Reflection: Weeks 13-14 combined with Reflection: Overall Course

These past weeks have flown by and this class has continued keeping us busy.  We were still able to cover a wide range of topics and continued expanding our knowledge of our surrounding environment.


Our final weeks started off with a tour of the Goodwill organization here in Duluth.  It was very intriguing to go behind the scenes and see how things are played out.  Goodwill provides a beginning for those who are unable to complete daily tasks as we do with ease.  They offer them a career in hopes that they will move forward and be able to find successful jobs elsewhere.  It was good to see a larger organization like this to have the patience and heart to work for others.


Our Goodwill tour didn't end just there...we met with our new blogs groups and were set up with a challenge.  We had to find an outfit, wedding gift, and something we could not live without for a destination wedding that we were attending.  Our destination- Hawaii!  Outfit, a lovely Hawaiian shirt along with some puka shells.  Gift, a unforgettable wine and candle basket.  Thing we couldn't live without- sunscreen!  It was fun to see what we could get for bang for a buck.


We also finished our final eco-chic lifestyle change.  I'm glad I got to hear about the changes the other members of our class accomplished.  Throughout, everyone seemed to be very successful.  We finished with one last final online assignment.  Everyone was to create an activity for other blog followers to complete.  It was a fun finishing touch and a good reflection of what we know.


Our big finale was at class time- milk and cookies- and show & tell!  Similar to what we had to put together, we all created junk projects that we created on our own time.  I'm still shocked at what we can find for so little- I really should start doing this more often.  Everyone had some amazing ideas and I may even have to steal some of those ideas for future gifts!


Overall, I don't think this course could have been any more jam packed with so much to do and so much to remember...and I don't think I have ever learned so much from any of my other classes.  With all these things to cover, we took the time to have each in the spotlight, focusing on a specific topic each week.  For only meeting one day a week, I was impressed how much our knowledge (through assignments & other activities) was expanded!  This course definitely left an imprint in my memory and the lessons learned will not be forgotten.

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

• Ashley: Calculate Your Auto Emissions
• This activity was to inform us, as consumers, how much our own vehicles are emitting into the air.   The website provided was easy to follow and was simple to put in our car's information so it could calculate the results.
• 1999 Lexus RX 300 4WD
  3L, 6 cyl., Automatic (4 speed), 4WD or AWD
  
  Total City Miles: 8,400
  Total Highway Miles: 5,600
  City MPG: 19 MPG
  Highway MPG: 22 MPG
  Gallons of Fuel (City): 442.11 gallons
  Gallons of Fuel (Highway): 254.55 gallons
  Gallons of Fuel (Total): 696.66 gallons
• 
  
  NETZERO Calculations
  Total Pounds CO2: 13445.54 lbsTotal CO2 MT Emission: 6.1 MTTOTAL CO2 Credit Cost: $48.80
  
  
• Elly: Gas Guzzling Cars
• This was similar to the above activity.  The information of your personal vehicle was calculated and distributed to determine the total amount of CO2 emitted each year.
• Your vehicle produces 0.92 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.

• Kara: Energy Dustbin
• For this activity my score was 52
• The resources to read up on were very helpful and informational.  It was a fun game tossing things back and forth into the garbage bin!

• Lauren: Work Out Plan
• This was a fun quiz.  It provided pretty general questions about how you feel you are fit.  I really like the routine she provided in her blog to incorporate in our daily routines.
• You are 50%* fit!
  Your about the average thin but not toothpick-like. Your about chubby but not fat. Your fine. Just work out a little and youll be in good shape.
  
  
• Katie: Obesity & Your Everyday Life
• BMI: 20...which falls under the normal weight group
• Currently I am meeting my daily calorie intake.  However, not so much with the each of the food groups.  Always being on the go it's difficult to consume the adequate amount of fresh vegetables. I don't eat junk & when I need to buy my food I make sure that's it's a healthier choice, with fresh veggies, and definitely not fast food.
• I found out I am consistently burning activities.  It's convenient because of teaching fitness and dance classes, I'm always "forced" into working out and staying active.  Not complaining though!

• Danielle: Waste to Energy Crossword Puzzle
• This was trickier than I thought!  There were definitely a few terms that I did not know.  It was easier, maybe being from duluth helped, to know some of the facilities around the community.  The resources provided were definitely needed to complete the crossword.

Advocacy Project:

Hey fellow bloggers!  I'm looking forward for you guys to try out today's challenge!  We have been talking about the amount of physical activity in adults- we should be getting a solid 30 minutes of moderate exercise for at least 3 times a week.  


So here's your challenge: How Fit Are You?  What better way to measure your own fitness level than by going out and doing it!  This shouldn't take too long, but make sure you do schedule some time to jump around at home or head to a gym near by.  The quiz at the end will ask questions that also pertain to your daily life in order to help you get 'the big picture.' Now grab a friend, roommate, or go ahead and try the following 5 tasks by yourself! 


Ready Begin:

• Push-ups Lie facedown on floor, legs straight with toes curled under (no dropped knees, sorry) and arms bent so palms are flat on the floor directly beneath shoulders. Press up, keeping body in a straight line from head to ankle. Do as many in a row as you can—no time limit—and note the number.

• Sit-ups Keep your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Your shoulder blades should come up one third of the way to sitting upright. Do as many as you can in one minute or until you say uncle, whichever comes first! Write down the number.

• Wall sit Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart about 12 inches away from wall. With feet planted, slide down until knees form a 90-degree angle. (Pretend you're in a chair.) Hold as long as you can, and time yourself.

• Sit-and-reach Grab some masking tape and a yardstick. Place the yardstick on the floor, then take a foot-long piece of masking tape and stick it across the 15-inch mark to form a cross. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you on either side of the yardstick—the zero end facing you—so that bare heels touch the 15-inch tape mark. Keep feet slightly apart. Reach forward with both hands, bending at hips, and see the farthest mark your fingertips touch. Can you touch two inches past your heels? That means your reach is 17 inches. Measure your reach and make a note of the number.

• 1.5-mile dash Map out a 1.5-mile loop— or we have an excellent indoor track here at UMD or feel free to head toward the nearest Starbucks—and lace up. Your mission: Cover the distance as fast as you can by walking, jogging, running or some combo, and time yourself.

Now to finish- please visit the following link and take the short quiz: How Fit Are You?  Make sure to read your results at the end!

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Congratulations!  I'm proud of you and want to thank you for giving these tasks a try!  I hope you feel energized and hope that you learned a little bit of what your bodies can achieve. Push yourselves and keep on exercising! :o)