TA Introduction - Hannah Harris

Hello everyone! Welcome to AEE 311! My name is Hannah Harris and I am one of the two teacher's assistance for your class. I was sitting in your shoes almost exactly a year ago now in Fall 2014. Here's a little bit of my background.

My cooperating teacher and I riding in a
7290 John Deere on Tractor Day. 

I grew up in York County with a love for horses and my high school agriculture program. I decided I wanted to be an agriculture teacher and give other students the opportunity that I had. After many years, I reached my student teaching in Spring of 2015. I did my internship at Juniata Valley High School in Huntingdon County. Towards the end of my student teaching there was a position open as a summer assistant at the Huntingdon County Extension office that I applied and was excepted for. I spent the summer working my restaurant job, my extension job, and also milking. I am looking to move out west and teach in August 2016.

The best advice I can give for AEE 311 is to be conscious of the assignments. Read through them ahead of time and be sure you fully understand them before you start. Also, give yourself plenty of time to start. If you plan to work with youth in the future in any type of developmental program this class will be extremely beneficial for you. The documents you create will work great and also help you develop your own way of thinking systematically through tough situations. Best of luck and please don't hesitate to contact me!

Email: hxh5076@psu.edu

Cell phone: 443-910-4120

Teaching Assistant Introduction - Katie Andrews

Name: Katie Andrews

Hometown: Lancaster, PA

Academic Year: Super senior

Student Teaching Year: Spring 2016

Cooperating Center: Big Spring High School

Clubs/Organizations/Involvement: Teach Ag! Society, Collegiate FFA, Athletic Director's Leadership Institute, Penn State Athletics, Lion Letters

Favorite PSU Memory: Winning the Big Ten Tournament Championship on our home field my freshmen year

Favorite PSU Class: AGBM 338

Fun Fact: I went to two different high schools

Favorite Snack: Pretzels

When did I take AEE 311? Fall 2013

Favorite AEE 311 Assignment? Officer Selection Plan

Why TA AEE 311? This course provides information and introduction to key components utilized in all youth development. I enjoyed applying what I learned in class with the addition of my own flare to my assignments to create document I will use in a classroom. I am looking forward to assisting each student in creating their own documents to utilize as teachers as well as refresh my knowledge on the content taught in this course.

Advice for AEE 311: 1) Read the syllabus during the first week 2) Ask as many questions as needed to understand an assignment or information presented 3) This advice was given to me... put effort and time into each plan you create because you will use them in a classroom

Want to know more about me?

Twitter: klandrews_24

Blog: http://kickinwithkatie.blogspot.com/

Contact me:

kla5199@psu.edu

717-344-9727

Welcome from Dr. Foster

Welcome to AEE 311!

The agricultural industry is in a period of revolution; it will never be the same again. Few individuals have a clear picture of exactly the extent to which change is taking place and even a less clear picture of where the industry will be in a quarter of a century. Change is everywhere in agriculture, and agricultural education must keep pace. Recent changes in the focus of agriculture education have created a need to stay abreast of the impact these changes will have on classroom instruction, supervised agriculture experience programs (SAE), and the youth organization The National FFA Organization.

Regardless of past experiences any of us may have had with The National FFA Organization, the magnitude of change effecting this youth organization requires us to take a close look and to examine the recently developed opportunities available to agricultural educators and students alike. The primary vision for the future of secondary agricultural education has been articulated by a shift from vocational agriculture to agriculture science and business (see Understanding Agricultural: New Directions for Education, 1988, National Academy of Sciences; and A New Era in Agriculture, (1998) The National FFA Foundation). Certification requirements have also been changed at the Department of Education resulting in a market-driven agricultural education program.

Currently, the shortage of qualified teachers and inadequate tools and facilities hamper the development of quality secondary programs. At present a significant number of undergraduates have not participated in a high school agricultural youth organization. Agricultural leadership organizations and programs provide vehicles for expanding and enriching the opportunities for participants to develop personal qualities, leadership abilities, occupational skills, and other capabilities that will enhance their ability to direct the agricultural industry more efficiently.

Leadership development instruction and activities need to be provided to all agricultural education majors to better prepare them to meet community needs. This course is for upper division students in agricultural education prior to their student teaching during spring semester.  Leadership development instruction and activities related to the FFA organization in agriculture will result in educational benefits to students, faculty and staff.

This blog will allow for the response to questions posed on the ticket outs from each class session. Feel free to post questions, comments for additional instruction.

Penn State's ANGEL (https://cms.psu.edu) will be the digital home of AEE 311where course materials are shared.

We will have fun this semester!

Dr. Foster
foster@psu.edu
@FosterDanielD

The first thought for 2015 AEE 311: Dan Pink & the Puzzle of Motivation

Please watch before the 1st day!

Working with Administrators as an Ag Educator

Hey fellow AEE 311 Classmates!!

The class is coming to an end and I thought I would leave off with some tips on creating a partner and resource in your administrators. We know how important it is to create partnerships with parents, community, and we can't forget about administrators. It can be difficult to explain agricultural education to administrators that aren't aware of the benefits. It is best to be patient and show them all of the awesome things agricultural education students can accomplish!

