Guest Blogger Series: A week in the life of Google in the Ag Ed Classroom

Editor's Notes: This blog is part of a series of guest contributors from the national school-based agricultural education family. Dr. Robin McLean is a National Board Certified Educator in Career and Technical Education and has spent 17 years in agricultural education.  She began in the high school classroom, spent four and a half years as the New Jersey FFA Specialist, and for the past nine years has worked as a middle school agricultural science teacher at Northern Burlington County Regional School District in central New Jersey. She is a CASE Introduction to Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources certified teacher, Nearpod PioNear, and Google Certified Educator. Robin serves her professional organizations through the “Teach Ag” campaign helping to recruit and retain agriculture teachers, facilitating the Middle School Community on NAAE Communities of Practice, contributing to the Association for Career and Technical Education Educators in Action Blog, and being a teacher's association representative for her local union. In her free time, she enjoys Broadway shows and world travel.


As I set fingers to keyboard to prepare this blog post, I reflected on how I had used Google in the educational setting in the last week. Then I realized that the list of how I used Google this week probably provides the best example of how Google can be used in the Agricultural Education classroom.  I tried to provide some links in items that might be useful to you as you incorporate Google. If one of these uses piques your interest, either now, during your student teaching experience, or when you establish a classroom of your own feel free to reach out and ask me more about it.

General School Activity

• Shared my weekly lesson plans with my administrators (This is now a standard procedure for all faculty this school year)
• Prepared my Professional Development Report from a Tech Expo I attended to share with adminstration
• Planned for upcoming "Sunshine Club" November Pie Contest with members of Sunshine Committee using shared Google Doc
• Saw the comments my Director (one of the levels of administration in our district) had provided on a Benchmark exam I had submitted for approval

  

  Screenshot of Google Classroom as it appears on my iPhone

 Agriculture Classes

• Watched as a discussion unfolded between our schools Media Specialist and one of my students on an Animal Breeds project and proper citation and information usage when creating the page
• Displayed daily learning targets as students entered the classroom using Google Slides
• Set up Google Classrooms for my incoming 7th grade quarter classes and prepared Google Classroom scavenger hunt assignments
  
•  Challenged my 8th graders to go beyond the basic Latin phrases identified in class and use Google to explore terms to identify what name they might give themselves if they could create their own scientific name
• Uploaded the CASE AFNR career profile to a GoogleDoc then posted in Google Classroom as an assignment for my yearlong 8th grade class
• Made a few tweaks to my "What Do You Know About Ag" quiz for my incoming 7th graders that will be scored with Flubaroo 
• Uploaded the next unit of CASE AFNR materials to Google Drive and adjusted in preparation for sharing with students in Classroom
• Opened submitted Wildlife Projects for Ag 8 student presentations

FFA 

• Updated Google Calendar for FFA events
•  Created a Google form for Milk Quality CDE Run-off sign in
• Prepped draft December Chapter Meeting Information in Google Slides to shared with officers and have them collaborate on planning
• Received Google Form notification when a Member of the Month application was submitted
• Tried to get Autocrat to merge some popcorn sales summary sheets for my members (I need to work on my Autocrat skills)

I'm sure I left out a way I used Google this week.  I am finding that I am using Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, and Slides) more frequently as a way to conveniently have files accessible no matter where I am (as long as I have an internet connection).  A direct result of using these tools has been exploring the apps such as Flubaroo, Forms Notification, and Autocrat that makes them more effective and useful.

Feel free to explore my Google Tips Board on Pinterest where I have been saving Google related ideas as I encounter them.



Submitted by:
Robin McLean
@rcmclean
mclean.robin.c@gmail.com
Agriscience Teacher
Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School (NJ)

Guest Blogger Series: To keep it real, connect with the community

Editor's Note: This blog is part of a series of guest contributors from the national school-based agricultural education family.  Ms. Elise Brown is the agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Turkey Run Jr./Sr. High School and Rockville Jr./Sr. High School in Indiana. This is her first year of teaching. Prior to serving as a teacher, she was a communications director for a conservation agriculture nonprofit. She also has worked as an intern for a radio station's farm department, a writer for two university agricultural communication departments and as a public affairs intern for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

My path to teaching is, perhaps, unconventional. I have completed only three months of my first year, and it has been a challenge. I did no student teaching, had no prepared materials and was hired ten days before school started.

