NAAE 2016: A Great Week of Networking

One week in Vegas with agricultural educators from all around the country! How much better can it get? Sure the night lights of Las Vegas are fascinating for a college senior who has never been that far west, but this trip was so much more than exploring Vegas with friends. This trip served as a great networking experience with not only experienced teachers but also with student teachers similar in age to myself.

FAST (Future Agricultural Teacher Symposium)

I was given the privilege of participating in this week long teacher "boot camp" if you will. This provided us with hands on inquiry based demonstrations that put us in the students shoes. These activities are great for me at this point because I can implement them right away in my own classroom. I was also great to meet other student teachers from all over the country. My cohort members and I made friends with a group of students from Idaho for example. It was extremely exciting to hear about agriculture and agricultural education in a state so distant. These are great friends that I will keep in touch with and bounce ideas off in the future.

Networking with PA Ag Ed

I had a great time with the agricultural educators from my home state discussing their past experiences, asking questions, and just hanging out. We truly have a great group who are open to any questions and provide a ton of support. Over the past year and a half I have had the privilege of meeting many of them. However, you don't truly know them until everyone spends a week in Vegas together. This experience has helped me to communicate on a professional level and sparked new questions about the profession.

Final Thoughts

My experience at this years NAAE Convention was very inspiring. The stories that were shared through our FAST symposium speakers helped to remind me why I wanted to be a teacher. Its about the students. The workshops I participated in, outside of the symposium, were extremely beneficial to me. I was presented resources that I never even knew existed, such as the Discover Dairy program from the Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania. I found this program very interesting and beneficial for intro level Ag students. I would love to incorporate this into my future classroom. This was a great experience filled with new resources and new friends. It is so important that we continue professional development throughout our careers. We owe it to our students plus it's fun! Seems like a no-brainer to me!

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #10: Classroom Management

It seems like common sense that in order to facilitate efficient and meaningful learning we must first nail down the concept of classroom management, right? But what factors must we consider to lead a positive classroom environment that will accomplish this? After completing the reading this week I have taken time to reflect on the biggest challenges I see myself facing.

Competency and Enthusiasm
When the teacher is competent in the subject area being taught, students are more apt to listen and pay attention. I think teacher interest comes into play with this as well. I know that when I teach a lesson on something I am interested in (swine, engines, etc.), students see my enthusiasm and reflect that enthusiasm. Students also know when that enthusiasm is fake and over the top. I think the key here is generating that authentic interest/enthusiasm for those subjects where it doesn’t come natural. Think about how teaching this information will help students be successful. If that doesn’t make you enthusiastic to teach, you are in the wrong profession.

https://flex.wisconsin.edu/blog/competency-based-education-what-it-is-how-its-different-and-why-it-matters-to-you/

Don’t be lame
When you teach interesting material in an engaging way, classroom management takes care of its self. I am not the most creative person in the world by far. However, I have been told that being creative is hard work, and it doesn’t come natural. I have seen this first hand while writing unit and lesson plans over the course of the semester. The great thing is, we are all on the same team. Other teachers are happy to share ideas and examples of what they have found to be successful. Ag educators are not afraid to show you their “playbook.” They will also “coach” you up when you aren’t sure how to manage the “team.”

Organization and Clarity
Students can become uneasy very quickly when they don’t know the who, what, when, where, how, and most importantly why. In the first couple of weeks, we need to establish a normal routine or procedure of operation. This helps the organization and clarity of what is expected. Students that understand and apply the normal operating procedure are less anxious and thus are more comfortable in learning new material. I think it is also important that we give students a voice in operating procedure. Showing students that we can be flexible (within reason) helps develop a higher level of respect in my experiences.

http://businessofdentistrypodcast.com/?cat=25

Be Personal
This doesn’t mean that we need to be their best friend. This is not what we want at all. We just want our students to see that we care about them and their future. When you establish that professional relationship, students don’t want to disappoint you. Talk to your students. Learn their interests. Encourage them to explore SAEs in that interest area.

Setting a positive classroom environment from the first day will lead to few classroom management problems. Be stern with instruction and set expectations right out of the gate. Know your stuff. Students trust you to provide true knowledge. But, when you don’t know, admit it. Be personal and show your students that you care about their future. Help them be successful. And finally, don’t be the lame teacher. Teach to your students’ interests. Help them with their weaknesses. If we develop the right classroom atmosphere our students will be sure to succeed.

AEE 412: Micro Teaching Experience

This past week I had the privilege of traveling to Juniata Valley High School with two of my cohort members. We observed for one day and taught one class period the next three days. I was asked to begin a unit on swine with a class of juniors and seniors. I have had many experiences with pigs throughout my years of 4-H and currently work at the Penn State Swine Center. Although I have a lot of knowledge in the content area, planning can still be difficult. With class periods being only 43 minutes long at Juniata Valley, I had to really sort out the most relevant information. I wanted to teach them everything I know about pigs. When there is just simply not enough time.

