When the ‘Infinitely Curious Blog’ assignment was explained to us in class, I was immediately filled with apprehension. I am a shy person, and since sharing my feelings in front of a large crowd (i.e. a classroom) is not something I normally do, I didn’t think I would enjoy the blogging exercise. However, sharing your feelings over the Internet is a completely different experience. I felt an extreme amount of freedom, like I could fully express myself each time I sat down to write...I felt liberated and this surprised me. I knew it was possible that people would disagree with my opinions and comment, but I was okay with that. Confrontation isn’t as scary when you know it will occur online, and it made me want to push the limits even more. I also enjoyed reading my colleagues blogs, getting to learn more about their thoughts and beliefs on the course material. Everyone wrote with such passion, allowing me to expand and reframe my own line of thinking.
When I thought of the title for my blog, I assumed I would be writing about “food, fun and fitness,” as these are themes that have interested me in the past. However, as the course began to unfold, I found that I was writing about programs that help the community, policies that help the population as a whole, and how to make a difference in the community. Essentially, I was only blogging about THE COMMUNITY. I was looking deeper into the health care system and smoking laws, which oddly enough, I had never really fully done before. I also realized how interested I was in community nutrition, as the Access Alliance guest speakers really touched me. As I wrote in my third blog, “A dietitian is far more than an expert in food and nutrition, but a health professional dedicated to understanding the complex interconnections between individuals and food.” Because of this course, this relationship now forms my comprehensive knowledge of nutrition and health. Furthermore, my last blog post was on the social determinants of health, and the importance of addressing them to overcome health inequities. I talked about a prenatal nutrition class I volunteered at last summer, and I am going to be re-visiting this idea in my Looking Project, as I strongly believe that more needs to be done to better educate teenagers on safe sex.
As my knowledge of the material grew, I found it got easier to reflect and write my blog. I can definitely see a notable increase in critical thinking from week to week. I also moved toward incorporating examples through YouTube (i.e. my post on “knowing vs. doing” incorporates BELL advertisements), and talking about what I’ve been exposed to (i.e. blogging about my experience in a prenatal nutrition class). I changed from researching health topics on the Internet (i.e. smoking) toward discussing my respect for community dietitians. I was most surprised by how easy the blogs started to come to me, and how much the words started to write themselves. I really immersed myself in the themes of the course, which is something I didn’t anticipate happening. The blogs allowed me to get outside my comfort zone, to let my mind wander and explore concepts on a whole new level. I usually write when specific instructions, themes and structure are given, but this exercise allowed me to challenge myself and see what I could accomplish. The blogging experience also supported my learning, as it forced me to go home and review the weekly topics. It allowed me to critically analyze the material, and not just take the themes at face value. Furthermore, as a future nutrition professional, I think blogging provides for the opportunity to express your opinion, learn insights from other dietitians, and it allows people to learn valuable information that they may not have gotten otherwise.
Although I may have had some questions, concerns, and worries along the way, I do not think I would change the assignment. Giving students the freedom to express their views on nutrition, health and the community gives them the chance to reflect, think and grow. However, since some weeks covered the same theme/topic, it would potentially be beneficial for students to blog every other week, just so that more material can be covered in class. I would definitely consider continuing a personal blog once the assignment is complete, as I found the experience both rewarding and enjoyable. I know I won’t necessarily be able to write every week, but it would be nice to continue to share my thoughts and opinions of the nutrition field with my colleagues, as we all know there is A LOT of information to question in this industry.
