I recently completed the free online Introductory Beekeeping Training Program offered by the Ohio State Beekeepers Association. The course consists of 34 video segments, 3 slide show presentations, and an online text book, Backyard Beekeeping, by James E. Tew. The video segments range in length from two to ten minutes, for a combined time of a bit over three hours.
The first thing I noticed when starting the course is that the video segments do not appear to be in a logical order. The first segment is Assembling Hive Equipment, which seems logical enough, until you get to segment 26, which is Basic Hive Equipment. I watched the videos in the order they were presented, and it worked well enough, but I think the order could certainly be optimized.
In addition to equipment, the video segments cover topics such as installing a package of bees, evaluating a queen's performance, spring management, capturing swarms, combining weak colonies, and moving hives. I found some of the segments to be a waste of time, such as the one on branding wooden equipment, but most were very informative.
I really liked the video segments, and found them to be more helpful than simply reading a book or listening to a speaker describe the same procedures. I certainly feel more confident after seeing the videos, although I'd still like to get some hands on experience before starting our first hive.
The presentations seemed to be targeted more to existing beekeepers than those just getting started. The first, and longest, focused on pests and disease. The other two covered pollination, with a focus on commercial pollination. If you're short on time I think it is safe to skip the presentations, although they are probably worth watching at some point.
The book was a fairly introductory book, so went well with the course. I didn't learn a great deal from the book since I've taken some beginner courses in the past. At just over 40 pages, however, it was worth the time required to read it. One word of caution, however, is that the author primarily presents the methods he uses for managing bees, so I would advise reading additional books or seeking out other sources of information so you can decide for yourself which methods to use.
I noticed one major oversight in the course, top-bar hives. Since the vast majority of beekeepers use "standard" Langstroth hives I knew that would be the focus. I feel like the training does the beginner beekeeper a disservice, however, by failing to even mention top-bar as an alternative.
Completing the entire course, including reading the book, takes approximately take six to eight hours. I think the course is well worth the time investment, and would recommend it for anyone looking for introductory information on beekeeping. I do not feel that it provides complete information, however, and suggest also taking additional courses or reading books offering alternative approaches to the various beekeeping tasks.
Showing posts with label Websites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Websites. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Online Course Review - Introduction to Renewable Energy
One of the great things about living in the information age is the vast amount of information available at our fingertips. One of the best ways to take advantage of this information is by taking an online class. Many such classes are available for free, and can be great opportunities for those with some time to spare, especially during the winter months.
One such course that I've completed recently is the Introduction to Renewable Energy course offered by Solar Energy International. SEI offers both in-person and online classes and workshops, and uses the free course as a way of introducing their curriculum to a wider range of people in hopes that they will enroll in a paid course.
The SEI Introduction to Renewable Energy course is divided into 10 Lessons, each of which covers a different renewable energy technology or area of interest. The lessons are very short, and can easily be completed in less than an hour each. Most provide one or more short audio or video clips, which primarily serve as an introduction, as well as a couple of documents to read, most of which consist of only a single page. At the end of each lesson is an exercise and quiz, which is how performance is assessed. I scored 100% on the exercise and averaged 94% on the quizzes, which might provide an indication of how easy they are.
Lessons
One such course that I've completed recently is the Introduction to Renewable Energy course offered by Solar Energy International. SEI offers both in-person and online classes and workshops, and uses the free course as a way of introducing their curriculum to a wider range of people in hopes that they will enroll in a paid course.
The SEI Introduction to Renewable Energy course is divided into 10 Lessons, each of which covers a different renewable energy technology or area of interest. The lessons are very short, and can easily be completed in less than an hour each. Most provide one or more short audio or video clips, which primarily serve as an introduction, as well as a couple of documents to read, most of which consist of only a single page. At the end of each lesson is an exercise and quiz, which is how performance is assessed. I scored 100% on the exercise and averaged 94% on the quizzes, which might provide an indication of how easy they are.
Lessons
- Why Renewable Energy
- Energy Conservation and and Energy Efficiency
- Green Building
- Solar Thermal
- Solar Electricity
- Wind Power
- Micro-hydro
- Other Renewable Energy Technologies
- Renewable Energy for the Developing World
- Economics of Renewable Energy
This course truly is an introduction. I have taken several renewable energy workshops in the past, and have read a few books on solar thermal, PV, and wind energy, and this course provided me with no new information on those topics. I did, however learn several things from the Micro-hydro lesson. This makes me suspect that anyone with no prior knowledge of renewable energy might learn quite a bit from this course. At the very least the information might be helpful for someone trying to decide if they wish to learn more on a given topic. I assume this is precisely what SEI had in mind when they created the course.
