Session 19 - Degrees and Proficiencies

What are you curious about?
How do you want us to format the CDE assignment?

• You can format the answers in any way that you prefer, as long as they are within the guidelines of the assignment. You want your answers to be easy to follow, but otherwise just follow the rubric.

Will there be a workshop like last year for people that want to apply for the American Degree?

• I talked with Mr. Day and Mr. Keith following class, and they are both willing to come up and help again, as long as the students contact them in advance/get on their calendars. Keep in mind that you will want to have your records with you at this meeting, as it will help them answer your questions.

Would including a session on degrees/proficiencies be beneficial in my classroom?

• Yes, you want to inform your students of the opportunities available to them, and degrees/proficiencies are an important part of agricultural education.

Does the order go... proficiency award, Keystone degree, American degree?

• Not exactly... proficiencies and degrees are not "combined". You earn your degrees in "order" from Greenhand to Chapter to State (called the Keystone in PA) to American degree. Proficiencies are applied for as an award above and beyond the degree.

Should the early steps in completing degrees/awards be done on paper or electronically?

• I think this is personal preference. However, I do believe that with our capability to save and edit in electronic format, it just makes sense to go electronic.

Where do you find the number of applicants for different proficiency awards?

• This would be data that folks at the state FFA office would have for the state level, and National FFA would have for the history on national applicants.

Understanding record books to the point where I can teach it to our future students.

• We will have a few sessions on this topic in the near future. Keep in mind what Kevin Keith said in class yesterday... It comes with experience. You are not an expert, immediately!

Can one SAE be used to apply for multiple proficiency awards?

• If you have multiple projects, then you could be looking at multiple proficiency areas. However, keep in mind what Mr. Keith said in terms of SAE programs versus a "project book".

Ag Career Network

• I believe this will be one of our discussion topics later in the semester, as a few people have shown interest in the topic.

Should you take students to convention every year, or every other year?

• What are your reasons/learning objectives for going? I personally think that you should go every year, if you can clearly identify the reason for going. With that being said, you will need to work closely with administration to make certain that funding/support is there from the district. It all comes back to providing opportunities to the students, and being clear with administration how this will help students.

How hard is it to actually work through the qualifications for the degree?

• It is not too difficult if you give these to students early in their program. Don't wait until the very end and tell  the students that this is what they had to do over the past 3 or 4 years, and then have them try to make it up. They need to know the criteria for earning the degree up front and then they can make a conscious effort to obtain the degree.

What did you learn?
Resources - where to find the applications on the website/the process of scoring the students
Great tips!!! Thank you to the presenters!
That you can apply for multiple proficiencies at the same time.
That many proficiency areas are not applied for/not highly represented. More opportunity for my students to apply at the state level!!!
Proficiencies are a "summary" of your SAE programs.
Start early on the applications
Call for help if you need it. They are willing to help.
Ag Career Network has student surveys to help determine possible SAE areas for students.
Record keeping is "key"... do it early... do it well.
That there are a lot of proficiency areas that I never knew about.
That degrees can be applied for even after graduation.
$1,000 requirement
AET helps with parts of filling out the American degree
The applications are not really that hard if you plan/help your students plan in advance
That examples of winning applications are available on-line.

What do you want to learn more about?
Is AET replacing record books?

• Currently, in PA, the record book competition uses the state approved books. However, many schools are seeing the advantages of the AET and are moving in that direction.

How to create a proper/effective grading system for the program (SAE/FFA/classroom)?

How many students win the American degree each year?

• This year... approximately 3,500 on the national level and approximately 75 from the state.

I want to learn more about recordbooks (other than employment) so that I can help my students.

• We will have a few sessions on record keeping. Also, I would recommend "starting" an entrepreneurship book on AET this semester so that Dr. Foster and I can help answer questions, as you go along in the process of entering information.

I want to learn more about the Stars.

• Check out the information at https://www.ffa.org/Programs/Awards/Stars/Pages/StarAwardResources.aspx

How do H.S. students do all of this in agricultural education and have time for anything else?

• Ag students are amazing :-) I think they need to be passionate about what they are doing, and they need to have an agricultural education teacher that is willing to help them. The rest seems to "fall into place".

Workshops available to learn record books?

• New and beginning teachers get a survey each year in PA asking about their needs. Please be sure to complete this when you get to this stage in your career. Also, we can explore other sessions beyond what we have in AEE 311, if this is of interest to a group of students. This  may be a great opportunity for Teach Ag Society and Collegiate FFA to partner on an "extended learning" opportunity for our students. I would encourage you to contact the officers of both organizations and provide them with this idea for professional development! I will buy the dinner, if people get it organized/attend!

