Sunday, November 17, 2013

Anthropology of Nature: Week 12 - 20131117

This blog entry is part of a project for the class Anthropology of Nature. 

Ah, the adventures of a senior in college. I went out and bought a jar of caffeine pills. Yep. How sad.
I have been making great strides though, in life and in my connectedness to the environment.



On Nov 11 I went to the Learn Green Conference for Educators. I talked about it in my last blog (because it was late, EEK). I've spent a few minutes each day daydreaming about how to implement some of those connecting-to-environment strategies in my biology lessons. I'm really excited about it. I also learned that getting a master in Environmental science might qualify to teach Env Sci at a high school too (go figure [end snarkyness]). I did, oddly enough, learn that even with a masters in education a high school teacher's pay does not go up unless that masters is in their field (such as biology) instead of education (such as a masters in Curriculum and Instruction). How Strange! I have a peer whom is getting her masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Biology, and is taking several graduate level biology and ecology courses for it. I hope to keep in contact with her and find out how it goes. I do not think an Environmental Science masters would build on a Biology ed, for the purposes of a raise, but who knows. Maybe I'll certify in Environmental Science (some high schools teach it) and corner the market. Ok, that turned out to be about a different kind of green. Cest la vie.

I got hold of the local horticulturalist, who informed me that most of the plants I think are parasites might just be non-harmful air-plants, like the local bromeliad. Next step is to send him photos of the odd plants growing on the dead half of the tree, and see if it is opportunistic and non-harmful plantlife taking root in handily available dead space (in which case I will leave them there, just as I would leave a dead tree, that isn't likely to fall on my house, as bird housing). However, I'm pretty sure at least two of those plants are damaging the tree. Updates as it happens!

I wish I could talk about last week's work in Anthropology of Nature. I missed the last day so I could teach the last day of my Lesson Cycle at high school. I did so much better than on my other days. And, I went again on Friday, for my regularly scheduled day, and it went even better! I made sure to mention those things in the submission of my 3-day lesson cycle GINORMOUS packet of everything for Effective Secondary Instruction. I have referred to it as "my final" and though I had the lesson plans built, so I could teach them) it took me 13 hours on Saturday and another hour on Sunday to get everything put together and reflected upon etc etc etc so I could submit it. Mindboggling.

So. Off to slam through Conservation is our Government Now 1-2 (so close to the wire, I know, but also studying for my German composition exam on Tuesday). At least everything is easing off now that I'm basically done with ESE3940 and because Monday will be the last day I drive to Davie (and all further SCE work will be turned in online). I'll get to focus on rereading key note points for Ant and studying for the German Oral and German Final. WOO! Oh, and the GIS final, but I'm not yet sure if it's going to be a comprehensive online final or just a final map that we create. I dislike classes where I have little data to plan with.

Oh. And this week I pick a date to take the GRE. The date is definitely before Christmas. EEK!

OH OH. And I finally got fed up with my dayplanner (too small, no room for thoughts) and began to shop around for something that would suit me (because as much as I love digital, I can't function with a digital dayplanner). After about 5 minutes of not seeing anything remotely like what I thought I wanted I grabbed a small notebook to sketch something out and see if I could determine what I really wanted. And it looked great, so great in fact, that I just turned that small hardcover recycled notebook with cardboard pen INTO the datebook. 1.4 inches down the spine of each page, with exactly 21 lines and a header space means room for the week label, 7 days, and leaves roughly 3.5 inches near the distal end of the page for extra notes thoughts diagrams poetry small leaves small photos WHATEVER. Pfft, who needs to spend money?

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