Session 18- SAE

Today in AEE 311 we had a fantastic speaker, Mr. Keith Gundlach. Mr. Gundlach gave a great presentation on how he uses SAE in his agricultural education program and gave some helpful advice for those students who will be first year teachers soon.

What are you curious about?

• Deciding what is most important when starting a new ag program or coming in as a new 1st year teacher.
• The best answer for this would be pick a few different events and activities to start with your first year and expand to new events every year. Do not expect to do everything all at once when you first start teaching or you will burn yourself out.
• Is Mr. Gundlach taking a student teacher?
• First talk with Dr. Foster about it. Mr. Gundlach did say that he has had student teachers in the past. 
• How Mr. Gundlach can be so involved with everything.
• As stated today, Mr. Gundlach said that he is very good at time management. That is a major part of being so involved. 
• SAE Project Assignment
• Janae is the TA in charge of the SAE Project. If you have any specific questions regarding the project feel free to email her. 
• How student SAEs are graded
• This is up to the teacher discretion. Many teachers have tasks assigned for each SAE and have the students complete the tasks in order to receive full credit. Others use SAE as a way to check and see how students are doing in their projects and grade based on journal entries, financial accuracy, and commitment. 
• If any other chapters do a 60 page book to send out to the community.
•  Other chapters may not do a 60 page book for say, but many chapters use their SAE projects and chapter activities to draw community interest and support.

What did you learn?

• SAE Process and program implementation
• Building an empire takes time
• The importance of documentation
• The three circle model and the importance of all three circles

What do you want to learn more about?

• SAE in general
• https://www.ffa.org/about/whoweare/sae/Pages/default.aspx   is a link to the National FFA Organization's website. This part of the website is dedicated to SAE and explanations of each type and the SAE as a whole.
• What should go into an Advisor's SAE Handbook?
• Any relevant SAE information! The SAE Handbook should include examples of each type of SAE, examples of the National Proficiencies, and ideas for projects that students could have.
• More about SAE implementation and community involvement
•  SAE implementation is part of the three circle model, so it is crucial in any agricultural education program. SAE helps students develop live skills, so incorporating SAE into the classroom can be something as simple as a student keeping records on the class rabbit to a student keeping records on their small gas engine they are repairing. SAE does not always have to be an outside of school project at first. Also to have the community become involved in the SAE implementation, have students find ways to use an SAE project to better their community. SAE projects on student jobs are another great way to make connections to community members.
• Planning an SAE visit
• SAE visits require the student, parents/guardians, employer, and teacher to all work together and find a time that all can sit down to discuss the student's project. 
• Proficiency Awards
• Follow the link below SAE in general, it links to SAE proficiencies as well. Also if you are interested in seeing proficiency applications, contact National FFA to have them send you examples of national winning proficiency awards.
•  More about Mr. Gundlach's program
• Here is the link to Randolph High School where Mr. Gundlach teaches: http://www.randolph.k12.wi.us/faculty/profile.php?id=1243946348&currentArea=3

Session 16: What is SAE?

Today we had a great guest speaker, Mr. Neil Fellenbaum, talk about what an SAE is and how this part of the total agricultural education experience is ran at Penn Manor High School.

In responses to your ticket out:

What are you curious about?

• how teachers determine the number of SAE visits for each student
• As Mr. Fellenbaum explained today, the number of SAE visits for each student is different. It is all going to depend on the type of projects they are doing along with the time and effort they put in to it. 
• Different possible SAE's
• We discussed in class today the 4 different types of SAE's. If you have more questions please check out the website Dr. Foster showed you at the end of the class. This website is great (kind of wish I knew about it before today)
• How is Tuesday going to be ran
• Here is the schedule for Tuesday 
• 8-8:10  Dr. Foster will set the context for the day
• 8:10-9:10 will be one on one between you and a student from Juniata High School. This is when you will be conducting an SAE visit. It is your job as the "teacher" to figure out what SAE will work for them and help them get started. 
• 9:10-9:30 will be open conversation time. Students will be able to ask you why you chose college and why Penn State. You will also have the chance to ask the students why they chose to take agricultural education at their high school and most importantly what do they look for in a teacher
• 9:30-9:45 is teacher talk. Dr. Foster and Mrs. Morgan will be able to answer any questions you were to ask. 
• 10:00 the students will be able to ride the trolley across AG hill for a tour. So far 3 of you have signed up to ride the trolley. It will be dropping students off at the BJC at 11
• 11-12:00 Career Fair. I will be sending out an email with who you will paired up with for your SAE visit. I am going to try and keep those pairs the same for the tour around the Career Fair. This is a great chance for students to see where their passion can take them. 
• 12:00 everyone is welcome for pizza for lunch in Ferguson 
• Resources for SAE's
• ffa.org, and the websites that Dr. Foster shared with you at the end of class

What did you learn?

