a piece that was fully recycled. It is weird as an artist to not be able to use new products, i had to use what i had to make it work. This recycled art project is a start that the art building needs to to take. This is the topic of my action project, a green art room.
I would like to use my second open blog to write about the amount of waste we create in our daily lives (me very much included). Prior to my experiences this semester as a member of the Green Learning Community I considered myself an environmentalist and I certainly cared about our planet and protecting it, but I had no idea how wasteful I was still being. I thought I was doing everything I possibly could to protect the planet; I made sure that my family used less water, recycled, and that all of our light bulbs were high efficiency compact florescent bulbs, yet I never really thought about the amount of actual WASTE I was responsible for through temporary packaging. Yes disposable temporary packaging, a form of protection for consumer products which is used once then thrown into a landfill, this sort of packaging is found on our food, toys, clothes, groceries, and most other daily products you could name off. Not only is packaging part of the waste problem, but so are the things we choose to make disposable that don’t have to be, specifically eating utensils. Everything from disposable plates, napkins, cups, lids, straws, forks, spoons, knives, etc. is commonplace in the American eatery and even the American home, these disposable dining tools were born out of convenience and have thrived due to low costs and high demand yet little do we realize that we are burying ourselves in our own trash. Even as someone who considered himself to be very green, I didn’t realize how much waste I was creating out of pure laziness. I’m not demanding that you radically change your lifestyle, but I do plead that you please try to be aware and make sustainable decisions whenever possible.
For my second open blog, I would like to write about an elementary school that was recently brought to my attention. This school is in Italy, and I found out about it in a study abroad meeting for Elementary Education majors. It is in a town called Reggio Emilia, and the approach to learning utilized there really spoke to me. This small town is famous worldwide for its childhood education. It has gotten so much recognition that there is an entire teaching approach named after the city, the location where Loris Malaguzzi first implemented these ideals himself. The Reggio Emilia approach is very similar to the way I want to teach once I start working at an elementary school. It is very arts based with an in-depth awareness of the surrounding environment. The environment is even referred to as a “third teacher” in this methodology. Indoor plants and vines are present in the Reggio Emillia preschools, with a center courtyard , open kitchens, and even wall-sized windows to encourage bringing the environment inside. Much of the decorative content in the classrooms consists of mirrors and the projects kids in the school have produced. The Reggio Emilia teaching has a strong emphasis on interacting with your environment and the people around you; this is shown in the architecture of the preschools and elementary schools utilizing this style. Bringing the environment inside and using recycled materials for art projects is something I definitely want to establish in my classroom while I am a teacher. The role of the community is great as well. Student to student interaction is highly encouraged, and the importance of community involvement is evident as the buildings are structures with courtyards and discussions are a large portion of the curriculum. I think giving the environment a strong emphasis in your teaching is something that the children in your class will remember. I am passionate about teaching and the way I want to teach, and including the environment in my teaching sounds like a win-win situation that will only benefit others. Instilling a love and respect for the natural environment in kids while they are young will make them more inclined to carry out environmentally friendly habits when they are older. I believe increasing awareness about the environment and importance of community in young children will set them up for success in their futures.
