Tag Archives: education

“Real Food” vs Processed Food – Areavoices Digest #89

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So as I sat the other day spraying cheese in a can on my snack crackers, I began to think “Can this be real cheese?”

Well the answer is “probably not.”  First clue: any cheese that’s spelled with a “z” is probably not the real deal. Second clue: When a dairy product gets loaded into an aerosol can it’s probably a red flag.

It’s not that it’s not good. But is it what’s best for you?

Study after study these days touts eating “real food.” The kind of food our grandparents and great parents ate. Think about what those people ate. They didn’t have fat-free this or fat-free that and most weren’t sipping on diet soda. It was the high octane stuff for them. And many of them looked great! I remember when I worked at WDAY-TV and the pictures hung up all over the building of early TV and radio personalities. What struck me most was the little itty bitty tiny waists these women had. How’d they get them?

Well one of our newest bloggers might have the answer.

In 2012, Char became more interested in “real food,” as she started to try and remove most processed foods from her diet. She’s learning as she goes and will use her new blog to document her experiences, successes and pitfalls. You’ll also get a recipe or two.

It’s just the first in our recommended blogs of the week.

 

Really Eating
reallyeating.areavoices.com
A blog dedicated to making, serving, and eating “real food” over processed food.

Images of Fall
fall.areavoices.com
The colors of fall as seen through the eyes of readers.

NIE Rocks
nierocks.areavoices.com
Newspapers in Education kicks off another school year with activities and fun.

Oh, Look a Shiny Thing!
shiny.areavoices.com
The weird and wacky of the web.

Music Moves
musicmoves.areavoices.com
Perspectives and Insight from a musical therapist.

Healthy Tidbits
peggysue.areavoices.com
Health topics from Peggy Anderson

Getting your school news published the easy way – Areavoices Digest #87

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It’s close to that time. Some kids are chomping at bit, others are looking longingly at the backyard pool wondering where their summer went. Either way, it’s inevitable. Over the next couple of days (or weeks) the kiddos are back in the classroom.

And if you haven’t noticed it yet, Areavoices is a FABULOUS way to share your school news. Whether it’s a school district blog like some of the ones you see in this week’s recommended blog list, or a blog about one of the school’s teams or activities, blogging is a great way to get your news, photos and announcements published in the paper without having to beg an editor to include you. This puts the publishing power in your hands! Just start your blog, write your post, include a photo or two and post it. It’s that easy. If you know how to use Word, you can blog.

If you’re interested in what I’m talking about check out some of these school blogs. They’re good examples of what you can do. And if you have more questions, just go to the FAQ section of this blog or email me at tracy.briggs@fccinteractive.com.

Fargo School Talk
fargopublicschools.areavoices.com
News and information about Fargo Public Schools.

Community Edventures
communityedventures.areavoices.com
Events and activities from Community Education in Farmington, Minnesota.

ICardinals Campaign
icardinalscampaign.areavoices.com
Advancing the way we teach and learn at Willmar High School.

NIE Rocks!
nierocks.areavoices.com
Newspapers in Education with Sue Lindlauf.

Super Spud
moorheadareapublicschools.areavoices.com
The official blog of Moorhead Public Schools.

Moorhead High Theatre
moorheadhightheater.areavoices.com
Theatre news from Moorhead High School

More from the Oil Boom, Junkfest and a Little Something for Teachers – Areavoices Digest #83

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I’m really excited about this week’s list of recommended Areavoices blogs. I’m excited to welcome news from Black Gold Boom,  a multimedia project exploring the oil boom in western North Dakota. Stories air on Prairie Public and are produced by Todd Melby. This blog is a supplement to their existing website www.blackgoldboom.com and should provide a peek at life inside the boom.

 

Cassie, Missy and Lynette call themselves “girls who love junk” so they created Junkfest (the event and the blog). “Now held at the Foster County Fairgrounds in Carrington, ND, the annual Autumn Junk Fest has become a festive gathering of Trash Talkers and Treasure Seekers!  You’ll find tons of refurbished and repurposed treasures for your home and garden.  JunkFest also hosts the best and fastest growing Flea Market in these parts!” Sounds like fun!

Back in April of 2009,  a self-proclaimed, “crazy 8th grade Language Arts teacher from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin” came up with an idea to create a place for teachers to share their professionalism and passion for teaching. We Teach We Learn is the result.

Here are all of this week’s list of blogs you might want to check out!

Black Gold Boom
blackgoldboom.areavoices.com
How Oil Changed North Dakota.

Life in the Patch
patchlife.areavoices.com
A Forum Communications blog documenting the good, the bad, the ugly and the pretty in oil-rich Western North Dakota.

