And the Research Begins... Choosing Terrarium Types and Styles

          This week I began searching for the perfect terrarium for my bedroom by researching the different types and styles available. Before my research I wasn’t aware that what I thought to be a terrarium was actually a spin off of the original definition. I was previously under the impression that terrariums were always comprised of some kind of succulent or cacti plant and was in a wide-mouthed bowl; namely, those habitats requiring a dry atmosphere. I was very surprised to learn that originally terrariums were created within closed glass environments and were comprised of plants that thrived off the humidity and moisture created from the enclosed space. It was only recently that they have been adapted to include dry environment habitats. This new piece of information broadened my research greatly. I discovered however that the original type of terrarium would probably not be as successful in my bedroom because they often require more maintenance. There are five main types of terrariums: cacti, carnivorous, fern, moss and succulent terrariums. Carnivorous, Fern and moss terrariums follow the original definition and cacti and succulent terrariums follow the adapted definition. Carnivorous and fern are not ideal for a bedroom because they thrive in moist and humid areas (closed glass enclosure) and require more frequent feeding, trimming and care. As a student I feel these characteristics would be too hard to upkeep. Moss terrariums are not as high maintenance as the first two but I was not impressed by the visual therefore making them an undesirable option as well. It was interesting to learn about the many different options available because the information may be useful for future endeavors. It turns out my original definition is the option that will prove most successful and visually appealing for my bedroom after all!

(The above shows a cacti terrarium)

 Cacti: Abesamis, Sonny. (22 September 2013). “Terrarium”. (photograph) retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/enerva/9959205406

(The above shows a succulent terrarium) 

 Succulent: Noodles and Beef. (17 November 2013). “My Succulent Terrarium”. (photograph) retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/ekigyuu/10917956966 

           Once I decided on the type of terrarium I wanted I could start looking at different styles. When looking at styles I was mostly focused on the container I was most interested in using as well as the plants I was going to choose to put inside. I decided that I would use succulents and cacti. Since it is late September and many garden centers are beginning to close down I figured it would be best to keep my options open by compiling a list of possible plant options rather than choosing a specific few. The criteria I looked for was little maintenance required, prefers a dry environment and can survive on medium light. The following are all either in the succulent or cacti family and require similar maintenance needs:
 • Aloe
• Agave
• Echevaria
• Crassulaceae
• Haworthias 
• Sedums 
• Sempervivum
• ‘hen and chicks’
• dwarf rex begonias

          The two families that are bolded are the ones I am most interested in. They both require low light, which is ideal for a bedroom (even though mine is south facing and will get a good amount of daylight I still feel it is the safer option) and tend to stay small so I wont have to be worried about them outgrowing their enclosure.

         From here I began looking at possible enclosure options. Once again, I’m not letting my mind completely set on any one particular container just incase I can’t find it when the time comes to start shopping but for now I’ve settled on either a round, wide-mouth bowl (like the one found in this link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Arcadia-Garden-Products-Slope-7-in-Dia-Glass-Terrarium-TE15/206617843) or a geometric shape container (like the one found in this link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Pride-Garden-Products-Mika-4-in-x-6-in-Glass-Faceted-Cube-Terrarium-18116/206858555).

            Now that I’ve done my research and narrowed down the type and style of terrarium I am looking for I can begin learning how to properly make and care for my terrarium! Keep your eye out for next week’s posts where you’ll find a list of steps for DIY terrariums and some cool tips and tricks about upkeep! 

