Reflection

Part 1:

(1) Two hour presentation student assessment

I deserve a P because I met every requirement expected of me.  I managed to condense all the science/medical aspects I learned (while still being in depth) and make it understandable for the class.  I defined a lot of terms too, in order to inform and give the class the right mindset for my topic.  A lot of research went into my presentation, because I covered standard and nutritional health history, going as far as explaining every aspect within the history and its importance to the dietitian. 


(2) What are you most proud of in your 2 hour and why?

I am proud of... a lot of things regarding my 2 hour.  I eventually got over my nervousness, my activities went rather well (and made sense, since I felt uneasy about them), and I said all the things I wanted to say.  Another thing that I think I should mention is that I was well prepared and all technical problems were solved the day before.  That's a proud moment right there.  I didn't lag it.
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Part 2:

(1) What did you think you did well on in the project? What could you have done better? Please explain.
I think... I did well on my I-Search.  It's the first and only "good" grade I've gotten in all of my components.  Blood, sweat, and tears were shed on that component since I found it really difficult to complete.  I really wish I could re-do my exit interview.  Despite my rehearsals, I was still nervous and had trouble getting my point across. It affected my grade and in turn, affected me mentally because it took like a week to finally get over my exit interview.

(2) What is your EQ and what is the best answer to your EQ?

What is most important to consider when developing a nutritional care plan?  Utilizing the patient's medical history.

(3) How has the last month of culminating events (e.g I-Search, Two-Hour, Exit etc) affected your answer to your EQ? Has it changed? Why or why not?

Originally I had three answers: medical history, nutrition facts panel, and plan feasibility.  Planning for my 2hr made me rethink my answers.  My third answer lacked content and it seemed more of an aspect to medical history (my first answer) than being another consideration on its own.  I incorporated plan feasibility with medical history, which actually strengthened my answer for medical history.

(4) What suggestions do you have in order to improve the senior project?

Some suggestions include:

 I didn't like how the 2hr advisory meetings were scheduled.  More time should be spent on advisory meetings so that everyone can have one on one time with the teacher, in addition to having more time discussing and planning for the actual presentation.


Specify what is expected for the independent tasks.  I didn't know what was expected from me in my first independent task.  I was given the suggestion to track what I eat on a health website since putting my brother off of soda (which was my original task/idea) wasn't a very good idea.  Tracking what I ate wasn't difficult, I did only that.  I don't know if my grade was determined based on the level of the task, the time I worked on it, or my explanation when it was time to blog about it.   

(5) Overall Senior Project Assessment 

P.  I did what was expected.  I tried my best in every component.  I made sure to turn in the components on time.  Most importantly, I applied what I learned to my own life, and I try to teach my family healthy eating habits as well.  I have this knowledge forever, my lifestyle has changed... eating/dieting wise.  

Service Learning

Literal:

Log: Every Wednesday, beginning February 16 (1:00 pm - 6:00 pm)

Contact: 

Baldwin Park Medical Group,  (626) 338-4088 

Clinica Medica del Sol Group, Inc., (626) 918-3828

Interpretive:

My service learning taught me quite a bit.  Throughout this experience I realized the importance of being bilingual.  I shadowed at a predominantly Hispanic area, and I found it difficult sometimes to understand what nurses or doctors had to say.  Of course, they weren't speaking to me in Spanish, but when they were speaking to their patients I had a difficult time understanding.  This is not to say that I was eavesdropping or going against the HIPPA code (though I'm not sure that applies to all medical clinics), I just tried to listen and observe the dynamics of a clinic.

There were occasions where I was allowed to call clients and make appointments.  I helped a bit, but I   couldn't do much else since I'm not trained, certified, registered, etc.  Anyway, calling clients is what made  me realize the importance of knowing another language... some of them spoke to me in Spanish and I was clueless and they hung up on me.

Another thing I learned through service learning was how to file medical records. It's a simple task, really.  I just alphabetize files, put it in correct order.  Alphabetizing is time consuming, and I often wish I could use a computer to file, but I learned that it's costly to do something like that.  

  

Applied: 

Shadowing at a medical clinic has given me insight as tho how extensive medical history can be.  Every little detail is in a patient's file.  It's given me insight as to how extensive a file of history can be for one person.  All that I learned and read about in my medical textbook was there.  It was difficult to make sense of the information, but at least I was exposed to it so I have an idea of how medical history is supposed to be documented along with how it's used.  Usually the nurses fill in the stats, while the doctor is the one to actually treat and diagnose the patient.