For my second open blog, I would like to write about an elementary school that was recently brought to my attention. This school is in Italy, and I found out about it in a study abroad meeting for Elementary Education majors. It is in a town called Reggio Emilia, and the approach to learning utilized there really spoke to me. This small town is famous worldwide for its childhood education. It has gotten so much recognition that there is an entire teaching approach named after the city, the location where Loris Malaguzzi first implemented these ideals himself. The Reggio Emilia approach is very similar to the way I want to teach once I start working at an elementary school. It is very arts based with an in-depth awareness of the surrounding environment. The environment is even referred to as a “third teacher” in this methodology. Indoor plants and vines are present in the Reggio Emillia preschools, with a center courtyard , open kitchens, and even wall-sized windows to encourage bringing the environment inside. Much of the decorative content in the classrooms consists of mirrors and the projects kids in the school have produced. The Reggio Emilia teaching has a strong emphasis on interacting with your environment and the people around you; this is shown in the architecture of the preschools and elementary schools utilizing this style. Bringing the environment inside and using recycled materials for art projects is something I definitely want to establish in my classroom while I am a teacher. The role of the community is great as well. Student to student interaction is highly encouraged, and the importance of community involvement is evident as the buildings are structures with courtyards and discussions are a large portion of the curriculum. I think giving the environment a strong emphasis in your teaching is something that the children in your class will remember. I am passionate about teaching and the way I want to teach, and including the environment in my teaching sounds like a win-win situation that will only benefit others. Instilling a love and respect for the natural environment in kids while they are young will make them more inclined to carry out environmentally friendly habits when they are older. I believe increasing awareness about the environment and importance of community in young children will set them up for success in their futures. Pictures of some of the classrooms can be found at the link below: http://www.aboutenglish.it/comeniusasilo2/reggioenvironment2.htm
Open Blog #2 - Green Explorations class and my University 101 class have played a very vital role in making me feel like a part of this campus and this community. In both class, I made friends and spent a lot of time boding with the students in the class. My U101 class took a field trip to the zoo where we spent the afternoon laughing and awing at the beautiful, sometimes silly, animals. Our GE class also went on many field trips throughout the community which really helped me to learn about Columbia. Coming from Ohio, I knew absolutely nothing about South Carolina or Columbia before I came to school hear, but hearing from CVSC, Sustainable Midlands and the owner of City Roots, I really started to feel a connection and responsibility to the community. Actually getting the opportunity to work in the community by helping with the bike map or volunteering at City Roots made me feel like I was truly making a difference in what had become MY community. I didn't know this was going to be an action-learning class when I signed up, but I am so thankful and glad it was. I worked with a variety of students from many different states, views and backgrounds and really learned about the community that I am now a part of.
Something that I see as a huge problem in our society is the amount of waste restaraunts make. I have been a server in various establishments for going on 7 years, and I have noticed this use from the get go. One aspect that adds to this is customer waste. All the food that is not eaten by customers go straight in the trash. This same trash can is also where glass bottles, cardboard, cans, and othr recycleable materials go. Also all the prepared food that is made in the beginning of the day that is not purchased, also gets thrown in the trash. One solution would be for more restaurants to start recylcing and seperate the materials that nomally go in the trash. The could also start a compost for all the organic products that dont get eaten. Thirdly the could donate the premade and uneaten foods to a shelter or soup kitchen.
I found the guest eco poet to be very interesting last week. I came into class not at all knowing what to expect from the blog assignment, but I felt it was a refreshing change of pace. When she introduced herself, I first wondered what on earth eco poetry really consisted of, but her details and outlines legitimized her form of art for me. This initial reaction I had was consistent with the idea that culture had somehow made poetry scary, as she said. My immediate wariness made me reflect on why I jumped to the conclusion that her idea would be strange or not relatable. Most striking for me in her presentation was her assertion that the we are living through a traumatic even. In comparing the earth to a rape victim that still cannot speak of her attack, her perspective was put into a new light. IF this paradigm could be more widespread, perhaps we could learn to have the same sympathy for the earth as we would for the victim. WE are so quickly appalled by the crimes committed against the victim when we are in fact criminals of a different sort. I thought her poems from the perspective of nature made her work stand out from other poems I have heard before. I like the idea that there is no such thing as "just a thing" in that everything has a right to life.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting reflection. I also must add that I think some of the best blog responses were generated from the readings for this specific class.
DeleteI am going to make my second open blog entry about recycling on campus. Everyone uses recyclable materials. Some people seem to see the value of this, but others do not. Every day, I notice people who throw recyclable materials in trash cans. I don’t really know the reason why they do this. Maybe it is because they are too lazy to take a few extra steps to get to a recycling container. It also could be because they just don’t care about the environment. Regardless of the reason, I feel that this is unacceptable to do. It really is discouraging how little value some people place on the environment. This is even worse considering the number of recycling containers here at the university. There are places to recycle in every building on campus and even some places that are outside. If people throughout the US and world (since this issue is not restricted to the USC campus) did not throw away recyclable materials, there would be a noticeable impact. However, I think that this issue is a hard one to solve. No matter how many recycling containers there are, there will still be individuals that just don’t care. I hope that this problem does get solved in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take the open blog #2 as a opportunity to discuss the environmental impact Hurricane Sandy has had on the coast, specifically the Jersey Shore. With the hurricane pushing the ocean towards the land, it also pushes debris that the storm has collected inwards. This debris is often contaminated and unsafe for the humans and animals in the area. Also the sewage pipes are expunged of their contents, emptying them in the common water supply and into actual houses. I know many, many people at home who have an entire basement full of raw sewage. Most of the