10 Day Freewriting Challenge
Day 1: November 21, 2014
In class this week we read an article about light pollution, and in the article it referenced some of the national parks of the Western United States as being some of the darkest skies in our country. They are so dark, in fact, that these parks have been given the status of an "International Dark Sky Park". During my lunch I was curious to know which national parks were designated dark sky parks, and if I have visited them. It turns out that I have visited some of our dark sky parks, and I learned that they are given different tiers of status depending on just how dark at night they are. The International Dark-Sky Association has a criteria for awarding places as a dark sky park. They use gold, silver, and bronze stars, with gold star status being the best. Glancing at the list of notable dark sky parks I came across familiar names of places I have experienced and quickly began to reminisce my time there, especially wondering what it was like there at night.
I have spent considerable time at Death Valley National Park, for work and fun. I recall working there when I did wildlife research out west. One of my fondest memories was spending the 4th of July holiday at Death Valley monitoring bats that reside in abandon mines. I recall hiking along canyon walls in the blistering sun to a prominent point on a mountain side where an old mine resided. I recall stoping for a rest and sitting down. I examined my boots and noticed the rubber was so soft from the heat of the sun that I could easily push my finger nail into it. We pressed on and got to the mine we were going to work out of, it seemed more like a cave at first, but then I noticed the truss-like support beams. This mine was our home for the next three days. We tried to sleep during the day, because our work was going to be at night. When evening approached we conducted our research attempting to capture bats with mist nests strategically placed near the mouth of the mine. I vividly recall the night sky, it illuminated the heavens above better than any fireworks display I could have ever imagined. I thought about my friends and family spending the 4th of July watching fireworks together thousands of miles away, and I did miss them. But, I knew that I was experiencing something that most people will never have the opportunity to see, a completely dark sky foreign of any artificial light. Such a natural thing, really, but so alien to our world now....I wonder if we can bring dark skies back?
The article also mentioned light pollution and how it is effected our health and the environment. I wonder if people are aware of light pollution? And if they truly care about the effects that it is having on our world? If people were informed about light pollution, would they change their habits and way of living to protect our dark skies? In doing so, do they realize they are truly helping themselves too?
I have spent considerable time at Death Valley National Park, for work and fun. I recall working there when I did wildlife research out west. One of my fondest memories was spending the 4th of July holiday at Death Valley monitoring bats that reside in abandon mines. I recall hiking along canyon walls in the blistering sun to a prominent point on a mountain side where an old mine resided. I recall stoping for a rest and sitting down. I examined my boots and noticed the rubber was so soft from the heat of the sun that I could easily push my finger nail into it. We pressed on and got to the mine we were going to work out of, it seemed more like a cave at first, but then I noticed the truss-like support beams. This mine was our home for the next three days. We tried to sleep during the day, because our work was going to be at night. When evening approached we conducted our research attempting to capture bats with mist nests strategically placed near the mouth of the mine. I vividly recall the night sky, it illuminated the heavens above better than any fireworks display I could have ever imagined. I thought about my friends and family spending the 4th of July watching fireworks together thousands of miles away, and I did miss them. But, I knew that I was experiencing something that most people will never have the opportunity to see, a completely dark sky foreign of any artificial light. Such a natural thing, really, but so alien to our world now....I wonder if we can bring dark skies back?
The article also mentioned light pollution and how it is effected our health and the environment. I wonder if people are aware of light pollution? And if they truly care about the effects that it is having on our world? If people were informed about light pollution, would they change their habits and way of living to protect our dark skies? In doing so, do they realize they are truly helping themselves too?
Day 2: November 22, 2014
I wonder what the threshold is for technology? I consider myself somewhat technologically savvy, and I have seen how technology has been immersed into our culture and everyday life the past few decades. But, recently, it seems, it has been intensely integrated into our lives and become a part of our culture. In school I have heard students talk about television, video games, internet, social media, etc. I overhear how many televisions they have, devices, video game consoles, cell phones, etc. I wonder about this, because they are only children, it really is the adults of their world choosing to have all these technology "things". At times, I truly and honestly believe that I have too many technology "things", but, inevitably I do what most, if not all of us do, I compare myself with others around me. It's funny how most people expect for everyone to have a smartphone these days, I used to have one, and one day I did the math. By simply having a basic cell phone I reduced my phone bill by $40, which is a savings of $480/year, that's a plane ticket! But, I didn't stop with my math problems, I thought about how having a smartphone entices me into the internet and world of social media, and in doing so, takes me out of the physical world of the here and now. I see this all the time out in public, a family will be out to dinner and each member of the family has their face in a device. Was I like Alice falling down the rabbit hole? I wondered by not having a device how many minutes a day I am no longer sedentary in front of a tiny little screen. I will admit, I consider getting a smartphone again, it would be great on trips for the navigation apps, functional camera, and endless resources available at my virtual finger tips. But, for now, I am doing well with less technology. I know how to navigate my way in the world without gps, I can carry a camera with me if I'd like, and, if I need to know something during a trip I can always ask a friendly soul along my journey, and in doing so I have a meaningful conversation with a helpful person. My pondering continued to my summer being a volunteer park ranger at Grand Teton National Park.