Despite these obstacles, I have been finding that my greatest asset has been my previous experience in industry and connections in the community. 

I graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communication and from Penn State with the non-teacher certification Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education. I was planning on pursuing a career as an extension educator after moving back to Indiana. However, some twists and turns took me to a communications position for a year and a half before moving back home to the farm and doing some substitute teaching in two local schools. 

Toward the end of the school year, one of the junior high science teachers went on sick leave, and I was a substitute for her classes for six weeks. The principal learned about my teaching style and experience. Then, when the agriculture teacher at my high school alma mater resigned two weeks before school started in August, I was asked if I was interested in the position. I interviewed and was hired within three days of that initial contact.

It was all quite a whirlwind. But one thing I'm finding is that my experience in the industry and my connections within the community are helping tremendously. Indiana has licensing options for those with advanced degrees and/or a certain amount of workplace experience, and I am able to take advantage of these opportunities. And in the classroom, I can talk about internships, my previous job and farm experience, living in another state, professionals I've visited with or interviewed and more. 

Guest speaker Dave Davies (center), an agriculture teacher from
Indianapolis, gives some insight into leadership
and urban agriculture to students from my rural school.

But it's not just my own experiences that can be valuable in the classroom: the experiences of others who are well-versed in agriculture are of tremendous value. Guest speakers are a way to bring the students' community into the classroom. Often, when the students know the speakers, they are able to connect easily with them. The community also has the chance to see the good work the teacher is doing in the classroom, and support for the agriculture program can be gained through that interaction. That support is invaluable as the schools continually look for ways to improve and shape the curriculum for the betterment of the community. 

Guest speakers also can bring a whole new world to the students. Recently, I had the opportunity to bring in an agriculture teacher from Indianapolis. He discussed the perceptions that urban students have of the farm and other agricultural pursuits. To my rural students, some of their ideas sounded far-fetched, but he explained the urban students had never seen some of the aspects of life that were so common to my rural students.

One tool that a teacher can use to shape the agriculture department is an agricultural advisory board. The ag advisory board helps the agriculture teacher choose the best courses for the students and gives direction based on the community's needs. The board is a diverse group and can represent many interests, such as farmers, agribusinesses, federal agencies, other educators and more. 

Community members also can help with field trips and coaching for FFA Career Development Events. Taking an animal science class to a local farm to understand how the livestock and crops complement each other in the operation or taking a horticulture class to a local nursing home to deliver flowers they grew is a great way to connect with community members. Spreading out a heavy workload of coaching several FFA teams at the same time will help the teacher's load tremendously, and parents and other supporters often enjoy the opportunity to help young people prepare for competitions. Always let others know what your needs are.

After all, you never know when you'll mention a need and receive more than you imagined you could. Toward the beginning of the year, I called the local Soil and Water Conservation District office to inquire about the price of a rain barrel for our greenhouse. A few days later, the president of the district informed me that the district would be donating a rain barrel to both of the county's FFA chapters. I had not asked for the donation (although there are certainly times when a donation can be requested!), but through the relationships I had already built up with the Soil and Water Conservation District employees, we received the rain barrel and even benefited a neighboring FFA chapter. 

So to keep it real, establish relationships with those around you. In your agricultural education program, you don't have to know everything....you just need to know who knows the topic your students need to know. Then, find a way to connect the students with the experts. This tremendously helps your workload and provides the students with invaluable experiences and connections.  

_____________________________________________________

Author Elise Brown

Feel free to contact me at browne@ncp.k12.in.us. You also can find me on Twitter.

Feedback on #psuaged16 questions from National Agriscience Teacher Ambassadors

From our reflection on November 13th, I distilled comments to three primary questions that I in turn sent to our friends, colleagues and  associates who are National Agriscience Teacher Ambassadors (Learn more about that program from NAAE and DuPont here: http://www.naae.org/profdevelopment/nataa.cfm)

1) What should the teacher be doing while the students are engaged in the inquiry process?

