Reflection of Weeks 13-15 and Overall

Weeks 13-14

I cannot believe that we are already nearing the end of the semester. This semester seemed to fly by, not that it was not busy. Over the last two weeks of class we have learned a lot of new information once again. One of the biggest things that I learned was how to write a letter to a representative. I never really knew how much work went into it. I think that this will be a great skill for us to take with us when we start to apply for jobs, and when we get hired. I also think that it was a great activity because now everyone is more involved with current events in our country, even if it is just on specific issue. I know that personally for me that I will continue to advocate, even if it is just on a small scale.


In addition to learning how to advocate, I also learned a lot of new things from the fact sheets and the learning activities. At first I was really intimidated by the learning activity, but after I completed it I thought that it is really great that we used our health education skills and applied them by creating learning activities. This is something that many of us will have to do in the future so it is definitely good practice. I also found out information that I feel will be beneficial to me such as:

• The effects of the oil spill
• Ways to encourage kids not to smoke
• Food safety for college students
• Ways to recycle
• And links to smoking videos

I also learned a lot of valuable information by creating my own learning activity.  I had no idea that dust can be one of the main causes of asthma, and that it effects so many people lives on our country. Overall I think that everyone did a great job on their learning activities and I was really proud of them.

My favorite activity that happened over the last few weeks was taking our field trip to Goodwill. I cannot believe all of the great stuff that they have going on there.  It is really amazing all that they do for the community, and the environment. There mission states" It makes me want to shop there more and more just so I can support what they do.  Some of the my favorite things that I saw there was:

• the recycling of mattresses, down to the  springs
• how they sorted everything
• and the great opportunities that they offer their employees who may not ever get those opportunities

This was really fun and I am glad that some of my classmates found some cool items for their junking projects there as well.  I personally thought that the junking project was a great success too.  I could not believe how great some of them turned out.  Some of my personal favorites were Sonny and Dane.  They really did a great job.  I want to try to make some glasses like Dane did, I think that they would be a great gift.  The junking project has really taught me that I do not need to go out and buy brand new expensive things when I am going to redecorate.  I think that it makes us realize that we really can make due with something that has already been used.  I think it makes things look more personable, and not so cheap.

Overall Course:

As for the class overall I don't exactly know how to sum it up and give it enough credit for how it has impacted me.  I think that this class has been one of the most influential yet at my time here are UMD.  It may not have taught me skills on how to specifically do something related to being a health educator, but it has taught me things that are much more important than that.  Life long lifestyle changes is one of the main things that I have learned. I cannot believe how naive I was coming into this class.  We were all aware of what environment, recycling, and sustainability were, but I don't think many of us knew how to really put those words into action.


Starting from the begging I have learned so many new things.  Before this class i had heard of blogs and seen them, but this was my first time ever Blogging.  I think that this is a great way to interact with people and look forward to doing it on my own in the future.
  One of the biggest things I learned from day one was sustainability i really had no idea how unsustainable I was living.  But thanks to the carbon footprint calculator. That we took we were really able to open our eyes and see. It just something small that really catches your attention.  That personally made me think about everything as the class went on.  


Throughout class we watched many documentaries and they all seemed to leave a lasting impact on all of us.  I could not believe some of the things that go on in our world today.  Is there really a price on water, or is it a basic human right.  And I cannot believe the health effects that some of the factories are causing just to make our stuff.  

Even though I am not an avid reader doing our read n seeds really opened my eyes to alot

• The Future of Food
• Creating a graphical header
• Junking 
• SMART Goals
• What it means to be Eco-chic
• advocacy
• the food industry
• ourselves!

Overall I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to take this class this semester.  I have learned so many things.  One thing that I think that is important for all of us to do is to remember that though we know a lot about the subject, many others do not such as our family and friends.  I think that we should all try to educate others on the information that we have learned, using our advocacy skills, and try encourage change in others.  We can all make a difference even the small things add up weather they be good or bad, we do have an impact.  With that I would like to thank you all for a great semester and best of luck in the future.

Eye Opener: Environmental Learning Activities

Matt’s Smoke Free Zone
Kiss my Glass Activity:

Matt I played that game that you provided on your like, I thought that they game was really fun, however I don’t know if I did it right, because it was not telling me information. However I did search around on your site and found out some information that i did not know including:
Nearly 90 % of Lung Cancer can be attributed to tabacco and smoking

Also I read a link titled The Useful Cigarette. I also thought that this was really interesting because it gave a list of all the things that a cigarette was useful for, and basically all of it was used for making toxic chemicals, which is very scary. Way to go Matt!

Danes Trail of Health
Essay on Oil Spill:

If something such as an oil spill were to happen in Duluth, I think that our lives would be turned upside down. Many of us may not have job, or be switched to something different due to the havoc that it would cause. Nothing would be secure anymore including our health, safety, and job assurance. It was mentioned that the economy in the Gulf States had declined dramatically. Could it be from stigma, that is placed around such a terrible incident, or is it merely just the fact that people cannot get to these places anymore and are concerned about their health because of all the pollution. Truth is it is a combination of the two, and this would be exactly what would happen to Duluth. A downward spiral of event of cancellations and unemployment is what would happen. Many of us like to hang out at Park Point in the Summer, that would be no longer if that were to happen, and what about all the other outdoor things that go on around Lake Superior. Could you imagine not having the lake walk, or even worse Grandmas. Overall it is easy to see that the effects would not be good, and I am thankful that we have not had that problem.

