FCS Edu-Connector

New videos on Vimeo

2011-11-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Check out my new videos on Vimeo and Facebook:

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/FCHSdepartmentRCE?blend=4&ob=5
Vimeo http://vimeo.com/user8347130/videos

Feel free to share them with friends and colleagues!!!

New video on YouTube!

2011-09-09T18:31:00.001-07:00

Check out these quick videos I created featuring fresh fruit and vegetables....a perfect time of year for heart healthy dishes!!!

Family & Community Health Sciences Department at Rutgers Cooperative Extension
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjvh21RWY28

Technology and more technology....

2011-09-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Our world revolves around technology! I am amazed that when the power goes off we are in the dark in more than one way....no cell phones, no Facebook, no iPad, no email....just how do we survive? The recent hurricane Irene really gave people in New Jersey a workout living without power, some people for one week so far. Thank goodness for good cool weather since the hurricane. Hang in there those of you without power, yesterday an announcement was made stating that all NJ communities will have power back on by tomorrow night. Best wishes!!!

Solar Powered Chargers

2011-03-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent disaster in Japan this is a good time to think about how we use energy in our daily lives. I am wondering about the capacity of solar powered chargers for iPhones and iPads. Do they work well, hold a charge, easy to use? Let me know if you have any of these answers or experience with these type of chargers. Maybe we should be able to use the sun to power up our electronic devices.

And when it (technology) really does not work....

2010-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

How could all of this happen in one 24-hour period: yesterday my email is a disaster because it is sending one 'PDMF Message Failure' with each email message received and email message sent (does that sound like two email messages for the price of one?). I though it was a bad situation, very annoying and time consuming to sift through so many messages looking for the real ones. It took hours to clean things up that evening.

This morning, in the middle of trying to explain the email situation on the phone, the phones and the Internet (plus the TV, I suppose) shut down. Of course the problem is 'in the area' and cannot be helped. Later in the morning the electric powers goes down too. What is happening here? This cannot possibly happen on the day I am scheduled to conduct a webinar requiring the phone and Internet! What a moment that lasted hours! What do we do when our Internet is suddenly down on the day we need it most?

Like any All-American girl I call my parents to ask if I can use their home office, Internet and phone line for two+ hours so the webinar can be held. Thanks Mom & Dad for raising an independent child, who, at times, still needs the comfort (and electrical power, Internet, and phone lines) of home. All is well that ends well.

When it does not work...

2010-09-12T04:08:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a frustrating one. My email was not working and I felt the impact of being 'out of touch'. At times I would see a few messages pop up, then they would quickly disappear. Other times the spinning gear signal would spin forever without stopping. After hours working with Apple experts at the store and Apple experts online my stress level was growing. After even more hours and days working on the issue with our university tech staff, my stress level was ready to top out. Unfortunately our tech staff is not familiar with Apple computers!

Isn't it amazing how difficult it is when we are unable to use our technology? It feels as though you are totally cut off from the world and you are unable to do your work because email is such an important part of who we are today. The frustrations are intense, which makes me feel like we are addicted to our technology! I am sure at some level we are addicted at the ability to retrieve information and correspond with family, friends, and colleagues. If I missed your email in the past week, I apologize!

Podcast Training Videos On YouTube

2010-08-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have been busy lately refining my skills on how to create a podcast that can be uploaded to YouTube! In an effort to refresh the memory of those I have trained and provide a simple training tool, I have designed three podcast that will help you prepare and record audio podcasts. My versions are primitive yet cover the steps you need to follow to get started with audio recording. Here are the YouTube links:
Preparing to Make a Podcast

Recording a Podcast on GarageBand (for Mac users)

Recording a Podcast on Audacity (for PC users and Mac users that don't have GarageBand)

I hope they are useful and motivate you to get started podcasting!

Latest publications in Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences

2010-05-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

Life is good! After spending a wonderfully relaxing week on the Outer Banks, it was fun to start the new work week with news that two of my articles were published in the Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Volume 102-No 1. The article Online Video Calls: Guest Speakers for FCS outlines a way in which FCS educators could have guest speakers using online video tools such as Skype. I was able to conduct a three-hour in-service last fall for over 40 FCS teachers as they sat at their local Intermediate Unit in central Pennsylvania. My location was simple...my work studio at home, where I could wear my fuzzy slippers and be totally comfortable. Our connection was perfect and the session was a success. A follow-up survey of the participants proved that we could conduct a training via long distance. With some coordination, we were able to use PowerPoint, access videos on YouTube and TeacherTube to enhance the presentation. Our little experiment shows that we can save time energy and money by using the Internet for speaking engagements.

The second article, FCS Careers: Middle School Teacher Transitions to Cooperative Extension, tells the story of how my 25-year public school teaching career prepared me to move to Assistant Professor/County Agent at Rutgers Cooperative Extension. With a career filled with learning opportunities one can find ways to transition into new career fields. Our prior experiences add a richness to our educational palate and enable us to communicate will all types of audiences in and out of the formal classroom. FCS prepares us to practice the art of flexibility and advance our communication skills. Marilyn Sweirk was correct.....everything we learned in life we learned in Family & Consumer Sciences:)

Good news for wiki-lovers!