Monitoring for safety if this is a lab setting, formative assessment - don't answer procedural question - make students read and follow directions on their own so that you can be asking deeper questions, and depending on the class, you might at times be sitting down watching the kids work through whatever you have challenged them with. Please don't read this statement to think I said read the newspaper, but what I am saying is that don't be a helicopter teacher - give them a chance to work and think without you standing over their should for every minute of the period. (Donna, Ohio)

Moving about the room offering guidance and feedback (formative assessment). Posing "questions" to make the students think even deeper. (Mark, Pennsylvania)

Your job has now sifted from a teacher to facilitator- wonder around the room. With out being too distracting, ask them questions to connect with them- How was your day? How is your steer? Who do you play tonight?, etc. Its an opportunity you now have to connect with students who you might not otherwise connect to. Its also time that you give feed back, How might you do this differently? What do you think is going to happen? How could you take this further? Its also a chance to verify they are using equipment efficiently, etc. Try not to work on other things, as tempting as it might be. (Gina, Ohio)

Monitoring. Questioning students one on one. Probing. Do not fall into the temptation of multitasking and doing something else just because all of the students are busy. Question their ideas. Look at their observations and writing. My best discussions with students happen during this time. (JoAnn, Ohio)

Walking around among the students. Helping them stay focused without assisting too much. I like to ask questions about what they are doing Encourage thought and discovery. (Lee, Kansas)

Video Feedback from Jaysa Fillmore (Idaho)

2) How do you effectively manage groups/classroom management while conducting inquiry?

Starts on day one with your management and expectations when they are sitting in their seats not in groups. I use stamps to check to make sure groups get to a certain point correctly before moving on. I set up the expectation that you need to wait patiently until I get to you. Rarely do kids get to the same point at the same time so there is not a lot of ideal behavior. If a group is not on task, I talk to them directly. If a student specifically is not behaving I deal with that student. I teach three different age groups of kids, so how I deal with the sophomores is very different than the seniors. (Donna, Ohio)

Break the students into smaller groups/partners. An inquiry classroom will "seem" to be very chaotic and out of control to a casual observer, but in reality the students are "engaged" in their own learning. The teacher must move about the room. Be sure to set the room/lab up in such away that allows for easy movement and access to supplies and equipment. (Mark, Pennsylvania)
I still believe in heterogeneous groups when kids are working on day-to-day work. I use craft sticks with kids name to randomly assign groups. If it is a long term project I let them pick their own groups since they will need to be in contact with each other outside of class. However, to help them reflect on their work during long term project they have daily logs to fill out to explain what progress they have made and who is doing what for the next meeting/work day. (Donna, Ohio)

Part of what you have to do is make sure groups are set up well- if you know kids don't get along or wont work together, then don't put them together. Even if you are randomly assigning groups, control that randomness a little, to keep your groups under control. Again wonder around the room, keeping an eye on groups. I sometimes assign different roles/have them pick different roles. time keeper, clean up, group leaders, whatever it takes. Also have a plan and share that plan with them for clean up, where items go, etc. (Gina, Ohio)

Question cards (limiting the number of questions that a group can ask) helps tremendously. So does the use of stamps/stickers (when they get ____ done, raise your hand, get a stamp, move on). I have fewer class problems during inquiry because the kids are almost always engaged.(JoAnn, Ohio)

Prior discussion and expectations, walk among students, but do not do activity for them, let them struggle but help them stay focused, encourage and make sure they are using their notebook to record information.(Lee, Kansas)
3) How do you keep the “connection” when conducting an inquiry lesson over multiple days?

