Technology is in schools now...big time. Colleges better be really ready for these students when they arrive!!

Here's a look at what the kids are learning. If higher education is still resisting then they should see what the kids are up to these days. Technology is soooo here to stay. Forget all of that paper and pencils and rulers and well you get the idea. Ipads, PC's, Laptops and all that stuff are part of the new age of Tech. Got yours?

Looking at Assessments from my point of Teaching

                                               ASSESSMENTS IN A NEW LIGHT

          Abstract                       

My second journal is based on the focused conversation for chapters 4 through 8 on the book Teaching Naked, How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen.


Keeping the focused conversation in mind I am to express my feelings and gut reactions on a topic, sentence or phrase that catches my attention as I read these chapters and put them into 4 categories. The line that I gravitated to was on page 95. “Assessments that promote learning combine low stakes- and high quality feedback.”


These are the parameters of what my journal will be written on.


1. Objective, something factual, what did I read, see or hear that caught my attention and write about it.

2. Reflective, what was my gut reaction to the piece I read


3. Interpretative, to reflect on my gut reaction, why did I have this gut reaction


4. Decisional, what will I do as a Teacher because of this reaction.
　

Objective

(Fact) Assessments that are done well need to motivate students, but motivation is complex, variable, situational and personal. Motivation varies with our interest but also with our expectations of success, effort, and intrinsic value of the task (Pintrich, 1988, 1989; Wolf, Smith, & Birnbaum, 1995). As a group , faculty are highly motivated by intrinsic value of a task (Froh, Menges, & Walker. 1993) and feelings of competency (Blackburn, Lawrence, Bieber, & Trautvetter, 1991) but it may also be useful to remind ourselves of the importance to our students of other types of motivation　


Reflective

     Our entire culinary arts program is based on many sets of assessments while attending the college program. For every student that makes it to the end of the course they will write a final exam to get their diploma that allows them to continue with their career path. They come back for their 2nd and 3rd year assessments, both times it requires the students to be in class for one month, learning what is being asked of them, how the assessment will be scored, how to do it properly through Chef demos and flash tests that are basically spur of the moment questions to keep the students on their collective toes. They end with a final cooking assessment at the end of the month that they are marked on. The Instructors address everything from how they are dressed, their setup, how they are performing throughout the assessment and then the final products are tasted by the |Instructor and the predetermined timing pieces that go along with that assessment are measured. When it's over, we talk to each student individually and ask them; how do you think you did?

     This is not only a great ice breaker for the student and the Instructor, it invariably makes the student do a self assessment of their day. They are assessing themselves as they are working too, by checking the time frequently, looking at each others work to see where they are in their mis en place (having everything in it‘s place). You even see them standing in one place staring off into the far reaches of the galaxies wondering to themselves; have I forgotten something? How do I do this properly?

     We are not allowed to give any assistance or guidance what so ever, so it makes it difficult for me as an Instructor to plainly see a mistake and not to be able to tell the student about it. We will give them timing countdowns so that they are aware of the exact time, but that is about all we can do, after all it’s their assessment. not mine.

     After coming across this piece on page 94 of Teaching Naked by Antonio Bowen, it was apparent to me that I was going to write about assessments as my entry for my 2nd journal. I have been through several tough assessments in my career. I know how this feels! I know how it is supposed to work! I know what the benefits of being assessed are! But the question is, do I really know all this stuff? I have never had a terrible life shattering bad assessment. How less motivating is a bad assessment? Why do we even need to be assessed? Will this assessment even help me as I go through my career? Am I going to quit because of a bad assessment? These are a few of the thoughts that ran through my brain as I came across Assessments. 　

Interpretive

     My feelings towards this topic are strong. Of course we need to be assessed. How are the students or anyone for that matter ever going to know how they are really doing if they are never assessed? Are they following the set schedule? Are they meeting the parameters that were set for them by the Instructor? Do they have the passion to see it through? How will they work through their problems?

     These are good questions to be asked. In the big picture there are certain questions that will be asked upon the success or failure of each of these students from their assessments. In fact if there is an overwhelming failure or success rate, then the questions begin about the quality of the program and the assessors or the content of the assessment itself, the validity of the assessment is also questioned. How often are these assessments updated? Whom is responsible for these updates? The Industry Training Alliance makes sure that these are kept updated as each of the students assessments are forwarded to the I.T.A. along with the Instructors names and their signatures.

