Lots of Updates!

I haven't posted anything in a few weeks, because the end of the quarter means I have NO spare time! My lasses have done some really fun things though. Check out the pics below!

My staff developer, Ryan, set up the opportunity to take my Foods classes on a field trip to Texas Roadhouse! Talk about a totally awesome field trip!!! We had a blast!! We all learned a ton and I have a whole new respect for what waiters/waitresses do- on an average night they walk about 8 miles carrying about 40 lbs worth of stuff most of the time... ad they make only $2.13 per hour!). I was so impressed with the set-up of T.R. They were so patient and generous with my students. Dawn, the Manager, explained to the students the responsibilities of each of the employees of TR and shared with us some of the challenges the employees face. She had the student try to pass some of the tests they give their employees, like memorizing the menu and the table numbers. Dawn demonstrated how the computer system works and let student practice carrying a serving try. Then student got to tour the kitchens. Alan, the kitchen head, was a riot! He explained each station to the students and gave some good tips! Alan also explained that everything at TR is made from scratch. Wow!! They have a full time baker and a full time butcher there at TR. To top all this off... they fed us lunch!!! Talk about an awesome field trip!!

My Fashion class has been having some cool experiences too. We have had a variety of guest speakers over the last week. Meg McArthur and Mal Ence came to my class to talk about basic skin care tips and cosmetic tips. I know I learn something every time I hear them talk. It has been fun to see how my students have applied the tips Meg and Mal shared. We also had the Paul Mitchell Hair Academy come talk with my class. They gave away some great prizes and had some fun contests with my students. They demonstrated several hair products and explained some basic hair care tips. My students have been having a ball!! Plus, they have been learning a ton!! A HUGE thank you to all those who have supported our program here at DHMS by giving of their time and talents to share with my students!

Mock Preschool

Today in FACS we had our mock preschool. I put name tags on my students as they walked in the door. There were six different "centers" the students had to get to within the class period. They had ten minutes at each station. We had a snack station, a math station, a science station, a reading station, a small motor station, and an art station. I think the students had a good, challenging time at each of the stations. Here are some pics of the activities:

Here is a breakdown of the activities: The Art Station was to write a letter to their best friend without using words. They had to use color though. The Math Station was to play a dice game. Student had to add each roll of the dice. They could stop rolling at any time and keep their total, or they could keep rolling. If they rolled a "1" their turn was over and they lost their points for that round. First person to get to 100 points won the game. I don't think anyone got to 100. The Reading Station was to silent read children's story books. The Small Motor Station was to put together different puzzles with their eyes closed. The Snack Station was to make a smiley face sandwich with the various ingredients (bread, peanut butter, licorice ropes, gum drops, chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, etc). And the Science Station was to play with milk, food coloring and magic sticks (toothpicks with dish soap on them). It was fun to watch and listen to the students at the various stations.

Turkey Day

Today in Foods was "Turkey Day!" I invited the parents of my Foods students and my administration to come to class to see how to make a Thanksgiving turkey and to sample it, of course. I demonstrated how to prepare, how to de-bone, and how to garnish a turkey. I think the students enjoyed the sampling portion of class the best. I am offing extra credit to any of my students who go to the effort of making their families Thanksgiving Turkey this year. My first period class only had 1 parent come. I am hoping my 4th hour is a little more lively. I have had several students come in to say they were going to bring a guest, so maybe it will be a larger crowd.
This is the only picture we got before the battery on my camera died. Oh well. I will charge the battery when I get home. So much for putting a picture of the finished product on the blog.

Burritos

I know I am a little slow getting this one up, but I did take pics of this lab and I do want to mention it. We made burritos with homemade tortillas in my FACS class last week. I think the students really liked making their own tortillas. They learned really quickly to roll the dough thin in order to get a tortilla. Some of the tortillas looked a little bit more like a pita, but they sure tasted good!

Pancakes

I have the coolest students!! Today my FACS classes made pancakes and we had a blast! I know, I know, a simple recipe right. I can easily justify the simple recipe though, with all the other learning skills. Some of the pics below will explain. Some of my students made small silver dollar pancakes...

And some made really, really big pancakes. It was a lot of fun to see them trying to turn their large ones. Students used a lot of teamwork and coordination (and luck) to get them to turn out well.

Some of the groups sat down and had a nice meal. They warmed their syrup and made it a simply, formal affair!

Some of the groups got really creative and made Mickey Mouse pancakes.

I think the students had a good time. I know I did- I also ate about 5 pancakes! First period alone!!

Some of the students started getting a little more creative. Imagination is helpful here...

This is a smiling frog:

And this is a crab:

Stir Fry

My Foods students made stir fry today and my classroom smelled like heaven all day!! I think this lab has been one of the favorites!! Several people followed their noses into my classroom today to see what was cook'n. It was a fun day, a fun lab, and a fun expereience. I really feel like my students are starting to catch on to the basics! Someday, I hope to stock our labs with the proper equipment needed to make some of the recipeis we have attempted this year. I guess I will have to wait until my funds aren't quite so low!

