Tuesday, August 24, 2010

mmmmmmm....




So, the other night I was watching The Food Network and Giada's Weekend Getaway was on. On this episode she traveled to Texas. One of the meals she ended up having was a carrot cake french toast dish with pecan cream cheese frosting and maple syrup! Um... yum! I have been dreaming of this dish since I saw it, haha. You can be sure to see a new post when I finally make it! Can't wait. Here is what it looks like!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Delicious!!


I love strawberries. I also love frosting. Put it together and what do you get? Deliciousness! I recently tried to recreate the strawberries and cream breakfast dish that you can get at Magleby's. I think it turned out pretty good!

I used
-weight watchers creme cheese
-butter
-vanilla
and powdered sugar

Usually a frosting like this would be perfect for a cake or cinnamon rolls or whatever! But in an effort to make my strawberries in cream really healthy and light I added some milk. I also added just the tiniest bit of whipping creme. This made the frosting light and fluffy and oh soo good! I'm telling you. It is the perfect breakfast! And lunch! And dinner! Yum!

Confession...


I have a confession. For all of you out there that dislike the corny, send it my way! I recently discovered some good ole' nineties tv shows and man do I love them. I have watched the series "Christy" through twice now and I have made my way onto "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" and Season One of "Full House". Seriously though, what is there not to love? They might be a bit corny but they are actually GOOD shows. The people in them pray, have morals and are genuinely trying to be good people. I find it so refreshing!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Assignment #7

1. How have you used technology to contribute to some domain of knowledge?
In this class we learned how to create a blog as well as a website. These are great tools to be able to share with others new things we have learned, things we have found useful and things that we want others to know. I have been able to share my thoughts about teaching home economics with many of my classmates though these technology mediums. In turn I receive feedback from them that helps me to think of things in a new way and be more effective. I think over the course of this class the technology we have learned (google wave, youtube, blogs, website, videos) are all great ways to share knowledge with others. In specific I feel I have shared with others knowledge about teaching and about home economics through the technology we have become more familiar with in this class.
2. How have you used technology to collaborate with classmates?
In this class we were suppose to comment on each others blogs. I think this was a great way to collaborate. We shared ideas with each other and bounced ideas off of each other. We could see what someone else did and say, "I like that, but maybe I would change this or that". We also had a lot of group time in class to work with technology to collaborate. For example, last week we had to work together and collaborate in order to come up with a lesson plan teaching the 13th article of faith using technology. I was able to work with my classmates to come up with a plan using youtube, music and powerpoint. We worked together to use technology to our best advantage.
3. How might you use technology in your classroom?
I definitely plan on using a class website in my future classes. It makes things more convenient and clear. It is a great way for students to communicate with me, check grades and prepare for class and homework assignments. I also plan on using a blog and facebook to help me stay in touch with other teachers. It is my hope that having contact with past teachers and other teachers I know will help me become a better teacher. I can recieve inspiration and guidance from other teachers in order to help myself become a more effective teacher. In my own class I plan on using many forms of technology. I will often use a white board to write on. When talking about a specific food group I will probably use powerpoint as well as incorporate information from online sources like MyPyramid. I will also use things like youtube in order to show informational videos. I might even use movie making software to create my own video for my students to watch and learn from. There are so many different ways I plan on incorporating technology into my future classroom.
4. What did you learn in this class?
I think the main thing I learned in this class was to not be afraid of technology and to have confidence that I can learn to use technology. I think technology is great and can be very helpful in the classroom. But in order to implement it in the classroom you need to know how to use it! This class taught me how to go about learning to use a technology... looking on the internet, asking others, being patient and persistent. I learned so much about so many different technology mediums. I now feel much more prepared to use technology in the classroom.
5. What will you use that you have learned in this class?
In the future I plan on using a blog. I am now using google documents and google presentations for other classes and plan on using them in my future classes as well. In the future I am going to be making videos for my class as well as editing familiy videos. I now know how to use movie making software to be able to do this. I learned a lot about google wave. I can use this in the future to collaborate with peers, other teachers or even students about a certain situation. I also plan on using video chat for future situations, maybe a parent teacher conference, helping an at home student attend class or even just using it to speak to my family members across the country. I think that I will use everything that I have learned in this class really. It all pertains so much to not only teaching but everyday life.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Project #3:
For this assignment I originally planned to use a trial software program called CRON-o-Meter that I found online in order to create an assignment in which students would analyze thier daily intake and physical activity for a day. After talking to my brother I decided to look for a program that was online instead of one I had to download on my computer( my computer has issues and I did not think it was a good idea to download a random trial software program that I had never heard of). I came across Mypyramid. I thought it was awesome! Instead of using a program and then going to Mypyramid to compare you can just use one program (MyPyramidTracker) and compare everything right there. It was great and pretty easy to use. I just had to create an account and go from there. It was pretty self explanatory. I then created an assignment that would help my students familiarize themselves with MyPyramidTracker while analyzing thier food intake and physical activity for a day. I was able to log a day of food intake and physical activity for myself and then I complete the assignment on my own. It is my hope that after doing this they will have a greater awareness of what they are actually eating and putting into their bodies. After reflection and goal making I am hoping the students will have a new outlook on food and exercise and healthy living.
I am so glad I choose to do my project on this. It not only helped me familiarize myself with the wonderfulness that is MyPyramidTracker but it helped further ingrain in my mind nutritional information that I will need to know as a teacher. It also gave me a new motivation to be more healthy in what I eat and what I spend my time doing (meaning I should participate in more exercise). I feel that this assignment would be a great way for students to learn more about nutrition, diet, physical activity and the recommedations outlined on MyPyramid. With all of the fast food, entertainment and sweets kids are bombarded with I feel that this is an important thing to introduce to students in a Cooking class. They need to have a better understanding of health and its relation to food and exercise. They need to take an in depth look into thier own health practices in order to see where they can make changes and how they can do better (what recipes are healthy, what things should they avoid eating, what nutriets does this or that food contian, what is the best form of exercise?) .


