Emergence and repetition: teaching food and culture using a foods lab

For almost a decade, a small group of teachers and hundreds of students at the University of Vermont have been involved in building an innovative pedagogy that combines learning about food (and associated issues) with learning how to cook. ‘Innovative’ might sound presumptuous, given the history of home economics courses in primary, secondary and post‐secondary American education since the early 20th century. However, our pedagogy, developed in a former home economics kitchen/classroom, integrates more recent theories as to the merits of experiential education, thus moving beyond the didactic instruction typical of home economics courses over the past fifty years. We have created a learning environment in the kitchen/classroom that more easily fits into a continuum between service learning, study abroad, and the newer ‘maker spaces’ now popular in business and engineering programs. The pedagogy for this Food and Culture course involves the clear, constant, and consistent integration of thematic concepts (most consistently from anthropology, environmental studies, and food science) with a set of skills that enables students to develop a ‘trained practice,’ or an embodied form of knowledge. This pedagogy allows for an enactment of a complete experience that is often difficult to sustain in the traditional organization of higher education. One important consequence of integrating the learning, cooking, and eating of food lies in the creation of a community through shared practices and commensality. Making and eating food together enhances learning, certainly by allowing a more complete engagement but also by creating or recreating familial spaces that are often missing in students’ everyday lives. After teaching Food and Culture for many years and instructing hundreds of students, the time has come to figure out just what is so unique and important about what happens in foods lab. Why is the transformation of a student into a cook so pedagogically powerful? Why do we, as teachers, have such a sense of satisfaction at the end of each course, with strong student engagement, excellent assessments and clear group cohesion? Finally, is there a larger potential for this approach, beyond The University of Vermont, involving courses other than Food and Culture? We explore these questions, individually and as a group, in this essay

Effect of Peritoneal Dialysis on Weight Change in Pediatric Patients

Obesity is associated with lower transplantation rate and higher mortality in pediatric end stage renal disease patients. Glucose-based peritoneal dialysis is the preferred method of dialysis for these patients, a therapy that can cause systemic glucose absorption. It is unknown whether this absorption leads to weight change in pediatric patients. We propose to examine whether Peritoneal Dialysis is associated with weight change in pediatric End Stage Renal Disease patients. We will prospectively observe a cohort of children aged 2-17 who are starting peritoneal dialysis. We will measure weight change after one year of dialysis, and compare these measurements to historical control groups. With this proposed study, we hope to gain insight into whether peritoneal dialysis contributes to obesity, leading to decreased eligibility for kidney transplantation. This knowledge will allow modification of renal replacement therapy and ultimately lead to improved outcomes in pediatric peritoneal dialysis patients

AN ALTERNATIVE PRACTICUM MODEL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

In this article, I have examined how a drama‐based practicum had an impact on learning in meaningful ways for preservice teachers and grade‐6 students during a three‐week alternative teaching placement. Because the nature of drama‐based teaching and learning invites participants to think and feel with ideas and emotions continually intersecting, I investigated cognitive and affective learning moments during a collective play development unit. Participants’ recorded responses indicate that using this process to address social justice issues created a conducive and rewarding learning environment. Key words: practicum, drama, collaboration, bullying Dans cet article, l’auteur explique comment un stage de trois semaines faisant appel à l’art dramatique a eu des répercussions positives sur l’apprentissage chez des étudiants‐maîtres en stage et des élèves de 6e année. Comme les idées et les émotions sont continuellement en interaction dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage basés sur l’art dramatique, l’auteur a étudié les apprentissages cognitifs et affectifs des participants au cours des trois semaines durant lesquelles s’est déroulé un projet d’élaboration collective d’une pièce de théâtre. Les réponses enregistrées des participants indiquent que le recours à ce processus pour traiter de questions de justice sociale a créé un environnement propice à l’apprentissage. Mots clés : stage, art dramatique, collaboration, intimidation

A St.-Louis equation to reassess the influence of macroeconomic-policy instruments

An analysis of the impact from stabilizing instruments important to macroeconomic policy on output in the US is presented. A simple approach to identify the influence of macroeconomic-policy instruments, based on the St. Louis equation, is clearly presented and examined using annual US data from 1956-2007. The conclusion from this analysis is that both monetary and fiscal policy are viable options for policymakers seeking to stabilize output

Alien Registration- Belliveau, Philippi (Auburn, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/30776/thumbnail.jp