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[threefifths2000]

Creating a growth mindset

We have a problem. I teach both entry level and post graduate cooking at the college level. 

Because our curriculum is set by SkilledTradesBC (Formally the ITA), we are bound as instructors to teach the material given to us, and then to assess with the exams and rubrics provided.

I fully understand the importance of this system. The goal of the federal government in Canada is to harmonize the skilled trades so that a graduate of a trades program in one province has the same level of education as a graduate in another region. 

I experienced the need for this when I graduated from cooking school in Quebec in 1995. I moved soon after to Banff, where my apprenticeship hours were not recognized by the province of Alberta. As a result I was not able to complete my Red Seal examination.

We’re in a new found phase of Canadian unity, and I do really hope that greater harmonization can be achieved, so that trades curriculums taught in one province will match those of another. 

That said, as a professional and an instructor, I want to foster a growth mindset in my students that goes above and beyond the simple contents of the curriculum.

I know it, and you know it. As instructors, we have students attending our classes just to pass. Our class that they are attending may just be a stepping stone onto something else. How do we change that? How do we develop curiosity, choice, ownership, and give our students a voice? How do we lead them down a path of a learner’s mindset?

Not yet

This is one of best things that I have taken from this current PIDP class. It’s the idea that learning is a path. Assessments are snapshots of progress along that path. Although a student may do poorly in an assessment along the way, it seems so important to me now to say “You will learn this skill, but you’re just not there yet.” I also mix in encouragement when working with students by saying “This is hard. It took me a long time to learn this skill, and it will take you some time also. But you will get there.” 

Failure as a tool

This is so important to me. We really don’t learn something if we get it right every time. Failure to me is just as important as the successes, and I will often mix that into my lesson plans. I will have most of the students prepare dishes the correct way, and then have a few students intentionally prepare things incorrectly so that we can compare. It works very well in the kitchen, and it emphasizes to the students why we do things the way we do.

Turn your trade into a creative art.

So this is an easy one, since I teach cooking. But I really feel that we can apply it to many trades. When we take a trade and treat it as a creative art, we push our students to develop a curiosity beyond the base curriculum. It gives them a personal voice. I will develop this idea further in my next presentation. 

Be authentic and have fun

More than anything, it’s important to me to have fun in the classroom and in the kitchen. I think that we can take the material too seriously and get bogged down in what has to be learned. I remember this well from my university days when instructors would run on auto pilot, simply delivering the information. Be yourself, keep it light, and have fun. 

[threefifths2000]

Conciliation and recognizing the past

Last night we went to see the stage production of the Sound of Music, directed by my dear friend Heather. She has been my anchor while I am learning to become a better teacher. She has kept me grounded when I have been replete with Imposter Syndrome. She has been teaching for many years, and I am in awe of her wisdom and forethought.

When she took on the role of director for this production we talked about the necessity for authenticity in this time of increasing fascism south of the border and in some European countries. Her desire was to remain true to the original text of Sound of Music, which included the use of the term Nazi, demonstrations of the sieg heil salute, and the showing of the Swastika. In her eyes these were all things that can not be forgotten, and need to be shown for what they are.

She received a lot of push back from the governance of the theatre, which felt that there is no place in modern stage plays to depict that.

In the end, the theatre directors must have won out, since none of those things were depicted in the production. Hitler was not mentioned. There were only vague references to "calls from Berlin", and "raising of the German flag".

In the program handed out was this:

"We are aware that the depiction of Nazis and Nazi symbolism can be triggering for all those impacted by the horrors of World War 2 - we felt we could not ignore them in this context. Ultimately the story is one of hope, and this cast does a brilliant job singing us into an ending that has the audience reflecting and cheering at the same time."

It was an amazing production. Was it right or wrong to not address Nazism on the stage? I'm still not sure. I am keen to talk with Heather again to see how the final decision was made.

It has all made me really reflect on cultural sensitivity and our need to address the past.

[threefifths2000]

The Skillful Teacher

I’ve been really struggling over the past few weeks. I’m enrolled in 2 different PIDP course, both with the same instructor.