The experience itself was awesome! The class I had was very relaxed and easy to work with. There were sometimes when certain students seemed unmotivated, but I was able to get them going again by talking with them and asking questions. My cohort members said that they could hear excitement in my voice, so I believe that contributed to student motivation as well. Showing a genuine interest in your students and the subject matter can greatly help the classroom rapport. In my short time at Juniata Valley, I believe we established a great classroom environment. I owe it to the students. They really are a great group of kids.

http://www.slideshare.net/ChadLowndes/building-rapport-and-classroom-management-2

I was able to facilitate a small research project on swine breeds near the end of my experience. I'm not going to lie. I was concerned when planning that lesson. What am I going to do if this falls flat on its face? After doing some thinking, I had a breeds PowerPoint on deck just in case. There were some initial groans and moans but after the students began the project, they ran with it. This was such a relief! It was really cool seeing what they accomplished while they were giving presentations.

My takeaways from this experience:
1. Don't be afraid to nerd out.
2. Be stern.
3. Have a backup plan.
4. Be personable.
5. Show students you care.

AEE 412: Inquiry-Based Instruction Lab

Wow what an experience! We kicked of the topic of IBI with a visit to Greenwood High School, where we observed Mr. Clark's morning classes. He pushes his students by using effective questioning within IBI.

IBI can be rather intimidating to all teachers, especially teachers with little experience. My lab experience this week will really help me tackle this type of instruction in the future. It is scary. Will students take the right path? Will they question the right things? Will they perform the correct experiments? What are the different possible rabbit trails my students may go on?

Mr. Clark talked with us about the importance of preparation. To be effective using IBI you must condition your mind. You need to know the steps to the scientific method like the back of your hand. You must be able to implement things on the fly.

The big thing is that students are forming the correct conclusions. That is our job as facilitators. This was my largest struggle while conducting the lab. The students didn't do what I was expecting them to do. They took the supplies and conducted experiments that were totally different than what I prepared for. I almost stopped the class and tried to point them in the direction I wanted the lab to go. Seeing the class totally involved and posing totally different questions encouraged me to let them go. If students are posing their own questions and pursuing the answers, learning will take place. Isn't that what we are going for? We just need to oversee the processes of testing hypothesis. Is the experiment a true test of the hypothesis? Are students forming the correct conclusions? We need to avoid false conclusions at all cost. This is really the only way IBI can go wrong.

http://www.embracethechaos.com/2015/11/how-to-choose-the-right-path/

I see IBI being a large part of my instruction in the future. It is a great way to stimulate student motivation. It gives them a choice in what they explore.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #9: Inquiry-Based Instruction

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/training-the-brain-to-listen-donna-wilson

So, it's week nine already? Man, this semester is flying! Anyways, this week my peers and I were asked to explore the world of Inquiry-Based Instruction. My first thought when hearing these words was the science fair. This is somewhat true however this type of instruction is much more structured than simply making a board with different breeds of pigs on it.

The Inquiry-Based Method of learning relies on 5 important steps:

1. Question

2. Investigate

3. Describe, Explain, Predict

4. Make Connections 

5. Share Findings

These are the steps our students will be taking. So how do we facilitate this as an instructor? 

Here's the steps:

1. Inquisition

This is where we gain student interest. We must determine where we want the learning to go. What are we trying to accomplish with this learning experience? We need to plan "with the end in mind."

2. Acquisition

We must get the ball rolling. Through this we need to get students talking and discussing the question and possible solutions to the question. It is essential that we spark interest in our students.

3. Supposition

This is where students create their hypothesis. It is essential that we make sure students understand the importance of a good hypothesis. We may have to provide some examples so they can visualize what their hypothesis might look like.

4. Implementation

How will the students test their hypothesis? Is it a true test of their hypothesis? What other factors are there? This may be the first time our students use the scientific method. It is important they gain a clear understanding "right out of the gate."

5. Summation

What does the test say? Are students analyzing the information correctly? Are there any misconceptions leading to a faulty understanding? It is important that we stay engaged in the students' learning process and steer them in the right direction.

6. Exhibition

Share what you have found! Students must finish this experience with sharing their findings and conclusions. This could be in a lab write up, a class presentation, a poster, etc. 

http://www.ariadnewealth.com/what-we-know/scientific-method 

The best teachers know how to get students interested and motivated to find the answer. I think generating interest is very doable when students have a previous experience in the statements content. However, if students are having trouble connecting, I feel it could be extremely difficult. I feel after doing the reading and reflecting I have an understanding of how I will pull this off. I just need to figure out how to motivate the uninterested student.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #8: Differentiated Instruction

http://edtheory.blogspot.com/2016/04/differentiated-instruction.html

This week's reading took us into the world of differentiated instruction. We have touched on this concept in class at different points throughout the semester but haven't gotten to take an up-close look at it until this point. First off I'll start by giving you the definition I have composed in my mind. Differentiated instruction occurs when teachers are mindful how each of their students learns best. The teacher teaches in the ways their students learn best. Saying that may seem all fine and dandy. However, the differences from student to student can make this quite difficult. Creating this type of learning environment takes planning.

So why Differentiate Instruction?

