Platform:

Originally, I thought I was going to use Weebly because I have worked with it in the past during high school for a project. I am not very good with technology so I thought it would be easier to stick with what I know. However, after reading the article Wix vs Weebly and looking at past examples of people who used Wix as well as all the themes wix offered, I have come to the conclusion that wix will work the best for me. The article says wix is even easier to use than Weebly and it has a lot of creative freedom, so I hope if I learned Weebly, then I can learn wix!

Possible Content:

While the creative audiences such as grandparents really intrigued me, I think I will go the “basic” route and create a professional e-portfolio for future internships and jobs. If I had to think of a secondary audience, I think this is where it gets a little creative because I want it to be for myself. I have a tendency to always invalidate myself and my accomplishments (even while writing this I’m like well that’s because there’s nothing to validate lol oop), so through analyzing myself and making a portfolio for myself, I hope that it can help me be more confident in my abilities. However, back to the main audience, as I want to work for something environmental-related, the portfolio will definitely have a large focus on my environmental passions. I think tabs such as advocacy, passions, and extracurriculars (like what Nina did) could get the job done. Under advocacy, I could talk about my issue brief and my honors option for a class (which was a climate change survey and I analyzed how many people/ what types of people are concerned about climate change and I am now trying to tie it into education). For passions, I can talk about how I am passionate about trying to live a sustainable lifestyle and inspiring others (my example would be meatless Monday and I can either post pictures of the meals I have made or my civic issues blog where I talk about the importance of it) and potentially my love of art (I did studio art in high school so I have a bunch of pieces I can post) to show I can be creative. For extracurriculars, I am involved in blue band and thon most actively and these can be used to show I have teamwork skills and empathy. These are all subject to change and these ideas were all just what immediately came to my mind.

For my advocacy campaign, I would like to continue with my theme of educating students. Specifically, I want to advocate to the elementary students at my elementary school. I want to tell them about all the things they can do to act now and in the future and that they truly have the power to do big things. I want to do this through a video because I think that would be the easiest way to connect with children in a virtual setting. I think this would also be impactful because I was once a student in their position and while New York schools do have teaching about the environment in the curriculum, l think hearing it from someone a little older than them rather than their teacher or a textbook can inspire them.

Clicking through the photos and reading through the blurbs of Photographer of a Witness made me go through many different emotions. I think the main one was uncomfort and I am trying to decide if that is a good thing or not. I always hear that in order for change to happen, we need to be uncomfortable, and given we are debating if this is a piece of art or/and a piece of advocacy, I think it is important to consider that. Ultimately, I will have to say this is both ethical advocacy and art. I do not think the pictures themselves would directly lead me to this claim, but reading the photographer’s statement about the purpose of the pictures makes me able to say she is advocating to increase awareness of domestic violence. The pictures and blurbs need deeper analysis to see why this is spreading awareness of the struggles of a toxic relationship and how hard it can be to recognize it and get help. This part is why I claim this is art. The photographer could have said anything in the blurbs to describe the pictures. However, the blurbs do not mention anything explicitly about spreading awareness. If anything, she makes the purpose of the pictures ambiguous with shifting description words of Shane, the abuser, and the relationship he has with Maggie. The very first picture seemed like a redemption arc for Shane, and then we see how that is no longer the case. However, even after the assault, the photographer showed Shane hugging Memphis and being vulnerable pleading he still loves Maggie. Then you go to the next picture and it is an emotionless blurb of Maggie with bruises getting examined. I think this was an uncomfortable, yet purposeful choice. Now, as for why this is ethical, I am saying this because the photography got the permission of MAggie and Shane to document their loves, and then Maggie gave permission to show these pictures and that is the most important person. If Maggie ever decides she doesn’t want them up, I have faith the photographer would do the best she could to try and remove the images and articles about it. Saying this, I can’t not talk about the clear ethical concern of what happened during documentation. As the title says, the photographer was a witness to a domestic violence case, and instead of calling the police right away, getting Maggie’s children away, or anything like that, she took her camera out and recorded. The photographer claimed she only did so after she confirmed with a neighbor that they called the police, and there is the potential that if she got involved, she could only cause more harm or be harmed herself. However, I just can’t get over the fact that while a human was getting abused in front of her, she recorded the pain and anguish of Maggie. Nevertheless, what is done is done. She has the pictures and with the approval of Maggie, was able to use them to potentially help other victims of domestic abuse and spread awareness (although I also don’t see why they could’ve gotten staged actors to act out the pictures after describing them). Sorry, this is very rambly and probably doesn’t make sense, I just wanted to get all my thoughts down!