     All of the Instructors take these assessments very seriously. In fact the Province of B.C. and the Faculty at V.C.C. takes these seriously. We hold the students future in our hands based on one month of practice and one final cooking lab performed by each student. When I sit down with each student I have so say it is a bit nerve racking for me as well, especially if I am about to fail a student based on a poor performance. It’s much easier if I am passing a student, even though we might put them through the mill about their day. Where they can improve and how to improve. Using different and more useful methods to attain the preset out come. In the long run, telling a student that they have passed and they will receive their Red Seal is a wonderful feeling for the student and for the Instructor as well.

     To tell a student they have failed and need to redo the program can be a traumatic experience for them. How I handle this part is a practice in sensitivity training. We don’t want to completely blow the student away with negative verbage. Instead we revert back to the self assessment they talked to us about in the beginning. We will go through many parts of the day and query them as to what they were doing. An example would be as I was watching them put a consommé together and the consommé started to boil like mad and it inevitably split open and the consommé was a failure, I would ask them about the tasks they were performing at that moment. How did they let the consommé get away on them? Did they practice making this recipe. They would all come back with, yes Chef I know I messed it up, I didn’t practice making in a while, but I put it up for assessment any way; it is better than nothing they would say. These types of students get it! They know they didn’t do very well and have accepted their fate. The tough one can be the ones who think they did really well. These students are the ones that are tougher to evaluate. There is always an air of I deserve it. By the end of the interview they understand what has transpired and either reapply to do it again or they don’t. We can only grade each plate as it’s presented to us. Simple.

Decisional

     Moving forward with this new knowledge of assessment I am asking myself, in what ways can I make this assessment or any assessment the best overall experience for the students? When I say the ‘best’ I mean how will the students benefit from being assessed by me?

     Assessment should be viewed as a tool to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning processes and should not be interpreted as the objective of a students learning experience. (Yong and Lim, 2008). Wise words that apply to the majority of my assessments. It isn't the end of anything but    a beginning to a new and more enlightened learning experience. That's life! Looking back at the students that have had to come back to be re-assessed is an area that concerns me. Some of the responses to questions I have posed to them during the feedback portion of their final cooking assessment are easily fixed. It's usually timing issues or they don't know the equipment that well or they forgot to turn the oven on. These are all excuses for the non prepared. Sometimes their cooking just isn't very good. When a student comes in prepared and listens well to all directions, understands the theoretical and the practical part of their assessment and has a very good grasp of their timing, as all dishes are time based and have to be presented in there best form at a predetermined time that is shared with the students.

      A majority of the students that have struggled, all say similar things, that they lacked the time to study, are too busy with work or they have external issues that has hindered their thought process. When the assessments for the students that performed poorly come to an end. I will go over some pertinent points, with a caring attitude and a bit of humour. The influx of something humours or maybe a real life situation that I was involved with that didn't turn out so well could help them feel a bit better. An obvious training point for me that I will use from now on is that all the students get the same amount of time to prep for the assessment. Also the Chefs put a lot of energy into making these assessment go as well as they can. Perhaps connecting through email or twitter for help might be an avenue worth looking at. Does it look good on the Instructors when they have an entire class that performs well and passes their assessments, maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. I will try my best to teach the way I was taught, instil in them the profound career path they have chosen is full of adventure and promise as long as they are willing to be taught and learn, and have a better understanding of what the critical factors of passing a Red Seal Culinary Assessment done by Chef Paul really is.

References

Jose Antonio Bowen. 2012 Teaching Naked How Moving Technology Out Of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning

Sharan B. Merriam Ralph G Brockett 1997, 2007 The Profession and Practice of Adult Education An Introduction


Yong and Lim, 2008)

http://www.academia.edu/3706290/The_Benefits_of_School_Based_Assessment




　

My blogs purpose

The Purpose of my blog is to have a place where I can post my writings and findings using this form of multi media to help me attain my PID. I am an Instructor in the Culinary Arts and going through this evolution as a person is both exciting and a bit eerie at the same time. All fears aside I am loving my new career choice to take my knowledge and use it to help the young chef of today become even better than they ever thought they could be. Hopefully a few of them will read some of my blog and gain something from it, even just a thought. Afterall innovation and creative thinking all starts with one thought...

