Author: maryisobel

four clear plastic bowls with vegetables

Canada Food Guide

On October 16, 2020

Most of my other blogs in my series of exploring a healthy lifestyle have been focusing on the physical ways that I can improve. For this post I wanted to look further into what I am consuming and how that can have effects on my overall health. All of the information I will be sharing in this blog post has come from the Canadian Government website and is found under the health tab, you can directly go here by clicking this. Since the 2019 update of the Canadian Food Guide a meal is suggested to consists of 1/2 plate of vegetables/fruit, 1/4 plate protein and 1/4 whole grains. This differs from the old guide which included dairy as a staple of every day consumption, more specifically two glasses of milk should be drank each day. Meat and alternatives has been replaced by ‘proteins’ which suggests that meat does not need to be consumed in order to get these nutrients.

Previous Food Guide

A lot of vegan choices such as nuts, avocados and legumes hold the amount of protein needed for a healthy individual. I have tried my best to stick to a lot of these suggestions in the last two weeks and I find myself struggling the most with choosing water as my drink of choice. While exploring the food guide website I have noticed a lot of different recipes and tips that help with providing healthier options. There are many ongoing arguments around the idea that healthy eating costs more money, which in most cases is true but in my opinion the benefits natural unprocessed food gives to your body is worth it. Vegan dairy and meat alternative products can be very expensive but there are ways to get the same nutrients on a smaller budget. Organization seems to be a popular trend across the guide, making sure you have a list when you go to the grocery store and planning out your meals/snacks ahead of time is recommended. Snacking is something I am guilty for and I see myself to be a bored eater, I never have them planned out in advance so I find myself seeking easily accessible snack foods. Watching TV or being distracted while eating is one of the worst things you can do because your mind is not focusing on your intake and usually you eat much faster than your body can handle. This is also another reason why having snacks ready to go and portioned out is a good idea.

2019 Food Guide

I have set myself a SMART goal which is something the Canadian Food Guide encourages, it stands for; specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. My goal is to only drink water as my beverage of choice, besides 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I am also going to start preparing snacks that either include a vegetable/fruit that will not be eaten when I am preoccupied doing something else. I plan to keep these goals until the end of the term and be able to reflect on my successes.

Social Media in the Classroom

by maryisobel

On October 2, 2020

In EdTech, Reflections, Uncategorised

After attending the last lecture, where Jesse Miller shared some insight on social media usage in the classroom, I also watched a documentary on Netflix called “The Social Dilemma” which has been recommended to me by many of my peers. Overall first thoughts, were terrifying I immediately became self-conscious of how often I was using my social media platforms, what I was using them for and started noticing how my feeds were full of posts relatable to my interests. I think that my generation (Gen Z) had the first real exposure to social media during middle school years, whereas now it has developed to a point where primary aged children are accessing these applications. I remember snapchat coming out when I was in grade 8 and many kids had it downloaded on their iPod touch because they did not have a cellphone yet. It’s crazy to me because that was only 8 years ago, in such a small timeframe technology has evolved at an alarming rate and is drawing in younger users more and more. Jesse mentioned how some educators allow their students opportunities to access their phone during the day for small time intervals. This is simply to alleviate their thoughts of what they could be missing out on because that is what all their concentration is focused on instead of class material. Children are becoming so dependent on their phones that without them they feel anxious and lonely. I believe that social media poses a huge distraction to students, whether that is in class or at home. There is this fear of missing out that is instilled in them so they feel the need to constantly be connected as much as possible. For the younger children growing up now they may not have their own personal social media accounts but they most likely have parents who are heavily engaged in those platforms and they are first hand witnessing it. Parents are setting an example to their children that being glued to a screen for hours in a day is a normality. Technology’s purpose was always to be a useful tool for sharing information, communicating and completing certain actions. It was never meant to mold societies, cause mental illnesses or become an addiction. This is a very controversial topic and I find myself siding with those who think technology’s downfalls outweigh the positive aspects. I am certainly grateful to have access to a lot of resources it provides, but honestly after finishing that documentary I have put time restraint on my social media platforms because I can’t control urges that I didn’t realize were a problem. I open my phone countless times in a day without even realizing it. There is no specific purpose, my brain is just programmed to constantly check and that just scares me. Check out this documentary, I guarantee it will make you think twice.

Meditation

by maryisobel

On October 2, 2020

In Free Inquiry

With classes being in full motion now, I find myself feeling more overwhelmed than usual. As previously talked about on my last blog post surrounding Yoga, I have access to a site called Gaia that offers a variety of resources. This week I started exploring the website more and indulged myself in some meditation sessions. As cliché as it may sound, my mental and physical well-being felt completely uplifted and relaxed after each routine. These experiences urged me to research the benefits of this practice and how my overall health was being influenced. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health there is undeniable evidence that the use of meditation has been able to improve and ease the symptoms for individuals who are dealing with high blood pressure, depression, insomnia and more. They distinguish meditation as a relationship between the mind and body that overall enhances one’s health and quality of life. The key components to enduring a successful meditation is having access to a secluded, quiet environment, setting your body up in a comfortable position, choosing a focus of attention and allowing your mind to naturally process positive or negative thoughts.

