GuideforReflectionPieceonChapterProjectinHL322

TeamName:GrowingHope

Pleasestructurewiththeabovetitleandgiveyourteamnameandthencutandpasteinquestionsandthen
answerthem(underneatheachquestion).ThesequestionsarebasedontheRELEVANTOUTCOMESforHL322
Sheet(seeattached).Pleasediscusseachquestionandanswereachasateam.

1.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelourworkhelpedustomeet
NMUmissioncentralconceptsofindependentthinking/selfdirectedlearning,criticalthinking,lifelonglearning
habits,awarenessofdiversity,andsensitivitytobeingproductivecitizensintheglobalcommunity?Please
explainandgiveexamples.
Asateamwecollaboratedtogenerateideasbothtogetherandindividually.Wesplitsomeportionsoftheworkup
whichpromotedselfdirectedlearning.Atthebeginningoftheprojectwehadadifficulttimeobtaininganideaofwhat
interventionwecouldbuildandinwhatareathatwewouldaffect.Havinggivenonlyanoutlineforthisprojectwehadto
cooperatetogetherandfigureoutwhatconceptsandideaswewouldutilizetoprovideourintervention.Withthelocationofour
interventionwehadtoseeproblemsthatthepeopleofBelizewouldfacebutwewouldnotunderstand.Wehadtoincorporate
termsandideasinourbookthatmayseemverysimpletous,buteducationalforthepeopleofBelize.Havingtocreatean
organizationandinterventionthathasthepotentialtobenefitothersinneedisagratifyingcharacteristic.
2.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelourworkhelpedustomeet
theLiberalStudies(LS)outcomesofwriting/communicatingclearlyandeffectively,ofbeingabletoevaluate
variousformsofevidence/knowledge,ofbeingabletoengageinanalyticalreasoningandargument,ofbeing
abletounderstandandapplyquantitativeanalysisandscientificprocesses,andtoseeacrossdisciplinary
boundaries?Pleaseexplainandgiveexamples.
Creatingawebsitethatisaccessibletoallpeopleintheworld,itmustbeprofessionalandeasilynavigable.Having
informationorganizedinafashionthatitcanbeinterpretedeffectively,gainingandunderstandingoftheneeds.Utilizingreliable
sourcestoprovideuswithaccurateinformationwascrucialwhenputtingtogetherawebsitetocreateawareness.Itisan
unknownfactorthatthepeopleofBelizearemalnourishedbecausetherearenotmanypeoplestarving,butnotreceivingthe
propernutrientsintheireverydaymeals.Withtheuseandunderstandingofthescientificmethodweasagroupwereableto
identifyaproblemanduseitasaguidelinetofindoutwhatweneededtodotoimplementourprogramandourintervention.We
wereabletothinkoutsidetheboxandbeabletostretchourcreativitywiththefreedomthatweweregivenwiththisproject.
Withoutmanyboundaries,wehadtoorganizeourideasandthoughtstocometogetherandallbeonthesamepagewithour
information.

3.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelourworkhelpedustomeet
theSocialScienceLSoutcomesofunderstandingthescientificprocess(gatheringdatamethodsfortheproject,
analyzingtheeffectivenessofinterventions,etc.)asitappliestothesocialsciences(cultural,economic,
historical,environmentalandpoliticalaspects)?Pleaseexplainandgiveexamples.
Weasagrouphadalegitimateunderstandingofthescientificmethodandhowitisutilizedinthefieldofresearch.
Afterweourgroupgottogethertodiscussissuesandtheoverviewofourprogramwediscoveredthatweappliedthescientific
methodwithoutknowingit.Wefirstgatheredideasonwhatproblemwewantedtosolveandwhatarea.Wethenestablished
aquestiontobeansweredalongwithourhypothesisoftheoutcome.Wedidsubstantialamountsofresearchtopullthisproject
togetherinordertoexampletheimpactthatourissuehadontheregion.Aftercreatinganunderstandingofwhythisproblemis
evident(povertyrelationshiptomalnutrition),wewereabletocomeupwithaninterventionthatwouldnotonlyprovidedan
answerforthesufferingpeoplebutalsocreateskillsthatcanbeusedtoincreasethatpovertyandreleasethemselvesofthe
viciouscircle.Answeringandrelatingtheaspectsofculture,economy,history,environmental,andpoliticalourteamwasableto
showthatitisprobleminallareasofthesociety.Thisaproblemthatdoesnotonlyaffecttheisolatedtribalareasbutalsothe
citieswherepovertyisjustasprevalentbutwithmuchmoreopportunity.Discussingtheimpactofthesefiveaspectsalso
bringsmanymoreproblemsintothelight.Forexample,wediscoveredthattheeconomicrankingseverelylacksamiddleclass.
Thistypeofpatternseparatesthecountry,mostofthetimegovernmentofficialsaretheonesintheupperclass.Ifthe
governmentdoesnotworkwiththepeople,astableeconomywillneverbeestablishedastheupcomingofBelizeexamples.