Title: Environmental Education: Using the Power of Education to Create a More Sustainable Future 

Intro 

-refer to last blog 

-still touching it up, but I will probably just get rid of half of it before I start going into facts about phys ed classes already mandated. I will go more in detail to why we need to care about our future. 

–Thesis?: One way to engage students with climate science and related topics is through the implementation of American state mandates on requiring courses to be taught about environmental literacy in grades k-12. This can help young people grasp the reality of the climate crisis and push them to be more involved in reaching a climate-safe future for themselves and those who come after them. 

Note: Still researching the feasibility of this idea. Instead of mandating that the course be required for graduation (which may run into political/religious conflicts and be an “extreme” change), I might make the claim of making sure that every school has at least one environmental related course offered and push that educators bring up environmental conversations. 

The Climate Crisis 

-this section will go further in depth at what the intro talked about relating to the urgency of climate change (what is the issue, why is it happening, and who should be concerned). I will also talk about how many people are concerned about the environment, how many learned about the environment growing up, and any related statistics to show that this is an issue many are starting to be wary of. 

– https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/10/16/many-globally-are-as-concerned-about-climate-change-as-about-the-spread-of-infectious-diseases/–> Will use data from here to talk about how many people are concerned. May also talk about the yale climate survey. 

How State Mandates Affect Curriculum 

-this section will talk about what classes are required for graduation in most schools/ which ones are mandated. Planning to talk about Earth science and its similarities. The importance of them will also be talked about and then in the next section I can compare to why environmental classes should be mandated. 

– https://www.ecs.org/high-school-graduation-requirements/#:~:text=Nearly%20all%20states%20require%20students%20to%20complete%20a,outside%20of%20exit%20exams%20and%20diploma%20options%20vary. –> Will be using data from this website to create graphs and/or statistics about what schools in the states require for graduation already 

Environmental Literacy 

-this section will combine everything and talk about studies done on how environmental education will positively benefit the students and the future. 

– https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2019/september/teach-our-children—about-climate-change-/ –> Will use info from this website about the survey conducted on how many people already support mandating environmental classes 

Future Implications 

-this section will talk about how skills learned relating to environmental literacy are also skills about being an engaged, globally aware citizen. This will probably be a subsection of environmental literacy. 

Conclusion 

Bibliography 

Note: Title headers are subject to change and gain subheaders as I look to see how the research spreads out. 

A Climate Crisis: Educating the Future for Their Future 

Education has had a key role in preparing young people to gain the skills necessary to enter the workplace. However, as the world changes and society evolves, the reason for our education must change along with it. Children need to be capable of civically engaging in their communities, countries, and worldwide as their decisions can have long-lasting impacts far beyond what they see. This is especially important in the sector of environmental education as human activity, especially greenhouse gas emissions, is considered the dominant cause of temperature increases related to climate change [1]. The world has already warmed by more than 1°C directly contributing to ocean warming, shrinking ice sheets, sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification to name a few [2]. The scientific evidence of reaching the point of no return is unequivocal and urgent action needs to be taken to reverse the effects and put into place a sustainable way of living. One way to follow through with this goal is through the implementation of American state mandates on requiring courses to be taught about environmental literacy in grades k-12. In America, many states already have requirements relating to physical and health education for students to graduate. According to the 2016 Shape of the Nation study of 50 states and the District of Columbia, 39 require elementary school students to take physical education, 37 have that requirement for junior high school students, and 44 make physical education mandatory for high school students [3]. Given that these classes are required to improve a student’s mental and physical wellbeing that influence their quality of life, why is environmental education also not taught? The changes happening in the world due to an unsustainable living will have a direct impact on all living things on earth no matter where you live. Interestingly, one survey from the Teachers College of Columbia University found that 77% of Americans already support mandating teaching primary and secondary school students about global warming and climate change [4]. Now, it is only a matter of creating a curriculum that encompasses environmental awareness and its impacts and mandating it. By engaging students with climate science and related topics, it can help young people grasp the reality of the climate crisis and push them to be more involved in reaching a climate-safe future for themselves and those who come after them.  

