Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Guest Blogger Series: Finding the sweet spot between the three circles- Using FFA and SAE to enhance your classroom.
Editor's Note: This blog is part of a series of guest contributors from the national school-based agricultural education family. Parker Bane has taught at Pontiac Township High School since 2003. Parker has been active in the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers, serving as President in 2011-2012, and the National Association of Agriculture Educators, serving as Region IV Vice President. Parker is a CASE Master Teacher and currently serves on the National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees. Parker's wife, Angie, teaches agriculture in Tremont, Illinois, and the couple currently resides in Towanda, IL with their daughter, Ella.
Education is a profession filled with ritual and tradition. From the silly hats worn by professors at collegiate commencement ceremonies to the signaling of time by metal bells, we educators have inherited a great number of traditions that have been and will continue to be passed from class to class.
Education is a profession filled with ritual and tradition. From the silly hats worn by professors at collegiate commencement ceremonies to the signaling of time by metal bells, we educators have inherited a great number of traditions that have been and will continue to be passed from class to class.
One of those traditions for me is "the FFA unit" in Intro to Ag. It's my chance to sell the organization that puts the "cult" in agriculture and get our newest students excited about the agriculture education model. I'm not sure when it happened (I'm guessing sometime after I adopted the CASE Intro to AFNR curriculum), but eventually, I found myself trying to explain the ag ed model to students. Over the course of my career, I have really liked how I explain the ag ed model to them. I think it's not only a good starting point for my Intro to Ag students, but it is also a good starting point for this blog.
So...here's what I give them every year.
1. I have them draw three circles in their notebooks together in Venn Diagram fashion. All three circles intersect equally.
2. I label the circles - Classroom Instruction. FFA. SAE.
3. I then place the following bullet points underneath each circle's label.
The truth is, that I really believe that our paths as professionals are evolving and ever changing. Education is a dynamic industry, and to be honest, there will be some days that you feel like you're sucked into the FFA vortex while other days, FFA and SAE will be the last things on which you'll want to focus.
Here are some tips that I've found for balancing the three circles and becoming a true Ag Education Teacher:
1. Obtain and use solid curriculum resources. Personally, I am very partial to CASE, but there are a lot of good curriculum materials out there. Some of the "curriculum" that's out there is also absolute junk. I purchased an "Agribusiness Pathway" from a respected curriculum provider, and after $1500 of investment, I found that there was literally NOTHING there but a couple of lessons on Job Interviewing. I was disgusted (and haven't purchased anything from that vendor since). Critically evaluate your materials and remember that if you use good curriculum materials, you will be less likely to neglect the Classroom Instruction circle.
2. Recognize that FFA is supposed to reflect your curriculum. This means that if you are a solid teacher of, let's say...Ag Sales, then your FFA chapter's Ag Sales team should be good. Likewise, if you don't have much of a horticulture component to your program, then should you be spending the time and effort to train a Nursery and Landscape team? See number 3 below for more on this topic.
3. But...FFA is also an opportunity to differentiate. We do not offer ag mechanics courses here, but the Ag Mechanics CDE gives us the opportunity to offer something mechanical to students that may want it. You have to be really careful with this, though. If the students do not have classroom instruction on which to build a knowledge base, then you're going to have to give that to them outside of class, which takes time and energy.
4. We don't teach to the CDE, but sometimes, following the CDE rules leads to some really solid instruction. As a rule, I have always felt like completing all of the tasks required in the National FFA Ag Sales CDE makes for an EXCELLENT ag sales unit in class. In my mind, the same could be said for forestry. As someone with very little forestry background, I found that in my natural resources courses (pre-CASE NRE), that using the FFA Forestry CDE tasks as the end objectives for my instructional units and designing the instruction backwards from there was a natural fit in my classroom.
As an added bonus, FFA CDE success energizes the classroom instruction underlying it. In other words, winning breeds winning in other arenas.
5. Use your students' SAE projects for instruction. Right now, I have a student working the turf circuit at one of our local golf courses. As we are coming up on our Turfgrass unit in Landscaping class, I asked if he could line up a tour and demo of the golf course's equipment. Being immersed in the project every day, he has done an excellent job in setting up the tour for us. I have used this strategy to set up many instructional experiences.