• How awesome Penn Manor FFA is!!!!!!!
• The start on how to teach/implement SAE in the classroom
• The four different types of SAE's

What do you want to learn more about?

• How do teachers acquire summer contracts? How to explain the importance of a year-long teacher-student interaction.
• This is a constant battle for all teachers. It is important that when you go for an interview that you have a plan made up. You will also learn more about this in 412 and 413
• How to approach potential employers so students get the best connections through your agricultural program
• This not only relays back to the agricultural program but everyday life. It is important that you always have open contact with business around your area. All you have to do is be willing to pitch your program every chance you get. Also having a great advisory committee is a big help.
• What resources to provide for SAE visits
• If you refer to assignment number 5 you will see some of the requirements. Also contact your TA that is your coach for this assignment 
• The students that will be coming on Tuesday
• Being from Mifflin County I can give some insight on what Juniata County is like (its my neighboring county). Juniata is a small rural community with poultry production being the number one industry. From my experience with the agricultural program, it is just like any other. You have a pretty even mix of farmers and non-farmers, there is also an even mix of students who have any history of agriculture. If you come to class thinking of how you felt the first time you went to a new class then you will be fine. The main perks of being an agricultural teacher is you get to know the students on a different level then other teachers. Therefore, don't be afraid to go deeper than just getting to know them. 

For next class:

• Be sure to come with all materials ready to go. Jane will send you a link for the google doc to help make up the packet. Also, please bring a laptop or something that you will be able to access the internet with. Mrs. Morgan is bringing the students log in information with her, if we have time you can show the students about AET. Also please be on time or at least early. We need to get the room set up before they arrive at 8

Session 12- What does Inclusion mean?

Today we heard from Mr. Charlie Bennett from the Mineral County Technical Center in Keyser, West Virginia. He gave a fantastic presentation on inclusion and allowed everyone to test out their inclusion strategies through scenarios. Thank you everyone for the great questions and class discussion!

What are you curious about?

•         Being a student teacher in West Virginia.

o   Talk to Dr. Foster about this opportunity!

•        Teaching urban agriculture.

o   I would encourage you to talk with an educator who teaches lessons on urban agriculture and also research lesson plans and guides for teaching those lessons. The Kentucky Farm Bureau has quite the list of lesson plans compiled to encompass all areas of agriculture, so maybe explore some of them at this link: https://www.kyfb.com/federation/program-links/ag-in-the-classroom/classroom-lesson-plans/ .

• ·         To hear from the COO of National FFA

o   Mr. Josh Bledshoe will be with us on Tuesday, October 7^th!

• ·         Tactics to better include all students.

o   Hopefully from today’s lecture you have learned some of the strategies to include all students. It is important for you to come up with your own ways as well.

• ·         Scenario #3 from the handout that Mr. Bennett gave the class.

o   There are a number of ways that this situation can best be handled. It is important that you come to a conclusion on your own as there is no definite right or wrong answer.

• ·         Inclusion policies, tactics and their uses.

o   School districts differ in their policies which makes it hard to touch on the inclusion policies. Tactics that could be used in agricultural education were discussed in class and could include doing home visits for all students in your classrooms.

• ·         Scenario #2 from the handout: If members of the faculty are your superiors, how do you discuss this issue with your superiors f they hold a bias.

o   Again there are a number of ways that this situation can be handled. One option could be discuss the issue with a faculty member who is not personally involved in the situation or go to the district office and discuss it with them.

• ·         Setting up home visits.

o   This would require both student and parent cooperation. The best way to first go about a home visit would probably be contact the parents directly and explain to them the reason behind doing a home visit and why it would be beneficial to their student. Then set up a time that would be best for the parent, child and yourself.

• ·         Point system for practicing CDE Events.

o   Point systems can vary for event but can be set up as the following example:

§  4 positions are available on the dairy judging team, there are 6 members signed up for the event. Every Thursday morning for two weeks before the contest there will be practices held for students. Students get 10 points for attending each practice. At each practice there will be a practice exam and one class of judging to be completed for a score, each exam will be worth a possible 20 points, each judging score will be worth a total of 10 points. By the end of the two weeks the top four students will be placed on the team. This ensures that only students who are actively studying and wanting to participate are getting a spot on the team and gives everyone a fair chance.

