http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2011/09/22/work-plan-seminar-2011.php
Hi all, i have provided the link to the speech by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education, at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Work Plan Seminar. I think all teachers or teachers-to-be should take a look at what was mentioned in the speech so that we know where we should be working towards or at least where the education system is heading to. Basically, he calls for a more holistic, student-centric education system which is very relevant to what we have been looking at in our course.
"In 2009, MOE launched the 21st Century Competencies Framework. These competencies are harder to teach and their outcomes even harder to measure, but we must do it. At the heart of what you know as the “Swiss Roll” is values. But just as important, are the competencies we want our children to exhibit.
Many of you have asked for support to be more student-centric, to see to the total development of the person rather than to build up just the academics. You also want to see a more collegial and collaborative environment among schools. And you want to know how we can bring parents and the community with us. Our schools and teachers will need time and space, to engage in the more demanding type of educating – values and 21st century competencies.
For this Work Plan Seminar, I want to focus on two key emphases for our next stage of development. We want to make our education system even more student-centric, and sharpen our focus in holistic education – centred on values and character development. We could call this Student-Centric, Values-Driven education. Another way of putting it, value in our learners and learning values... "
Mr Heng also mentioned about how to make schools themselves models of 21st Century Competencies in creativity, innovation and collaboration. He expects networks of schools as centres of innovation in delivering student-centric education and see that schools are already coming together to find solutions to common issues, especially at the cluster and zonal level.
"In 2008, St Hilda’s Secondary, Temasek Secondary and Xinmin Secondary, who had similar student profiles, saw a common challenge in imparting thinking skills. They came together and implemented a thinking skills curriculum over a larger student base. Today, all three schools have continued with the programme and are now looking at further collaboration and sharing. We want to encourage more of such efforts."
I think it is more effective to have schools pooling resources together and promote learning among teachers. I am glad that for a start, Mr Heng Swee Keat and his team are gathering feedbacks from parents,teachers and students to review on the current education system. Read more on the speech to learn about the initiatives he will be rolling out :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Easy Way to Incorporate 21st Century Competencies
Hello! Enjoying Recess? :)
I saw this article on Yahoo about the History of Kachang Puteh and thought that it would be interesting to adapt the idea and use it in our future lesson plans.
For example we could set assignments on history of foods in colonial Singapore or pre-independent Singapore. It can be in the form of holiday assignment where we can combine some of our 21st century competencies skills such as (1) being a self directed learner through researching and using ICT skills, (2) being an confident person by presenting their findings, (3) being a concerned citizen by investigating our culture (its a form of social awareness!) and perhaps even interviewing the older generation like grandparents which can also foster relationship bonding.
As teachers, we will need to come up with a list of traditional foods or alternatively allow the students to choose their own food. Then get ourselves familiarize with the background of the food.
And BRAVO! Almost all skills are incorporated! :)
Read http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/a-tough-nut-to-crack--.html for more information on the history of kachang puteh. Save a copy if you need cos its not easy to find!
I saw this article on Yahoo about the History of Kachang Puteh and thought that it would be interesting to adapt the idea and use it in our future lesson plans.
For example we could set assignments on history of foods in colonial Singapore or pre-independent Singapore. It can be in the form of holiday assignment where we can combine some of our 21st century competencies skills such as (1) being a self directed learner through researching and using ICT skills, (2) being an confident person by presenting their findings, (3) being a concerned citizen by investigating our culture (its a form of social awareness!) and perhaps even interviewing the older generation like grandparents which can also foster relationship bonding.
As teachers, we will need to come up with a list of traditional foods or alternatively allow the students to choose their own food. Then get ourselves familiarize with the background of the food.