Other than the lesson on Micro-hydro the course wasn't really worth the time I invested in it. The course may be more of less beneficial to you, depending on your interest in Renewable Energy and prior knowledge. I think it is worth at least considering for anyone with any interest in the topic.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Website Review - Permies
Approximately three weeks ago I discovered the Permies website. Actually, discovered isn't quite the right word, since I had stumbled upon it previously, but had never spent a significant amount of time there. This time, however, when I ended up on the site I realized that it is the type of site I've been searching for. I was tempted to write this review shortly after I began regularly visiting, but decided that the only way to give a thorough and fair review was to wait until I had more experience with the site.
After nearly three weeks I feel confident in my ability to accurately assess the Permies website. It is, indeed, the type of site I've been hoping to find. The site is primarily a forum, with links to external sites containing articles, podcasts, and videos created by the founder, Paul Wheaton. The site is described as being the largest permaculture site on the internet, and I'm inclined to believe the claim.
The forum is divided into 11 categories, each of which is further divided into several sub-categories, for a total of 88 different categories. The primary topics are: growies, critters, building, homesteading, energy, living, community, wilderness, regional, global resources, and the permies.com community. Some of the sub-categories focus on very specific topics, such as composting toilets, ponds, and medicinal herbs.
I have spent hours browsing dozens of topics on the site. I find that for a quick visit I most often use the "Recent Topics" link, which provides a list of the most recently updated threads. This allows the user to quickly view recently commented on or new threads, without having to check each forum individually. I also find the "My Posts" link useful, as a way of checking the threads I've been actively engaged in.
Even though I am not currently a permaculture practitioner, I have found a wealth of information that is applicable to the things Andrea and I are trying to do here. I have found information on two topics that I had not previously heard of: hugelkultur and biodynamics, which I am definitely interested in learning more about. At times I find myself getting immersed in some discussions, and checking our links and references mentioned in the threads. The most recent topics of this type include a thread on home grown rabbit feed and one on growing and managing kudzu.
There are other sites that offer a comparable amount of information. What makes Permies stand out, however, is the overall tone of the conversations. I have found that the vast majority of discussions maintain a positive tone. Far too often, it seems, good information is tainted by negativity and undesirable behavior. I have yet to experience this on the forums at Permies. I suspect that this is primarily due to the focus on Permaculture, which seems to attract people with the same general outlook on many topics as I have.
I believe that Permies will appeal to people with a wide range of interests, not just those interested in permaculture. Anyone interested in gardening, livestock husbandry, alternative construction, etc can expect to find useful information on the site. This is especially true for those interested in performing this activities with an aim towards sustainability.
After nearly three weeks I feel confident in my ability to accurately assess the Permies website. It is, indeed, the type of site I've been hoping to find. The site is primarily a forum, with links to external sites containing articles, podcasts, and videos created by the founder, Paul Wheaton. The site is described as being the largest permaculture site on the internet, and I'm inclined to believe the claim.
The forum is divided into 11 categories, each of which is further divided into several sub-categories, for a total of 88 different categories. The primary topics are: growies, critters, building, homesteading, energy, living, community, wilderness, regional, global resources, and the permies.com community. Some of the sub-categories focus on very specific topics, such as composting toilets, ponds, and medicinal herbs.
I have spent hours browsing dozens of topics on the site. I find that for a quick visit I most often use the "Recent Topics" link, which provides a list of the most recently updated threads. This allows the user to quickly view recently commented on or new threads, without having to check each forum individually. I also find the "My Posts" link useful, as a way of checking the threads I've been actively engaged in.
Even though I am not currently a permaculture practitioner, I have found a wealth of information that is applicable to the things Andrea and I are trying to do here. I have found information on two topics that I had not previously heard of: hugelkultur and biodynamics, which I am definitely interested in learning more about. At times I find myself getting immersed in some discussions, and checking our links and references mentioned in the threads. The most recent topics of this type include a thread on home grown rabbit feed and one on growing and managing kudzu.
There are other sites that offer a comparable amount of information. What makes Permies stand out, however, is the overall tone of the conversations. I have found that the vast majority of discussions maintain a positive tone. Far too often, it seems, good information is tainted by negativity and undesirable behavior. I have yet to experience this on the forums at Permies. I suspect that this is primarily due to the focus on Permaculture, which seems to attract people with the same general outlook on many topics as I have.
I believe that Permies will appeal to people with a wide range of interests, not just those interested in permaculture. Anyone interested in gardening, livestock husbandry, alternative construction, etc can expect to find useful information on the site. This is especially true for those interested in performing this activities with an aim towards sustainability.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Website Review - Under $1000 Per Month
The website I am reviewing today may seem like an odd choice. The reason it may sound odd is that Under $1000 per Month is a no-longer-updated blog. In fact, this blog hasn't been updated since March of 2010, although I would never have guessed it had been so long since I was regularly following it.
