Eating Animals

Do we as educators have a responsibility to properly inform our students how animal proteins are being raised these days and that the family farm is a thing of the recent past?  In fact, it is the image of the quaint family farm that corporations are leveraging to sell meat and fish to consumers.  I think we do and that is why I continue to recommend the books I have been reading to get an accurate picture of global production of fish, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and beef.  Sadly, much of what I read tells me that what we are doing to produce plentiful cheap animal proteins is polluting our planet and making us sick in the process -- which by the way I feel swine flu should not have been changed to be called H1N1 and called this horse by its color.

In Eating Animals, the author Jonathan Safran Foer takes the reader first through defining the terms that are bantered about when it comes to eating animals such as organic, PETA, kosher, KFC and more to make the points raised later in the book more clear.  He then gives a full analysis of the state of the corporatized businesses that bring us animal proteins and it is not a flattering picture -- even if 50% of what he writes is true in the way proteins are raised and slaughtered these days.

He also points out some of the ironies of those in today's society where people seek shampoo that's not tested on animals while at the same time buying meat that's produced in profoundly cruel systems.  Foer also turned readers on to a video on YouTube called as "Meet Your Meat."  It has video clips of animals being both raised in inhumane ways and slaughtered the same way.  I watched the video myself and had seen similar footage on other documentaries.  The thing I found most offensive was the savage ignorance of those who posted a response to watching the video similar to this one; "fuck the animals...all I care about is that there is a steak on my plate for dinner!"

Here are some other interesting factoids presented by the author which we should share with our students and call upon the corporatized meat factories to defend:
* Nearly one-third of the land surface of the planet is dedicated to livestock.
* Half of all layer chickens born in the United States -- 250 Million -- are destroyed each year because they had the misfortune of being born male.
* The average shrimp-trawling operation throws 80-90 percent of the sea animals it catches overboard, dead or dying as "bycatch".  In other words -- 26 pounds of other sea animals were killed and tossed back into the ocean to yield 1 pound of shrimp (so give that some thought next time you pick up a package of "wild caught" shrimp).
* Less than 1% of the animals killed for meat in America come from family farms
* Universities are complicit in the cruel treatment of animals as evidenced in the change of names of departments from animal husbandry to animal science.
* In a typical cage, egg-laying chickens get 67 square inches to live in and lay eggs, which is roughly two-thirds of a 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

I highly recommend this book for culinary arts and hospitality "educators" to read and reflect upon.  I also call upon us all to see if you can get to tour a hog producer or packer and watch the proceedings to see is what was written in the book is at all true.  I plan on calling Perdue which is just down the road from where I live in Indiana to see if I can get a tour of their chicken factory and will report back how it went.

In sum, once our students are properly informed as to the production of animal proteins these days we can leave it up to them as to how they will integrate meat and fish into their diet or the menus they will certainly manage in the future.  Perhaps we set aside our own ignorance and teach them to use meat and fish as a side dish and put vegetable creations at the center of the plate.

Are You Chillin' Over the Holidays?

Stressed again over the holidays? I hope not. This is the time to celebrate the holidays and recharge your batteries for the energy it takes to be an educator and administrator of culinary arts and hospitality education. To see the reasons you may have been stressed read the list of statements below and see how many you can answer “yes” because the more “no” answers the higher the stress.


1. I thought in advance what I want the holiday season to be like for myself, your family and friends.
2. I found some ways to quietly celebrate the holidays.
3. I set a budget for what I would spend on gifts AND stuck to it.
4. I gave of myself instead of through store bought gifts.
5. I found time to do activities that would refresh me to keep up with the busy holiday season.
6. I made a list of things to do during the holidays.
7. I focused on completing my holiday to do list after I made it out.
8. Take charge of your holidays in advance by making lists of things to do.
9. I recruited assistance from friends, family members or others to help with the chores that come with the holidays from cooking to cleaning to wrapping gifts and more.
10. I created a positive atmosphere to lift my spirits.
11. I tried to be myself instead of maintain a façade of what others might expect.
12. I established the number of visits and the duration of those visits with loved ones to maintain control of my schedule.
13. I did not use a holiday gathering to settle old scores with family members, friends, and others.
14. I recognized past losses of family and friends and stayed aware of how those losses my affect my emotions over the holidays.
15. I took time to enjoy those things that are meaningful to me during the holidays.

Hope you had lots of "yes" answers and perhaps those "no's" can be flipped to a "yes" next year for your sanity and the sake of those who are counting the days to sit before you and begin the spring term.

No, There is Nothing You Can Do Now...

Shame on me, I forgot to make a key change in my syllabus that would have stopped the parade of student lobbyists and lawyers trying to abjudicate a better grade than they had earned during the semester over countless assignments.  You know the drill, "Is there anything I can do?", "But it was that one assignment that I missed at the beginning of the semester that cost me an A, can't I make it up?"  "Can't I get attendance points for the classes I missed?"  Blah, blah, blah, blah.

The one thing I forgot to do this past fall semester was a tip I learned from another seasoned educator.  He has a policy in his syllabus that makes it clear that students have exactly one week to contend a grade or decision that was made that did not help their grade.  For example, when the first assignment is graded and handed back students have one week to challenge the grade if they thought is was low, etc.  If a student does not hand in an assignment they have exactly one week to get a chance to complete it (to no avail in my class unless advanced notice of missing the class where assignment is due with legitimate reason).  I think you get the point.

This policy, coupled with the contract that I have students all sign at the beginning of the semester that states they have read and understand the syllabus, should stem the flow of lobbyists and lawyers that make their way to my e-mail box or doorstep to plead for special treatment and end-of-semester mulligans.  I hope this tip works for you as well in the spring and promise to update you on how it worked out for me, too.

Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-Learning

There is a new e-journal entitled: Impact: Journal of Applied Research in Workplace E-learning that is now published at http://journal.elnet.com.au/impact

The inaugural issue, the theme of which is "Current issues and future directions in workplace e-learning: Mapping the research landscape", is a 'bumper' issue containing no less than 14 refereed articles written by authors from France, the UK, Ireland, the USA and Australia.

The publication frequency of Impact will increase to bi-annual in 2010, followed by quarterly in 2011 and subsequent years. Manuscript submissions are now being accepted via the online submission system for the first regular issue of the journal (Vol 2, No 1 - to be published in July 2010) - Please see the "About" section of the journal's Web site for information about the journal's focus and scope as well as detailed guidelines for authors.