Food Guide Pyramid Review

Basically the whole point of the FACS Exploration class is to give students a sample taste of all the different courses taught in the Family and Consumer Science content. Right now we are looking at the nutrition aspect of FACS. Today, simply to review what we learned last time, I had the students work as groups to create the food guide pyramid. It was an activity that was similar to what we did in the Foods class a while back. I made it a contest, with rules, to see who could create the correct pyramid the quickest. I took a pic of the winning group and they won suckers!

Thunder Lab

Today in FACS we made Thunder Juice (smoothies) and Thunder Twists (Pretzels). I think the lab worked out fairly well. One group made me a small pretzel and I thought it was yummy! Here are some pics of the products!

Eggs Benedict, minus the Hollidaise Sauce

Today in foods we made eggs benedict. They turned out great, excpet for the hollandaise sauce. I looked and looked for a simple hollandaise sauce recipe that I felt would be affordable and simple enough for my students to make. I did not pick the right one. None of the groups were able to turn out a good sause, despite various attempts to alter the recipe. The students had a good time eacting the rest of the product though. At least students learned how to poach eggs today. And they learned a good recipe to NOT use for hollandaise sauce. :-)

Hmmm, I wonder what went wrong...

My FACS classes have been in the lab again. Today we made cookies- snickerdoodles and chocolate chip! Yum!! Teaching foods is always an adventure. A teacher is never sure what questions students will come up. A FOODS teacher is never sure what... product students will come up with. One of my lab groups called me over to their kitchen and showed me their pan of cookies. Then they asked me what they did wrong. This is what I saw:

Where to begin? Where to begin. We discussed the ingredients they used and based upon the flavor of the cookies (very eggish), we came up with a couple of reasonable ideas of what may have gone wrong. I hope it was a good learning experience.

This is what they were supposed to look like:

Muffins

In Foods we had been studying Carbohydrates. Our lab for this unit was to make muffins- we discussed what a perfet muffin looks like and the process to go about making them. We made 6 different kinds of muffins- each unit made a different one. The students had a good time making and sampling them. One group was so excited (or maybe just bored) for their muffins to bake, that they sat and watched them!

Each group had to bring a muffin to the front of the room so we could assess whether students foolowed the muffin method or not. Group 6 did a great job!!

Pizza

My FACS students are finally in the kitchen!! The classes yesterday and the class today made pizza. It was fun to see the students wearing the aprons they made (during the last unit) in the kitchens today. The pizzas turned out pretty good looking and my students liked them. They did a pretty good job in the lab. I was impressed.

Food Guide Pyramid Review

Today in Foods we reviewed the food guide pyramid. The students used tape to create the pyramid, then pictures of food to define each group. It was a good review of the materials and concepts we learned before the really long, great break we just had. The students had a good time working together to create their works of art and it was a good, quick way to get Foods on the brain!

Ice Cream and Apple Crisp

Today the Foods classes made homemade ice cream and apple crisp. My first period class did a great job making my classroom smell nice all day long! Everyone who walked in commented on the yummy smell. The ice cream was a little runny, but the flavor was good. Here are some pics of the products:

The students got a good workout with the ice cream. Since we don't have ice cream machines, we used ziplock bags. For the most part, there weren't any problems. We double bagged each step and duct taped the top. There were still a few groups who leaked though. Students commented on how cold their hands got while mixing the ice cream. Looking at the picture below it is hard to tell there is any ice cream in there! It was a fun lab!

Calzone Masterpeices

Today if Foods we had our Calzone Lab. Students barely had enough time to make and eat, but I think it was a successful lab. They sure smelled good! I think I will make them for dinner tonight at home! Students had the option of pepperoni, ham, olives or pineapple for their toppings.

Apron Projects

My FACS students have been working hard on making aprons. This is a picture of one of the student's aprons. She did a fabulous job. The aprons are double-sided. The students will be wearing them in the foods lab when we start cooking next quarter. For the most part, students have seemed proud of their projects. I think they are always amazed at how easy the projects are when they finish. They have been using the embroidery machine to personalize their projects and they have done some fun things.

I haven't written in a while because I needed to find out if I could get in trouble for writing about and putting pics of my students on the Internet. I still haven't gotten my answer, but I am going to go ahead and continue posting without using face pics.

Pillow Case Creations

In FACS today we started working on our pillow case project. It was cool to see the fun prints and designs on the materials the students brought. I demonstrated how to use the rotary cutters, and some of the students did a really good job using them. I only have two in the classroom though, so it might take a while for everyone to get cut out. I had several students start sewing their trim to the hem portion of their pillow case though.

If you look closely at the pics, you might notice some pretty crazy hair styles. Today is crazy hair day- part of spirit week. My students got really into it! It was fun to see what walked into class this morning!