And BRAVO! Almost all skills are incorporated! :)
Read http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/a-tough-nut-to-crack--.html for more information on the history of kachang puteh. Save a copy if you need cos its not easy to find!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Respond to meatless monday
Hi :) i found this article on US meat industy's response to meatless monday. Meatless monday is similar to VeggieThursday in Singapore. Honestly, I've tried VeggieThursday. I won't say that i've failed terribly but i think i've cut down on meat intake after trying VeggieThursday. Sometimes i choose to have my veggiedays on other days or i don't take meat for one meal or half day. You can be flexible and start small.
Back to the article, i've read about how business people are profit-driven and conveniently ignre the fact that there are also other non-meat protein sources. Basically, the article stated that
“Meat/animal protein is the one area that the consumers are not overeating.” Unfortunately, if schools promote this to students, students may buy in and they don’t understand the nutritional consequences if they are not including protein in the diet.
“We need farmers and ranchers to celebrate that animal protein is an important part of diet and provide information to their local schools and universities about the need for protein in the diet and making informed choices, not just buying into it because it sounds good or popular and trendy,”
Lastly, i post this article to highlight the point that we need to be careful and to discern what people post on the Internet. There are many misinformation out there and we cannot just buy what they wrote. Make sure we check on the sources and what we know about the topic. For me, i know that meat-free diet definitely has health and environment benefits. We can always obtain protein from plant sources as long as we manage our diet well.
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/bovine-vet/industry-news/Respond-to-Meatless-Mondays-129460288.html?ref=288
Back to the article, i've read about how business people are profit-driven and conveniently ignre the fact that there are also other non-meat protein sources. Basically, the article stated that
“Meat/animal protein is the one area that the consumers are not overeating.” Unfortunately, if schools promote this to students, students may buy in and they don’t understand the nutritional consequences if they are not including protein in the diet.
“We need farmers and ranchers to celebrate that animal protein is an important part of diet and provide information to their local schools and universities about the need for protein in the diet and making informed choices, not just buying into it because it sounds good or popular and trendy,”
Lastly, i post this article to highlight the point that we need to be careful and to discern what people post on the Internet. There are many misinformation out there and we cannot just buy what they wrote. Make sure we check on the sources and what we know about the topic. For me, i know that meat-free diet definitely has health and environment benefits. We can always obtain protein from plant sources as long as we manage our diet well.
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/bovine-vet/industry-news/Respond-to-Meatless-Mondays-129460288.html?ref=288
Feeling bored? Do some baking!!
Hi people, next week is our recess week. If you are feeling bored or want to do something for leisure, try this -making a Princess doll cake. It will be a birthday present to impress your friend.
Watch this video on how to make the Princess doll cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwqaF8f3VW0
Watch this video on how to make the Princess doll cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwqaF8f3VW0Tuesday, September 20, 2011
8 Biggest Red Flag Words on Packaged Foods
Be aware...
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/8-biggest-red-flag-words-on-packaged-foods-2555692/
I find this article quite interesting so I decided to share it here.
Many food producers hire lawyers that help them craft words to get you to buy their products while toeing the line of legality.
Here are the common package proclamations that you should look out for:
1. Health claims (The most common!)
Could a probiotic straw give immunity protection to a child? Are Cheerios a substitute for cholesterol-lowering drugs? The FDA doesn't think so. Foods are not authorized to treat diseases. Be suspicious of any food label that claims to be the next wonder drug.
2. Flavored
Both natural and artificial flavors are actually made in laboratories. But natural flavorings are isolated from a natural source, whereas artificial flavorings are not. However, natural flavors are not necessarily healthier than artificial. According to Scientific American, the natural flavor of coconut is not from an actual coconut, as one might expect, but from the bark of a tree in Malaysia. The process of extracting the bark kills the tree and drives up the price of the product when an artificial flavoring could be made more cheaply and more safely in a laboratory.
3. Drink and cocktail
The FDA requires that the amount of juice be labeled on a package when it claims to contain juice. The words drink and cocktail should have you checking the label for percentages and hidden sugars. But beware: even a product labeled 100 percent juice could be a mixture of cheaper juices, like apple juice and white grape juice.