6. Use SAE tools for instruction. Some states have mandated record systems. Others do not. Many use AET. Regardless of which system you use, I have found that asking students to complete and submit assignments using the platform of the SAE record system helps naturalize them to the system (and through it, SAE). For example, AET has a great journal feature. Every now and then, I will have the students complete reflection questions on the AET journal and submit them through that.
7. Use SAE tools for FFA. I LOVE the AET's FFA roster submission tool. It eliminates the need for a separate (and exactly matching spreadsheet) for inputting new members into the FFA roster. Just get the students into the system, have them fill out their profiles, check their names, and click send! It's heavenly.
Truthfully, I could go on for hours about this topic. These are just a few of the things that I've picked up over the years. What questions can I help with? Email me at pbane@pontiac90.org.
To see other Guest Blogger submissions from Mr. Bane:
2015 - Organizing your Instruction...Literally.
So...here's what I give them every year.
1. I have them draw three circles in their notebooks together in Venn Diagram fashion. All three circles intersect equally.
2. I label the circles - Classroom Instruction. FFA. SAE.
3. I then place the following bullet points underneath each circle's label.
- Classroom Instruction - "You will gain knowledge and start to develop skill. Here is where you will learn content and concepts."
- FFA - "You will get the opportunity to practice the knowledge you've gained and compete with other students to show that your knowledge is more than theirs. You'll also get to develop leadership."
- SAE - "In this circle, you will get to put this knowledge to work for you. If you do this right, you'll grow beyond anything that I can teach you."
The truth is, that I really believe that our paths as professionals are evolving and ever changing. Education is a dynamic industry, and to be honest, there will be some days that you feel like you're sucked into the FFA vortex while other days, FFA and SAE will be the last things on which you'll want to focus.
Here are some tips that I've found for balancing the three circles and becoming a true Ag Education Teacher:
1. Obtain and use solid curriculum resources. Personally, I am very partial to CASE, but there are a lot of good curriculum materials out there. Some of the "curriculum" that's out there is also absolute junk. I purchased an "Agribusiness Pathway" from a respected curriculum provider, and after $1500 of investment, I found that there was literally NOTHING there but a couple of lessons on Job Interviewing. I was disgusted (and haven't purchased anything from that vendor since). Critically evaluate your materials and remember that if you use good curriculum materials, you will be less likely to neglect the Classroom Instruction circle.
2. Recognize that FFA is supposed to reflect your curriculum. This means that if you are a solid teacher of, let's say...Ag Sales, then your FFA chapter's Ag Sales team should be good. Likewise, if you don't have much of a horticulture component to your program, then should you be spending the time and effort to train a Nursery and Landscape team? See number 3 below for more on this topic.
3. But...FFA is also an opportunity to differentiate. We do not offer ag mechanics courses here, but the Ag Mechanics CDE gives us the opportunity to offer something mechanical to students that may want it. You have to be really careful with this, though. If the students do not have classroom instruction on which to build a knowledge base, then you're going to have to give that to them outside of class, which takes time and energy.
4. We don't teach to the CDE, but sometimes, following the CDE rules leads to some really solid instruction. As a rule, I have always felt like completing all of the tasks required in the National FFA Ag Sales CDE makes for an EXCELLENT ag sales unit in class. In my mind, the same could be said for forestry. As someone with very little forestry background, I found that in my natural resources courses (pre-CASE NRE), that using the FFA Forestry CDE tasks as the end objectives for my instructional units and designing the instruction backwards from there was a natural fit in my classroom.
As an added bonus, FFA CDE success energizes the classroom instruction underlying it. In other words, winning breeds winning in other arenas.
5. Use your students' SAE projects for instruction. Right now, I have a student working the turf circuit at one of our local golf courses. As we are coming up on our Turfgrass unit in Landscaping class, I asked if he could line up a tour and demo of the golf course's equipment. Being immersed in the project every day, he has done an excellent job in setting up the tour for us. I have used this strategy to set up many instructional experiences.
6. Use SAE tools for instruction. Some states have mandated record systems. Others do not. Many use AET. Regardless of which system you use, I have found that asking students to complete and submit assignments using the platform of the SAE record system helps naturalize them to the system (and through it, SAE). For example, AET has a great journal feature. Every now and then, I will have the students complete reflection questions on the AET journal and submit them through that.