I found this incredible resource on FFA.org called the Agricultural Teachers Manual. It is PACKED full of information as you can imagine, including tips as well forms to use in your chapter and classroom. Section 14 of this manual is dedicated to working with administrators. Do yourself a favor and download the following resource for when you start out teaching!

https://www.ffa.org/documents/edr_teachnbk.pdf

Section 14 is helpful so you can keep in mind the "best practices" for keeping administrators, counselors, and even other teachers on your team. Agricultural education and FFA is so beneficial to students and we, as future educators, need to share that with others in the school system. If a counselor sees agricultural education as a dead-end track only for students working and living on a farm, then you may find your numbers in the program dwindling. There is so much more there for all students, it is not limited to farm kids and that needs to be communicated.

Everyone likes to feel like they have a say, and administrators are no different. To open up a successful relationship with your administrators, ask them what they think of the program. Ask their opinions and any suggestions. You don't have to accommodate all of their suggestions, but asking their opinion can really go a long way: it shows you respect their position.

Once you know of any issues or new ideas for the program it is important to figure out a plan. If an administrator is concerned about the small size of the program then how can you approach recruiting more students? Make your administrators part of that plan! They want to know they have control, even if you make some of your own decisions regarding the program. Also, make sure you take accountability for any issues surrounding the program. If you constantly put the blame on others  you won't receive much repeat in return. Taking accountably for the program can really show your determination to make the program better.

I HIGHLY encourage you to save that Agricultural Teacher's Manual from the FFA. It has so many great resources you can use in the future and even in coursework. Remember to work on your communication skills to persuade administrators to support your agricultural education program. Have a great rest of the semester!

Session 22- Recruitment and Retention with Mr. Dan Chabot Ticket Outs

Hey guys! Thanks for a great session this morning. Today we learned about the difference between recruitment and retention, and why each of them are important in the success of an agricultural education program.

Next session, we will be conducting a flex period with a quiz bowl followed by a break out session for review on AET and and assignment coaching. If you have questions about this let me know!

What are we curious about?

• Are there opportunities for us to actually witness recruitment in action?
• How can I implement an SAE program if teaching overseas?
• Check out this link from the Council for Agricultural Education
• Different ideas for recruitment and retention
• As we discussed in class, this truly is case by case. But the most effective way is to talk to students personally about why they should be taking your class. Additionally, some ag educators choose to coach sports teams or becoming involved with the theatre arts program as a way to pull students from new areas.
• Other resources in Spanish (or other languages)
• These are harder to find, but I stumbled upon this blog from a chapter in Puerto Rico

What did we learn?

• The six steps of recruitment and retention

What do we want to learn more about?

• How to identify program needs
• This is all about getting to know the community your chapter is located in and pulling from there. As you continue onto AEE 413, we discuss this topic much more heavily.
• Methods to combat negative perceptions of ag classes and careers
• Again, this is something we discuss in AEE 413, but a big way to do this is through recruitment. When students and community members see that FFA members are more than just farm kids, that perception will change on it's own.

Thanks y'all! See you Thursday.

Session 21- SAE Exploration

We had a great class on Thursday with Dr. Hanagriff. Dr. Hanagriff explained SAE in depth and gave valuable resources for future SAE experiences. Thank you all for a great class!

What are you curious about?

• Are there any reformations in plan for SAE? 
• Yesterday during class it was mentioned that the record book contests are in need of change in order to encompass more student projects. 
• SAE Implementation
• If you are referring to the SAE Implementation Guide, contact Janae Bickhart for more help. As far as SAE Implementation in school programs, it is part of the three circle model so it is vital in the classroom as well.
•  The opinion and views of a teacher that grades their class by allowing 1/3 of the grade to be FFA, 1/3 of the grade is SAE and 1/3 is classroom.
•  As a side project when contacting teachers for the CDE Success Plan, try asking teachers their thoughts on the incorporation of the three circle model in class. Also maybe outside of class interview students who had teachers who implemented this.
•  SAE Projects with school resources
• SAE projects can be done with school resources, remember the student does not have to have their SAE as their own project they can keep it on anything agriculturally related. Students could keep records on the class rabbit or could work in the greenhouse, it all up to the teacher's discretion.
• How to innovate students use of SAE
•  SAE innovations is in the eyes of the teacher. To give students more opportunities, they may want to try to push students to explore projects outside their comfort zone. 
• Explaining the importance of Ag Ed to a school without an Ag Ed program.
• The best answer for this is to explain to the school what student and school benefits can come from an Ag Ed program. 

What did you learn?

•  SAE is an integral part of the three circle model
• SAE implementation in the classroom
• Ag teachers have authority!
• Resources for SAE 

What did you learn? 

• Proficiency Awards
• https://www.ffa.org/programs/awards/proficiency/Pages/default.aspx  is a link to the National FFA website that explains the different proficiency awards
• I want to learn more about local or national councils of Ag Education and job opportunities
• Here is a link to the National FFA website with links to different state job postings: https://www.ffa.org/ffaresources/career/teachingjobs/Pages/default.aspx
• Here is a link to the National Association of Agricultural Educators: http://www.naae.org/
• Here is a link to the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators: http://www.paffa.state.pa.us/PAAE/PAAE%20Home.htm
• Taxes and Accounting regarding SAE
•  The best answer for this would be to interview an accountant to ask specific questions. Would be a great side project!
• Working with school administration along with the FFA/agricultural education program
• As stressed in previous classes, communication is important. Tell the administration all the positive things that FFA and the program are doing and invite them to become involved.
• What to look for on SAE visits?
• It could be something as simple as if the students is taking pride in their project to something as complex as exploring their involvement in specific projects. This is up to the teacher discretion, there is no set way to grade.