Students learn in different ways. One student may learn better by taking notes. One may learn better by creating a drawing. One may learn better by tearing apart an engine. We are all different, and we learn in very different ways. Trying different learning strategies will allow us to determine how our students learn best. We can then teach using the most effective strategies, which provides the most optimal growth for our students.

How do we Differentiate Instruction?

We as teachers can differentiate our instruction through the content we teach, the process we use to teach that content, the product of the learning, and the environment we create in the classroom. It is very important that we teach to student interests. Upon graduation, they are going to pursue careers in something they are interested in. Aligning the content being taught with student interests will generate interest now and help them greatly in the future. The product of the learning or type of assessment can also be different for students. This is where I would love to integrate projects as assessments. Students can generate their own take on what they would like to do and run with it.

When do we do it?

As professionals, we need to be proactive in responding to our students’ needs. After some time with each class we will be able to gauge what works best for them. When lesson planning, we must keep the different learner types in mind. We can create new techniques and note them. This will allow us to implement them on the fly if needed.

https://www.emaze.com/@AOCLFQTO/Differentiated-Instruction:-Learning-Equal-opportunity-for-all

We must always ask ourselves how each individual learner will learn best and try hard to make it happen. We as educators have a huge impact on the future of our students. It is important that we are always looking to maximize their growth.

AEE 412 Lab #4: The Problem Solving Approach

So last be we began to explore the world of teaching through real world problems, also known as the problem solving approach. In our lab session, I presented a problem where students were given a certain amount of land and money. It was their job to decide what to do with the land. My students seemed to be very interested in the activity. Many questions were asked and students seemed to be generally excited about the prompt.

https://www.orbussoftware.com/blog/improving-enterprise-architectures-return-on-investment/

Some areas for improvement:

Clarity
There was some confusion and fuzziness in the directions that I presented to the students. Posting short clear directions on the board could aid in my clarity of direction. Next time, I will post the directions on the board and explain them explicitly to the entire class. The small class size of our lab helps with clarity for sure. Once students were working on their research, I was able to travel the room and answer questions.

Classroom Management
I really need to apologize to Miranda after failing to defend her not once but twice! The other members of the class are also in our cohort, and it can be difficult to take them seriously. Something negative was said to Miranda. As a future educator I will nip that in the butt very quickly. If that were to happen in a real class I would have reacted totally different.

Providing Resources
I could have also done a better job of showing the students where they can begin. What are some trustworthy websites students can gather information? Who are some reliable contacts in the local community, that are in production agriculture?

Every week I feel that my classmates and I are growing through the lab session. I can see the improvement. Don't get frustrated. Be patient. This is not a sprint. Its a marathon full of real world obstacles.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #7: Evaluating Student Performance

The theme of this upcoming week in AEE 412 is evaluating student performance. Exploring the provided references has given me clarity while sparking uncertainty in other areas. Assessing student knowledge is vital. Assessment can be an essential tool to determine previous knowledge. What do my students know already? I can build them up from there. Evaluating student knowledge doesn't need to be long our drawn out either. Many teachers perform this assessment verbally with the entire class. The teacher just has to ask the right questions. This relates back to my post two weeks ago on effective questioning. Experienced teachers ask the right questions, process what they hear from students, and build form their current level. 

http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-21st-century-skills

Why do it?
Besides assessing previous student knowledge, evaluations will allow you to determine whether or not your students are achieving the course objectives. This is the bottom line in the classroom. Are students learning the fundamental objectives? Formative assessments like individual tests will allow you to determine what the individual student needs. Do one or two students need help? Or if the whole class does bad, do I need to reteach this content?

How do I do it?
As aspiring educators, we hear about the importance of variability everyday. Before doing the reading, I had not thought about the importance of variability in evaluation. It really makes sense though. If we are going to teach different ways in order to reach all students, we must evaluate in different ways so students can showcase their knowledge to be best of their abilities. The tests we give our students should have a fair mix of true/false, multiple choice, matching, and open ended questions. Also, all of our assessments should not be "Tests." This usually is not a problem with the "hands-on" nature of Ag education. Students should be given projects as well. These projects usually expose students to more real life skills than exams.

https://education.uky.edu/evaluationcenter/

Some questions I have after reading:

How do we grade fairly when our classrooms have students of special populations?
What determines fair?
What do I do if other students think this is unfair?
What will the parents think?

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #6: Problem Based Learning (PBL)

This week we have dove into the world of educating students through the avenue of problem based learning. Facilitating problem based learning can be difficult at the teacher level, but when done right, contributes exponential growth in students. PBL is usually carried out in groups by students. The students carry out their own discussions and make their own decisions. The teacher serves the purpose of answering questions and making sure students are headed in the right direction.

http://www.siue.edu/facultycenter/services_resources/teaching/faculty_resources/pbl.shtml

Structure, Structure, Structure
In order for the experience to be carried out effectively, the project must be structured the same for each group, students must be informed of expectations, and teacher instruction must be crystal clear. Students must understand the "Driving Question" and see relevance in their own lives. Clarity and real world examples can help to extinguish comments like "When are we ever going to use this?"

