Components of a Lesson Plan

Disclaimer: Planning is not just for the teachers out there. 

Think about how often you plan in life..
- you plan when you make a budget
- you plan when you need to accomplish homework
- you plan when you need to organize or delegate work
- you plan so you can be efficient with your time

Since we are in #AEE100, our planning conversation was focused primarily on planning lessons for the classroom. For those of you in the teacher certification path (and those of you not) remember that preparation is 3/4 of the battle. 

When we're talking in the context of a LESSON PLAN it's important to remember that lesson plans are the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during the class time.

Ask yourself these three questions when you are working through the lesson planning process...

We will dive into more steps and procedures of lesson planning on Thursday, but keep thinking about how what we learned today applies to your Agriculture Literacy Lesson!

Don't forget! You will have a reading reflection due on Thursday! Here's your readings...

http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/oct11/vol53/num10/How-To-Plan-Effective-Lessons.aspx

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/en-us/professional-development/best-practice/lesson-plans/

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109051/chapters/Lesson-Plans-and-Unit-Plans@-The-Basis-for-Instruction.aspx

Check your assignment handbook, there are important due dates coming up soon! 

Keep up the good work, ya'll! 

Philosophy Statements, Graduation Requirements and Dave Burgess... Oh My!

Let's get caught up on all the goodness from the last few weeks of #AEE100!

• We spent two class sessions discussing the importance of and how to create a Teaching Philosophy
• Remember Ms. Herr's High Five from Dr. Larkin Hood's Philosophy Statement?
• We know that a teaching philosophy helps us to IMPROVE and PROVE
• They help us articulate what kind of teacher/facilitator/leader we are
• They should be based on our previous experiences and those we predict we will encounter
• They help us articulate what we want our students to know before they leave our classroom
• Make them memorable! You will show these to an employer.

Need inspired? Watch this dynamite TED talk about being a champion for your students!

• Don't Forget! The first draft of your philosophy statement AND your shoebox assignment are due Tuesday, September 29th!
• Need Help? Join Dr. Rice and Ms. Herr in Recitation in 214 Ferguson every Monday from 12 to 1pm.

• Dr. Ewing shared with you the necessary requirements to graduate!
• Are you on the teacher certification, take your PAPA's as soon as you can! Follow this link for more information, check here!
• Sign up for your FREE student membership for PAAE and NAAE here: http://tinyurl.com/2015PAAE-NAAEMembership 
• It will take 10 seconds, promise!
• Great scholarship and professional development opportunities!
• Field Experience Hours!! Remember, to be certified you need to clock 80 hours, for the purpose of #AEE100 you need to complete 20 hours.
• Your next assignment is your Academic Plan to Exit. This will be so, so helpful as you enter the season of scheduling classes for next semester!

• NO CLASS on Thursday because... National Teach Ag! Day!!
• 8:30-10:00 am - Professional Speaking Session - Freeman Auditorium (HUB)
• 10:30-11:00 am - Book Signing and Photo Opportunity with Dave Burgess  - Freeman Auditorium (HUB)
• 1:50-4:00 pm - National Teach Ag! Day LIVESTREAM Event! - 105 Forest Resource Building
• Come and join the viewing party! Penn State Teach Ag! will go LIVE at 2:00pm, come be apart of this digital, nation-wide party!! (P.S. We have snacks!)

Can't wait to see you all joining the conversation in person and digitally on Thursday! 

Don't forget the hashtags... #tagged15 #hookedonpsuaged

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Woah! Two weeks of the semester down, time surely does fly when you're having fun! In case the last fourteen days were a blur for you, let's catch up on our first four classes...

• AEE100: Ag Ed Family Style!
• Welcome to the table! Class one was designed to help you understand that Agriculture Education here at Penn State is a family. But, think about the time you spend around your table at home, its comfortable and the place where you feel like you, right? We spent time around the family table getting to know each other and hopefully by the end of class you felt comfortable with each other and your expectations for the class. 