4. Pure
100 percent pure products such as orange juice can be doctored with flavor packs for aroma and taste similar to those used by perfume companies. By now we all know about the use of flavor packs added back to fresh-squeezed orange juice like Tropicana and Minute Maid.
5. Nectar (NOT COMPLETELY JUICE!)
The word nectar sounds Garden of Eden pure, but according to the FDA it's just a fancy name for "not completely juice." The FDA writes: "The term 'nectar' is generally accepted as the common or usual name in the U.S. and in international trade for a diluted juice beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and may contain sweeteners." The ingredient list of Kern's, a popular brand of peach nectar, contains high fructose corn syrup before peach puree.
6. Fat free
PAM cooking spray and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray are fat free if used in the super miniscule and near impossible serving sizes recommended. PAM must be sprayed for ¼ of a second and the small I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray bottle contains over 1,000 servings! Even then it's not fat free it's just below the amount that the FDA requires to be identified on labels.
7. Sugar free (So common in many products!)
This designation means free of sucrose not other sugar alcohols that carry calories from carbohydrates but are not technically sugar. Sugar alcohols are not calorie free. They contain 1.5-3 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram for sugar. Also, certain sugar alcohols can cause digestion issues.
8. Trademarks
Dannon yogurt is the only company allowed to use the bacteria in yogurt called bifidus regularis because the company created its own strain of a common yogurt bacterial strain and trademarked the name. Lactobacillus acidophilus thrives in all yogurts with active cultures. Although Activa is promoted as assisting in digestion and elimination, all yogurts, and some cheeses, with this bacteria will do the same thing.
Be a smart consumer!
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/8-biggest-red-flag-words-on-packaged-foods-2555692/
I find this article quite interesting so I decided to share it here.
Many food producers hire lawyers that help them craft words to get you to buy their products while toeing the line of legality.
Here are the common package proclamations that you should look out for:
1. Health claims (The most common!)
Could a probiotic straw give immunity protection to a child? Are Cheerios a substitute for cholesterol-lowering drugs? The FDA doesn't think so. Foods are not authorized to treat diseases. Be suspicious of any food label that claims to be the next wonder drug.
2. Flavored
Both natural and artificial flavors are actually made in laboratories. But natural flavorings are isolated from a natural source, whereas artificial flavorings are not. However, natural flavors are not necessarily healthier than artificial. According to Scientific American, the natural flavor of coconut is not from an actual coconut, as one might expect, but from the bark of a tree in Malaysia. The process of extracting the bark kills the tree and drives up the price of the product when an artificial flavoring could be made more cheaply and more safely in a laboratory.
3. Drink and cocktail
The FDA requires that the amount of juice be labeled on a package when it claims to contain juice. The words drink and cocktail should have you checking the label for percentages and hidden sugars. But beware: even a product labeled 100 percent juice could be a mixture of cheaper juices, like apple juice and white grape juice.
4. Pure
100 percent pure products such as orange juice can be doctored with flavor packs for aroma and taste similar to those used by perfume companies. By now we all know about the use of flavor packs added back to fresh-squeezed orange juice like Tropicana and Minute Maid.
5. Nectar (NOT COMPLETELY JUICE!)
The word nectar sounds Garden of Eden pure, but according to the FDA it's just a fancy name for "not completely juice." The FDA writes: "The term 'nectar' is generally accepted as the common or usual name in the U.S. and in international trade for a diluted juice beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and may contain sweeteners." The ingredient list of Kern's, a popular brand of peach nectar, contains high fructose corn syrup before peach puree.
6. Fat free
PAM cooking spray and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray are fat free if used in the super miniscule and near impossible serving sizes recommended. PAM must be sprayed for ¼ of a second and the small I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray bottle contains over 1,000 servings! Even then it's not fat free it's just below the amount that the FDA requires to be identified on labels.