21st Century Skills
Don't always ask the easy questions. Students will rise to the occasion when they are challenged. Ask them tough questions that don't have a specific answer. Problems in the real world have more than one answer. Usually their is a better answer, but not one answer. Make students think, have them share their thoughts, they will listen to the peers, and in the end provide a quality solution to the million dollar question.

http://zulama.com/education-trends/four-cs-21st-century-skills/#.V_Ga-ygrLIU

Student Inquiry

You will know you did your part if students are showing interest in their project. Maybe they want to take it a step forward. They develop new questions about the subject matter. They don't feel that they need to know. They want to know. Give them constructive feedback on the work they have done. How can they improve? Have students present what they have found in a public setting. Set up workshops where students can teach the public. Problem based learning unites content based knowledge with 21st century skills.

First Unit Plan Reflection

I won't lie. Before taking on the challenge of writing my first unit plan, I was a bit skeptical of their importance. However, upon completion, I can see their importance in creating an organized system of education. Unit plans are especially important for beginning teachers like myself. Some of my struggles in writing my unit plan consisted of determining how quickly students will learn, establishing challenging but fair goals, and writing clear measurable objectives.

http://www.industryweek.com/strategic-planning-execution/10-principles-organization-design

How much information can I fit into this unit?
When I began writing my first draft, I hard to really start thinking. What is most important for students to learn in these 3 short weeks? I had a lot of ideas, projects, and activities that would promote student growth, however 3 weeks is an extremely short time. I could not even think about covering this much material. The best material was kept and the rest was put aside for another time.

How do I make goals challenging but fair?
It is our job as educators to challenge our students, but when is it too much. Students have so much going on in their lives today. I want to stimulate growth in my students, but not overload them. I understand that not all my students will memorize the FFA Creed, but they will all attempt reciting it.

How do I write clear and measurable objectives? 
My cohort and I have just been instructed on writing lesson plans. This unit plan was the first time I have had to put these objective writing skills to use. When I looked back on my previous objectives, I realized they were assignments and not actually objectives. It is important that we make them easy to read and measure based on the correct criteria.

http://www.financialfreedominspiration.com/set-clear-measurable-goals/

Now what?
Everyone says unit plans and lesson plans get easier and easier to write as you gain experience. I hope this is the case because I have many more to write. Unit Plans are very beneficial to my organizational needs and will help me teach with the end goals in mind.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #5: Effective Questioning

Before completing this week's readings and viewing several Ted Talks, I had never truly though about the impact and effectiveness of the questions we ask as teachers. Changing one word in a sentence could completely change the level of thinking required by our students. After reading Dr. Dyer's information on effective questioning techniques I decided to create a visual aid to some up his idea on lower and higher level questions. I love how he ties it in directly to Blooms Levels of Taxonomy. This is a tool I will use when designing questions.

As educators we need to determine how and when to ask certain questions. We can use lower level questions and the probing of higher level questions to determine our students' current knowledge of subjects. This gives us the baseline we need to work from.

We should always be looking to push our students to the next tier of Blooms Taxonomy. I think we should always be asking questions that are one level above their current understanding, and come back to lower level questions as needed. Coming back to lower level questions can help refresh students minds and they will gather the important takeaways. These questions are very important in the fact that it helps students summarize the content area.

The best teachers ask the hard questions. These are my favorite teachers from high school and college. They push you because they want you to be successful, although it may not seem like that at the time. Looking back, these are the educators I respect the most. They did not take the easy path of complacency. They pushed, prepared, and inspired their students to be the best they could be, while having a little fun along the way.

Good teachers ask questions, but great teachers ask the right questions.

References:

Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2015). Using Effective Questions. Retrieved
                  from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/using-effective-                               questions.html

Dyer, J.E. (n.d.) Effective Questioning Techniques. Retrieved from                          

                  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC08400.pdf

National FFA LifeKnowledge. (n.d.) Coaching Session Quick Reference Guide. Retrieved from
 https://www.ffa.org/myresourcedocuments/coachingguide/Basics_of_Coaching/coaching_Guide/Lesson02/pdf/Individual-Coaching-Session-Quick-Reference-Guide.pdf

Maiers, Angela. (2011) You Matter. Des Moines: Tedx.

Simonds, Kate. (2015) I'm 17. Boise: Tedx.

Von Jan, Katherine. (2011). Pursue Passion: Demand Google 20% Time at School. Retrieved from:                       http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-von-jan/unstructured-                                                             classroom_b_1024404.html

Tae. (2012). Tweak Your Teach. Retrieved from:                                                                                                       https://tweakyourslides.wordpress.com/2012/12/26/tweak-your-teach-dr-taes-building-a-                     new-culture-of-teaching-and-learning/

AEE 412 Lab #3: The Interest Approach

Image taken from
https://sites.google.com/a/lajunta.k12.co.us/
gifted-talented/home/student-interest-inventories

During this past week we have explored the science of generating student interest. Great teachers know how to cultivate student interest and grow students through that interest. For my laboratory demonstration I decided to test an interest approach form a lesson out of my public speaking unit.

