Just pick it up...but photograph it first

I discovered something really interesting  at the NAAEE conference in Ottawa. I am pretty excited to share Litterati with my classes. I was initially drawn to some photographs that were on display at the conference. It turned out they were all Instagram photos submitted to #litterati. There was a summary posted of what Litterati was and there was a description beside each photograph from each photographer. I was amazed at artistic view that was being applied to litter found all over the world.

               

                                

Basically, the idea behind Litterati is simple: snap a picture of litter, post it to Instagram (#litterati), and then pick up and dispose of the litter. I was also fortunate to attend a workshop with a wonderful presenter, Nate Ivy, during the conference and I was able to learn a variety of practical uses in the classroom.

                                

What is being created is a database of litter around the globe that can be organized by location and type of litter (plastic, paper and cigarette butts being the top three types of litter), as long as it is tagged on Instagram as such (#plastic, #paper, etc.). Users have started tagging by brand name after seeing common brands such as Starbucks and McDonald's frequently posted. I'm thinking that we will discover a lot of #TimHortons here in Canada.

                                 

Have a look at this video with Jeff Kirschner, the founder of Litterati.

To date (according to the stats displayed on the Litterati website), over 77 000 pieces of trash have been logged with only approximately 350 pieces in Canada. That doesn't mean Canada doesn't have a problem with litter (it's a problem everywhere...except Ottawa appeared to be exceptionally clean...it was difficult to find litter to photograph). It just means that we need more Canadians on the Litterati Team!

I'm pretty new to Twitter and Instagram and the Litterati idea has motivated me to use it more. I see so much potential in these forms of social media in their use in the classroom. I will begin with sharing this post with my classes and get the word out there. I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes us. 

My Ottawa Experience

Last Wednesday morning, I realized I hadn't taken the time to share my experience at the conference in Ottawa here on my blog. Then the tragedy started to unfold last week and I hesitated in sharing my photos while I processed what was happening in Canada's capital. It was hard to believe. When I was touring the grounds of Parliament just a few short weeks ago, I was surprised at my ability to pretty much go anywhere I wanted, outside at least. I felt grateful to be a Canadian and to be in our capital and be awarded so much freedom to roam. I am hoping what happened that day in Ottawa doesn't change that experience for anyone who visits from now on. It truly is a remarkable building and I tried to imagine celebrating Canada Day in the capital....put that on my bucket list.

I was deeply moved by the war memorial. I didn't think I would be. The statue was much bigger that I thought it would be and it was quite spectacular. I took note of the soldiers that were on guard and wondered if someone was always there representing the armed forces or if it was a special occasion. I kept forgetting to check into this and then, unfortunately I learned about their significance only after Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was fatally shot while on guard at the tomb. I am deeply saddened by this young man's death, as are many other Canadians (and beyond). 

I can't explain why, but this year, Remembrance Day is going to feel different. With tragic events involving the deaths of Cpl. Cirillo and Warrant Officer Vincent in Quebec so fresh in my mind, I am going to feel so much more pride and gratefulness when we honour the armed forces. I am truly blessed to live in Canada.   

These are a few of my favourite things...

As I expected I would, I love the Byward Market here in Ottawa. I love farmers markets. While the one at home has been winding down for the season, I was surprised at how much fresh produce was still available locally here in Southern Ontario. It has been wonderful enjoying the last few bites of Canadian grown raspberries and strawberries. Yum! 

It's not something that often comes up in conversation, but most people don't know that I like seeing and taking photos of multiples of the same things, like fruits and vegetables in farmers markets. Grocery stores don't have quite the same effect. Yarn is another of my favourite "multiples". I've been taking pictures of lots of different things at the market so I thought I'd actually share some with you. 

I've also purchased a rather large amount of produce that I will never be able to consume before I leave. I hope the apples and pears in my suitcase survive their flight home. And the cheese curds. Maple syrup. Bagels. I don't think my kids will be as impressed with my souvenirs as I am.

Greetings from Canada's Capital

I'm in Ottawa for the NAAEE (North American Association of Environmental Education) conference. I've never been here before so I'm so excited to explore our beautiful capital in between sessions. I spent some time walking along the Rideau Canal this morning and now I'm off to Parliament Hill. Stay tuned!

A Day at Fort Whyte

   

I am fortunate today to be spending some time at Fort Whyte with other teachers from the division. We have been putting our iPads to good use today while we explore the area. Walking around the buildings here I found a few reminders about our water resources, and a good one about bottled water. This is exactly what we are talking about in Geography. And guess what? No bottled water for sale in the vending machines. It is possible. 

If you're not from the prairie

On Sunday, I went out with my family to enjoy Open Farm Day at various locations around the province. On our way home, we stopped for a few moments to enjoy these views near La Barrière Park. It reminded me of the book "If you're not from the prairie" by David Bouchard. Out of curiosity, I googled the book and came across this video. I think I will share it today with my Geography classes. It is a great example of geographic identity.

Happy Autumnal Equinox  everyone!

Our Geographic Identity

This semester I have two Geography classes in the afternoon. It is the most diverse group of students I have ever taught. We always talk briefly about Canadian identity in the opening unit of the course, and I wanted everyone in the class to be able to share their personal identities. They're not a talkative bunch, and most are reluctant to share in the class (hopefully this will change...maybe it's just too early in the school year), but by having them write down their "identities" anonymously and share in this way, everyone participated. We just finished discussing human and physical Geography so there were lots of ideas surrounding the idea of Geography (it's not just maps) that we used to share our "geographic identities."