The second issue of Impact in 2010 (Vol 2, No 2), which will be published in December, is intended to be a special, themed issue on the topic of e-learning evaluation and transfer. More details, including a formal Call for Papers, will be made available in early 2010.

I registered for free subscription and reviewed some of the articles. Although intended as an application in the workplace the information contained in the articles provides good information on learning and some of the applications could be suitable for culinary arts and hospitality education.  The full text of all 14 articles is available free once register at http://journal.elnet.com.au/index.php/impact/user/register.

The Editor-in-Chief is Mark J.W. Lee who is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Charles Sturt University, impactjournal@elnet.com.au

Student Hotel Sales Blitz

I spent the last two days in Chicago with 14 students doing a sales blitz for Sheraton.  If you have not taken students to do one I highly recommend it.  The first day usually is an orientation to the hotel and a nice dinner, which we indeed had at Shula's!  I can still taste the lobster.

Today kicked off with a 30 minute presentation by the GM to tell the students about his career and 3 important things the kids might consider doing to be successful. Next was the Director of Sales who talked about his 20 year career with Starwood and tips on what it takes to be successful sales manager.  Next was the director of HR and a presenation on hiring and retaining talent.  The morning presentations were followed by a catered lunch in the executive boardroom.

The sales blitz took place from 12:30 to 3:30.  The students were given a conference room with phones where they could sit and make calls to customers.  They are each given a script to use to talk to customers.  They are given call sheets to fill out and put down the information gathered in the call, such as if an event is being planned in Chicago, who does meeting planning, and so forth.  Then the students start making calls.  This is great for the students as they develop their phone skills in the selling capacity.  It is great for the hotel as the students can make hundreds and hundreds of calls in three hours.  In fact, I once had two groups of students do calls for a Marriott and they completed over 2,000 phone calls in two days.

If interested in learning more give me a call.  A sales blitz is a great way for students to get in touch with the hospitality industry in a sales capacity and even better if the students doing the blitz see themselves in sales and marketing.  Better still, the hotel picks up the tab for cost of transportation, lodging and meals while students are doing the blitz.

Blessed are The Good Students -- For Real

I love teaching and dread the end of the fall semester especially since it no sooner ends and the holiday season is ramping up or in full swind depending upon your religious persuasions.  The part I dread the most is the students who all of a sudden realize that they are oh-so-close to an A and if they could be granted attendance points for days they missed or given special extra credit or a chance to make up the assignments they blew at the beginning of the semester that would do the trick.  Alas, the scrooge in me says to each and everyone "there is nothing I can do for you as you did not take advantage of the means by which to get an A when the opportunity presented itself during the semester, much like those who will get an easy A for being more vigilant in their studies."  As I have learned, even the most rational, fair, ethical, articulate explanation given to students as to why there are no special deals and that the issue with a blown assignment in week 1 should have been resolved in week 1 if not by the end of week 2 and not during Week 15 of the semester is always met with "are you sure there is nothing that can be done to fix it, make it up, etc?"  To which I say again, No!

What troubles me is that it is the handful of students who try to lobby or cry their way to a next higher grade as well as those who will lie, cheat or steal that shapes my attitude toward all students.  It is difficult to get the small percentage of students who are not good students and want to win my favor for a grade they do not deserve out of my head and find the happiness that comes from the vast majority that simply show up, do their best, collect their B or A and move on to the next course.  Those are the kids we need to keep in mind when reflecting on how well the semester went because it cannot be judged by the handful of those who give us grief and blame their shortcomings on our teaching skills -- never of course they study habits, personal choices, lack of focus, and all the rest.

So this post goes out to all those kids that make me glad I am a teacher because they are in the majority and need to dominate my thoughts and feelings toward teaching; not the lobbyists and lawyers who show up at the end of the semester to be granted something they absolutely did not earn and do not deserve -- fake tears and all.

International Assoc of Conference Centers -- $5k Scholarship

The International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) has announced the opening for nominations for the 2010 IACC Conference Center Industry Award.  The scholarship has a monetary value of $5,000.  It is drawn from a fund dedicated to providing academic assistance to deserving students interested in careers in the conference center industry and is supported through generous contributions from IACC members and associated organizations.

Nominations are being accepted for undergraduate students in their junior or senior year, or post graduate level students from who educators feel would be exceptional prospects for the award.  Outstanding candidate's should meet the following criteria:
* Full-time, active students currently pursuing hospitality related degree.
* Minimum GPA of 3.3
* Demonstrate interest in pursuing career in conference center industry
* Not a previous winner

IACC accepts nominations for this scholarship only from a dean, department head or faculty member at the candidate's school. Applications must include:

* A letter of recommendation from a faculty member explaining in sufficient detail the candidate’s worthiness and verifying his/her GPA.
* A personal statement from the candidate, concisely describing his/her interests in the hospitality industry, his/her career goals, and stating why the student feels he/she is worthy of the award.
* A brief essay (approximately 200 words) on the subject “The role that conference centers will play in the future of the meetings industry.”
* The candidate’s resume.
* Any other information that would pertain to the award decision (e.g., involvement in hospitality related organizations, extra-curricular activities, internships/direct work experience).

For more information visit:
http://www.iacconline.org/internboard/index.cfm?fuseaction=Scholarships
 
Application materials must reach the IACC Office no earlier than January 1 and no later than February 5. Please send materials to Tejal Wallace, Member Relations Manager, International Association of Conference Centers, 243 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63141.

Popular EI Textbooks to be Available in Online Versions

For someone like me that is looking for ways to reduce, reuse, repair, recycle resources, the news from EI is welcome with online textbook versions.  I applaud the move to e-textbooks and hope you will give them a look and replace those heavy vestibules of information students are required to tote around now from place to place.

Your students will soon have the option to purchase selected hospitality management textbooks in an online version directly from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI). For about half the cost of a new print textbook, students can access an e-book with the capability to view one page or two pages at a time, zoom, bookmark pages, insert notes, print pages, search by keyword or page number, one-click access to the table of contents, and additional special features.


Available titles are:

• Hospitality Today: An Introduction by Rocco M. Angelo, CHA, and Andrew N. Vladimir, CHE

• Managing Front Office Operations by Michael L. Kasavana, Ph.D., and Richard M. Brooks, CHA

• Planning and Control for Food and Beverage Operations by Jack D. Ninemeier, Ph.D., CHE, CFBE, CHE

• Hospitality Industry Managerial Accounting by Raymond S. Schmidgall, Ph.D., CPA

• Hospitality Facilities Management and Design by David M. Stipanuk

If you would like to make this option available to your students, EI can provide you with a template e-mail that you can send out to them, which will direct them to EI's shopping cart where they can purchase the digital book for your class.

