Wall Street Journal

Today I am going to volunteer myself to sell for the Wall Street Journal. I have been subscribing to the newspaper since 1989.  Back in those days one was hard pressed to find articles pertaining to culinary arts and hospitality management except those on wine, hotel companies, or the emergence of food conglomerates and their role in foodservice.  Today, one is hard pressed to not find a plethora of articles each day on culinary arts and hospitality management.  I cannot go without my Wall Street and read it religiously.

Take yesterday's edition, for example.  There was a front page story in the Personal Journal entitled, "In Search of the Green Cookout."  It did a wonderful comparison piece between the typical American backyard barbecue and one that is available to "the growing number of consumers aspiring to live a more natural, environmentally friendly lifestyle."  The article presented point and counter point to what to grill and what to serve it on given the new green products on the market.  It was right on the money and pertinent to our efforts at Purdue to build our LEED Gold certified new home, Marriott Hall that will be green in every sense of the word from native Indiana plants for landscaping to composting food scraps at the recently established Purdue Student Farm that we have partnered with the School of Agriculture, which I  will share more news on in the months and years ahead.

In short, the message of today is to read the Wall Street Journal.  I especially love the e-mail messages I get as part of my subscription throughout the day on important news events to keep me informed on what's going on in the world as it happens.  I used to teach the management class and require my students to read it -- and many still call me today and thank me for getting them reading it now managing their own hospitality business or someone else's.  Go for it, the educational discount is excellent and if you get your students to subscribe you get a free subscription for yourself.

Anyone else out there a fan of the Journal?  If so, share how it provided utility to you and I will be happy to share with our faculty learning community.

Puzzlemaker

I used to have word search puzzles in my introductory class.  I would have key terms in the search and allow students to work in teams to find all the words.  The first 10 teams that solved the puzzle got bonus points toward final grade.  This was in a class of 350 kids all working in teams of four.  The buzz in the room was awesome as the kids worked feverishly to get the points.  Once the winners were declared the students were then to copy down the words as they would appear on the upcoming exam.  This was a great teaching tool since kids repeated the words they were searching for in their heads repeatedly while searching for the words -- a great way to transfer them to long term memory in a fun and stimulating way.

Or perhpas you teach an international cuisine classs or geography and looking to put together puzzles for those courses, too.

The good news is that there is Puzzlemaker available for free through Discovery Education.  Just go to the following link and find the puzzle that works for you: http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

Video Series on Teaching

In keeping with Monday being dedicated to websites, I have found a great one sent to me from the Teacing and Learning Centre at the University of Victoria.  There are plenty of teaching vignettes that you can watch to see if your teaching is similar to the bad habits of those in the vignettes.  I watched the video on boring teachers and thought it was really good.

The videos can also be shown at perhaps a faculty meeting or retreat to diagnose for improved because there are questions raised at the end to discuss.  The series is restricted in that there is one vignette available per tape but they are good nonetheless.  If interested in purchasing the series there is information to do that, too.
http://www.ltc.uvic.ca/servicesprograms/criticalincidents/tape1.php

Fun Business Model to Share with Students

Ever been to Barton Springs?  It is an oasis in Austin, Texas.  I used to travel to Austin when working for Xerox in the 70's and 80's and it was a funky town, especially the annual 4th of July Willie Nelson picnics we used to attend -- or so I am told!

Born in Austin, the Daily Juice is a funky, hip, healthy fresh eatery that was talked about recently in Business Week so thought I would check it out, especially to see if I could order some Rythm Superfood Kale Chips that in a 106 calorie snack serving provides 5g of protein, 2g of fiber, and over 100% of the vitamins A and C needed for the day.  I wish these were stocked in the vending machines in airports and hotels instead of the shit creations of fat, sugar, salt, and artificial flavored snacks you now find that are nothing but empty calories.

The snack was created at the Daily Juice, which has many locations around Austin.  Their website is very interesting and one that the students should become aware of as more people in the U.S. are seeking healthy, sustainable food options.  Students might also find their Philosophy refreshing, as shown below:

Philosophy

• We are on a journey, an exploration, a search for the most delicious and nutritionally beneficial foods possible.
• All natural. We never use chemicals, preservatives, chlorine, processed, genetically modified, or otherwise denatured food. Why? Because we are ourselves organic creatures of the earth.
• As local and organic as possible. This is becoming simply a survival mechanism. We must reintegrate farming and foraging into our communities, and develop sustainable lifestyles. We must re-mineralize ourselves and our soils in order to achieve higher vibration.
• We also seek balance in our recipes. The art and science of food combination is the key to making a great smoothie, juice, or taco.
• Superfoods. Miracle foods. We believe in offering these amazing treasures. More nutritional bang for your bite.
• Flavor. We are committed to delivering to you only the tastiest juices, smoothies, and living foods we can. We seem to have a knack for stimulating your five flavor centers.
• We believe we are offering our community a valuable service, in that we provide healthy food and drink in a convenient, accessible way.
• As we all know, eating these amazing superfoods can be expensive. We strive to deliver a top shelf product line at a price point people can afford.
• Love. In all ways at all times.
• We think having a sense of humor is important. We laugh, play, and enjoy serving our customers.