• What's expected of me? The Syllabus & Assignment Handbook Review
• The nitty-gritty stuff happened on class two. We took sometime to explore each assignment in the assignment handbook and the plan of classes for the semester. Don't forget to check ANGEL, that's where the digital copies of both of those very important documents are and other resources from class.

• Deep Roots: Agriculture Education History
• This university, college and program are rooted in some rich history. In class three it was you to be the detectives and uncover some of the best and brightest moments in the history of agriculture education and created this sweet life-sized timeline. Don't forget to take a selfie with the frescos at Old Main!

• Broadening Horizons: Environmental Education
• And you thought agriculture education was just inside a classroom! Class four was a chance for you to get a glimpse of informal agriculture education; particularly environmental education at the great Shaver's Creek. Hopefully this class helped open your eyes to some more of the opportunities that a degree in agriculture education can provide for you. Don't forget to look into Outdoor School! Talk about some great field experience hours!

That was a whole lot for one blog, but keep checking in for special announcements and reminders!

Also, if you're looking for student choice points check out this awesome opportunity! Ms. Herr will share more about it class on Tuesday!

Have a fantastic & safe Labor Day weekend!

Session 8 - What is a Philosophy?

What are you curious about?

What all do I need to make my philosophy great and achievable?

• Time to think about what you believe about teaching and learning, and then the opportunity to implement.

Does Ag Ed have to be about FFA?

• Agricultural Education is not just about FFA. The FFA is an integral part of the agricultural education model in formal school settings. However, there are many examples of agricultural and environmental education that occur in non-formal settings that could guide your philosophy.

The involvement of all three circles in an overall ag course.

• Next Tuesday's class on the "Premier Delivery System" should begin to answer some of these questions.

Philosophy and what it has to do with Ag. Ed.?

• I hope we answered this in class, but feel free to talk with me further!

What did you learn?

o   How to start writing a philosophy statement

o   How to provide examples in my philosophy statement

o   More about my personal teaching philosophy

o   As a teacher you need to be flexible in order to succeed

o   How to think about my own philosophy

o   What items should be incorporated into a philosophy

o   The key points as to why we write a philosophy 

What do you want to learn more about?

More about the ideal program... stay tuned, more in this class and then a whole lot in AEE 413!

FFA... take AEE 311

Philosophy... Check out the following related to many different philosophies... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_education   I know, I know.... it is Wikipedia, but there really is some great information on this site.

Session 7 - Follow-up to the Amazing Race!!

What are you curious about?

• 4H History and Background
• Link here for more Info: http://www.4-h.org/about/4-h-history/
• How did you get the Amazing Race Idea?
• I saw the show. Thought it would be a fun concept to allow students to take ownership and create "stops" on race.
• How to make education fun like the Amazing Race?
• Just have fun :)
• 
  

What did you learn?

1. Fun ways to study agricultural education
2. Land Grant Universities
3. A lot of dates, people, and also different games to play in my future class
4. How to react under pressure! 
5. Some questions are really hard for a quick game!
6. The Ag Ed Timeline
7. Teamwork

What do you want to learn more about?

• 4H
• http://www.4-h.org/
• More about people and dates
• http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/ag_edu.htm
• The Grange Association
• http://www.nationalgrange.org/
• More Fun Games
• You get to make one! See later class session!
• Team Building Activities
• http://www.huddle.com/blog/team-building-activities/
• FFA
• https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx
• Strategies for Teaching
• See AEE 412
• What is the difference between FFA and 4H?
• FFA is grounded in formal school-based agricultural education and is lead by certified teachers. 4H is non-formal, conducted by extension and volunteers. Both share similar values.

Session 6 - Can't get enough History!!

Session 6 - Can't get enough History!!! 

