Judy Gernand’s blog

I hope my project will help readers see that it “takes a village” to solve certain environmental problems.  This includes humans becoming proactive in doing what we can to be a part of the solution to the disappearance and disease issues of the honey bees. We can avoid the use of pesticides and plant gardens that attract bees.  We can keep on the alert for potential problems or blatant misuse of resources and report these incidences to authorities.

For a younger student audience I might tell a story of a bee who through a variety of circumstances and events is able to escape his own demise because of a human friend who steps up and makes a difference for the bee and his hive.  I would visit Lamb’s 42explore–Storytelling links for suggestions.  In the Art of Storytelling (link) I see a suggestion of recording one’s own voice for practice and critiquing.   Auditory learners can benefit by any audio format that supplements their visual learning. 

 I wish I had e-mailed more professionals than just the magazine editor.  A visit to a beekeeper and journaling via video would have been fun.  Location and season affect these activities. I learned a  lot from this inquiry and definitely am not sorry I picked this topic.  It did not disappoint me!  If bee endangerment proves to be a cycling problem as some believe, perhaps my grandchildren can someday use my findings as a point of reference for their own information inquiry. 

One strength of the project was that there were a variety of sources that were easily found along with video clips, interviews, etc. to go along with it.  The topic was timely with web links and program broadcasts readily available.   Challenges were that I am not a student of biology and science and did not feel strong in what I already knew.  I was encouraged at how I did grasp the issues and was able to assimilate the information for the future.   Discussing my findings periodically with my husband and colleagues kept me eagerly moving forward to the next phase of discovery.

It became necessary for me to broaden my topic because of the circumstances presently affecting the honey bee population and therefore, honey production.  When I learned of their mere existence being in peril, there was  no doubt I needed to know why. 

Kuhlthau describes the researcher at the presentation stage as having acquired sufficient documentation to present what they understand about the problem.  I truly feel like I can put together something interesting to not only document a record for myself but to inform anyone interested in knowing more about this current environmental problem.  If I present my information in the form of a powerpoint it might serve as a springboard for future student inquirers. (Lamb on Who needs to Know?).  They could use the informtion to further the study since the solution to the bee disappearance is not known for certain and is ongoing.

I plan to use my online outline and my note cards to organize my slides.  I also thought about producing a brochure.  However I want to make my product available for revision or extension and the powerpoint readily serves that purpose.  For my relatives without a computer, I can perhaps use the handout feature of printing powerpoint slides onto paper and presenting them with a copy of that printout.

 The American Bee Journal editor did respond this week but was disappointing to me.  He didn’t share much of his knowledge  He did make the statement that different factors are involved and that what kills bees in one part of the country is not necessarily what is killing them in another part of the country.  He recommended that I “google” CCD!  I had posed specific questions and identified myself as a student researching the disappearance of the bee population.

I have enjoyed learning about the methods of organizing information.  There is certainly a need to separate and eliminate extra information so that the student can focus on the most powerful ideas.  (Lamb).    Jamie McKenzie at FNO.org also states the importance of getting to essential questions so that the student’s energy and effort focuses only on pertinent information.  To help determine those most powerful ideas, I used the Online Outline Generator.  I will try to upload my outline to Oncourse Workspace. 

I still like to use note cards because you can lay them out and sort by relevance and importance.  There is no doubt a tool on the computer that will do the same thing but note cards never fail because of a glitch in technology, and are easily carried about to review in the doctor’s office or other “waiting” situations.   

I threw out the note cards I had with boring statistics about how many bees (hives) were lost in any given state last year.  That information might be helpful in a scientific study but that knowledge was above and beyond the scope of my inquiry.  After gathering all the information in the form of notes, I am analyzing them based on “what’s pertinent to my perspective of the issue.” (Kuhlthau on Notetaking)

I find two Indiana Biology standard connections with my bee project:

B.1.17    Understand that and describe how the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment is required for the continuation of life and explain how stability is challenged by changing physical, chemical, and environmental conditions, as well as the presence of disease agents.

e.g. (varroa mites infestation of brood cells in bee hives)

B.1.41 Recognize that and describe how human beings are part of Earth’s ecosystems. Note that human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

e.g. (spray drift from pesticides,  application of lawn fertilizers, stress from man maximizing production thereby damaging colonies)

