Elizabeth South

Elizabeth South

A “Hot” Topic: Your body’s (and planet’s) rising temperature

A “Hot” Topic: Your body’s (and planet’s) rising temperature

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We are still in the beginning of the summer season, and we have already experienced record numbers of high heat in many parts of the United States. Globally, scientists warn that 2023 could be one of the hottest years on record due to the impact of global warming and an incoming El Niño (Paddison, 2023).  An El Niño is a natural weather phenomenon that occurs in the Pacific Ocean every few years that brings warmer than average sea waters temperatures to the surface and which can globally influence the weather.  Hot summers can be extremely dangerous if you’re not prepared, especially as it is the time of year when many people enjoy the outdoors. Heat-related illnesses can not only impact … Continued
The Power of Pollinators

The Power of Pollinators

, outreach
As we enter the summer season, pollination of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and trees is still occurring. We often think of spring being the season of planting and pollinating, but summer plays an important role too. June is National Pollinator Month and in 2023 we celebrate National Pollinator Week from June 19th-25th. This is an annual event held on the third week of June that highlights the wildlife responsible for helping our food grow and promotes the importance of pollinator health and ways humans can help.   Who are our pollinators? Lots of animals and insects pollinate, not just bees and butterflies. Some examples: Birds! Did you know that over 900 species of birds pollinate? Especially hummingbirds, who are essential pollinators … Continued
Alternatives to ‘No Mow May’

Alternatives to ‘No Mow May’

, outreach
Spring is in full swing, and many insects, animals, and plants are now active and roaming or growing in your yard. You may also have heard of the “No Mow May” movement from the news, social media, or eco focused organizations. Not mowing for a full month sounds like a nice idea, but it can also lead to a few problems (Damiano, 2023). Abstaining from mowing for only one month out of the mowing season can create confusion for insects and essential pollinators by providing food and shelter for a month, but then taking that shelter and food source away once mowing commences again in June. Insects may have short lifespans, but many have long memories and colony insects communicate … Continued
New Canvas Library Tool Available – ProQuest Resources

New Canvas Library Tool Available – ProQuest Resources

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The IU East Campus Library is now offering a new tool to embed journal articles and other resources directly into Canvas from our database search engine, ProQuest Central. This is a similar tool to the Library Resources application that we launched in Fall of 2022, which allows faculty to search and embed articles from EBSCO Discovery directly into Canvas from the Module level. Faculty can now search and pull article links that are available from our ProQuest databases, for which we subscribe to over 80, into their Canvas course! This tool, labeled as ProQuest Resources, is available at the page, discussion, or assignment level and can be added with the Apps icon from the Edit box: Faculty are welcome to … Continued
Who Uses OER at IU East? — Open Education Week 2023

Who Uses OER at IU East? — Open Education Week 2023

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Due to the rising costs of higher education, textbook affordability is a particular area of hardship for many students. With limited funding, students may have to choose what is essential to their well-being and education and because of this, many students forgo buying required textbooks or other course material. This often results in poor grades or failing or dropping out of the course (Yano & Myers, 2019).  To combat this issue, Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives have been growing among many higher education institutions, including Indiana University East. ​ In support of Open Education Week (March 6-10th) 2023, the Campus Library is highlighting IU East faculty who currently use OER textbooks and resources in their classes.  Humanities and Social Sciences … Continued