Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

1) For the project in general, I am most proud of the job I was able to obtain, keep, and do well at. I never thought I'd be a legitimate kitchen worker while still in high school unless I was a dishwasher or busboy. I'm proud of myself for being able to work and excel in this professional setting. I am also proud of my knowledge on Cuisine, after all the research. For the presentation, I am most proud of how I got through to students. Many came up to me after the presentation and commented that after watching my presentation, they now feel they'll be able to make food taste better. Also, during the activity debriefed discussion, many students asked question, made observations, and theorized answers to those questions that proved to me how much they truly paid attention. Some students brought to my attention thinks even I hadn't noticed. I am proud of this, because it means that I made theses students think in new and different ways.

2) 

a. I feel I deserve an AE for the presentation because of how well I kept the students attention and how I not just taught them content, but got them to think about the subject in a different way. Also, I feel I designed a fun and creative activity that kept the students entertained while demonstrating my answers very clearly and allowing them to put into practice the things they learned. As I walked around during the activity, I could tell this is what the students were able to do.

b. I would give myself an AE because I got an AE on my Exit Interview and Lesson 2, and I feel I deserve an AE on both the final presentation as well as the I-Search paper. I got mostly P's on the small things, like research checks, and went above and beyond with what was required of the mentorship component as well.

3) The things that worked for me were my passion for the subject; it ensures that my boredom couldn't last lint and me strive to always better. Mrs. Ortega and Mr. Rivas worked for me, because they gave me the tools and encouragement to do well in this project. My mentorship worked for me, because they both trained me in being a prep cook as well as providing extra incentive in payig me for my work. Most of the books and journal articles I read worked for me because they were the framework for just about all of my research, far more helpful than web pages and magazines, and kept research checks entertaining.

3) If I could go back in time, I would quit my previous job and worked more at my mentorship. I also would have not only stayed on track with research, but gotten ahead. I would have made sure I always had my headphones so my disruptive classmates couldn't have distracted me. I also would have done something other than mentorship as my second Independent Component, so that I could have furthered my experience in a different way.

5) The senior project taught me how to research. This is an invaluable skill, because now I will go into college knowing how to find reliable sources in sources other than web pages... And I will use less web pages. I also know how to focus on research better. I am also now considering some type of food related job, which I wanted when I was little but cast aside by the time I was 11. I stopped wanted to work with cuisine because I thought being a chef was impractical, but now I know it is possible, and even if I don't become a chef, there are a plethora of other jobs available, such as food developer. Finally, through mentorship, I have learned how to prioritize tasks in a high stress environment. They give me like 4 things to do at once and it's up to me to analyze the situation and see what I should do first and last. This is a skill I know will come in handy in the future.

Answer 2

1. My EQ is: What is the most effective way for a culinary artist to enhance the flavor of a dish?

2. My first answer is: The most effective way for a culinary artist to enhance to flavor of a dish is by multiple tastes perceived by the human tongue.

3. My second answer is: The most effective way for a culinary artist to enhance to flavor of a dish is to utilize all natural ingredients.

4. Three reasons:

• Natural produce is brighter and more appealing to look at. An example of this might be seen at a farmers market, where the lettuce is bright and vibrant green as opposed to the muted color often seen in lettuces at the super market.
• Natural food is fresher and contains less or no preservatives. Preservatives effect taste, such as in the case of many apples bought from the store. If the skin of your apple tastes sour, bitter, or just a bit unusual, it is probably from the protectant sprayed on top.
• Natural food does not need/contain as as many additives. For example, most store bought chicken has been soaked or injected with preservatives that cause it to release flavors, and is then injected with some type of salt-based solution to make it retain flavor; the resulting meat is often dry, salty, and harder to cook.

5. All About Braiseing is a printed source that supports my answer.

6.  My second interview helped me come up with my answer.

7.

"It’s all about the ingredients, because if you make a really simple-ass dish and use really crappy ingredients, the end product isn’t really going to be be that great." -Chris Baker 

Well, I agree. Many things can taste decent after being cooked with tons of spices, seasonings, and other ingredients, but the mark of a good ingredient is how good it tastes on its own.