Go Blue Too With Carly
Crossword Puzzle:

Carly I think that you did a really great job putting together your crossword puzzle. I also think that it is a great way to people to learn and remember information. I also found the other links that you included such as the food safety quiz and the food safety in college to be very beneficial to college students like us. Most of us think that food borne illness will not happen to us, but the fact of the matter is that it is a lot more common than we think, and majority of the time it is preventable. After completing your crossword puzzle, I have learned a lot of new information. Some of the things I will definitely try to remember include:

Canned foods with a high acid content, like tomatoes, pineapple and grapefruit, may be stored in the pantry for 12 to 18 months

And that leftovers should be heated to 165 degrees or higher before serving


Thank you once again for creating such a great learning activity

Share and Voice: Junking Photos

I decided to post some pictures from my junking project so you could see the whole thing. I originally had something else planned to make, but that fell through. So this is what I did. Though it might not be the most unique or elaborate things, I still though that they were pretty cool, and it has helped me to be a lot more organized. So take a look and tell me what you think..

This is how unorganized my stuff was before:

now its much better after thanks to a shelf from the goodwill

getting ready is much faster in the morning now that I dont have to dig for things

its hard to see, but I used old christmas bulbs to make stocking hangers for out mantle

Overall I thought that this really fun, and would like to continue to do this in the future.

Advocacy Project: What you want to know about asthma and allergies

Asthma: What is it?

So as you have read in my previous posts I am trying to show you the effects of asthma and allergies.  Most people have a general idea of what they are, but not to much after that.  For example; did you know that allergies are the main cause of asthma? Some other questions that people may wonder is why are they so bad for you? and also what effects can they have on you?
To start out this activity I would like you to take a short quiz about asthma just to see how much you already know about it. The quiz is brought to you by WebMd, and is very short.  It also provides some great feedback to your answers.

• Take the quiz here

Since you know have an idea about what you would like to learn I included a fact sheet from the EPA. It gives you some general knowledge about the subject.

• Some of the information could be general knowledge, but some of the other information may be things that you didn't know.

I have included a brochure from the CDC. That goes over important factors such as triggers to asthma and how asthma is treated. 


One of the main triggers to the development of asthma is outdoor air pollution, there are many ways that you can control your exposure and here is a flyer created by the CDC that can help you to do that.


Now that you have read the information and took the quiz, it is probably easier to see that asthma is a much bigger problem that we may have thought. To end just write two three things that you learned throughout this activity about asthma that you did not know before.


Thank for your time! 

Share and Voice: HP goes GREEN too

For health 4000 I had to buy a new printer to print off all of my papers.  I went to the school store, and really had no idea what to buy.  I was looking at the different options than something cool caught my eye.  I saw the HP box and on the side was a big section titled  "eco SOLUTIONS" I was very curious to see what this was.  On the box some of the information included:

• made with 30% percent recycled plastic
• you can recycle 100% of the packaging 
• includes a reusable to put it in
• printer cartridges contain up to 70% recycled materials

Also it seen that it was an energy star related product which I thought was really cool.

I checked out the website www.hp.com/ecosloutions and it included some really neat information.

• it included a carbon footprint calculator for your printer
• information about a HP Powers UN Climate Change Conference
• and information about HPs own recycling center. I found out that HP was the first computer company to have their own recycling center in 1997, and is on its way to recycling 2 billion pounds of products and materials

I think that its great that big companies are starting to do this.  And its definitely something to look for when shopping.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Weekly Update and Overview

What was your SMART goal? How did you do in achieving your SMART goal?
I will eat 2 servings of vegetables (serving= 1/2 cup) and 2 servings of fruit (servings= 1/2 cup) 4 days a week, for the next 4 weeks.
Address successes and challenges. What strategies helped you to be successful?
I had a lot of success this week. Each day last week I brought fruits and vegetables with me to school. I brought things that were easy to snack on in between class such as carrots and celery. I also brought apples and had bananas. It also helped when I set my food together before school. Then when I woke up.. No matter how late it was I had no excuse not to bring them.

What challenges did you face? How did you deal with them?
I didn’t face to many challenges this week. I almost think that I should have made my challenge a bit harder. My only challenge that I had was eating fruits and veggies on the weekend. For some reason its just so hard for me. I think I just need to treat it more like a weekday. Maybe if I went to the library that would help.

What feelings did you experience? When did you feel them?
I felt great this week after eating so healthy. I had a lot more energy until the weekend came around. I was also very proud of myself that I met my goal this week. However I was kind of upset how easy it was.

What did you learn this week?
This past week I learned that being more prepared makes attaining your goal very easy. I also learned that I would like to continue my goal, but be more creative when eating fruits and vegetables. I want to learn some new vegetarian recipes.