For more information or to request a demo, contact your account executive at 800-344-4381 or 517-372-8800.

2010 Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani/Giacomo Bologna Scholarship

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is now accepting applications for the 2010 Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani (GRI) /Giacomo Bologna Scholarship.  The NRAEF and GRI will award six recipients an all-expense paid trip to Italy under the auspices of GRI.

This trip, from New York to Italy, will include travel and lodging as well as educational culinary/wine seminars and viticulture workshops. Personal and incidental expenses are not included in the award.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to Italian viticulture and be a full-time, undergraduate student enrolled in a foodservice or culinary arts program.

To apply or obtain more information, please visit www.nraef.org/scholarships

If you have questions about this scholarship, contact the NRAEF Scholarship Program at scholars@nraef.org.

Applications MUST be postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 10, 2010

Student Self-Testing a Good Study Tool

As students begin the process of studying for finals here is some research on studying that may benefit them from a Purdue researcher.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - College students who pore over their notes again and again as they prep for finals could use their studying time more wisely, according to new learning research from Purdue University.


"We know that self-testing, which happens when students practice retrieving knowledge, drives learning," says Jeffrey D. Karpicke, an assistant professor of psychological sciences. "Students can really benefit from testing themselves as they study by using something as simple as flashcards. However, the key is to not drop a flashcard once you feel you have mastered the material. Keep it as part of your rotation and keep practicing retrieval of that information."

Karpicke found in his study that college students are more likely to invest their time in repetitive note reading, and those who do practice retrieval spend too little time on it.

"My research found that this happens because there is an illusion about how much a person is actually learning while they are self-testing," said Karpicke, who is a cognitive psychologist and memory expert.

The illusion takes root when students feel answers come to them easily as they practice testing. For example, students using flashcards to study may eliminate certain cards when they believe they know that material well.

"This is called retrieval fluency," he said. "If you practiced recalling information even a few more times, it would produce big gains in learning and long-term retention. The reason people don't keep testing themselves is because they are tricked by retrieval fluency. The answer comes to mind so easily the first time that they think they know it and drop the card from further self-testing. But this is not a recipe for good long-term learning."

The research findings appeared in last month's Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Karpicke conducted four experiments with 150 college students in various studying situations on Swahili-English vocabulary words. Students in each experiment learned vocabulary words from a computerized flashcard format, and then the conditions were varied based on studying techniques assigned by Karpicke or selected by the participant. The students returned a week later for final testing.

No matter if the students selected their own studying strategy or it was assigned, they all learned better when self-testing all of the material from the electronic flashcard format. Students didn't do as well on the final test if they dropped material as they learned it during self-testing.

The students whose studying techniques were assigned received computer prompts on what to study and even how to study it at times. Some of the students in the experiment could select how they wanted to study, and they were likely to drop the vocabulary words they felt they knew well. As a result, many could not remember the words when they returned a week later for the final test.

"What is surprising is that we know practicing retrieval by self-testing is really powerful, and yet people don't use it, or don't use it well," he said. "These are college students who are generally successful academically, so this just shows how powerful the illusion can be."

Source: Jeffrey D. Karpicke, 765-494-0273, karpicke@purdue.edu

The Limits of Academic Freedom

This article appeared in Chronicle of Higher Ed and worth reading.  I have edited out a couple of paragraphs but did not alter the content or the intent of this very important message. Enjoy.

Most of us in academe cherish the protections afforded by academic freedom, but too many are unclear as to its limits. I have known colleagues who believed that academic freedom allows them to say anything they want, to anyone, in any venue, or to engage in behavior that most observers would assume to be inappropriate in any other workplace.



In fact, academic freedom has been claimed as an excuse for the most abusive and uncollegial behavior—shouting at colleagues, publicly berating students or staff members, defaming supervisors or other university administrators, shirking professional duties. One colleague even told me that academic freedom would protect her even if she indulged in slander and character assassination. "So long as you believe that what you are saying is the truth," she said, "then you are fully protected by academic freedom." (Needless to say, what a person "believes" is hardly an appropriate defense for violating a law.)


Department heads have told me countless stories of how academic freedom has become the generic excuse for any number of irresponsible acts. One chair described a senior professor who missed a substantial number of her classes. When confronted with evidence of her absenteeism, she told her chair that as an academic she had the freedom to conduct her courses in any way she deemed appropriate.


"I tried to explain that as an employee she has certain contractual obligations and that academic freedom did not free her from those responsibilities," the department head explained. "But it took the dean and, finally, the provost to convince her that not only did she have no such freedom but that she would be jeopardizing her future employment if her absenteeism persisted."


Another department head said one of her professors managed to avoid teaching his course the entire quarter by assigning a graduate research assistant to "facilitate discussions." The professor never showed up in class after the first day. In effect, the graduate student was forced to teach the course in addition to carrying out her research duties. When undergraduates brought the situation to the department head's attention, the professor angrily insisted he was protected by academic freedom and threatened to sue if the chair pursued the issue.


The practice of citing academic freedom to condone a limitless range of bad behavior has begun to take on the flavor of that hackneyed student excuse: The dog ate my paper (or, nowadays, My computer crashed). The magical incantation—"I'm protected by academic freedom"—is thought to offer instant indemnity. In reality, academic freedom, like tenure itself, is not a blanket protection.


The modern concept of academic freedom has two meanings. First, it refers to the right of an institution to manage its own curriculum and academic affairs without governmental interference. Colleges may determine, for example, what subject matter gets taught and who can teach it; establish their own admission criteria and graduation requirements; and develop their own academic mission and priorities. That is an important feature of American higher education. It establishes a crucial separation of power that discourages government from dictating that universities adopt particular positions or promote specific causes, and it prevents government from using educational institutions as part of a propaganda apparatus.


The second meaning of academic freedom involves the concept that faculty members may engage in research on controversial subjects (and, by extension, discuss those subjects in their classrooms) without fear of reprisal. This refers specifically to academic subjects and is not a blanket protection for any and all speech in any venue. As the AAUP's well-known statement on academic freedom cautions, professors "should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject."


