Culinary arts classes go remote due to pandemic

BOWLING GREEN Ky.- A lot happens in the SouthCentral Kentucky Community and Technical College kitchen, that is before Covid-19 caused schools everywhere to shift to a remote style of learning. Now, the students and faculty are cooking up a new plan.

“Culinary arts remote instruction is a little different. I tell my students all the time that it will be fine because you can still eat your homework. It’s probably the only program where you can eat your homework and get away with it,” said SKYCTC culinary arts instructor Tammy Inscoe.

Courses like culinary arts have had to utilize online tools to complete assignments and tasks. Now, students are preparing dishes from their home kitchens and sending video or pictures to their instructor, keeping the hands-on component on the table.

“In one way. It’s a challenge, because we don’t have the industrial kitchen that we normally have. All the tools we usually have are not available to all the students,” Inscoe said.

While the situation may add another item on their plate, students are well versed in using the skills they’ve already learned to make the transition.

“They can still cook and prepare these foods, have their meal taken care of, and learn at the same time,” Inscoe said.

SKYCTC provost Dr. James McCaslin said whether the subject is culinary arts or robotics, he’s proud of the college for making the most of the situation.

“I think that’s evident in the way that our faculty has been so creative, and the way that they’re creating their lab experiences to still be delivered through virtual means with a hands-on component to it,” McCaslin said.

Creativity that will make a difference when it comes time to return to campus

“I think we’ll find that when we come back to campus, our lives are going to change in many ways for the better. We’re going to find a lot of efficiencies that we were forced into, they’re going to allow us to be ever greater educators to our students to come,” McCaslin said.

The college will return to lab instruction as soon as Governor Beshear authorizes the return of a face to face learning environment.