This post represents a collaborative writing effort by two members of the GCC Employee Wellness Team, Louise So and Lori Walk.  Louise is a member of the Fitness and Wellness faculty, and Lori teaches English and reading courses.  Both share a passion for empowering others to be their healthiest selves. They support campus initiatives like Exercise is Medicine and the new aqua fitness opportunity at the GCC pool.  Each of their posts will share personal experience and research in support of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness.

According to the Wellness Maricopa website, social wellness is defined as “as our ability to effectively interact with people around us and to create a support system that includes family, friends and colleagues. It fosters connection with others and contributes to a sense of belonging. Social wellness is vital for our overall health and well-being. Relationships have just as much impact on physical health as other factors, such as: inactivity, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and smoking.

What if making friends and having fun helped extend your “healthspan” and reduced your risk of dementia by up to 60%?  Dr. Peter Attia, author of Outlive, promotes creating a “healthspan,” not just more years of existence, as a key “quality of life” indicator.

Louise: I’ll speak for the introverted among us who might cringe at the idea of hanging out in a large group of people. I have no problem teaching a class of 24 students about exercise science, but once I am done teaching, I no longer want to be the center of attention. Leave that to the extroverts! I am, however, a collaborator, and can introduce people all day long! A collaborator is someone with high sociability but low dominance.

Since my job is wellness focused, I am constantly driven to find ways to enhance my healthspan. When I look at holistic wellness as a wheel, there are aspects that I score well on, for the most part, but there are areas that could certainly use a little help! Social wellness is one of them. I do not want my wellness wheel to wobble because of my social wellness score. 

I prefer one-to-one social interactions. Meet me at the pool, or join me for a hike or a GCC Wellness Walk. For the past year I have been regularly attending a yoga class at EOS Fitness that is taught by one of my former students! It is a class filled with people who are looking after their health and seeking that positive energy and proximity with likeminded warm and friendly people.

Lori:  Believe it or not, I also classify as an introvert. For context, Louise and I were part of a GCC book study several years ago for the book Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Won’t Stop Talking.  What makes us introverts is how we recharge. I need to do it solo, thank you very much! I’ve learned, however, that I’m a social exerciser and a natural connector. I do best when I’m scheduled into regular fitness or exercise classes with people that make me laugh.  I enjoy bringing people together, so I also facilitate our ladies’ Nine and Wine golf group as well as GCC’s Aqua Fitness.

Introverts need to stay connected with others too – although they do not have the high level of frequency as their extroverted counterparts. Maintaining connections with colleagues fosters trust and increases individual and team productivity. This is key to not feeling overwhelmed and isolated in a work environment.

Consider the following to enhance your social wellness and get involved with others:

• Volunteer
• Take a walk with a friend
• Join a club – or create your own – such as a book club
• Connect with an old friend
• Call and make someone’s day who lives alone or is in a nursing home

Create a GCC team culture of care! Here are some current opportunities:

• Join a wellness walk
• Come to lap swim or aqua fitness
• Find a buddy who will do a twenty minute workout at the Fitness Center or will join you in meditation in the Center for Learning
• Join the GCC Crafting Community, Wednesdays, 12:30 – 2 p.m. in the CTLE Collaboration Space

References
https://sites.google.com/domail.maricopa.edu/wellness-maricopa/8-dimensions-of-wellness/social

Contributors:  Louise So and Lori Walk, members of the GCC Employee Wellness Committee

This post represents a collaborative writing effort by two members of the GCC Employee Wellness Team, Louise So and Lori Walk.  Louise is a member of the Fitness and Wellness faculty, and Lori teaches English and reading courses.  Both share a passion for empowering others to be their healthiest selves. They support campus initiatives like Exercise is Medicineand the new aqua fitness opportunity at the GCC pool.  Each of their posts will share personal experience and research in support of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness.

We know what to do, and yet we often don’t do it, right?  We know that movement is key to a healthy lifestyle.  Did you know that you might be living with a terrific health partner?  In his video “23 and a Half Hours,” Dr. Mike Evans tells us that 67% of dog walkers achieve the universally recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week. 

