Hi HEALers:
I draw your attention later in this email to the topic we'll address at our November 18 & 19 classes, appreciating that you are in the throes of writing your HEAL inquiry paper, doing a further "self-care" Blog entry, and prepping for the class presentations (amidst very full work and personal lives).
In doing so, I am mindful of our discussion last Saturday of the inquiry paper criteria and the questions that were posed. In brief, I can summarize the discussion by saying the paper is 15 double-spaced pages max, 12 point font, no more than 10 key references, and in a format that follows the three parts: narrative opener (1-3 pages); discussion of the themes and or health-related concepts that are indicated by this narrative (6-9 pages); and then some mention of "so what?" implications (4-5 pages). Use an appropriate title for your paper, which can range from a self-explanatory overview statement (e.g. Exploring the importance of social 'connectedness' in community health programming) to a title, whether a phrase or expression, that is particularly germane to your sense of this inquiry (e.g. The community of those who have no thing but potentially everything in common). Break up your parts two and three into sub-headed sections that highlight the relevant themes/concepts and points of application (e.g. being with others, being for others, and becoming otherwise might be thematic sub-headings of an exploration of social "connectedness," while self-care and care-for-others applications might be tied in with personal and social competencies stated the BC Education plan).
If your topic is quite novel or new to you, it may require an exploration that involves more emphasis on the second part of the paper. In this case, it may well require a bit more personal 'data' (i.e. your own experiential accounts) to flesh it out. Even if your topic is more widely understood and has a lot of literature to it, you'll want to ensure that your perspective (as indicated by the initial narrative) comes through. How? By treating the literature on the topic critically and by ensuring that your experience is the filter for what makes sense. Those of you who have a certain program in view, whether as one you have developed, one with which you have had direct experience, or one to which you are drawn, may want to stretch yourselves in part 3 of the paper a bit more.
The goal of this assignment is, as we have discussed, to get a HEAL inquiry underway. You'll be able to develop it further in subsequent courses, or you may find that your interests shift and a different inquiry surfaces for you. But my experience is that while topics can change, the underlying, personalized themes of, say, "social connection" in health promotion or "vitality" in health practices, tend to remain in place. We just find different ways and means to explore the things that are core to our beliefs, commitments and practices.
There remains the nagging question about assessment. For that I regard the criteria of text formatting (APA as the default style), essay coherence, and persuasiveness as givens. Beyond that, think of what it means to WRITE UP your ideas. We write things DOWN in reports and laundry lists, but we WRITE them UP when we want our text to speak more powerfully than what our everyday talk conveys. Does your text motivate others who read it to be interested in your topic or issue? Does it even potentially move them to do something different? That's a tall order, however we can always aspire to WRITE UP our thoughts, incorporating the perspectives and ideas of others where they are relevant, to provide powerful motive for individual and collective action.
What would this look like? This question seems to beg an example or two. Still, I would say that it is best to find your own way and draw inspiration from readings and texts that speak to you. They may not speak to everyone. For instance, did the Alphonso Lingis narrative that I included in the last email speak to you? Or did the passages from the Brownen Wallace poem? Or does any reading we have had so far in this course? Or a reading you have encountered in exploring your own inquiry topic? What is it about the writing genre, the use of personal experience, the active voice, and the way of drawing meaning from one's experience and the experiences of others that is compelling?
I have shared with you the piece I wrote many years ago about my son's heart surgery which roughly parallels the first two parts of your inquiry paper. I have no idea whether or not it meant anything to you. But over the years I have been contacted about it by some folk whom I've never met who have cited it academically or simply written to tell me of its connection to their own life experiences. In the readings for the upcoming class I will share some other, more recent pieces that have to do with physical activity and my sense of the need to broaden what we think constitutes vitality-enhancing, physical activity while adopting a "life stage" approach to fitness interests. The particular article titled "Balls, barbells and sock poi" does not have an opening narrative, but it does at least parallel parts 2 and 3 of the inquiry piece and shows the use of simple titles and section headings, and incorporates personalized 'data' to try to convey the curricular message.
Of course, I know you all have limited time and we are just talking about a course paper. So, do not be too mesmerized by this task. I'd hoped to have had some time last class for you to share your work-in-progress. Since we ran out of time to do this, I suggest that we do so by 'tripling' up on-line and send two others what you have so far for peer commentary and feedback. It will be a simple matter of responding appreciatively to the drafts in terms of how the indicated health themes and concepts make sense. That's what I did when I read your narratives and tried to think ahead in terms or where these narratives seem to point. Now you should be in a position to say where indeed you are going and readers of your work can confirm the line of inquiry, and possibly suggest further things to think about in terms of related health ideas or connected programming. Just to share your own work-in-progress and read the work of two others should provide assurances of being on the right track.
Here are my suggested groupings (hopefully with some thematic if not topical commonalities):
Group A
Anna
Nick
Tyne
Group B
Jolene
Paul
Raman
Group C
Anne-Marie
Renee
Neva
Group D
Chelsea
Leah
Michael
Group E
Craig
Rhonda
Karen
Group F
Carley
Elizabeth
Alexis
Group G
Erica
Naseem
Shivinder
You could also go to the blogs to read and see how the inquiry paper drafts are connected to wider interests. My further suggestion is that each group member send the inquiry paper draft to the other two folk in your group of three over the coming week and receive even just short responses before we meet on November 18.
For our next class meetings on November 18 & 19 we will continue with the "Social Determinants of Health – Food and Shelter" presentation on the Saturday and pursue the topic of "Active Living: Fitness and Physical Activity" on the Friday evening and Saturday. (Lori Bowie will join us on the Friday evening and speak to her work in "active living" promotion in Community Recreation and how that work has been motivated by her former studies and ongoing efforts to address the social determinants or health.) As for why I have chosen the topic of "Active Living: Fitness and Physical Activity" for us to focus on this particular weekend, I think it is worth our attention given the "active living" emphasis of the HEAL program and, in particular, the health interests so many of you have shared already in your blog entries as practices of "self-care." I sense the active living 'motivation' quite strongly in our class times together when the restlessness arises from sitting and talking too long!
Below I have recopied the readings, included some relevant www resources, and listed a pertinent Youtube 'watchable' you might find interesting.
Topic: Active Living: Fitness and Physical Activity (Nov 18, 19)
Raphael: Social Determinants, Part Four: Foundations of lifelong health: Food and shelter.
**Smith (2011) Daily Physical Interactivity
**Lloyd and Smith (2009). Enlivening the curriculum of health-related fitness
**Smith (2015). Balls, barbells and sock poi: The progression of keeping fit
Department of Health and Human Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/topics/physical_activity/en/
The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
Google and download the on-line PDF using the title above.
BC Ministry of Education: Healthy Schools
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/health/welcome.htm
Watchable: Never leave the Playground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eICg4CMd2jU
Cheers,
Stephen.
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