Generational Teaching Techniques
What techniques have you used to bridge generational learning differences within the classroom?
Creme Brulee. Yes, that's right. it is a dish that people of all ages enjoy...truly a classic. i will engage a group in conversation about it, have them talk about how it's made, different variations, etc. From this we can share other classics from the culinary world an find some common ground.
Paul,
That's a great point. Creme Brulee does bridge across generatons and cultures...much like a roasted chicken or good bread. Continue to watch for opportunities that bridge gaps.
Jae Gruber
You have to teach to the class not to the individual student. A varied approach works best with any group because no matter how much you try to label a certain group there are always anomalies. If there are mixed generations in the class then I find group projects with verbal presentations and smartphone research to be a fun way to get different types of learners to play off each other's strong points. Teaching to the millennials is interesting.
Nathan,
You have some excellent points. Using the latest forms of technology, particularly phone research to engage students in the classroom, is an avenue that can truly enhance learning. Verbal presentations can help students to break out of their "shells" and build confidence.
Jae Gruber
I have used story telling games in my classroom. For instance, in my speech class, I had the students roll dice with pictures of them. The students were broken-up into groups and they had to tell a story as a team based on the pictures the dice landed on. Watching them work together and use each other's experiences was refreshing and quite fun!
Mary,
That sounds like great fun! Games snd group work are wonderful ways to get students excited about the learning experience and also help them "break out of their shell"!
Jae Gruber
So as not to bore the Gen Y's, I keep power points as short as possible but back them up with detailed hand outs for quiz review and for those who truly want in depth knowledge. (Complete power points are also available to all students online.) This enables me to do more hands on demos and the students to get more time cooking themselves.
June ,
Short PowerPoints do help the Gen Y's. Adding images to PowerPoints assists in student interest and in their ability to remember information, rather than just reading words. The availability of access to those PowerPoints on the portal gives the student the opportunity to review information again, as often as they choose.
Jae Gruber
Grouping of younger students with older students as well as grouping students with different levels of culinary experiences often will bridge the gap. If nothing else, it allows the older student to get a glimpse into the thought processes and work ethic of today's teenager who may be less focused.
Peter,
Grouping younger and older students can go very well or create havoc. It can be helpful to pair up younger and older students in "ice breaker" activities on the first day of class so that they can get to know each other doing a fun activity.
Jae Gruber
I do a combination of power points with pictures, emails, handouts, and information on the whiteboard. During our time in the kitchen I let students either follow recipes to the letter or improvise a bit if their skill allows.
I use a lot of cooking science to get the attention of the students that are at a higher level but I always focus on getting the students involved in production to keep them moving. There is online material, books, handouts, Power Points and recipe books. Bringing as many resources as possible I make a point to inform the students that I am one of those resources.
Susie,
It really is best to use as many sources of information as possible. You never know which one, or which combination, may reach the student. I think it is just as important to have a student show that they can properly follow a recipe as it is for them to have the ability to improvise/be creative.
Jae Gruber
Kelvin,
The science of cooking definitely is a great topic to introduce to more advanced students. I agree, that using as many sources as possible, including yourself, helps instructors to reach multiple students in one or more ways.
Jae Gruber
i use a combination of auditory as well as visual aids when teaching units of measurement so the student can make a visual relation between measures of volume.
Brian,
You make a good point: it is particularly important to use visual aids when teaching measurement and any numbers related topic. Simply discussing such topics or writing numbers on a whiteboard do not always lead to full comprehension.
Jae Gruber
I incorporate real-life examples and stories in my lectures. All culinary students, no matter what generaton, have a common goal of working in the industry and sharing my experiences touches upon everyone's interests.
As we are all about the technique, I like to focus the class work not so much on individual ingredients but the procedure itself. Roast chicken is fantasic with the use of a mire poix, water, bouquet garni, S&P and time. seeing that makes students realize the goal of what we truley are doing is teaching cooking not the ingredient...
I like to use small group projects or team problem solving. I make sure there is a good cross-generational mix in each group. The natural smalll group dynamics usually ensure that everyones perspective is heard.