Accountability is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As Dr. Mike Evans reminds us, people who walk their dogs are healthier. Dogs make excellent accountability partners. First of all, they will tell us when they are ready for a walk, and it is usually when we least want to walk. Louise repeatedly tells her dog (and her kids), “But I just sat down!” That’s when we and the dog need to walk the most!

On campus, we can use walking to aid cognitive processing.  In Lori’s 75 minute classes, students take brain breaks involving walking and talking.  Sometimes the topics are curriculum based.  Other times the focus is on building community.  According to the Cleveland Clinic, 10 – 30 minutes of sunshine can provide Vitamin D, improve mood, and reset sleeping challenges.  College students definitely need support in those areas.  Even just two laps inside or around the perimeter of HT2 results in a higher energy level and better thinking.  Music can be a motivator for movement, but Psychology Today also points out the mental health benefits of silent walking.  Let’s face it.  There are no bad consequences of walking, especially when we are outside and enjoying nature.

At GCC consider joining a 10 – 15 minute Wellness Walk Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.  The walks start at the SE corner of the library facing the Center for Learning.

If the scheduled times don’t fit your schedule and you want help starting a group at a different time, contact Louise or Lori.

Walking specifically supports the physical and emotional wellness dimensions. Hippocrates was promoting walking over 2000 years ago.  He’s known for saying that “walking is man’s best medicine”.  He strongly promoted walking as the most accessible, effective, and free form of exercise known to prevent chronic illness.

Louise and Lori are both fond of this quote attributed to Hippocrates:  “If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.”

To summarize, “if you just sat down, get up!” Your dog and your future healthy self will thank you!

References

 “23 and a Half Hours”; See Dr. Mike Evan’s Video 23.5 Hours (at approx 5:40 mins)

Contributors:  Louise So and Lori Walk, members of the GCC Employee Wellness Committee

This post represents a collaborative writing effort by two members of the GCC Employee Wellness Team, Louise So and Lori Walk. Louise is a member of the Fitness and Wellness faculty, and Lori teaches English and reading courses. Both share a passion for empowering others to be their healthiest selves. They support campus initiatives like Exercise is Medicine and the new aqua fitness opportunity at the GCC pool. Each of their posts will share personal experience and research in support of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness.

If you read the recent Wellness Wednesday email, you may be familiar with the concept of Third Space. It’s quite simple and refreshing! Third Spaces are places people spend outside of their home (first space) and their work (second space). “Third places often catch us at our best – we are there to engage in our hobbies, relax, spend time outdoors, or even practice self-care – we’re not overwhelmed by urgent tasks at work or the never-ending to-do list at home. Third places aren’t just for extroverts either. If you’re more introverted, these locations can offer safe spaces to be by ourselves to read or write, while still having someone remember our coffee order or compliment our haircut.”

One of our third spaces is the GCC Swimming Pool.

Louise shares “I have been swimming since I was 4 years old. I instantly loved being in water. It was the place where I could move freely, be with friends, play, and develop a natural skill. When I discovered I could swim fast, I embraced the competitive nature of swimming, building self confidence and independence that has helped me in all aspects of my life. Now that I am in my 50’s, I swim to wash away the cobwebs of a busy day. I crave the sunlight, blue skies and glistening ripples that can only be experienced in an outdoor pool.”

Lori adds “as a lifelong swimmer, I’ve always felt safe and strong in the water, whether in a pool, a lake, or the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Through foot and knee and breast cancer surgeries, I’ve found the water to be a terrific place to resume my exercise program. It doesn’t matter if I have time to swim laps, do aqua fitness for a half hour, or water walk for ten minutes with a friend, I come out of the water feeling relaxed and refreshed. I have water buddies of all ages who inspire me to keep getting in the pool.”

Did you know . . .