coast is still under a water advisory, such as my own, due to the contaminated water supply. It is difficult to boil the water though because the power is still out and will not return for at least another week. Another aspect of the environment that has taken a hit along with the coast is the gas supply. Because of the generators and cars that need gas, the lines are hours long. The EPA just instituted a law in a few counties, including mine, that odd number licensed plates can only get gas on odd numbered days, and vice versa for even. The gas still pollutes the air just as it normally would, but its more concentrated. A less obvious environmental issue is the animals themselves that have been displaced. There are multiple pictures of large sharks and other animals that have washed up on driveways and in houses. The ocean was upturned so you know that there were many ocean environments destroyed and the animals were washed away. It is devastating to see the effects that the hurricane has had on so many beach communities and it will be a long time until the environmental and economical effects are unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reflecting on this tragedy. I know you, and several other students have loved ones affected. I am hoping they have been able to find help and start rebuilding
DeleteOver the years multiple people have pushed climate change aside. They believe that global warming is a hoax. If the weather over the past few years hasn't proven enough, I believe that Hurricane Sandy did. The normal hurricane season lasted from early July until late August or early September, but not anymore. This year the largest storm was seen in the middle of October. This storm destroyed much of the northern eastern coastline and left millions of families still struggling to put the ends back together. Still don't believe we need to make a change? Over the past few years living in South Carolina I have experienced the coldest winter seen here and the warmest, within a year of each other. In 2011 we had what is considered in the south to be a huge ice storm, closing schools, businesses, and roads for a week. At my house, in the middle of the state we received 6 inches of snow, and unheard of amount in South Carolina. However, last winter I was still wearing shorts and a tshirt into December. Not only did it not become very cold, but the "season" did not last long either. Spring came by February and by late April the temperatures were in the 90's. Those temperatures are usually not seen until around the middle of June. Although in the text book climate change may sound like it has a while before it makes a big difference I believe that we can see it in our everyday lives and it needs to be changed now. We can't wait a week or a month or a few years, we won't have an Earth left by then.
ReplyDeleteSo in the beging of the of the semester i was assigned an 3-d design project, for my art class, that had to be made out of one recycled material. Meaning that it wasnt a new material. So since ive been taking this green explorations class i have been trying to be more eco friendly. You could get extra credit if every material used was recycled, since im in this class i went 100% recycled. So for my project i got a old chair for good will and turned it into an abstract piece. I used old twin i found. And borrowed someones glue and nails, There for creating a piece that was fully recycled. It is weird as an artist to not be able to use new products, i had to use what i had to make it work. This recycled art project is a start that the art building needs to to take. This is the topic of my action project, a green art room.
ReplyDeleteI would like to use my second open blog to write about the amount of waste we create in our daily lives (me very much included). Prior to my experiences this semester as a member of the Green Learning Community I considered myself an environmentalist and I certainly cared about our planet and protecting it, but I had no idea how wasteful I was still being. I thought I was doing everything I possibly could to protect the planet; I made sure that my family used less water, recycled, and that all of our light bulbs were high efficiency compact florescent bulbs, yet I never really thought about the amount of actual WASTE I was responsible for through temporary packaging. Yes disposable temporary packaging, a form of protection for consumer products which is used once then thrown into a landfill, this sort of packaging is found on our food, toys, clothes, groceries, and most other daily products you could name off. Not only is packaging part of the waste problem, but so are the things we choose to make disposable that don’t have to be, specifically eating utensils. Everything from disposable plates, napkins, cups, lids, straws, forks, spoons, knives, etc. is commonplace in the American eatery and even the American home, these disposable dining tools were born out of convenience and have thrived due to low costs and high demand yet little do we realize that we are burying ourselves in our own trash. Even as someone who considered himself to be very green, I didn’t realize how much waste I was creating out of pure laziness. I’m not demanding that you radically change your lifestyle, but I do plead that you please try to be aware and make sustainable decisions whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteFor my second open blog, I would like to write about an elementary school that was recently brought to my attention. This school is in Italy, and I found out about it in a study abroad meeting for Elementary Education majors. It is in a town called Reggio Emilia, and the approach to learning utilized there really spoke to me. This small town is famous worldwide for its childhood education. It has gotten so much recognition that there is an entire teaching approach named after the city, the location where Loris Malaguzzi first implemented these ideals himself. The Reggio Emilia approach is very similar to the way I want to teach once I start working at an elementary school. It is very arts based with an in-depth awareness of the surrounding environment. The environment is even referred to as a “third teacher” in this methodology. Indoor plants and vines are present in the Reggio Emillia preschools, with a center courtyard , open kitchens, and even wall-sized windows to encourage bringing the environment inside. Much of the decorative content in the classrooms consists of mirrors and the projects kids in the school have produced. The Reggio Emilia teaching has a strong emphasis on interacting with your environment and the people around you; this is shown in the architecture of the preschools and elementary schools utilizing this style. Bringing the environment inside and using recycled materials for art projects is something I definitely want to establish in my classroom while I am a teacher. The role of the community is great as well. Student to student interaction is highly encouraged, and the importance of community involvement is evident as the buildings are structures with courtyards and discussions are a large portion of the curriculum. I think giving the environment a strong emphasis in your teaching is something that the children in your class will remember. I am passionate about teaching and the way I want to teach, and including the environment in my teaching sounds like a win-win situation that will only benefit others. Instilling a love and respect for the natural environment in kids while they are young will make them more inclined to carry out environmentally friendly habits when they are older. I believe increasing awareness about the environment and importance of community in young children will set them up for success in their futures.
