Showing posts with label Reflection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reflection. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Reflection Weeks 8-15

The second half of the semester was just as fulfilling, thought provoking, and behavior changing as the first half of the semester. There were many activities that we did that I was able to take a lot from.

Web Groups & Share and Voice
This activity we did taught me a lot. We switched web groups up this semester, and I was able to learn a lot from three new people, and all of the different things they learned I was able to learn a lot from. I was really fond of Cole, Niki J, and Shelby, and all that they were able to teach me. Every week I took something different from them, whether it was Cole's great recycling ideas, Niki's advocacy for clean water, Shelby's great input on recycling, I really enjoyed having these people in my web group this second half. After all of these different share and voices were done I learned how to hook up to a linky party. This was awesome to be able to see what everyone else in class was doing as well. I was able to easily locate this, and explore from there. I had never learned how to do this until we did it in class, I really enjoyed the linky parties!

Junk Project
Whenever I had trash, or something that I thought I could not use anymore I would just simply throw it away. However, I learned that just because you think something is broken if you actually take a moment you can see all that it really can be, and nothing is really junk. I was able to take an old mirror that I thought was broken, and turn it into an earring tray, or even a candy tray, or serving dish. I now find myself looking at everything in my house and thinking of a ton of different uses that I could turn it into. I have learned to look at my "junk" differently, and find different uses for me. My classmates had so many cool ideas that I found really aspiring, and I am excited to redecorate my house now from this project. I really did learn that what is someone elses garbage really is someone elses treasure.



Advocacy Projects
After doing all of these different advocacy projects I really learned  a lot. It was not until I actually did these assignments that I even knew who represented me, or anything about them. I learned who actually represents me area, and all the different bills that are trying to be passed, and how difficult it actually is to get a bill to pass, and make it all of the way through, no matter how good it is. I liked looking at the one I did in regards to making less air pollution, because we are all the ones who are affected by this. I learned a lot more about politics that I ever have before, which was something I never took an interest in before. I also learned what it meant to actually advocate for something, and truly be apart and have an impact on an issue, or idea. This was something I had never known or learned before.

My Own Blog
I have learned a lot about blogging in general. Even though at first I was a bit frustrated with the whole blogging idea as I had never used it before, and was a bit overwhelmed I have come to learn that it really is a great tool that is very beneficial. I learned how to put my own ideas, view others, and comment on them to actually learn what they are saying while offering my own input. I believe blogging is a great way to interact and learn from other people as well.

Final Thoughts
During this second half of the semester I have learned so much in regards to blogging, being environmentally friendly, simple ways to change my behaviors, and that everything we do has some kind of consequence, and that if we really want to change we can. I learned so much from all of the different share and voices about where to shop, food labels, recipes, books, and many more things. I have created a list of everything I want to experiment and learn about. This really was a very beneficial class that I learned so much from that I am going to use for the rest of my habits. I have so many new, improved behavior habits that I am really proud and happy about.





Sunday, October 30, 2011

Reflection Week 1-7

         I know this class is only halfway done, but I have already learned so many things about myself, the environment, blogging and just my surroundings in general. It is actually crazy to think about how much this class has already impacted my everyday life and behavior, especially in these last two weeks!
         Over the last two weeks I have learned about myself as a person. I had always thought that I was a good person, and good to the earth for simple reasons, like taking out my garbage, recycling basic items in my house, and not littering. However, I have learned that it goes much deeper then just these simple tasks, even though they are good starting points. My SMART goal was to not use paper toweling, or paper products, which I am proud to say that I no longer do. I only use only the minimum amount of toilet paper that I actually need when going to the bathroom. These are simple habits that I had never really thought of you. Also I have learned that if I really want to make a change that I will, and from that it will in turn change all of my other habits. After doing the "Junk on the Brain" activity I have found myself looking at everything in my house and finding so many different uses for it. I've cut old t-shirts and used them for rags. I now used an old coffee can to hold flowers in the house. If this would of been me two weeks ago I would of simply thrown all of my garbage away when I was done with it, and never even thought of all of the possibilities of different uses that could come from it. I am really proud of my new outlook on life, of saving, reusing, and recycling a lot of things I have.
         Two weeks ago when we watched the movie GREEN, that really hit home a lot for me. I grew up by a lot of small farms and had always heard and thought that yes farmers work hard, and am ashamed to say that I took their farming for granted, and thought it was something easy they did to save on money. I now see that I am very wrong for this idea, and am embarrassed that I ever even had this idea. From that video I saw that our environment is a very precious item, that should not be taken lightly. It would not be kept the way it is if it wasn't for the farmers producing foods, and keeping it healthy with all of their fertilizing and maintaining of their crops and gardens. Farmers help reduce some of the need for factories, which ruin our environment with all of the pollution they produce. I now have a whole new respect for farmers, and all of the hard work they do for us. I would actually like to go and work on a farm for a few weeks, so I really can get the true experience, I think it would be very humbling and a good idea for me. I have also learned that we are all responsible for our environment, since we are all living here. I believe that actions are contagious. I now try to pick up one piece of garbage everyday that I see (which there is always a ton on my 5 minute walk to school). I believe by doing this that if someone sees me they will pick up the habit, and do it themselves, and if everyone would do this then our world would really be a different place. I also like to do my part with helping to GO GREEN so I have taken a vow to only drive my car when I absolutely need to. I now walk to school everyday to save on not only gas, but the pollution as well. This change has been going on for a little over two weeks now, which I am proud to say that I am helping our environment.
         Within these last few weeks I have found a new love, blogging! In the beginning I was a bit skeptical about blogging, but have found that I really enjoy it. I find myself just going through everyone's blogs and reading of all of the great work that they are doing, and it is so exciting to read and learn from them! I really do enjoy this, and find it inspiring to try some of their new lifestyle changes, or get ideas from this. I really have liked Niki J's idea of trying to eat more vegetables! This has been something I have always wanted to do, but never really found the motivation to do so until I started reading her blog, so if it wasn't for blogging I would still be in phase one of just wanting to change, but not really doing so.
         I can easily say this is my favorite class that I have ever taken here at UMD. I really have never learned so much about our world that I have in these few weeks. I had always taken everything I had for granted, and always expected it all to just be there for me, but never really learned how things work, and the simple tasks that I can do to help our world. I am also excited that form this class I went to Whole Foods Co-op for the first time last weekend, which was such an exciting experience for me. I found myself just wondering around reading the labels on all of the foods, and when I found something that was GM free I was very happy to see that. I bought a lot of organic foods which I am very excited to try, especially a delicious Boca Burger that I just made the other night. I really have enjoyed this class, and am learning so much, and am very excited and happy with the person I am becoming and all of the new different behaviors I have acquired as well!


Monday, September 19, 2011

Lindsay's Loving Land


Welcome to my blog!

My name is Lindsay, a junior at UMD enrolled in the class HLTH 3500, which focuses on the importance of cutting down our resources and preserving the earth! The focus of my blog is to learn and discuss ways we can all go green and help the earth we live in! There are many simple everyday behaviors we can change and work on to not only help ourself, but everyone else around us as well! I know for me personally I am very health conscious, but there is still many things I can work on!
My blog will contain these types of posts:

  1.  Advocacy Project
  2.  Eye Opener
  3.  Reflection
  4.  Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
  5. Share and Voice

The members in my web group are:

This is the beginning of making life style changes to help our earth, and also a great way to find out different ways my fellow classmates are making changes as well. I believe if we all work together we can really make a difference!