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Victoria Guertin’s Website |
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MasterCook 7 Publisher: ValuSoft Phone Number: Support 800-677-6337 Web Address: www.valusoft.com Grade Level: 9-12 Subject Area: Family and Consumer
Science/Foods, Family Development Reviewed by: Vicki Guertin
Description MasterCook is an interactive database of
over 5,000 easy-to-follow recipes and thousands of ingredient items. Users can add favorite recipes from
friends, magazines, the web and other cookbooks in one convenient, central
place. It allows for notes and photos, printing and emailing. The
nutrition information attached to ingredients shows nutrition information for
each recipe and tracks fat, calories, sodium, cholesterol and percentages of
daily requirements. The software suggests and modifies recipes to accommodate
the special dietary needs of vegetarians, diabetics, people with
hypertension, food allergies and even people on low carb diets.
Professional
chefs and culinary experts present expanded information on cooking methods
and fundamentals, time-saving tips, and techniques in step-by-step
instructional videos. Accompanying
the program are links to “MasterCook Discussion.” This message board hosts discussions about MasterCook
and lets board visitors ask questions and share ideas directly with other
users. There is also a companion web
site, www.prenhall.com/labensky
that enables students to take practice exams, link to other culinary web
sites and allow the instructor to post an on-line syllabus. The
software is bundled with Prentice Hall’s “On Baking” textbook. All the
recipes included in the text are available in the software program. Accuracy of Content The
content for this software is comprehensive, detailed and complete. It is
built on a database of individual ingredients that includes a description of
the item, information about the nutritional value of the ingredient and the
unit size. It also includes the capability to add local supermarket unit
pricing. The
recipes included are based on several print cookbooks and textbooks published
by Prentice Hall, publishers of high quality educational textbooks. The
program is part of a comprehensive teaching and learning package. Content was
provided by dozens of food industry leaders, trade associations and top chefs
from around the world. Examples include the California Seafood Council,
National Pasta Association, Florida Department of Agriculture, Emeril Lagasse
and Lisa Dugoni of Locke-Ober Restaurant of Boston. Technical Quality Use of Technology The
program does allow the student to create a custom cookbook and personal menu
plans. The program does not take advantage of more dynamic multimedia and content
linking. For example, demonstration videos are available from one pull down
menu, but a video that might be useful explaining a technique required in a
recipe is not hot linked from the recipe page. MasterCook
7 does not have
the capability to measure or evaluate student work. Any assessment of
students would need to be defined and measured by the teacher manually. Role of Students This is
not a software program designed as a self-directed teaching tool. The student
can use the program in combination with classroom activities and assignments.
It is a tool that can empower students to make smart decisions about menu
planning and meal preparation in relationship to a healthy lifestyle. Role of Teacher The
teacher will have to create a lesson plan that would use this software as an
important element. The lesson plan would be a unit of a foods, cooking or
nutrition curriculum. The software could also be used in a family development
class as a way of introducing students to the importance of healthy menu
planning. The teacher would have to spend some time with students
demonstrating the features and functionality. This would be accomplished in a
computer lab where the teacher can walk students through the process of
creating and analyzing recipes and menus before they begin an assignment on
their own. Classroom Usage This
software is designed for individuals. In the classroom, depending on how many
computers are available students could work in teams of two to learn the
software and complete an assignment.
This program would work well in several specific lesson plans. It
could be used to demonstrate the concept of minimum daily nutritional
requirements by having students create a weekly menu and analyzing the
nutritional content. Students interested in professional cooking could use
the software to create a sample restaurant menu. By using the recipe cuisine categories
students can learn about various foods from different regions and cultures. Critical Summary MasterCook
7 can be a
valuable tool in the Foods and Cooking classes by helping students learn the
relationship of menu and food preparation to health and nutrition. It is rich
in information and analysis capabilities. It is an excellent reference
resource. However, it is cumbersome to use and seems somewhat behind in user
interface navigation techniques. Overall Rating Explanation of Rating The large
volume of information, the number of the recipes and the attention to detail
in the software are strong features of the MasterCook 7. The rating of
5 is based primarily on the limitations of the user interface design, minimal
graphic interest and weak usability. A more intuitive navigation system would
greatly improve the program. Promotional Links for MasterCook 7 software Software review, Dealtime promotional website http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Havas_SIERRA_ATTRACTIONS_MasterCook_Deluxe_7 Product description and
sales website http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=1126&cat=134&page=1 |
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Home Page | Review of Decisions, Decisions | Lesson Plan for MasterCook7 |
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© Victoria Guertin last revised
4/26/06 |