We need more foodservice businesses based on this philosophy if you ask me.  We would all be better off for it.  Perhaps you could even do a student project in one of your classes where the students would have to come up with a product that could be sold at this business based on its philosophy and current product mix.
So check them out at: http://www.dailyjuice.org/pages/story

..

Slow Reading Movement

I have known about the slow food movement and done my level best to support it; we even have a news tag for slow foods on the left-hand side of our blog.  Today was the first time I had heard about the slow reading movement.  The main concern being that we are becoming a nation of shallow skimmers hopping from one news source to another like butterflies collecing nectar from a meadow of wildflowers.  Current research is even being conducted to show that our brains are being transformed according to the way we hopscotch around the internet.

Below is a press release about the Slow Reading book written by John Miedema in 2009. 

In the face of ever-increasing demands for speed-reading of volumes of information fragments, some readers are choosing to slow down. While it often seems necessary to read quickly, many readers share a conviction that reading slowly is essential to enjoyment and comprehension.

The involuntary practice of slow reading has been a subject of much research, but little is known about the voluntary practice. Slow Reading examines the research, from the earliest references in religion and philosophy, to the practice of close reading in the humanities, and the recent swell of interest associated with the Slow Movement. It looks at the diverse angles from which slow reading has been approached in education, library sciences and media studies. Research in psychology and neurophysiology provides a tentative explanation for the ongoing role of slow reading.

Slow Reading brings attention to emerging ideas in technology and culture. The traditional technologies of print and the book have persisted as part of our information ecology because of the need for slow reading and deep comprehension. The theme of locality in the Slow Movement provides insight into the importance of physical location in our relationship with information. Most of all, Slow Reading represents a rediscovery of the pleasure of reading for its own sake.

I will be adding it to my reading list and perhaps it will be added to yours for the sake of our students. It is very important for students to continue to read and we should not shy away from giving them reading assignments due to the documented benefits it provides for fear of them knowing very little about alot, if that makes sense.

I Could Just Scream!

I read this news item today.

Perdue Farms is recalling about 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nugget products that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.  The recalled products were 1-pound, 13-ounce bags, labeled “GREAT VALUE Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets.” Each package features the code “P-33944,” as well as a case code of “89008 A0160.” There is also a “BEST IF USED BY” date of June 9, 2011. Each case contains 8 bags and the frozen chicken nugget products were produced on June 9, 2010, and were shipped to a single retail store chain nationwide. The company discovered small pieces of blue plastic after receiving consumer complaints. There have been no reports of injury.

What?!  Are you kidding me?!  How do you define "injury?!"  There were many who were injured along the way to this recall.  What about the tremendous waste of labor, water, energy, and plant life that went into growing feed for the CAFO where Perdue most definitely raised the chickens?  What about the labor, energy, water, and feed that it took to raise the 91,872 pounds of chicken?  What about the air and water pollution from the CAFO?  What about the labor and energy it took to collect and transport the chickens to the packer?  What about the labor, energy, and water -- not to mention waste -- that was generated in the plant to make frozen "great value" cooked chicken nuggets.  What about the energy and labor that was wasted to transport CAFO chicken nuggets to the supermarket distribution center to then be transported to each store? What about the labor and energy it took to stock and then hold the chicken nuggets to temperature?  What about the energy it took to have thousands of people go to the store to pick up the shitty nuggets and take them home and then cook them -- if they did not find blue plastic bits in the bag?!

Are you f-ing kidding me?  Nobody was injured?  We are a truly stupid society and we have to educate ourselves and our students about ending the waste that exists in the "modern day" economic model that are foodservice industry is based upon.  The amount of waste that took place to throw away 91,872 pounds of frozen chicken nugget products -- whatever the hell "products" means is shameful because we as a society were injured due to this collosal f-up.

The Chronicle for Higher Education -- News

As you may or may not know, Monday's are now intended to be dedicated to websites that might be of interest to culinary arts and hospitality educators or adminstrators.  Today's online pick is considered one of the stalwart news sources for higher education -- the Chronicle for Higher Education.  Did you know you can read news stories from the Chronicle's website without being a subscriber?  As usual, the news stories are a cornucopia of issues that relate to higher education so there is usually a story of interest to almost anyone so check it out with your morning coffee after you check out the news stories contained in the links on the left-hand side of the FELC blog which are directly related to those who teach or administer foodservice programs.  The Chronicle's news can be reviewed at: http://chronicle.com/section/News/6

p.s. I deliberately chose the word "cornucopia" today due to its food-based origin defined as, "A goat's horn overflowing with fruit, flowers, and grain, signifying prosperity. Also called horn of plenty."  Or it's origins to Greek mythology defined as, "a horn of plenty, from the hom of the goat Amalthaea that dispensed an endless supply of food, drink, and other riches."  How fun is that?!