What are you curious about?

o   How to make and design lesson plans

§  This is something that will be covered in depth in AEE 412

o   Penn State Extension

§  Check out the Penn State extension website for more details http://extension.psu.edu/

o   What are the dates for our amazing race station

§  The amazing race will take place Tuesday 9/16

o   The advantages of youth program and their effect on Juvenile Criminal Issues

o   More about the history of agricultural education

§   Amazing Race!!! It's going to be great!

o   How to get involved in cooperative extensions

§  Check out the Penn State extension website for more details http://extension.psu.edu/

o   Does serve safe certify everyone in the restaurant, and how often is it redone

o   Is extension just in the college of Ag

o   The amazing race and the stations

o   How can I prepare for the amazing race

o   What does an Ag- ed co-op do

o   How runoff water is polluted and how they developed the water fall so that polluted water doesn’t ruin the crops

What did you learn?

o   They took vacant lots and planted grassy areas that helped the community develop

o   That extension has impacted major cities throughout Pennsylvania

o   Extension in Pennsylvania reaches 1 in 2 households

o   Cooperative extension and how they benefit countless communities

o   Penn State is responsible for massive amounts of programs in Pennsylvania

o   That cooperative extension goes beyond just helping farmers

What do you want to learn more about?

o   The Penn State Extension Program and the possibilities of a future career path

o   The history of agricultural education

o   How extension programs work in communities

o   The Carl D Perkins Act

o   How cooperative extension functions

o   The revitalization of Pittsburg

o   The required hours assignment

o   More about how extension had directly impacted Pennsylvania agriculture 

Session 5 - More AEE History!!

AEE 100 Session 5 Follow up - How did all begin [Continued]!

To address the Ticket Outs from Session 3:

What are we curious about?

• Are there any acts currently in Congress that would further shape School-Based Agricultural Education?
• Great Question! Hopefully, we can dig into that with our November Session in AEE 100 on "What is the Future of Agricultural Education?"
• If you high school did not have FFA, could you still be involved?
• No, only students enrolled in school-based agricultural education can be FFA members. For more information: https://www.ffa.org/about/LocalFFA/Pages/BecomeAMember.aspx
• Old Main
• Here is a neat article: http://www.imakenews.com/psaanews/e_article001947331.cfm?x=b11,0,w
• The Amazing Race!
• It will be amazing...
• How many actual land grants are in each state specifically?
• Here is a map:  http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/partners_map.pdf

• How much history will we focus on this semester?
• We have two more class sessions!
• Will the MidTerm include all of the info we read in our book?
• Maybe, Possibly, Likely
• AEE 100 & 311 Blogspot
• What are you curious about? Email Ms. Rice specific questions or stop her after class.
• More about the history of Ag Ed!
• We have two more class sessions!

What did you learn?

• Abe Lincoln singed the Morrill of 1862
• There are specific people to help with the 49-2 Assignments!
• How to get into moodle for the first time.
• Perkin's Act = School Funding
• Land Grant Act of 1890 established lang grants for historically black colleges and universities
• Land Grant Act of 1994 established land grants for Native American populations
• Old Main has a Frescoes!
• One of the first urban ag schools was in Philly
• It took Morrill 5 years to pass his act
•         More about the history of agriculture
• Squanto!

What do you want to learn more about?

• Old Main and the History of the Building!
• Check this out: http://alumni.libraries.psu.edu/oldmain.html
• What is in the 49-2 modules? 
• Check this out: http://psuaee100.blogspot.com/2013/08/49-2-mandate-moodle-modules.html
• I would like to learn more about Shaver's Creek!
• It is awesome. Here is a link: http://shaverscreek.org/
• George Vahoviak and Ellen Will are our guest speakers on Tuesday, Sept 10th! Don't miss that session!
• ESL Standards and Procedures
• Deb Herman is your go to source for that! Look at the syllabus for instructional team contact info!
• Do you only take WFED for one class or should you take two?
• One class (WFED 413) is mandated.

Session #4 - Beyond School Based Ag Ed: What are Opportunities in Environmental Education?

Session #4 - Beyond School Based Ag Ed: What are Opportunities in Environmental Education?