Here is the assignment I made for my students:
Beginning Cooking Healthy Lifestyles Assignment (30 points)

A healthy lifestyle is something everyone aims for but it is very hard to obtain. In order to be healthy you need to eat right and exercise. Often we may think we are eating healthy and exercising enough when really change needs to be made. Eating healthy and exercising decreases your risk for heart disease, cancers, depression and other chronic diseases. The purpose of this assignment is to help you analyze and compare your own diet and physical activity practices with what they should be as outlined on mypyramid.gov. After reflecting on the comparison, you will answer a few questions and will be asked to set goals for yourself.

Step #1.) Keep a log of EVERYTHING you eat for a day. Also keep a log on the time you spend in physical activity. Be specific. If you have cereal for breakfast, write down what kind, how much, how much milk and how much sugar if you had any. Very detailed. If you eat a specific brand of food try to write that down as well. If you play basketball for half and hour write it down. Please do not write down only the time you spent participating in physical activity but what you were doing during that time. Keep this log in a safe place. You will not want to loose it. You will need it later on in the assignment.

Step #2.) This is when you are going to submit the data you collected in step #1. In order to do this you will need to create an account on Mypyramid.gov.
Go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/.
Then click on "My pyramid tracker".
Create an account so you can log in.
Once you have made an account and logged in, fill in your daily intake (this is everything you recorded during the day). When you enter the foods you ate make sure to click "serving size" so you can put in how many servings you ate.
When you are done entering your foods click "save and analyze".
Click "Calculate DG Comparisons". This will compare your statistics for that day against what you the Dietary Guidelines recommend you should be getting.

