Reflections 5 - Organic Farm

Before the Activity:
After the plants had all died (except our chili which was the hottest one I've ever eaten), we decided we had to change our plans of what the Service aspect of this project would be. As going during the summer to water the plans wasn't "challenging" it was not considered to be a source of too much action to consider this activity Action-based. So now the Organic Farm was only Creative. All those hours of hiking to the school to water the plans or to construct the organic farm instead was of no real use in the sense that we now needed to orient the activity towards Action or Service.

During the Activity:
We had initially planned to give the food we had grown to NGOs on our local area. However, as the plants had all died this option was not possible. What we decided to do is to create a different pathway to make this activity still Service-based. A classmate came up with the idea we could grow easier-growing plants such as beans and include the Kindergarten students in the project so that they could also learn from the experience. After meeting with the teacher in charge she though it would be an excellent idea.

After the Activity:
The Kindergarten teacher organized the students into different groups and we organized ourselves into different groups which would each be in charge of one of those Kindergarten groups. We planned activities which we could do with them so as to make the experience as didactic as possible for the young students.For example, we would make plastic name tags so that each student could place them in the boxes of the organic farm and know which plant was whose. Another activity which I was personally involved was an introductory presentation to the Kindergarten class where we would explain what we were going to do to with them during the activity. We asked the class questions which triggered ideas in their minds. At the end of the presentations they themselves had reasoned all the way through how plants grow! They were now ready to start planting.

I have met all of my objectives which I proposed myself to fulfill before starting this activity:

1.     Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth (because I will group

with a group of people, it is very important to be aware of my weaknesses and strengths, in order

to cooperate. This will also help me identify the areas in which I have to become better at too)

2.     Undertaken new challenges (taking part on a group like this one is something completely new

to me and with it a complete new series of challenges to complete)

3.     Planned and initiated activities (As though we will have to come up with new and creative ways

of helping our organic farm to keep on growing it is very important to plan our future steps so as to

make this project as profitable as possible to our local environment)

4.     Worked collaboratively with others (Cooperation is a key point in this project and it is primordial

to be able to collaborate within a group)

5.     Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities (This activity is intended to last during

a long period of time and consequently our commitment must stay untouched during the whole

time)

6.     Engaged with issues of global importance

7.     Considered the ethical implications of their actions (Even though we may as individuals be able

to make enormous changes in this global issue as a collective. We feel that each of us human

beings has the task to help and we will certainly do so)

8.     Developed new skills (Taking part in a wide range of different activities, not only our planning skills will be

developed but as well other ones we might even not know