Here, I provide the last of the course requirements for my blog entries... my final reflections....
My Responses:
1. What do you think is the most valuable thing you learned from your experience in this class? Why do you think this?
The most valuable thing I learned is how we are are all interrelated. Not just from the perspective of how the earth is a system of cycles where each organism has its respective place within an ecosystem, but also from the perspective of group or team effort.
Our project could not be completed without each member fulfilling their particular role, our project would not have been assigned if not for the course within the school system, and the course would not have been nearly as effective without the support of the community organizations that participated.
Our course emphasized that each species and organism has a particular purpose and that supporting and encouraging life's natural roles lead to a synergy and harmony that is not duplicated with industrial manufacturing techniques. I learned we should seek similar synergy and harmony in all aspects of life.
2. How was the experience during your group project? What benefits and challenges did you encounter along the way? If you could give grades to your group mates and to yourself, what grades would you give and why?
The natural food industry and cooperatives were well outside my realm of experience and the overall experience from the course was fascinating and enjoyable.
Coordinating as a group was particularly challenging.
*** I don't believe a single group member had a poor attitude or failed to learn, grow, or participate. ***
I do feel that our schedules happened to be nearly polar opposites. Further, our topic was very broad or wide and left many alternative options for focus. What happened is that each of us would leave the group with some form of common consensus, but then the alternatives were so wide that by the time we met again, we each could see very different directions to target. Having different schedules made it difficult to coordinate because several times members could not meet again for several class sessions.
I believe we mostly overcame these obstacles and I also understand that not everyone was necessarily able to add value as they would have liked; however, aren't these issues expected with group projects - especially where the group is newly formed? Thus, one benefit was learning to adapt to such challenges. The challenges actually were the basis for some benefit (skill) we gained.
Based on my understanding of the goals of the course (listed in the next question), I believe each of us demonstrated them exceedingly well and would grade all of our efforts as outstanding - an 'A'.
3. Topically, our Capstone class learning goals included the following list. In your opinion, did we meet these goals?
- Introduce students to the complexities and challenges of healthy communities, related to urban design, society and food issues
ANS: Yes, from understanding the challenges local farmers face, to understanding cooperatives and the cooperative business model, to the inter-relationships amongst community members and a multitude of various organizations. - Orient students to the particular history and culture of cooperative businesses and the natural food industry
ANS: Yes, We started with the basics of the cooperative business model, continued to learn that different cooperatives (Food Front, versus People's, versus Alberta) may different approaches (I.e. People's 'living wage' policy), how most follow the seven cooperative principles, and finally how cooperatives play a major role in the natural food industry. - Provide students with ethnographic tools to successfully interact with individuals, groups and cultural landscapes, and be able to document and analyze their observations and communicate them to others
ANS: Yes, all groups were introduced to understanding various demographics and statistics so that we can evaluate objectively from a distance. We also learned how to employ sensitivity and understanding (directly) when interacting with others such that we appreciate and concentrate on the value within various cultures. Further, we learned to interact directly with individuals by emphasizing acceptance, openness, and tolerance. - Gain a cultural sensitivity to be able to work with and understand the experiences of a diverse community of people
ANS: Yes, this relates to the latter question where part of the tools are using and employing sensitivity. - Learn environmental and social ethics related to sustainable agriculture, land use, and food issues
ANS: Yes, the topic was covered extensively or deeply. We learned to understand the cycle of energy: from the sun, to plants, to animals, through to understanding the symbiosis of organisms and their inter-relationships. We covered industrial farming techniques using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and learned of more natural and sustainable alternatives which involve ensuring the complete eco-system is maintained and that all organisms within the chain are allowed to interact as they do - naturally. - Apply experiences into a final presentation which demonstrates strong communication skills, critical thinking and reflection
ANS: Yes, but only the instructor and other participants can truly evaluate the result. - Learn skills working with others, especially related to taking initiative and communicating in a direct and timely manner
ANS: Yes, communication and working with others was amongst the most challenging aspects. Our project could not have been completed without learning and employing these skills.
4. How well did this Capstone help you to engage in issues of social responsibility? Provide specific examples.
Our project involved comparing People's Food Co-op to its surrounding community in order to discover if there were any differences between People's and the surrounding community. We especially wanted to understand if People's was perceived as 'open' by its community members. Was People's somehow, either directly or indirectly, perceived as oppressive? This project greatly enhanced our understanding of how an organization relates to its community and that organizations have a responsibility to understand the details of the relationship and to act responsibly.
Through our text, various readings, movies, and presentations we learned about, discussed, and analyzed the topics of sustainability, local versus imported, conventional versus organic, and community versus individual. We learned that everything has a particular role (in some cases many roles) and that natural systems like our ecosystem must be managed along with any business systems.
As I noted in question #1, the most valuable thing I learned was a deeper understanding and the importance of inter-relationships and that we must be aware of foster harmony.
5. How was your experience working with our community partner? How would you change things for future students?
People's members were welcoming, warm, and helpful. They continually took time to assist and to make available resources for our group. I also want to mention to the positive support from Food Front, Alberta Cooperative, Food for Thought, and other organizations. People's demonstrated how businesses, that from many points of view may typically be considered competitors, can cooperate and support each other.
I wouldn't change anything. The dynamics involved were particularly relevant and effective.
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