http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells A Catalog-Blog Starting 'Catalog Canceling Challenges' Across the Country Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:46:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here's a short 83 second promotional video for the "Catalog Canceling Challenge." This summer I'm working to get the word out, so if you know any teachers, principles, superintendents, or even folks in the media who might be helpful and supportive of environmental education and service learning, please pass this ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/07/23/short-promo-video/ Watch highlights of Al Gore's recent speech about our need to switch from fossil fuel based electricity production to green carbon free electricity (solar, wind, geothermal) in only 10 years. Note: He talked about carbon free "electricity," not "energy" and therefore left out transportation and focused on buildings and industry ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/07/21/10-years/ Be sure to read and spread the 350.org message over the next 18 months before the important Copenhagen climate agreement. Click here to view a recent Bill McKibben speech I filmed. He explains 350 best. Perhaps we can get 350 teams to cancel catalogs... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/06/11/350org/ I’m thrilled to welcome Girl Scouts of the USA to our project! According to their mission, “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” By helping save trees, water, energy, and our climate when canceling catalogs, they are definitely helping make our ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/05/28/welcome-girl-scouts/ I love how the Hutchison Farm Elementary School in South Riding, Virgina displays their canceled catalogs in reused copy paper boxes! If you'd like to download "100s" posters like theirs, click here. 272 Hutchison Huskies canceled 1,710 catalogs! Teacher Caroline Kuhfahl asked me if we'll be having this "Challenge" ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/05/04/hutchison-huskies/ Lindsay Sheperd - a 2nd grade teacher in Winston-Salem, North Carolina - writes, "This is a fabulous project that can reach across the curriculum to teach environmental issues, responsibility and citizenship, and math. Our 2nd grade class at St. Leo School canceled 625 catalogs over the past two months. I ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/04/27/results-coming-in/ After researching facts on-line about the negative ecological and health impacts of car idling pollution, the 4th grade made a bulletin board for the school: "American Idol is Okay, BUT Americans Idling Their Cars Is Not!" (Thanks to Chloë for the great title!) Next, we thought it was time to tell ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/03/29/please-do-not-idle/ Here's a great video about WHY we should do any of this hard work to help the environment. Why recycle? Why cancel catalogs? Why be Green? WHY? This is why: http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/03/25/why/ The day we were on TV, one of my student's moms emailed 200 friends about CatalogChoice.org and 80 of them opted out of 2,000 catalogs and emailed all of their friends to do the same. One mom. One day. She's even getting her son's soccer team to join our Catalog ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/02/03/word-is-spreading/ We were thrilled by our TODAY SHOW experience and the chance to tell MILLIONS about our simple, yet powerful project! It is truly special to see how a dedicated group of kids can make this world a better place. Thank you so much Ann Curry!! 500 people an hour are visiting ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/01/24/what-a-day/ Ann Curry of NBC's TODAY SHOW found out about our little catalog canceling project and loves it!! She's going to show part of our movie (below) then interview our class live on Thursday, January 24 between 7:30-8:00AM!!! I'm not joking - this is real. The kids are thrilled and I'm ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2008/01/14/today-show/ THE movie that NRDC passed on to NBC and started all this! The movie below teaches you how to cancel by phone. http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2007/12/20/catalog-movies/ Everyone at school is stunned by how many catalogs our 146 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students canceled. I had to triple the size of the original storage bin I built! Just how many catalogs did they cancel? Check out these piles! The kids canceled 4,175 catalogs! Last Friday the kids ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2007/12/03/4175/ Check out this new logo I made for The Challenge. I love designing things like this. If I wasn't a 4th grade teacher, I'd be a layout designer...or a YouTube movie maker...or a ninja. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a ninja. Click here or on the ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2007/11/25/logo/ I can't believe how many catalogs our school's 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students have canceled in the last 20 days! 1000's? The kids are so into it. Canceling catalogs...such simple, real way to help save natural resources and energy. A way for anyone, young or not-so-young, to help the environment ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2007/11/20/testing-123/ Today I become a blogger. I'm excited to use this space to share some of the "green" ideas, videos, and projects that have bubbled to the surface in my work as a 4th grade teacher at The Park School in Brookline, MA. I'll also post information from some other projects ... http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/2007/11/19/hello-world/