The distinction between speech related to one's discipline, on the one hand, and utterances about extra-disciplinary matters, on the other, is key to understanding academic freedom. Without the protections afforded by academic freedom, some scholars might fear for their jobs were they to challenge treasured assumptions in their fields, oppose well-established intellectual traditions, rewrite commonly accepted historical narratives, create artistic works that offend some sensibilities, or conduct scientific experiments that run counter to some people's ethical codes.


Academic freedom, then, facilitates scholarship and teaching by eliminating that concern over personal safety. Institutions benefit from the system because their faculty members may go on to produce groundbreaking work that brings greater distinction to the institutions. But a college or university has no comparable incentive to protect extra-disciplinary speech because such discourse is peripheral to the normal workings of the campus.


Because academic freedom is specifically intended to foster the free exchange of ideas within a community of scholars, it does not protect us from other types of utterances and behavior, such as slander or libel, bullying co-workers, lying on a curriculum vitae, or conducting one's classes in irresponsible ways.


The AAUP reminds us that as professors we are both private citizens and officers of our institutions. When speaking as citizens (perhaps at a political rally, say) we should be immune from being disciplined by the institution for our speech, but when speaking in our unique capacity as representatives of the institution—as scholars and teachers in our disciplines—we have an obligation to exercise caution in what we say and how we say it. In the latter role, according to the AAUP, our "special position in the community imposes special obligations" because our words are likely to be construed to represent the official position of the institution rather than our own personal views.


Some people confuse the constitutional concept of freedom of speech with the less grandiose notion of academic freedom, but they are two distinct concepts. Academic freedom is limited to the confines of academic discourse while free speech is a broad constitutional right central to our democratic system of government.


But even free speech has its limits. The constitutional right of free speech is not meant to protect each and every utterance regardless of context (yelling "fire" in a crowded theater when no such danger exists, engaging in "hate speech," or threatening a police officer). It is intended to protect you from being incarcerated by the state for expressing your views.


Academic freedom is a right we should all cherish because it ensures an environment of free inquiry. That is precisely why we must guard against attempts to make the concept so limitless, so capacious, that it loses its power to protect the academic enterprise. When academic freedom becomes all things to all people, then it becomes nothing at all.


Gary A. Olson is provost and vice president for academic affairs at Idaho State University and co-editor, with John W. Presley, of the newly published "The Future of Higher Education: Perspectives From America's Academic Leaders" (Paradigm). He can be contacted at golson@isu.edu.

A Penny a Calorie

While others are whining about local, state, and federal government moving to require restaurants to list the calories of their menu items I am impressed with KFC launching its promotion of 395 calories for $3.95.  This is a cutting edge promotion that could turn the industry on its ear the way that the value menu did when first introduced by Taco Bell.  The campaign even out-markets Subway, a sandwich chain that has long advertised its low calorie menu items especially through its iconic Jared -- who alledgedly lost hundreds of pounds on his Subway diet many years ago when a student at IU.

Our students can learn much from such a bold maneuver on the part of KFC that hits two market trends -- eating healthy (grilled chicken) and counting calories.  The KFC campaign would be great to discuss in a marketing or business development class as to its potential to stimulate sales at the lunch daypart and how other independent and chain restaurants can be more authentic in their advertising.

A Paradigm Shift in Higher Education?

This article originally appeared in the November/December 1995 edition of Change magazine. It has created considerable discussion on educational listservs and has prompted numerous requests for reprints in newsletters. This one page is an introduction and overview.  It was written by Robert B Barr, director of institutional research and planning and John Tagg, associate professor of English at Palomar College, San Marcos California.  Below is a synopsis of the full article for your reading and thinking pleasure.

From Teaching to Learning ~ A New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education

A paradigm shift is taking hold in American higher education. In its briefest form, the paradigm that has governed our colleges is this: A college is an institution that exists to provide instruction. Subtly but profoundly we are shifting to a new paradigm: A college is an institution that exists to produce learning. This shift changes everything. It is both needed and wanted.

We call the traditional, dominant paradigm the "Instruction Paradigm." Under it, colleges have created complex structures to provide for the activity of teaching conceived primarily as delivering 50-minute lectures-the mission of a college is to deliver instruction.


Now, however, we are beginning to recognize that our dominant paradigm mistakes a means for an end. It takes the means or method-called "instruction" or "teaching"-and makes it the college's end or purpose. To say that the purpose of colleges is to provide instruction is like saying that General Motors' business is to operate assembly lines or that the purpose of medical care is to fill hospital beds. We now see that our mission is not instruction but rather that of producing learning with every student by whatever means work best.


The shift to a "Learning Paradigm" liberates institutions from a set of difficult constraints. Today it is virtually impossible for them to respond effectively to the challenge of stable or declining budgets while meeting the increasing demand for post secondary education from increasingly diverse students. Under the logic of the Instruction Paradigm, colleges suffer from a serious design flaw: it is not possible to increase outputs without a corresponding increase in costs, because any attempt to increase outputs without increasing resources is a threat to quality. If a college attempts to increase its productivity by increasing either class sizes or faculty workloads, for example, academics will be quick to assume inexorable negative consequences for educational quality.


Just as importantly, the Instruction Paradigm rests on conceptions of teaching that are increasingly recognized as ineffective. As Alan Guskin pointed out in a September/October 1994 Change article premised on the shift from teaching to learning, "the primary learning environment for undergraduate students, the fairly passive lecture-discussion format where faculty talk and most students listen, is contrary to almost every principle of optimal settings for student learning." The Learning Paradigm ends the lecture's privileged position, honoring in its place whatever approaches serve best to prompt learning of particular knowledge by particular students.


The Learning Paradigm also opens up the truly inspiring goal that each graduating class learns more than the previous graduating class. In other words, the Learning Paradigm envisions the institution itself as a learner- over time, it continuously learns how to produce more learning with each graduating class, each entering student.


For many of us, the Learning Paradigm has always lived in our hearts. As teachers, we want above all else for our students to learn and succeed. But the heart's feeling has not lived clearly and powerfully in our heads. Now, as the elements of the Learning Paradigm permeate the air. Our heads are beginning to understand what our hearts have known. However, none of us has yet put all the elements of the Learning Paradigm together in a conscious, integrated whole.