Here are the responses to your Tickets Out!

What are we curious about?

o   The soap making course that is offered through Shaver’s Creek

o   The wildlife program at Shaver’s Creek

o   Taking 1 credit workshops through Shaver’s Creek

o   All of the opportunities that Shaver’s Creek offers

o   How can I get into the Shaver’s Creek programs?

o   Are there any full week camps offered at Shaver’s Creek, which are not during the academic school year?

o   The maple harvesting class that is offered through Shaver’s Creek

o   The opportunity to be an instructor at Shaver’s Creek

o   How do you apply for a work-study program?

o   What websites I can go to, in order to find out more information about the programs at Shaver’s Creek

o   How to relate environmental education to agricultural education in the classroom?

What did we learn?

o   Outdoor school is a great opportunity

o   Shaver’s Creek offers a variety of opportunities

o   Volunteer opportunities at Shaver’s Creek

o   I can get credits for day courses at Shaver’s Creek

o   Being a counselor at outdoor school sounds like a great experience

What do we want to learn more about?

o   Courses offered through Shaver’s Creek for credits

o   The wildlife programs at Shaver’s Creek

o   More details about outdoor school

o   How to get involved at Shaver’s Creek

o   Ways to acquire resources through Shaver’s Creek for my future classroom

o   How to become a leader at Shaver’s Creek

o   The costs associated with Shaver’s Creek

o   Environmental Education

    Check out: http://shaverscreek.org

AEE 100 Sessions 2 and 3 - Assignments and Moodles!

Sessions 2 and 3 - Assignments and Moodles!

Well, sessions 2 and 3 didn't go quite as I had planned.  However, we gained a lot of valuable information and a lot of questions were answered.

Session 2 - Assignments!

After the first session of AEE 100 I knew there were TONS of questions regarding the assignments and expectations.  We spent the class learning about what each assignment was and how it connected to the objective of the course and how it will assist each of you on your journey to becoming an agricultural educator.

Field Experience Hours were one assignment that raised a lot of questions.  As an education major, you are required by the state of Pennsylvania to acquire 80 hours of early field experience.  The 80 hours are to be spent observing/working with diverse and non-diverse audiences in equal portions. We assign 20 hours of that to be completed during AEE 100 to help you get a "jump start" on your total 80 hours. If you have the hours completed, just work on the 1-2 page reflection paper!  If you have partial of the 80 hours, use this class to get 20 more!

Session 3 - MOODLES

49-2 Mandate - Moodle Modules

The Pennsylvania Department of Education passed the modifications to 49-2 Teacher Certification on September 22, 2007 requiring all instructional and educational specialist preparation programs to include the following by January 1, 2011 [Read More Here: 49-2 Mandate for Students with Special Needs & ELL]

1. At least 9 credits or 270 hours regarding accommodations and adaptations for students with disabilities in an inclusive setting (instruction in literacy skills development and cognitive skill development for students with disabilities must be included); and 
2. At least 3 credits or 90 hours regarding the instructional needs of English language learners. (22 PA Code, Chapter 49, §49.13(b) (relating to policies)).

To achieve these mandates without increasing the course credit requirements for agricultural teacher education candidates (thus ensuring a timely graduation), the PSU TeachAG! program opted to utilize WFED 413 for 3 credits and to integrate competency based modules into existing AEE teacher preparation courses.

Moodle Modules are integrated into the following AEE Courses:

• AEE 100
• AEE 295
• AEE 311
• AEE 412
• AEE 413
• AEE 495

To assist you in completing these, there is are 49-2 Instructional Coaches who are certified teachers in ESL/ELL and Special Needs. They would LOVE to talk/assist and help you.