We Teach We Learn
weteachwelearn.areavoices.com
A place for teachers (and others interested in education) to share their professionalism and passion for teaching and learning.

Family and Living
family.areavoices.com
Your source for family-centered content, for all stages of your life.

Junkfest
junkfest.areavoices.com
Restoring elegance to roadside finds.

Areavoices Digest #77 – I love this idea for a family summer vacation!

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Every year, families all over America start thinking about it (if they haven’t been dreaming about it since January). What are we going to do for summer vacation? We spend thousands flying (and with high gas prices driving too) to all kinds of summer hot spots.

But how many of us explore our own backyards? I’m not really talking about a “Staycation.” That implies you’re staying in your own home or city. What I’m talking about is touring your own state. Looking around at what’s just a few hundred miles away and seeing what outstate tourists see.

I think about this when I’ve traveled to the Washington D.C. area to visit my relatives and do some sightseeing. Often, after telling my aunts and uncles, who live in suburban Washington, that I’m going to check out one tourist spot or another in DC, they’ll say, “We haven’t even seen that yet.”

Many of us don’t bother looking at what’s close at hand.

Well, that’s what native North Dakotan Sarah Nasello and her family are doing. They’re taking the time this summer to immerse themselves in all things North Dakota. So not only will they see the tourist hotspots they’ll check those off the wall places as well,  Meet the people and walk down the mainstreets. She’ll be documenting all of it in her Areavoices blog.

It should be a lot of fun. Check out her blog and the other recommended blogs of the week.

Lost on the Prairie
http://lostontheprairie.areavoices.com
Sarah Nasello is a 5th generation North Dakotan who grew up in Fargo. After realizing she didn’t know enough
about her home state. She, husband Tony and son Giovanni decided to take a summer vacation to connect with “people who are passionate about food, farming, art and North Dakota in general.

Cute n’ Comfy
http://cutencomfy.areavoices.com
Jasmine Maki is a college student who loves fashion, photography and
writing, all of which come together in her new Areavoices blog.

God Tracks
http://godtracks.areavoices.com
Blogger Julie Holmquist recently received a national award of excellence for this blog where she explores the presence of
God in everyday lives.

Best Friends ND
http://bestfriendsnd.areavoices.com
Best Friends Mentoring Program matches adult role models with children who need positive adult guidance and friendship.Their blog
gives advice on family and children’s issues.

NDSU Extension
http://ndsuextension.areavoices.com
If you have a question, there’s a good chance NDSU Extension Service can answer it.  They specialize in information on strengthening agriculture and developing the potential of youth, adults and communities.

Areavoices Digest #73 – Capitalizing on the Pinterest explosion

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No doubt you’ve heard about the meteoric rise of Pinterest. In two short years, the digital bulletin board has become the third most popular social network trailing only behind Facebook and Twitter in the number of monthly users. In fact,  Pinterest doubled it’s number of users between January and February of this year and no other social network reached 10 million users faster than Pinterest. Although recent reports suggest that growth is slowing Pinterest is still a hot commodity for it’s millions of users (80% of them female). Now one of our Areavoices bloggers is making it easier for you to Pin without really pinning.

Her name is Jen Burris and she’s taking what she sees on Pinterest and trying it out for herself. And we get to read about it on her blog. It’s just one of the recommended blogs of the week. Enjoy!
Pin It
http://pinit.areavoices.com
Pinterest is the fastest growing social medium around these days. Follow as this blogger tries out
some of the pins she finds on the digital bulletin board.

Joe Fitness
http://joefitness.areavoices.com
One of our most popular health and fitness blogs. Joe answers real life questions like “Is Nutella
really good for you?” or “What is the cardio machine you should be using, but aren’t?”

MSUM
http://msum.areavoices.com
Follow the news and information from the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead.

FM Ballet
http://fmballet.areavoices.com
News from Fargo Moorhead Ballet, a nationally respected regional professional dance company that presents a multidisciplinary repertoire from ballet, jazz, modern, and tap.

Father Knows Least
http://fatherknowsleast.areavoices.com
Hilarious stories from a man as he takes on the job of fatherhood.

Areavoices Digest #44 – Share your September 11th stories

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Chances are if you were over the age of 7 on September 11, 2001 you can recall in great detail where you were when you heard the news that America was under attack. It’s a news event much like the assassination of President Kennedy or the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It will not be forgotten by those who lived through it. Those stories are cathartic for some; sharing a common tragedy bonds us together and perhaps helps us grieve even 10 years later.