[1] https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/2/  

[2] https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/  

[3] https://study.com/academy/popular/states-that-require-physical-education.html  

[4] https://www.tc.columbia.edu/thepublicmatters/reports/AMERICANS-ENDORSE-CLIMATE-CHANGE-EDUCATION-final-version-posted-v09172019.pdf  

Notes:

• Title: I am considering “Environmental Education: Using the Power of Education to Create a More Sustainable Future” because it explains the topic better, but it has less of a ring to it haha.
• The intro kind of has a lot of topics in it so I am thinking of separating it into a couple of paragraphs (1=the traditional point of education- pragmatic and economic-based to what we need now-social and civic based, 2=climate crisis facts and why it is urgent, and 3= explaining why climate education is important)? But maybe this is stuff I should go more in detail to in the actual brief because there are already a lot of sources in my intro which probably isn’t good
•  My thesis is in the middle of the paragraph which is also weird and kind of confusing so I need to figure a way to change that
• I was planning on talking about America specifically because it would be too hard to focus on education systems from around the world and be specific with facts, but I think I am not making that very clear.
• Overall this intro seems to need a lot of work but I am hoping with a more solid plan of where I want to go with this issue brief that things will fall into place? Hopefully
• Also, my sources arent cited correctly because I am sure things will change so I just left them as links

We are always hearing we will soon enter a period of no return in relation to climate change and its impacts. Social media helped spread this message and educate others, as well as key activists inspiring young people to act. With the rise of a global pandemic, it seemed thoughts of climate change were put on a backburner. However, there is still an urgency in the issue of climate change, especially as the issue is still very grave. In order to keep a sense of exigency with this topic, I will take advantage of the fact that we have a new president who believes in climate change, and that it is 2021. The global views and opinions of the people are changing to be more anxious about the future state of the world. I think it would be a good idea to include information about the percent of people concerned about Climate change to create a sense of unity in the issue. I also hope to show how many people supported Biden because they knew he was more serious about fighting climate change. Lastly, it would be silly not to mention the current statistics of climate change (how bad it is, water levels, CO2 levels, etc…). 

My audience for this brief will be aimed at educational facilities/ their board/ whoever controls what can be taught and students in America. Educational facilities because I need them to understand why it is an issue that climate change is not being taught in schools unless students choose to take a course (if even offered). I need them to rethink their requirements for courses or at the very least offer more appealing offers or be more open and attentive to teaching students about the topic. The students are also the audience because they are the true target in this brief. I need students to become educated and interested in climate change so they can grow up being aware of the problem and taking action to help stop it. We need a generation of educated individuals who value the planet they live on and see value in not destroying it. 

With the Biden administration rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, the topic of climate change is once again making headlines. Many environmentalists, including myself, are hopeful that the issues related to climate change will be attacked head-on and legislative action will be taken. The issue I seek to address in my brief is one relating to the topic of climate change and the education that is given about it. I hope to talk about incorporating educational classes of all levels within schools. Things such as health class or gym are made mandatory for students, presentations on bullying and sexual assault are given, and posters around campuses given info about the latest covid rules and regulations. Why can similar things not be done about climate change issues? 

The cause of this problem is inadvertent in that there is unawareness about the urgency of climate change and an unwillingness to act due to ignorance. Many adults are now misinformed, disinformed, or uninformed about climate change and therefore do not take action, seek action, or teach others to act because they do not consider it to be an issue. If we can make individuals informed about environmental issues from a young age, then they will grow to be adults who are at the very least aware of a huge issue and rethink their actions.  

I think the main policy instruments I will use are capacity builders and system changes. The main purpose of this brief is to seek out giving more education on environmental topics such as climate age. This can be as simple as hanging posters in the classroom, having an environmental day, or inviting environmental activists to speak. However, I think it can be important to consider reforming the education system in the sense that teaching about climate change should be as much of a priority as learning about sexual education. I understand many do not think those two are on the same level of importance, but that is where the issue lies. Teaching kids about climate change is more than just teaching students about reduce, reuse, and recycling. It is about having a global perspective, having empathy, being informed about current events, and even about social injustices.  