2010-04-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

How did we ever conduct business before wikis? They are time, money and energy saving tools. For the last three years my FCS colleagues and I have developed and taught graduate courses at Penn State for FCS teachers using a wiki. We can easily share information, presentations, links to resources, pictures, and video on the wiki. The best feature is that we are certain that everyone involved is reading the same material on the same page. Awesome! There is no doubt that we will continue to use wikis to do our work in FCS and Extension (not to mention family gatherings, reunions, etc, etc). Check out the article we had published today in the Journal of Extension, The Wiki as a Time-Saving Mentoring Tool.

So many apps, so little time....

2010-04-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the depth of the functioning of the iPhone! There are so many things to learn yet. Yesterday my son (a genuine tech guru) shared some apps that I might find useful. Useful is probably an understatement! Apps are seriously helpful when out and about locally and also when traveling. So far I have chosen eleven apps (from literally thousands of apps) for my phone. The tools I have chosen are so simple and user friendly....they make good sense. They are the type of tool you wish you should have created yourself. I love the 'aroundme' app because it can help you locate essential services that you are around no matter where you are. So simple, and so useful. Other useful tools include Facebook, Twitter and Skype on the phone. It truly is like having the world at your fingertips. Pandora looks like it will be interesting too. Can you image that the tool creates/customizes a radio program for you based upon the type of music you enjoy. Why couldn't I think up something like that???

Why did I wait so long to get an iPhone?

2010-03-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last week we took the plunge and purchased our first iPhones. What took us so long to make this change??? The hassle of changing phone companies and learning a new system definitely played a role. My key concern was blue tooth connectivity to my car. I decided to purchase a compatible portable blue tooth system to allow for hands-free driving. My next step is to configure that system and use it while driving any vehicle.

The iPhone's technology is awesome to hold in your hands. I think the speed of its connectivity is faster than the computer's speed. Is that possible? The phone is easy to use and has a tremendous amount of capacity. I can check personal and business email anywhere and the process is simple. Although I am still on the early-learning phase, I think we made the best move by changing over to the iPhone. Thank you Apple for consistently making user-friendly products and providing excellent technical support for your customers!

Inspiring People to Use Technology

2010-03-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the opportunity to collaborate on a presentation with Anne Adrian (Auburn University Cooperative Extension) at the 10th Annual Eat Smart New York Conference in Albany. We encountered a delightful group of nutrition educators from across the state of New York. They seem very interested in finding ways to better reach their clientele using social media/technology. Our session, Using Social Media/Technology to Reach ESNY Clients was fun to present and gave us a chance to meet lots of new people. So far I have received email messages from participants expressing thanks and also updating me on their progress since last week. Can you image some people are already desiging their path to efficiently use social media in their work! As a presenter this is the best you can hope for....inspiring and motivating professionals to work smarter not harder with technology!!! Thank you Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance for the opportunity to speak at your annual conference!

Important Internet Security Issue

2010-03-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

For a long time I have told people to be very careful about leaving messages on Facebook and Twitter about being away from home. Read this important article, and if that isn't enough to convince you, check the website mentioned in the article. It is a real eyeopener. To protect yourself and your family do not leave information about your whereabouts online!!!

Click here: Does posting location online say 'Please Rob Me'? - Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100225/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_please_rob_me

More implications for social networking issues.

Snowy February

2010-02-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Serious Eats and the USDA's Food Environment Atlas

2010-02-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a website full of interesting recipes and information about food, seriouseats.com should be saved as a favorite. The posts are provided by a community of fun-loving authors, and of course the photographs are beautiful too. Recently the website has featured recipes reviews, restaurant reviews, and helpful tips for cooks of all ability levels.
One post shows the Daily Yonder's interpretation of the recent USDA's Food Environment Atlas. You will find a variety of food consumption visualizations and maps.

Do you want to know how far you live from the nearest McDonald's or Subway? The links to such information is available from the Food Atlas. In fact, the Food Atlas can be a very handy tool for people interested in the availability of food in your area, food security, distances to supermarket (do you live in a food desert?), low-income data, local foods, health, food taxes, availability of restaurants, food prices, food eaten at home, and so much more. Check out the Food Atlas website and you will find yourself amazed at the information and getting lost in the eye-opening differences our nation has to offer.

Snowed in and lovin' it!

2010-02-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

Haven't we had a tremendous amount of snow this winter? The good thing about it that the snow is so beautiful as it is falling. I am fortunate to be able to work from home when the roads are brutally messy.

Being snowed-in allows for lots for creativity in the kitchen. It is a perfect time to make a homemade soup chock full of fresh vegetables and other nutritious foods. Cooking on a snowy day is one of my favorite things to do! When I roast a turkey or chicken I am thrilled to make a stock from the leftover meat and bones. With a few packages (usually frozen in quart size zip lock freezer bags) of my turkey stock in the freezer I am armed and ready for a snowed-in soup day.