Overall, I believe the attempt was a success. My peers seemed to like the interest approach activity and might use it themselves, in the future. Although the activity was a success, the learning experience can always be improved. After analyzing the feedback, I received from my peers, I have categorized my areas for improvement into four areas.

Teacher Awareness

After reading the feedback, I realized that one of my “students” was on their iPad for the majority of the lab demonstration. I never noticed the whole time while I was teaching. As a teacher I should have first discovered the issue and then acted upon it.

Establishing a Time Frame

It also became very clear that I the facilitator did not set any sort of time criteria on the activity. If I were to do the activity again I would make it clear that each student has 45 seconds to talk and restrict myself to that time limit as well. I believe I spoke for one and a half minutes when I gave the students an example.

Setting the Bar High

My example speech was not high quality by any means. This is mostly because I had not prepared for it at all. I thought about coming up with an idea prior to class, but I thought the students would enjoy it more if I was “put on the spot” as well. One of my peers made a good point, and now I am second guessing what I did. If I were to prepare for the impromptu speech, students would see a much better product and they would work to match it.

Image taken from http://www.mechanictomillionaire.com/
204-making-the-connection/

Make the Connection CLEAR

After conducting the activity, my peers did not see where the lesson was going. Talking through my transitioning questions would help out a lot with this, but it should have been foreshadowed while they were participating in the interest approach. When I am designing interest approaches or any kind of instruction, I must ask myself why. Why am I teaching this this way? As a learner, why is                                                                                      Mr. Snyder having us do this activity?

I truly believe that this interest approach could be a keeper, and I will work to improve it for my time at Mifflinburg High School. I am interested to see the differences between teaching this to my peers and teaching it to actual high school students. 

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #4: Teaching in Groups

We have all had that teacher who has a PowerPoint presentation for everything right? Every day in class they just pull up a new slideshow and lecture for another 50 minutes. How about the teacher who shows a class long video every day. I have had both of these in high school and I am sure you have too. How much constructive knowledge is created when half the class is sleeping through the video? How much information is actually obtained when the students are bored out of their mind. These teachers never really have objectives for the class. As long as they lecture from bell to bell they believe they are doing their job.

Establishing student engagement can be helped by simply telling students where the lesson is going. We tell students this through creating and explaining our objectives. Objectives always begin with an action word. Below is a resource for selecting action words from Bloom's Taxonomy.

Image was taken from teach thought.com.
http://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/blooms-taxonomy/14-brilliant-blooms-taxonomy-posters-for-teachers/

If students are given clear and measurable learning objectives, they understand what they really need to focus on. 

The portion of this week's reading from Newcomb and company covered techniques for group teaching. Teaching in groups can be very effective when done correctly. One of the types of group facilitation is discussion. In order for discussion to be effective, the educator must determine what avenue they should take. Class discussion works well for large groups as long as students aren't timid. Usually a couple students take charge and are the only ones to contribute to the discussion. Teachers can also use buzz groups or pair share to facilitate discussion in smaller groups. When students are grouped into small groups they feel more of a need to contribute. This promotes everyone to share their thoughts. After the use of smaller groupings, the facilitator should have each group share out with the rest of the class.

Image was taken from global-english.com.

http://www.global-english.com/news/tips-for-tefl-discussion-classes/

As an educator I believe that discussion through small groups leads to the most growth. I am not opposed to trying larger group activities because of my inexperience in the classroom. However, throughout high school, I have seen many large group activities fall right on their face. I look forward to experimenting with these different techniques over the next year, especially during my semester of student teaching.

References:

Whittington, M.S. (2005). Writing objectives in secondary agriculture courses that challenge

                 students to think. Agriculture Education Magazine. Retrieved from

                 http://www.naae.org/profdevelopment/magazine/archive_issues/Volume77/v77i5.pdf


Newcomb, L.H., McCracken, J.D., Warmbrod, J.R., & Whittington, M.S. (1993). Methods of

                 teaching agriculture. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Groseta, K.J. & Myers, B.E. (2006). Using cooperative learning in formal and nonformal


                 education. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC06200.pdf

AEE 412 Lab #2: The First Day of School

Hello students and welcome to Mr. Snyder's introduction to agriculture class! So in this week’s lab session we demonstrated what we believe to be a good lesson for the first day of school. As we have discussed in previous reflections and classes, the first class is key in establishing the environment and rapport of the class. 

After gathering feedback and hearing from my peers I have identified 3 areas where I need to improve:

Clarity: I feel that my lesson took off pretty fluidly. Students understood the bellwork and were being productive for the most part. To improve my clarity, I should have posted the day's objectives and discussed them. This will happen for sure next time. The bellwork question cards were handwritten on sticky notes. Next time I will type these out and print so they are easier to read.

Transitions: This piece needs some work. As I began class, I was trying to discuss the bellwork as I was pulling up my video for the interest approach. Students were able to see what I was doing so some got distracted from finishing the bellwork. In the future I need to pull up the video or set up my attention getter before the class even enters the room. I have mixed reviews on the transition questions (from my interest approach to the first activity). I myself thought they were okay, however they can be much better. 