7. Sugar free (So common in many products!)
This designation means free of sucrose not other sugar alcohols that carry calories from carbohydrates but are not technically sugar. Sugar alcohols are not calorie free. They contain 1.5-3 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram for sugar. Also, certain sugar alcohols can cause digestion issues.
8. Trademarks
Dannon yogurt is the only company allowed to use the bacteria in yogurt called bifidus regularis because the company created its own strain of a common yogurt bacterial strain and trademarked the name. Lactobacillus acidophilus thrives in all yogurts with active cultures. Although Activa is promoted as assisting in digestion and elimination, all yogurts, and some cheeses, with this bacteria will do the same thing.
Be a smart consumer!
Monday, September 19, 2011
NEEDS vs WANTS video
hey girls! this is a short video of needs vs wants!
can use it next time when you're introducing the topic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el40d2gyWaI
can use it next time when you're introducing the topic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el40d2gyWaI
15 surprising ways to reduce cholesterol!
I saw this on Yahoo! News about ways to improve cholesterol level!
Total there are 15 ways, but i only listed 9 ways. The rest you can explore in this website: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/top-15-ways-improve-your-cholesterol
Do some self-directed learning!=)
1. Eat more nuts.
E.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios
As long as it is not thumbs up or farmers' peanuts!
2. Exercising for 20 minutes a day increases your HDL by 2.5 points. according to research.
E.g. climb the stairs will be a good way instead of taking lift
3. Drink cranberry juice
4. Eat grapefruit
5. People who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower LDL cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.
6. Eat oatmeal cookies.
7. Take the Concord. University of California researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
8. Be a part-time vegetarian.
be a vegetarian once a week! haha, trying very hard to switch. But yet to find a nice vegetarian stall.
9. Switch to Dark Chocolate!
Total there are 15 ways, but i only listed 9 ways. The rest you can explore in this website: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/top-15-ways-improve-your-cholesterol
Do some self-directed learning!=)
1. Eat more nuts.
E.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios
As long as it is not thumbs up or farmers' peanuts!
2. Exercising for 20 minutes a day increases your HDL by 2.5 points. according to research.
E.g. climb the stairs will be a good way instead of taking lift
3. Drink cranberry juice
4. Eat grapefruit
5. People who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower LDL cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.
6. Eat oatmeal cookies.
7. Take the Concord. University of California researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
8. Be a part-time vegetarian.
be a vegetarian once a week! haha, trying very hard to switch. But yet to find a nice vegetarian stall.
9. Switch to Dark Chocolate!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mango Sago with Pomelo
( Image taken from http://julian.li/food/)
Hi all, some of you may like the mango dessert so i think i should share the recipe here. Actually you can find this dessert at a few Hong Kong cafes but they may be too sweet with watery consistency where they add a lot of sugar syrup. However, if you prepare the dessert at home, you can have it at a better quality ( eg. it can be richer), customize sweetness level and at lower cost. And also, I think it is a delicious and refreshing dessert which you can prepare for parties and gatherings!
Mango Sago with Pomelo ( serves 15)
Ingredients
4 large ripe mangoes, peeled and pitted
2 small ripe mangoes, cut into small cubes for toppings)
1 sweet pomelo, peeled and sac loosen
300 ml of mango juice(I used Marigold Peelfresh brand)
1 packet (200g) of QQ balls ( from Sheng Siong) or approx 100g of sago
2 tablespoons of sugar syrup
2 tablespoons of UHT whipping cream
Method
You may replace the colourful QQ balls with sago.
1) Put sago pearls into a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook until transparent. Pour cooked sago pearls into a sieve. Rinse under running water and drain.
2) Now, place mangoes and mango juice into blender. Blend ingredients into purée form. Add in the whipping cream to give it a smooth consistency.
3) Pour the mango mixture into a large bowl. Add in sugar syrup to the purée until the sweetness is just right. Add in the loosen pomelo sac and QQ balls. Then, fold the ingredients to mix well.
4) Top mango cubes and serve chilled.
Tips:Make sure mangoes and pomelo are ripe and sweet if not it will become too sour.