• GCC’s outdoor heated pool is one of only two Olympic-sized pools in the west valley.
• It boasts a beautiful mural on the west end, depicting a bold sunset, swimmers, scuba divers and a variety of sports. The mural was designed and painted by the GCC Art Department students and faculty in 2021.
• It also has a dedication to Biology Faculty, Dr. Robert Reavis, who taught SCUBA diving and led the Green Efforts committee on campus.
• You can swim or do aqua fitness on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12- 3 p.m. Just stop by the pool with your swim suit, goggles and towel. Your first swim is free!
• You can also sign up for PED101/103 SM Swimming or AQ Aquatic Fitness in the Spring and Fall Semesters. We have new sections starting right after Spring Break!
• More information is available HERE

Contributors: Louise So and Lori Walk, members of the GCC Employee Wellness Committee

The third part of my AI Net(work) is the team here at the CTLE. I’ve been able to feel more confident about exploring AI because of several resources.

The Artificial Intelligence and Spreading Misinformation Canvas course was really helpful. So was the Artificial Intelligence and Bias course. Both allowed me to explore, read, and reflect in a supportive environment. Keep your eyes open for future opportunities!

Beth Eyres is one of the best brainstorming buddies there is. She dropped in one day as my students were working on their ChatGPT prompts. Next thing I know she’s urging me to look at Perplexity AI. It’s a real-time fact-checked search engine with citations, perfect for ENG102.

Great. Now I have one more thing to learn to keep ahead of the curve! (slight sarcasm implied . . . I can do this!)

As eCourses Faculty Lead, Alisa Cooper keeps reminding me about using Packback and Grammarly to support my students. Each resource is free and supported with training. For example, Packback had a session yesterday focused on academic honesty in the world of AI.

There is no shortage of support as I work to help my students explore the different tools in the world of AI.

Our ENG102 motto is “good thinking starts with good questions”, and I hope you’ve seen that my team of Michelle Petry, Christine Jones, Beth Eyres, Alisa Cooper, and the entire CTLE support structure help me find answers to those questions.

It doesn’t feel quite so scary up here on the AI tightrope. Join us!

As I continue to navigate the slippery slope of AI, a second member of my amazing (net)work is Christine Jones.

As an individual, she’s a wealth of ideas and resources. One of her greatest talents is her commitment to continuous learning and her scientific approach to implementing new ideas. She’ll try Perplexity with one class but not another. She’ll utilize Claude AI with another group. She is both student and data focused which makes a powerful combination. When I ask if she likes a new tool, her responses are specific and meaningful.

As a team member, she is conscientious and accountable. She, Michelle Petry, and I meet regularly to develop resources that we’ll soon be sharing with all of you, courtesy of the Maricopa OER Development grant funding. She is always ready to work and adds to our regular collaboration.

Our project focuses on the exploration and utilization of AI in the community college classroom.  As with all OER, we are actively engaged in the creation, revising, remixing, and reusing of existing OER materials. Many of these materials are currently being used by GCC students.  For example, ENG102 students use existing OER such as Media Literacy and Deepfakes OpenCourseWare from MIT. The proposed project will result in the creation of at least fifteen (15) interactive  H5P assignments in a MOD Pressbook format.  In addition, Canvas modules will be created to facilitate sharing of materials and student assignments.

For novices like me, an H5P is an interactive way to share digital content. Think “read the article and answer some questions to check your understanding.”

With Christine’s support, Michelle and I are on our way to being able to make our own H5P assignments. We can’t keep up with her, though! Every time she finds a new idea, she is quick to volunteer to craft it into a shareable resource. For example, she’s now creating an H5P to use with an article exploring the reasons we should avoid AI.

As busy as she is with her own projects, her work as e-courses rep for the English department, and one of our faculty senators, she’s always helpful. You can reach her at christine.jones@gccaz.edu or in her office in HT2.

Our OER project is titled AI is the Real Deal. Guess what? So is Christine Jones!

For the past few years I’ve been looking at the role of artificial intelligence. As a teacher of critical thinking and English composition, I have lots of questions. I consider myself a real novice in this area. I’m reading a lot, but I’ve only really used Grammarly and ChatGPT.

I’ve wanted to share my questions and my process with my students, but I worried about the Pandora’s box. Will they stop thinking? Will they stop writing?