Yesterday I started with a 12 (dried) bean mixture from my favorite local Amish market, soaked them in the morning and later started the creative development of what I call nutritious 'found-soup', meaning whatever I can find in my freezer, refrigerator, and pantry can/may/will be used for the soup of the day. It is a culinary challenge and lots of fun! The results are usually delicious.

The soup ended up with leftover sausage (from the Super Bowl party), lots of tomato sauce, and chicken stock (both from the freezer), fresh garlic, carrots, celery, basil, parsley, splash of Worcestershire sauce (from the fridge), and chili powder, Butt Rub (my favorite slightly spicy seasoning combination purchased in the Outer Banks, NC). The end product was a very thick and hearty high-fiber soul satisfying dinner served with arugula salad with grape tomatoes, cucumber and very nutritious red pepper. The meal was finished off with a section of toasted sandwich roll (leftover from the Super Bowl). Pairing the meal with our homemade wine was spectacular! What could be better?

Health Benefits of Tea

2010-02-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past month I have done several presentations on the Health Benefits of Tea. The presentation was created by my colleague, Sherri Cirignano. Here are a few facts that might be of interest about tea:

Black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong tea all come from the same bush called camellia sinesis. The difference between the types of tea is the processing method. Tea leaves harvested when the leaf is you will be white tea, green tea requires a more mature leaf, oolong requires an even more mature leaf, and black tea is the most mature leaf.
Beverages commonly known as herbal teas, but actually called tisane, contain an infusion of leaves or flowers, and do not contain tea leaves.
Tea consumption began 2,000 years ago, and by the 1500's, 50% of the worlds population was drinking tea. Today, worldwide tea consumption is equal to all other beverages combined.
80% of the tea consumed in the US is served cold or as iced tea.
98% of all tea sold is black tea.
Research on tea show that the following activities are studied: antioxidant, nutrition, protection, and immune enhancement. Proposed health benefits include: cancer prevention, obesity, age-associated, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes. Additional studies are still needed.
The health benefits of black, green, white and oolong tea are comparable.
Tea provides these nutrients: energy, and small amount of magnesium/phosphorpus/sodium/potassium/folate.

Tips for Using PowerPoint

2010-01-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been bored with a PowerPoint presentation? Has the presenter read the slides to you? If so, you will enjoy this posting about the Ten Commandments of PowerPoint. The posting is interesting and so very true.

Excellent Blog

2010-01-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

I can really appreciate the time and energy it takes to keep up on a personal blog! When I find a good blog I like to share it with others. If you like to cook, read about food, and experiment with recipes, this blog is for you. The blog is smittenkitchen and is well worth your time and effort saving the link. Deb Perelman is the blog's whitty author that makes her recipe reviews and her cooking experiences fun to read and follow. The web site is user friendly and features beautiful photographs of the foods created. Check it out, and don't forget to try some of the tasty foods Deb creates!

New Year, New Eating Habits!

2010-01-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

We all know that New Year's resolutions don't work, so let's think of a more effective way to live a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few simple tips from our Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey program:
1- Reduce the amount of sugar sweetened food you consume. If you can't totally give up soda, at least cut back the number of servings you are drinking each day. By consistently cutting back the amount of sugar your body will be healthier and probably thinner too!
2- Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy foods. By switching to low reduced fat dairy you can reduce your cholesterol, fat and save calories too. Reach for low-fat cheese, yogurt and fat-free milk for good health.
3- Make water your drink of choice. Our bodies need water, it's that simple. Our bodies don't need extra calories and fat from many of the liquids we drink.
4- Increase the amount of protein you eat from plant foods. Eat beans, beans, and more beans for great sources of protein without the added fat.
5- Increase your level of physical activity. Walking is a simple form of exercise, and it can make a world of difference to your health if you increase the number of steps you are walking everyday. Aim for 10,000 steps per day for optimum health.
6- Make sure half of the grains you consume are whole grain foods. Look for whole grain rice, breads, wraps, and cereals. Give your body the nutrients and fiber it needs!

Make this the first day of the rest of your healthy life!!!

2009-12-21T03:55:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox recipe

Resources for FCS Teachers

2009-10-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

So many resources, so little time to search for them! Every educator appreciates resources that they can easily take into their classroom and use instantly. I make it a practice to search for online blogs, and podcasts that can be used in FCS classrooms, and use those links when I am presenting to groups of FCS educators and administrators. Although I find numerous food related websites online, very few (if any?) are authored by FCS educators. There are even less clothing/textiles related blogs & podcasts created by FCS educators. Now is a great time to promote your program by getting the word out online! We have the expertise to share information with the community, assist familes, and help improve our children's health and level of fitness.