That’s part of the reason behind one of our recommended blogs of the week. Remembering 9/11 is an attempt to share stories of that tragic day. We invite you to participate. Check it out along with our other blogs of the week.

Remembering 9/11: Your stories and reflections 10 years after a day that changed us
http://september11.areavoices.com
Forum Communications has set up this blog as a forum to allow readers, viewers and listeners throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin the opportunity to share their thoughts on the 10th anniversary of the attack on America.

Ross and Dr. Dan:A Tale of Two Centuries
http://rossfcollins.areavoices.com
A clever blog written by North Dakota State University Professor Ross Collins. As himself, Collins writes about current events and assorted topics. As the persona of Dr. Dan, Collins writes as an historian from the next century looking back on our life today. This is a fun, yet thought-provoking blog.

No Cows No Pigs No Problems
http://nocowsnopigsnoproblems.areavoices.com
Susie Ekberg Risher is an accomplished writer who decided to give up red meat and pork products to see if she would feel spiritually lightened. This blog documents her fascinating journey of discovery.

Talkin Vikings
http://talkinvikings.areavoices.com
A blog written by self-proclaimed “rabid” Minnesota Vikings fan Jason Schufletowski.

Love Those Pants
http://lovethosepants.areavoices.com
Beth Olson unabashedly admits to liking football at first because of the pants. But she says she and her girlfriends have turned into serious fans.

Areavoices Digest #39 – Learning more about Home Schooling

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In the past few months Areavoices has been happy to welcome dozens of schools into the blogosphere. From preschools to elementary schools from  high schools to colleges, administrators, teachers and students are publishing their own news right on the homepages of our Forum Communications news websites.It’s a wonderful way to share news with parents, alumni and the community that the papers can’t always cover. If you’re interested in learning more about school blogging, by all means give me a jingle. I’d love to get you up to speed before those little kiddies go back to class.

But of course, not all students, walk the halls of our public and private schools. Some are home schooled and until now we hadn’t seen much representation from the home school community on Areavoices. However, last week, a home school parent out of Grand Forks, North Dakota told me about a new blog entitled, “Homeschool: Exploring Alternative Education.”

For anybody interested in learning more about home schooling or even those critical of it, this blog provides some interesting insights. I would highly recommend it and these other four blogs in this weeks’ Areavoices Digest:

Homeschool:  Exploring Educational Alternatives – http://k12educationalternatives.areavoicesc.om

Jesse Light is a homeschooling parent who started this blog as a place where anyone concerned about k12 education alternatives can discuss and share ideas about what educational options outside traditional institutional schooling.

 

Shelf Life: Discussing Books,What are your thoughts?  - http://shelflife.areavoices.com

Carolyn Fiechtner is the moderator of what could be called an online book club. She hopes to select books and read write along with her audience and follow that with some great discussions.

Eye on Kid’s: Thoughts on growing up it today’s world and encouraging children to discover their own personal strengths – http://uflipp.areavoices.com

This blog is written by 3 child experts whose education and experience working with children in individual and group settings, collectively spans over 50 years. They work in clinical psychology, school psychology, counseling, social work, special education, and speech/language pathology.

 

Look at This – http://lookatthis.areavoices.com

Tami Tagtow is a librarian and researcher chronicling life in Atwater, Minnesota.

 

Red River Valley Fair – http://redrivervalleyfair.areavoices.com  The fair, located in West Fargo, North Dakota says it’s blog is all about family, food and fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

You never know who might be reading your blog

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Often times when I’ve spoken with people about starting a blog on areavoices, we tend to concentrate on the vast readership they’ll get from our 4-state region. That’s because many areavoices blogs are featured in Forum Communications newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. But it’s important to note that areavoices blogs are being read all over the world. Here’s an example:

This week I received an email from Sue Lindlauf who writes the NIE Rocks blog. NIE stands for Newspapers in Education. Sue is the Marketing Coordinator for NIE in Grand Forks. She told me about a recent blog post where she detailed how a group of Roseau high school students completes the Jumble puzzle every day, then they post it on the wall. Check out the picture in her blog.

Sue says she was surprised to see a comment she received.

Now those are some VERY smart students!!
LAL HET SEBT,
Jeff Knurek
Jumble co-creator and cartoonist

Not bad! Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged that your posts aren’t reaching everyone you’d like. But obviously, you never know who might be clicking on you! Happy blogging!

Areavoices Digest #22 – On a lookout for travel/tourism blogs!

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Are you in an area that attracts tourists?
 
