SAE is one of the most unique educational tools at our
disposal as agriscience educators. SAEs have long standing impact on the lives
of students. SAEs are not optional.
Story #16 – Georgia
A pear tree
I planted at my home as a part of my Supervised Agriculture Experience Program
(SAE) in the fall of 1966 has produced a bumper crop of pears for forty-six
years, including the current season. As in most years, the tree produced over
500 pounds of pears in the fall of 2012. My ninth grade Agriculture Education
teacher at Swainsboro High School, Mr. Austin Avery, assisted me and my
classmates in ordering fruit trees from a nursery in Tennessee and establishing
the trees at our homes. Only later did I realize the many lessons Mr. Avery
taught us through this simple project. We learned to compare prices, varieties,
and companies that sell fruit trees. We also learned to complete
order forms with percent tax, shipping costs and totals, the advantage of
pooling orders cooperatively, the difference in wholesale and retail
businesses, to select planting sites, plant and care for the trees, as well as
recordkeeping.
This pear tree
may be the oldest, continuously producing SAE project in Georgia – at least I
am claiming the title until older projects are recognized. However, my Uncle SD
Flanders has me beat if you count the cork tree he planted in front of his home
about 1950 as a part of his AgEd SAE. During this time period, AgEd students
from across the state were asked to plant cork trees as a part of a research
project. The production of cork would hopefully be a new cash crop for Georgia.
The cork trees were never productive, but Uncle SD’s tree is still living.
Submitting Teacher: Dr. Frank
Flanders
SAE Theorem #14 (Moore,
2003, The Agricultural Education Magazine)
The SAE should be evaluated. At least once a year or once a
semester in block settings, the teacher and student should sit down and
evaluate the SAE. The teacher merely asks a series of questions about what the
student has learned and what could have been done differently in the SAE
program. The final step is to ask the student what he or she plans to do in the
future regarding the SAE.
You are a developing positive agent of change who will one
day help students explore and grow into their unlimited potential through
agricultural education!
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