1. What effect is human food production having on animals we consume (cows and pigs) and the animals we do not eat (birds and other wildlife)?'
2. What is New Jersey doing to protect consumers?
3. Which laws could be improved to allow the average consumer more information in the grocery store?
4. Should elementary schools put more emphasis on helping students understand the difference between healthy and not healthy foods?
5. What role does the media play in the food production business?
6. How can young people become involved in changing the system?
7. Why is there so much emphasis on convenience rather than "goodness" in our society?
8. Can American look to foreign countries for suggestions on improving the food business?
9. How have recent changes in dietary necessities affected our lifestyles (food pyramid)?
10. Do consumers "have a right to know" or will it cause "unnecessary
When faced with the realities of food production and distribution in America, many are concerned about what can be done to stop the dangerous practices of food production companies. Wendell Berry's response? "Eat responsibly."
Berry lists several questions "responsible" eaters should consider when wandering the aisles of the grocery store including:
1. How far was it transported, and what did transportation add to the cost?
2. How much did manufacturing or packaging or advertising add to the cost?
3. When the food product has been manufactured or "processed" or "precooked," how has that affected its quality or price or nutritional value?
But our decisions should not be based solely on the fact that our food was produced on a farm. It is important to know where, what kind of farm it is and have a general idea of the farming practices on the farm.
Berry reflects on the idea that the average consumer is literally spoon fed their meals. "The food industrialists have by now persuaded millions of consumers to prefer food that is already prepared. They will grow, deliver, and cook your food for you and (just like your mother) beg you to eat it."
Since we as consumers are so accustomed to convenience rather than quality, the chances of improvement seem bleak. However, Berry suggests several practical solutions these problems.
Qualley begins this piece by essentially explaining the role of a teacher in a classroom. Traditionally, teachers are expected to pass on information and insight to students and students are expected to reiterate what they learned in some form of assessment. However, Qualley reflects on the importance of teachers being open minded to the possibility of learning something themselves. This is further supported by her awareness of constantly revising and improving ones own work as a teacher. Qualley cites Donald Murray's writings to be the source of inspiration for her thoughts. Qualley mentions the importance of not "adher[ing] to a single formulation" (4). By this, Murray is suggesting that there are multiple ways to teach writing and it is crucial to adopt more than one method.
Qually favors teaching writing through "methods for reflexive inquiry" (5). Through this method, she teaches writing based on the idea that writing an essay should be based on the "stance the reader/writerz
This article continues the discussion of Oral Histories and provides further understanding of the process of creating a good Oral History. A similar definition of Oral History is provided ("To summarize: oral history might be understood as a self-conscious, disciplined conversation between two people about some aspect of the past considered by them to be of historical significance and intentionally recorded for the record.") But this time, there is emphasis on a specific event that happened in the past.
It is important to have accurate accounts of historical events and the people who were involved. Since the Oral History project is ultimately an interview, it requires face-to-face communication with another person. The emphasis on the personal connection between two people is also important because during a time of so much technology, it becomes easy to replace face-to-face communication with emails or text messages.
Before reading this article, I thought an Oral History was just another name for an interview; however, I understand that producing an Oral History is a much more involved process than just interviewing someone. The article summarizes the purpose of an Oral History by saying:
"To summarize: oral history might be understood as a self-conscious, disciplined conversation between two people about some aspect of the past considered by them to be of historical significance and intentionally recorded for the record."
One part of this summary that caught my attention was the specific requirement of the importance of knowing it is being "intentionally recorded for the record." Sometimes it is easy to not consider the people who will be reading the piece in the future but without having concern for a future audience, the piece may become irrelevant. The several examples provided cited political figures who were participants in Oral History projects but it is clear that not only politicians are good candidates for Oral History
What Do Narrative Inquirers Do?
1. Throughout her narrative inquiry, she remains in her Canadian place while traveling back in time and place, in memory, to a China that no longer exits" (pg 55).
When i began reading this article, I was completely confused. I had never heard of a "Narrative Inquirer," and i did not understand the concept of the different views associated with the three dimensional space referenced in this article. As i continued reading, I began to understand that Narrative Inquirers examine literature from different angles in order to understand the different meanings of a piece of literature.
2. "She found little to clarify her sense of dislocation in this teaching and in the literature supporting it" (pg 53).
In the narrative provided to illustrate the dimensions of the Narrative Inquiry process, one of the characters expressed insecurity regarding her heritage. By understanding the writing process, it becomes possible to understand oneself.
3. "Both were told from his adult place and time, and in time, and in the bringing forward, both were placed alongside his present-day story" (pg 56).
The multidimensional aspects of Narrative Inquires allow for different understandings of the same situation as time passes.
1. How has technology impacted your writing/composing?
Personally, technology has impacted my writing more in the past year than it ever has. Between Dr. Teston's module in Introduction to Writing Arts, and Mr. Manginin's class, I have been encouraged to use technology to make my writing more dynamic. Being required to write online has also forced me to be more conscious of my writing style in comparison to other writer's. It has been extremely helpful to see my peers' writing style because it has helped me improve my personal writing style. Since the sharing ideas about assignments and readings is inevitable when writing is done online, it has allowed for more conversation between myself and my peers which has extended past the computer screen and into the classroom. Composing different writing pieces has been an ice breaker in many ways and has increased my confidence about my work.
2. How has technology connected or made you more mindful of your writing and place?
Technology has definitely made me feel more connected to my place (my grandfather's old house) because it is currently for sale so I have access to a lot of information about the house, including pictures. Because of this, I am more mindful of my writing because although I do not have a tangible connection to my place, the connection I have because of the Internet has allowed me to write more effectively about my place.
3. How has technology impacted your identity construction?
I am a naturally shy person but I do like to interact with people. Technology has allowed me to come out of my shell more because the conversations about writing online has given me confidence to speak openly about my writing in person. At home and with my friends I am more open and technology is helping me bridge the gap between my social style at home and out in the world.
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