A few of my favorite resource sites include:
MyPyramid
Fruits and Veggies Matter
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
Woordle
Nutrition for Everyone

2009-09-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

My thanks to so many of you for attending the Successfully Marketing Extension Program Using Online Technologies presentation at the NEAFCS 09 Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Here are several of the links I used in the NEAFCS presentation:

Digital Immigrant video on YouTube
Teacher Tube - awesome link with good educational videos
Blogger - for making a quick & easy blog
PB Works – easy to create wikis here
Audacity – free download for creating a podcast
Linked In – free networking
Facebook – be sure to select security settings that you are comfortable with
Ellen Swallow Richards – Joyce Miles blog about Ellen Swallow Richards
Smitten Kitchen – great recipe reviews
Rutgers-Atlantic – our Atlantic County NJ website. Click on the FCHS link.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension – our Extension website. Click on the Food, Nutrition, Health & Wellness link on the left
Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey - our FCHS initiative website, great virtual walk program!

Then and now

2009-09-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Technology amazes me. When you really stop to think about it we use technology throughout our day. We start with technology first thing in the morning and continue to use it until the day is done. Can you even image life without a computer? It seems so long ago and distant as I sit here and ponder my own question. I can speak of my personal experiences and remember the changes I felt as a classroom teacher when I could use the home computer to create and print hand-outs for my students without resorting to the mimeograph machine (it created strange blue colored print and had a nasty odor).

Life became so much easier for me with the computer. I remember struggling to create a spreadsheet program that could calculate student grades, and then a few years later, we had grading programs that made life easier once again. The first PC computers used in the classroom were monsters....large, slow, and totally confusing to a Mac user. Did it actually become easier when the Apple IIe came along? They were difficult to use too. We have come a long way baby!

Now we feel frustration when a computer task takes a fraction of a second to complete a command, and when we can't 'get online' in any given minute. Life has changed in many ways since the advent of the home computer....for the better and perhaps for the worse. Overall, we have become faster and more productive workers. That is, until the power goes off!

PA FCS Teachers are Sharing Their Excitement

2009-08-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

I has been such a pleasure to work with many (113) of Pennsylvania's Family & Consumer Sciences teachers over the past 10 days. They are receptive to thoughts of integrating more technology into their classrooms, and they are taking time to learn new technology skills. The teachers are experimenting on how to use wikis, blogs and podcasts in ways that engage their students in meaningful activities. They have all participated in wikis designed for sharing educational resources. Although there is a always a learning curve, they continue to contribute with links, information, and ideas that can be used in FCS classrooms with students of all grade levels. Let's keep the momentum going and learn/grow/stretch together! I admire your committment to FCS!

You Never Forget Your First...YouTube video!

2009-07-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it....posted a video on YouTube! These things usually spend a long time in our minds as an idea, thinking it through and visualizing the results. This project has been on my mind for almost a year, and it is now a reality. My hope was to create a video that demonstrates just how technologically literate we 'digital immigrants' really are. Technology rules the day and gets us through as we continually reach-out to the community, communicate with family & friends, and celebrate life.

Over the next 2 weeks I will be teaching several hands-on technology sessions for educators, so I will be using the video as an example. Can you help me share this video?
RL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5-HIJAj_8E

Title:Digital Immigrant: A Day in the Life

You Never Forget Your First...Journal Publication!

2009-07-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have heard people in Extension say this, and I suppose I will say it one day too. My first article was recently published in a peer reviewed journal!

The Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, Spring Issue 2009, Volume 101, Number 2. The article is titled The FCS Message via Blogs, page 67.

Online Surveys

2009-07-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I started creating online follow-up surveys using Survey Monkey. The program has been very useful in reaching program participants and gathering follow-up data! It seems to me that session participants have an easy time clicking on the survey link I provided in an email message asking for follow-up information. I am amazed at the number of responses I am getting on several surveys. This tool has made data collection easy from people who have email addresses! Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone in our healthy lifestyle educational sessions used email and could respond to surveys so easily??? I give Survey Monkey two thumbs up for being such a user-friendly program.

Sometimes a Techno-Blunder!

2009-07-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

When working with technology the golden rule is: always have a Plan B ready, just in case Plan A does not work. This is forever true when working with students in a classroom, or presenting to the community. I always have my presentations on my laptop, saved in cyber-space via email to my administrative assistant just in case, have a printed hard-copy in my hands, saved on 'at least' one travel drive, and usually saved on one of my many wikis. Do you think that is over-kill? It isn't. Once in a while we run into a situation where technology fails us.
This week has been one of those times for me. A TV spot, recorded a few months ago, has aired during a variety of programs on NBC40 ten times between July 3 and July 10. During the same week the Health Update can be seen online at www.nbc40.net. Of course, this week the video link on the Health Update page is not working, so I have yet to see the spot message. I know the message is being aired since I have had two requests for programs as a result. I know the kind folks at NBC40 are aware of the problem and have been trying to correct the situation. It's just another one of those techno-blunder things....happens once in a while. At least the video clip will be seen in the Health Update Archives for along time to come! Long live technology!

So much technology, so little time!