Lesson Plan

Sponge activity:  I want to see if the class can determine which food product has the highest sugar content.  There would be five food products: soda, orange juice, yogurt, cereal, and sugar.  The amount of each product is to be determined, they might have to calculate the sugar content of an individual serving, but the sugar will be one teaspoon.

There will be a few minutes for them to make calculations and estimations.  Afterwards, there will be a share out, followed by revealing which foods have the highest amount of sugar.

Introduction:  What is most important to consider when developing a nutritional care plan?

Most important to consider: An aspect that is deemed a necessity

Developing: Planning; creating

Nutritional care plan: A unique meal plan devised for an individual/family/groups to promote healthy eating and weight loss.

I chose this topic to motivate myself to lose weight.  It grew to something bigger than that over time.  I care about the health of not only myself, but my family.

                                              

My plan is to give a brief history about my topic, break down my EQ, and explain each answer, followed by an activity.  At the end of the explanation, I will give my best answer and provide my reasons.  The lesson will finally end when I finish talking about my product and thanking people as if I won an award.

Foundation:  I will define what nutrition is, what jobs/responsibilities are related to nutrition, and why it is important.

Body:

Answer 1: Respecting the patient's lifestyle

-----Activity 1:  Everyone has to make columns according to the number of people living in their household and put their names on each column.  Under each family member, including themselves, students will write down food that is associated with each relative/person.  This could mean snacks, favorite foods, food that is requested during birthdays, or any other food -centered events, etc. 

When they are finished, I'll ask them to cross off the ready to eat food, processed food, fast foods, etc.  They will keep crossing off foods until they get to food that is prepared at home.

They will share out and I'll give an explanation as to how this activity relates to my answer.

Answer 2: Education of the nutrition basics (Nutrition Facts Label)

-----Activity 2: The objective is to determine the caloric content of cereal.  Every group will get a bowl and a bag of cereal.  Or maybe I'll hand them a bag of cereal and that needs to be distributed to every table because I don't have money nor does the thought of feeding a class of like, 24 sound appealing.  The group will pick one person to pour their desired amount of cereal (the goal is that they pour in what their usual serving is) and then, as a group, they will calculate the calories and possibly everything else on the Nutrition Label.

The Nutrition Facts Label will be posted on the wall since that's part of the room's decoration.  Afterwards, they can eat the cereal.

Answer 3: Understanding of medical history

-----Activity 3:  I'll give out index cards with an ethnicity or a dietary practice (food customs that come from following a religion, or just personal beliefs, i.e. vegetarianism) and the goal is to list the traditional foods or cultural beliefs under that category.  There might be a share out.

Then I'll talk about the importance of ethnicity and cultural practices in a diagnosis setting.  I'll include what dietitians need to practice when treating someone of a different ethnicity.

What is your best answer and why?

Medical history is the best answer.  Without understanding the medical history of the patient, then it would be impossible to create a feasible plan for the patient.  Diets and various nutritional plans would all be uniform.

What is your 3 most important sources and why?--answer this

1. Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care (Medical textbook): I learned how dietitians make diet assessments and how to prioritize which patients are in need of immediate care.
2. Read It Before You Eat It by Bonnie Taub-Dix: This book defined the terms found on a Nutrition Facts Panel.  I learned about the differences in labeling and products.  I think I eat conscientiously now.
3. Independent Task 2 (Cooking healthy): I learned firsthand why understanding the lifestyle of a patient is important.  I wasn't on any plan, but trying to cook a healthy meal that everyone can eat, on a budget, while worrying about homework proved difficult for someone who hasn't made these considerations before.

What is your product and why?

I am my own product.  I didn't necessarily follow a strict meal plan, but I did document what I ate for a while, which is something dietitians will instruct a patient to do before creating a plan.  I lost weight and maintained it.  I plan on shedding some more pounds.  I'm comfortable with my body.  I'm extremely proud of that. 

Independent Study 2

Log:

Note: Cooking refers to the overall process: grocery shopping and preparation.