Five minutes at the end or beginning of class....what did we learn today/yesterday? Could be a KWL chart as well (I tweeted one not too long ago.)....Not sure what "connection" means - are you referring to content or teacher/student connection? Teacher/student connection should never be lost because you are monitoring/asking questions throughout the period. (Donna, Ohio)

Have each group conduct a debrief/review of what happened the day before and how it relates to today's activity as part of the "bell work". One of my favorite is an "entrance ticket". Just the opposite of an "exit ticket". In this case the students must answer a question(s) and receive a sticker/stamp from me before they may begin that day's activities. This helps me ensure that they are seeing the "connection" to yesterday's lesson/activities before they charge ahead, while also serving as another formative assessment of what they really learned. (Mark, Pennsylvania)

Discuss what happened the day before, before leaping into the lesson the current day. Let them talk, discuss what happened, predict what it going to happen today. Or use some cool review tool or game, kahoot, post it notes, poll every where, etc.   (Gina, Ohio)

Review what they discover through them leading discussion. Just guide and sometimes add an article to help connect and make relevant and link activities and help reinforce. (Lee, Kansas)

Guest Blogger Series: Connecting Agriscience Fair to Inquiry Based Instruction

Editor's Note: This blog is part of a series of guest contributors from the National school-based agricultural education family.  Mrs. Gina R Neff is the Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor at Utica High School, in Utica, Ohio.  This is her 6th year of teaching, but her first year at Utica.  For the past 5 years, she taught at Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Ohio. She is a lead teacher for CASE and is certified in AFNR, ASA, ASP, and Natural Resources. Mrs. Neff is an active member in the Ohio Association of Agricultural Educators and the National Association of Agricultural Educators. She is currently serving a 3 year term as Treasurer for OAAE.  She is the 2013 and 2014 OAAE Outstanding Young Member Recipient, the 2013-2014 NAAE Region IV Outstanding Young Member and the 2015 Ohio ACTE Outstanding New Career andTechnical Educator.


Connecting Agriscience Fair to Inquiry Based Instruction.... thats a mouth full isn't it? But is is not as scary as it sounds!

Agriscience Fair projects have became one of my absolute, hand downs favorite projects in my ag ed teaching tool belt.  It's even more exciting now that I am in a new school that the science department wants to do a science fair of their own and my students and I have been asked to join in!!

When it comes to inquiry based instruction, it might be a little scary to your students.  The majority of my students are coming from classrooms where they are they are taught to memorize and then regurgitate that information.  And then forget it, never do anything with it! It is a HUGE disservice to these students and to their future careers.  So keep in mind, this project takes time and getting students use to inquiry can take a little time.  A great tool when it comes to inquiry is the essential features of classroom inquiry and their variations.  See below!

Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry and Their Variations

Less -------------------------------------Learner Self Direction--------------------------------------------More

More---------------------------- Direction from Teacher or Material-----------------------------------Less

FEATURE
1. Learner engages in scientifically oriented questions.	A. Learner engages in question provided by teacher, materials, or other source	B. Learner sharpens or clarifies question provided by teacher, materials, or other source	C. Learner selects among questions, poses new questions	D. Learner poses a question
2. Learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions	A. Learner given data and told how to analyze	B. Learner given data and asked to analyze	C. Learner directed to collect certain data	D. Learner determines what constitutes evidence and collects it
3. Learner formulate explanations from evidence	A. Learner provided with evidence	B. Learner given possible ways to use evidence to formulate explanation	C. Learner guided in process of formulating explanations from evidence	D. Learner formulates explanation after summarizing evidence
4. Learner connects explanations to scientific knowledge	A. Learner given all connections	B. Learner given possible connections	C. Learner directed toward areas and sources of scientific knowledge	D. Learner independently examines other resources and forms links to explanations
5. Learner communicates and justifies explanations	A. Learner given steps and procedures for communication	B. Learner provided broad guidelines to use to sharpen communication	C. Learner coached in development of communication	D. Learner forms reasonable and logical argument to communicate explanations

Ideally, all teaching and learning is going to happen with learner self direction being more and direction from teacher or material being less.  It's not always possible in everyday classroom instruction (although it is a GREAT goal to figure out how to move at least one feature further down the essential features in each lesson).  However agriscience fair is going to get you in the D column every time!

Besides agriscience fair connecting to inquiry learning, it also does an amazing job of allowing student interest projects.  I know we all have a unit or subject that we love- but it might just bore our students to tears.  This is a great way to get that student to connect to a topic that they love. 

