SCED 4200 Course Synthesis

I cannot believe it is the end of another semester! It seems the closer I get to graduating, the faster the time flies.  This course has been eye-opening as I have explored literacy in all of the content areas.  A few ideas I have for my own FACS content with regards to literacy are to provide diverse types and forms of literacy, and encourage digital literacy in each of my classes.

I believe that variation is the key to a lot of elements of life.  One thing that benefits from diversity is text selection.  I would love to have as many types of literacy that I can think of incorporated to my classroom.  Blogs, textbooks, novels, magazines, apps, catalogs  webpages, social media, and tutorials are all forms of literature that I expect to have in my curriculum.  I want to start collecting these things now so that I can have an impressive set when it becomes time to use these literacy forms.

Another big take away from this course for me is digital literacy.  At the beginning of the semester I was not knowledgeable at all about digital literacy and all of its greatness.  Throughout the past four months I have sincerely grown to love it and all of the benefits it brings.  I have caught myself looking for the "latest and greatest" Family and Consumer Sciences websites, blogs, apps, and other ways to teach digital literacy just for fun (and it really has been enjoyable for me!)

I have appreciated the opportunity to express my thoughts of FACS related topics through this blog and plan to update it as time goes on.

Digital Literacy 

This is a concept that is interesting to me.  It seems like all through my schooling experience, the means in which we used digital literacy were always banned.  We could not have our phones out during class, be playing on laptops or anything similar to these.  They were confiscated by my teachers.  Although I do not support texting or checking Facebook during classes I do believe that many good things come from digital forms of literacy.

As educators, we are always striving to relate and connect with our students.  How do we do this? There are many ways, but one way is to use technology.  Our students are spending more time in front of a screen than not.  They have easy access to the internet and are frequently connected.  Why not incorporate my Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum into their daily and frequent use of technology?!

I plan to incorporate digital literacy through many ways.  Some of which are apps on the Droid and Apple devices.  There are apps for every discipline inside of the broad FACS area. I know they will be a great asset for my teaching.

I also think that a good teaching method would be to establish a class website, blog, or other site that students can access easily from home or on their devices.  I want to incorporate this so that my students can be connected to my class whenever they have time.  I plan to post assignment rubrics, test reviews, and other great resources that will expand their FACS knowledge.

Initially, it may be a lot of work to incorporate the forms of digital literacy into the classroom, but it will be well worth it to see how it has an effect on my student's success. I am excited to follow the evolving and ever changing world of Digital Literacy.

 INCREASING READING THROUGH FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

     It seems like reading is always a vital part of education.  I believe that reading can be incorporated into each and every content area.  This includes Family and Consumer Sciences.  Reading doesn't always have to be textbooks, there are many different mediums for reading to occur.  So what exactly are the reading mediums for FACS classes? It really varies from class to class because FACS encompasses multiple content areas.  Below are some of the typical texts used in classes related to FACS. 

• FOODS & NUTRITION:

• Recipes 

• Food Labels 

• FAMILY, CONSUMER, AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

• Children's Books

• Growth Charts

• INTERIOR DESIGN:

•  Blueprints

• Sketches

• SEWING: 

•  

• Patterns  

• Technique Tutorials

• CONSUMERISM: 

•  Bank Statements

• Tax Forms

      Of course there are more than this list, this is simply a list to get you thinking of all the possibilities.  In my own high school experiences, I personally enjoyed using case studies as part of my literacy experience.  We learn through the experiences of others, I really was able to experience certain disorders, situations, and other elements that I was being taught through these experiences of others.  It was very beneficial for me to retain the things that I knew.
      As an educator, I plan to reinforce my students' reading abilities by ensuring they get enough practice in various mediums.  Exposing them to these things through repetition will enforce the taught concepts.  I will choose materials that I believe will be found interesting to high school students.  I am excited for the opportunity to reinforce literacy skills through FACS. 

Why I love FACS...You Can Love it Too!

I realize that not everyone is as passionate about Family and Consumer Sciences as I am, but I believe that even they don't realize it, everyone is benefited by FACS.  Everyone wears clothes, right? Everyone eats food, needs to manage finances, communicates with people, and at some point generally have children in their lives in some way or form.  I could extend this list to go on and on, but to sum things up I will say that FACS are ALL about LIFE.  Everything that we do in life can be related to FACS, and all that is taught in our classes has a direct impact for an everyday life.  

Do you want to know something else that is great about FACS, we have the only national student organization in which the focus is on the family.  Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is amazing.  It focuses on FACS and gives students the "Ultimate Leadership Experience!" In FCCLA, students get to meet new friends from around the nation, challenge themselves through competitive events, attend conferences all throughout the nation, participate in many activities and service projects, and have so much fun! You can learn more about FCCLA by going to this link here

Did you know that if Julia Roberts didn't go into acting, she would have gone into FACS Education? Cool, right?! She said it herself in an interview with Fox News.  I love her movies, but she would have been a great teacher also! 

I will leave you with this...at least until the next post! :) Here is an image gallery of some fun things (as well as some funny things) that you can learn in FACS classes.  Enjoy!

A Bit About Me...

Hello! My name is Jessica.  I am currently a student at Utah State University-studying Family and Consumer Sciences.  I have discovered that my excitement for FACS grows more and more with each new experience I have in it.  I am really passionate about this area of education and am excited to one day have a career in the education system teaching the classes I love. I am usually pretty easy-going, but not much of a risk taker.  I love watching movies, and am a Psych guru.  I enjoy spending time with the people who mean the most in my life, my family and friends.

I always found the Family and Consumer Sciences classes enjoyable, but it was when I got to high school that I discovered the greatness of FACS.  I was able to become very involved in my school's classes and FACS clubs, as well a Sterling Scholar in Family and Consumer Sciences State Finalist (Sterling Scholar is a Utah thing...if you are from out of state, don't worry about it.)  I enjoyed every minute of this high school experience. Another factor that led me to my current field of study is the teachers that I had at good ol' Payson High.  These teachers were always so devoted to the content and their students.  It is my hope that throughout my career I can influence and inspire students as deeply as my teachers did for me.

For me, FACS is so much more than cooking and sewing. Everything that is taught in FACS classes can be directly applied to living a happy life.  Everyone eats, so everyone needs to know about nutrition and food preparation.  Likewise everyone needs to wear clothes, manage finances, be able to interact with people, and now days majority of people have children that need to be taught.  Family and Consumer Sciences teaches all of these things and more.  This is why Family and Consumer Sciences truly are the FACS for LIFE!