Evidence: http://fyeahcookinghealthy.tumblr.com/

LIA:

Literal:

a)"I, Zarah Soberano, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work."

b) For my independent study, I documented all the food that I've cooked via blog.  Using the ADA (American Dietetic Association) cookbook, Cooking Healthy Across America, I mostly prepared dinner for my family during the week.  I typed the recipe, nutrition per serving, and made notes on the process and my overall cooking experience.

Interpretive:

Preparing a meal without the help of a parent is unfamiliar territory.  It is not to say that I lacked culinary skills, but that cooking and baking are different in terms of preparation.  The moment I received my cookbook I was looking for a feasible recipe while simultaneously going through the refrigerator and pantry to look for ingredients.

My responsibility to cook dinner combined with my blog represents 30+ hours of work.   My time spent on cooking and blogging nearly drained me.  I'd spend my time planning what to cook, preparing the meal, cleaning up afterwards, and finally, blog my experience.

While it may not seem like 30 hours of work, part of my cooking time went into planning and grocery shopping (where I applied my third answer, which is to understand the nutrition basics).  Not to mention that it was time consuming to perform one step of the recipe, and then take a picture of it.  That was especially difficult if I was handling meat or produce.  I learned to dislike preparing onions.

The responsibility that goes with cooking is that I also had to clean up after dinner.  While I didn't count that in my log (because I'm not sure if it does count), I only mention it because this is part of the reason why this task was not kind to me. 

Blogging took forever to finish due to the picture uploading.  I used my phone to send myself the pictures, which took a good while to complete.  When blogging, most of my time is spent uploading pictures, editing/formatting the blog, and typing everything -- ranging from how I felt to what I could do better next time.  Overtime I think the pictures showed improvement on my cutting skills.

Applied:

Documenting my cooking experience has helped me answer my EQ by giving me insight on the importance of my remaining EQ answers.  While I do believe it is important to understand the medical history of the client, the process of cooking (the planning, the shopping/budgets,  the time, etc.) has given me a glimpse as to how my second answer, plan feasibility, works when it is applied. 

My second answer is in regards to income, culture, time and location.  While I do want to buy the freshest ingredients, I learned to be mindful of my budget and that the local grocery store is my only access to food resources. 

In addition, when I went grocery shopping, I was able to make use of the knowledge I had on reading the food labels.  When recipes called for a vague ingredient (i.e. Family favorite pasta), I read the labels of the product as well as their ingredient list.  I made sure to purchase the healthier option of the ingredients.  For produce and meat, I paid attention to the texture, color, and smell of the products before purchasing it (especially for fish)...

Art Rationale

Why do "this" this way?

My plan is to create a calendar displaying photographs of a specific fruit or vegetable.  The pictures of produce is somewhat similar to a calendar girl (I guess... because Mr. Ogden told me to make the pictures "artsy").  There will be a "produce of the month."  However, the fruit/vegetable will be chosen based on the peak-season map; this allows you to view which produce is freshest in your area.

One of my answers to my EQ is "food justice."  Supermarkets today receive pesticide-laden produce from various parts of the world.  Also, most of the produce found in stores are not in season.  This means that the produce was picked before if it was ripe, thus altering the nutritional content.  It's also very expensive to purchase fruits and vegetables not in season.  If people only knew about the peak season of produce, they would be getting the best nutritional content and at a good price too.

Creative Expression Idea

Topic: Nutrition
EQ: What is most important to consider when developing a nutritional care plan?

I want to make a food calendar.  Each month will have a specific fruit or vegetable that is in season.  I also want to put a little note explaining the benefits of eating the fruit/vegetable (as in what kind of vitamins it contains, a factoid, maybe even add a recipe..?)

I think I will use the site, epicurious.com to determine which foods are at its peak season.  It's specific too, because it shows which states have the fruit/vegetable in season.

This relates to my second answer, which is food availability/food justice (title answer still in progress).  Most of the time local/seasonal foods are fresher than their supermarket counterparts.  Dietitians should take this into account to help a patient consume the healthiest produce.  Also, it's probably helpful to know which produce is freshest at the moment.

Interview 4 Questions

1.       What is most important to consider when designing a nutritional care plan?

2.       What parts of the patient's medical history do you need to know before making an assessment?

3.       Are organic foods really worth the money?  (Is it healthier?)

4.       Weight that has been lost often returns.  How do you/what do you do to help a patient maintain their weight?

5.       Do pesticide laden produce have any effect on the nutritional value of the food?

6.       Nutritional care plan: rigid meal outline that needs to be followed daily or could it a shopping list the patient can use for reference?