Are there internships available through PA FFA in the summer?

• Not that I know of, but depending on what you are looking for we can team you up with Mr. Brammer, Cliff Day, others??? that would very likely be happy to work with you.

How many proficiencies are there?

• Forty-nine

How do I incorporate all of these different proficiencies into my curriculum?

• You do not need to incorporate them all into your curriculum. You develop your curriculum and then, in conjunction with your students' SAE programs, you determine which proficiencies align with your program/students.

SAE Student Success Stories - Story #1 - Iowa

We are engaging in SAE instruction in AEE 311 and so I will be sharing "Student SAE Success" Stories or vignettes over the next month or so (as long as I have them coming in from friends across the nation). 

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. 

See what good things are happening in the Sioux Central Agriscience Department in Iowa with Ms. Melanie Bloom.

We will continue to share more stories and examples of SAE success over the next month! Soon, you too will be helping student explore and grow into their unlimited potential through agricultural education!

Agricultural Education Magazine Archives

The Agricultural Education Magazine is a national magazine for practitioners of agricultural education. The archives from January 1929 to present are available at: http://www.naae.org/links/agedmagazine/archive/index.html

To much fun is there! I challenge you to go, seek out an article from the 20s, 30s, or 40s, that relates to sessions we have taught or are going to teach and bring it to class to share!!!

Session 17 & 18 - How do we plan, design, and supervise SAE Programs? (October 22nd & October 24th)

Responses to Ticket Out

What are your curious about?

• What was the coolest SAE ever?
• The one where students had fun learning about a life long career
• What are some new innovative SAEs students are doing?
• Here is a direct link that discusses that: https://www.ffa.org/FFAResources/Publications/MakingADifference/0810/Pages/Creative-and-Innovative-SAEs.aspx
• Is AET available in every state?
• Yes
• How do they grade AET as opposed to Excel Books?
• This is up to the discretion of the teacher, here is a link directly to TEACHER HELP on AET: http://learn.theaet.com/default.aspx?ID=7450. Neat stuff
• What is the difference between AET and other recordbook systems?
• We will have class sessions on November 12th and November 19th that help address this question.
• Why do some teachers not conduct SAE visits? Or use the total three circle model?
• Time? Philosophical Understanding? Administrative Support? All can be addressed through communication. 
• For the CDE Plan, should everyone in the group choose the same CDE?
• No
• SAE occurs out of school, so when do they start and end?
• Well, it depends on the student, but usually financial document are kept on a fiscal year basis so a Freshman could start their recordbook July 1st prior to the Freshman Year. The SAE program for the student runs continual from that point to completion.
• Could I use FFA Fridays in my class to do practice CDEs?
• Why not? It works better if the actual event is soon (ie same semester)

What did you learn?

1. I learned so much more about SAEs and wish that I had got to have one in school!
2. SAEs are not optional and communication is key to a developing a great Ag Ed Program.
3. There are lots of Resources for SAE Assignment #7 on Angel!
4. If you do not grade something, you run the risk of student's not valuing it. Grade SAE and FFA in all of your ag classes!
5. Currently, the AET "books" are not judged at the PA State FFA Recordbook Event.
6. SAE is NOT just a recordbook
7. There are philosophical concerns about labeling a class SAE.
8. SAEs should be GRADED.

What do you want to learn more about?