Eat Less? Eat More?

I wonder sometimes whether or not the faulty thinking that students bring into our respective programs is the same upon their departure from our respective degree and/or certificate programs.  Especially when there is a food industry that is absolutely focused on its profits regardless of the impact it is having on public health and will do whatever it takes to get people to eat more processed shit even though there is no doubt a corresponding rise in health care costs in this country.  Make no mistake -- there is a direct correlation to the drive for profitability in the food industry and that of rising health care costs and there is plenty of evidence out there to substantiate that claim if you are a continuous learner.  Case in point, I wish someone would calculate the true cost of the $1 menu in terms of their social and environmental costs.

What prompted the first paragraph of this post is the book I will be reading over the next two weeks and should have read long ago, which is Food Politics by Marion Nestle.  I just cracked it open yesterday and only into my fiftieth page and getting a better picture as to why it is the American public is confused as to those foods they should eat more of and those that should be eaten less.  I am not surprised that the confusion is deliberate on the part of food companies.  And of course, those foods deemed as those that should be eaten less by public health officials and nutritionists --such as MEAT -- have a large cadre of lawyers and lobbyists to protect the health of those industries profits regardless of the impact on public health by getting Americans to eat more.

In reality, the public -- especially our students -- should not be confused on how to drastically reduce one of the biggest killers of preventable diseases in this country -- heart disease.  As early as 1959, Ancel and Margaret Keys published the book, Eat Well and Stay Well, and in it is a recipe that no doubt would prevent other illnesses.  Had more of us lived or now living by their guidelines to reduce coronary heart disease we might be a healthier nation as a result give their spot on recommendations:
1. Do not get fat, if you are fat, reduce
2. Restrict saturated fats, such as those in beef, pork, lamb, sausages, margarine, solid shortenings, fats in dairy products
3. Prefer vegetable oils to solid fats, but keep total fats under 30% of your diet calories
4. Favor fresh vegetables, fruits, and non-fat milk products
5. Avoid heavy use of salt and refined sugar
6. Good diets do not depend on drugs or fancy preparations
7. Get plenty of exercise and outdoor recreation
8. Be sensible about cigarettes, alcohol, excitement, business strain
9. See your doctor regularly, and do not worry

I will share more gems with you as I work my way through this great book.  You can rest assured that they will be shared with my students this fall because the smarter I am the better prepared they will be to cut through the public relations and media hype bullshit out there and make sense of the world and their place in it.

Great Resources for Foodservice Educators and Students

Yesterday I started to dedicate Monday's to websites of interest to educators and asked readers to share those they liked so I could post for others.  Today I got an e-mail with the message, "You asked for websites of interest, and your readers may be interested in the hospitality training resource blog I have been running since 2005 at http://www.profitablehospitality.com/public/department30.cfm"

The tip came from Ken Burgin at Profitable Hospitality, that does Management Systems & Profit Strategies for Hotels, Clubs & Restaurants in Sydney Australia.  When I clicked on the link posted above here is the description that I found:

The latest training tips and methods for hotel, restaurant, cafe, culinary, club, bar & waiter trainers and educators.  These pages are designed to inspire you and your students: if learning is enjoyable, retention is always improved. Do a great job and advance your career...

Links to useful training sites, culinary resources, food & beverage information, chef training, waiter training and online training. Plus Powerpoint and presentation resources, training in computer and numeracy skills, customer service training and information to help you use blogs, online groups and podcasting as training tools.

I went to the site to check it out and it is jam packed with resources for educators and students, including the detailed video I watched on making espresso and the Baconcyclopedia.  Other areas of the site could prove valuable to students working on their business feasibility or restaurant operations class proects.

If wanting to learn more about the groups services you may reach Ken at kburgin@profitablehospitality.com
or check out their home page at http://www.profitablehospitality.com/

G'day Mates!

Team-Based Learning

According to Michael Sweet, at UT Austin, Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an increasingly-popular form of small group learning.  As you will see if click on the link and watch video about TBL you will find that:
the four components of TBL are permanent teams, readiness assurance, application activities, and peer evaluation.  TBL is possible even in large theater-style classrooms with fixed seats.  TBL teachers report high levels of student attendance, preparation, participation and critical thinking.  TBL students report being more motivated and enjoying class more, even when the subject is not in their major.

