Wrap Up Those Leftovers

It's the final week of 8Y08 and time to reflect on my Genius Hour journey. It was a lot of interesting, educational work that got me thinking about what I am passionate about and where I can make a difference. It also got me thinking about the types of actions that really make a difference. Changing my topic from Truth and Reconciliation to Plant-Based Eating was a really big decision that required a lot of extra work, but I think it was the right thing to do. Especially in the age of social media, it is very easy to jump up and use your voice but sometimes that's not the right course of action. This was a big lesson for me, although not the point of this assignment. 

I really enjoyed creating something every week, and while it was a lot of work it reminded me that really great things require a lot of work! I hope that moving forward I can remind myself to stretch my creative legs more often. The biggest challenge I had was coming up with a topic and I'm not sure why or what that means. The struggle was real, and it was because I have a lot of interests but feel as though I have no strong passions or big questions that I need answered. I'm not sure how or if that will affect me in a classroom, but it will be important to remind myself of moving forward. I would like to apply creative thinking and a growth mindset to more things in my life that I've previously thought I couldn't do. I think the Genius Hour project gave parts of my brain a little dust off!

 

As for all of you! Enjoy reading week and try something new! 

The Big Cheese

My Genius Hour work was definitely a journey and I think as I have grown older my creative mind has closed up a bit. While I was able to find a topic and idea I was passionate about, I feel I lacked the creativity to truly create something unique or wonderful. Maybe I am just feeling negative from all the bummer facts I learned about the meat industry and the climate crisis. 

I learned a lot of new stuff about Candian meat consumption vs global meat consumption that was really impressive. Yay Canada! As well as something that really surprised me; overconsumption of meat permeates into economic, social, and ecological issues but nothing is being done about it. Why is that? I've heard a lot about the power of the dollar and the meat industry trying to silence people, but numbers don't lie. Animal agriculture takes up 45% of global land use and feeding those animals is more than enough to prevent world hunger. Why is there an industry that can do this unchecked? Why do we care more about eating a steak than feeding everyone on earth? I really just have more questions!

By implementing a meal plan similar to my final product in my own house, I have been able to make my family eat plant based regularly and reduce our ecological footprint. Teaching people what I have learned would be my next step, and sharing with them all the great recipes I have found along the way. 

What are the options here?

If I asked you today to try out a vegan or vegetarian diet, I'm sure you would think or say:

"I would, but omg I can't live without cheese"

"I love bacon too much to give up meat"

"What about social events, or dining out? That sounds hard"

The truth is, YOU ARE RIGHT! All of these are understandable reasons for not wanting to have a totally vegetarian or vegan diet. Unfortunately the rate at which the average person (globally) currently consumes meat is unsustainable for their health or the current population of the planet. Raising animals for food takes up water consumption, land use, and accounts for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015 a movie called "Cowspiracy" uncovered facts about the detrimental impact over-consumption of meat has on the climate crisis, and yet some of the top environmental advocates weren't tackling it. It was unpopular, and meat production is a powerful industry. Reduction of meat consumption is better for the planet and your health. The key word here being REDUCTION not complete removal of it from your diet. I stand to prove that any reduction you are comfortable with is a reduction worth making. 

Canadians are actually a leading example of the benefits of the reduction of meat intake. In a recent poll in 2018 the average Canadian family was consuming 41g of meat daily - about the size of half your palm and well within the new Canadian food guide which controversially supported a plant-based diet and reduction of meat intake.  In fact, many Canadian households are reducing their meat intake to 3 days a week. 

There is a lot of fantastic research proving the impact of the meat industry on the planet, and a lot of it began with "Cowspiracy". What can we do with this information now that we have it? It was a set back to change my topic as I have had more work to do, such as go back and change my project proposal so this week a lot of time was spent in the research phase and re-doing previous work. Moving forward and into Week 5 I will be working hard to figure out the answer to this question. There is no shortage of supportive research but now I'm curious as to why so many Canadians have been making the right choice, what makes us so different than our American neighbours who are the biggest over consumers of meat? I would be interested to continue with the palm size analogy and visualize how much meat people are eating all over the world. 

I am aiming for my final product to be part of putting these words to action and convincing people who aren't already to try out plant based diet, at least until it comes time for bacon! As this idea becomes clearer in my mind I am picturing a week long meal plan, with recipes and facts about why plan-based eating is beneficial throughout. Food for thought?

Genius Hour: Powered By Plants

 Hello Adventure Friends!

Today's the day, the sun is shining, the topic has changed! Genius Hour is supposed to be a journey right? If you check out my last blog post you'll see that I have changed my idea to another area I'm very passionate about: plant based eating. 

I have been a vegetarian on and off for over 6 years, and always for the same reason: eating meat at the rate that society does has serious implication on the planet. Between the water used to raise meat for consumption and the land destruction caused by the meat industry there are serious issues with the way we get the food we want, crave, and ultimately need. There is also unnecessary social stigma around 'vegetarians' and 'vegans' and I get a lot of eye rolls when I tell people that I don't eat meat. 

I'm not here to tell people what to do or what to eat - or even not eat. My new big question is "What would happen if we globally reduced meat consumption by 50%?" 