7. Use SAE tools for FFA. I LOVE the AET's FFA roster submission tool. It eliminates the need for a separate (and exactly matching spreadsheet) for inputting new members into the FFA roster. Just get the students into the system, have them fill out their profiles, check their names, and click send! It's heavenly.
Truthfully, I could go on for hours about this topic. These are just a few of the things that I've picked up over the years. What questions can I help with? Email me at pbane@pontiac90.org.
To see other Guest Blogger submissions from Mr. Bane:
2015 - Organizing your Instruction...Literally.
Submitted by:
Parker Bane, @parkerbane
pbane@pontiac90.org
Agriscience Teacher
Pontiac Township
Parker Bane, @parkerbane
pbane@pontiac90.org
Agriscience Teacher
Pontiac Township
Guest Blogger Series: How does Change Affect Agricultural Education?
Editor note: Dr. Karen Hutchison is the current Local Program Success specialist assigned to Pennsylvania by National FFA. She is a former state supervisor of agricultural education from the state of Delaware and former agriscience teacher.
Can agriculture education help students keep up with globalization and a changing world? Does our current three component model of agriculture education; classroom/laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience programs (SAE), and the FFA, continue to prepare our students for change? Can agriculture education prepare students to fill the need for more scientists and engineers? The answer to all three questions is yes.
In his book, Living in
a Flat World, author Thomas Friedman, wrote: “You can’t light the fire of
passion in someone if it doesn’t burn in you to begin with.” Think back to who
your favorite teachers were. They probably
were the ones that instilled a love of learning and were passionate about what
they taught. If our students are going
to be prepared for a changing job market, agricultural educators need to be
passionate about educating students in areas such as the science and technology
of agriculture.
Can agriculture education help students keep up with globalization and a changing world? Does our current three component model of agriculture education; classroom/laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience programs (SAE), and the FFA, continue to prepare our students for change? Can agriculture education prepare students to fill the need for more scientists and engineers? The answer to all three questions is yes.
 |
|
The
Three-Component Model reflects the long established focus on
classroom/laboratory, FFA and supervised agricultural experiences.
|
How can agriculture
education produce curious, passionate students?
First, we need to make sure we have quality programs, programs that
include all three components of the agriculture education model. Classroom instruction is critical in
providing students with an opportunity to learn by doing. The agriculture classroom needs to be one of
contextual learning where students are given a variety of learning experiences
so they can make meaningful relationships between abstract ideas and practical
applications. Having a laboratory
component to classroom instruction provides students an opportunity to make
that connection. This also means agriculture
educators need to be aware of the changes in the agricultural industry and
eager to learn themselves. This can be
accomplished through quality professional development, active advisory
committees, and participation in conferences.
The SAE component
encourages students to take something they have learned in the classroom and
expand or deepen their understanding through a learning experience outside the
classroom. The SAE program is the
actual, hands-on application of concepts and principles learned in the agriculture
classroom supervised by agriculture education teachers in cooperation with
parents, employers and other adults who assist students in the development and
achievement of their educational and career goals. The SAE component is unique and important to
agriculture education.
The FFA component
provides students an opportunity to participate at the local, state, and national
levels in a variety of programs and activities designed to allow students to
demonstrate what they have learned in their classroom. As the mission states: “FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by
developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career
success through agricultural education.”
One of the greatest
strengths of the agriculture classroom is how students learn by doing. Students work through experiments and
projects, practicing until they understand.
Because agriculture is so multifaceted students should be able to find
something that they are passionate about.
National FFA has resources for teachers such as My Journey and the new
Ag Explorer, to help students explore the many agriculture areas and careers.
Have you used or
considered a research-based SAE: (https://www.ffa.org/MyResourceDocuments/sae_handbook_V10.pdf).
As the description states:
“For scientific-minded students, research-based SAE projects and
programs offer opportunities for innovation and new discovery in the growing
area of agriscience. This type of SAE allows students to examine an
agricultural/scientific issue, question or principle using experimental or
non-experimental methods. In an experimental program, students
conduct and develop scientific experiments to solve a problem or gain new
knowledge. For non-experimental SAEs, students assume the role of
“detective” to address a problem or answer a question through extensive
research. In either case, the use of scientific principles, literature review,
experiment/activity planning, data collection and information analysis is
applied to arrive at a final conclusion.”