Cross functional teamwork in the classroom

Journal 1 3240 Paul Crawford

Focused conversation regarding cross-functional teams is the choice I’ve made for my 1st journal entry.


Objective

      As I was reading the chapters of Teaching Naked by Antonio Bowen, 2007 and anticipating what was going to grab my attention, I was finding myself able to relate to a lot of the content, I could relate to the majority of high tech communications, the usefulness of Facebook as well as the spooky factor with Facebook. Interesting fact is the culinary department does not currently advocate the use of Facebook. Twitter is the mode of choice .I have personally used texting and emailing as tools of communication with some students and faculty members. The choice became easier when I came upon the Cross Functional Teams piece in chapter 3 pg 61. The fact is much like a multiplayer video game, teaching culinary at VCC is designed around the students being placed into groups in order to accomplish the daily lesson plan and culinary tasks whether it be for servicing the guests at the schools food outlets, or if the class is an instructional type where there is no guest services required.

     Similar to multiplayer video games, our classes are diverse. The students can experience a variety of scenarios such as a shortage of products or absenteeism . The curriculum may change on any given day for reasons that can be out of our control. Skill levels, aptitude, culture and attitude all play an important role. Although I have not participated in many on line video game scenarios, our classes are definitely tailored in the mode of a multiplayer game.


Reflective

      As I came across the Cross Functional Team piece I thought to myself, yes... this is exactly what I will write about because it’s my everyday challenge. I enter my week with the students and assign the groups based on skill level and competencies. We want the groups to be somewhat balanced so that the learning experience is evenly distributed. That being said competition is always in the air.


Interpretative 

    My gut reaction to the Cross Functional Teams was interesting because I really enjoy group settings. I can identify with group settings because that is how I was trained and have worked in the field for many years. Within each group, as in a hotel or restaurant setting when there is quite a few employees or in my case now with students. The Brigade will work in different sections either baking, in the preparation area, on the hot line or in the garde manger section.

     A group setting is good for many reasons. Each student within a group is required to pull their own weight. Communication, being accountable for their actions as well as their attitude, grooming, timing and of course quality and consistency. These factors are some of the elements that will contribute to either their success or failure. Without this learned structure it would be mayhem. In a real kitchen setting it would lead to less customers and eventually no employment.


Decisional

      While the mandate at VCC is to put the students into groups based on the enrolment level, the groups can range from 2 to 4 at the most with a total of 20 students per class. An interesting idea could be “best group of the day” based on quality of cognitive skills. The group that performs their learned skills the best such as the best timing, working clean and the quality of food. As the Instructor I perform a plethora of demonstrations on how to make a variety of dishes. The students must pay attention, take notes, ask questions, taste the food and critique it. We give the students a chance to give us some feed back. This creates an atmosphere of trust and respect in an instant. I have tried this a few times and now that I am reliving it, I think it is an idea worth trying more often. The young Chefs take great pride when they are graded on the spot as a group. When the assessment of the groups goes well it really can create a fabulous feeling of accomplishment, reassurance and some satisfaction that perhaps one day they could become Chef themselves. Ultimately as educators we would love for each and every student that enrols in the culinary arts to become a world renown Chef but we know that is a big ask.

April 2015


Now that I am starting 3240 as part of my PID journey, I am back to my blog site that I have been ignoring a bit. I will be posting, writing and anything else that I can put in here to assist with my goal of getting my Diploma.


Since I starting on my quest for higher ed. I have to say that once I have found the MOTIVATION to sit down, turn on the computer, get relevant with where |I am in whatever course I am in, and stay FOCUSED. Libraries can be good but there are a ton of distractions there, coffee shops.....the same thing, distractions are the killer for me!


Now I have made an office at home, it's almost quiet, no TV is a must for sure. Have a beverage and set a time limit for school. SIMPLE.