• Thinking back to my HS experience, I wonder how students would balance all of this with other clubs and sports. I wonder if students do not do "Ag Ed" just because they do not have enough time out of the classroom?
• We do all have to from time to time set priorities. I think our job as professional educators is to convey the benefits clearly enough that the opportunity is prioritized.
• Is there a way that we can log on to AET as the teacher so we can see/know how it works from that side?
• Yes, we will make it happen when Roger guests speakers on November 12th or the next session.
• I really want to learn more recruiting students into a program!
• Recruitment and Retention will be the topic of the day on December 3rd. But until then you could check this out: 
• A Guide from NFFA: https://www.ffa.org/Documents/learn/RIU_RetentionGuide.pdf
• Ag Ed Mag Issue on Branding: http://www.naae.org/links/agedmagazine/archive/Volume82/2009%2009-10%20--%20Sept%20Oct%202009.pdf
• How can an Ag Student be successful in Ag as well as other activities (i.e. sports) at the same time?
• Thousands upon Thousands do every year.
• How can do do home visits in  proactive way?
• Be very clear about why you are calling and what learning outcomes you hope to achieve with their time. Share why it BENEFITS them and their child. Who does not want their child to be successful? Here is a great link to resources to help: http://dass.missouri.edu/aged/resources/handbook/chap8.pdf
• Proficiency Awards!!
• Well, we have awesome speakers on November 5th, but make sure you are ready with the best questions by visiting: https://www.ffa.org/programs/awards/proficiency/Pages/default.aspx
• When do you you do Home Visits?
• There is a season for everything, and every grade level of student will have a different need. Examples: Freshmen need later summer before school starts so they feel comfortable, but Seniors really need Fall to discuss college/scholarship applications, while Sophomores benefit from Spring to begin planning for ACT/SAT exams. A time can be selected for after school or on weekends. Conduct 1 or 2 a day after school and a few on a Saturday morning. Select calendar days where they can be scheduled, not all days should be a choice.

Session 16 - What is Experiential Learning; October 17

What are you curious about?
How to connect lessons to S.A.E.?

• Each lesson that you teach should have some connection to a potential S.A.E. This could include research or even job placement, but you should be able to find a connection somewhere within your lesson to S.A.E.

How long can S.A.E. be? (timewise)

• A student could begin the S.A.E. their first year in the program and carry it all the way through their high school career, as well as into college. They would potentially do this to continue towards their American degree.

I am having a hard time finding a group of 2 for the CDE project.

• You will need to be a group of 3 total. Start talking to others in the class. I know there are others that are looking, too :-)

Who is responsible for finding the S.A.E.?

• Ultimately, the student. However, the teacher and parents should be there to guide the student toward potential opportunities.

How do you decide what counts/works for an S.A.E?

• This comes down to the individual teacher to make that decision. You need to know your students well enough to determine if what they are choosing "fits" their future goals. I am sure you will talk more about this on Tuesday in class!

More detail about S.A.E., please!

• Coming to a classroom near you on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013!

How heavy was the penguin that Ewing held?

• Oh wow, I didn't even think to ask, but I am thinking it was about 10 pounds. It was just a "little guy".

Are AET books the new system for record keeping? Are the old ones not used anymore?

• A lot of schools are moving to the AET system. Some schools still use the old books. You will hear more about both systems when we return from National FFA Convention. We have speakers that present on both books.

How did Kolb develop his experiential learning model?

How do you research the effectiveness of E.L.? (I moved this one, but I felt it fit well here!)

• Through his/his colleagues research. Check some of it out at http://www.d.umn.edu/~kgilbert/educ5165-731/Readings/experiential-learning-theory.pdf

What did you learn?

S.A.E

Experiential Learning (5 part model)

Reflection comes in many forms

The definition of Pedagogy

When students get out of agricultural education they can "do" something, because of experiential learning

How to apply the E.L. cycle

Getting students to reflect is a crucial part of the learning cycle!

"I hear, I forget"; "I see, I remember"; "I do, I understand"

Ewing held a penguin!

That kids must take what they learn, generalize, and then apply it to other situations

What do you want to learn more about?

Research on hands-on learning

• You would be amazed at how much reading/research you will find on the topics of hands-on learning and experiential learning; authentic learning, etc. just by doing a google search

S.A.E. books

• Just keep in mind that there is an S.A.E. program that students complete and they keep records of that program/project in their record book. Don't think that the record book is the only/most important part of the learning that occurs when completing an S.A.E.

The various S.A.E.'s that people have completed.

The different types of S.A.E.

• More to come on both of these next week!

How do you assess S.A.E. with what is being learned in the classroom?

• There are various ways to incorporate assessment of S.A.E. into your program, and you need to be sure to do it. You will have the opportunity to build your own assessment plan for S.A.E. and samples will be shared.

How do we incorporate the E.L. cycle into our classroom if we have limited time?

• Good planning, and you must shorten certain sections to make it happen at times OR you just need to realize that the cycle will span over several lessons.

How to make the S.A.E. component stronger in programs.

• I believe this is up to the teacher. If you make it a priority with your students, then it will be stronger in your program.

Session 15 - What are Career Development Events? October 15th

Great Session with Dr. Crutchfield.