I watched the video and it did a decent job explaining how TBL works as yet another form of cooperative learning, especially the reason that students like it.  Of course, the key benefit is getting the students talking to each other and engaged in the learning.
To watch the video on TBL visit:
http://magenta.cit.utexas.edu/largeclasses/#tbl
Or contact: msweet@austin.utexas.edu.

Summer Reading

One of the best ways to sharpen the proverbial saw with respect to being a better teacher is to read books on teaching.  Recently, a question was asked on the POD listserv as to books that were considered to be great books on teaching.  The response was strong and it generated a very excellent list on books that would come highly recommended for those who want to be great teachers by those who are.  I have read or at least thumbed through most of the books on the list and agree that nobody would waste their time ordering and reading any of them over the summer or during the academic year -- even if it is a chapter at a time with reflection at the end of the reading session to assist long term memory retention and better still -- formulate application in the classroom, lab, or field.  To review the list simply click on the following link:
https://sites.google.com/site/podnetwork/Home/topics-for-discussion/book-recommendations-on-college-teaching

July 2010 Isse IJSTL Available

The July 2010 issue of International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is now available online at http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v4n2.html

Authors are from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, UK, United States. IJ-SoTL is an open access, online, peer-reviewed, academic journal.  There are lots of really interesting articles in this issue and worth reviewing the list to learn new ways to improve the quality of your teaching through scientific inquiry.

Dreamed of Being the Boss?

If you have dreamed of being the boss or want to live in an absolutely gorgeous part of this great nation of ours, The School of Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management of the College of Hospitality, Retail, & Sport Management invites applications and nominations for the position of Director in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. The School serves over 650 students, 30 master’s students and a new Ph.D. program. It employs ten full-time faculty and a number of distinguished adjunct faculty. The administrative structure includes a program Graduate Director, a Foodservice Director who is responsible for the McCutchen House food service facility and courses, and the Director of the International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education.


The Director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management reports to the Dean of the College and works collaboratively with administrators and faculty to ensure that the School’s educational programs are administered in accordance with educational policies and institutional standards. The Director is responsible for articulating and promoting the School’s mission to students, faculty, administration, and external constituents. The Director serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for the School and is responsible for fostering faculty excellence in research, teaching, service, and the pursuit of grants and contracts. The Director must be able to demonstrate a record of successful leadership in creating and increasing faculty research and grant productivity while maintaining teaching excellence. The Director is also responsible for assisting the Dean in identifying and pursuing funding and development opportunities.

In addition to skillful administrative and strong leadership capabilities, candidates must possess an earned doctorate in hospitality management or closely related area and a distinguished record of scholarly and professional achievement that will qualify them to be appointed at the full professor rank. Experience in administering academic programs at a college or university is desirable.

The review of applications will begin September 01, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. Submit to Search Committee Chair a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and a statement of administrative philosophy and vision as it relates to faculty research and grants, teaching, and governance.

Chair, Dr. Ercan Sirakaya-Turk
Associate Dean [Interim]
College of Hospitality, Retail, & Sport Management
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Top Ten Productivity Tips for Staying on Top of Grading Student Writing

Here is another installment on productivity tips that I started to share through the blog.  These tips are written by guest author Candy Carter, from McQueen High School, Reno NV

Timely assessment and grading of student writing is essential if students are to improve their written work. Teachers know this, but living with a continual stream of papers to grade can result in feelings of real helplessness, which then turn into procrastination.

1.  Before creating a longer or more complex writing assignment, have a vision for what the better papers will look like and develop a rubric or scoring guide to use.

2.  Share that scoring guide with your students, and if possible, write "samples" of your own to give to students in advance as a model.

3.  If a writing assignment or project is a quick-write or journal assignment done in a single sitting, give yourself permission to grade it holistically or on a pass-fail basis.

4.  Expect different types of writing under different conditions and evaluate it accordingly. (For example, in-class writing in response to prompts or exam questions will have more errors.) Communicate the scoring guide for these in-class writings to students in advance so that they know what you will be assessing, and use the scoring guide for grading with a minimum of comments.

5.  For longer papers requiring comments, determine how many papers you will have to grade and how long you want to take to do it. Then come up with a "quota" of papers to read and respond to per day and stick to it.

6.  If you type faster than you write by hand, consider typing comments.

7.  Recognize that writing is recursive. Students will make the mistakes no matter how often you teach the skills, and doing worksheets on writing skills will probably not transfer to student writing.

8.  Share better papers with students after returning graded work. Tell students why their peers' work was effective.

9. Keep good examples of assignments to share with students the following year so they have models.

10.  If your students make so many errors in their writing that you feel like you do not even know where to start, focus on no more than five things in your grading (and tell students what those five things are in advance). Examples might be: good introductions, end punctuation, homonyms, use of quotations for supporting detail, etc. Then just grade those five things.