Answer the following questions:

1). How much of the following did you consume? (2 pts)
Grain? _________________
Vegetable? _____________
Fruit?__________________
Milk?___________________
Meat and Beans? ________

2.) What are the daily recommendations for you in the following: (2 pts)
Grain?________________
Vegetable?____________
Fruit?_________________
Milk?__________________
Meat and Beans?________

3.) What areas did you get too much? Not enough? How can you aim to have a more balanced diet? For example, if you consumed a lot more grains than necessary but not enough milk, what changes could you make to see that you meet the dietary guidelines particular to you? (2 pts)





4.) How much of the following did you consume? (2 pts)
Fat
Saturated Fat:______________
Cholesterol:_________________
Sodium:____________________
Oils:________________________
Discretionary calories:_________

5.) What are the daily recommendations for the following? (2 pts)
Fat:________________________
Saturated Fat:_______________
Cholesterol:_________________
Sodium:_____________________
Oils:________________________
Discretionary Calories: ________

6.) Did you consume above, below or in between the recommendations for fat, saturated fat and cholesterol? What food that you ate do you think contributed to this? What would be a good substitute for a meal instead of the food item that you ate that contributed to the too high or too low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol levels? If you found yourself within the recommendations for fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, Are the meals you ate typical daily meals? What are strategies you use to insure you eat healthy? (2 pts)




Step #3: When you are done looking at the Daily Recommendations click "Analyze Your Food Intake" then click on "Calculate Nutrient Intakes From Food"
Answer the following Questions:

7.) What was your total calorie intake? What is the recommendation? If you are over your recommendation, what can you cut out of your usual diet or substitute in order to bring it down. If your intake is within the recommendation, how do you plan to keep it that way? What kinds of foods keep calorie levels in a healthy range? If you are below the recommendation: Is this normal for you? Are you trying to lose weight? (2 pts)





8.) What was your total protein intake? What is the recommendation? What are some examples of good protein foods? (2 pts)






9.) What was your carb intake? _______________ What is the recommendation?_______________ Are you above or below the recommendation? What are some examples of carb filled foods? (2 pts)

10.) What was your fiber intake? ______________ What is the recommendation?_______________ Are you above or below the recommendation? What are some examples of fiber filled foods? (2 pts)

11.) Were you within the nutrient intake recommendations? What was an example of one you exceeded? One you did not get enough? How could you balance the intake levels of the nutrient examples you listed? (2 pts)

Step #4.) When you are done looking at “Analyze Your Food Intake” click on “Physical Activity Information” and click on “Standard”. Enter in all the physical activity you performed in the last 24 hours. You might not find the exact form of activity you participated so choose the BEST option. This is at your own discretion. Remember to click on “select duration” to set how long you performed each activity. When you are done click on “Save and Analyze” under “select duration”.

Answer the following questions:


12.) What is the “Physical Activity Assessment” given to you (Your points as well)? Do you think the physical activity you participated in was a good option? (2 pts)


13.) Is this exercise a typical daily occurrence? (2 pts)

14.) How can you work in more exercise into your day? (2 pts)

After analyzing your food and nutrient intake as well as your physical activity level, set some goals for yourself. It is hard to see change without goals.

15.) What are three things you can do to keep you on the right track, nutritionally and physically? (2 pts)


Here is the assignment completed by me:

Carli Fish's Beginning Cooking Healthy Lifestyles Assignment (30 points)

A healthy lifestyle is something everyone aims for but it is very hard to obtain. In order to be healthy you need to eat right and exercise. Often we may think we are eating healthy and exercising enough when really change needs to be made. Eating healthy and exercising decreases your risk for heart disease, cancers, depression and other chronic diseases. The purpose of this assignment is to help you analyze and compare your own diet and physical activity practices with what they should be as outlined on mypyramid.gov. After reflecting on the comparison, you will answer a few questions and will be asked to set goals for yourself.

Step #1.) Keep a log of EVERYTHING you eat for a day. Also keep a log on the time you spend in physical activity. Be specific. If you have cereal for breakfast, write down what kind, how much, how much milk and how much sugar if you had any. Very detailed. If you eat a specific brand of food try to write that down as well. If you play basketball for half and hour write it down. Please do not write down only the time you spent participating in physical activity but what you were doing during that time. Keep this log in a safe place. You will not want to loose it. You will need it later on in the assignment.