4.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelourworkhelpedusto
appreciateanotherworldculture?Thatis,understandanother(vs.ourown)distinctiveworldview(values,
norms,andbeliefsculture)andunderstandhowcultureisexpressedintermsofhealthissuesand
understandhowfactorssuchasracial,ethnic,genderandclassdifferencesaffecthealthissuesforapeople?
AsagroupwefeelthatourworkonGrowingHopehelpedustoappreciateanotherworldculturebydivinginto
issuesthatwewerepassionateabout.Weknewwewantedtohelpchildreninsomewayandtogetherchoosetheissueof
malnutritioninBelize.Whileresearchingmalnutritionwewereabletoseehowdifferentourworldviewisvs.thepeopleof
Belize.TousintheUnitedStatesfruitsandvegetablesareputintoourdietseveryday.Westarttoeducateourpeopleatayoung
ageoftheimportanceofvitaminsandminerals.Intheenditcomesdowntotheirculturesviewsonmalnutrition.Unfortunately
malnutritionisputonthebackburnerofproblemstheircountryisfacing.

5.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelourworkhelpedustoengage
thehealthoutcomesofassessing/identifyingahealthneedinatargetpopulation,researchingforeffectiveor
evidencebasedinterventions,seeinghowtheinterventionswereimplemented(administeredandmanaged),
andunderstandinghowtheywereevaluated?Also,howmuchdidweseetheneedforcapacitybuilding
interventionsvsjustaidbasedinterventions?Pleaseexplainandgiveexamples.
Whenweweredecidingwhatwewantedtodoourprojecton,wefirstnarroweditdowntoabroadtopic.We
wantedtodosomethingthatwouldpositivelyaffectchildrenbutwewerealsoallveryinterestedinhealth.Sowhenwedecided
todochildmalnutritionwewantedtochooseacountrythathadahealthneedbutwasntoneofthepopularcountriesthatwe
hearabouteveryday.WelearnedsomuchaboutwhatotherinterventionswerehappeninginBelize,notonlyhealthrelatedbut
gender,crime,violence,etc.wereallissuesthatinterventionswerebeingimplementedon.Doingthisprojectmadeitsoclearto
understandthedifferencebetweencapacitybuildinginterventionsandaidbasedinterventionsandspecificallywhateachof
themdoforacountry.Peopledontunderstandthataidbasedinterventionsarentgoingtoreallysolvetheproblem,itwillonly
takecareofimmediateproblems.Bydoingourresearch,werealizedthateducatingandreallydiggingintothecommunitiesis
whatisgoingtochangetheproblemsbecausetheydontnecessarilyknowwhattodowithmoneyandfoodthatarejustsentto
thembyothercountries.Thatiswhataidbasedinterventionsare,sometimesyoudontknowwhereyourmoneyisspecifically
goingorifthefoodwillevenhelpacommunityformorethanaweek.OurgoalwastogiveBelizeansthechancetolearnand
makealifealteringchangethatwouldnotonlyhelpwithmalnutritionandhunger,butalsogivethemtheopportunitytosell
vegetablesandmakemoreofanincomefortheirfamily.ThiswasntsomethingwejustsawinBelize,butcapacitybased
interventionsneedtobehappeningeverywhere,allovertheworldwithalldifferenttypesofissuesandwethinkitssomething
thatcanbedonewiththerightknowledge,resourcesandinformation.

6.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelthatweengagedtheNMU
visioncentraloutcomeofhavingstudentsengageinahightechlearningenvironment?Pleaseexplainandgive
examples.
Thisprojectisallaboutbeinghightechandusingournewtechnologicalresourcestomakeadifference.Thewebsite
itselfissomethinggreatthatwecancreatetogetherandsharewiththeworld,forustolearnnewwaystospreadinformation
andforotherstolearnfromus.Betweenvideos,graphs,maps,researchingwithgoodsources,documentingthosesources,
andaddingcreativitywithtechnology,wewereabletoutilizeallofourdifferentskillstocometogetherandbeinnovativeand
effective.TheEd.Tedswerealsoagreatwaytosharevideosandofferdiscussionquestionstotestwhatyoulearned.Using
thewebsiteandthegoogledocsalsoallowedustoworkcollaborativelyontheprojectbutalsodoourseparatepiecesathome
itsnicetobeabletoseewhateveryoneisworkingoninrealtime.

7.Asateamandaswereflectonourchapterprojectwork,howmuchdowefeelthatweengagedcreativeand
innovativepractices.Pleaseexplainandgiveexamples.
Comingupwithourtopicrequiredalotofinnovation.Wehadtodecidewhatwewerepassionateaboutandhowwe
couldmakeadifferenceinthattopic.Afterthat,wehadtocomeupwithalocationwherethattopicwasaproblem.Oneofour
groupmembershasaconnectioninBelize,andweknewthatwehadourlocationbecausethatwouldbeawayforustoget
theseedsthereorattheveryleastgetsomeinsideinformation.Afterthat,webegantobuildourwebsiteandcomeupwithour
interventionwewereveryexcitedtocomeupwiththeideaofsendingseedsoverandgivingthemthetools,skills,and
informationongardeningandgrowingvegetables.Wewantedthewebsitetobeprofessional,buteyecatchingandinformative.
ThencameourWowFactor.Wefinallydecidedwewouldcreatethebooklettosendalongwiththeseeds,whichalsoneededto
befun,informative,butnottoocomplicated.WehadtocreateitinawaythatwouldcatchtheinterestoftheBelizeans,motivate
them,andgivethemtheskillstopassontofuturegenerations.