2009-06-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today's technology makes life much easier in so many ways: it saves time, it saves energy, and it keeps us in constant communication with everyone. Lately I am experimenting with using Facebook to make announcements about activities and educational programs. I see the value of using it for professional purposes to let people know of upcoming events, etc. Twitter is also a new adventure for me. When Twitter first appeared on the Internet I could not understand its purpose, aside from kids using it to contact their friends with endless thoughts & activities. I'm starting to see this tool differently now, through the eyes of professionals and business. Today I saw a Twitter message from my cousin who sells real estate. What a terrific idea to spread the word of new listings! This week I posted my first announcement about a Workplace Wellness program I am conducting at Trump Casinos in Atlantic City on Twitter. A large step for me into the world of tweets! Watch out world....this digital immigrant is onto techno-gadgets!

My Favorite Web Resource Links!

2009-05-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

I suppose I can't say enough about web sites that provide research-based information that is consumer ready. There are several links that I find myself gravitating to on a regular basis. My Pyramid.gov is a must see because of the many features it offers. You can input your diet for a day or several and see how your choices stack up nutritionally. The tool is so easy to use and gives you an instant response. The site includes games and activities for kids too!

When it comes to recipes searches I find CDC.gov useful, especially when suggesting recipes to consumers for general use, or for locating recipes for fact sheets and other hand-outs. The recipes I have tried from that site have been accurate and reliable, and the nutrient analysis easy to follow.

When preparing materials for recent Eat Well Spend Less presentations, I have found excellent recipes from Nebraska's Extension Service found at lancaster.unl.edu/FOOD/. I like the easy to use format and access to money saving recipes for families. The Cook It Quick section makes recipe searching fun.

Of course, our Rutgers Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey website is excellent! The Walk New Jersey Point to Point features is popular among young and adults because of its ability to map your route and learn something about NJ along the way. Now you can ccess the early posts of our Family & Community Health Sciences department podcasts by going to itunes.rutgers.edu. Look for the Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey logo and click to see the podcasts available. Stay tuned for additional podcasts int he very near future!

Families, Food and Fitness Community of Practice

2009-03-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I have joined the Families, Food and Fitness Community of Practice on eXtension! The Community of Practice (COP) serves as a means of communicating with fellow Extension Agents in the effort to continually improve programming. The COP shares information, ideas, opportunities to collaborate, and learn from each other. The COP is currently developing its web pages. I look forward to learning, sharing and experimenting with colleagues in the future. Look for additional information and updates as they become available. To access eXtension and learn more about their work visit www.extension.org.

Health Myths

2009-03-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to write about Health Myths. This was my response:

Myth: I have to join a gym and go on a rigid diet plan to lose weight. The truth is that people do not need to go to extremes to improve their health. They do need to be more physically active and eat a healthy diet to lose weight. Increasing your physical activity can be as simple as walking additional steps everyday. You can calculate your step per day by purchasing an inexpensive pedometer. Track your steps at Walk NJ Point-to-Point at www.getmovinggethealthynj.rutgers.edu.

Myth: Eating a few extra calories per day can’t make me gain weight. The truth is that as little as 150 extra calories (equivalent to a granola bar) per day can cause some people to gain up to 10 pounds in a year. Use the food intake calculator at www.mypyramid.gov for feedback on the amount of food and nutrients you are consuming.

Myth: To lose weight I have to starve myself.
The truth is that the best way to lose weight is to consume a variety that includes fresh fruit and vegetables (between 5 and 9 1/2 cup servings) everyday, choose 3-4 ounces of lean meat that is baked grilled, or broiled, and choose whole grain cereals and breads. Stay away from foods that are high in sugar, fat, and sodium. Drink water instead of sweetened drinks. Information about dietary guidelines can be found at www.mypyramid.gov.

Myth: If children are overweight today they will outgrow it by the time they are adults.
The truth is overweight children often become overweight adults. Children at young ages now have illnesses once thought to occur only in adults, such as type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol and blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. The mental health consequences for overweight children are far reaching including issues of depression, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Overweight youth are often socially excluded by their peers and thus remain isolated. Additional information can be found at www.njaes.rutgers.edu.

Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey is linked on Rachel Ray's Website

2009-03-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Rachel Ray's Yum-O! website is featuring information about our Get Moving Get Healthy New Jersey initiative! It is very exciting for our Rutgers Cooperative Extension programs to be recognized by a well-known celebrity like Rachel Ray.

Please visit the Yum-O site for additional information about the exciting programs offered by the Family & Community Health Sciences and 4-H Youth Development Departments at Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Some of the programs include a Walk NJ Point to Point virtual walking tour, information about eating a healthy diet and strategies for increasing your physical activity.