Another piece that I like about the agriscience fair is that it give the students the opportunity to connect a project in all 3 circles of the agricultural education model. They can complete the project in class for a grade, take it to an FFA sponsored science fair, and use it as their SAE.  In my old school, traditional SAE projects were hard to find, so agriscience fair became a great way for my students to have a project besides taking care of a pet or go beyond an exploratory project. 

Yet another thing I like- students have to talk to people about their project! Most cant seem to get away from their cell phone or how to speak to a person, so what better way to make them communicate then to get them talking about something they are interested in!

So- back to the inquiry piece of this- how can this connect?

As mentioned before, this can be put into the D column for each learner feature, but you do have to set it up right.

When starting an agriscience fair project, its important to allow your students time to free write/brainstorm.  I often ask my students, what is it you are interested in? What is something you have always wanted to know more about? How does this relate back to agriculture?  You will end up with quite the list of projects that may or may not be possible.  Be available to give them some feed back and some critiques to help them find a suitable project.  The first year that I started this project in the classroom, two of my students wanted to know: Which will be heavier: A dairy steer on feed or a dairy steer in the wild? We had a wonderful discussion on the problems a "wild" cow running around the county side could case and the students modified their project to being about rabbits raised on a pelleted diet vs. a "natural" diet.  The end result: 2 students who eventually went to compete on the National Level and place 7th with a silver rating.   

My students agriscience fair board/display that went to the National FFA Convention

To best make agriscience work in the classroom, I find it takes chunking the project into small pieces.  After all, you can eat an elephant, you just have to do it a bite at a time!

For my students, I find the best way to chunk it is to give them due dates and then check for a grade.  I also give them LOTS of feed back.  Sometimes my feed back is simply asking them multiple questions, but it's always meant to make them THINK about their project.  After all, that is the goal of inquiry, is to teach the kids how to think!  

So, overall don't be scared of inquiry! Agriscience fair is a great way to practice it in the classroom! 

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at gneff@uhs.laca.org.  Friend me on facebook or follow me on instragram- gneff85. 

Guest Blogger: Agriculture Education From the Trenches

Editor's Note: Casi Foster is an Agriculture and Extension Education Science Teacher for  Leadership Development , Juvenile Detention and Treatment. She is a second year teacher with prior experience working for the Chambersburg Area Senior High School as fall term 2015 AG teacher.  Casi is a 2014 PSU Graduate having completed her student teaching at Biglerville (PA) with Michelle Miller. 

Where in life do we go wrong, for many of us it starts at a very young age. I don't know everything about what happens to my students, but what I know for sure is, that they end up here. Here, is alternative education for juvenile delinquents; and here in this private school is where I start my journey to help change the lives of my students through agriculture education.  I hope through agriculture education that I can make a difference, and create hope for a better future. This place is one that breeds contempt, that breeds hopelessness, but it is out of the children's own lives that this air is created. Let us start from the beginning; I am an agriculture education teacher from the Penn State. I recently finished 5 months of conventional high school agriculture education. It DID not prepare me for this next step.

I came here to change how many of these kids see school and just maybe the world. These students are very different than those in a typical High School. Have you ever wondered where those “bad” kids that got dumped in your department go when they stop showing up? They go to lock up, or placement. Many of these students have been in and out of what we call “placements” for a large majority of their lives. These students have committed crimes and have been victims of abuse. They do not know agriculture, and they really don't know much about the world in general.

Their world, typically consists of what they call the block. Every now and then we get a student from a rural setting, but they seem to be rather isolated and display the same type of behaviors. I think that the students come from a place that is almost like another world. What they know, what they place value in, is alien to most of us. To them, teasing or bullying comes with guns and violence; it is not some kid on the bus calling them names. Bullying to them is life-threatening. Basic teenager things are much more serious. Many of them have seen things that my typical agriculture student can't even fathom. This teaching environment will be a true test of will, an educational battlefield where college training alone won’t be enough to gain ground. While walking through these halls all I can think of is,

This is the other ag teacher being shy

“Welcome to tough agriculture.”