For those who might like a copy of the full article please send a request to Mick La Lopa at mlalopa@fooded.org

Enhanced Insights on Bloom's Taxonomy

Francine Glazer, Assistant Provost and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning New York Institute of Technology has compiled a handout on the revised Bloom's taxonomy, using material from a variety of sources to share with educators.  The handout she compiled includes lists of verbs that map to each taxonomic level, a sample objective and test question, and a short list of digital tools that one could use for activities addressing that cognitive level.

If you review and have suggestions for improvements she is happy to get feedback via e-mail to mail to: fglazer@nyit.edu

The updated link for pdf or word version of these documents is available as of 12/16/90 at:
pdf version: http://bit.ly/5A7xyW
word doc: http://bit.ly/5y38fA

Let me know your thoughts and I will be happy to share no a future blog post.
Also, did you like the pun intended in today's graphic?

Culinary Forecast Menu Trends for 2010

This just in from my Restaurant.Org e-mail service!

The National Restaurant Association’s annual survey of more than 1,800 professional chefs -- members of the American Culinary Federation -- reveals that local sourcing of ingredients, sustainability and nutrition will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010. Locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability, mini-desserts and locally produced wine and beer top the list of nearly 215 culinary items in the “What’s Hot in 2010” survey. Rounding out the top 10 trends are nutritious kids’ meals, half-portions, farm-branded ingredients, gluten-free/food-allergy conscious meals and sustainable seafood.

Check out full report by visiting:
http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/social_media_whats_hot_2010.cfm

Or, if want to access summary report in pdf version visit:
http://www.restaurant.org/pdfs/research/whats_hot_2010.pdf

Monday Motivator

Perhaps you need some motivating after the Thanksgiving break.  I know I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the work that is at hand to wind down the semester.  Perhaps the following resource may be of interest to you or someone you know.

The Monday Motivator, managed by Kerry Ann Racquemore, is described as:
The Monday Motivator is a weekly e-mail message that provides advanced graduate students, post-docs, and new faculty with an electronic dose of positive energy, good vibrations, and a weekly productivity tip. The purpose of the weekly message is to reinforce the core ideas presented in my workshops and provide support for individuals who are making the transition from graduate student to professor.

To sign on for the weekly e-mail motivators, and check out the other resources at the website, visit:
http://www.newfacultysuccess.com/TheMondayMotivator.en.html

A quick review of the site found it to be a good resource for new -- perhaps seasoned -- faculty.

Scholarships for Students from Marriott

The Marriott Scholars Program is currently accepting applications from students in the hospitality management, hotel management, culinary, or food and beverage fields. Scholarships cover a student’s full tuition up to $9,000. Deadline to apply is February 16th, 2010.

For more information AND to apply, please go to http://scholarships.hispanicfund.org/Marriott

If you have any questions, please contact Auri Duarte at aduarte@hispanicfund.org
Application Deadline: February 16th, 2010
Individual Awards: Full Tuition up to $9,000

Eligibility Requirements – Each student must…
• Be of Hispanic/Latino heritage
• Be U.S. citizen or permanent resident residing in the United States or Puerto Rico
• Plan to enroll as a full-time undergraduate student during the 2010 – 2011 school year in an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. with a hospitality management or culinary program.
• Plan to pursue a degree within the hospitality management, hotel management, culinary, or food and beverage field
• Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale

Selected Students Will Benefit from:
• A full renewable scholarship, up to $9,000 to cover tuition and fees
• Internship opportunities with Marriott International
• The opportunity to win a trip to Washington, D.C.
    - Network with influential leaders and executives
    - Learn career skills through workshops and mentoring
    - Attend the Annual Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Awards Gala

Serve Fast Food on Thanksgiving

I subscribe to Wired magazine and recommend it highly as a way to keep pace with the rapid changes of technology and its myriad of applications in the world.  The title for this blog post is the same as an article that appeared in Wired this month.  The Thanksgiving idea was from ErikTrinidad and his Fancy Food blog which can be viewed at: http://www.fancyfastfood.com/

In fact, a quick visit to the blog shows a wide range of high end dishes made with simple ingredients from various fast food places.  The Thanksgiving dinner was fashioned out of corn dogs to make turkey legs, mashed potatoes by pulsing french fries, cranberry sauce from donut filling, and arranged as usual on the plate.

This would be a great creative thinking activity for students to have them forage menu items from fast food restaurants and create gourmet looking and tasting dishes.  All you would need to do is have them review the fast food menu located near campus and select items that could be used to make gourmet dishes, send them to collect, prepare, and then present to the class.  It might be more fun if the class was not told the ingredients to make them guess which items came from which fast food joint to make the dish!

National Toilet Day

Today is National Toilet Day, as proclaimed by the World Toilet Organization.  World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non- profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide (http://worldtoiletday.com/).  This is really no joke or laughing matter here in the USA and elsewhere in the world.  In truth, 2.5 billion people worldwide are without access to proper sanitation, which risks their health, strips their dignity, and kills 1.8 million people, mostly children, a year.  Even the world's wealthiest people still have toilet problems - from unhygienic public toilets to sewage disposal that destroys our waterways. 

Another reason that we should bring this to the attention of our students is that the average person goes to the toilet between six and eight times a day. Of the 69 gallons of water Americans use per person per day indoors, 27% (18.5 gallons) goes to flushing -- more than on showering or laundry or any other single activity, says the American Water Works Assn.  And while we flush 69 gallons of water down the toilet there are tens of millions who do not even have access to clean drinking water let alone a decent toilet.  It is also time for students to realize how much water can be wasted in a hotel or foodservice operation if the toilets are not functioning properly, leaking, or in constant use like those at a conference hotel which can impact a business that runs on tight margins.

Green Coca-Cola Bottles

I heard great news today!  Consumer demand and the trend toward sustainability has led to the announcement by Coca-Cola to launch a line of bottles made with plant-based materials.  This action on Coke's part will significantly reduce the amount of plastic used in their products. The new PlantBottles blend as much as 30% plant-based materials derived from sugar cane and molasses with conventional petroleum-based materials. The bottles will first appear in West Coast cities, Denmark and Western Canada, though the company aims to move to worldwide distribution and, eventually, bottles made entirely of plant-based materials.  You can read the article at:
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2253260/coca-cola-launches-plastic

Ideas for Reducing Food Waste

I have finished reading the recently released book, Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal by Tristram Stuart and highly recommend it.  The book is a comprehensive analysis of the production of food (by land and sea) from the farm to the table and the obscene amount of waste that occurs as a result.  Some of the facts and figures having to do with food security was questionable until I read my local newspaper today that reported on the USDA estimating that 1 in 7 households are battling hunger in the United States of America!  To put that in perspective, it means that 49 million people (or 14.6% of US households) are battling hunger in our country while we worry about those elsehwere on the planet.  What is worse is that 1 in 4 children in our country lives on the brink of hunger!