Lets Blog

Lesson Planning Motivational Techniques

Paul Crawford                                                                                                            

P.I.D. Course 3100

Lesson Planning
Motivational Techniques

Rationale 3 of 5

Web Site http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivation

                                           

        “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” (Benjamin Franklin) This is a quote that has inspired me for a while. It says to me, Hey! Are you ready to go? A motivated student can be the best motivation in the classroom. The student that arrives late, papers everywhere, cell phone in one hand and half a croissant in their mouth, is not the ideal example of a properly motivated student. I will put this person with my highly motivated one and explain that this is the level I need all of you to be at. I want to empower my students so they feel that they are in control over their destiny. We will discuss a few topics, such as learning to turn veggies or creating one of the classic sauces we have just talked about, I will ask them which one would you like to start with first, and usually go with the majority. I will set the goals for the day as well as the week and make sure that the students adhere to the lesson plan. A humorous motivating story that is relevant with the tasks at hand is a good ice breaker that generally relaxes their brains, making them open up for what's ahead. Most importantly, I as the expediter and facillitator of the lesson plan must be the motivated one first and foremost. The enthusiasm that I will bring to the students should make them realize, wow the Chef is ready for today, I better be as well.

Lesson Planning Blooms Taxonomy

Paul Crawford                                                                                                          P.I.D.  Course 3100

Lesson Planning
Blooms Taxonomy

Rationale 1 of 5

Web site http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

                                                                                                      

        I appreciate Bloom's ideals with Taxonomy as it relates quite well in my career as a Chef. Is an industry where your skills are constantly being critiqued. Emotion (Affective Domain) can be felt in a highly motivational way such as a great compliment on your plate, or as a mind numbing cerebral attack by the Chef to you personally when you fail to full fill a guests preconceived expectations. In my classroom, listening with respect is OK; but ultimately the willingness to hear my instruction and comprehend it is vital for success. Priorities with timing, being organized in both their professional and personal lives is a necessary prerequisite when we enter the Cognitive Domain of a busy kitchen that is “only as good as their last meal served!” We all comprehend lessons and hands on instruction at different levels. I as an Instructor would be in seventh heaven if all of my students GOT IT! As an Instructor I will demonstrate to my students the procedures and techniques required to help them master certain skill sets (Psycomotor). Having the awareness of what is required to become a great cook and being motivated daily will greatly assist a student as they learn the complexities and multiple techniques that this career path will undoubtedly take them down.

Lesson Planning Media

Paul Crawford                                                      
P.I.D. 3100

Lesson Planning
Media

Rationale 5 of 5
Web Site http://www.pearsonhighered.com

        Where would we be without the visual arts in Education? I love the media aspect of teaching! Things haven't changed much since I was a youngling. You tell the class that we will be watching a video on sauce making made my a famous Chef and immediately the class is interested. I like to make my own videos and introduce them in the class. I expect the students to be taking notes, not just using the time as a snooze fest. I will tell them that I will be quizzing them after the video so that usually gets there attention. A Power Point presentation is something I will drop on them just prior to a test. This makes sure that as we go over the weeks lesson plan on power point that they actually stay awake during the presentation. I have used concept mapping to demonstrate the hierarchy of how kitchens positions are laid out. Concept maps are used to demonstrate the breakdown of butchery and the secondary cuts. These displays are attached to the walls of a lot of kitchens so the staff have easy access. Other avenues of media that I will use are You Tube for great recipes. The book “On Cooking” that each of the students at V.C.C. are required to have in class is also full of a massive amount of information that the students can also access on line. The on-line information has a plethora of web sites that students can go to for more in depth instruction.

Lesson Planning Assessment

Paul Crawford   
P.I.D. 3100                                                                                                              

Lesson Planning
Assessment

Rationale 4 of 5

Web Site http://www.byrdseed.com/six-traits-of-quality-pre-assessments

         I didn't pick this rationale because I love it. I picked it because it is one of those must do\s in my mind. Assessments are a critical part of education and almost every other part of life. How does a person know how they're doing? In my career at the moment, pre-assessment has become normal for me. I go to work and have a ten minute chin wag with the current instructor to figure out who the students are, where they are in the current model of their term and what is expected for the duration of my time with the class. They will provide me with a quick assessment of the class. During these assessments I take the information, write down the important issues and go to the class. When I enter the class, we go over all of the info that I have about the day, and make it happen. My post assessment will always take place at the end of the day. I will spend ten to fifteen minutes to provide post assessment and feedback details regarding the lessons learned, how to fix the issues that have come up, what is expected for the next day and I always finish off with the winners of the day. This is a motivational tool that students can either embrace or not. It tells me a lot about who is motivated and who really cares about what they are doing. Without fail the classes that I teach really enjoy this part of my educational philosophy. I make sure not to embarrass any of the students, but I do make sure that all of the students take away valuable teachings, how to improve moving forward, as well how to avoid making the same mistakes. The feedback either confirms or it changes what they have learned. Timing the delivery of individual feedback is crucial to the success of each student.