I’m starting this weeks’ Digest with that question because we’re trying to concentrate these days on getting more Tourism and Convention and Visitors Bureau blogs started. I just got back from the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism meeting in the Wisconsin Dells. Besides enjoying slightly warmer weather and getting to see all of those protestors for myself, I learned a lot about the changing game of tourism and travel marketing. I’m going to write more about this in tomorrow’s blog, but the bottom line is that CVB and Travel professionals need a greater online presence as more and more Americans are planning their vacations almost solely online. We’re working to help get their blogs started as people are now starting to plan their summer trips. 
 
If you would like to start a travel or tourism blog, just let me know. I’d love to help! We’d love to get travel professionals and even everyday people who want to share their own travel stories and videos.

The great news we already have some fantastic travel bloggers but we have a few more joining the areavoices party. They include both the North Dakota Department of Tourism – http://travelnd.areavoices.com  and the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau – http://visitfargomoorhead.areavoices.com   This blog is just getting rolling. So click on it in a few days and check out the great content about visiting Fargo-Moorhead. 

But we have other suggested blogs for this week as well:  
River Falls Community Education – http://riverfallscommunityeducation.areavoices.com  There is tremendous potential with community education throughout the region. They certainly offer a wide variety of classes and seminars so they’re chuck full of information.

 
Fargo Marathon – http://fargomarathon.areavoices.com  Here’s the official blog of the Fargo Marathon written by Mark Knutson, the director of the race. This year’s race is in May and is expected to attract 20,000 runners from all over the United States and certainly throughout ND, SD, MN and WI.
 
Stevie’s Journey into the Rabbit Hole: An Artist – http://steviefamulari.areavoices.com Stevie Famulari is a well known multi-sensory artist. You might say, “what does that mean?” Well, I will tell you, for example, that she appeared recently on The Food Network using food to create a landscape. I think she’s really interesting. Check it out.

Areavoices Digest #18 – Feb 9, 2011 – Have you seen these blogs?

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Thanks for your feedback about the areavoices directory. I’m still wading through it blog by blog, revising and updating information. You can now see the directory on the blog sections of your home pages as well as on the areavoices homepage. I realize we still have featured blogs that might be missing. If you notice a blog that is not in the directory please shoot me an email. I will make sure to get it on the directory as soon as possible. As I said last week, this process is giving me the opportunity to find some wonderful blogs that might be deserving of a second look.
 
Powerful Perspectives – http://powerfulperspectives.areavoices.com – When I asked everyone for feedback on great bloggers this is what Phil from River Falls told me, “Sam Bluhm’s Powerful Perspective’s blog is by far the hottest of the 25 local bloggers we have at the River Falls Journal. She brings a life coach perspective, is a professional business writer and weaves some heartwarming stories that generate lots of feedback.”  I looked through the blog and found it well written and interesting.
 
Rambling River Repair – http://ramblingriverrepair.areavoices.com – Sue and Bill Kropelnicki are fairly new to blogging, but I think this auto repair blog has a lot of potential. They own and operate their own shop in Farmington, Minnesota. Their last post addressed keeping tires in top shape during winter driving, so obviously, something we can all relate to.  The focus of their blog is to make cars and car repair understandable to the average Joe and Jane.

Rural Reflections – http://rreflection.areavoices.com – Grant Nelson writes about rural life and farm projects. His column is featured weekly in the Northern Watch newspaper in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. His Radio program is also posted on his blog every Thursday by noon.

 
Music Moves – Perspectives & Insights from a Local Music Therapist – http://musicmoves.areavoices.com -  Natasha Thomas is a board certified music therapist. She says the purpose of her blog is “for any individual looking to learn how music can enhance their own life or the lives of their loved ones, co-workers, or friends.  Weekly posts will include such topics as “how music can aid academic learning”, “using music for stress relief”, and other perspectives on the many ways in which music can impact your life.”
 
Who Needs Who? – Stories of love from a special needs mom – http://whoneedswho.areavoices.com – Kerri Kava is blogging about her life with her special needs son. He has Williams Syndrome or WS. But she writes, “I’m an extremely positive person and in no way am I wanting this blog to be a “poor me” bucket. But rather, a place to share, vent, and brag about the love and joy brought, as well as the everyday journey we experience.”
 
And finally I just wanted to point out two of our newest education-type blogs.
 
Detroit Lakes Public Schools is now blogging – http://detroitlakesschools.areavoices.com. They’ve used their blog to make school announcements and deliver other news. It’s a great use of blogging.
 
And Dr. Christopher Markwood, Interim Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Superior, has started a blog for UW Superior. I was really excited to see this one. I believe he’s the first Chancellor to blog with areavoices.  Very cool! http://uwsuperior.areavoices.com.