So what to do?  Here are some small steps that some have taken to discourage wastefulness of food while others around us are going hungry.  One restaurant (unnamed by Stuart) in East London charges customers 2.5 sterling (approx $4) that gets donated to Oxfam if they fail to finish their dinner.  Another unnamed restaurant in NYC has a similar scheme.  Another unnamed restaurant in Chicago reduced its portion sizes but will supersize for free those who request it if people ask them to do so at no extra charge.

The old world chefs lived by the waste not, want not credo and it is time we reinstill that value in today's students and hopefully the communities of which we are a part.

Obesogenic Environment

I ran across a new term today in the latest book I am reading by Darrin Nordahl (2009) entitled Public Produce which lays out the argument of how public lands may need to be used to grow food for communities if the agribusiness trends continue.  A term that appeared as the author was sharing data on how given the choice between spending $1 on a 400 calorie burger or a fresh peach those who live in impoverished areas will pick the burger to "get more for their food dollar" and that is indeed true when looking at the high obesity rates in the US.  Access to fast food over fresh food in far too many American cities has led the Center for Disease Control to label the American society as "obesogenic" which is a condition resulting from "environments that promote increased food intake, nonhealthful foods, and physical inactivity."  This claim is not so ridiculous when the data are presented as Nordahl is doing in his recently published book.

The question to all of us today is, "what are we going to do about it?"  Are we doing outreach in impoverished neighborhoods to show people how to eat better on tight budgets?  Are we active in our own classroom trying to motivate students to do their part and make a difference?  Or, is it business as usual as we condone the business practices of the fast food industry which may be profitable but at a cost to the American society, especially taxpayers who have to underwrite the ignorance of consumers and the greed of producers?  I know that I am doing my part by bringing disturbing trends to the awareness of my students.  I do not "warm up" to fast food merchants interested in hiring students.  I certainly do not support these businesses in my community.  The truth be told, if we do not stand up and do the right thing our industry will continue to pedal its crap to cash strapped ignorant consumers and instead promote local, healthy alternatives.

If wanted to read an article on obesogenics in the Public Health Nutrition Journal check out:
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FPHN%2FPHN12_03%2FS1368980008002450a.pdf&code=e65b3c61318146d7e051a6bcc1b17fc3

Here is the intro to that paper which may inspire you to read further:

Understanding the determinants of diet and physical activity behaviour and how to measure them are necessary either in intervention studies or in policies aimed at the prevention of obesity. Environmental change is a prime driver of the obesity epidemic, a phenomenon termed the ‘obesogenic environment’(1,2). Worldwide we are experiencing a rise in food availability, food accessibility and sedentariness, which are all factors tightly coupled to overall economic growth and development.  More specifically, obesity has been causally linked to the high consumption of soft drinks(3), large portions of energy-dense fast foods(4), skipping breakfast, television viewing, low degree of physical activity and low intake of fruits and vegetables(5,6). These factors are behavioural and can be addressed through health education directed at individuals or groups. Unfortunately, such efforts have not shown much success(7,8)...

Marriott Plans Major Green Initiative

Marriott plans to add more than 450 green hotels during the next five years, a 1,000% expansion of the company's more efficient designs. Each green hotel saves the chain $100,000 in upfront costs, can be designed six months faster, and reduces water and energy consumption 25%. The company's first green hotel will open next summer in Pittsburgh.

According to Treehugger, It looks like Marriott's green hotel trial program has been a resounding success--so much so, that over the next five years, the company plans on expanding its green hotel initiative by 1,000 percent. A new green design will now be embraced on over 450 upcoming hotels--and the plan will save the company $100,000 dollars on each hotel, cut water and energy consumption by 25%, and shave 6 months off the required design time.

To read more visit:
www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/marriott-expand-green-hotels-1000-percent.php

Mathmetical Themed Comics

This was on a listserv I am on from one of the participants, Ted Panitz, from Cape Cod Community College, today.

For a numbers of years I saved comic strips dealing with math and learning/teaching concepts, problems and conundrums. In particular I was impressed with how much comic strip writers understand about our math anxieties and how you can play with and manipulate math concepts. When I started i thought i would find a few but as you will see there are an incredible number of strips and they still keep coming.


I like to share these with my students to make a point about their attitudes or approaches to learning. I have put them on my web site at: http://tpanitz.jimdo.com/ted-s-clean-jokes-file/comics/

I flipped through some of them and they are pretty good and may assist you in your efforts to teach math to culinary arts and hospitality students.

Report on "Greening Retail"

There is a recent report on the green efforts of retailers such as Tesco, Wal-Mart, Woolworth and other global brands.  If doing research on green efforts in foodservice this research could be good as part of a literature review to establish benchmarks or best practice comparisons.  The report was produced by a sustainability expert Wendy Williams, and located on the blog for the National Retail Federation.  If you want a synopsis of the report based on an interview with Ms. Williams visit the blog:
http://blog.nrf.com/2009/11/04/sustainability-expert-wendy-evans-discusses-greening-retail/

To view a copy of the report visit:
http://www.greeningretail.ca/Research/1526-GreeningRetailSummary-Oct21_SM.pdf

Of course, the thing that bothers me the most is that unlike the retailers mentioned in the report, restaurants keep doing things like pumping packaging out the door that cannot be recycled or offer the customer an opportunity to purchase a reusable bag for their take out order.  Or, the bags are not offered for those who want to take home a doggie bag so that when the customer returns they can take their leftovers home in their own bag which cuts down a restaurant's costs on paper and plastics for those who cannot finish a meal that is three times the normal portion size.  Hell, I still get things to go in styrofoam containers!  But of course, these things do not come to mind in the foodservice industry especially when you have complete and utterly corrupt lobbyists like Rick Berman fighting to keep restaurants stuck in the past instead of running a modern day sustainable restaurant, let alone any, hospitality business.

Refreshing Indeed!