A study done in 2012 of 100 adults (half who meditated and half who didn’t) concluded those who were practicing meditation developed more folds in the outer layer of their brain which enhances the brain’s ability to process information. It is important to note this study took place over a few years and that consistent meditation was key in these developments. For more information on this study and others, I urge you to visit this site. According to a lot of different pages I explored while writing this post, it appears that meditation has an endless amount of benefits to offer. I find myself to be a very high stress individual and I am intrigued to see if I notice a difference once I start incorporating more meditation into my daily routine.

Most Likely to Succeed

by maryisobel

On September 27, 2020

In EdTech, Reflections

Recently I watch the documentary most likely to succeed directed by Grey Whiteley. I found this film to be very interesting and eye opening. The documentary is focused on High Tech High which is a high school located in San Diego. At this school, teachers have full freedom to teach in their own style without following a strict curriculum. Their approach to teaching makes the student’s accountable for their own learning successes. Grades are not praised and standardized testing is not relevant. A lot of educational history is provided and raises awareness that the educational system is not changing with the complex world around it. Students are learning for the desire to pass a test so they can achieve acceptance into a renowned post secondary institution. Which makes me wonder if tests are really suitable for determining the intelligence and competence of an individual.

Photo by Chris Liverani

Tests are specific and often have questions where there is only one acceptable answer. Students will vigorously study their notes and textbooks to drill every last bit of information into their brain. That won’t help them to retain any information or enhance their knowledge. It will be information that is briefly remembered for a short period of time until the test is completed. I can speak from experience, if you ask me anything that was on my Pre Calculus 12 exam I bet that 9 times out of 10 I wouldn’t know the answer. If students are so focused on getting into post secondary that they are truly not retaining anything in class how is that beneficial in the long run. High Tech High focuses more on developing each individual into a young, capable adult through project based learning. Many employers these days are looking for critical thinkers who are creative, collaborative and successful in group environments. The education system isn’t geared to produce well-rounded thinkers. Instead the system can be proud of a high school graduate possibly being able to identify the atomic mass of an element. Not every education system is flawed and I think universal education for primary age groups is important to build strong foundational skills. In higher level grades stepping back like the instructors at High Tech High and creating a more collaborative work environment will have a positive impact on the next generations of students.

Yoga

by maryisobel

On September 25, 2020

In Free Inquiry

Recently I have started doing yoga, I have meant to for a while now and finally with a little extra down time I have decided to get it going! Now I really didn’t want to have to leave my house for this, because with the current world conditions I didn’t want to lose out on any classes or a membership. I signed up with a website called Gaia, it has a very cheap monthly fee and I have access to a variety of things! I have heard from a lot of friends that yoga is very beneficial and it can put your mind and body into a very calming space. I am also hoping to build more strength and increase my flexibility as well. I have only done about 5 different sessions so far and I have enjoyed them all. The lengths vary, so sometimes I can do a 30 minute class or 15 minutes if I’m trying to squeeze it into my day. Mediation is another option on Gaia that I am still meaning to try out. In my first few classes I felt a bit weird just because my body was moving in ways I wasn’t use too, it is also very hard to watch the screen but also keep yourself in the recommended poses. They divide their site into different levels of experience, so right now I am able to start with the more basic content. Once I get more comfortable and start building new skills I will be able to branch into higher level classes that will challenge me even more. Although it has not been very long yoga is something I highly recommend to everyone, it’s something I never see myself stopping!

Photo by Rawan Yasser

Setting up my blog

by maryisobel

On September 20, 2020

In EdTech, Reflections

People sitting down at their computers doing work

Photo by Marvin Meyer

I use to considered myself decently tech savvy, that is up until this point. The whole process of creating this blog was a bit of a headache to me! There were a lot of unfamiliarity’s and terms that I have never dealt with before, like plugin. After various google searches I would say that I now have a decent understanding of the tool. For any of you who may not know, a plugin is kind of like an app. There are hundreds of different plugins that each offer their own specific function. They are created to improve sites, whether that is through layout, security purposes or overall function. I am still trying to get the hang of incorporating them into mine. I really thought that creating a blog would be a cut and paste process, but it has appeared to be much more technical than that. As you can see I have been able to add posts but the overall organization of my site has become my biggest challenge at this point. Menus, pages and categories are all something I am trying to familiarize myself with. Over this semester I am really looking forward to working on my blog and adding posts to it. I think the initial set up is what will take the longest, but once I find my groove blogging and making posts are going to become one of my weekly highlights!