Both courses have an assignment that involves researching a subject, then creating a presentation that is at minimum 25 minutes in length. One requires 5 sources, then other 10.

I gathered my materials, created a slideshow presentation, and recorded my voice going over the content. It came to 14 minutes. Shit. I added more material that didn’t really add to the quality, but stretched the time. I then spoke vvvveeeerrryyy slowly and watched the timer creep towards 25 minutes.

I did the same thing with both presentations. I completed the assignments, but i was angry.

I have learned both from my experience and from other PIDP classes that attention spans are short. Keep presentations short, concise, get to the point, leave them wanting more.

These assignments were the opposite of that. I was adding crap and talking more just for the sake of meeting the time requirements. It’s been really upsetting me. Am I the only one who feels this way? Other students seem to be turning in assignments and not expressing their frustrations with it.

I arrived at our campsite last night. We’re here for a week. I downloaded the audible version of the textbook The Skillful Teacher By Stephen Brookfield, and listened to the first three chapters. I almost cried. He was voicing exactly what I was feeling.

It’s OK to accept that a method of learning is not working for you. It’s also OK to realize a teacher’s expectations may be out of touch with reality. It’s not OK for a teacher to stand by their curriculum and not be responsive to the needs of their students.

I have felt a huge sense of relief today, letting go of the anger I’ve been holding on to. I’m formulating a long response to the instructor of the courses, laying out my issues. My hope is that he is responsive and can make changes to the program so that students like me do not feel so overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, this book is exactly what I needed right now. I’m looking forward to reading all of it. Thank you.

[threefifths2000]

Assessment Of Learning

As I talked about in my previous post, our assessments of learning are often dictated to us by a higher governing body. In my case, assessments are created by SkilledTradesBC. The rubrics, assessments, and study guides are provided by them. There is not much that we can change within this framework, except help our students to prepare as well as possible.

Assessment As Learning

At the college where I work we have a unique opportunity for students to prepare and serve food for the public at our bistro. The bistro is open daily for lunch, and is mostly used by students and staff. We doing have a growing crowd of locals who come for lunch. 

When I have students preparing food in the bistro I have them actively seek feedback from their customers. I direct them to ask open ended questions and not just something like “Did you enjoy your meal?” 

I have them ask questions like “What could improve on this meal?” That gives immediate feedback that students can implement right away. At the end of a service shift we go over this feedback and incorporate it into the next meal. 

This works on several levels. First, students are receiving feedback from someone other than me. Learning to cook is a lifelong journey, and I don’t always have the right answer. Second, students take feedback from their peers very seriously. It is great to students from different disciplines give feedback to students in the cooking program. Food unites them.

Finally, seeking feedback from the public build customer service and communication skills that are so vital in the service industry.

Volunteering

I am involved with several volunteer groups in Nelson. So is my wife. Every year we have about 5 volunteer events where we serve food. For all of these events I recruit students to help. It’s an amazing way for students, many of whom are international, to connect and be a part of a community event. Similarly to the lunch service in the bistro, students get feedback from the public and from me. This has been a great success.

Assessment For Learning

Finally, I use what I think of as a feedforward strategy by checking in on students after they graduate. 

Fortunately in Nelson many of our current and graduate students work in food service establishments around the city. I get the chance to visit them in these places, and talk about their experiences. I like to talk to them about how their learning at school relates to their skills at work, and where their work experiences will take them. 

All of this information can be folded back into our curriculum to make our program better and more responsive to the needs of the community. 

[threefifths2000]

The Science of Learning

Oh. I'm just wrapping up a digital media project on the Fluency Illusion, and I found this:

I would highly recommend it for anyone in a PIDP course. It talks about System 1 and System 2 learning, plus a lot of other valuable information.

[threefifths2000]

Changing demographics in Canada

CBC reported on the changing demographics in Canada here:

Millennials now outnumber baby boomers in Canada, StatsCan says | CBC News

Statistics Canada says there are now more millennials than baby boomers in the country, ending the 65-year reign of the post-Second World Wa

I teach at a post secondary college where foreign students compromise 34% of the intake.