Trends and Roles in Education (Roles)

Roles that exist in Education 2014

       Is technology changing the role of Teachers? When talking about 21st 

century learning, there’s one critical component that binds the concept 

together:Technology. It's technology in its various forms that is driving 

innovation, changing the way that students think and, as a result, changing 

the way that teachers teach. Digital acumen in particular, has become one of 

the main priorities of education. It’s a theme and a skill that many futurists 

argue will be number one  for students attending college or for pursuing 

successful careers in the 21st century. Technology has become the norm in 

our nation’s schools, you would be hard pressed to find districts without access 

to computer labs or the Internet. As a result, teachers are beginning to take a 

different approach to education in order to accommodate the needs of 21st 

century students. They’re integrating technology into instruction by 

encouraging students to use computers for research or work with adaptive 

learning technologies to help grasp new concepts. Clearly, technology isn't just 

helping students evolve – it’s also changing the role of teachers in the 

classroom. The educators of today have mastered certain skills that many

instructors in the past never even had to consider. So, how exactly is the 21st 

century teacher different? As we move forward into the future, we now realize 

that all teachers and instructors will need to possess certain attributes. Here 

are a few examples of forward thinking that Educators need to embrace.

     1.   While teachers have always needed to communicate with their 

students, the way in which they do so has evolved. Instead of the usual 

sweater clad walking chalk in front of our classrooms, writing and talking 

about important ideals, they are now encouraging dialogue – allowing the 

students to question what they are learning and to think more critically, the 

feedback is instant and hopefully without ridicule and harassment! 


     2.   In addition to being a good communicator, 21st century Teachers must 

be willing to collaborate with students in ways they haven’t before. This 

gives Teachers the opportunity to work with Students in smaller groups and 

makes the students look at the Teachers on a more even playing field, 

creating a less stressful environment and also encouraging them to be more 

free thinking in the classroom.

        
      3.  Being able to adapt to different learning programs that many school 

districts now use is vitally important. Teachers need to be more flexible and 

adaptive with their lesson plans. They must allow themselves to have the 

ability to customize even their own curriculum and to alter lesson plans. To 

allow dialogue between the Teachers and students only encourages our 

Educators to become partners in the learning process, rather than seeing 

them as being completely separate.


     3.   An interesting way that teachers are changing is that they have become

facilitators of global learning. They help Students discover knowledge on 

their own, rather than simply delivering it. The luxury of the World Wide Web, 

no matter what one thinks of it, is that there is actually very good information 

out there. This places students in an active role, keeps them very engaged 

and as long as they stay focused on the subject at hand, will also keep them

interested in a world that is evolving at an exponential rate.    


     4.   For the more animated Educators that are teaching in the Institutes of 

higher learning, performance art through acting, comedy or just simple role 

playing can definitely assist with engaged learning. When you have pure 

laughter related to curriculum, you have engagement. You will then have the 

Students attention, some of them wanting more and others cringing at the 

thought of the Teacher involving them in a small skit related to curriculum. 

What better way to get the Students ready for life than to role play.

     
      5.  So finally to this blog we go. The responsibilities of Educators as 

directors of learning has been altered. Teachers have taken on other roles in 

their Schools. They liaise with their communities where they educate and bring

forth new technologies and knowledge. They continue to work diligently with 

their fellow colleagues, families, community members, local politicians, 

special needs students and their families; all for the purpose of setting realistic 

goals and mind sets for all students and families involved. Standards for 

knowledge, skills, future technologies and growing up in an ever evolving 

society will be the pinnacle that we hope to attain for our future in education 

and for all students young and old.

