What is reflective writing? How do you do it? What are others ways you can reflect?
What is the purpose of reflection assignments? What about reflection in general?
What do you really like and /or really find valuable about reflection?
What are some things that you don't like and/or find challenging about reflection?
During our 10 week program each of us will gather a multitude of experiences and insights through classes, labs, authentic field experiences, and learning community conversations around meals. Because of the accelerated nature of our program and the integrated nature of studying food systems, each week will be filled-to-the-brim with experiences that cut across multiple courses and challenge you to consider how your own sets of skills and values fit with your developing insights. Reflective writing is one tool we use to help you build your own scaffolding to understand your experiences within the larger framework of Agroecology while also taking a step back to evaluate and interrogate your own thoughts, feelings, and emerging ideas while you internalize your learning.
At the beginning of each week you will be given a prompt that you will reflect on throughout the week. These are what's called guided reflections - they lead us to think deeply around a certain topic or perspective while providing opportunity to synthesize multiple experiences (present and past). You are encouraged to keep a small reflection journal to use daily as you process new experiences and perspectives. Your formal reflection is to be handed in as a Google Doc via the website "homework portal" no later than Friday at 11:59PM. Reflections are usually about 1 page typed and are graded via the following 6 rubric topics:
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Content Recall & Synthesis [70%= 21 pts.]
"Can you take multiple experiences/reflections from ASI as well as your previous experiences (before joining ASI) and coherently & effectively weave them together around a central topic or topics?"
Views & Values [20%= 6 pts.]
"Can you identify and articulate what you have observed regarding the role of personal or corporate/community values in decision making surrounding a central topic or topics? Can you provide evidence of your own interrogation of how your personal views and values interact and/or have shifted as a result of your experiences around this central topic?"
Call to Action & Growth [10%= 3 pts.]
"How can you translate the insight you have gained through reflection into specific actions (no matter how big or small) that reflect your personal views and values? What areas of growth have you identified as a result of this reflection?"
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All reflections are worth 30 points each.
All reflections are due by FRIDAY at 11:59 pm
Each course has two reflection assignments count towards the final grade
Each reflection is graded according to each of the 3 rubric topic
below 60% = not present
60% to 69% = unclear if present or present & severely underdeveloped
70% to 79% = present but underdeveloped
80% to 89% = present, adequately developed
90% to 100% = present, exceptionally developed
When writing your reflection remember the “Four Ps:” is your writing here purposeful, personal, perceptive & polished?
Reflect every day in your private notebook to keep ideas fresh so you have plenty of material to write your weekly reflection
Write pieces of your weekly reflection throughout the week, you can always go back through Friday evening or Saturday morning and reconfigure your entry for submission
Continue to come to your instructors to ask for clarifications, especially early on
Week 1
NO REFLECTION - ORIENTATION WEEK
Week 2
Ecology of Ag Systems - Principles of Agroecology I - Please reflect on the 3 principles of Agroecology (Cycles, Diversity, Participation). Where in food systems have you seen elements of them in the past? Where have you seen them displayed in your coursework to date (ASI & beyond)? Are they important for society? Are they important to you? What aspects of Agroecology & Food Systems do you want to learn more about and how will you get there? NOTE - please don't look anything up - I want to see what you have "on board" at this point to see where we are at.
Week 3
Animal Husbandry - As mammals, milk is a part of our biology. Please reflect on different milking systems that you have seen or experienced. How do they compare Ecologically? Economically? Ethically? In regards to Social Justice? Animal Welfare? How do you decide what milk or non-milk option(s) to consume?
Week 4
Crop & Soil Management - In studying permaculture we explored the ethics of earth care, people care, future care, and being 'limits aware' along with the 12 principles that are guided by these ethics. How have you seen examples of these ethics/principles manifest in field trips or class sessions you have experienced to date? Does a permaculture ethic fit into your own ethical framework? How so, or how not? Do you see utility in applying these ethics/principles more broadly to your life, society, or other fields?
Week 5
Food Systems - At this point you have experienced a broad array of activities across the food system. As best you can please articulate the hope you have moving forward and what tools and/or approaches will be crucial in crafting and maintaining sustainable food systems.
Week 6
NO REFLECTION - FALLOW DAYS
Week 7
Crop & Soil Management - People are drawn to this "hands-in-the-soil" work for many reasons. One reason is that this work benefits people mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Think about your experiences this summer, how have you felt nourished by your connection and tending to living things? How have you seen/felt these benefits in yourself, or demonstrated in others, and how do you want to carry that on in your life? Please reference the Deep Agroecology Tab to help develop your thoughts further.
Week 8
Animal Husbandry - What is your personal philosophy on eating animals and raising animals for consumption? Think about your personal morals, ethics, and spiritual beliefs. Include your experience raising broiler chickens from chicks, butchering one chicken yourself, and then sharing them as a meal together. How have your ASI experiences interacted with your personal philosophy?
Week 9
Ecology of Ag Systems - Principles of Agroecology II - Please reflect on the 3 principles of Agroecology (Cycles, Diversity, Participation). Where in food systems have you seen elements of them in the past? Where have you seen them displayed in your coursework to date (ASI & beyond)? Are they important for society? Are they important to you? What aspects of Agroecology & Food Systems do you want to learn more about and how will you get there?
10. Week 10
Food Systems - Manifesto Reflection Activity (no graded reflection assignment is due the final week) - completeness grade goes towards Food Systems
It's simple, yet profound. A manifesto is a written statement that declares the the writer's intentions, motives, or views. Typically, they are written to be shared in some way. In this case, we will share our manifestos verbally with each other.
The first step is to make some lists that help to define what exactly your personal intentions, motives, and views are. Start by listing out...
Core Values - those ethics that form your moral compass - What are your core values? How do they manifest?
Passions - those topics or goals that hold your interest most intensely - What established and emerging passions are you noticing in yourself?
Heartbreakers - those real issues and challenges that just break your heart - What in the world just breaks your heart? What are you particularly sensitive to?
The next step is to write “I will...” statements stemming from the lists you just created. These are your "call to action" statements. Given the what you have written what actions do you want to take?
The final step is to synthesize it all - the values, passions, heartbreakers, and statements - into paragraph form. We will focus on writing this at the end of the summer. For now you must only think about these topics.