Step #2.) This is when you are going to submit the data you collected in step #1. In order to do this you will need to create an account on Mypyramid.gov.
Go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/.
Then click on "My pyramid tracker".
Create an account so you can log in.
Once you have made an account and logged in, fill in your daily intake (this is everything you recorded during the day). When you enter the foods you ate make sure to click "serving size" so you can put in how many servings you ate.
When you are done entering your foods click "save and analyze".
Click "Calculate DG Comparisons". This will compare your statistics for that day against what you the Dietary Guidelines recommend you should be getting.

Answer the following questions:

1). How much of the following did you consume? (2 pts)
Grain? _____________6 oz____
Vegetable? _________.30_C___
Fruit?_______________.60 C___
Milk?____________2.7 C_______
Meat and Beans? ___1.8 oz_____

2.) What are the daily recommendations for you in the following: (2 pts)
Grain?___________6__oz___
Vegetable?____2.5___C_____
Fruit?_________2____C____
Milk?__________3____C____
Meat and Beans?____5.5_oz___

3.) What areas did you get too much? Not enough? How can you aim to have a more balanced diet? For example, if you consumed a lot more grains than necessary but not enough milk, what changes could you make to see that you meet the dietary guidelines particular to you? Could you substitute one food item for something better? How could you include more of what you are missing in your meals? (2 pts)


There were not any areas that I got too much. I did not get anywhere close to enough vegetables or fruit. I got pretty close to my suggested milk intake. I also did not get nearly enough meat and beans for the day. In order to improve my intake of fruit I can eat a piece of fruit for breakfast and lunch instead of just dinner. In order to improve my vegetable intake I can plan to eat a healthy salad with carrots, romaine lettuce, celery and green peppers. I do not like meat and beans much but I could increase my meat/bean intake by adding chicken to my salad. It would make it more delicious and it would be good for me.


4.) How much of the following did you consume? (2 pts)
Fat________________23.1%_________
Saturated Fat:______10.1 %________
Cholesterol:_______54 mg__________
Sodium:________1731 mg____________
Oils:____________--____________
Discretionary calories:____--_____

5.) What are the daily recommendations for the following? (2 pts)
Fat:__________20 -35 %______________
Saturated Fat:____less than 10%___________
Cholesterol:______less than 300 mg___________
Sodium:__less than 2300 mg___________________
Oils:__________--______________
Discretionary Calories: ____--____

6.) Did you consume above, below or in between the recommendations for fat, saturated fat and cholesterol? What food that you ate do you think contributed to this? What would be a good substitute for a meal instead of the food item that you ate that contributed to the too high or too low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol levels? If you found yourself within the recommendations for fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, Are the meals you ate typical daily meals? What are strategies you use to insure you eat healthy? (2 pts)


I was pretty much in between all of the recommendations. I probably fall within the recommendations because I did not eat that much today. What I did eat packed a lot of calories and fat but because I did not eat a lot of it I stayed within the recommendations. My saturated fat level is just above the recommendation. The taco bell burrito probably contributed to this. I could instead substitute a salad or a Subway sandwich. This would decrease saturated fat levels. I was mainly within the recommendations. I would say the day was pretty typical. I try to make sure I am not eating too much, to insure I eat healthy. I know sometimes I can overeat when I am bored or just snacking. I really try to portion out what I eat. I think it is really helpful in helping me eat healthy.