7.       How can you make a nutritional care plan balanced for groups of people with different needs (like a family or a community)?

8.       What types of patients do you care for?  (For example, if you mainly deal with people who have diabetes, could there be a correlation to the location you work at?)

9.       Most unhealthy foods are the cheapest to buy.  How could a person purchase healthy foods at an affordable price?

10.   What are some techniques to feeling full/satisfied faster?

11.   Could  having a craving your body's way of saying you are lacking a specific nutrient?

12.   Which is recommended: Have a meal whenever you want (even if you're not that hungry)? Have a meal at a certain time? Snack in between meals?

13.   Why does weight fluctuate?

14.   How can you create a nutritional care plan while still being respectful to the community/patient's culture?

15.   Are seasonal/local produce better to eat than produce found in the supermarket? Why?

16.   Which is more effective: following a nutritional profiling system or a nut. care plan? Why?

17.   How long must one follow a nutritional care plan? (Is there a time limit?)

18.   About how much weight could be loss just by eating healthy?  (Is there possibly an average?)

19.   What are some important tips to remember when going grocery shopping?

20.   If someone has been following their nutritional care plan, what are the chances they will maintain their weight afterwards? (I'm assuming you can't be following a plan forever...)

Independent Study 2 Approval

Write a description of what you plan on doing for your second independent study.

I plan on getting the cookbook, Cooking Healthy Across America by American Dietetics Association (ADA).  The goal is to cook a recipe every week or so and document it (notes, pictures, similar to the science journal we did).

How does your independent study 2 relate to your EQ?
One of the main concerns a dietitian will have is the patient's food likes and dislikes.  Oftentimes, dieting is associated with bland, flavorless food.  Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring or a chore.  The cookbook contains recipes that are both delicious and nutritious; you won't feel guilty!

Independent Study 1

Log: January 6 - present

Evidence: This is what I ate today.  Embarrassing.  I feel gross now.

Literal
"I, Zarah S., affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work."

Since January 6, I am almost always consistent with my food diary.  I track all the foods I have eaten.  By the end of the day, I get a detailed report about my calorie, carb, fat, and protein intake.

Interpretive
I input my food intake everyday.  Although it doesn't sound like much work, it also took time to understand the website.  Oh, and I accomplished some of the goals listed on the website.  Since my independent study was just to type up the foods I ate, I think that accomplishing a few Sparkpoint challenges should count for something.

Applied
Using Sparkpeople has made me conscientious of what I eat.  The site has a list of little goals and a points system to help people stay motivated to live a healthy lifestyle.  In regards to my EQ, I think starting with small changes to diet (and getting positive feedback and support) will motivate a patient to continue eating healthily.

ESLR Check

1. I have been an effective learner this year by being more involved with school.  I remind my house about upcoming events during class and even afterwards.  I use my planner often; it helps a lot and I am able to be organized and efficient with my work.
2. Through my senior project, I have learned that I have to be consistent in regards to service learning and interviews.  It is my responsibility to call and email dietitians and other medical folk in order to keep up with my project... Organization is most important when it comes to research checks.  I've been good with that.. I have a folder for it!
3. Next semester... I won't give up.  I will not admit defeat over the academic workload... (Well, it's not like I really did... I just felt like giving up which is something entirely different...) Oh, and next semester I intend to make use of the office hours/ tutoring sessions.  I won't be afraid to ask questions or for help anymore.

10 Hour Service Learning Check

1. Kaiser Permanente - Panorama City
2. Observed a dietitian, helper for a health class
3. Note taking is extremely time consuming albeit important.  Should the situation arise, those documents will save you legally.  Oh, and always indicate the name and wristband of the patient.  It's policy.

Interview 3 Questions

1.       What is the most rewarding part about being a dietitian?

2.       What type of food and how many servings of said food should a person eat daily?

3.       Are multivitamins necessary for a healthy lifestyle?  Why?

4.       When reading the Nutrition Facts Label, what should (carbs, sugars, fats, etc.) I look out for?

5.        What do you recommend to a patient if there is a lack in food availability? (Costs or seasonal foods)

6.       What exactly is a meal plan; restrictions of certain foods or a day to day menu one must follow?

7.       When is it required to develop a meal plan for a patient?  (Is it for the deathly ill or could you just… request one?)

