Idaho and Utah!!!!

These past few days have been productive and i have not only completed lots of school work, but have also logged over 11 hours of work at the gym. The good weather is leaving and it has been rainy today. Tomorrow i have class which consists of seminar and lab. This weekend there is a big festival called Procession of the Species, which i will unfortunately be missing. However i will still be able to attend a light opening tomorrow night! Early Saturday morning i will be leaving for Idaho and Utah so i still need to do some packing!

Beautiful Weekend

This weekend has been amazing and it felt like summer due to many people frolicking outside and the burning weather. On Saturday i went for a short bike ride around Olympia, then went to the sauna after. Later my friend Ti'eri, from Alaska, had a birthday party at Ezzy's apartment. It was Mexican themed and we cooked lots of good food and had cake. Sunday was a very lazy day and i hung out in the sun with friends and did some reading. Later, I met my friend, Moses, who flew up to Washington from the bay to check out the college. Unfortunately he only had one full day here, but i had some time to kick it and show him around campus. That night i watched a movie with friends. Monday morning i had a short class out in the forest. Part of my class broke into small groups and taught the rest of class about organisms and the large diverse amount of life. We also shared thoughts about styles of teaching and whether being energetic or calm was more engaging. We decided that both were necessary for energy can hype an activity too much, and yet calmness can loose interest and control. Basically depending on age, setting, and behavior one must tune and constantly reevaluate education techniques. Today my class learned about Project Wet which focuses on water and teaches many important and relevant information about the water cycle. We tried a few activities from the project book and reflected on how adapting these "games" can educate society. An example is a river game we tried in which we develop(draw) water front property and look how it effects life downstream. Its practically impossible to have a pollution free area, due to septic tanks(leak into environment), docks(kick up sediments), and livestock(there waste seeps into soil and water). Livestock is one of the greatest causes of pollution and though simple steps, such as releasing waste during a dry spell so that rainwater cannot cause runoff, the environment can be significantly cleaner(healthier for everyone). The rest of this night im going to try to get more reading finished. Tomorrow im subbing at work from 3-6, then i also have work on Thursday from 445 to 9. Everythings going very well and im currently trying to figure out all my Summer plans!

First Day of Work

Yesterday i had my first day at work. I have a regular shift from 445 to 9pm every Thursday, and this job rocks! I worked part time at the front desk and part in the equipment checkout office and was trained by other employees. Both jobs are pretty relaxed and they mainly consist of greeting people, answering phones, checking ids, and cleaning the gym. I get paid minimum wage and am able to work on homework and art during the job(due to lots of downtime). Today i had class and in the morning we had seminars and in the afternoon we had a lab teaching adaptation. We also talked more about the trip to Utah and decided what we wanted to eat on the trip. After class i went to a friends place close by and hung out in his rural backyard. Its going to be a nice weekend here so hopefully i will be able to spend lots of time outdoors.

Batik

here are pictures of the community art studio and the batik i made. I still have to pick it up and wash the wax off it. Yesterday my class learned about ecology in the forest. We spent two hours in the cold rain, the lesson was very interesting, however i am kinda sick as a result. Today we learned about Project Learning Tree which is a k-12 program which educates students about the environment. The class is beginning to pick up and we are planning the trip to Utah and creating presentations for a science carnival.

Procession of the Species

This has been a busy week and iv had lots of work. On Monday we learned about an nature program called Project Wild which educates students about environmental issues and sustainability. On Tuesday we learned about The Nature Program which collects data from the public dealing with species to evaluate diversity. Finally on Friday i gave a presentation about Biomes, a classification of a specific area and nature community. Last night Ezzys room mate cook a ton of food and had a Seder. Today i went downtown with Ezzy and we worked at a communal art center. This place teaches the public various art forms such as batik which we both tried. Later this month there is a fair downtown called the Procession of the Species which has lots of art in it. I also now have a shift from 445 to 9 at the rec center on Thursdays. Tonight I'm going to a party in a friends barn which will be fun.

Beautiful Day

Today was very nice and the weather was probably the best it has ever been. The grass field by housing was full of people today and i spent the day hanging out with friends there. I did some reading out in the sun than later played frisbee and soccer. I also had my job training at the rec center and the shifts seem very chill. I do not have a permanent position yet and will be subbing for people. Everything's going very well right now and class has been great!

Got a Job!

So far it has been a smooth transition from break to school. On Tuesday my class looked at styles of teaching and how educational games can aid the process of learning. We tried out various ecology games and studied the impact and potential learning of each. Last night Ezzy cooked an awesome tai diner using new pots and pans sent to her. I also got a job at the rec center on campus and having training this Sunday. The weather is becoming much more pleasant and the nights are way more bearable. There's a little sun out right now and im off to take advantage of it while i still can.