Synthesizing has occurred naturally for me.   I see how an interest to know more about  honey as medicine could not occur without inquiry into the reasons behind why the bees have been scarce over the past few years.  I have enjoyed discovering that the current plight of the bee population affects our food sources as well as the choice of humans to choose medical treatments.  I have always believed that people should have a choice in their treatment options even if they are unconventional, especially in the case of incurable diseases such as cancer and also in cases where conventional medicine has not provided a cure or improvement in conditions.  In these days of MRSA where certain bacteria are resistant, it is important that all known conventions be investigated.  (see presentation posted on Oncourse)

Just as I think I am ready to assimilate my new-found knowledge about bees into my original interest of honey used in medicine, I am still gathering information that redefines, extends, and supports my focus. (Kuhlthau’s ISP model).  I consulted with my colleague who is a 31 yr. veteran teacher of the sciences.  Currently she is high school department chair and teacher of Honors Anatomy and Honors Biology.  She believes the bee problem to be an adverse immune response to pesticides and mites as possible cause.  She reaffirmed a web site I have been using at www.sciencedaily.com. and said she likes to use it often to keep updated on current issues. She had also heard of bee venom being used to help rheumatoid arthritis.  I shared with her about how my interest in this topic began with the story about my Mom’s foot ulcer and the article about honey on wounds that I read in the newspaper.

 I have struggled with a timeline for my Bee project.  At last I have gathered the information I need to make a timeline which has plagued me for several days now because the dates on my articles were not helping me with the current status of CCD.   I now have the answers to the questions on my KWL and I am excited about that.  The USDA web site at www.usda.gov has been valuable.  I used it late and perhaps should have started there.  The .gov web sites have historically proven reliable and are accepted sources for internet searching by public schools.

I wanted to try a mind map to help me with organization of  my thoughts and questions for this inquiry.   My topic and nature of the inquiry did not seem to lend itself well to enough sub-topics to be helpful.  I browsed models in Harada & Yoshina’s book and decided upon using a KWL chart.  I have done a lot of analyzing for “thoughtful research” in the past few days–formulating new questions to guide my research. (Stripling & Pitts REACT model).  I have felt frustrated about my original idea of honey as medicine taking so many turns but now am seeing that this may be important to get a clear picture since I knew so little about bees when I started.  

Honeybees pollinate more than $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the U.S. each year, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts.  Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependant on a honeybee to pollinate that food.  California almond growers lost $420,000 in 2006 due to lack of bees to pollinate.  My clue that this could be a temporary problem lies in the fact that I am a consumer of almonds and have not notice any difference in their cost at $7-8$ per lb. I have been buying them for 5 or 6 years.

The problem of CCD first noticed in 2006 where upon investigation of a hive, only the queen and immature baby bees are present.  The worker bees are entirely gone.  A tiny parasitic bug called the varroa mite has been found to be a major culprit.  Spray drift from pesticides is also a main concern.  Beekeepers willing to travel with their hives to aid other farmers in pollination could be contributing to the spread of viruses and mites. 

I have consulted databases Newsbank, eLibrary, and Student Resource Center using keyword searches of “bees” where I easily located articles on the “disappearing” issue in the suggested subheadings, etc.  I have “wiggled” to and fro from the declining bee population to my interest of bee products used as medicine.  I have also searched online with “honey as medicine.”  I judge/evaluate online sources by checking out the section, “About this site” or “About Us”.  Database searches are from databases I helped to choose for my school system and am secure in knowing that the web links they provide are reliable and quickly removed or replaced if no longer available.

I came across a reference to information in the American Bee Journal.  I found the magazine’s web site with a link to the author for inquiries.  Hopefully, I will get an e-mail this week. I asked them about the status of the situation at this time.   A study by the University of Montana indicates that this bee problem will remedy itself and quotes dates of occurence in years past. They believe the problem cycles due to human carelessness and other environmental factors. I also plan to ask a veteran biology teacher some questions about bees and their products and also see what she knows about CCD. 

I am overwhelmed with information about bees.  There is no lack of information in  websites about the decreasing bee population and the theories about what are the causes.  It is still a mystery but prevalent among web sites and articles consulted thus far are that the name for the disappearance of the bees is Colony Collapse Disorder.  Potential causes are:   use of pesticides by homeowners and gardeners  –beekeepers maximizing production therefore weakening the bees resulting in high stress – pathogens or viruses.  If a solution is not found soon, we might have to change the way we eat.  Bees are responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat.

One theory that is interesting but so far widely disputed is the fact that cell phone networks may be causing bees to become disoriented and not able to make it back to the hive.   http://youtube.com/watch?v=ajmqUrJtmOg - from CBN News with Pat Robertson. 