The Best Laughter Resources

2009-02-17T03:45:00.000-08:00

Last summer I participated in the Certified Laughter Leader Training in Philadelphia. Steve Wilson from the World Laughter Tour was the trainer. The training was awesome and has lead me to reconfiguring several of my presentations to include laughter as a physical activity. Sessions like 'Healthy Lifestyle and Laughter', 'Stress Less with Laughter', 'Lower Your Blood Pressure with Healthy Food and Laughter', and 'Have a Healthy Heart with Laughter' have all been very successful. The senior community and workplace love the laughter sessions!
Some great resources include the following:
World Laughter Tour
Laughter Foundation
Humor Month (April)
These links will get you started on the road to merriment and mirth! Laughter is excellent for your health because it is know increase your heart rate (in a good way), lower your blood pressure, increase your endorphins, improve your ventilation, lower your blood sugar, lower your cholesterol, and much more. Add more laughter to your life and you will feel better! Ho, ho, ha, ha ha!

Resources For Families & Educators

2009-02-16T05:25:00.000-08:00

I have always been an educator who craves new strategies and ideas for teaching. It is a thrill to find a new twist on teaching a time-honored concept. For this reason I have spent a considerable amount of time preparing a list of Resources for Families and Educators. The list is available online at our Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County website. The web links have been annotated and carefully chosen for you, the community. Please take advantage of the wealth of resources at your fingertips! Let me know if you would like to see additional resources on the list. You can locate the Resources for Families and Educators here.

Today's Technology Session at Curriculum Connections

2008-10-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you participated in today's Using Technology in Smart Living, thank you for your attention! If this is your first visit to a blog, be sure to look around for a while. Blogs read from the most recent post (at the top of the page) to the oldest posts at the bottom of the last page of posts. My intention is to create a resource-rich blog that you can use! Whenever I refer to a website it will be posted as a link (bold and underlined text). You can click on any link and you should end up at that page.

Someone in the group asked a question about asynchronous learning. I copied the following definition from Wikipedia:

The types of available technologies used in distance education are divided into two groups: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous technology is a mode of online delivery where all participants are "present" at the same time. Requires a timetable to be organized. Asynchronous technology is a mode of online delivery where participants access course materials on their own schedule. Students are not required to be together at the same time.

[edit] Synchronous technologies

[edit] Asynchronous technologies

Audiocassette
E-mail
Message Board Forums
Social Learning websites (social networking sites that focus on e-learning)
Print Materials^[13]
Voice Mail/fax
Videocassette

PLease let me know if you have any additional questions!

TeacherTube links worth investigating

2008-10-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

In my last post I was unable to access the TeacherTube links mentioned. TeacherTube is an excellent resource for educators because the videos are created by teachers or their students! Take a few minutes to search for these videos at www.teachertube.com:
24 Hours in the Life of a Digital Native - this video puts the connection between young people and their technology tools....a must see for educators and parents.
Learning, Sharing and Connecting Online with 6 & 7 Year Olds - this video features students using blogs and wikis to create newsletters of their school work.
Why Not Let Our Students Blog? - brief video created by very young children using today's technology tools.

Do you have any videos you can upload to share with other educators???

Excellent technology resources on the web

2008-10-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you attended one of my Speed Learning Sessions today, thank you for your interest and support! I thought it would be easier if I added the resource links here rather than emailing them out to everyone. If you are interested in an excellent 3 minute video explaining the use of Blogs check out Blogs in Plain English. If you are feeling confident go to Blogger to set up your first blog in 3 easy steps.

Are you ready to try a Wiki??? Before you start I highly recommend you watch this quick video that really hits the mark...Wikis in Plain English. When you are ready to set-up your first wiki, go to PBWiki for a simple start. They will walk you through the process!

I mentioned that I had a few favorite TeacherTube videos, but for some reason the website is not working tonight....sorry about that! I'll let you know when the site is functional again. One of the things that really surprised me as I learned about technology is that YouTube has some excellent technology training videos (it has lots of junk too, but we can overlook that for now). If you are an educator and haven't seen Shift Happens it is well worth the 8 minutes of your time.

Get started and let me know how you are using these technologies in your programs!

Time flies when you are a community educator!

2008-09-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how time has flown this summer! I have been involved in many exciting projects with our Rutgers FCS Educators, a Penn State graduate course, and preparations for the Galaxies III conference. I have learned that there is a need and an interest in learning more about how blogs, wikis, and podcasts can be used in all areas of education.

I have found the following book to be extremely useful when trying to understand the connection between today's technology and its application in education:
Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press, 2006.

Links to web resources for PSU participants

2008-07-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome the the PSU summer focus on technology! Together we will learn about using blogs, wikis, and podcasts in Family & Consumer Sciences programs. The journey will be exciting, so be sure to keep your eyes and mind open to the potential of using technology to enhance your program. Don't fret because there will be lots of assistance along the way!
To link to my website check out the following:
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Atlantic County Extension Office

AAFCS Presentation in Milwaukee

2008-07-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who attended the Creating an Online Learning Community with Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts presentation at AAFCS in Milwaukee on June 20! It was exciting to inspire fellow professionals on the use of technology in our Family & Consumer Sciences programs. I look forward to hearing your success stories in the future! Please let me know how you are using technology in your program currently and how you envision using it to reach you community!