My marching band finally made it to the bus after a hot day at Disney. Coming from New York in winter, the hot temperature change was welcoming, but we needed adjustment. I can still remember the sweat dripping down my face. Now, here is the part my friends will never let me forget. We were all resting up and hydrating when suddenly my friend asked if anyone had extra water. She was in the row across from me. I hesitantly looked at her, then down to my ice-cold reusable water bottle in my hand, and back to her sweating face. I knew I had to help, so I meekly replied I had some. Yet, one look at my expression, and she said never mind.  

Life as a semi-food germaphobe has been challenging for me, yet it is a quirk that I am glad to have because it makes me who I am. While I sometimes refrain from eating delicious homemade desserts from friends or tear up when someone touches the corner of my dinner plate, being peculiar (to say the least) about germs has allowed me to not only to find friends and communities who accept me but pushed me to be more outgoing and opinionated.  

Does anyone ever have that moment when you knew you met your best friend?  Well, my moment was in French class during high school. Our teacher brought in doughnuts as a nice treat (or belle gâterie as she called it). Then before the teacher even handed out the doughnuts, my friend yelled wait! And she asked that the teacher give me a doughnut first. As embarrassed as I was, it is true that I did get first pick and I did eat that donut. 

My germaphobia has not only become a magnet for future soul sisters, but it taught me that if I have an issue, it is my responsibility to speak up. While numerous uncomfortable situations have arisen, if I speak up about my issues, the people around me are always accommodating and it can even turn into laughs. This rationality has even transcended from my views on cleanliness into my stance on the environment and other societal problems. I have learned that sometimes it is awkward to do things not yet the status quo, like specifying no straws when I order a drink or bringing containers to restaurants, but that it is necessary to start sustainably changing my lifestyle.  

So, while my quirk has caused me many awkward confrontations, it has also inspired me to grow and not only find people who appreciate me for me but prompted me to love myself and inspire positive changes. 

So, I believe in embracing your quirks, even if consists of being afraid of food germs. 

Some notes:

• This essay is only 460 words and the requirement is 500-600. I will need to add more. 
• A concern I have is organization. I think I give a thesis in the last sentence of the second paragraph and then my next body is explaining one thing I learned from my quirk, and the body after that is another thing I learned from my quirk. I am not sure how well everything flows though
• Another thing to note is I think I need more reflection here. I am worried my essay is shaped very similarly to the milk before cereal essay. I will need to somehow add more reflections that I learned from the stories I present.
• I know I can definitely add more to the environmental stance part of this essay because that is a huge part of me and it only got like 2 sentences. I am just not sure how to expand it.
• I think it would be cool to add a prevailing theme/metaphor about food and germaphobia throughout the piece, but I am not sure how to do that.

This is my blog announcement about my confirmed future blogs!

Passion Blog: Endangered Species OTW

Civic Issue  Blog Idea: Fact or Myth of Consumers Environmental Actions

I will be looking into actions the average consumer is told to take to reduce their environmental footprint to expose how much of an impact it really has. Through this blog, I hope to gain solid evidence on why even the littlest actions could help, and also show how in some cases, more action is needed to have a bigger effect!

Hello blog, I’m back! Happy New Year!

“This I Believe” podcast ideas:

Honestly… I have no clue. I have spent an hour reading other people’s stories and nearly everyone has made me burst into tears because I was able to relate to their fears and challenges in some way. Maybe it was a child growing up, a parent passing away, the realization that you are not a princess or a superstar… All I have taken away from reading these stories is that one, I am an emotional person, and two, I have a lot of fears. Typing this out is making me question why I am like this, and potentially a topic can come out of those. But ask me what I believe? I don’t know. I could easily say I believe in living every day to the fullest, always be thankful, or even seize every moment (which was the quote on my graduation cap). But, all these seemingly obvious truths to live by just don’t resonate clearly with me and I feel I don’t follow these truths as much as I would love to. So, this is a very unproductive answer, but I will keep reflecting on myself to see if I can find what I truly believe in and who I am.

This got deep for no reason haha. I rethought it and I remember a story relating to my food germaphobia that might be interesting to go into as it is a big part of who I am and how I react to certain things.

Passion Blog Idea:

I will be continuing with revealing an endangered species every week! There are so many I have yet to post about, and unfortunately, the list seems endless.

