Reflections Post: Weeks 13 & 14, Overall

Reflection Week 13:
So this week our big thing was a tour of Goodwill on the west side of Duluth.  I have visited this store many many times, to donate items, and to shop.  Being a college students and having so many thrift stores in Duluth is awesome.  I love finding cool used stuff, and paying next to nothing for it.  This field trip was so much different though than any other time I have been there.  Driving up to the store I looked at it like I always do because its such a HUGE building but it never actually crossed my mind as to what goes on in the rest of the building.  It was amazing to take a tour of the entire place and see all the stuff that actually goes on!  I felt like one of the more educated people on the topic of goodwill, which was kinda cool.  I always knew that they provided a jobs to the mentally disabled, and that they are non-profit.  The mattress thing blew my mind.  The fact that they take goods that no one wants and are 1 step away from going to a landfill, and then have some guy from the Twin Ports area design a machine to compress old mattresses into a 2x2x2 brick that they can sell is awesome.
On Wednesday I did my final post for my SMART goal, overall I am super stoked on how I did.  My goal to eat red meat only once a week proved to be a lot easier than I thought, and also over the course of this class I have a completely new outlook on food.  I am taking small steps toward become a nutritionally sound person.  Next things on my list, cut out the alcohol, and hopefully have some type of a garden this summer!  Eating less red meat, and getting my proteins from other more eco-friendly sources will always be going on in my life.
Friday I did my final post the Read 'n' Seed.  All in all the book wasn't bad, I struggled with the style of writing the author used.  When picking out books I should have looked at some less "scientific" ones.
Week 14:
Monday we had our last class :'(.  I'm not even being an ass kisser when I say this is one of the best classes I have ever taken.   You know going to college and taking all these stupid generals that no one is actually passoinate to learn about.  Its refreshing to learn life lessons in class, and not some stiff blabbing at you with a powerpoint straight out of your extremely over priced textbook.  We all brought in our junk projects and there was so many cool ideas!
Wednesday, I did my other group members Online learning activity and learned about the negative effects smoking has on people's health, and how it discourages them from exercising.  I also learned about some Water sanitation issues from around the world, and how the gov't can control what consumers buy so much, that they can damage farmers business by just saying there is a possibility of contamination of a certain crop.

So today is my last post.  Did all the share and voices, eye openers, junk projects, blogging and all the other stuff for the semester.  Which I feel like I learned from definitely.  My favorite parts of the class had to be the documentaries.  They were very eye opening and just kind of inspire me to be a better person and take action on issues.  It also makes me want to be a more educated person on things so that I can in turn educate others.  Which is exactly what the makers of documentaries are trying to do, is create a chain reaction in us, and to be completely honest I probably would have never watched any of those if they hadn't been shown to me in this class.  So now that I had all this information conveniently presented to me I will take it as my responsibility to get it out there to others throughout my life.  This class has honestly changed my life.

Pam

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

1. Abby's Earth Experiment Learning Activity-

"For this activity you will need a straw.  A cocktail straw is best, but you could also grab a straw from the food court if you don't have one on hand at home.  Here's how you begin:
1. Breath through the straw for 30 seconds.  Has breathing become harder?  How much more restricted do your airways feel?
2. Take away the straw and recognize how easy it is to breath again.  Did you immediately desire to gasp for a deep breath?
3. For 1 minute either run in place or do jumping jacks.
4. Immediately following that minute breath through the straw for as long as possible.  How long did you last before gasping for air? Did you notice how such a little amount of exercise made breathing so difficult?"

So the only straw I could find in my house was one of those REALLY long stiff ones that goes into those $15 water bottles you buy at Valley Fair when you're dying of thirst and the disposable ones are like $7.50 so you decide to splurge and get the one you can refill!  I don't know if this worked for, or against me... Breathing through it was not very fun in the first place because I have a fear of suffocating.  Then I ran up and down my stairs 6 times! Woah, trying to breathe out of then was like... well I guess it was like breathing out of a straw after running up and down your stairs 6 times, not cool!
Being one of those darn ex-smokers I can totally relate to this... I started smoking at very young ago socially, and whenever I would be snowboarding and think I was all cool on the chairlift having a cig then try to hike up the park afterwards I could definitely tell that I was killing my lungs!  So I have actually done this experiment in life, which is kinda like a slap in the face... some of the things you do when you're young and dumb.

