Hello,
This is my final post for collouqium, summer A 2010. Initially I was annoyed by the fact that I had to take this class. I thought I already knew what the class was supposed to teach me. The truth is the class made me reflect on issues that I already considered important, but due to being extremly busy with other aspects of my life, such as graduating next spring, I had neglected considering this aspects.
The discussions about ecology, wildlife and the environment were intensified due to the fact that our class took place during the oil spill in the gulf. This tragic disaster made all of us who were participating in colloquium take the environmental discussions in a very serious manner. The thing that struck me the most is how many different opinions existed around the issues discussed in class and how opened we all were to listen to other people's opinion. I think that we had a very diverse class and this definitely enriched the class content. I did learn a lot not only about Florida and its surroundings (colloquium did give me a sense of place), but also about other cultures. In our class we had people from Africa, Russia, Mejico, Argentina and Puerto Rico. I am sure I am forgetting some of the colloquium foreigners. The fact is that this definitely added color to the class. Colloquium was not hard, at times it was tedious, a lot of work, but most of all it was different. It exposed me to a variety of different quotidian and not so quotidian aspects of life that one way or another relate to Florida. I learnt and I love learning, about anything.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Its rainning very hard and the lights just dimmed
Hello,
It is rainning very, very hard and the lights dimmed. I still have to write two more blog posts (not counting this one) and I am afraid the internet is going to stop working very soon.
This huge storm came out of nowhere. I am glad I made it home before it started rainning and that the storm did not catch me on I-75.
I am a bit worried, because Dion . (my husband) let Horacio (my cat) go for a walk before the storm started and Horacio has not come back yet, Usually he is very good at returning home bsy himself. Maybe he found some shelter elsewhere and he is waiting for the rain to stop, before making his way back home.
Or, Maybe, Wally ( 8ft alligator) that leaves across the lake from us, decided to make Horacio his dinner. I am posting a picture of wally so you can see how scary he looks. He has never cross to our side yet. Both Dion and I are proud of being able to coexist with Wally. And, we both apreciate having nature surround our home. I don't know if we would still feel same if he ate one of our pets.
It is rainning very, very hard and the lights dimmed. I still have to write two more blog posts (not counting this one) and I am afraid the internet is going to stop working very soon.
This huge storm came out of nowhere. I am glad I made it home before it started rainning and that the storm did not catch me on I-75.
I am a bit worried, because Dion . (my husband) let Horacio (my cat) go for a walk before the storm started and Horacio has not come back yet, Usually he is very good at returning home bsy himself. Maybe he found some shelter elsewhere and he is waiting for the rain to stop, before making his way back home.
Or, Maybe, Wally ( 8ft alligator) that leaves across the lake from us, decided to make Horacio his dinner. I am posting a picture of wally so you can see how scary he looks. He has never cross to our side yet. Both Dion and I are proud of being able to coexist with Wally. And, we both apreciate having nature surround our home. I don't know if we would still feel same if he ate one of our pets.
Down Town Fort Myers
Hello,
I am almost there. I need to post three more blogs to complete this class. I was not going to blog about down town Fort Myers because I did not learn so much in that field trip. If I had to cut one trip out of the class, this cut be the one. I did enjoy this field trip more than some of the other field trips mainly due to the fact that while walking around down town, I ran into my friend Paul and was able to sit down with him for a while and catch up.
While we were chatting in a coffee shop, we ran into other classmates. I guess, this helped us experience what our instructor meant when he described how down town Fort Myers was built to facilitate community interaction.
Although I was not awakened to any new landscape or learnt anything new about Fl. with this trip I did have a great chance to socialize with class mates and friends. Overall I would rate this trip a very good, enjoyable experience.
I am almost there. I need to post three more blogs to complete this class. I was not going to blog about down town Fort Myers because I did not learn so much in that field trip. If I had to cut one trip out of the class, this cut be the one. I did enjoy this field trip more than some of the other field trips mainly due to the fact that while walking around down town, I ran into my friend Paul and was able to sit down with him for a while and catch up.
While we were chatting in a coffee shop, we ran into other classmates. I guess, this helped us experience what our instructor meant when he described how down town Fort Myers was built to facilitate community interaction.
Although I was not awakened to any new landscape or learnt anything new about Fl. with this trip I did have a great chance to socialize with class mates and friends. Overall I would rate this trip a very good, enjoyable experience.
Collouqium Final Presentation
Hello!
This past Thursday we had our final project presentation, in our class. I was very impressed with some people's perception and creativity. I was also bored by a couple of predictable presentations. Mostly involving sustainability presented in a power point format. I'd already seen it a million times.
The presentations that impacted me most were:
A painting done on Photoshop that looked like an aquarelle.
A girl that did not know how to bake, but after our class, learnt how to make organic cookies from a recipe she found on the Internet.
An organic garden grown since January. The gardener has never done this before and had documented her progress with pictures and logged amounts of produce. She also calculated how much money she saved by growing fruit and vegetables. She was able to grow edible watermelons!
And my favourite were two kids that I thought did not care for the class, still they composed a song with guitar music and lyrics. It was a decent reggae and they made the whole class sing the chorus...
The last day of our class was pretty awesome.
This past Thursday we had our final project presentation, in our class. I was very impressed with some people's perception and creativity. I was also bored by a couple of predictable presentations. Mostly involving sustainability presented in a power point format. I'd already seen it a million times.