ReplyDeleteFor my second open blog, I would like to write about an elementary school that was recently brought to my attention. This school is in Italy, and I found out about it in a study abroad meeting for Elementary Education majors. It is in a town called Reggio Emilia, and the approach to learning utilized there really spoke to me. This small town is famous worldwide for its childhood education. It has gotten so much recognition that there is an entire teaching approach named after the city, the location where Loris Malaguzzi first implemented these ideals himself. The Reggio Emilia approach is very similar to the way I want to teach once I start working at an elementary school. It is very arts based with an in-depth awareness of the surrounding environment. The environment is even referred to as a “third teacher” in this methodology. Indoor plants and vines are present in the Reggio Emillia preschools, with a center courtyard , open kitchens, and even wall-sized windows to encourage bringing the environment inside. Much of the decorative content in the classrooms consists of mirrors and the projects kids in the school have produced. The Reggio Emilia teaching has a strong emphasis on interacting with your environment and the people around you; this is shown in the architecture of the preschools and elementary schools utilizing this style. Bringing the environment inside and using recycled materials for art projects is something I definitely want to establish in my classroom while I am a teacher. The role of the community is great as well. Student to student interaction is highly encouraged, and the importance of community involvement is evident as the buildings are structures with courtyards and discussions are a large portion of the curriculum. I think giving the environment a strong emphasis in your teaching is something that the children in your class will remember. I am passionate about teaching and the way I want to teach, and including the environment in my teaching sounds like a win-win situation that will only benefit others. Instilling a love and respect for the natural environment in kids while they are young will make them more inclined to carry out environmentally friendly habits when they are older. I believe increasing awareness about the environment and importance of community in young children will set them up for success in their futures. Pictures of some of the classrooms can be found at the link below:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aboutenglish.it/comeniusasilo2/reggioenvironment2.htm
Open Blog #2 -
ReplyDeleteGreen Explorations class and my University 101 class have played a very vital role in making me feel like a part of this campus and this community. In both class, I made friends and spent a lot of time boding with the students in the class. My U101 class took a field trip to the zoo where we spent the afternoon laughing and awing at the beautiful, sometimes silly, animals. Our GE class also went on many field trips throughout the community which really helped me to learn about Columbia. Coming from Ohio, I knew absolutely nothing about South Carolina or Columbia before I came to school hear, but hearing from CVSC, Sustainable Midlands and the owner of City Roots, I really started to feel a connection and responsibility to the community. Actually getting the opportunity to work in the community by helping with the bike map or volunteering at City Roots made me feel like I was truly making a difference in what had become MY community. I didn't know this was going to be an action-learning class when I signed up, but I am so thankful and glad it was. I worked with a variety of students from many different states, views and backgrounds and really learned about the community that I am now a part of.
Something that I see as a huge problem in our society is the amount of waste restaraunts make. I have been a server in various establishments for going on 7 years, and I have noticed this use from the get go. One aspect that adds to this is customer waste. All the food that is not eaten by customers go straight in the trash. This same trash can is also where glass bottles, cardboard, cans, and othr recycleable materials go. Also all the prepared food that is made in the beginning of the day that is not purchased, also gets thrown in the trash. One solution would be for more restaurants to start recylcing and seperate the materials that nomally go in the trash. The could also start a compost for all the organic products that dont get eaten. Thirdly the could donate the premade and uneaten foods to a shelter or soup kitchen.
ReplyDelete