 I am finding information that leads me to new questions at every turn.  Today I believe that if the bee problem is not solved soon, there most likely won’t be many new developments in using honey as medicine.  There is also information about bee venom being used for medicine.  Bee venom?   More to find out on this.  

It was certainly exciting to spend some time with the book Insects and Other Invertebrates, Wasps, Ants and Bees by Ken Preston-Mafham, Grolier 2004.  On page 113 there is a sidebar entitled The Bee Dance.   The worker  bee waits patiently for the scout bee to return from an exploratory trip to find the best sources of food that day.  Scouts can communicate the exact location of food by performing a “dance”.   It is done in the dark deep within the hive with all the worker bees gathered round.  The performer can communicate the food source as well as how good it is!!  If within 80 ft. the scout performs the round dance–going in circles with many changes of direction.  If the food source is more than 300+ feet away, the bee performs a “waggle” dance which is movement direction is a figure 8.  Food quality is believed to be communicated by the intensity of wiggles & buzzes. 

The side trips I am taking tell me that I am still “investigating information with the intent of finding a focus and extending personal understanding.” (Eisenberg & Berkowitz)

My questions for inquiry:

What is causing the decrease in the bee population?

How does the declining bee population affect our food supply?

What types of ailments does honey help?

How are other bee products used by humans?

Bees make honey and it sure tastes good. Did you ever smell a flower well it sure smells good. And you’d be good if you could see how good bein’ good can be……. This is from the “Goodness” song –a children’s song about the fruits of the spirit.  Has a country style to it.

I have decided to explore the bee issues–I am a little frustrated because I actually want to know more about honey as medicine but in my searching I am finding lots of information about the decreasing bee population.  This is going to involve some separating of the issues but it might be a surprise if it comes together somehow in the end.  The first thing I have found is that the decreasing bee population seems to be a problem in the United States.  The honey for the medicine comes from New Zealand and Australia.  There must be something in the environment here not present in those countries that is killing the bees.  Today I learned that other bee products besides honey are used in medicine.  The little I have read has sparked my interest.

I am so busy with my Mom being ill and will accompany her to surgery on Friday but will have an opportunity to get some reading done.  Life certainly pulls us in a variety of ways and if we let it, will consume all our “exploring” time.  I am appreciating the fact that I can do my research in segments and that it is indeed a continuing process.

I regularly listen to world news as well as local.  Many topics are appealing to me and it is certainly hard to pick just one.  My mother has an ulcer on her foot that will not heal and she showed me an article from the newspaper about honey being used to heal wounds and the article was about the forthcoming release of this new medicine.    Then, my husband and I saw a show on the Discovery Channel about “where have all the bees gone” and how a beekeeper travels around to growers all over the nation  and sets his bees loose to pollinate fruits and vegetables because many of the bees normally a part of nature have gone away, not to be seen again.   Soooooo, how can honey be harvested to be used in medicine if the bees are disappearing?   I am very interested in any type of natural medicine.

I’m watching all the featured news about the elderly population and wondering how we, as baby boomers are going to be able to help our elderly parents and be caregivers like they did for our grandparents?  How do we help with transportation, pricing and obtaining medications, seeking information from public agencies, etc. when we are working all day.  We will be not be retiring as early as our parents did in the past.  Many boomers must work for medical insurance alone.

I am also very interested in women’s roles during WWII.  The students at my school have also been studying propaganda during this war and there is lots of interesting information to learn there.  My grandma told me about handing out food to “hoboes” during this war.  Many of my students don’t know what a hobo is.

 How can I be a long-distance grandparent and have a close relationship with my granddaughter and grandson?  I was raised in the same town with my grandparents and so were my children.  This is a whole new experience for me and I have been sad that they do not live closeby. 

Lastly, I wonder why parents would kill their children by throwing them off a bridge.  I don’t dare go there in depth—–I want to have fun with this project!  I will decide in a few days what topic to pursue for sure.

P. S. As I look back on this phase now I can see more clearly where I am at this this point.  I am clearly “watching” as I explore topics that I wonder about personally.  I am looking at topics that I discuss with my husband as we watch educational television programs.  Watching the news fits into this stage. These things I want to know more about have evolved from life’s experiences.  I observe, read and view these issues as they have affected my life.  This type of beginning inquiry also associates with the model of Stripling in connecting to previous knowledge and seeing the need to verify its accuracy.  Initiation step of Kuhlthau’s information search process encompasses thoughts, prior learning and a consideration of options.

Welcome to my blog.  This will be the beginning of my information quest through paths unknown at this time.