Question: What
intrinsically draws you to WTS and to be here today?
What initially
caught my attention for What's the Story was the environmental aspect
of the course. I am interested and concerned about some of the
things mentioned in the course description (discussion on water pollution, invasive species, ect), plus I have at least a
small amount of practice in media and film communications, which is
evidently a large part of WTS. My decision to apply was made by the combination of both tech and environmental science, both of which
I greatly enjoy studying and learning about. I think it will be an awesome year in What's the Story!
-Jack
Jack,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to WTS 2.0. We're glad you are here. We met on Friday, but I'm one of the two blog readers that you'll have over the next 5 weeks. It'll be great to help you shape your ideas and see your own evolution of your thinking as you stretch it out and try it on.
Talk to You Soon,
-Tim
Hi Jack,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Phil Oldham and I work at Middlebury. I am looking forward to reading your posts as part of the Bread Loaf Teacher’s Network program over the next few weeks. I thought your first post was great. I like that the topic is very relevant to you personally since you live on a farm, but you are curious about how much of the problem of Champlain water quality that represents and what other causes/issues are also involved. You are also interested in several aspects related to the issue including algae blooms, effects on marine life, and drinking water. All good questions!
A few things you might want to consider… what’s been your personal experience with the water quality? Have you noticed any differences in your experiences as a swimmer, boater, fisherman, or in other ways you interact with the lake over the past 5 or so years? Might there be different issues affecting the Vermont, NY, and Quebecois communities near the lake- both in terms of the causes (like is runoff from farms an issue in NY), and how people use/experience the lake (drinking water, recreation)? It might be interesting to look at other lakes that might be experiencing similar issues and how surrounding communities have dealt with them… no need to reinvent the wheel! What are the relative scales of the issues you identify… is runoff a big problem all along the lake, or just a factor in a few spots? Is drinking water being affected in many communities on the lake, or just a few? Are algae blooms and damage to marine life common and widespread or not? If you were going to prioritize the issues, which would be at the top of the list and why? Is it because they affect the most people, or because they are the most serious/dangerous, or because they are easy to fix. Which problems will require big investments of time, money or behavior change, and which require more modest investments that might be easier/quicker to effect?
Hope this is helpful and I will look forward to next week’s installment. Let me know if you have questions or want to bounce ideas back and forth between now and your next post. Good luck- phil.
Phil Oldham ’90
Davis School of Russian, Middlebury C.V. Starr School Abroad in Moscow