Enthusiasm!: This is possibly the biggest hurdle for myself. I have a very laid back personality that does not convey much enthusiasm to begin with. I feel like I have come a long way with this in the past year. However, my voice is very deep and monotone so even when I am enthusiastic and really trying to excite students there is little to no change in my voice. 

Overall I believe we did a good job as a class. We have established a great place to start building from. With eleven more weeks of hard work, I truly believe we will be ready for the spring.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #3: Making Content Relative

Everyone had a least favorite (hated) subject in high school right? Well I did for sure. That was English, and I'll bet you can guess how much I applied myself in those courses. Little did I know; I would be writing a professional blog here at The Pennsylvania State University during my senior year. If I could go back to high school, you better believe I would have tried a little harder. Capturing my thoughts on paper would come slightly more natural. 

The thing is, students don't know what they need to know. They do not see how developing as a writer will help them later in their careers. They do not see how learning the Pythagorean theorem will help them as a contractor. (as we saw in AEE 350) They do not even see how learning to budget will save them money. As educators, we need to open their eyes and make learning more relative to their interests and the world around them. What good is knowledge if they do not know how to use it? 

Image was taken from HCRC Staffing.
http://www.hcrcstaffing.com/2016/02/02/patients-for-life-making-connections-that-last/

Our weekly reading from "Methods of Teaching Agriculture" covered the importance of learning objectives and relating them to the content our students need. It also talked about the interest approach. When writing objectives, we need to distinguish between content that is nice to know and content that needs to be known. Do our students need to learn this to be successful? Nice to know content can be extremely helpful to students as well. However, students need to master the basics first.

The interest approach can be a great tool to reinforce the importance of learning in nearly any content area. A simple real world example, experiment, demonstration, or exercise can kick-start the student mind. Great interest approaches really get the wheels turning. Make them fun and interesting to students. Make connections to student SAE projects. When you make learning relative to student interests and/or future opportunities students will want to learn. Show students how relative the content is to their future. Get them thinking as soon as they get to class. They will appreciate you much more after their high school career.

References:

Newcomb, L.H., McCracken, J.D., Warmbrod, J.R., & Whittington, M.S. (1993). Methods of

teaching agriculture. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #2: Establishing a Gameplan

Camera, action! Wait was I missing something? Teachers just jump out of bed everyday feeling lead what and how to instruct right? Most people truly don’t understand the amount of preparation that goes into teaching. You’ll often hear students talking about how teaching could be their “back-up plan” if their selected major becomes too grim. If only they knew the time and preparation it takes to be an effective educator.

This week’s readings provided me with the reasoning behind preparation, how to prepare, what questions to ask, and how we maximize learning. All beginning teachers need a clear plan on how they will attack and carryout each class period. Once teachers become established in their classroom, they can sometimes get away with teaching on the fly. This is simply because they have taught the same content so many times that they already know the most effective ways to teach.

Image was taken from Accelerated Development.
http://accelerateddevelopment.blogspot.com

When developing courses/units/lessons we must consider student concerns and always be able to answer the “Why” questions. “Why is it important that I learn how to write a check, Mr. Snyder?” or “Why do we need to know the difference between four and two stroke engines?” These two statements should not be hard to answer. I can tell you from experience. I was one of those students who questioned my teachers, and now I realize that they were right. I’ve also determined that I should have paid more attention to those teachers, especially the English teachers. The fact is students don’t know what they need to learn. It is our job to teach them what they need to know and how to apply their knowledge.

In “Methods of Teaching Agriculture” Newcomb and company went into great detail on how courses, units, and lessons should be sequentially and effectively organized. This is a topic that we have begun to touch on in AEE 413. As educators we need to be deliberate in what, when, why, and how we teach. Organization leads to more effective learning methods.

In “Strategies for Great Teaching,” Reardon discussed creating “E moments.” Effective educators incorporated these into their lessons. “E moments” provide different examples and ways to view certain concepts. The statement, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” could not be more true. I myself think about things differently on some occasions and am confused when a teacher presents something one-way. This reminds me of AEE 350, when we were converting decimals of an inch into sixteenths of an inch. We were instructed to find the answer by multiplying through a series of fractions. I was able to find the answer more easily by using the guess and check method.

Always remember: plan, ask questions, organize, plan, provide different learning opportunities, and plan again!

SAE Visit: Union County West End Fair Livestock Sale

On August 5th I was invited back to the West End Fair for the 4-H/FFA Livestock Sale. These students must know how to recruit and keep buyers. They had a very good sale with a great price average throughout all species.

Full house of buyers ready to support Mifflinburg 4-H/FFA.

I wanted to focus on meeting more parents and community members during the sale. I bounced around the audience and talked to parents, students, and fair board members. I was surprised just how inviting everyone was. I had actually already met one family way back in April, at the Penn State Club Pig Sale. The student purchased several project animals from the swine barn. (I work at the Penn State Swine Center if you were wondering.) Several animals did not make the weight limit, but every animal that showed up to the fairgrounds was healthy.

Lots of refreshments and treats prepared for the buyers.