Lesson 2 Reflection

1. For my Lesson 2 Presentation, I am most proud of my activity. I made three small snacks that I had the students try and attempt to identify the flavors in the food. I was really worried the food wouldn't taste good, because I was getting over a cold when I made them and my tastes were all out of whack so it was hard to season the food correctly. However, everyone seemed to enjoy the food and many people understood the points I was trying to get across; people commented on the sweetness in the Pico de Gallo, or how the salt on top of the s'mores brought out certain flavors. It was satisfying to see the points I was making in my presentation come out as I walked around the room during the activity.

2. a) I would give myself an AE or E on this presentation.
    b) I know I deserve at least a P on this presentation because I had no concerns with any of the criteria seen on the Lesson 2 contract; I was clear, communicated effectively, and had welcoming body language as well as eye contact, I made time perfectly, used a digital presentation, and brought in food as a prop, clearly had many sources that I cited and used examples from continuously (I even brought in my favorite piece of research, The Flavor Bible), made reference to my mentorship, and had a well planned activity to help explain my answer with clear instructions and a debrief. I deserve higher than a P because I had a lot of scientific explanations with clear pictures of examples and diagrams to help demonstrate the complicated processes and ideas. Many of my peers commented that my presentation was particularly interesting and everyone loved the activity. As stated earlier, the activity particularly made students pay attention to the tastes detected in their mouths, which is truly what the whole lesson was about. Also, aesthetically speaking, I felt my power point was top notch, and I designed it myself to match my blog (which I also designed myself) so I think that counts for something as well.

3.The things that worked for me in my Lesson 2 were my bullets on taste buds, flavor, and the five tastes. I think I could have had a better answer, but I feel I explained everything possible in the lesson. My activity definitely helped get my point across; I almost feel like I've trained some students to recognize tastes and how they interact.

4. I don't think my hook worked very well. My video did, it definitely got students interested, but the question I asked seemed to confuse people. I think next time I'll stick with the question from my Lesson 1, which was, "What is your favorite meal." If I had a time machine, I would do that but I would also debriefe more on my activity. I feel like I should have asked for volunteers to name the tastes of each ingredient in front of the class, rather than just asking students individually during the activity; that way the whole class could have heard what I had discussed with individuals.

5. My answer 2 will probably be something along the lines of, "The most effective way for a culinary artist to enhance the flavor of a dish is to attempt to satisfy as many of the traditional five senses as possible." I would pick this answer because my definition of flavor is, "The effect food has on the senses," so if a single dish can cohesively satisfy all five senses, then theoretically, it would be enjoyable in every aspect of flavor.

Lesson 1 Reflection

1. I am most proud of the reactions I got from the audience during my presentation. Upon asking my hook question, everyone in the room had a response to give. Then, during the presentation, I could see reactions on people's faces. One girl looked horrified at the idea of people eating duck, others appeared confused at terms like "halal," but then I saw their understanding as I explained my topic further. Because the presentation was meant to inform my classmates, my favorite part was seeing the understanding on their faces. I liked my use of cuisine- related vocabulary, as well. I felt it really added to the professionalism of the presentation and my own authority.

2. I think I deserve a P+. I would give myself this grade because I fulfilled all of the requirements on the contract; my lesson plan was typed and submitted, I used multiple mentor and real life references, and in-presentation citations. My presentation was about 9 minutes long, I used a prop, and my introduction was interactive with the audience. Beyond that, my speech was extremely fluid. I went from one topic to another smoothly, including from my introduction into my presentation.

3. The thing that worked best for me was teaching my lesson in chronological order. I described cooking as a process, divided it into six steps, and then broke down and described each step. Using time really helps get points across, so I used that and I think it really made my presentation a good one.

4. If I could go back, I would use more props and possibly find a way to make the lesson more interactive. I'd bring in examples (or at least pictures) of good ingredients and copies of my sources.