I am in the UK doing tourism research.  I always make it a habit of checking the local markets and the city market in Cardiff. It is refreshing to be in a culture that does not think beef and pork are only the tender and less tender muscle cuts.  A wander through the local market finds the beef monger displaying wares that include every single piece of an animal that can possibly be eaten like the brains, hearts, tongues, and more.  Seeing the whole pig in a display case from the tales to the head is also refreshing.

I have to ask those of us in culinary arts and hospitality education what we are doing to promote the muscle and offal of animals for public consumption, starting in the classroom and portrayed on the Food Network.  The complete and utter waste involved in growing and processing a living being and using a small percentage of the carcass is something we have to turn around.  We are a nation of immigrants who all used to eat every bit of an animal and now we eat so much less increasing the waste I just mentioned.

So please do your part to restore the virtues of home economics in our students and get them to cook and enjoy the whole animal.

By the way, I enjoyed my first taste of razor clams today.  What a treat and offered here in the fish market.

National Coffee Association

For you coffee fans out there, here is a resource with lots of information about the National Coffee Association, that has the following mission statement: "We serve the public and our members by championing the well being of the coffee industry within the context of the global coffee community."

According to its website:
The National Coffee Association of USA was founded in 1911, one of the earliest trade associations formed in the United States and the first trade association for the U.S. coffee industry. Since that time, the NCA has helped American coffee companies through some of the most volatile periods in the nation's history, including two world wars, a depression, a cold war and numerous frosts, strikes and cartels, not to mention a wide range of consumer trends in the U.S. coffee market.

That success is based on the Association's ability to respond to external issues, wherever and whenever they arise. Whatever issue has impacted the coffee trade, the Association has represented the U.S. coffee industry before the legislative and executive branches of government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Trade Representative's Office, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Congressional committees. Equally prominent has been the profile of the NCA in the international arena, advancing the American coffee industry before international trading organizations and with more than 50 coffee producing nations as the national voice of the U.S. coffee industry.

This website could prove useful for students doing projects involving coffee.  The Members benefits could also be good for faculty doing research on coffee given the trend statistics in the coffee market that they capture.

You Keen on Green?!

GreenBiz.com™, Business Voice of the Green Economy, is the leading source for news, opinion, best practices, and other resources on the greening of mainstream business. Launched in 2000, its mission is to provide clear, concise, accurate, and balanced information, resources, and learning opportunities to help companies of all sizes and sectors integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that supports profitable business practices.  It is really an extensive site for those who have been and now finally getting on board the Green wagon, as it were.  Check out: http://www.greenbiz.com/

Greed Breeds Bad Managers

So, my oldest daughter tried another job in foodservice.  She was working for dining services for a local elder care provider (which was a nursing home in my day).  Anyway, the gentemen who hired her did a great interview to determine if she was first the kind of person who could cater to the elderly.  Her ability to wait tables was secondary.  She got proper training in her job as server and the boss had a good sytem in place for employees to be able to implement their training.  Scheduling was also fair and easy to discern in terms of the days and times each employee, like my daughter was to work.  There were also policies in place for changing shifts with other employees in the event life happens while busy making plans for work.  The boss even thought it would be better to give the servers chef coats to make them look more professional and connected to the kitchen.  So far so good, until that manager moved on to another job.

ENTER THE NEW ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The director of the elder care facility obviously did not use any sophisticated techniques for hiring a replacement for the former manager.  The new boss turned out to be a total jack ass!  All the positive traits and characteristics noted above that made the former boss someone that was easy to work for were non-existent in the new boss.  From day one the new manager went in and started making changes in every way possible WITHOUT having a clue as to whether or not those systems were functional.  First on the list of changes was a new scheduling format that took a Ph.D. in logistics to interpret.  Next was his attitude toward the servers as servants and not people who were in the primary care business.  I could go on and on about the things this jackass did to make a decent job one that sucked but the point of the story is that yet another person gets turned off to foodservice due to someone who is a complete jerk.  As a result, the staff is now experiencing turnover from not only my daughter but other employees with tenure.

My daughter is now in a retail environment for a local independently owned eclectic bookstore in the beads and crafts area.  Being an artist herself this seems to be working out for her so far although only learning to run the register before getting out into a service position interacting with customers to help them make decisions.

...and here is what she has learned about the industry we know and "love."  Foodservice is a place where sexual harassment takes place (her first restaurant job) and the boss is an asshole (elder care).  Sadder still, there is plenty of research that makes it clear that this situation is the norm in independent and chain restaurants and yet as long as miserly owners/investors make their pretty penny they will not give two shits for the staff -- even as they smile through their fat faces that "people are our greatest asset."  If far too many in greedy bastards in foodservice really cared about turnover and the image of our industry they would be more ethical!  My daughter is never to return, just like the sons and daughters of others. 

Just had another story to share.  I have a friend that worked for a large convention center.  The owners expected a certain (inflated) profit out of the operation he managed each month.  If he were off by a mere 1% he was beaten up for not hitting his targets even though the profit being made was obsence by anyone's standards.  That was their one benchmark on his performance -- profit.  I doubt job satisfaction and low turnover were a factor in any way shape, form, or manner.

My Son Learned Group Work Sucks!

My son is a good student.  He goes to class, pays attention, does his homework and anything else he can to earn an A for his efforts.  He was well on his way apparently to accomplishing that goal until my wife got his report card on parent/teacher night.  As it turns out, he got six "A's" out of eight classes.  The one "B" he got was in math as he adapts to a new teacher and challenging subject which he was cool with cuz it meant he has to work harder and ask questions for clarification.  The "B" that did trouble him was in his science class due to a low grade on a GROUP PROJECT.  As it turns out, my son did his part of the project and did it quite well because he checked with my wife and I as to the quality of his work.  We agreed he had done his best and helped his team by doing his part.  On the other hand, his team mates did not have the same commitment to their part of the project and the team got a "B" as well and that dropped his grade enough in the class to earn a "B" at this point.  The kicker is that my son tried to control his destiny by motivating his other team members to do their best.

When all is said and done, here is what my son learned from his science teacher, GROUP WORK SUCKS! and there are slackers in the world that do not have the same dedication to their studies as he does.  I believe that was not in the lesson plan for the group project but a result of it nonetheless.  Of course, the science teacher is all "fat, dumb, and happy" that he had the kids work together on a project.  And has YET to ask my son about his experience in that situation which would make him the wiser when it came to assigning future group projects -- or so one would hope. 