2. Danielle's Discoveries Online Learning Activity
  For Danielle's experiment she posted 3 videos and ask questions afterward that I was asked to respond to...
1. After seeing this video, how do you feel about the fact that this whole European program, creating better sanitation for all, is developed and carried out by women?
     I feel very empowered to be a woman today... it is amazing how far we have come in advancing our statuses in the world, it doesn't surprise me though that woman are behind advocacy for sanitation though.  We tend to be more clean and worry about "less important" things like this!
2. The 2nd video didn't work for me... :/
But after watching the 2nd video about the tomato farmer's losing all that money from the E. Coli scare it just reminds me about how much trust people put in our gov't... so many people put their responsibilities and trust in the hands of the gov't so when they say "don't eat tomatoes" it takes those farmers a long time to recover from an incident like that.  The worst part is that it wasn't even the tomatoes that were causing the problem, it was the jalapenos.  I can understand why those farmers would be upset and why they expected reimbursement!


Pam

Share and Voice: Virtual Eco Mall

So since taking this class I have started trying to incorporate more "green" products into my life.  Being that it is Christmas why not spread the good idea around by buying eco-friendly gifts for my friends and family.  While looking around online I found this cool website http://www.ecomall.com/.  It's like a big databases of different types of stores and places to get certain products you're looking for without harming the environment.  They have links to everything from solar powered products to aromatherapy to yoga.  Hope you guys find some stuff to! 

Pam

Advocacy Project: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Learning Activity

Purpose: To educate others on the negative effects of Fetal Alchohol Syndrome has on the lives of the people with it and the people involved with them.
Background/Reasoning/Evidence:
Most of the features of FAS are variable. They may or may not be present in a given child. However, the most common features of FAS involve the growth, performance, intelligence, head and face, skeleton, and heart of the child.
Growth and birth weights are minimal.  Retardation of height growth is evident on the measurements of length in infancy and of standing height later in childhood. The growth lag is permanent.
Performance is impaired. The FAS infant is irritable. The older FAS child is hyperactive. Fine motor skills are impaired with weak grasp, poor eye-hand coordination, and tremors.
Intelligence is diminished. The average IQ is in the 60s. The face is characteristic with short eye openings , sunken nose bridge, short nose, flattening of the cheekbones and middle face, and smooth, thin upper lip.

Learning Activitiy Instructions:
Go to this website http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0715/p279.html  and look the different physical characteristics of a child with F.A.S. and then state whether or not the children below have F.A.S. and answer the few short answers questions at the end.

1.

 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. One occasional drink during pregnancy is okay, especially towards the end to calm the mother's nerves, and aid in sleep.

True or False

2. A common birth defect in F.A.S. babies is having an abnormally short and crooked pinky.

True or False

3.  There is no known cure for F.A.S.

True or False

4. Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not possible.

True or False

5. If the male has been consuming alcohol during conception, this puts the baby at risk for F.A.S.

True or False.

Whoever completes this exercise can just leave their answers in the comment box below and I will post the correct answers when both of my group members have done so.

See ya Monday!

Pam

Share and Voice: US Healthcare Reform

So the more and more I research this Healthcare Reform business the stronger I feel about it.  I have officially decided that I am in favor of "socialized" healthcare, because at least that means healthcare for everyone.  Yeah maybe half of America is undereducated and lazy, and yeah it really sucks that the people that work hard and make a living have to pay taxes to help those poor slugs pay for doctor exams, and ER visits.  But where would we be if it was every man, woman and child for themselves.... what other types of "socialist" things do we have in this country?! UMMMMMM a HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, yep that costs money to,  but the fact that it is payed for by our taxes make it possible for underpriveleged people to at least get that far, and then we even give them grants if they choose to go to college.  So why is it so acceptable for society to pay for people to get an education but not cover the costs of chemotherapy, or heart surgery.  The United States Healthcare System is ranked #37 on the World Healthcare Organization.  They have healthcare-for-all type systems in so many other countries and the more research I do the more convenient and less hassling those type of systems seem.  So why such an uproar about this.... oh yes $$$$$ The health insurance companies and pharmaceutical tycoons will be doomed, what a bummer.

So here is link to all the current Reports on the Health Reform.

Lemme know what you all think!

Pam