Posts

The Final Post - but not the end of the path

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 Reflecting on this Genius Hour project confirms that I have a supportive and hospitable nature. My first reaction when others struggle is, “How can I help?” and “What can I do?”. Maybe it's being a middle child, definitely my upbringing, and maybe being in the hospitality industry for 20+ years which has made me this way. My Genius Hour is not only about helping others but also teaching, exposing and showing students the impact their time, effort and support can have on others. My intention in all the work I am doing for these Brock U Tech Ed courses is to use them in some way when I become a high school teacher. The idea of the Bright Bites food program came very easily since, in my role as a food tech in a high school, I see the kids that get food allotments each month and how fast the breakfast club fridge is emptied. Since this course was so quick, I haven’t gotten enough done to start implementing this plan at a high school. A lot more can be done, and although the ...

Finding Creativity From My Research

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     My research last week, during the Genius Hour, helped clarify food security and gave me a lot to think about regarding how I will get this project running in a high school. I was inspired by the articles that I found that were active in the movement of feeding others who are in need. Getting this program up and running felt like a lot of logistics. My mind was racing with questions: • How would I communicate with the social worker from the school and the families or individuals receiving the food?  • Where would they pick up the food or deliver it? I don’t know all the school board rules or a single school on these ideas.  • I also thought I would need to find some basic information about the families or people we feed regarding allergies or food preferences based on religious, environmental or ethical reasons.       I was at a standstill on these issues and felt that these thoughts would have to be tabled until I was closer to implement...

An Hour to Research

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It always surprises me how far I don’t get in 20 minutes of “surfing the web”. My expectations are that after 20 minutes, I should have found what I was looking for and feel good, but that is never what happens. I type in what I am looking for and end up being pulled in all these different directions of interest; I call these rabbit holes, and then realize that 40 minutes has gone by. Does this happen to you? For this Genius Hour project, I gave myself an hour to complete some goals, and it didn't have to be all internet searches. Along with “surfing the web”, I was hoping I would be able to update my Project Proposal slide with a revised question and brainstorm high school contacts to put my project into action. But as I stated above, the rabbit hole was real, and I got stuck in it….in a good way, 😀  At the start of my hour, I brainstormed phrases to put into Google, and those phrases turned into questions and led to other ideas and questions. That brainstorming activity faucet w...

Welcome - The Genius Hour Project Blog

HI!  I am Laura. Welcome to my Genius Hour Blog.  Follow along with me while I create a project that has a purpose, is creative and inspiring! My Genius Hour question is:  “How does the involvement of hospitality and tourism students in providing weekly meals impact food-insecure families within the high school community?” I chose this topic because hospitality and tourism students see and work with lots of food and different types of foods each day, and it becomes normal to have food around, but for some people, it is not normal. I want them to discover that the world and people in our school community have food insecurities, and they can do something about it! Hospitality is about caring, and this can provide some deep emotions and understanding of the value of giving back. Cheers!