Teach and Learn Journal Post #1

Learning Experience #1

My father bought me a rice cooker that apparently can function like a crockpot. I found myself reading through the manual, looking for pictures, and step by step instructions. I found that the directions were quite simple and that pictures and step by step instructions were provided. Perhaps these are included to cater to various learning styles?--a good decision. I decided to start out with just making rice and then later on that week in addition to making rice I used the steam tray feature to cook chicken and vegetables. The chicken was plain because I didn't know how to season it when I was steam cooking it. I have only cooked chicken in a pan with seasoning. I bet I could have put seasoning on the chicken and the vegetables to add more flavor to the meal. Instead I added teriyaki sauce later and mixed it all together. I was surprised at how efficient and easy it is to prepare such a healthy meal. I will for sure use my rice cooker more often. Through this learning experience I discovered that I like to read and see things linearly as in step by step instructions first. After this initial learning preference I like to see pictures and/or really engage in the activity to make it feel more real to me.

Teaching Experience #1

I taught my roommate the basics to crochet. I showed her some pictures of the few beanies and other items I have crocheted in the past to give her a bigger picture of the possibilities of what she could make. We talked about how it is an art form and that everyone's style is a little different. I also warned her that learning to crochet is frustrating at first just like learning anything new, but reassured her that it is a life-long rewarding hobby/skill. The most challenging part is learning how to hold the string and hook while still retaining just enough tension to create even balanced stitches. This skill is similar to the art of braiding hair---it takes good finger and hand-eye coordination. She had some back ground in knitting so she could understand some of the basic concepts. I got her a crochet hook and some yarn and showed her with my own crochet hook and yarn how to first make a loop and slip knot to go around the hook. Then I showed her how to make single stitches two different ways. I told her to practice both and see what way she preferred. We practiced for a while and I showed her how to go back on a stitch, which continued into our next lesson, how to make a cloth or dish rag.