• ·         Is there a simple guide/ book that helps explain legalities and documentation?

o   I do not believe there is one specific book or guide that explains all the legalities and documentation needed for teaching agriculture at the high school level. The best practice would be talk to other agricultural educators, the district office, principle, and other teachers within your school to determine what is the best practices to be used for your specific situation.

What did you learn?

•         I learned that teachers need to be careful about what they say and do.
•         Addressing inclusion in the classroom.
•        Strategies for picking students for events/ activities when the numbers of available spots are limited.
•         I learned more about those in my pods through their poems.
•        The importance of formal communication with parents, students, and administrators.
•        There are currently four job openings in West Virginia.

What do you want to learn more about?

• ·         Mr. Charlie Bennett’s ag program.

o   This is the link to the Mineral County Technical Center where Mr. Bennett teaches: http://mctc.mine.tec.wv.us/index.htm . Under that link there are numerous side tabs containing information about the school and the different opportunities students have. If interested in seeing the program requirements for Mr. Bennett’s classes, view the tab titled Program Requirements.

• ·         How to start an ag program at a high school.

o   Starting an ag program will require community, administration, and student support before it can begin. For more information on starting an ag program at a specific high school talk to Dr. Foster.

• ·         I want to learn more about being an inclusive educator in various environments beyond the classroom.

o   Talk to other agricultural educators about their experiences and what they found works best. The best knowledge can come from personal experiences as well.

• ·         CDE’s and the CDE Success Plan

o   CDE’s ( Career Development Events) and the CDE Success Plan will be discussed in further detail on Tuesday, October 14^th. Also if you have any questions please feel free to contact Valerie.

• ·         Ways to talk to administrators about sticky situations.

o   It is important to have a working relationship with administrators. Do not just go to administrators when there is a problem in your program but rather go visit your administrators when there is something exciting to report from the program. Administrators look forward to hearing the positives coming from programs in their school and it creates a positive relationship between you and your administrator so when sticky situations do come up, both parties feel comfortable discussing it with each other.

• ·         Other teaching styles.

o   Teaching styles are discussed in later AEE programs, but also it could be beneficial to job shadow different agricultural educators to see how they approach teaching.

• ·         Are there any National FFA Programs that help promote inclusion?

o   While there are no specific programs through National FFA that are for inclusion specifically, here is a link to the Diversity and Inclusion pages on the National FFA website: https://www.ffa.org/about/NationalFFA/diversity_and_inclusion/Pages/default.aspx

• ·         Where to find school district rules and policies.

o   School district rules and policies should be available upon request from the district office of that specific school. They also should be available in the office of every school in that district as well.

Using a Newsletter in an FFA Chapter

Hey fellow AEE311 classmates! I thought I would add my two cents on informing the community about the FFA and its importance to students in the program. We all are aware of the importance of FFA for the success of our programs, but we need to share that with the other people looking in who don't quite understand. I, myself, didn't have the opportunity to join FFA and a lot of people I talk to have never heard of FFA. When telling my aunt that it is the Future Farmers of America I was asked, "So it's a club for kids that want to be farmers?" with a puzzled look of why there would even be a program like that. The problem is that she, and many other, have no idea what it's all about and it's our job as possible FFA advisors to spread the word! It is so important that people, especially those having a hand in the success of the program, understand the goals of FFA, what students accomplish through the FFA, and how students help the community through the program.

According to Linden and Fertman, authors of Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents, a great way to get a chapters accomplishments out is through a newsletter. There are so many benefits to a chapter that develops a newsletter. First, a newsletter itself is a great way to develop leadership since you can have the students organize and develop the newsletter themselves with your assistance. Any writing for the newsletter will also help them brush up on their professional writing skills. So already you're helping them develop organization skills, collaboration with other students, and writing skills. If you remember Stephanie Joliff mentioning the importance of working with other teachers across all departments, this is the perfect opportunity to work with an English teacher in the school!

 Killingly FFA Newsletter

Now to the main focus though, reaching out to the community is really the goal of the newsletter. It can make your students feel proud of their chapter by sharing their accomplishments and community events. It's really their chance to shine and show what FFA has done for them. When other students see the accomplishments, it gives them something to strive for as well and who knows, maybe it can make some other students interested in joining FFA. BAM! So now you have developed numerous skills AND encouraged members to do better and maybe recruited new ones! When the community is able to see exactly what the FFA chapter is accomplishing, it will really make them feel involved. Those community members involved will appreciate learning more and it serves as a great tool to get other community members involved once they see the importance of the chapter for youth. Once you have the community involved, your job as an FFA advisor could be a lot easier with all the help!