Food, Inc. Reaction

While watching the documentary Food, Inc. I felt compelled to write a letter to my Congress and Senate representatives. Not only is it appalling to learn that major food producers are engineering animals, but they are doing so at the cost of our health! Rather than "rework the system" to better protect food from becoming contaminated, companies are developing technology and processes to "cleanse" food. For instance there is a company that 'purifies' their ground beef in a cleaning solution containing bleach! The most disgusting part of the movie wasn't the overwhelming amount of hidden information, it was the visions of maltreatment of the animals as well as the slaughtering and butchering process. That did not sit well with me; actually most of the movie disagreed with my stomach! Aside from the few proponents of change interviewed in the documentary, I did not like what I saw.

Seeing that there are farmers and individuals in America who are willing to work towards a change gives me hope that the harmful food sources will be taken care of. I believe that it is documentaries like this that connect individuals and groups to fight for a common cause. It is important that teachers are informed about movements such as this because we are teaching the future! By bringing awareness into the classrooms, teachers are helping to create change. This is done by educating students about various effects of procedures, or whatever the case may be, and providing them with the tools to find possible solutions. If a child goes home and is persistent about creating a household change to help "save the country" then parents will become indirectly educated on the topic. The more people informed about a movement, the more the cause will spread.

You can't preach about movements to your students in an abundance, but you can work it into the curriculum here and there. It is very important that the discussions and lessons about revolutionizing the nation are not biased, or cult-like. As teachers, it is our job to provide students with both sides of the story as best as we can. I believe that a student has the tools and knowledge to make an informed decision about where they stand on a topic provided they are given the pros and cons of the situation. Of course this is all circumstantial because not all causes are black and white; there is a lot of gray area in the world. Regardless, teachers have connections to help create change simply because we are teaching the future of our country.

*On a related but side note, there is a petition you may sign that aims to assure schools have healthier food choices...

petition for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act

Tinkering with iMovie

The time spent playing around with iMovie was probably the most fun I have had (on a computer) in a long time. I thought it was so neat how we were able to download a few videos then do some cutting and mixing together to create a project. I felt like a movie editor!

In my future classroom I can certainly see how this program will be engaging for my students. Upper elementary students might be able to maneuver within this program to create a school project. I do not doubt that high school students will be able to effectively utilize this program for educational purposes. Just think about how much more interesting student projects can be... Move over PowerPoint!

On a more serious note, I believe that iMovie is a program that could work for some projects. It did take a little while to get used to the program, and there seemed to be many steps to remember, but it was not too complicated to figure out. With a little practice this program could easily find its way into classrooms across the nation. iMovie can also be used for entertainment purposes, not just to create a school project, which I think is another reason it will be attractive for students and teachers. In my future classroom I certainly would not mind taking advantage of all that iMovie has to offer me and my students... just so long as we had enough time to familiarize ourselves with the program before creating any projects.

Growing Up Online

The documentary that we watched in class was very interesting, especially because I grew up on the cusp on this generation. When I was in middle school the internet craze took root in adolescents and all of a sudden chatting online was the thing to do.

Some of the children depicted in the video I can relate to because I remember feeling the same way, like when Cam and his siblings were expected to provide their mother with an all-access pass to their passwords and pages. I agree with their choice to not give their information to their mom, I would have done the same thing. It is understandable that a parent wants to protect their child, but they must respect the trust line. It seemed as though, in this situation, the mother was not respecting the trust and privacy of her children.

The controversy of "Amber" struck me as unusual. I have never shared the same feelings as her but I can see how she felt that the internet was a safe haven, a new home. Sometimes the internet can become an alternate world for an individual, especially one who has not yet figured out who they are. It was nice to learn that her parents became accepting of her online activity and that her life has gotten better. Her story seems to have a happy ending.

While watching this documentary I couldn't help but think of what I would do if I were one of those parents. The whole time I kept saying to myself "I will never let my child go online" but I realize that that is not an acceptable solution. Cam's sister figured out it was much easier to just go online at her friends' houses than at home, that is an easy way to get around my house rule. I believe it is important to educate our children about the potential dangers online and to make sure they know how to properly use the internet. If used correctly, the internet can be a very helpful resource for children both academically and socially.