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The Orchard Garden is not just a decorative garden. It serves its stated purpose as a class'room' despite not being a room. It was nice having the contrast of being in the math classroom today; the vibes were just different. I'm heartened to learn that it's a semi-permanent fixture. Unfortunately the appearance of many temporary "community gardens" on sites destined for redevelopment into soulless condominiums has dissolutioned me when I see a community garden in the city. I hope the ravenous beast that is the university doesn't consume the sacred space you've carved out.  I want to switch gears to my other teachable and discuss how a teaching garden can be used in Chemistry. Such uses are manifold. While acids and bases in dilute solutions, clear liquids in beakers and flasks, are the first places students are exposed to the concept of pH, the soil itself has a pH that is of significant importance to agriculture. Indeed, some plants are themselves pH ...

     I'm interested to read the existential philosophy of Maxine Greene. The hidden curriculum clearly influences student behavior. I'm worried for a generation of humans who run on autopilot, reverse-centaurs locked into habits by algorithms. The best way to influence is to set an example; being a reflective teacher, a person with critical thinking skills, is the only way to inspire a reflective citizen.  I'm convinced to use a physical notebook, written in pen, on which we may record our thoughts. Even with handsy students, the physical diary may be the most secure way to keep our words from being harvested to nefarious ends. 

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