Civic Issue  Blog Ideas:

I think this would be the perfect opportunity to blog about the things I do or hear relating to the environment and research what impact they truly have. For example, how much better for the environment is it to use reusable straws and containers? What about bags? Why do we need to unplug chargers and turn off lights when they are not in use? How much of an impact does eating meatless on Mondays truly have? These are all questions I ask myself and I give a simple answer of “Oh, It’s good for the environment so we should all do this.” But what are the real facts behind this, and if I know these answers, could I give proper arguments to family and friends on the importance of changing their daily habits in these ways? I think so, and this blog will give me the push I need to do the research.

This Coca-Cola Christmas advertisement uses pathos and kairos to persuade its audience to give the gift of coke this holiday season.

The commercial starts on a calm snowy day. The father, our main character, leaves his house to go to work. As he gets in the car, his young daughter calls out to him and hands him a letter that says it’s for Santa Clause.  The colors are muted and the music is peaceful. Time skips and the man is at work. He takes a break and sits down to take a coke out from his lunch box. In that box, we see the letter his daughter gave him. After a satisfying sip, a boat honks in the distance, and all of a sudden the music changes to upbeat and adventurous.  The man decides to go on a lone adventure to get to the north pole to deliver his daughter’s letter. However, disaster strikes. HIs boat motor stops working and he is left stranded. The music sounds sad and hopeless. Then, in a Moby Dick like scene, a whale comes and knocks the man out of the boat. He is seen abandoned in the water clutching the letter. From then on he wakes up and the music becomes uplifting again. The man goes through all sorts of sceneries and hardships to reach his final destination. Through his determination, he makes it to the north pole with the bright aurora Borealis behind him. The music is loud and encouraging as Santas’s house is in view. However, upon further looks, Santas’s house reads closed for Christmas. The man, visibly upset, suddenly hears a honk. Here comes the brightly illuminated coca-cola truck here to save him! the man gets in the truck and he makes it back to his house. When he gets out of the truck, the driver hands the man the letter that was left at Santa’s house. The man is confused, yet he opens it. In a sweet surprise, the letter from his daughter says, “Dear Santa, please bring daddy home for Christmas.” The last thing we see is the father smiling and hugging his daughter and the face of the driver is revealed: Sant Clause. The slogan, “This Christmas, give something only you can give” appears on the screen after the classic coca-cola logo.

Looking at just the youtube comments, we can see this commercial had a huge impact on its viewers. Many said they cried after watching this video. Many also said it made them feel grateful for what they had. Some also took it as a symbol for 2020. These responses are due to the rhetorical choices the company made.

They kairotically took advantage of the current time; it is the months leading up to Christmas. Many have been counting down the days since Halloween ended. Christmas is such a joyous occasion for both those who do and don’t celebrate it. It is a time where it is commonplace to reflect on yourself and your loved ones and show your appreciation. The commercial made numerous references to typical holiday themes, the most prevalent one being the idea of Santa Clause. However, the mostly snowy scenery helped set a wintery vibe that all viewers think of when they picture the December holidays. It helped viewers connect to what they were seeing and put them in a good mood. There is also an emphasis on the self-reflections that go on during this time of the month. The father went through numerous hardships to complete his goal, and in the end, he succeeded. This success story is one many people hope to feel. And the clever placing of cokes throughout the story where the main character gets inspiration helps convince viewers that a nice cold glass of coca-cola may spark some inspiration in themselves to go on an adventure.

They also used pathos in order to sway the emotions of the viewers to want to support the brand. The story is not just about a man’s journey, but it is about a father’s journey to fulfill his daughter’s wish. The beginning and end scenes that show the father and daughter interactions connect to all viewers with parents or who are parents and love each other. The last moment when the daughter’s letter to Santa is revealed emphasized the importance of this familiar relationship. It makes one think about their own loved ones and realize the gift many wants is to just show their love and support. It only takes one text or calls to make time for the ones you love. Coca Cola emphasizes this point that the best gifts are the ones only you can give because it is your presence. This sweet message makes all viewers can’t help but want to support coca-cola and drink with their loved ones as they connect.

So, this Coca  Cola advertisement takes advantage of the holiday seasons and appeals to the emotions of its viewers to not only spread a heartfelt message but to advertise their products.

Happy Holidays!🎄⛄🕎❄👨‍👩‍👧‍👦