I’ve been fortunate to have colleagues to help me on this journey.

Michelle Petry, GCC librarian, is embedded in my ENG102 class and we plan together every two weeks. Michelle is the Library Liaison for Fitness and Wellness, and my contextualized courses are part of that FOI.

Last year I had the chance to evaluate some OER materials from MIT, and she helped look at them through the information literacy lens. We crafted some assignments to help students begin to ask questions about misinformation and disinformation. These worked well with the questions I used the first day in class to start the AI discussion:

• What is artificial intelligence or AI?
• What should I know as a student and as an informed citizen?
• Why are companies investing billions of dollars in AI?
• How can I use AI most effectively?

We’ve modified some ENG102 topic exploration assignments to actually ask ChatGPT questions. Students are now comparing database searches and ChatGPT transcripts as they identify key words related to the issue they’re exploring.

The final project in ENG102 is a reflection on the research exploration process. We’ve added AI and ChatGPT to the reflection topics.

Here are some student responses. Do you believe that they’re thinking critically? Let me know.

• The only times I used ChatGPT for my scholarly investigation was during the Reflection on ChatGPT where I spent some time practicing with ChatGPT to see its capabilities and when trying to come up with keywords to input into my advanced search for sources. It’s a great place to start a scholarly investigation because it is able to come up with a handful of ideas for you to branch off of but it’s not seen as a reliable source of information because it’s not always credible.
• ChatGPT is a great implementation and very useful. It helped me brainstorm ideas and key terms and find specific aspects of my scholarly investigation. ChatGPT helped me identify the cause and who can make a change in my proposal argument; it gave me a general idea of where to start looking. Overall, it helped me get started, like a push start towards my research. However, I don’t believe ChatGPT can be used as a reliable source. Instead, it should be used for preliminary research but not as a source to cite.
• ChatGPT was extremely beneficial to me in generating ideas for my scholarly investigation. When I began exploring my topic, I didn’t have much background knowledge. By discussing it with ChatGPT, I gained a better understanding . . . However, it’s essential to remember that ChatGPT is not a reliable source; it’s simply a starting point.
• During my research process I used ChatGPT as an assistant in verifying the effectiveness of my sources. I did this by asking questions regarding the incorporation of my sources into my research paper. When asking what websites are most credible when talking about physical
  activity amongst youth, the CDC and the WHO popped up as most relevant when speaking about youth obesity/physical activity. This is a good thing on my part because I already had the sources that were being suggested to me.

I’m grateful to Michelle’s expertise as we continually ask questions about AI. It makes me feel more confident as I model strategies for my students. If you’d like to have your own librarian as a partner in your teaching, look at the Faculty Resources.

Next week I’ll write more about my net(work).

My workspace is my classroom, and there are a couple of things that I do to make a room of computers and monitors feel more welcoming. I’m sure you do several of these as well! My unknown colleagues who share HT2 152 also add to the collection. I appreciate you!

• Supply corner for pencils, pens, post-its, stapler (when it doesn’t walk away!), tape, 5 x 8 cards for name plates, and markers
• Snack basket including some protein options and quick carbs. Students bring things when they’re celebrating birthdays or a new job.
• Kleenex
• Sanitizing supplies thanks to maintenance! We share computers so we’re staying safe!
• Oils and lotions for aromatherapy. We practice breathing exercises to help us transition and focus.
• LOTS of white board markers and erasers since we’re all adding our good ideas to the walls.

Do you have anything else in your classroom that I should add to ours?

People are often surprised that I have music playing almost constantly in my English and reading classroom. I arrive to class early to turn on the instructor station and get the music going.

For the first day and last day of the semester when I especially want students up, moving, talking, and smiling, I play the Beach channel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

During writing and thinking times I play classical, instrumental jazz, and our new favorite: instrumental chill. These are all free from Pandora, and yes, I tolerate the ads.

Music is one of the many brain-based strategies we use to help us focus. Others include snack, water, and stretch breaks, mindful breathing, and aromatherapy.