Step #3.): When you are done looking at the Daily Recommendations click "Analyze Your Food Intake" then click on "Calculate Nutrient Intakes From Food"
Answer the following Questions:

7.) What was your total calorie intake? What is the recommendation? If you are over your recommendation, what can you cut out of your usual diet or substitute in order to bring it down. If your intake is within the recommendation, how do you plan to keep it that way? What kinds of foods keep calorie levels in a healthy range? (2 pts)


My total calorie intake was 1083 calories when the recommendation is 2053. I plan on keeping it within the recommendation level by eating healthy foods like whole grains and vegetables and fruits. I plan on not eating too many carbohydrates because they bring a lot of calories. I also plan to watch my fat and sugar intakes because they bring a lot of calories. Things like salads, fresh fruits and whole grain pastas and breads are great foods that I can eat to keep my calorie levels in a healthy range. I also need to watch my portions and only eat sweets in moderation.

8.) What was your total protein intake? What is the recommendation? What are some examples of good protein foods? (2 pts)


My protein intake was 54 grams. The recommendation is 46 grams. Some good examples of protein are nuts, legumes and meats like beef, chicken and pork.


9.) What was your carb intake? _____156__grams________ What is the recommendation?______130__grams_______ Are you above or below the recommendation? What contributed to this? What are some examples of carb filled foods? (2 pts)


I am below the recommendation. I am probably below because I did not eat that many carbs. I only had low carb cereal, some fruit and a tortilla. Grains are carb filled. Potatoes, pastas and breads are also great examples of carbohydrate filled foods. Sugar packed food items also usually contain a lot of carbohydrates.

10.) What was your fiber intake? ____13 grams__________ What is the recommendation?_____25 grams__________ Are you above or below the recommendation? What contributed to this? What are some examples of fiber filled foods? (2 pts)


I was above the fiber recommendation. The special K cereal as well as the blueberries probably contributed to this high fiber level. Some good examples of fiber filled foods are whole grains, fruits and soy beans.

11.) Were you within the nutrient intake recommendations? What was an example of one you exceeded? One you did not get enough? What do the nutrients you listed contribute to (for example, good eyesight or immunity) (2 pts)


I was mainly within my nutrient recommendations. One of the nutrients I exceeded was Vitamin A. I did not get enough of Vitamin E. Vitamin A supports vision while Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant.


Step #4.) When you are done looking at “Analyze Your Food Intake” click on “Physical Activity Information” and click on “Standard”. Enter in all the physical activity you performed in the last 24 hours. You might not find the exact form of activity you participated so choose the BEST option. This is at your own discretion. Remember to click on “select duration” to set how long you performed each activity. When you are done click on “Save and Analyze” under “select duration”.

Answer the following questions:


12.) What is the “Physical Activity Assessment” given to you (Your points as well)? Do you think the physical activity you participated in was a good option? (2 pts)


Good. I got 100 points out of 100. I think going on an elliptical as well as walking is a very good form of exercise. They both burn calories and they are very good for your heart. They also help to develop your muscles. If you build more muscles, you burn more calories on a daily basis.


13.) Is this exercise a typical daily occurrence? (2 pts)


This exercise is a typical daily occurrence. I try to exercise every day if possible.


14.) How can you work in more exercise into your day? (2 pts)


Instead of driving to work I could ride my bike or even walk. When I am on campus I can take the stairs instead of the elevator. I can also work in more exercise into my day by spending a little bit more time at the gym or even going on a quick run or jog if I have time.


After analyzing your food and nutrient intake as well as your physical activity level, set some goals for yourself. It is hard to see change without goals.

15.) What are three things you can do to keep you on the right track, nutritionally and physically? (2 pts)

1.) When I go to the grocery store I will try to avoid the sweets isle and instead buy more of the food items that are good for me like whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

2.) I will try to pack lunches instead of buying fast food that is unhealthy for you.

3.) I will also bring my exercise clothes to campus. That way I will not have an excuse to not exercise that day. I will plan time in my schedule to exercise.