In the session I spoke about the Electronic Resource Directory that my assistant Ashley and I have created. The directory is intended to be a useful resource for FCS professionals, families, and educators. You can access the Resource Directory at this link Resource Directory. As we continue to expand the directory will do our best to make sure the links are updated.

Please feel free to use this blog as an annotated resource for your program. You can scroll through the previous posts to link to excellent online resources.

NBC40 Health Update

2008-06-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

This past week I had to opportunity to tape a spot segment on NBC40's Health update. The channel is available in the Atlantic County, Cape May County, and part of Ocean County area of New Jersey. The segment I taped was on Summer Food Safety and will be aired during the week of June 20-27. The segment airs 10 times over the course of the week and will be available online at www.nbc40.net. If you have ideas for segments that can be suggested to the local station please let me know!!!

Cooking Across America

2008-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you (or your students) are interested in learning more about the history of American food then you must visit the Key Ingredients America By Food website. The site allows you to learn about food and recipes by various regions of our country. You can also submit your own recipe to the collection that has been created by numerous people across the nation. If you are looking for food related events you can locate them too. The America By Food exhibit features 500 years of our food history and is traveling across the country... it could be stopping at a community near your town this summer. The exhibit is in Allentown, New Jersey now and will be in Cape May County, New Jersey between July 19 and August 31! Check it out!

About Podcasts

2008-06-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

Podcasts are simple radio-like programs that are available on the Internet. The purpose of a podcast is to share information, to educate others, or to demonstrate a concept. Podcasts can be an excellent instructional tool or a means of having your students share their knowledge with the global community. Before launching podcasts in your classroom, take a look at a few sites that offer educational podcasts for educators. Here are a few good starting points for your search:
National Public Radio
The Centers For Disease Control
University of Michigan

Exercise & Fitness are part of a Healthy Lifestyle!

2008-05-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

We very often speak about the importance of a balanced diet, eating colorful foods, and reducing the amount of fat we consume. Keep in mind that these messages are only part of the equation for creating a healthy lifestyle! The other important component is exercise...that is, daily exercise to imporve you health! Adults need to have 60 - 90 minutes per day of exercise for good health. Children need at least 60 minutes per day too.
Your exercise plan can be a simple as walking everyday! If you are looking for website that offer useful information andout exercise check out the following:
Exercise is Medicine
The National Association for Sport & Physical Education
American Heart Association Exercise & Fitness Page
American Council on Exercise

Finding Recipes Online

2008-05-19T02:51:00.000-07:00

Most people have become used to using online recipe database when searching for something good and healthy to create in the kitchen. The younger generations prefers searching for recipes exclusively online rather than using cookbooks. The Food Network is my personal favorite when I need a recipe. Their index has thousands of recipes to choose from. A friend of mine likes Gold Mine Recipes or the one on Self (the magazine). Prevention (the magazine) also feature a database of recipes. As for me, I'll continue to use my good old fashioned cookbook collection for the old standby recipes I love and search online when I want to try something new! It looks like the best of both worlds to me!

Another Excellent Resource Web Site!

2008-05-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

I just love it when I find awesome website! This one is a great NJ resource. Check out the Get Moving-Get Healthy New Jersey site for: physical activities for families, nutrition information, food of the month information, links to BMI calculator, heart rate calculator, calorie counter....and lots more. Within the next week the Walk NJ Point-to-Point (virtual walk) will be live online. It would be fun to challenge yourself, your family, or your colleagues to count their steps each day and track them on the online calculator. The walk will feature pictures of the sights along the way which is a terrific learning experience for children. Take the walking challenge and see if you can walk 10,000 steps per day! Your health is well worth the effort!

Parents Need Resources to Help Their Children Live a Healthy Lifestyle!

2008-05-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I participated in a school wellness health fair In Atlantic County and today I spoke to parents at an Atlantic City School. I heard the same message loud and clear....we need resources to help us deal with eating issues/food likes & dislikes/healthy snacks/portion control. My best advice is for them to first visit the MyPyramid website for information about portion control and caloric needs for children (adults too). The children will be attracted to the fun (educational) games that help them learn about eating healthy. Together the family can set goals about how they are going to change their eating habits. The next stop on their journey can be to the Get Moving-Get Healthy New Jersey website. The site provides information on physical activity and has the Walk New Jersey Point to Point virtual walk. Families can increase their activity level and have fun keeping track of their number of steps each day. The family can learn about NJ as they travel from High Point to Cape May!

Excellent Websites!

2008-05-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

There are so many excellent websites out there, but here are a few that top the list of resources for families:
* The National Safety Council has fact sheets for just about everything
* Kids Health (Nemours Foundation) is very user friendly for kids (and parents) and offers interesting fun related to kids health
* How to Understand the Food Label provides lots of information to help you better understand the rules and regs on food labeling
Check out theses sites and share them with parents and educators!

Internet Safety for Families

2008-05-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Internet safety is a huge issue for families. Parents want their children to be computer literate yet they want to make sure the children are safe when they are online. We know that kids (and adults) like to use social network tools like FaceBook and YouTube. But how do we ensure our safety while interacting on these websites? I am looking for good articles about this issue! I thought this article was worth reading 12 Safety Tips on Blogging for Parents and Kids. Although the article was written in 2006 the information holds true today.