Week 2 in Review: Choosing a Genius Hour Question

          This week I struggled to decide on a Genius Hour question. In the end I chose "How do I make and care for a terrarium in my room?". I chose this question for a few reasons. First, I have had an interest in succulents ever since I worked at a garden centre a few summers ago and have been very excited about terrarium's since I learned about them (on Pinterest!). However, I have been putting off trying to make my own because although I worked in a garden centre, my knowledge of succulent care is still very limited and I also would have had nowhere to put it.
          When we were first told to start thinking about our questions I was stumped! I really did not know where to start. But when we were given the example of the student who had always wanted to run a marathon it made me think about things I have wanting to do or achieve. I remembered terrarium's and wondered if that would be a good place to start. I knew it was something I was interested in, this assignment would force me to devote the proper time to understand the task and, most conveniently, I just finished redoing my bedroom and would be able to personalize my question by making it specific to my own living space.
          From here I started making my plan (in my proposal pitch slides I tried to input a timeline from the 'ReadWriteThink Timeline Tool' I used in my PBL badge but unfortunately I couldn't figure out how to insert a PDF so I made my own instead). Before I can start the hands on aspect I need to understand a little more about terrarium's. So, I decided my first step will be to research different types and styles of terrariums as well as what is involved in making them. I decided that having a solid foundation will give me greater success so my second step is to look into terrarium care online speak to the owner's of the garden centre where I used to work. Finally, once I've gathered enough information and made decisions on what I think will most appropriately suit my bedroom I can take the student approach and start looking for the most financially efficient stores that sell the products I am looking for. And lastly, I can use my newfound knowledge to carefully create the perfect terrarium for my freshly redecorated bedroom!
          As a teacher candidate it is my responsibility to make sure I keep up with my timeline goals. However in a classroom it would be more difficult to ask the students to ensure they are completing each step on their own without reminders. If it were my classroom I would have the students log daily or weekly journals(depending on the guidelines of the Genius Hour assignment) to ensure they are achieving their goals. A journal would also help them write down and adjust any problems they may experience.
          One of the things I'm enjoying most about this Genius Hour project is learning how to use the many applications offered by Google! If I were to implement a Genius Hour project into my own classroom I would utilize these tools (ie. Draw, Slides, etc) during the planning and execution phases. I would also use Powtoon for classroom activities. Although I am not fully aware of how it works yet I found it very interesting to play around with. It's a unique way for students to present their ideas and encourages creativity!

Let's Talk About Copyright

          The use of anything from the Internet (for example but not exclusively: images, photographs, articles, etc.) puts you at risk for copyrighting. In order to use any piece of information or item found on the Internet you must first obtain permission from the original publisher/author/creator. Although this information sounds daunting it is not that hard to acquire items that have been released for public use. For example, Creative Commons and Google both provide search engines that allow you to refine your search to ensure the images being looked at are appropriately copyrighted. In Canada we also have a set of ‘Fair Dealings Guidelines’ that allow educators to use online information in their classroom as long as they follow the specific parameters. This allows teachers to provide students with expansive information on their subjects without infringing on copyright laws.
          As a teacher I think it is most important to reiterate the fact that items found on the internet are just like personal items in the physical world. Just as we would not take something that belongs to someone else without their permission we cannot take information from the internet without being given the OK. Students need to be made aware that although the internet is a phenomenal resource, the people responsible for providing said information to us should not be taken advantage of. We need to ensure students are conscious of the consequences of copyrighting just as they would be conscious of the consequences of theft.

Inkles, Paul. (September 25, 2011). “Business Baby Pointing” (photograph). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dumfstar/8553474140/in/photolist-e2QMS5-5yiSCH-abfPT5-28rtGN-fvT5PN-5b495D-pyrM81-bqVQtj-6WtbrL-e2QMHQ-8vBVTe-5ZM4Kq-8vEXjo-bFrCvg-4m5ojv-8vEXd9-8vBWaH-5r6ss8-8Jzfg7-8Vy1nk-3oxYh-9iEkhF-euR54b-8vEXtU-8vEXmG-8GmvbX-6naKtj-68mS5h-CH3be-6wnx18-8vEXbY-5bwe6M-8vEXpw-8vBVYn-7LRPcs-8vBVWt-5mP2XB-hcbzps-62Yv2h-99XWwh-8uVTTM-8vEXvJ-5k2wrs-7Cj5Uu-A8zQK-6T2Wt9-hccN5T-7M6JDi-fefJT-nfSTMX

Intel Free Press. (April 13, 2011). “Child With Apple Ipad” (photograph). Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_with_Apple_iPad.jpg

Welcome Post!

         My name is Kate Williams and this is my first ever blog post! I went to Western University (or the University of Western Ontario as it was known for my first two years) for my Undergraduate degree where I studied English and Geography. I spent my first three years studying in London, Ontario and my fourth year on exchange studying in Birmingham, England. My year abroad kick started my passion for travel; from the first day I arrived in England until the present day I have consistently had at least one trip booked or in the planning stage - I definitely consider myself a travel bug. 

         Teaching has always been my goal career and although I would have loved to continue traveling it was far more important for me to come home and get started on my career path. I am in the Junior/Intermediate stream and my teachable is English (although I would like to expand on this with my geography background). I'd really be happy teaching any grade, but my ideal age group would be between grades 7 and 10. This is a result of my own personal experiences in these grades and how much the drive and passion of the teachers I had effected my desire to learn. I believe the experiences we have during those grades have a large impact on the major decisions we make during our educational careers. I would love to have a hand in helping shape students’ educational paths as they begin high school. I have also heard many people are less willing to teach such hormonal ages and I feel as though my passion is in teaching in general rather than in teaching any one specific subject so I would be happy to take on the challenge!