Here is a link to the Recording: https://meeting.psu.edu/p3x2v9t28i5/

Resource Links:
PA Ag Teacher Directory - http://go.cas.psu.edu/paaged/
2013 FFA Activities Week Results: http://aese.psu.edu/ag-educators/2013-ffa-activities-week
National FFA CDE Info: https://www.ffa.org/programs/awards/cde/Pages/default.aspx
PA FFA CDE Info: http://www.paffa.state.pa.us/CDE%20Manual.htm

Response to the Ticket Out Questions.

What are you curious about?

• Why in AEE 412 do you recommend 3 objectives maximum, but in AEE 311 you have 5 or 6?
• Great Question! Recommended Learning objectives directly correlate with the amount of instructional time. The recommendation of 3 is for the standard instructional time in a HS of 50 minutes. We have 90 instructional minutes on Tuesdays in AEE 311, so you will see usually 4-6. On Thursdays with 50 minutes, you will see 2-3. Thanks for asking.
• Do we have meat evaluations in PA and who runs it?
• Yes,  
• Carole Fay (Penn Manor), 717-872-9520 (Ext1593), 717-872-0934 (FAX), carole.fay@pennmanor.net 
• Guy Amoroso (WB Saul HS), 215-487-4470, 215-487-4844 (FAX), gamoroso@philasd.org
• Crosswalks for Curriculum/Academic Standards? What does this mean?
• We need to be able to evidence to all stakeholders (primarily administrators) that our activities are going to improve student academic achievement, so we crosswalk to academic standards that they understand. Here is an example where Mike Clark from Greenwood did this for PA CDEs: http://aese.psu.edu/ag-educators/resources/connection
• How can I get local companies to help prepare my CDE teams for competition (like Dr. Crutchfield with Tractor Supply)?
• Usually you just have to ask! Have a clear request of how they help you better instruct your students! You will more often hear yes than no, but you have to ask!
• Will new CDE's be added or will CDEs be taken away?
• Depends on participation, demand, and finances!
• How do you feel about students competing in an event at states more than once?
• Is learning occurring? Are students growing and developing?
• How do you know when enough time is enough or not? Can intense be to intense, even if they want to win?
• Experience.
• When did CDEs become a part of FFA?
• Well, the first "CDE" was the American Royal Livestock Judging and was conducted in 1926 before FFA existed.
• IF CDEs are related to your class instruction, then should only students in a particular class participate in a particular CDE?
• Well, not exactly. What if a freshman is really interested, but has not taken the class yet? They could do it and then ti would act as an "interest approach" to the class or allow them to learn the material better when they were in the class. Or it could be a student who has completed the class, really likes it, wants to learn more (extend the classroom) and would be awesome!
• What are PA CDE events not offered at the National Level?
• Conservation Public Speaker, Tractor Driving, Small Gas Engines, FFA Knowledge, Aquatic Resources, Public Speaking-Junior, Wildlife, Scrapbook
• How do you become a chair of a STATE CDE? Do you have to be elected or just sign up?
• Volunteer!
• How long did Dr. Crutchfield Teach?
• 14 years! 
• What do you think are the top 3 most important CDEs in PA & Nation?
• The ones where the students have fun learning about careers.
• When do programs create a POA?
• Chapter Officers usually start at the Officer Retreat in the Late Spring/Summer to be approved by membership in early Fall.

What did you learn?

1. CDEs help address 21st Century Skills. (http://www.p21.org/)
2. If you do not teach it (it is not in your curriculum), you probably should not have a team in that CDE!
3. Every State's CDEs can be different!
4. When you start teaching, you should probably limit yourself to coaching 3 CDEs.
5. CDEs can be a potential authentic assessment to instruction.
6. NEVER let your students be embarrassed by being unprepared.
7. Teachers need awesome support systems
8. Research supports appropriate use of healthy competition in the classroom.
9. CDES are an extension of my classroom & classroom! AWESOME speaker!
10. There are 25 CDEs at the National Level.
11. Teach all your students the CDE Info! Not just the team members
12. It takes $50K a year with a 3 year commitment to sponsor a National CDE!
13. Start teams with a goal mind set
14. Positive Feedback is key!

What do you want to learn more about?