One only needs to
attend a National FFA Convention and hear about the projects students in this
category are conducting, to know our students do have the desire and ability to
tap their passion.
National FFA has
other programs to encourage and recognize students who are interested in
pursuing a deeper understanding of the sciences to help promote change. The AgriScience Fair provides an opportunity
for middle and high school students, at the local, state, and national level,
who are interested in the scientific principles and emerging technologies in
the agricultural industry to develop research projects. Using the scientific method students can
pursue research in the areas of botany, engineering, environmental sciences,
zoology, and biochemistry/food science/microbiology. The AgriScience Fair continues to grow in the
number of participants every year.
The best part of
programs such as the AgriScience Fair or a research SAE is the opportunity to
expose thousands of students to the exciting world of sciences, research, and
emerging technologies. As an agriculture
educator it is rewarding to expose a student through a field trip or career
awareness activity and have them say they have found what they want to do with
their life.
 |
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visiting
with AgriScience Fair students about their research project.
|
The best part of
programs such as the AgriScience Fair or a research SAE is the opportunity to
expose thousands of students to the exciting world of sciences, research, and
emerging technologies. As an agriculture
educator it is rewarding to expose a student through a field trip or career
awareness activity and have them say they have found what they want to do with
their life.
 |
As author
Thomas Friedman wrote, “…. curious, passionate kids are self-educators and
self-motivators”.
|
Thomas Friedman also
wrote, “Give me a kid with a passion to learn and a curiosity to discover and I
will take him or her over a less passionate kid with a high IQ every day of the
week. Because curious, passionate kids
are self-educators and self-motivators.
They will always be able to learn how to learn, especially on the flat
world platform, where you can both download and upload.” Agriculture education leads
the way in creating curious, passionate kids.
Students should be given the opportunity to pursue deeper understanding
of subjects that are of interest to them.
Agriculture educators need to make sure they are feeding that
passion.
Globalization is one
change that has had and will continue to have a huge effect on the agriculture
industry. Agriscience educators have an
obligation to make sure students are ready to enter this rapidly changing
industry. By providing an agriculture
program that is built on the three core components of classroom/laboratory instruction,
supervised agricultural experience programs, and FFA student organization
activities/opportunities, agriculture students will be well on their way to
finding success in a changing world.
Guest Blogger:
 |
Guest Blogger:
Karen Hutchison
Local Program Success
National FFA
302-270-2085
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
#psuaged17 Lab Protocol: SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESS
#psuaged17,
So proud of you for working together to identify a protocol that fits "us" as a team for success as we practice our skills along our #TeachAG Journey and maximize our Professional Learning Network with Peer Feedback.
Here is a recap of the SEVEN STEPS to weekly Lab Success:
By 3:00pm on day before lab performance (Tuesday; Before AEE 413); Send complete lesson plan as a word document to Dr. Foster (foster@psu.edu)
Capture Lab Demonstration on your iPad Mini in Edthena
Step 3:
Artfully play the classroom management role during peer's performance and capture meaningful written feedback on the provided lab rubric.
So proud of you for working together to identify a protocol that fits "us" as a team for success as we practice our skills along our #TeachAG Journey and maximize our Professional Learning Network with Peer Feedback.
Here is a recap of the SEVEN STEPS to weekly Lab Success:
Pre-Lab:
Step 1.By 3:00pm on day before lab performance (Tuesday; Before AEE 413); Send complete lesson plan as a word document to Dr. Foster (foster@psu.edu)
During Lab:
Step 2.Capture Lab Demonstration on your iPad Mini in Edthena
Step 3:
Artfully play the classroom management role during peer's performance and capture meaningful written feedback on the provided lab rubric.
Post Lab:
Step 4:
By 8pm on day of lab performance (Wednesday), Have Edthena Video uploaded and Labeled/Tagged for our Group
Step 5:
By 3pm on day after lab performance (Thursday; Before AEE 413), have watched your peers videos and provided your personal video analysis in Edthena
Step 6:
During AEE 412 on Friday, provide written feedback collected during Wednesday Lab to the "teacher"
Step 7:
Post culminating personal lab reflection taking into account video feedback, peer written feedback, class instruction, and personal reflection to personal professional blog by 5pm.
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