Color in Fashion

Today in Fashion I introduced the color wheel. It was fun to listen to the students chat and gossip while they worked on their portfolio assignment of painting a color wheel. Students were only given the primary colors so they had to mix paint in order to get the other 9 color on the color wheel. I had a great time observing them work together to complete their work. This Fashion class is awesome! The girls are always on task and seem to really enjoy learning the basics of fashion.

Cookies Foods Lab

Today we made cookies for our lab. Each kitchen made a different kind of cookie, so everyone got to taste 7 different cookies. My 1st period class was a little slow in the baking process, but the cookies turned out okay. My 4th period did really well. There is, of course, a drawback to being the last foods class of the day- If the other classes didn't measure right, then the final class doesn't have all the ingredients it needs! One lab group only had about 1/3 of the oats it needed! The cookies were really gooey, but the flavor was still good. I am really enjoying the foods classes- I hope the students do to!

Clothing Lab Here We Come!

My FACS classes were introduced to the clothing lab today. Each student picked out their sewing machine unit and their supply storage cubby. The storage cubbies are tiny, but they should be adequate for the projects we are will be doing in there. We are going to start with making a pillowcase, then we will move on to an apron (which students will wear once we get to the foods unit), and we will conclude the clothing unit with a project of their own choice. I showed the student the cool embroidery machine we have and I think it got them excited to personalize some of their projects.

It was fun to see the students compete to see who could thread the sewing machine the fastest. The students caught on to the process of threading the sewing machine really quickly- I was impressed. Some of the students have to share their unit with another student, due to the lack a complete lab (or too many students in one class... take your pick :-)). Again, I was impressed with their willingness to share and work together. Way to go guys!

First Test in Foods

Well, we had our first formal assessment in Foods on Tuesday. Since then, I have been assessing the information (studying the results), and I have come to the conclusion that we need to review some of the basics from the unit once again. There were two parts to the test- a scanton portion made up of true/false and matching questions, and a written portion made up of fill in the blank and calculate the recipe questions. Students averaged about 85% on the scantron portion and about 70% on the written portion. Scores were not as high as I would have liked. SO... we will be practicing some more basic recipe conversions, equivalents, and abbreviations tomorrow. I have to apologize to the parents out there, because I forgot to send out a reminder e-mail about giving the test- having Monday off as a holiday helped me lose my brain! I will be more on top of it in the future.

First Lab in Foods

Today we had our first lab in Foods. We made Chocolate Chewies! Most people call them "no bake cookies". It was an interesting experience and a good learning opportunity for both students and teacher! :-) For the most part, these cookies are pretty hard to mess up. However, we did have a few students that struggled with measuring ingredients and following directions, so their cookies didn't end up very...cookie-ish. I think most students enjoyed their first time in the lab, and I hope they enjoyed the fruits of their labors!

Non-verbal Communication

Today in FACS we had an experiment with non-verbal communication. Students weren't allowed to verbally express themselves in the classroom. It was a lot of fun to see some of the students look like they were about to explode due to the fact they couldn't talk! Some students did really well and managed to communicate without talking. Once I gave the okay for verbal expression students were very chatty!

I think I've figured it out...

Okay, I think I have figured out how I am going to do this whole website/blog thing. I will use this blog to put up pictures of things we have done in class and/or assignments or activities we have done. More or less this blog will become more of a class journal.
If you want to know what is coming up, you will need to go to the link off to the side (Mrs. Barnum Class Updates). That site will tell you what we are doing, what assignments are coming up, and when something is due. Hopefully this makes sense!
So far I am really, really impressed with middle school students! My students are the coolest! I have be impressed with their desire to learn (they actually take notes and ask good questions), their ability to be on time (I have only had 1 late student so far), and their fun senses of humor! I am looking forward to the rest of the year!

Welcome

This blog is going to be dedicated to keeping my students updated on what is going on in class, aiding them with assignments, and providing them with another way (other than talking with me, voicemail, e-mail, etc.) to ask questions.
I have been teaching FACS for the past 7 years at Snow Canyon High. I love the students I taught there and the experiences I had. I enjoyed working with the staff there, and I learned a lot from some of them.
The courses I taught during my time at SCHS include: Clothing, Sports and Outdoor Clothing, Quilting, Food & Nutrition, Life Management, Adult Roles, Child Development, Interior Design, and Fashion Strategies.
Some of the extra curricular things I was involved with include: an advisor for FCCLA, Senior Class Advisor, Freshman Girls Basketball Coach, Cross Country Coach, Women's Rep Advisor, and Steering Committee.
I am looking forward to my new job! I am excited for the change of pace and the new challenge of working with a different age! I hope I can figure out how to use this blog well (as I am new the the blogging world) enough to make it beneficial. I will get more up on this site, when I have a spare moment to add anything!