The Soda Situation

As a former pseudo-New Yorker (I returned to Michigan last year after 3 years living/working in Manhattan and Brooklyn), I’ve been following the NYC soda ban issue for quite some time. 

I have never really been much of a soda drinker, and consider myself to practice fairly health-conscious habits on a regular basis.  So, when I first heard of Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed war against the sugary beasts that are mega-sized soft drinks, I was all too eager to jump on board. 

My exposure to the topic began while living in New York.  Evidence of the effort to educate people on the harmful effects of sugary beverages can be found almost everywhere.  From the graphic posters of sugar packets turning into oozing lard as they pour into soda bottles to the gut-wrenching commercials of obese children being ostracized on the playground, the City of New York makes very clear their stance on unhealthy obsessions with glucose.  Efforts such as this advertising campaign, along with the recently proposed size limitations on certain soft drinks are aimed at one goal: education.  While many will wave their arms and shout from the rooftops that these actions represent an attempt to play the controlling role of “big brother,” I would argue that the city is merely trying to educate people on the harmful effects of a potent “drug” that is wreaking havoc on our society.  Bloomberg and his supporters are sending a message that, just like alcohol and tobacco, unrestricted sugar consumption has major consequences.  The ultimate decision of whether or not to gulp down these drinks has NOT been taken away from the individual consumer!  Everyone is free to continue to purchase the beverages they want, when they want them, wherever they go.  The proposed ban on super-sized beverages merely serves to remind the general public that such drinks are best treated as “desserts” rather than as the nutritional supplements that some people seem to believe them to be. 

I know many will inherently disagree with my opinions—and truth be told, I wavered for a while on my own position.  However, in an effort to deviate from my typical “I can see both sides” perspective, I perused through as much factual and opinionated information I could find and settled on this side of the coin, or rather soda can.  I suppose it is always best to err on the side of health and education. :-)

Now that the whole “where do you stand” thing has been covered, it’s time to move into some teaching ideas.  As a future biology instructor, I think this is a perfect subject to tackle in class.  The soda proposal is grounded in scientific studies that link excess sugar consumption to health problems, including obesity and diabetes.   Since it is a popular media topic, students would likely find the electronic newspaper and magazine articles and editorials interesting and fairly easy to read, but these sources could be used to segue into reading scientific journal articles that support the general content.  Additionally, I can envision several possibilities for laboratory exercises ranging from simple tests for analyzing the amount of sugar found in various common food items to more elaborate experiments measuring the direct impact of sugar on microorganisms (which actually can be done quite feasibly using Daphnia and typical lab supplies/equipment).

Despite the divergent opinions on the actual proposed policy, this soda debate brings to light some critical issues about public health and our own food consumption that I believe provide a great “teachable moment” that we as educators should not let pass by!

And so it begins...

Welcome to my first-ever blog post!  I have contemplated for several days now on how best to kick off this new “technological journey.”  I’ve never been one for journaling, and when it comes to utilizing social media, my experience comes to a halt at Facebook.  Even in that realm, my level of participation rarely exceeds the obligatory weekly status update, sporadic “liking” of links or quotes, and posting of way too many pictures of my dogs. 

When writing, I tend to labor over each sentence—if not word—so, unless for the purpose of something academic, I much prefer to express myself through speech.  That being said, as I read the insightful and witty entries of my peers I can see the merit in the blogging method.  Though I’m a bit resistant, I will do my very best to embrace it!

Now, on to the task at hand…delving into my reflection on our class last Friday.

I have truly enjoyed and appreciated the discussions we’ve had during our MAC classes overall.  We interact, we challenge one another, we respectfully listen to new ideas and perspective and, along the way, we learn a lot more than we ever would on our own!  Our experience on Friday no exception—we quickly engaged in a thought provoking, intriguing discussion about using technology in our classrooms.

I think I was most “wowed” by the idea that you can completely change the process of learning just by adding in a single new dimension.  With the example of bringing a digital camera to class, the students completely altered their approach to a lab exercise the moment they realized they would be accountable for their work in a public context.  Hmmmmm…sounds like ME right about now!!  (Knowing that this blog is visible to anyone and everyone has me trying my best to write as eloquent a piece as possible—doubtful I’ll succeed J)

As teachers-in-training, we have an overwhelming amount of new information to process—theories of practice, pedagogical styles, the psychology of our students, curriculum standards.  Adding in yet another dimension—technology—at first seemed rather daunting to me (admittedly, I am not the most technologically savvy person).  However, I have to say that after reading about the ways to cultivate an interactive classroom and the importance of teaching to “digital natives” in a way that has substantial meaning, I’m less intimidated about the need to create a “tech friendly” environment and more excited to take on the challenge!