Lesson Planning Creating a Positive Learning Environment

Paul Crawford
Creating a Positive Learning Environment                                          

P.I.D. Course 3100

Lesson Planning

Rationale 2 of 5

Web Site http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-teaching-strategies

        I like this plan because it is very energizing to be in a positive energetic environment, no matter what the subject is! If the learning environment isn't a positive one we must make it one. My classes with definitely reflect rules from the on set. They must apply for cohesion in the learning center (your brain). Instilling rules in our brains helps assist with being prepared to learn. Respect plays a massive role in learning something new. I will lead by example and show that I actually care about my students by communicating politely, walking around the class and interacting with them, guiding them in the right direction as opposed to letting them fail on purpose. The omission of sarcastic behaviour on my part when I am dealing with a challenge, will show the students that I don't have to stoop to an ignorant level to communicate with them. How feedback is given can be the most telling tale of who I am as an Instructor. Keeping it positive with a bit of humour can work well when applied properly. Questioning a student and embarrassing them in front of their peers may be good for TV ratings but it will dissolve any respect that I have built up.

Trends and Roles in Culinary Education (Trends)

Trends that exist in the Culinary Arts 2014

   
        Food lovers and critics are constantly pushing the levels of acceptability within the umbrella of

consumables. How have the trends of preparation, cooking, baking, consuming, photography of

food and everything else that is attached to the Culinary Arts progressed?

     

         Farm to table and buying local are two very predominant trends that are here to stay.

Locally sourced ingredients that are sustainable and won't harm Eco-systems is yet another

example of how we as consumers and creators of all things edible must demand this practice,

rather than only have it on special occasions or at specialty shops paying exorbitant costs just to eat

with the confidence that this food is good and nutritious, and has been grown properly with little

effect on our planet.

     Consumers are very adamant that the majority of their consumables are created locally. This is

great for our economical success and also creates pride that says ....yes we can be self sufficient!

We don't need to spend gobs of money for the same thing produced offshore. As an Instructor, it's

very important to me that this is related to the students that I teach. It's better for everyone in the

long run, cheaper prices, fresher product and more Canadian jobs. The classroom look hasn't

changed a ton, but how the students perform whilst in the classroom has! They're more computer

savvy, so we create programs for them to assist with their high tech vision of education. We don't

need to hire Photo-gs to take our pictures for us. Every cell phone has at least a 5 megapixel

camera that can take either pictures or videos. So I have created  platforms for taking very good

pictures, using lighting, props and basically anything else that will give good results. To see the

pride that Students exhibit with not only their work but also the work of their fellow classmates is

fantastic. When a Students asks me if it's OK to film me while I perform a demo, I am more than

accepting, just as long as it is used in the context of School. Our society is a very complex one

now. The onslaught of G.M.O. (Genetically Modified Organisms) foods has created a real problem

that is a trend I would love to see go away right now!! As we address these hard topics in the

classroom, we are faced with more questions than answers Food allergies and its restrictions

combined with consumers wants and needs are over the top. Chefs need to be more aware of the

many ingredients that they can use to help alleviate some of these problematic concerns. When a

customer comes to me and says (Does that prepared salad have any gluten, dairy or sugar of any

kind in it? If it does I can't eat it or I will end up in Hospital for days.) This issue with food is very

concerning and difficult to answer. We most certainly will display the  name of the displayed salad

and provide an ingredient list, to help answer these questions.

     Even more challenging is educating the future Chefs about all of those ingredients and where a

lot of the hidden concerns live. I make it a part of my lectures with all my classes and I typically

talk about my son who lives with Autism and the challenges that we have with food. Gluten, I will

tell the Students, is hidden in a lot of foods that we use to prepare certain recipes. Understanding

these variables is now a necessity in our  industry. As we move forward in Culinary Arts

training we most definitely pay heed to these trends and many others such as how Vegetables are

now being treated like a meat dish. The costs attached to produce is high and the various ways that

we as Chefs can make them taste delicious is as important as any other ingredient that we use in

our kitchens. Molecular cooking is not as much of a burgeoning trend as it is a trend that pops up

and goes away. www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/980423/culinary-trends-for-2013 is

a cool web site that expands on some new trends to watch out for. Some of them are eating more

clean and healthy, which will help our own longevity. Serving smaller portions will also help with

the waist line and also cost the consumer less money to enjoy their favorite restaurants. Asian food

has been around forever, but the trend is to take classic Asian ingredients and work them into more

North American dishes creating a blast of flavor with lower caloric intake. The plethora of fruits

that are available to us are starting to be used in more savory applications to assist with flavors,

tenderizing and overall plate presentations.


        It's in the classrooms and kitchens of today that the future Chefs be educated and trained to

inherit and embrace these trends to the point where they are no longer trends. Plant a seed and

watch it grow.