Under $1000 or Month was a blog written by a young wife and mother named Emily. Emily's husband, at least at the time of the blog, was attending college to be a pastor and providing their only income by working at Wal-Mart. The primary focus of the blog was Emily's attempts at managing a household with a budget of $980 per month, of which 60% went towards rent.
I found the blog to be very inspiring. Emily proved that it is possible to live on a meager salary, and be happy doing so. In fact, in one post Emily states that her goal is to be able to manage the household on an even smaller budget, in case after college her husband receives a pastor position with a stipend as long as $500 per month. While I didn't always agree with Emily's methods, such as buying non-organic meat and produce to save money, I had a great deal of respect for her and what she was accomplishing.
Even though the blog is no longer being updated, the archives are still available. There is a lot of useful information there. Many of the posts focus on ways of saving money on food and other bills, such as electricity. Emily was a big proponent of crock pot cooking, and was actually the first person I was aware of who used the method in order to save on electricity. While she may have primarily done so to save money, its the type of action that can just as easily be adopted by someone wishing to reduce their electricity use for environmental or self-sufficiency reasons. Something else I picked up on the blog was the concept of using soap nuts instead of laundry detergent. While we have yet to try soap nuts, its something I occasionally mention to Andrea, as they seem like a great eco-friendly alternative to more traditional detergents, or even homemade detergents such as Andrea currently uses.
Unfortunately, the wealth of information being provided on the blog was cut short, due to negativity and harassment from some followers. I assume that this comes with any successful blog, but it seems to have gotten much worse on Under $1000 per Month. I suspect that it was accusations that the lifestyle Emily and her husband had chosen was somehow mistreatment of their children that eventually led to the blog being shut down. As Emily described it in her closing post, the blog had become a source of negativity for her, and so she chose to end it. While I was disappointed to see the blog go, and knew I was going to miss out on a lot of good information she still had to share, I completely understood her reasons. I live the lifestyle I live, because I enjoy doing so. While individual tasks may seem like chores, but when viewed as a whole provide me with a great deal of joy. I suppose it is what you might call a labor of love. I hope that the way I'm living never becomes a source of negativity in my life, but if the day does come, I am able to recognize the fact and make the necessary adjustments, as Emily did by shutting down her blog.
Under $1000 or Month was a blog written by a young wife and mother named Emily. Emily's husband, at least at the time of the blog, was attending college to be a pastor and providing their only income by working at Wal-Mart. The primary focus of the blog was Emily's attempts at managing a household with a budget of $980 per month, of which 60% went towards rent.
I found the blog to be very inspiring. Emily proved that it is possible to live on a meager salary, and be happy doing so. In fact, in one post Emily states that her goal is to be able to manage the household on an even smaller budget, in case after college her husband receives a pastor position with a stipend as long as $500 per month. While I didn't always agree with Emily's methods, such as buying non-organic meat and produce to save money, I had a great deal of respect for her and what she was accomplishing.
Even though the blog is no longer being updated, the archives are still available. There is a lot of useful information there. Many of the posts focus on ways of saving money on food and other bills, such as electricity. Emily was a big proponent of crock pot cooking, and was actually the first person I was aware of who used the method in order to save on electricity. While she may have primarily done so to save money, its the type of action that can just as easily be adopted by someone wishing to reduce their electricity use for environmental or self-sufficiency reasons. Something else I picked up on the blog was the concept of using soap nuts instead of laundry detergent. While we have yet to try soap nuts, its something I occasionally mention to Andrea, as they seem like a great eco-friendly alternative to more traditional detergents, or even homemade detergents such as Andrea currently uses.
Unfortunately, the wealth of information being provided on the blog was cut short, due to negativity and harassment from some followers. I assume that this comes with any successful blog, but it seems to have gotten much worse on Under $1000 per Month. I suspect that it was accusations that the lifestyle Emily and her husband had chosen was somehow mistreatment of their children that eventually led to the blog being shut down. As Emily described it in her closing post, the blog had become a source of negativity for her, and so she chose to end it. While I was disappointed to see the blog go, and knew I was going to miss out on a lot of good information she still had to share, I completely understood her reasons. I live the lifestyle I live, because I enjoy doing so. While individual tasks may seem like chores, but when viewed as a whole provide me with a great deal of joy. I suppose it is what you might call a labor of love. I hope that the way I'm living never becomes a source of negativity in my life, but if the day does come, I am able to recognize the fact and make the necessary adjustments, as Emily did by shutting down her blog.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Website Review - Earthineer
For my first website review, I have chosen to highlight the social media site Earthineer. Earthineer is a social media site for those interested in sustainable living. The site was started by Dan Adams less than 2 years ago, and has already grown to over 11,000 members, as of the time of this post.