Canada's current policy of allowing large numbers of immigrants has changed the demographics of the population, increasing the number of people in the workforce and driving down the average age in the country.

One of the biggest problems with an increasing population is housing, which stands now as a huge challenge to governments and communities.

[threefifths2000]

Using QR codes in the classroom

Sometimes I wake up with an idea, thinking that I'm a genius, only to do a bit of research and learn that my idea has been around for a long time.

In the teaching kitchen where I work we have lots of information posted around, but I need a way for students to look further. QR codes seem like the perfect solution.

For example, I have many YouTube playlists that I have curated, full of valuable information for learning students. I'm going to post QR codes that point them to these playlists so that they can watch videos on their own time.

I also have a photo sharing site where I post photos and videos of past classes. A QR code posted in the kitchen would give a link to this site, even if the student no longer has access to Moodle.

Here's a really good site that I found explaining some of the uses of QR codes in the classroom:

8 ways to use QR codes in the classroom - Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

By Tolulope (Tolu) Noah | August 10, 2022 Source: EDUCAUSE Review QR codes can complement the design of more interactive and engaging learni

And a great TED talk on the subject:

I had a great discussion with my classmate Dale regarding this very subject. We talked about how QR codes could be used for bring up service manuals, equipment logs, safety procedures, and more.

I experimented by posting a QR code on my office door with no explanation.

It links to a fun video that I produced some years ago. Without any prompting some students followed the link and had a good laugh. They encouraged others to follow the link and watch the video.

I'm really excited about using this new tool in the classroom!

[threefifths2000]

YouTube as a teaching tool

I use YouTube daily as a learning tool. It’s almost difficult to think back to a time before YouTube became my go-to tool for learning how to fix things. 

When I went to cooking school in 1993 our only sources of information were cookbooks, instructors, and textbooks. A normal path in the career of a professional cook was to work at as many different jobs as possible to learn from more experienced chefs. 

It all seems different now. I can learn techniques and skills online that I might never have been exposed to previously. 

Watching a video can never replace the hands on experience found in a kitchen, but I can prepare me with knowledge that sets me up for success.

I use videos as part of my teaching platform, because it allows students to review demonstrations and concepts at their own pace. 

I try to make my videos short, concise, without voice over, and with embedded subtitles. I have many students who speak English as a second language, and I find that this video format increases comprehension of the material.

Here are a few examples:

[threefifths2000]

Clarified butter vs ghee

I get asked this question often: “What is the difference between clarified butter and ghee?”

Whole butter is an emulsion of butter fat and milk. When whole butter is melted the emulsion breaks. The butter fat rises to the top, and the milk products fall to the bottom. The pure butter fat can then be separated using various methods. 

Many cooks like to separate out the butter fat from the whole butter (clarify), as clear butter fat has a higher smoke point. 

When whole butter is used to cook food, it will often brown or burn in the pan before the food is cooked. This is because the milk products in the butter burn at a fairly low temperature. 

When the butter is clarified and only the butter fat is used, the food can be cooked at a much higher temperature without the butter burning. This is very important when trying to caramelize meats and vegetables. 

What is ghee? Ghee is clarified butter, however, during the clarification process the milk products are heated and allowed to brown slightly. This imparts a nutty flavour to the butter fat. Spices may also be added to flavour the butter fat. 

Both clarified butter and ghee are butter fat without any milk products, and because of that, they are shelf stable. They can be held at room temperature without spoiling. It is the milk products in whole milk that cause it to go rancid when left at room temperature for too long.

Ghee has been popular in Indian cooking for a very long time, and was probably developed as a way to preserve butter without refrigeration. 

Personally, I think that whole butter has much more flavour than clarified butter. If you try eating toast with clarified butter instead of whole butter you will understand. However, when I am cooking eggs or sautéing vegetables, I use clarified butter because of its higher smoke point.