Saturday, June 5, 2010

Assignment #6

I kind of had a difficult time looking online for tools I could use in my teaching. The challenge came in first decided what I was looking for and then finding free or trial versions. Here are some of the ones I found:

Now You are Cooking: This is a program that organizes recipes. You can create shopping lists as well as nutritional analysis. You can also import new recipes. This would be great for class because I will need to teach specific recipes for specific food categories. This program would have it all organized and ready for me to choose from. The nutritional analysis will also be great because it will help insure I choose healthy recipe options for my students. One disadvantage of this software is that it is only a 60 day free trial, so I would have to buy the software if I would want to use it for longer.
Quilt Software Demo Downloads: The other side of my teaching consists of sewing. One thing I would like to teach my students is how to make quilt blocks and eventually quilts. This will be very helpful because it provides me with demos that I can show my students. With a big class, it might be easier or more helpful for students to see and learn from the experience on a video demo rather than trying to crowd around me to see. One disadvantage of this software is that the person doing the demo might not be teaching or explaining things in a way that junior high students or high school students (people that have never sewn before) could understand.
SchoolLogic: This program allows you to enter all kinds of things like grades, attendance and tardies etc. This would be very helpful in class management. It would make me more effective as a teacher. If I can spend less time entering grades I can spend more time planning curriculum.

For my third project I have decided to have my students do an assignment where they keep track of what they eat for a day and then record it in a Diet Tracking system like CRON-O-Meter that I found online. This software allows you to put in the computer all the specifics you ate that day and then get a nutritional breakdown for your daily intake. I am then going to have the students analyze thier intake against what is recommended in MyPyramid. This way students can see what they are really eating (what is good for them and what isn't so good for them). For some this can be a wake up call. It is a great way to teach about the importance of healthy eating habits and good nutrition.

Being safe on the internet is very important. Looking for illegal things online and not being smart about what you click on can cause major problems- viruses, trojans and malware. It is also important to watch who you give personal information to. Information can be transmitted to unsafe hands over the internet. It is important not to give out information like addresses, passwords or social security numbers as it is possible others could get their hands on them and use them. I have had a couple bad viruses on my computer that caused me to loose lots of important information, papers, pictures etc. It is not fun. Being safe on the internet will help to save you the tears and all the trouble. This is something I have definitely learned for myself.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Live Video Chat!


For this assignment I choose to use Windows Messenger to participate in video chat. It is something I already use a lot in order to communicate with my family members. I love chatting with people especially when I can see them. It makes me feel like I am closer to them and it is much easier to talk to someone face to face than to type something to them and to try to communicate that way. One thing I did not like about the video was how it would sometimes get choppy and it would be hard to hear or see something for a second. It is not perfect. This type of communication would be very useful in classrooms. You could use video to have a special guest talk to the class or even to communicate with your class when you are out of town. It would also be great for video conferences with parents if absolutely necessary and there was no other alternative. On a different note, I am thrilled that I have finished my movie. It took a lot of time and a lot of work but it was worth it. I learned a lot of things in the process. One thing I learned was how necessary it is to plan out your movie. I was not as specific as I should have been in my plan. I underestimated how long each segment would be in my video. Because of this, a major chunk of my video was not even filmed because I did not have time for it. I am happy with how it turned out though.

My Class Video on Carbohydrates!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Assignment #4: My Video Plan

After looking through the Utah Core Curriculum for Family and Consumer Science Education I decided to talk about the nutritional values and functions of carbohydrates as well as teaching my students the proper preparation guidelines related to carbohydrates. In my video I will be teaching my students how to prepare pasta ( a carbohydrate). I will do this by showing my students just one way pasta can be prepared, into a wonderful dish: Mac and cheese.
So far I have spent a lot of time looking for pictures and sounds that are within the public domain that I can use. It has kind of been a challenge finding stuff that is really within the public domain. I have also worked out a storyboard for myself. This is what I have so far:
1.) Introduce myself and the topic, carbohydrates.
2.) What is the nutritional value and function of carbohydrates? Where are carbs found?
3.) On the topic of carbohydrates, I will be demonstrating how to prepare carbohydrates as I make a favorite carbohydrate dish, mac and cheese.
4.) To start the dish we need to cook the carbohydrates. How?
5.) Then we work on making the carbohydrates into a yummy dish (mac and cheese). First we start with a roux. What is a roux? Equal fat and flour.
6.) Show myself making the roux and when to know it is done.
7.) Show the final product. Yummy cooked mac and cheese.