Once students get into high school they usually understand the basics of caring for animals, but they need advice from time to time. SAE visits are essential to confirm that all components of the project are sound. It could be checking on how the student gets along with coworkers, how accurate their records are, or if the market steers have water at all times. As agricultural educators it is our responsibility to make sure students are treating both animals and other humans correctly. We are shaping the future of these students. It must be for the good of everyone and everything.

SAE Visit: Union County West End Fair Livestock Weigh-in

On August 1st I had the privilege to travel to the Union County West End Fair and aid Mr. Chuck Kessler in weighing all 4-H and FFA market animals. My cooperating teacher Mr. Kessler is an agriculture educator at Mifflinburg Area High School along with Ms. Lindsey Spurrier. I was surprised to see so many livestock exhibits and youth exhibitors at such a small county fair. Mifflinburg knows what they are doing when it comes to getting kids in the show ring!

Mr. Kessler pictured recording weights for market lambs.

It was very nice to finally start meeting some of the students, parents, educators, and other community members. The small tight-knit community of Mifflinburg seems to be filled with respect for each other. I feel more than welcome and can’t wait for my short stay.

It’s easy to see how Mr. Kessler has been so successful as an educator, when you see him working with the students. He brings a sense of strength and doing by the book t

o the Mifflinburg ag program. Both he and the students love to joke around and enjoy themselves as well. I  got to talk with Mr. Kessler’s wife. Nobody knows the schedule of a high school ag educator better than her. She explained how dedicated Mr. Kessler has been throughout his years of teaching. After we wrapped up weigh in and the afternoon livestock meeting, we headed to the high school to make classes for each species show and all the handouts needed for the shows. This process took us late into the night, but in the end everything was complete and the shows ran smooth. It takes a special kind of person to be a great agriculture educator. You must take pride in your work, celebrate the little victories, and always keep the students first.

Students weighing in their dairy beef project animals.

AEE 412 Weekly Writing #1: My Major Takeaways

Think of one class you enjoyed throughout your educational career. I'll bet it featured a teacher who knew how to motivate you as a student. This teacher created a positive learning environment, where you were not intimidated by the teacher’s presence. He/She was there to work alongside you and help you develop as an individual. You were not given loads of negative feedback after assignments. Your strengths were appreciated and built on top of.

1) Creating a climate of student growth and ownership

As educators we must understand how our students learn best and create a school environment that pushes them to reach their full potential. According to Jack Elliot and James A. Knight “students perform better in situations where the climate is more positive in nature.” It is important that we set the environment on the first day of school and make sure it remains positive. Students need to feel comfortable in their program before they can really push forward with their education. Students must feel comfortable with the knowledge gained in the classroom and be ready to apply it. At this point students learn that they own their education. Teachers have gotten them this far, but know they can take classroom knowledge and really pursue what they want in life.

2) Improving as an educator

In Effective Teaching: Notes for the Beginning Teacher Paul Vaughn lists the top ten teacher characteristics identified by Rosenshine and Furst.

They are as follows:

• Clarity

• Variability

• Enthusiasm

• Tack Oriented/ Business-like Behavior

• Positive Reinforcement

• Student Opportunity to Learn

• Avoided Criticism

• Structuring Comments

• Effective Questioning

• Humor

My areas of improvement need to come in clarity, variability, and structuring comments. As a facilitator I need to develop and communicate more clearly to assure all students are on the right track. 

To accomplish this, I plan to write out my lesson instructions to their entirety and practice. 

I must also develop several different examples or ways to accomplish the task at hand. Some students might understand the first example perfectly; however, others might need to see it done a different way. 

To accomplish this, I will have backup examples waiting in case they are needed.

There are times when my comments come out blunt and to the point. As an educator you must take time to gather your thoughts before commenting.

To Accomplish this, I will focus more on the positives of the experience and not the negatives.

3) Four Stages of Teaching

In Why you need to Succeed on the First Days of School Wong discusses Kevin Ryan’s four stages of teaching. This covers the time period from someone aspiring to be teacher to their students’ achievements.

1. Fantasy

2. Survival

3. Mastery

4. Impact

At this time in my educational career I believe I am transitioning from Fantasy to Survival. So many people have told me that it will be the hardest yet most rewarding year so far. It is not easy being a senior in agricultural education but it is worth it. I have seen this already in my classes during my first week back in school. I am excited to see where this next year takes me.

References:

Agricultural Education Magazine. (2005). Volume 77. Issue 55.

Vaugh, Paul. (n.d.) Efective teaching: notes for the beginning teacher.

Wong, H. Wong, R. (2004). The first days of school: how to be an effective teacher. Harry K. Wong Publications.

AEE 412 Lab: Reflective Teaching Lesson (RTLs) Reflection

Well the first AEE 412 lab is in the book for #psuaged17! Our cohort may be small but we sure are strong! It makes me sad and happy (at the same time) to only have six other class members. I wish we had twice as many in order to fill the teacher shortage. However, the instruction and collaboration we receive with such a small class is second to none.