During my ten weeks at Grand Teton National Park I shared a very quaint cabin with another ranger literally at the base of the Grand Teton itself. The cabin had amenities, such as a stove, refrigerator, furniture, running hot water, and electricity. But, that was it. There was no television, or internet access, etc. This was somewhat ironic, because the Visitor Center that I worked at was one of the premier top-of-the-line most sophisticated technologically advanced Visitor Centers in the country. Yet, there I was spending the next three months in the wilderness without television or internet access, what was I to do? It turned out, there was a lot to do, it just didn't involve being plugged in and it truly was an awesome three months.
I wonder what would our world be like if we disconnected ourselves from our screens and devices for certain time frames of our day? Would it have a positive impact on other parts of our lives? I wonder what my students would do with their time away from technology?
During my ten weeks at Grand Teton National Park I shared a very quaint cabin with another ranger literally at the base of the Grand Teton itself. The cabin had amenities, such as a stove, refrigerator, furniture, running hot water, and electricity. But, that was it. There was no television, or internet access, etc. This was somewhat ironic, because the Visitor Center that I worked at was one of the premier top-of-the-line most sophisticated technologically advanced Visitor Centers in the country. Yet, there I was spending the next three months in the wilderness without television or internet access, what was I to do? It turned out, there was a lot to do, it just didn't involve being plugged in and it truly was an awesome three months.
I wonder what would our world be like if we disconnected ourselves from our screens and devices for certain time frames of our day? Would it have a positive impact on other parts of our lives? I wonder what my students would do with their time away from technology?
Day 3: November 23, 2014
I wonder why we as a nation haven't adopted and embrace the metric system. The metric system is one of the few things that we have in common with all the nations across the globe, yet we, the United States of America refuse to embrace the metric system. Why? The only reason I can humbly come up with is that our country is reluctant to change their familiar ways, and in doing so, appear to be a stubborn nation to the rest of the world.
In a global highly competitive market we citizens of the United States, have to make conversions for all foreign goods and services. I wonder if there is a cost to that? I wonder if other countries think twice about doing business with an American company reluctant to change their "old habits". I have read some articles explaining how miscommunication of measurement conversions between different countries have been very costly. For example, I recall that there was a Mars Rover incident in 1999 that was due to technical measurement errors in design, largely in part to converting between customary and metric units.
I tried to research if not using the metric system is costly to us as a country and found an article online at metricationmatters.com. In the article it states that it costs the United States an estimated $1.426 trillion per year to use dual measures. To me, that number seems far-fetched, but there is perhaps some truth to the matter that it is costing us money to continue to be stubborn in our old ways.
In a global highly competitive market we citizens of the United States, have to make conversions for all foreign goods and services. I wonder if there is a cost to that? I wonder if other countries think twice about doing business with an American company reluctant to change their "old habits". I have read some articles explaining how miscommunication of measurement conversions between different countries have been very costly. For example, I recall that there was a Mars Rover incident in 1999 that was due to technical measurement errors in design, largely in part to converting between customary and metric units.
I tried to research if not using the metric system is costly to us as a country and found an article online at metricationmatters.com. In the article it states that it costs the United States an estimated $1.426 trillion per year to use dual measures. To me, that number seems far-fetched, but there is perhaps some truth to the matter that it is costing us money to continue to be stubborn in our old ways.
