Today I was thinking about how I am going to document my learning for ECMP 355.  I have Google Reader set up, I manage my comments, and I have my blog posts categorized but I was wondering about how I could show the growth in my site layout and design (because I am constantly changing things as I come up with and come across new ideas.)  

Something I've always wanted to do is learn about wild mushrooms - specifically where they grow and which ones are safe to eat.  It's not like I plan to get lost in the middle of nowhere without food anytime soon, but the art of wild mushroom picking is a skill that very few people seem to possess nowadays.  And why would they?

I've always wondered how songs can get stuck in your head but today, as I was driving for three and a half hours back to the city from Benito, I began to contemplate it even more because I was in a less than desirable situation: I had no stereo, radio, or MP3 player.  

As a survivor of a near-fatal car accident (thanks to a seatbelt) and with all of the ad campaigns and information that is available today, it amazes me how many people choose not to wear one.  Some of the excuses I have heard for why people neglect to wear them include: "It's too tight around my neck" or "I don't need to when I'm in the city - the speed limit isn't very high."

I came across this article that has some pretty scary stats about what can happen from not buckling up.  Clearly, laws support seatbelt wearing for a reason. 

Lately, I've been feeling as if I need a break from the time crunched city-life so I decided to go to my Dad's place in the town that I grew up in: Benito, Manitoba.  My dad owns an acreage in Benito, which is home to approximately 400 people.  I love going 'back home' for many reasons - the endless open space, to see my horse, to visit old friends, and because when you're here, you run on what I like to call 'Benito time.'  

I have always enjoyed going for walks.  I walk to the bus stop, the grocery store, and now that I'm a dog owner, I walk anywhere from 2-3 hours a day. It's such a great way to get energized for the day or to unwind from the busy-ness of the daycare - there's the crisp fresh-air, the beautiful scenery, the gently chirping birds, and the... (squish!)... (moan)... dog poop that I just stepped in because someone didn't bother to pick up after their dog, AGAIN! 

It's far from perfect but I'm starting to get this site to look and feel a little bit more like me! Initially, I had a different theme/template than the one you see now - it was pretty basic and I didn't like the colours but I chose to overlook that because I wanted my site and blog to be as easy to manage as possible.  But as I played around with it more I decided I wanted something a little more 'D-9-like' and found this template, which I absolutely love!  Firstly, my favourite colour is and always has been purple.  Secondly, I like having the pages tabs at the top of the screen (as opposed to a sidebar) because they seem easier to find that way.  Thirdly, this template has a HUGE area to post a main display picture (or pictures) to each page, whereas the other template did not.  And, for anyone that knows me and/or has been in my house, they know that I love to surround myself with pictures and collages of everything and everyone that is important to me.  

As I said though, I still have a lot of work to do on this page.  I want to have a different display picture on each page and quotes that reflect what each page is about.  I also want to get some of my education and radio work samples up here to get some feedback on and expand more under each tab (and add more tabs!)  I'm glad I added the Google Calendar to my home page because I often lose track of what day it is and seeing as I'm going to be spending so much time on here now, the calendar will keep me up-day-ted (har har!)  I also really like having the Twitter widget on here because it will hopefully lead to me having more followers!

What I think I like the most is that nothing I do on here is set in stone or has to be permanent.  I sometimes struggle with typical 'print-this-off-and-hand-it-in' type of projects and assignments because after I hand one in it feels so final and as if that's the best it's ever going to get.  On here, however, I can change my features weekly, daily, or even hourly, depending on what I'm feeling or what I've recently learned or experienced, and that feels awesome!  So don't be surprised if D-9's Domain never looks the same twice, because, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life!   

Not too long ago, I came across the site called explore.org while I was looking for resources for a lesson plan I was creating to help teach young kids about animals and environmental issues.  When I first entered the site, I was immediately drawn to the "Live Cams" tab on the page that streams live (video) footage of various animals from all over the world.  The first live cam that I began to tune into on a regular basis was a tundra-buggy cam that followed a family of polar bears around, near Churchill, Manitoba (Canada).  It was fascinating to me that I could watch these magnificent animals swim, fish, sun bathe, and chase each other from my computer desk!  I would watch the bears in the morning before I had to go to school or work and check on them throughout the day whenever a computer was nearby (as I do not have a cell phone with internet browsing capabilities!)  

The next live cam I began to watch was one that tracked beluga whales along the Northwest Passage.  Again, I became so consumed with watching their every move.  Here I was watching a real, live version of an animal that I remember reading about very often as a kid.  My latest live cam (ob)session involves four young panda bears from China called Zhi Chun, Qing Shan, Zhao Yang, and Ao Ao. The bears are constantly getting into something and they wrestle a lot like my dog and cat do!

What I've learned from all of these experiences on explore.org is that technology can connect you with more than just people - it can connect you with animals and ecosystems from anywhere and everywhere (and being the animal lover that I am, this really helps technology score big-time brownie points with me!)  Even if I never make it to the arctic or to China, I can still see and experience what certain aspects (that I'm interested in) are like.  I would definitely integrate a site like explore.org into my classroom because if I enjoy it this much, I can only imagine how much my students would love learning about and alongside animals from around the world.

Here's the link to see it for yourself: 
http://explore.org/#!/live-cams