I plan to get started filming my video soon, which I do not think will be bad at all. I think I might have a harder time editing it. I am not that familiar with macs or video editing software so I am sure I am in for a challenge. So far I would say I have spent about two hours on my project. I still have to film and compile and edit everything though so I am sure I have many more hours to spend on it.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Asynchronous video

I enjoyed having class via asynchronous video. I sometimes find it hard learning things on my own and figuring things out, especially when they come to computers. But, I have found that if I put in the time to search around the internet, I can usually figure things out. Although I really enjoy synchronized learning, this method wasn't too bad. In my experience I have found that others can really help me to learn as I collaborate with them and share ideas with them in class. It just seems more convenient to learn that way. Maybe I am just not used to asynchronous learning quite yet as synchronized learning is mainly what I am used to. I really enjoyed learning more about Personal Learning Networks this week and then working to turn my own blog into a Personal Learning Network. In order to do this I put links on my blog to favorite blogs as well as the blogs of my group members. I also incorporated my shared folder from Google Reader on my blog. Another way I helped turn my blog into a PLE was I linked important networking sites that I personally use to my blog (Facebook, Delicious). This way people can see ways to further connect with me and I can use these 2.0 tools to connect with others. It is a great way I can share ideas and input with others and others with me. For this assignment I also created a Youtube account and responded via video to the class video on PLE's. It was fun to record and post the video. It is yet another way to communicate and share ideas and knowlege with others. It was great!

Friday, May 14, 2010

My class website!!

Wow! This took a whole lot of time and a lot of work. I am very happy and proud of what I have accomplished though. Woohoo! Here it is ....

http://sites.google.com/site/lvhsbeginningcooking/home

Monday, May 10, 2010

Having a Class Website....

I am so excited that we learned how to create a class website in class this past week. I know it will be a very valuable tool for me to use as a teacher. One way a class website would really help me out in my classes is by holding information that I want my students to know. If they have a question about an assignment, what is coming up in the week or if they have a question for me, they can refer to the syllabus, calendar and about me information on my website. I think it is also a great way to make the learning experience more interactive as they complete assignments. On a class website I can post pictures about recipes we will be making and patterns we will be sewing. Students can refer to the website in order to prepare for class. I also think a class website would be a great way to let my students know how they are doing in reference to grades and the completion of assignments. It is also a great way for me to communicate with students. If I have something I would like them to know or look at and I do not have time in class to talk about it I can refer them to the website and it would all be laid out for them there.

Friday, April 30, 2010

As I have made this blog and pondered its usefulness and purpose I have been able to recognize many ways it will aid me and act as a resource in class. I am going to be a Home Ec teacher. Blogs are ideal for teaching and showing my future students interesting things I have found and want them to know or even for posting information on what we will be covering in class. I can show them pictures of the food or clothing items we will be working on or even play how-to videos I have made or found. I think this kind of interactive teaching will really help keep the kids interested as they learn. In my classes I will be teaching basic and intermediate sewing and cooking skills among other things. As I looked for websites to subscribe to I looked for websites that would help teach the basics. I found one website called Slipstiches that helps teach sewing basics. It presents information in a very clear way. I also found a website called Reluctant Gormet which gives lots of cooking basics and definitions. It even gives information on how to pursue an education in a food field. Using a RSS Feed Reader is very beneficial to me as a teacher. It helps save me time. If I subscribe to sites I am particuarly interested in and want information about the RSS feed will allow me to get the information I want quickly. I do not have to browse the web for hours. These RSS feeds are also great because they give me ideas on how to teach my students. They make me think and see things from someone else's point of view. This helps me search through the different options available to me (my own methods and results, others methods and results) in order to choose the best way to teach a subject or the best recipe/pattern to use.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I have a blog!

This is exciting!