So how does one impact a child that has seen more life than you, but knows so little about it? I am about to find out.

Fast Forward!

What you have just read was from my personal blog several months prior to this. I was asked to blog about unique circumstances in agriculture education. So here it goes. I teach agriculture education in a juvenile detention facility, also known as a placement. My partner and I currently teach Ornamental Horticulture, Small Animal Care and Management, and Agriculture and Natural Resources. We have brand new text books, a beautiful greenhouse, support of our administration, and the some of the worst behaved students in the state. What a recipe! Recently, many schools have started dumping students into agriculture departments because they don’t know where else to put them. This can be a huge pain to the teachers, now imagine all of those “dumped” kids in one classroom. My kids come from every county in the state, with a few from Maryland and West Virginia for a little diversity. On that note, the mix gets even more dynamic when you take into account the backgrounds and the socioeconomic status of my kids. I teach agriculture to them because it is my passion, but also because these kids have had so much life happen to them but have no idea how it actually works. I follow the PIMS code descriptions for my classes as well as utilizing the “SAS” and “AFNR” standards to make sure that each lesson is up to par. The rest of it is up to me, and my partner to make sure that we not only impact our students academically but personally.

Our team also teaches about FFA and does an entire unit on it to make sure that our students have positive options when they reach the real world again. We likewise spend time on and conduct many surveys and learning style assessments with our students to ensure that we are teaching them in a way that they can learn easily. What we have discovered is that troubled students are such because they don’t know how to be students, and that the majority are tactile learners. Who knew right? Agriculture for tactile learners? There are many things to consider when teaching from the trenches so to speak. Here is the best advice for those hardened students that need you the most:

• Vigilance people! Do yourself a favor and see the bigger picture. Monitor everything to include but not limited to: behavior, verbal and non verbal clues, work levels, comprehension levels, family trouble, social dysfunction, anger control issues, coping skills, ownership of behavior, distorted reality, tool safety, and your own teaching methods.

• Get dirty! If you are not willing to get down and pull that weed, or dig that hole, neither are they. Many students need to know that hard work is important, obtainable, and rewarding. While of course you teach them everything from tools names, to plant anatomy.

• Be Flexible! Many difficult students have fallen through the cracks of “No Child Left Behind” and really truly don’t know much of anything. Do be afraid to change the level of your work. There comes a time where you must consider quality education of quantity.

• Become one with the special education department! Behavior and ability level are often linked, be sure to get the run down on your students. This really helps you in the long run to have smoother classes. 

• Make even the little, tiny, teeny-weeny things hands on. Be creative with your lessons. Make as much as you can hands on. It helps with retention and visualization.

• Front load everything! Giving clear instructions at a moderate pace is the goal. These should include not only the procedure but the expectations for behavior.

• Process behavior! Follow up with your students that are struggling as much as possible. They may be struggling with thinking errors and ownership for their behaviors. They won’t know it’s wrong till it’s clarified. Have them explain what happened, why they did it, why they thought that way, consider their actions, and then make a plan for better behavior.

• Take every opportunity to build relationships. This could be during a behavioral process, or pulling some weeds, or just listening to them after class.

• Take accountability! Please know what you have supply wise, tool wise, or really just everything . That missing sharp object could be the thing one of your kids uses to hurt themselves or others. Set yourself up for success not failure. 

• Take classes! Please consider classes or professional development opportunities on some of the following: Human Trafficking, suicide preventions, gangs and gang violence, abuse of any kind, CPR, first aid, wilderness training and first responder, HIPPA, etc. If you think these things don’t apply to you or your AG dept you are wrong! A recent study showed that Pennsylvania human trafficking cases and child abuse cases have shot up. If your school is near a major highway it is definitely in your area.

Through Agriculture we can reach those students that have been left behind, or labeled, or misunderstood. We have a rare opportunity thanks to the dynamics and diversity of our field to make a difference. 

Be that teacher.
Casandra Foster

http://toughagriculture.blogspot.com/

casi.foster13@gmail.com