Since we last spoke…
Since our last blog post and the narrowing of our scope of this project, we have been occupied with researching our topic of Disaster Preparedness in the context of a population 65 years and older. The detailed steps that have been taken over the past few weeks are outlined under the “Weekly Objectives” section near the end of this post.
Moments of Significant Change
Emotions
At the beginning of the semester, we felt excited about the potential in this project. The idea of meeting new people and learning about their perspectives on Vancouver’s food system resilience was something that appealed to entire group. The prospect of creating a podcast out of our findings was also something we were all very eager to try. However, as we moved forward in the semester we noticed that our group morale decreased over time. Perhaps it was because we felt very confused about the topic of our project, or because we were struggling with deciding how to carry out our study, but this decline in positivity was felt throughout the team.
Skills
Receiving feedback on our proposal was one of the significant moments of change with respect to our changing skills. Often, seeing work objectively can be challenging, and as a result, growth and development can be difficult to attain. We unanimously found that the feedback we received on our proposal promoted re-examining our proposal to clarify any unsubstantiated claims, as well as further encouraged the use of evidence in the structuring of our study.
Knowledge
In the context of this course, although brief, there were a few lectures that stood out among the rest; Week 5’s lecture on feminism was intriguing and thorough; this lecture served to shed light on the different waves of feminism, and the need for intersectionality when working around problems in the modern food system. Another especially eye-opening lecture was from Week 9; a lecture by a guest speaker, Niisii Guujaaw, on Indigenous Food Security. Experiencing a lecture from a peer, who is so connected to her own culture and heritage felt like a privilege. This lecture stood out as it was a more personal experience, that enhanced our knowledge through a way of learning which was different from traditional academic narratives.
Finishing Strong
Upon completion of this project, we hope to see our skills and knowledge expand from where we began at the beginning of this term. So far we have already seen our proposal writing and literature review skills be tested and improved upon. Through meeting with 411 Seniors, and communicating with Suzi Kennedy at the centre, we hope to become more confident and comfortable interacting with individuals of the community in a professional manner. As well, we will all be new to the creation and designing of an infographic, so this aspect of the course will provide a new and unique learning experience. Finally, by the end of this term, we expect that emotions will be high as hope to have completed this project successfully and on time!
Past Weekly Accomplishments
October 15 – 21
Objectives:
- Revise project proposal as necessary, integrating feedback from our first submission
- Identify which participants we want to recruit for this study
Achievements:
- Narrowing of our scope to focus on the senior population of Vancouver (age 65+)
- Contacted members of the Vancouver Food Strategy Council to find participants for our study
October 22 – 28
Objectives:
- Use flexible learning to make further revisions to the project
- Continue literature review to find methods to carry out our study and come up with potential questions for our survey
- Identify individuals 65y+ to participate in our study
Achievements:
- Reached out to 411 Senior Center, Vancouver, who volunteered to participate in our study
October 29 – November 4
Objectives:
- Individually and as a group, reflect on moments of significant change that occurred this semester
- Begin designing questions for our survey
- Tentatively, produce a first draft of our survey by the end of the week
Achievements:
- Produce a timeline/graph that illustrates how the group has experienced working together this semester
- Set up a date and time to meet with individuals at the senior centre to collect feedback on survey draft
What’s Next?
We hope that over the next few weeks, we will, as compared to the last weeks that were spent updating, modifying and structuring our project:
- Meet with 411 Seniors Centre for feedback on survey
- Meet/contact members of Vancouver Food Strategy Council for feedback on survey
- Revise the survey based on participant feedback
- Finalize the survey
- Begin writing a formal report on our study
- Develop our infographic (upon collection of data and results)
The Graceful Dismount
To successfully complete this project, we have decided to split up each task between the members of our group. Using a table of all the tasks that need to be done, and their end dates, we are each able to sign up for tasks we know we can complete, and can then be held accountable for these tasks. This allows each individual the flexibility to complete tasks at their own pace, but still ensures that each person contributes to the final project and is aware of our deadlines. As well, communicating with each other will remain an important part of completing this project. Communication is an important aspect of all group work, especially with regards to scheduling conflicts or regarding any questions group members may have. As well, it is important for each group member to be aware of the commitments others may have as we near the busy end of the semester, and above all, to remain calm amidst this busy month ahead