The presentations that impacted me most were:
A painting done on Photoshop that looked like an aquarelle.
A girl that did not know how to bake, but after our class, learnt how to make organic cookies from a recipe she found on the Internet.
An organic garden grown since January. The gardener has never done this before and had documented her progress with pictures and logged amounts of produce. She also calculated how much money she saved by growing fruit and vegetables. She was able to grow edible watermelons!
And my favourite were two kids that I thought did not care for the class, still they composed a song with guitar music and lyrics. It was a decent reggae and they made the whole class sing the chorus...
The last day of our class was pretty awesome.
Field Trip: The last one the best one
Hello!
Last week I went on my last trip with my colloquium class. This was by far the best. Our campus has this nature trails that run across the University and through parking lots. These trails are absolutely gorgeous; they are Florida marsh lands.
Tyler and Erika, two environmental Studies majors, that are also part of our class, guided our tour. We were caught in the middle of a huge down pour and did not get soaked thanks to the protection the forest offered us. Tyler, looked like a lost jungle boy, barefooted and with a rancher, straw hat on. Erika looked like a star wars character, or like a character from avatar. The guides definitely added to the experience. Is the first nature guided tour where I enjoyed a guide talking.
The trip ended at the most awesome location in campus! I was not aware this existed. Is basically a Picnic area in the middle of the woods. We can use it however we please, as long as it does not involve fire. We can pitch a tent there if we wanted to. And, THERE IS AN AWESOME HAMMOCK! we can nap there. No more library napping for me. This was a great discovery!
Last week I went on my last trip with my colloquium class. This was by far the best. Our campus has this nature trails that run across the University and through parking lots. These trails are absolutely gorgeous; they are Florida marsh lands.
Tyler and Erika, two environmental Studies majors, that are also part of our class, guided our tour. We were caught in the middle of a huge down pour and did not get soaked thanks to the protection the forest offered us. Tyler, looked like a lost jungle boy, barefooted and with a rancher, straw hat on. Erika looked like a star wars character, or like a character from avatar. The guides definitely added to the experience. Is the first nature guided tour where I enjoyed a guide talking.
The trip ended at the most awesome location in campus! I was not aware this existed. Is basically a Picnic area in the middle of the woods. We can use it however we please, as long as it does not involve fire. We can pitch a tent there if we wanted to. And, THERE IS AN AWESOME HAMMOCK! we can nap there. No more library napping for me. This was a great discovery!
Ideas on Sustainability
Hello,
I am coming to collquium's end and decided to write a list on how to make the planet more sustainable.
1-Develop large scale renewable energy:
Wind
Tidal waves
Solar energy coupled with Hydrogen productiond
Geothermal Power
Hydropwer
2- Convert to hibrid cars
3- Use energy efficient appliances
4-Promote the use of low flow appliances
5- Recycle and ration the use of water. Promote rain collection as an irrigation method
6-Permaculture on rooftops and backyards
7- Ban old school light bulbs like Aussie's did.
8- Promote local food grow and trade
I am coming to collquium's end and decided to write a list on how to make the planet more sustainable.
1-Develop large scale renewable energy:
Wind
Tidal waves
Solar energy coupled with Hydrogen productiond
Geothermal Power
Hydropwer
2- Convert to hibrid cars
3- Use energy efficient appliances
4-Promote the use of low flow appliances
5- Recycle and ration the use of water. Promote rain collection as an irrigation method
6-Permaculture on rooftops and backyards
7- Ban old school light bulbs like Aussie's did.
8- Promote local food grow and trade
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
E-mail to Echo
I am still attempting to get a hold of the blue prints for the hand bicycle I test drove at Echo.
The following is an e-mail I sent to the person in charged of appropriate technologies at Echo.
Hello!
My name is Maria Renno. I am an FGCU student, who had the pleasure of visiting Echo during a school field trip. During our visit I as able to test drive a hand tricycle/wheelchair made out of wood. I am an environmental engineering student and was very impressed with this technology. The reason I am writing is because I was told I would be able to find the blue prints for this device posted on Echo's website. I was not able to do so. I returned to Echo for a second time in hopes of finding the blue prints at your bookstore and was, instead, referred to you by one of your associates.
I am currently preparing my colloquium final project. My project is an engineering mechanics lesson plan. The idea is to replace the objects they currently build as a part of this class' curricula for the hand bicycle I test drove at echo. At the end of the class the device would be auctioned and the funds collected would be donated to your establishment.
I appreicate your assistance with this matter.
regards,
Maria Irianni Renno
The following is an e-mail I sent to the person in charged of appropriate technologies at Echo.
Hello!
My name is Maria Renno. I am an FGCU student, who had the pleasure of visiting Echo during a school field trip. During our visit I as able to test drive a hand tricycle/wheelchair made out of wood. I am an environmental engineering student and was very impressed with this technology. The reason I am writing is because I was told I would be able to find the blue prints for this device posted on Echo's website. I was not able to do so. I returned to Echo for a second time in hopes of finding the blue prints at your bookstore and was, instead, referred to you by one of your associates.
I am currently preparing my colloquium final project. My project is an engineering mechanics lesson plan. The idea is to replace the objects they currently build as a part of this class' curricula for the hand bicycle I test drove at echo. At the end of the class the device would be auctioned and the funds collected would be donated to your establishment.
I appreicate your assistance with this matter.
regards,
Maria Irianni Renno
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