I discovered Earthineer as I was reviewing the list of vendors for the 2011 Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, PA. I decided to check out the site to see what it was all about, and signed up right away. It was obvious that Earthineer was the type of community I wanted to be part of, and would be a great source of information and inspiration.
The basic functionality is what you'd expect from a social media site. Each member has a wall, where you can post messages. The Friend Feed is where you'll see anything that your friends have posted on their own walls. In the early days of Earthineer there was a user (Open Beta) that was friends with everyone. Since everyone sees everything posted on the Open Beta wall it eventually evolved into a community wall, where questions could be asked of the entire community, rather than only those in a member's Friends List. Open Beta was eventually moved to the community section of the site, and is still heavily used today. Like other social media sites, Earthineer also supports Private Messages.
Once you get past the basic functionality, the similarities with other social media sites end. Members have the ability to write blog entries, which are listed on the community page where anyone can read them. There is already a wealth of information in the blogs, with nearly 1,000 entries listed. I've read entries on everything from DIY Solar Panels, to making natural hygiene products, to the dangers of GMO foods. I suspect that eventually the blogs on Earthineer may become one of the best collections of sustainable living articles on the web.
There are also several others features that have been announced, which have not yet been released. The latest of these features is Pinning, which appears to have real potential on a site like Earthineer. The feature I am most excited about, however, is the Bounty Trader, which will allow members to setup local trading networks.
No matter how feature-rich Earthineer becomes, however, the real value continues to be, and I believe always will be, the community itself. Without members, the usefulness of the site would be minimal at best. This is, perhaps, where Dan has done his best work. By recruiting members via venues such as the Mother Earth News Fair and Backwoods Home Magazine, Dan has managed to attract a diverse group of people, who, nevertheless, share many common interests, values, and goals. Yes, the discussions do lead to disagreements at timed, which is going to be true with any group of this size. I have yet to see an exchange, however, that I would describe as mean-spirited or anything other than civil. If one's online experience was limited to Earthineer, the concept of flaming would not only be unfamiliar, it would seem like a figment of someone's imagination.
I urge everyone to head over to the Earthineer About Us page to read more about the site and the inspiration for its creation. Better yet, become a member and witness the community first hand.
I discovered Earthineer as I was reviewing the list of vendors for the 2011 Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, PA. I decided to check out the site to see what it was all about, and signed up right away. It was obvious that Earthineer was the type of community I wanted to be part of, and would be a great source of information and inspiration.
The basic functionality is what you'd expect from a social media site. Each member has a wall, where you can post messages. The Friend Feed is where you'll see anything that your friends have posted on their own walls. In the early days of Earthineer there was a user (Open Beta) that was friends with everyone. Since everyone sees everything posted on the Open Beta wall it eventually evolved into a community wall, where questions could be asked of the entire community, rather than only those in a member's Friends List. Open Beta was eventually moved to the community section of the site, and is still heavily used today. Like other social media sites, Earthineer also supports Private Messages.
Once you get past the basic functionality, the similarities with other social media sites end. Members have the ability to write blog entries, which are listed on the community page where anyone can read them. There is already a wealth of information in the blogs, with nearly 1,000 entries listed. I've read entries on everything from DIY Solar Panels, to making natural hygiene products, to the dangers of GMO foods. I suspect that eventually the blogs on Earthineer may become one of the best collections of sustainable living articles on the web.
There are also several others features that have been announced, which have not yet been released. The latest of these features is Pinning, which appears to have real potential on a site like Earthineer. The feature I am most excited about, however, is the Bounty Trader, which will allow members to setup local trading networks.
No matter how feature-rich Earthineer becomes, however, the real value continues to be, and I believe always will be, the community itself. Without members, the usefulness of the site would be minimal at best. This is, perhaps, where Dan has done his best work. By recruiting members via venues such as the Mother Earth News Fair and Backwoods Home Magazine, Dan has managed to attract a diverse group of people, who, nevertheless, share many common interests, values, and goals. Yes, the discussions do lead to disagreements at timed, which is going to be true with any group of this size. I have yet to see an exchange, however, that I would describe as mean-spirited or anything other than civil. If one's online experience was limited to Earthineer, the concept of flaming would not only be unfamiliar, it would seem like a figment of someone's imagination.
I urge everyone to head over to the Earthineer About Us page to read more about the site and the inspiration for its creation. Better yet, become a member and witness the community first hand.
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