This fall, the Cissna Park Education Foundation approved a grant for the Family and Consumer Science classes to purchase 6 tablets. The FCCLA purchased protective cases for the tablets and classes are already using them.

The biggest use so far has been in the Foods class, where students are able to look up recipes to use in labs. Students can search for recipes that meet the criteria of the lab, have good ratings, and fit the time period allotted much quicker than using a cookbook. They can also access videos that show step by step how something is made, or just research terms with which they are not familiar. On websites such as Fooducate, students can use the tablets to scan the bar codes on food labels and see nutrition information as well as customer reviews and “grades” for how healthy/unhealthy the food is, then compare brands to make wise decisions.

The consumer class will be using the tablets more in the spring semester when they participate in a program called Budget Challenge, sponsored by H&R Block. Students will make choices about housing, utilities, 401K, bank accounts, etc. , then will be responsible for paying those bills from their paycheck on time in order to avoid late fees. The top students in the nation are eligible for scholarships, and the top classes are eligible for classroom grants as well.