You may add in shaved ice to the dessert so that it is not too sweet and it is even more refreshing.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
WARNING: 1000 Calorie Mooncake !?!
The Mid Autumn Festival falls on 12th Sept this year.Every year, during this period of time, hotels and restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries and literally almost the entire food industry is out to make quick and big money. The mooncake industry is a lucrative business. It was reported that merchants make at least 400% profit through the sales of mooncakes.
While the food industries make big buck, here's a tip to ensure that your waist line don't make a big buck too!
SAD BUT TRUE FACTS:
- A lotus seed paste mooncake contains 716 calories
- A lotus seed paste mooncake with one salted egg yolk has 790 calories
- If it has two salted egg yolks, that's 890 calories
- If it has four salted egg yolks, you're looking at 975 calories.
Mooncakes are high in calories due to the high sugar and fat content.
A lotus seed paste mooncake with two salted egg yolks contains the equivalent number of calories found in 45 teaspoons of sugar. Its total fat content of 55g is equivalent to 11 teaspoons of oil.
So the strategy is:
1. Have just a quarter piece per day as a dessert or snack.
2. Cut the mooncake into eighths instead of quarters, so you can enjoy more varieties.
Then, eat it slowly and savour it.
3. As always, eating in moderation is key.
Lastly, DON'T BUY SO MANY BOXES OF MOONCAKES! :) Anyway, mooncakes are not cheap!Thursday, September 8, 2011
Breakfast: the smart way to start the day
I know there are people who must start their day with a good meal but I am not someone who can wake up early to prepare breakfast everyday. However, after reading this article i am convinced that by having breakfast everyday, you can work like an Energizer bunny for the rest the day. Read more to find out why and the article also suggest what kind of food to have to boost your energy. You can even overcome stress by eating right!
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/breakfast-the-smart-way-to-start-the-day-2200095.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/breakfast-the-smart-way-to-start-the-day-2200095.html
Monday, September 5, 2011
randome name generator
hey girls!
check out this tool.
http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine/
you can use it in lessons to randomly pick students to answer your questions or clean up the food lab mwahahahaha!
p.s. i like the fruit machine feature. its exciting! the sounds a bit like wheel of fortune!
check out this tool.
http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine/
you can use it in lessons to randomly pick students to answer your questions or clean up the food lab mwahahahaha!
p.s. i like the fruit machine feature. its exciting! the sounds a bit like wheel of fortune!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Truth behind Diet Soda
With regards to Lixuan's posting on "Vitamin Water Deception", there are also drinks which are claimed to be healthy but actually not the case. One example would be diet soda, which is said to save calories and lose weight. In a research published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it indicated that while it is true that substituting a soda with artificial sweeteners for a sugary, high calories beverage can help lower calories intake, but there is no evidence that it helps one to lose weight in the long term.
In fact, 2 recent studies at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions have linked drinking diet soda to weight gain and that artificial sweeteners in them could potential Type 2 diabetics. The study found out that aspartame- a calorie-free sweetener used in some diet sodas raised blood sugar levels in diabetics-prone mice.
In addition, a director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children's Hospital at Boston believed that artificial sweetener in diet drinks stimulate our taste receptors for sweeteners, confuse the body's ability to determine calorie content based on sweetness and could cause one to increase hunger and food intake, resulting in weight gain.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-dolgoff-md/diet-soda-health_b_893625.html?ref=mostpopular
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39543011/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/dieting-why-you-should-ditch-diet-soda/
Here are some points for all to ponder on?
1)On diet, so drinking diet soda? Do you want to continue drinking?
2) Does posting calories really change how people eat? As teachers, we teach our students healthy eating, how to read food labels and make better informed food choices. But will they really notice the calories content of the food before or when they purchase it? Or would they rather not know?
Which of the categories you belong to?