Some of the customs we’ve established together include:

• The first student to class chooses the music channel for the day.
• Some of my autistic students and others who need silence often use their own headphones.
• I just don’t let anyone listen to lyrics while we’re reading, writing, and thinking. Everything is instrumental (with the first-day exceptions noted above) so that students can focus on the words that they’re reading and writing.

Students tell me that the low background noise makes it feel calm and relaxed. It’s also easier for me to have private conversations with students when our voices aren’t echoing around the room.

For some academic reasons to include music consider this article about the benefits of classical music or this article from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Stop by HT2 152 if you’d like to see what music in the classroom feels like. I’d be interested to know if you’re using music too!

I’m grateful to be attending AERA in San Diego. Most of you probably already know that the American Educational Research Association (AERA), “a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.”

This has been a great opportunity for me to reconnect with long-time colleagues and be reminded of the importance of scholarship in our teaching profession.

As I’ve been learning and reflecting over these past few days, I realize that my students are using the word “research” loosely and incorrectly. I’m considering changing my vocabulary, and I want my ENG and CRE peeps to help me with this. We really have three very different processes when my students and I talk about research at GCC:

1. Conducting a scholarly investigation
2. Reading research, and
3. Doing research 
   
   When we are reading and evaluating sources with ABC or CRAAP, we’re conducting a scholarly investigation. I’ve realized that I need to help students be more intentional because some think that when they Google a term, they are researching it.

When I help my students to read research, it is typically part of learning about the benefits and limitations of different types of evidence.

The final area of doing research is not something my students do; however, they do participate in the PSY290 data collection and we learn about the process through the poster sessions. PSY 290 students will be presenting their research at an in-person Poster Session on Wednesday, April 27th from 10-11:30am in the Lobby of the LS Building (entrance is on the west side of the building).  My students will earn five (5) points extra credit for texting me a selfie with one of the presenters and their poster.  We will be doing an assignment next week related to the poster presentations.

I’ve also been reminded by my colleagues here at AERA that gathering student data and self-reflection are key to improving myself and the overall teaching profession. I plan to engage more with the self-study special interest group. I’m grateful that MCCCD allows us the time and funding to travel and grow! I’m grateful that COVID has eased up enough to allow these inspiring people to gather!

When I came to GCC full time in 2011, I was a desk rat who had been commuting an hour each way each day, and my body showed the result of years of too many meetings and bad food choices.  One of the best things that Nancy Oreshack recommended to me was our GCC yoga class . . . it was five minutes from my office and we got a tuition waiver!  Although the first semester was painful and consisted of an hour workout followed by a Tylenol on the drive home, it was so worth it!  I began to feel better and actually regained an inch of my height lost from years of hunching over a computer.

Since then I have become entrenched in all of our wellness resources.  I’ve lost 38 pounds thanks to our Naturally Slim program.  I learned to eat better thanks to the expertise of speakers like Shannon Smith, GCC nutrition faculty and registered dietician.  I’m a regular swimmer thanks to Louise So, and before COVID I practiced Pilates with Mary Lea and yoga with Anna Hall.  My doctors were lucky to find breast cancer early thanks to the on-campus mammogram opportunities that Margo Bates coordinates. I started walking regularly thanks to Meghan Kennedy of our CTLE and I continue with regular walks with President Leyba-Ruiz.

The best part of this wellness culture is the people.  This is my community.   These are my walking, swimming, hiking, and laughing buddies who keep me on track.  According to Dr. Chris Drew, our 2022 definition of culture has changed:

“While in the past cultures were built around geographical, social class, ethnic, and family ties, this is changing. The internet allows us to create our own ‘tribes’ of people spread out around the world who share our personal interest and values.”

Are you a member of my culture?  Perhaps you are, and we just haven’t met yet.  If you keep a pair of sneakers under your desk, if you have a locker in the FW building, or if you carry a hydro flask, you may be one of my people!  Let’s talk! Let’s walk!

***Our Fitness and Wellness was recently recognized (again!) as an Exercise is Medicine Gold Campus.

***Our Wellness Committee has curated a range of employee wellness opportunities.