Early Demoes
Today during lecture i thought that i switch things up a bit and started with my demo plate of food. I used the debrief method as always but discussed the finer details of this dish, followed with the assembly of this tri-colored causa dish. I really noticed how much more my class was intuned with my demo and asked more questions at the end. The best part of today is that almost every team duplicated my dish and went out of the box on their presentation skills ^_^
Christin,
I think this is a great way to maximize the time you have, while still providing the challenge of switching it up for your students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I have been having my students prep or Mise en place the recipies BEFORE demo so that right after my demo they can just go right into the product that they are making. I do switch it up so that they stay focused on how to make the product so they do not forget during prep time. Seems to be working well for my students.
Glenn, I couldn't agree more. It sounds like you teach Cuisine Across Cultures. I teach that class as well and do the same concept with the Causa. I find it really helps to engage the students. Bon Appetite!
In Culinary Arts we combine lecture and demo to really impact the lesson for the day. Critiques afterwards really helps the students grasp the mechanics behind the techniques. Switching things up adds intertest and keeps them on their toes.
Demos are a great idea. I use them whenever possible. I find that the students become more engaged and even excited about the topic at hand. Also, it changes the classroom presentation suddenly and keeps their attention. Being " unpredictable" is a great way to keep student involvement and increase learning.
Good evening,
I agree that demos at the beginning of the class period help to capture the attention of the students and usually result in a more consistent outcome. What I am not sure of is the idea of switching things up during this time period. Subtle changes to keep things interesting are alright as long as they are explained at that moment. My students in particular do not bode well when I break from the norm or throw them a "curveball". I think the main reason for this is my limited class time. I only have a certain amount of time to do my demo; release the students to go and do the work; evaluate the outcomes, and clean up. Perhaps if I had more time I would consider incorporating new strategies into my demo; but for right now I am happy enough to complete the dish and get them cooking. I realize that in the real world, there will be curveballs coming their way all the time; but I really want to make sure that the lesson of the day is engrained in their memory so that they can retain it for the future. Thank you for the insightful and thought provoking post!
Best regards,
Jason Kupper
Making things different shakes up my students and makes them tune in more. Often times they get into a routine of how thier days is going to go. As a result by mixing up the order or the delivery method it makes them think and be more aware of the activity/techniques they are learning.
Hi Kimberly!
You are absolutely correct! Making class fun and unpredictable contributes to retention as well.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
As chef instructors we all know that if you don't capture them early in your demo they tend to wander off into their own worlds...
I like the idea of switching things up because the students will not be able to predict you or the class causing them to be more attentive during class time.
Sounds like a good way to approach lecture and demo. I have found that the majority of my students respond well to visual and kinesthetic learning.
I think you re-informced the thought that we
learn as we teach'- Sometimes our mistake is taking for granted that we know the answer before the result- the need to avoid change is as strong in us as teachers as it is in the students- this was excellent