• Would it be good idea to invite local 4H clubs to participate/help with similar events/contests?
• That is not a good idea, it is a GREAT idea. Collaboration is the Key!
• How long should CDE's be taught before offering the option to compete?
• You can compete right after you teach it!
• Is there research being done by agricultural educators to back up CDE importance?
• Yes, in different ways this is being looked at!
• Where is the national handbook?
• See the link list at top!
• How can I use CDEs to assess?
• Just conduct a mock event in your program/class!
• I want to learn more about how to start an Alumni Organization at the Local Level
• https://www.ffa.org/alumni/Pages/Start-an-Affiliate.aspx
• The Foster Book of CDE practices
• This is better shared in conversation over a cold drink!
• How do Ag Teachers prepare students for CDEs, is it strictly in the classroom or do they practice every day like a sports team?
• It depends, but most competitive teams have practice outside of scheduled class time.
• Shouldn't every state have the same opportunities for CDES?
• No, because every state has different needs.
• How can I become a better ag teacher/coach for my future students?
• Stay involved and keep working :) Experience is the key!

Session 14 - Inclusion follow-up

What are you curious about?
Are the due dates on the moodle modules suggested dates, or real deadlines? Can I complete them over Thanksgiving Break?

• You will want to email Deb Herman at dxh271@psu.edu to get the specifics on deadlines, and stick to what she indicates are the deadlines on the moodle modules.

CDE

• I never heard of it until this year. I am excited to learn more.

Is it expected that we log into AET to enter information every week?

• I would think that you could find something to enter each week. Don't make this a stressful activity, but you do need to be able to navigate the pages, and understand how AET is designed.

Do all pre-service teachers have to take classes like WF ED and complete moodle modules?

• All pre-service teachers in the state of PA need to complete 9 credits in working with special needs learners and 3 credits of ESL/ELL coursework. Thus, not all students need to complete moodle modules; however, they do take an additional 3 courses compared to our students.

Do the teachers we contact need to be from cooperating centers?

• No. It can be any teacher in the state.

What will CDE plans include?

• Check out the rubric. There is a lot of information there. Also, check out the example provided in class.

How many chapters are this prepared with POA, CDE plan, etc.? I know mine was not.

• Each chapter has various levels of preparation, but those that are serious about completing these items are often well prepared to serve their students.

At National Convention is there going to be the "Native Celebration"?

• Not that I know of, but check out this site for a re-cap on what has been done in the past https://www.ffa.org/about/nationalffa/diversity_and_inclusion/nativeamericanheritage/Pages/default.aspx

What resources does National FFA offer to teachers?

• Go to https://www.ffa.org/ffaresources/educators/Pages/default.aspx for teacher resources through FFA

How to contact teachers?

• You can access the teachers' email and phone numbers through the PA Agricultural Education Directory at http://go.cas.psu.edu/paaged/ You will need to create an account, but it only takes 2 minutes.

What CDEs are offered?

• Check out https://www.ffa.org/Documents/cde_handbook.pdf for the CDE manual at the National level. This will give you all of the events.

What did you learn?

Tips for inclusion

About CDE manuals

AET login expectations

CDE- massive packets for each event!

That scent-free policy is real

CDEs and inclusion tips (there are a lot of ways to include students into your program)

What do you want to learn more about?

If teachers actually create CDE plans?

• They may not all create CDE plans to the extent that we are requiring, but if they do they will be the best prepared to help train their teams. It would require them to really think about how/why they have students do something related to a particular CDE.

Contacting Teachers about the plans.

• See above for the location of the PA Ag. Teacher Directory

How to train a CDE team.

CDEs

How to do the CDE assignment.

Things that I can do on AET tracker.

• The best advice I can give here is... get on and test it out. Don't worry about "messing" something up. This is for you to get experience with the system.

How to deal with students with behavior disabilities.

• I think this comes with experience, but don't forget to rely heavily on the special education teacher and the IEP, as they can help guide you on what to expect and how to properly handle with the least disruption to your class and other students.

Learning more about CDEs and can you use them as a guide for your units/classes?

• There is nothing wrong with teaching content related to the CDEs. If there wasn't overlap it wouldn't make sense to have the CDE and/or the class content. HOWEVER, you do not "teach to the CDE". If you only teach what the CDE requires, then you are not giving you students opportunities to explore beyond whatever the CDE "permits".

About all of the different CDEs available.

• See above for the link to the CDE manual from National FFA.

There is a lot of events in the CDE. Does a student need to do something in each category?

• I would have to look at what you are specifically referring to here, but yes the students must complete many different tasks for each CDE. This typically includes written examinations, as well as several opportunities for application of content.

How to produce an interest in students to complete the CDE.

• This is where it is important to work with students and motivate them to participate on an individual basis. Also, through your classes you can provide students with examples of past success. There are both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators that you can utilize to get students to participate.