Kara Sponsler

The benefits of service learning extend beyond the classroom.  Many potential employers are looking at the experience a potential employee may have as well as education levels.  Once you get past a couple of years in the work force experience matters more than education. That being said you still need the foundation of education to get your foot in the door and continued education to maintain your level of expertise in a field. 

Evaluations for service learning should be comprehensive in nature.  While they are only a small portion of the grade if the student is completly unengaged in the service learning they will miss out on a key component of learning that can extend to the classroom. The service learning is meant to enhance educational applicatin of a subject so that students can gain a better understanding of their place in socieity as adults. 

Students should have a say in the service learning that they will participate in the community.  They should do so as it will make them more vested in the long term and it will help them in potential job opportunities as adults.  We have to remember we are preparing the students to be life long learners and contributing members of socieity.  It is a good idea to provide some ideas for service learning opportunities based on the subect that is being taught.  That way you don't have a student taking dogs for a walk when they are taking a cooking… >>>

There are many opportunities for service learning in the school and community.  One is only limited by one's own imagination.  As I was reading though the material, I reflected on a potential service that could be executed with my students if I have a cooking class next year.  I know that some families might not have enough food in the community.  We can take what we cook in class and take it to the families or we can have an afterschool service learning opprotunity where the kids cook a meal that will go to several different families.  I think food… >>>

I hope to have the students present a report on the orging of some popular foods.  They may be surprised to see where they came from and how they spread throughout the world.  The potatoe is a great example of what I used to think was a European vegetable but in fact it's from the Andean Mountain region.  Once the Europeans "discovered" it the potatoe spread thoughtout the world as it is so easy to use.  

Culinary arts instructors should create uniform standards of cleanliness in their classroom so that the students get an idea of what it will be like in the real world.  Sanitation should be address from the intial instruction and set standards should be enforced consistently.  Furthermore, classrooms should have some real world application in meeting time deadlines.  There are so many practical aspects to culinary arts in the real world that many students don't realize go into any food that is prepared and served in any dinning establishment. 

Culinary arts is more than just cooking.  One has to take into account outside factors such as personalities and creating an enviromnment that is conducive to working well together.  Not everyone will be the Chef and not everyone will be a line cook.  Being adapatable within the kitchen is a requirement as one day is seldome the same as the next.  Also, take into account the practical fincial aspects of culinary arts such as food waste that could add up very quickly if not curtailed. 

The practial aspects of culinary arts are explored here.  One can not just get into a kitchen and cook there's a lot more behind the scenes work that goes into culinary arts than meets the eye and instructors should make students aware of this so that they will be well prepared for a potetnial career in the food service industry.