So here is my question today.  Are you that science teacher?  Are you doing anything at all to enable students to have a successful experience when working in teams or do you just drop that assignment off on them without any guidance from the beginning to the end. If so, you are teaching what my kid learned in middle school this week -- GROUP WORK SUCKS!

The Meatrix

I hope that many of you are opposed to factory farms.  The substandard treatment given animals today to put meat and dairy on the table is inexcusable.  To stimulate class discussion there is an animated series called the Meatrix that speaks to factory farms and an accurate depiction of far too many producers in the United States today, such as those depicted in Fast Food Nation.  So for an entertaining and thought provoking resource check out: http://www.themeatrix.com/

Better still, when each animated segment is completed there is information from http://www.sustainabletable.org/ on what to do to celebrate local sustainable food and educate consumers on food-related issues.

Another Great Sustainable Resource

The Christian Science Monitor has a Bright Green Blog that has useful information on sustainability issues.  The recent post had information on reducing the waste of water, especially in drought-stricken areas of the US. 
A prior post had an interesting story on how marijuana growers are depleting California water supply, too.
Check it out the blog by visiting:  http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/blog-entry/. 

We Killed "Why?"

I was jogging around my neighborhood today.  On the final lap one of the little children I had passed several times finally asked, "What are you doing?"  I said, "I am jogging."  She said, "Why are you jogging?"  I said, "for my health."  She had another question she held up on as I continued to jog well past her.  That was when it occured to me, she is the age we all were at one point in time in our lives when we asked "Why?" all the time.  Sometimes we drove our parents nuts.

I also remember when my kids asked "Why?" all the time and it sometimes was a challenge to answer, "Why is the sky blue?"  or "Why are clouds white?"  See if you can provide an intelligent answer on those two questions to a four year old.

Then one day it ended.  That day was the day we (my kids) started to "go to school.".  That was the day the teachers stopped all the kids from asking all their silly questions and listen to how the world worked, compliments of your local school system faculty, administrator, and politicians.  In other words, the school system killed our desire and our kids desire to want to know things out of curiosity and replaced it with "at this age level, here is what you should think and know about the world."  To that I say, "bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

If you are out there reading this post today do what you can to get the kids to start asking "why?" again whenever they choose and not when it suits you.  If we did more of that perhaps kids would have learned that we should not be still celebrating Columbus Day because he was a complete ASSHOLE who did not discover ANYTHING yet we carrry on teaching each new generation of kids what a wonderful thing it was that he did for all us here in this great land we stole from those who lived here.  For a fact check on Columbus, read, "Lies my Teacher Told Me."  See if you think the same things you thought about Columbus after that enlightenment.  Get those kids asking, "Why?"

What is Wolfram\Alpha?

There are search engines that are coming online to challenge Google's dominance of that market.  One of the ones I ran across from reading latest issue of Business Week (article on Google) and chatting with students in my honors class today -- who of course knew about it with me clueless until today -- Wolfram\Alpha. 

According to its website, Wolfram Alpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone. We aim to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything. Our goal is to build on the achievements of science and other systematizations of knowledge to provide a single source that can be relied on by everyone for definitive answers to factual queries...is an ambitious, long-term intellectual endeavor that we intend will deliver increasing capabilities over the years and decades to come. With a world-class team and participation from top outside experts in countless fields, our goal is to create something that will stand as a major milestone of 21st century intellectual achievement.

I performed a modest comparison with Google by asking a computational question, "How many calories in a cup of tuna?"  What I got from Google was hundreds and hundreds of links to websites that had the search terms in the sentence.  What I got from Wolfrap\Alpha was ONE SINGLE PAGE that gave the caloric information.  The same thing happened when I asked, "How many teaspoons in a tablespoon?"  I got the information specific to the question and that was it.  For those of you out there who teach baking enter in some of your formulas to see the response you get because the students I spoke to in class today love the computational capabilities of this search engine.

Tips on Reducing Cheating

Let's face it, there are some students who will cheat.  Heck, I had to change the way I faciliated a community service assignment in my freshman class a few years because the students were cheating on it, which many did not see to be a problem.

Here are some tips from a new book entitled "Cheating in School: What We Know and What We Can Do" by Stephen F. Davis, Patrick F. Drinan, and Tricia Bertram Gallant (published by Wiley-Blackwell).  The authors offer a few strategies instructor can implement to discourage cheating that are covered in depth in their new book:

1. Clearly articulate your expectations for the class and EACH INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT. Can students work with others on their homework assignments, for example? Can they use old exams, lab reports, etc. as aids in the course?


2. Explicitly link assignments to learning objectives. Students often cheat on assignments that they see as meaningless or “busy-work.” If they understand the point of the assignment, especially how it will help them learn the material, they are more likely to push through it on their own rather than copy from someone else.


3. Reduce temptations to cheating. We cannot control student behavior, but we can at least show them that we care about the integrity of our classes by doing little things. For example, space students out during exams, provide multiple versions of the same test, require students to leave all non-essential materials at the front of the room, and have the WiFi turned off in the test room.


4. Talk to students about the relation of academic integrity to professional ethics and their future chosen career. Students are more likely to uphold integrity in academic assignments if they see it as holding more value than just being “another institutional rule.”


5. Report all cheating when you see it, rather than ignore it or handle it on your own. A professor can become known as someone who does not tolerate cheating or look the other way, and then the cheaters will not choose her class! Also, many professors mistakenly assume that they can reduce cheating on their own, but it takes the entire campus. If instructors do not report cheating, that same student may be cheating in other courses and no one would ever know!

A Sad Loss Indeed

In case you have not heard by now, Gourmet magazine was cancelled yesterday by Conde Nast.  Perhaps that magazine inspired you to be a chef or become a better one over the years.  For more information on the magazine and the reason for its demise, read:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-conde-nast6-2009oct06,0,7266456.story

Sometimes I Wonder if We Matter

We just did  a curriculum revision and I am very proud of it.  We believe it is one that will truly prepare our graduates to manage any hospitality business, anywhere, anytime after graduation.  And then I see videos like the one below.  Take the time to watch the six minute video.  It puts my understanding of the world in perspective and makes me wonder if our curriculum is truly preparing graduates for the global market place:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q&feature=PlayList&p=DDE35FD7D46EC29C&index=0&playnext=1

Let me know what you think. 

More Insights on Learning Styles

As long as we are at it, here is another video from Willingham clarifying a point about good teaching he made on the video on yesterday's blog post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkHiAA3xu0&feature=channel
Have a great weekend!