What are your plans for next week?
Next week I plan to continue my goal, but modify it just a bit. I want to try to start eating organic fruits and vegetables, and up my servings of them. Im not exactly sure to how much. I have to plan out my budget first.

What was your SMART goal?
I will eat 2 servings of vegetables (serving= 1/2 cup) and 2 servings of fruit (servings= 1/2 cup) 4 days a week, for the next 4 weeks.


Did it change at all during the project? 
I did not change my behavior at all during our time in class. However I do think that I am going to modify my behavior, when I continue it on my own. I want to increase the servings of fruits and vegetables that I eat daily.

What helped you be successful?
It helped me to be successful when I was more prepared the night before. Also it helped me to see how great me peers were doing in reaching their goals, and that motivated me to my best that I could.

What things got in your way? How can you address these in the future?
One of the biggest things that got in my way was Thanksgiving. Its important for me to remember that I cant stop being healthy just because it is a special occasion. Its ok to tweak things here and there, but not to totally forget about it. Also having low finances also created some issues for me. Some weeks I had more money than others. Buying expensive things when your broke is tough.

How did you benefit from this project? 
I benefited from this project because I am now eating much healthier than I was before. I feel alot better and I am doing great things for the environment.


What did you learn about yourself? 
I learned that I can achieve things that may seem hard to do with time constraints and low funds.  I am happy that I was able to follow through with this.

How did others and/or the environment benefit from you changing this behavior?
The environment and local economy benefited from me eating more fruits and veggies because it is more Eco friendly. It has lower impact on the earth because a lot less water is used to produce vegetables than is used to produce meet. Others may have benefited because I am in a much better mood when I am eating right.

Will you continue this behavior?
I plan to continue this behavior and hopefully keep using it throughout my life. I want to try to continually increase my fruit and vegetable intake.

What recommendations do you have for others about making a lifestyle change?
My biggest recommendation to anyone trying to make a lifestyle change is to remember just that. It is a lifestyle change. Its something that you have to do everyday, and it had to be become routine in your life. So many people just do things temporarily, that makes it important to remember that a lifestyle change is not just temporary. Also I think its very important for people to start small. You can always make your goal harder and tweak things here and there. It might seem to overwhelming if you start with a goal that is to large, and you may give up easier. I also suggest that everyone try to make a lifestyle change. It is very rewarding when you achieve it.

"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain."

Advocacy Project: Letter and Fact Sheet

Facts about Asthma and Allergies

According to the CDC asthma is a disease that affects your lungs and it affects both children and adults. And is a key component in the Healthy Peoples 2010 respiratory goals.


Asthma Prevalence Rates


17.5 million of U.S adults suffer from asthma


7.1 million children in the U.S have asthma


According to a study done by the CDC overall children born in the U.S have greater odds than children born outside of the U.S to develop asthma.


Number of visits to health care facilities in which asthma is the primary diagnosis is just over 13 million


Nearly 3,500 people in the U.S die annually from asthma


Some important triggers of asthma include:
• outdoor air pollution- caused by industry and automobile emissions, therefore it is important to pay attention to air quality.
• Dust mites
• second hand smoke- also called environmental smoke


American spend nearly 90 % of their time indoors therefore indoor allergens can be a big factor in asthma rates.


By 2012 it is the EPA’s goal to reduce indoor asthma triggers and has created a variety of educational activities to do so.


May has been designated as possible National Asthma awareness month, therefore it is important for our representatives to keep informed and vote Yes as on the issue.


All information found at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm


http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awm/index.html
Letter to representative:


December 3, 2010


James Oberstar
U.S Senate
2365 Rayburn HOB
Washington , D.C. 20515


VOTE YES ON H.RES. 407 Designate the month of May as National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month


By allocating the month of May as National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month we will be able to better educate the American people of the effects and problems that asthma creates. Designating a month toward awareness will create more educational programs in schools and in workplaces. As a college student pursing a degree in health education I feel that there is great need for such recognition towards the problem of asthma in our country. If people become more aware of it will be able to begin working on ways to reduce the number of people effected by eliminating the factors that cause it whether they be environmental, or not.


The educational programs created for the month of National asthma and awareness month will help to education the public on the following issues: causes of the diseases, disparities to the condition, and environmental factors that may contribute to it. Some of the most common factors that are linked to asthma are secondhand smoke, dust mites, and outdoor air pollutions. Industry is the main concern of outdoor air pollution. Some of these risk factors are very modifiable. Just over 20 million U.S citizens suffer from asthma and by becoming more aware of these issues people may take the steps necessary to help prevent themselves and their families from developing asthma. In turn if less people are getting sick this means that they will have lower health care costs and me more productive in our economy.


Industry and health care companies would be the biggest opponents of this bill. Industry that produces the harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, may not want to reduce their emissions of this. It may cost them more money and less productivity. Health care companies also may oppose such awareness, they like them money that they receive from all of peoples health care bills. Yet we should all know that health is more important than money.


I appreciate your past support on related issues. We hope that you vote Yes on bill H.RES. 407 Designate the month of May as National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month.