Blogging for Information

2008-05-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

If you are an educator you can find great ideas at blog sites! Try some of these links to see if you can locate an exciting new lesson idea for your students:
* Edublogs
* Kidzlog
* Bloglines
Blogs can be an excellent tool for the classroom. Think about sharing information with your students online, then having them reflect in writing on your blog. Instead of having 30 students each turn in a paper you can have all of them do their writing in one place! That's easier for you!

Healthy Youth Resources

2008-05-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a million great resources out there! The CDC has an excellent Healthy Youth Resource page that address STD's & HIV, physical activity, nutrition, safety, tobacco and asthma. Wow! This resource is useful for FCS, physical education educators, and school nurses.

Trying to Understand Blogs?

2008-05-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

It seems that some of our readers need to know a little bit more about blogs. A blog is an electronic journal. The best and most simple description of blogs can be found at Blogs in Plain English and click on the little newsman. It is well worth the 3 minutes (that's all!) it takes to better understand blogging.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

2008-05-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to know the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans! This is a good site for you the teacher, and it is also a good site for you the parent/grandparent/friend/neighbor. The government updates the guidelines every 5 years, so be sure to know the current version. The site includes PowerPoint's and other tools that you can use in your classroom.

Resource links from today's presentation at Curriculum Connections

2008-05-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I appreciated the opportunity to speak to so many teachers today at Curriculum Connections! Professional development is a powerful component of your work and I applaud the fact that you took the time to attend. Here are the links I included in the technology presentation:
* Visions Newsletter
Click on the link for Vol. 20, No. 1
* Building a Collaborative Classroom Wiki
* Good Examples of pbwiki in the Classroom
For the two pbwik links- go to the site, then click on How to Create a Collaborative Classroom, then complete the brief request to download
* 7 Things You Should Know About Series (Educause)
Look for the downloads for the following- Wikis, Blogs, Podcasting

2008: International Year of the Potato!

2008-04-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato? This may be a great opportunity to inform your students about the history and nutrient value of this very important food. Did you know that... The potato came from a high plateau in the Andean Mountains of South America (between Peru and Bolivia). The potato was the basis of the Aymara Indian and Incan diet. The Spanish Conquistadors found the potato (rather than silver or gold), served it on their ships, and soon found that the sailors did not suffer from scurvy. Scurvy is a disease associated with too little Vitamin C, and since potatoes have a lot of Vitamin C, scurvy was prevented. After the potato became popular in Europe, it was later taken to America by the European immigrants throughout the 1600’s, but it was not until 1719 when Irish immigrants brought the potato to Londonderry, New Hampshire, where the potato was grown on a large scale.
In the 1800’s Irish peasants were eating a daily average of 10 potatoes per person, or about 80% of their diet. It was in the 1840’s that a microscopic fungus and heavy rains rotted the potato crops in the ground, hence the historic potato famine. Today scientists are constantly developing and studying new ways of preventing a potato disaster from happening.
Check out the International Year of the Potato website because it is full of information!

Teaching students about calcium

2008-04-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for materials and information that can help you teach your students about milk and the benefits of calcium check Milk Matters Resources for Teachers. There you will find several calcium fact sheets, a snack cookbook, materials for parents, and a calcium calculator. Educational materials written for children with lactose intolerance are also available at the website. It's an excellent website with lots of resources and well worth your time!

Another good resource

2008-04-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

I have created a list of resources on my Atlantic County website. From there you can click on a number of excellent resources for FCS teachers, parents and students. The resource page can be found at FCHS Atlantic County. Once you are at the website click on the Resources link.

Free Resources for Teachers!

2008-04-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I have found an excellent resource for school administrators, FCS & Physical Education teachers, school nurses, and after-school program coordinators. The program is Media Smart Youth: Eat, Think and Be Active! and can be found at Media Smart Youth. The resource contains useful lessons and all of the materials you need to incorporate healthy eating & movement activities into your programs. The materials are user friendly and created for students ages 8-12....although I think they can easily be adapted for younger and older students too. Take a look at this interactive curriculum to see if it fits your needs.

Resource Links for FCS

2008-04-25T03:15:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months I have come across numerous resource that can be useful for educators. MyPyramid is one of my favorites because it allows you to calculate the number of calories you should be consuming in a day with examples of serving size and number. The site now offers the capacity to plan a week's menu based upon your dietary needs.

Another great site is the CDC's Nutrition For Everyone. There are many links available for you to locate information about healthy eating. One of my all-time favorites is the Fruit & Veggies Matter. This site is very useful when looking for the history and nutrient content of fruits and vegetables!

Welcome FCS Educators

2007-09-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first attempt at creating a resource rich blog for Family & Consumer Science Educators. Please feel free to share resources that would help our fellow FCS educators extend and enhace their programs. Classroom success stories are always welcome on this site.