Ahh.. summer vacation.  Well, technically, I've been on summer vacation for about three weeks now, but since the first week was taken up by four days of meetings, and this past week was three days of training, I'm not sure it really counts. Today was my first "official" day of summer break, and I brought it in by unicycle!  I picked one up from craigslist for $10 and Kyle, Blake, and I spent time playing on it today.




In other news, I've been accepted to be a part of a program in the district called "Global Learners."  Basically it's a program designed to help teachers better integrate technology into their classrooms.  I've been given a laptop, lcd projector, Smart Board, printer, and a bunch of software, then spent three days in training on how to use it all and brainstorm methods of incorporating it into what I do.  I learned how to use WiziQ, which is an online collaboration tool whereby my students and I will be able to collaborate in real time with any classroom in the world that has access to similar technology.  I also learned how to do podcasts, so that in addition to emailing my students their notes, they will be able to go to my classroom site and listen to the classes for the week, should they have missed any, or care to relive my amazing jokes.  (*ahem*)  I'm going to be able to go increasingly paperless with all of this, which is absolutely amazing to me... I started teaching 20 years ago with chalk boards and mimeograph sheets (remember the purple horrors?).  I'm so super psyched about all of this.

Hmm... have to cut this a bit short... time to go pick  up the boys!

If you live in the Denver/Boulder area and are looking for something to do, the Gaia Film Festival is in need of volunteers.  If you're a member of the Spiritual Cinema Circle, then this is an opportunity you don't want to miss.  You get a cool t shirt, brunch with the filmmakers and VIPs... all sorts of cool stuff and you get to take part in an amazing event.  What more could you ask?  Just head on over here to call or send an email and sign up! You know you want to... all the cool kids are doing it! ;-)

Spent the weekend helping out at the Gaia Film Festival in Boulder.  It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun also.  I also had the good fortune to see some pretty great movies.  On Friday, we watched the short film, Sacred Water, followed by Water, a movie about the properties of water, including the chemical properties, but water possesses qualities far beyond its chemical composition of H₂0, including the idea that not only can water be influenced by our thoughts and emotions, but also that water has memory.  It was an interesting film, and I’m looking forward to getting it on dvd.

The movie that had the most impact on me, however, was Fields of Fuel, which I firmly believe has the potential to have an impact similar to An Inconvenient Truth.  I have already made the decision to contact Subaru of America about the possibility of importing a Subaru Boxer diesel engine from Europe and putting it into my Forester if at all possible, then instead of using petroleum based regular diesel fuel, switching to biodiesel.  I emailed Subaru and got a response that they are looking to bring the diesel Subaru to the United States in the next few years, but that’s not fast enough for me.  I am completely sickened and fed up with the oil industry, and if it is at all possible, both logistically and financially, to get a boxer diesel in my car by summer’s end, I’m going to do it.  I’m going to be calling Subaru this week and try to further explore my options.

The movie itself was well done.  It addressed the issue of food vs. fuel, and included information that biofuels can and should be made from more than one source, including micro-algae.  The movie looked at the issue from the progressive environmental piece, as one might expect, but also addressed the issue of national security and the dangers of our reliance on foreign oil, especially in regards to our importing oil from the Middle East.  I found myself touched by the impact that petrochemicals have had on the people who live near its processing areas to outraged over the abuses that the petrochemical industry has inflicted on the American people for the past 100+ years.  Overall, an excellent film.  I will definitely own it on dvd when it is released, and will likely by the 45 minute educational version once it is released as well in order to share it with my colleagues.

The man responsible for Fields of Fuel, Josh Tickell, was in attendance at the festival, so I got to meet him, which was pretty cool.  (That’s who is standing next to me in the picture.)  He was very personable, and you could tell that he takes this issue seriously, and with a passion that is infectious.  I only was able to talk with him for a few minutes, but really enjoyed our conversation.

I also had the pleasure of hearing Peter Russell speak on Sunday night.  He had some really interesting things to say about what he sees as our potential future on this planet, and I definitely want to pick up some of his books and likely a few of his movies as well.  I particularly am drawn to his book The Global Brain, which has also been made into a movie, and while I’ve never read the book or seen the movie, I have added the book to my reading list… well, right now it’s on my “track this down and get it” list, but once I do get it, it goes on the “get cracking and read these books” shelf.  (Okay, I admit, it’s actually the “get cracking and read these books” shelves, but you get the point.)

I’m really looking forward to next year’s festival.  Kyle, Blake, and I have already decided that we want to be involved in it again next year.  We had a great time and met some great people.  Next: helping out with the Boulder Adventure Film Festival in November!

 

(cross posted to: http://todd-mayville.blogspot.com/)

Coolest news of the week:  Robert Thurman is coming to Boulder!   On July 23rd, Elephant Journal will be hosting an Elevision and book signing with Professor Robert Thurman at the Boulder Theater!

If you can make it out, you definitely should! It should be fun.... music, a fashion show, other guests, and Prof. Robert Thurman (first American-born Tibetan Buddhist monk, a friend of H.H. Dalai Lama XIV, and Uma's dad).

If you are looking for more info,go here or here.