Summary and Interpretation of the Coffee Shop Setting

When students were in the coffee shop they were engaged in activities for a clear and real purpose, but the overall tone was learning and not production. The coffee shop was a created setting, more like a simulated lab. It was a setting where mistakes were expected and then dissected, where risks were encouraged and supported, and where expectations were set and met. In addition, a continuous process of trial and error, attempts, adjustments, and discoveries was fostered. In this way, learning the practice of running the coffee shop became a way to prepare for employment.

The main learning goal in the coffee shop was independent mastery of each of the coffee shop jobs. Mastery of the jobs, such as Baker, Server, or Cashier, did not necessarily lead to the students obtaining these jobs outside the coffee shop setting. Rather, they applied different aspects of their learning and new knowledge outside the coffee shop setting, both in their homes and job placements. Most of the placements did not involve food preparation and even the placement in the bakery used such different methods of preparation that Stacey, who was in that setting, felt she had to learn a completely new set of bakery skills.

One setting where many of the students did use their new knowledge about baking with recipes was at home. In fact, the students incorporated a new literacy practice into their lives when they began to use recipes at home. All the students, except Martha, said they had tried baking at home with a recipe, something they had never done before. In addition, most had integrated this new knowledge into their daily lives. Hannah said she now bakes regularly for her children using recipes. Before working in the coffee shop, she said she had never used recipes and wasn't even interested in learning to use them.

I was always cooking what I knew. [Recipes] are a good idea because it's easy. I put the papers there and then I put everything together. It's very easy, a very nice idea. I like it because now I believe that without recipes, we can't cook. Some days I try the recipe that I have from the coffee shop.