In fact, 2 recent studies at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) Scientific Sessions have linked drinking diet soda to weight gain and that artificial sweeteners in them could potential Type 2 diabetics. The study found out that aspartame- a calorie-free sweetener used in some diet sodas raised blood sugar levels in diabetics-prone mice.
In addition, a director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children's Hospital at Boston believed that artificial sweetener in diet drinks stimulate our taste receptors for sweeteners, confuse the body's ability to determine calorie content based on sweetness and could cause one to increase hunger and food intake, resulting in weight gain.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-dolgoff-md/diet-soda-health_b_893625.html?ref=mostpopular
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39543011/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/dieting-why-you-should-ditch-diet-soda/
Here are some points for all to ponder on?
1)On diet, so drinking diet soda? Do you want to continue drinking?
2) Does posting calories really change how people eat? As teachers, we teach our students healthy eating, how to read food labels and make better informed food choices. But will they really notice the calories content of the food before or when they purchase it? Or would they rather not know?
Which of the categories you belong to?
Classroom without walls
Hi HE teachers-to-be! I was talking to my friend about teaching, curriculum planning etc and i just want to jot some thoughts and share with you guys.
After the first few sessions on FCS curriculum,my takeaway is that teachers are called to be designers who plan lessons to fit into framework. We would set lesson objectives/aim but at the end the day we must assess the students whether they can apply what they have learnt. To me, i think we might fall into the trap that we become too focused on only trying to fit our lessons into the framework and forget to create relevance to our teaching for meaningful learning. So as i was thinking about how i want my classroom/lesson to be like in future, i thought i want a classroom without walls.
What do i mean by that? I hope learning can take place beyond the physical boundaries of a classroom. For example, if i'm teaching about poultry and different parts of chicken, i want to bring students to the supermarket to learn how to buy ingredients to cook a dish. In this way, they are not limited to just looking at pictures and at the same time they learn how to be an informed consumer too when it comes to grocery shopping.
So as i present my classroom without walls, i know there are limitations too but do you think i can match my teaching to the frameworks we have learnt about?
After the first few sessions on FCS curriculum,my takeaway is that teachers are called to be designers who plan lessons to fit into framework. We would set lesson objectives/aim but at the end the day we must assess the students whether they can apply what they have learnt. To me, i think we might fall into the trap that we become too focused on only trying to fit our lessons into the framework and forget to create relevance to our teaching for meaningful learning. So as i was thinking about how i want my classroom/lesson to be like in future, i thought i want a classroom without walls.
What do i mean by that? I hope learning can take place beyond the physical boundaries of a classroom. For example, if i'm teaching about poultry and different parts of chicken, i want to bring students to the supermarket to learn how to buy ingredients to cook a dish. In this way, they are not limited to just looking at pictures and at the same time they learn how to be an informed consumer too when it comes to grocery shopping.
So as i present my classroom without walls, i know there are limitations too but do you think i can match my teaching to the frameworks we have learnt about?
Friday, September 2, 2011
Artifical Meat in 6 months away, Hamburger in a Year, Says Scientists
Seriously, they are making a hamburger in a lab!
In the latest artifical meat experiment, scientists have grown synthetic sausages using pig cells fed by horse serum. It said that the color of meat was white as it lack of blood and does not look appetizing (I mean, in the first place the word synthetic sausage already turns me off!)
Why are they doing this?
THey claim that synthetic meat is the solution for feeding the world 9 billion 2050 without destroying the planet.
Answering the food shortage problem!
I think I won't eat synthetic meat at all even if the world really comes to an end.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/01/artificial-meat-6-months_n_945767.html
In the latest artifical meat experiment, scientists have grown synthetic sausages using pig cells fed by horse serum. It said that the color of meat was white as it lack of blood and does not look appetizing (I mean, in the first place the word synthetic sausage already turns me off!)
Why are they doing this?
THey claim that synthetic meat is the solution for feeding the world 9 billion 2050 without destroying the planet.
Answering the food shortage problem!