From my own research and understanding before I take on this question I know that it would have significant environmental and health impacts in the long run, but what exactly are they? If I can back up this up with my own research maybe I can convince people to reduce their meat consumption. 

It's not about restriction or limitations to what you 'can or cannot' eat, the goal of this genius question is to raise awareness and engage our minds about where our food comes from and what time, money, energy and sacrifices go into putting it on our plates. 

Ideally I would like to create a product that educates people and gives them simple solutions to integrate more plant based eating into their daily lives. I have put out a survey to some friends on social media to get an idea of what they would like to know, and how they would best learn more (tik tok? ted talk? pdf check lists?). 

I have really started back at square one, but it's all part of the learning process. Okay now who else is hungry???

A Time And Place, And This Is Not Mine

 Hello adventure friends!

We need to have a talk, a serious one, about when it's time to sit down and listen rather than stand up and raise your voice. I have been on my own journey reading through and collecting Indigenous resources on Truth and Reconciliation and have come to feel that it is not my place to include this topic in my Genius Hour project. While I am very passionate about learning more, and including it in my own classrooms as an educator, I don't feel the public presentation of my journey does any service to the Indigenous voices that need the space to speak their truth. Creating a movie trailer - which is the next assignment in this journey - is not the best way to be an ally or present my findings and feelings. To be a real ally is to let Indigenous voices guide the way, and so below I have shared two very helpful Indigenous created resources to learn more and better serve and support their communities. Please take a look & share:

Indigenous Canada: A FREE Indigenous led course through the University of Alberta that teaches Indigenous and Canadian history and its influence on the modern day experience

"How To Be An Ally In Indigenous Led Conservation" A perspective on ally-ship from Land Needs Guardians. 

As mentioned in my last post, I have added "Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation" and "Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Schools" to my personal library and they have been extremely helpful in my own learning. I hope that my fellow teacher's candidates will do the same. 

Research, Reading, Resources, Re-evaluating and more Research

The research process for this topic is going to be extensive, however I believe this information will help me navigate my future experiences in the outdoors and in the classroom with a growth mindset. Truth and Reconciliation is something that all Canadians need to learn more about and engage with, and is an important component of Canada's future. 

My initial research helped me gauge how many resources exist that are already trying to bring Truth and Reconciliation into the classroom and accessible to Canadian children. Part of my goal, and part of Truth and Reconciliation, is empowering Indigenous voices to tell their own story and I wouldn't want to overlap or appropriate these resources. There are several Indigenous created resource collections such as: 

Indigenous Education Teacher Resources from Comox Valley

Bringing Reconciliation Into The Classroom: First Nations Caring Society

These resources included worksheets, further readings, colouring pages, stories and context to lessons, and so much more that I haven't quite got further into. I also got my hands on two books on the subject: 

Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation

Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Schools

There is no shortage of resources on the subject and how to bring concepts into the classroom. This doesn't change my question right now, but the extensive research on the subject means that my job will be more than creating something new. In discussions with working teachers on the subject I have developed some key criteria to bring these resources to every teacher. I asked them "what would you need to make Truth and Reconciliation an accessible topic in your classroom?" and got a variety of answers including focus points and clear connections to the curriculum. Curriculums take a long time to change and implement, but finding connections in the current curriculums is an attainable goal.

In my current research I have learned that there is a strong base of Indigenous created resource banks to choose from. These resources come from all over Canada, but are applicable to all areas in their intentions and goals. One of the most common resources included how to teach about residential schools, but I believe this is only part of the picture. In the video below, from CBC, there were some key phrases that I think would be important to consider in the classroom such as "the shared history of Canada" and "History on this land that has perviously been ignored". Take a look:

Moving forward I think I need to reach out to Indigenous knowledge keepers and educators in my own community and gather some first hand knowledge. I hope that as my research continues I get a clearer picture of where my work is headed, although the journey and knowledge for myself is an important result in itself. 

Welcome To The Adventure

Happy Everything Adventurers!

My name is Liz Murphy, and I am a teaching candidate at Brock University. My online presence is being developed as I learn, and I encourage you you share and follow along as I share my teaching journey but also past experiences about teaching in the outdoors. 

In the eco-warrior world we learn a lot about our carbon footprint, but now I am learning about my digital footprint. A digital footprint is the presence you have online; can people Google your name? What do they find? What is the impression you leave publicly in the digital world? How does that affect you in the real world?

I grew up in an age where the internet was pretty new and exciting, but it meant that we all had to learn together as it started to become a part of our regular lives. Everyone was pretty nervous about their privacy, and some people still are. As I grow my digital footprint to make myself accessible to students and other teachers, I will take the first steps by working on my Genius Hour project. For the next 5 weeks I will be exploring the question of "How can I integrate Truth and Reconciliation and Traditional Indigenous Knowledges into the classroom and make them accessible for a wide range of ages and students?"

While this is a very big question, with a lot of different answers, it will be my job to break it down into tangible goals, which honestly I don't have totally figured out yet. We also have to remember that there is no one way to answer this question, and I will just have to do my best in the next 5 weeks and always be open to learning and growing past this project. I'll measure my progress here by summarizing research, creating lesson plans, creating connections with Indigenous educators, and keeping an open line of communication about my progress - you can hold me accountable!

Welcome to the adventure, 

Adventure Teacher Liz