Day 4: November 24, 2014
I wonder why people are bullies? I recall being in school as a child. My family was a very humble low to middle income family that moved around a lot when I was a child, so I found myself in uncharted territories often when I was young. Being small of stature I was a reserved child in most cases in my new neighborhood and school that I attended. Some of my most vivid memories are of bullies, and how they treated me and others I knew. I remember being in 3rd grade at the bus stop and another kid shoving me around and hitting me. I decided to walk away and go home, as I walked away he began throwing rocks at me, hitting me a couple times in the head. Those blows to the head hurt! I remember crying the rest of the way home as painful bruises began to form on my head.
As I got older I recall being a freshman in high school and we were participating in gym class. It was spring and the gym teacher had us practicing for running the mile on the high school track. I recall a particular girl who happened to be a cheerleader gather her cheerleader friends and create "cheers" as I and other non-athletes ran/walked by, but the weren't cheering us on, they were bullying us with disrespectful cheers saying how we didn't have what it takes to run the mile. I also remember as a freshman in biology class being surrounded by older classmates, mostly juniors and seniors. They bullied us who happen to be in the class with them. They were terribly mean to us, picking on us constantly. There was one boy in particular who was the worst. I will never forget those two bullies from my high school experience.
As I got older and became an adult I thought that there wouldn't be any bullies, boy was I wrong! There are adult bullies too, some are subtle more intellectual bullies while others are more your typical old fashion bully that uses physical and verbal threats. Again, I wonder why these people bully? How did they become a bully? I wonder if they need help in some way, perhaps someone bullied them and that's why they are a bully. Or, perhaps they are insecure and use physical and verbal threats/abuse to muster their needs for what they want. At times, I wonder if I have bullied someone myself, because I don't see myself as a bully, nor have I ever meant to bully anyone, but perhaps from another person's perspective I was being a bully. I hope that is not the case.
As I got older I recall being a freshman in high school and we were participating in gym class. It was spring and the gym teacher had us practicing for running the mile on the high school track. I recall a particular girl who happened to be a cheerleader gather her cheerleader friends and create "cheers" as I and other non-athletes ran/walked by, but the weren't cheering us on, they were bullying us with disrespectful cheers saying how we didn't have what it takes to run the mile. I also remember as a freshman in biology class being surrounded by older classmates, mostly juniors and seniors. They bullied us who happen to be in the class with them. They were terribly mean to us, picking on us constantly. There was one boy in particular who was the worst. I will never forget those two bullies from my high school experience.
As I got older and became an adult I thought that there wouldn't be any bullies, boy was I wrong! There are adult bullies too, some are subtle more intellectual bullies while others are more your typical old fashion bully that uses physical and verbal threats. Again, I wonder why these people bully? How did they become a bully? I wonder if they need help in some way, perhaps someone bullied them and that's why they are a bully. Or, perhaps they are insecure and use physical and verbal threats/abuse to muster their needs for what they want. At times, I wonder if I have bullied someone myself, because I don't see myself as a bully, nor have I ever meant to bully anyone, but perhaps from another person's perspective I was being a bully. I hope that is not the case.
Day 5: November 25, 2014
I always wondered what it would be like to bring my classroom to a national park, or even tour some national parks. Better yet, teach an entire school year using the national parks as our classroom. I am most positive most of my students haven't been to a national park, nor do they probably think of visiting one. Probably places to visit making their list would be an amusement park like Cedar Point, Universal Studios, or Disney World. I find it interesting how much students know about these amusement parks and how little they know about our national parks. National Parks are truly amazing places! You can learn so much from them! We have parks devoted to the natural world, such as your iconic Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Redwoods, and such. But, what I think very few realize is that we have an array of national parks devoted to the history and culture of our country. Did you know that you can visit the remains of ancient civilizations, walk among historic battlefields, see what life was like during colonial times, and participate in a dinosaur dig at a national park? But wait, there's more! All of the memorials and monuments in Washington DC are part of the National Park Service, as well as other national treasures, like the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore.
I wonder if I taught my class with a national park theme and incorporated nature and the outside world that my students would respect others and the natural world around them. At times I notice students, and adults, disrespecting our natural resources as well as the classroom and school grounds. Often I find wrappers, trash, etc. on the floor and littered outside on the playground. I wonder by learning the importance of taking care of our belongings and trash in a respectful way outside at a park if it would transcend into doing so in a public place like a school. I wonder if we came across a living thing like a plant or animal if students would learn the value of the experience and simply admire it for what it is, take a picture, and let the living thing simply continue to live out it's life as it was before we arrived. Often, I see children and adults alike treating plants and animals in demeaning ways. I think learning about our natural resources and the value of them might help others to understand the natural resources more and when being at one of the many parks come to appreciate and respect the natural resource and what resides within it.