8.       How can you convince a patient to stick to their meal plan?

9.       How are weight and BMI weaved together to determine your overall health?  Which has more significance?

10.   How can I get my brother to eat fruits and vegetables? OR What are some effective methods you use to  introduce new foods to a patient?

Independent Study Update

1. I choose to help and encourage my little brother to stick to a healthy diet.
2. I want to figure out what I have to do to make a patient stick to their nutritional care plan.  In this case, I want to make sure my brother stays away from junk food.
3. So far, I have helped him stay away from drinking too much soda...

EDIT:

1. I joined Sparkpeople and used their Nutrition Tracker tool and tracked everything I ate daily.
2. Sometimes, dietitians will have their patients track their foods in order to make an assessment on their food likes/dislikes and food intake.  That way, they will better understand the patient and make a customized meal plan for them.
3. I've tracked the foods I've eaten; Honestly, I'm very mindful of what and how much I eat because I don't want my teacher to think I'm a fatty.  By doing so, I've lost about 10 lbs.  It's not obvious, though I've noticed I can fit into some old clothes again... 

What I've Learned So Far..

• To make smart food choices, it's good to stay away from foods high with a lot of saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.  Try to eat foods high in potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.
• There's a difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian.  A nutritionist can be anyone.  They did not have any schooling to back up their title.  A registered dietitian has received schooling and must continue to do so every five years to keep their license valid.
• Knowing what your BMI (body mass index) will help you determine whether or not you are on the road to heart disease and various chronic illnesses.  Your weight alone can't determine your state of health.

A registered dietitian recommended this medical book to me.  I bought it at a ridiculously low price.  

Defining the Essential Question

1.      What is most important to consider when developing a nutritional care plan?

2.      Most important to consider: An aspect that is deemed a necessity

Developing: Planning; creating

Nutritional care plan: A unique meal plan devised for an individual/family/groups to promote healthy eating and weight loss

3.      Proper assessment and research

4.      I recently changed my topic.  So far my only important source is the official dietitian website, eatright.org.

Interview 2 Questions

1. How long have you been a dietitian and who do you work for?
2. What made you decide to become a dietitian?
3. In the process of becoming a dietitian, what did you find most challenging?
4. What is a day on the job like?
5. What is the most challenging experience you've had on the job?

Essential Question

What is the most important aspect to consider when starting a wedding planning business?

a)  This question is open ended because the answer calls for an explanation on what makes a successful wedding planning business.

b) This question takes a stance because there are different interpretations as to what is an important aspect to consider when starting a business.

c)  The framework for studies could include a wedding consultant class or a marketing/business class.  Help coordinate weddings.

EDIT: I changed my topic.  Here is my new EQ.


What is most important to consider when developing a nutritional care plan?

a) This question is open ended because

b) This question takes a stance because there are different answers for the "most important" consideration.  Also, the answers could have different interpretations.

c) The framework for studies could a be a class on nutrition/food science, working or volunteering at a medical clinic, and reading medical textbooks.

5 Minute Presentation Reflection

What would you say stood out about your presentation performance and what was most challenging to do and why?  

I drew all of my visuals.  It stood out because I chose to use Harry Potter characters for an example.  The most challenging part of the 5 minute presentation was to make use of my time effectively.  I was not able to get to the second part of my presentation, which was to discuss money saving tips on wedding invitations with the class. I hope to be concise for the next presentation.

Interview 1 Reflection

What is the most important thing I learned from the interview and why? 
In order to become a successful wedding planner, my interviewee has advised me to take classes that will help me in the long run.  Some classes she mentioned taking were floral arrangement and ROP.  Most importantly, she has encouraged me to take business classes since weddings are all about running your own business.

5 Minute Presentation Rough Draft

Objective:  Explain one of the duties as a wedding planner… which is making and sending invitations.

Procedure:

1. Introduce myself and my topic
2. Discuss types of wording for an invitation (i.e.  basic wording, wording for a non-traditional wedding, wording for divorced or blended families)
3. Give some money saving tips on invitations    
4. Conclude by restating one of the responsibilities of a wedding planner and answer any questions that are relevant to my topic.

Check for Understanding:

After the presentation I plan to quiz the class on the different types of wording.

Resources/Materials:

I am planning to make a chart on how to word an invitation.  Or maybe make a large invitation.