8th Grade Life Science Assessment
What I learned about myself about this test is 1.) I don't remember a lot of science information taught to me up to 8th grade and 2.) my school didn't teach me some of the information asked in the assessment.  For example, I don't recall being taught most oxygen doesn't come from the rain forest, and fail to recollect where most of the oxygen comes from.  Also, I thought were more extinctions in the last 100 years.  Some things other things I learned from the test are which animals are classified as what.  It had been a while since I studied what characteristics make things arthropods, classifications of fish, protists, and other things.  The two answers that surprised me the most were that trees are made out of air and when a person loses weight, they breath it out.  Both of those concepts are ones I still don't understand and will have to look further into it because they are fairly intriguing.  The main thing I learned is I currently could not pass an 8th grade life science right now.



Photo Credit: sbsciencematters.

New Michigan Standards
In all honesty, I like what the state of Michigan is doing with their new standards.  I wasn't too familiar with the old ones until the presentation today but after the presenter articulated what they were, I believe we are moving in the correct direction.  One reason why I agree with the more hands-on approach because those were the classes in which I retained information best, such as my English and college science classes.  Unfortunately, I barely recall any information I learned or activities in which I participated in elementary school because it was essentially modeled.  Also, once learning the previous standards left out 8th grade in the curriculum, I was baffled.  How can you make a curriculum and leave out a grade?!  Another thing I disliked was they built it around standardized testing.  Students should not be judged by standardized testing because those do not take into account the student's study habits or what they do in the free-time, and some kids who score well on tests could be lazy and unmotivated.  I really like the incorporation of cross disciplinary integration.  It would be easier to learn information easier instead of having it broken down into a single subject because, as mentioned in the presentation, it is really hard to breakdown individual subject, such as biology, when other subjects have concepts that are used in the subject.  Also, I think it's good to introduce engineering to students when their younger because various people think they want to become engineers but after their first semester, they realize it isn't something they want to do, and introducing the subject to students earlier could help influence their career pathway.  Giving the students options to do something about a specific topic allows students to be creative while getting their objective accomplished.  It will take some adjusting for teachers at first but in the long run, it will pay off in the long run.

Photo credit: Lisle Community Schools.

 Remembered Celebration
Some people go out into nature because they enjoy hiking and just being outdoors.  I would say I'm similar to them until I went to LaSalle Falls in LaSalle, Wisconsin this past summer.  I have been to waterfalls before but this one gave me different feelings than the others.  Being in a household of five people and three dogs, peace is hard to come by.  However, this area made me feel in a total different world and it was just my first time visiting.  Initially, there's a hiking that's about a mile long, and even looking at the trees was incredible.  There were birds chirping, worms crawling, bugs buzzing, and the sun was peaking through crevices in the trees.  After I reached the area where the water started rushing, I knew I made a good decision to come out.  In order to get to good spots to take pictures I had to climb over rocks, and some of the climbing was difficult.  Despite the rigid rocks, I took it as a challenge because I didn't have much experience climbing around rocks, and I'm glad I did.  I experienced an adrenaline rush similar to ones during big sporting events in which I participated.  I never thought I could experience one without an enormous crowd present, but I did.  The views themselves were outstanding, and pictures could never do them justice.  I was disappointed I didn't take a book with me because I felt I could have finished a 500 page book in three hours--a feat that would typically take me several days--while listening to the crashing of the water on rocks.  It was one of the most soothing sounds I'd ever heard, even more than any song or meditation practice.  In one spot there was foam from the water piled up resembling snow and it was just gorgeous.  This place literally put me on cloud 9 and I will definitely be going back there next summer with a book next time.  The best way to summarize my feelings were I felt as if I was one with nature.  I highly encourage others to venture there to see what a little waterfall in a small town in Wisconsin has to offer.

This is a picture from the end of the hiking trail on top of the highest rock.

This is my favorite view of the fall.  It isn't overwhelmingly monumental in size, but it is still a pretty sight.  To get this spot to snap the picture, the only was down was climbing on the rocks and it was a joy to do that.

 Introducing myself blog
My name is Taylor Huotari, and I am currently a junior at Northern Michigan University.  I am from Iron Mountain, MI, which is where I attended all of my schooling from prekindergarten to my senior year of high school.  I have two siblings; my brother Tanner is a senior at Iron Mountain High School, and my sister Juliana is in third grade in the Iron Mountain school districts.  Since my brother is still in high school and fairly local, I enjoy attending his sporting events whenever they aren't too distant.  Both of my parents, Denise Tapio and Keith Huotari, attended IMHS as well.  Currently, my mom is a paraprofessional at an ISD Center, and my dad works at Results Broadcasting, which is a station that plays country, oldies, and today's hits.  Although only one parent works in schools, my step-dad is a superintendent and my grandmother was a teacher, so I've been around teachers my whole life, and seeing the impact they've made on students has inspired me to choose that pathway.  Some of my favorite things to do are lift weights, play sports, and listen to music.  Since I am no longer in any competitive athletics, I want to make sure I maintain a healthy lifestyle by working out and dieting well.  On a similar note, since I was a three sports athlete in high school but can no longer play for competition, I still enjoy and play pick-up games in basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf.  Because my dad works for a radio station, I am exposed to various different genres of music.  Although my favorite band is Queen, my go-to being soft rock of the 1970's, which includes bands like Seals & Crofts, Gerry Rafferty, America, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and Fleetwood Mac.  Other genres I listen to are metal, which includes bands such as Judas Priest, Metallica, and Megadeth, progressive rock, including Yes and Rush, and rock, like the bands Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Huey Lewis and the News, .38 Special, and many others.
  
A picture of me, my brother, my sister, and mom. Photo Credit: Denise Tapio.

Backstage with my father--the one in the blue shirt and glasses--meeting .38 Special in Niagara at their Centennial Festival.  Photo Credit: Keith Huotari.
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 Spending some quality time with my dogs last Thanksgiving.  Photo Credit: Jayna Huotari.