As a teacher I think it would be an incredible experience to develop a national park theme for my classroom and periodically, or as an end of the year activity visit national parks related to what we were studying. But, honestly, I sincerely hope that my students and their families learn about our national parks and the priceless experiences that they offer all visitors. I can sincerely say from personal experiences that our national parks are a treasured resource unmatched by any amusement park.
I wonder if I taught my class with a national park theme and incorporated nature and the outside world that my students would respect others and the natural world around them. At times I notice students, and adults, disrespecting our natural resources as well as the classroom and school grounds. Often I find wrappers, trash, etc. on the floor and littered outside on the playground. I wonder by learning the importance of taking care of our belongings and trash in a respectful way outside at a park if it would transcend into doing so in a public place like a school. I wonder if we came across a living thing like a plant or animal if students would learn the value of the experience and simply admire it for what it is, take a picture, and let the living thing simply continue to live out it's life as it was before we arrived. Often, I see children and adults alike treating plants and animals in demeaning ways. I think learning about our natural resources and the value of them might help others to understand the natural resources more and when being at one of the many parks come to appreciate and respect the natural resource and what resides within it.
As a teacher I think it would be an incredible experience to develop a national park theme for my classroom and periodically, or as an end of the year activity visit national parks related to what we were studying. But, honestly, I sincerely hope that my students and their families learn about our national parks and the priceless experiences that they offer all visitors. I can sincerely say from personal experiences that our national parks are a treasured resource unmatched by any amusement park.
Day 6: November 26, 2014
I wonder what our country would be like if we were required to perform two years of service to our country? It could be military service, volunteer service, or other form of community service. I honestly wonder if this would have a positive impact on our citizens? After I graduated from college I participated as a volunteer through the Student Conservation Association, which I believe is somehow affiliated with AmeriCorps today. The goal for me was to gain real-world experiences in my major, biology, at the time so that I could pursue a Master's or Ph.D. in Biology. I vividly recall two opportunities being offered to me shortly after college graduation, one was researching ducks in California and the other was researching desert tortoises in Nevada. I chose the later, mostly because part of my youth was spent living in the desert southwest. The volunteer position was a three month position, and I honestly thought after three months I would return back to Michigan and pursue a teaching certificate. Well, three months turned into four years, with two of those years being a volunteer position through the Student Conservation Association and AmeriCorps. Living off of $50 a week was very trying, yet in a financially strapped way rewarding at the same time. I learned the value of money, because frankly, I didn't have any. But, more importantly I learned to live with less. I learned how to fix my own car, I learned that I didn't need a television or computer for entertainment, I learned the value of building friendships, I learned teamwork and work ethic in my job, and I also learned how to enjoy life with less. I have to admit that I was blessed to live in a location so close to so many amazing natural wonders, that weekend trips became epic journeys to the most amazing natural places that I have ever imagined. After it was all said and done, I spent four years of my life giving back to a cause I wholeheartedly believed in, and I feel that I made a difference. Interestingly enough, I honestly felt that I learned a lot from my experience and had incredible growth as a person of what is important in this world. I truly think that if all of us contributed our time to a cause that we truly believed in that we would all benefit, and, in turn, our society would benefit too.
Day 7: November 27, 2014
I often wonder why people litter. As I commute to work every day I see trash randomly scattered along the highway and think to myself "What prompts people to throw their trash out the window?" It actually takes some effort to roll your window down and toss out your garbage, perhaps people have a sudden "need" to get rid of their waste, or perhaps they don't value the great outdoors very much. I am an avid hiker, and do considerable amount of hiking along trails at several parks in the area of where my house is located. At times I see trash on the ground along the trails, it is pretty sad that someone comes to visit an established natural place and in doing so have the urge to litter the ground with their personal refuse. I notice this at school too, on the playground and in the classroom. Some students will willingly leave their trash on the classroom tables, desks, and counters as well as on the floor. I find it disrespectful and wonder why they do this. Do they litter in their own homes? Or, is this just something they do at school? It really boggles my mind that some students leave trash in the classroom like they do instead of simply putting their garbage in the trash can. I wonder if these students will grow up to be the people that litter our community. How can I get them to understand the value of keeping a clean and tidy environment? Wouldn't our world be a better place if we kept it clean of our trash?