I think I won't eat synthetic meat at all even if the world really comes to an end.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/01/artificial-meat-6-months_n_945767.html
Is Morning Coffee Kick "All in the Mind"?
A recent UK study shows that the hit you get from your cup of coffee is all in your mind and the same lift can be given by a decaf!
Results showed that the genuine coffee drinkers showed improved performance on a color test but performed poorly on mental ability test whereas the decaf drinkers, who wrongly thought they drank caffeinated coffee, performed much better in both the color and reaction time tests. Thus, researchers believe the coffee "fix" is all in the minds of the coffee lovers.
I think it also depends on the individuals. Drinking coffee in the morning especially for 8:30am class really keeps me awake!
What's your take?
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/208007/20110903/coffee-caffeine-coffee-fix-all-in-the-mind-university-of-east-london.htm
Results showed that the genuine coffee drinkers showed improved performance on a color test but performed poorly on mental ability test whereas the decaf drinkers, who wrongly thought they drank caffeinated coffee, performed much better in both the color and reaction time tests. Thus, researchers believe the coffee "fix" is all in the minds of the coffee lovers.
I think it also depends on the individuals. Drinking coffee in the morning especially for 8:30am class really keeps me awake!
What's your take?
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/208007/20110903/coffee-caffeine-coffee-fix-all-in-the-mind-university-of-east-london.htm
Are we eating what we think it is?
After watching this video, I question the reliability of Food Labels. This video talks the credibility of GM food. To me, there is a undesirable relationship between Human and Nature when it comes to creating GM food, it is a war which humans use 'weapons' to fight for sustainability. In this video, they talk about the 'weapons' used, the making of GM food and the impending consequences.
As consumers, we have the rights to know what we are eating, but it is true that all food labels are revealing nothing but the truth? Probably not. With the creation of GM food on the rise, I feel that this is one major topic we can discuss with our students in the future. So, are you for or against GM food?
Teenagers' Dining Habits
Dining Places Singapore Teenagers Frequent
Teenage Eating Culture
I saw this on Yahoo News (http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/taste-like-teen-spirit.html) and found it quite interesting and useful.
Teenage Eating Culture
It talks about the various factors that teenagers will consider when they look for a dining place.
Teens rank ambience of the restaurant as one of more important factors when they choose a dining place because they want to take beautiful pictures. While I would go for the ambience factor now, I am sure most of us are not really bothered about it when we were younger (or am I the only one? HAHA!)
In addition, many of the teenagers have high spending power. They said that they do not mind spending $25-$30 (that's alot ah? considering they are teenagers) for a meal with good ambience.
Teenagers today hold events such as birthday party in expensive restaurants or even hotels as they have the means to frequent these expensive outlets and they value the quality of food and service they receive. This, I believe is in greater contrast to my time, where we are contented with a celebration held in McDonald's.
Yup, so my purpose for posting this is that I believe that we as educators and are teaching the teens, we should recognize that times have changed. The trends in the teenage community isn't the same as before, so we should identify the changes and perhaps tweak our lessons to make it more relevant to our students; such as besides cooking ethnic foods, we can teach Japanese or Korean cuisines once in a while to stimulate our students' interests and to keep up with the times.
This article can also be read by budding entrepreneurs (either ourselves! haha :) or used as reference for entrepreneurship lessons for our students) who wants to tap on the lucrative teenage market! It will tell you about the teens' expectations of dining outlets they will frequent, and how you can go about fulfilling their needs to fill your pockets!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Introduction to Home Economics
Hey girls!
Found this video to introduce Home Economics to students, maybe on their first ever Home economics lesson!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PzxXKT1MGk
and this next you can show to the boys who think Home Economics is not macho enough for them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zCO8aQ2qQ&NR=1
enjoy!
Found this video to introduce Home Economics to students, maybe on their first ever Home economics lesson!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PzxXKT1MGk
and this next you can show to the boys who think Home Economics is not macho enough for them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zCO8aQ2qQ&NR=1
enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)