Today we took turns teaching reflective teaching lessons (RTLs) and assessing what we did well and what improvements we can make. Our teaching lessons were every short (10-15 min). This made time management difficult even with the somewhat simple lesson objectives. The lesson I taught today was on how to tie a bowline knot. Overall I believe the lesson was a success with 86% of the class passing the assessment. My peers pointed out several areas for improvement such as clarifying directions and helping to encourage students as they complete each task. I can also improve my introduction and interest approach. As a student educator I know my weakness is communication. This effects the quality of the directions given to the students. Students may not know enough about a topic to pick up a discussion where I would like to. I need to remember to gauge where my students are and propel them forward from that point.

The whole class seemed prepared and brought an excellent positive tone/enthusiasm to their lesson. This made for a fun and interesting session. As a class I believe we need to continue to learn the context of our lessons, keep preparing effectively, remain respective of our peers’ comments, and keep bringing enthusiasm to our lessons. Our continued hard work and dedication will assure us a bright future in education.

Reflection #3: "The Innovators Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity"

Now that I have finished reading “The Innovators Mindset” and took several days to ponder, I believe I have captured my largest takeaways from Mr. Couros. Innovation in education is not the technology itself. Innovation in education is teaching based on the individual learner. It is a way of thinking that provides students with learning opportunities that actually stimulates their growth as individuals. Agriculture education in itself is very innovative. Students gain practical hands on knowledge that they will use in their future such as wiring a light bulb or installing a drain pipe. They engage in supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) where they learn about their areas of interest from different people outside the school. Agricultural education gives students a practical, real-life experience. All students should receive some sort of education through agriculture.  

One of George’s eight top things to look for in today’s classroom is giving students a choice (Strength-Based Learning). To truly empower our students we must help them find their true interest/passion and create learning experiences. It is said that “Success builds competence and confidence.” It is much more effective to build our students up and build on top of their strengths. Many teachers in the profession tell their students to try harder……. try harder when they don’t understand a topic or concept. Students are sent home with loads of homework to reinforce concepts that they will never use. It would be much more beneficial if these students spent this time building on their strengths. This has definitely become less of a problem over the past years, and I predict that it will continue to progress.

In chapter eleven, Couros talks about embracing the open culture. In today’s world everyone is connected by their handheld device via social media. Facebook, Twitter, Forums, etc. are great platforms for teachers to share ideas and resources. It is only fair to our students that we continue to connect and learn from other educators. Social media gives us the pathway to find the resources and teaching strategies that will enhance student success.

So how can we be innovative as educators and more specifically agricultural educators? First we need to find what our students are interested in and what they want to do with their futures. This can be extremely difficult for many students who simply do not know what they want or where their interests lie. As educators we need to push our learners to participate in conferences, clinics, and other events. Being an innovative educator may involve obtaining access to herd management software, automotive technician courses, or many other specific tools that will help learners be better prepared for their post high school careers. We as teachers need to take the time and determine what the best path to success is for each student.

“The Innovators Mindset” has been a great read. I have and will continue to reflect on what I can apply to my future classroom. Although this book is geared towards an administrative audience, there is so much I can take away as a future educator. This is a book that I will keep in my arsenal for the rest of my teaching career.     

Reflection #2: "The Innovators Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity"

As I continue my journey through “The Innovators Mindset," it becomes increasingly clear that great teachers push education to its limit. These limits can cause slight unease from time to time with administration officials. If the students are always first in the educators mind, the educator cannot do wrong. Couros gives an example of a teacher using Facebook with students’ parents as a communication tool. Assignments and in-class projects were uploaded and shared with each students parents. This is not technically applicable to all classroom settings, however in this case it gave parents a strong connection to the classroom and teacher. They were able to physically see their children progress and receive feedback directly from the teacher. 

When an educator goes above and beyond to stimulate innovation in the classroom, other teachers feel pressured to make large changes in their own classrooms. This discomfort often entices administration to halt the growth and improvement of innovative teachers. The teacher who was using Facebook to communicate with parents was eventually forced to stop using this tool. Parents expressed many positive opinions on the use of Facebook as a tool and were unhappy when it was discontinued. Shouldn't parents have a say? Teachers should not be penalized for being innovative. Other teachers should want to continue to improve throughout their career.

Couros also makes a very strong point on how important networking is. He says that networks are imperative to growth and innovation. I have started to see networking play a role as I prepare for my senior year at The Pennsylvania State University. I have had many opportunities to meet educators from around the country and also around the world. There will be many more opportunities in the upcoming year and even more in the future for a matter of fact. The agricultural education family is made of great innovators that are eager to share their ideas and strategies with other educators, especially new teachers. It is easy for teachers to become complacent in their programs when they do not see what other agriculture teachers are doing in and outside the classroom. It is important that we as educators continue to network and learn from others in the profession. If we do not continue to improve our programs, the education of our students will suffer. We need to take pride in our work and produce the best future leaders possible.

“The Innovators Mindset" has reinforced many key concepts that I have learned over the past year. The examples provided by Couros has also given me many more ideas that I can take into the classroom. As I continue through “The Innovators Mindset,” I will continue to take notes and bank some genius ideas.