1.         Dr. Marybeth Morrison, Assistant Professor, msm11@psu.edu; Keller Building 409
2.  ·     Ms. Jennifer Nicholas, Instructor, jun149@psu.edu; Keller Building 409
3.  ·     Ms. Debra Herman, Instructor, dxh271@psu.edu; Keller Building 409
4.  ·     Ms. Cathy Thomas, Instructor (cmt133@psu.edu); Keller Building 303 

To complete the PDE 49-2 mandate, course materials for select assignments will be accessed and uploaded to: http://psucteonline.mrooms2.net/. 

You should have a student account created at the above link. The default password is moodle123+. You will have to change the password upon logging in for the first time. 

If you have difficulty logging in, please contact Cathy Thomas (cmt133@psu.edu) or Thomas Hunt (tah258@psu.edu) 

Good Luck!

AEE 100 - First Day Fun!!

Greetings AEE 100'ers!

First off, I am super stoked to be teaching my very first semester of AEE 100 with all of you fine folks.  It looks like we have an eclectic group of individuals that bring a wealth of different experiences, knowledge, skills, and creativeness.  I LOVE IT!  Although I know that not all of you are aspiring to become a teacher of agricultural sciences, we are all here to learn more about being an agriculture educator in the broader sense of the word and how we can do it effectively!

This semester is going to be FUN!  By the tickets out, I sense that some of you are overwhelmed with the materials, expectations, and assignments.  NO WORRIES! I am here to help you achieve academic success and begin a JOURNEY of great experiences in agriculture education.  The Assignment Handbook looks daunting, but believe me, the assignments are manageable and will have impact beyond this course.  Please feel free to ASK QUESTIONS and seek clarity!  Like I said, I want you ALL to do well, so don't hesitate to contact me via email or phone!! (lls203@psu.edu or 814.553.0324)

Below you will find information that will help answer some of your questions and ease your anxiety.  I look forward to Thursday's class session!  Don't forget to watch the movie!! (http://video.vpt.org/video/1461784111/)

MOODLES!!

I reached out to the instructional faculty in the Workforce Education Program to assist me in providing some additional information to you.

Jennifer Nichols provided the following information:

"Moodle is an open-source e-learning platform, much like Angel.  Hopefully, it is user-friendly and supports students well virtually.  In my opinion, your students are likely to teach online (at least a little) in their future careers, so it's good to have exposure to multiple e-learning platforms.  None of them are perfect, but they are all works in progress and the best we can do supporting students from a distance."

Here's more on Moodle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle

As I mentioned in class, by incorporating the Moodle Assignments into our courses, we have eliminated the stresses of having to take additional credits! Yoohoo!

Sign on to the Moodle site: http://psucteonline.mrooms2.net/

The assignments and descriptions are posted.  Familiarize yourself with the platform and never hesitate to get started!

This is going to be a great semester full of opportunities to grow and stretch yourselves.  Your journey in agriculture education is going to be full of ups and downs, but know you are part of a family that are here to help you SUCCEED! We want nothing but the best for you.  

I look forward to our future sessions and working with each of you!

WE ARE......PENN STATE!!

Session 28 and 29 - Agricultural Literacy Presentation Days

What are you curious about?
What we have to write for the student choice points? I don't see an actual assignment in the handbook.

• For each of the events/items that you are using for student choice points you will need to write a description of what the event was, what you learned, and how you will be able to use this information in your future. You should also include any other evidence that you can to show that you were in attendance at the event (i.e. - an agenda, a ticket stub, photos, etc.). In addition, you need a cover page and a table of the events and the number of points for each event/item, and then a total number of points.

The roundtable discussion.

• See you in class on Thursday. Come ready to discuss your field-based observations.

The Penn State guidelines for lesson plans.

• Unit and lesson plans are thoroughly taught in AEE 412. The essential elements of lesson plans are covered in detail, and are expected in each lesson plan written by a teacher candidate in the agricultural education program.

Classroom management, effective powerpoint use, etc.?

• Take AEE 412 :-)

How do you get baby snapping turtles!?

• Hmmm... talk with Cory?

Where can you find the standards at?

• The PA Academic Standards can be found at http://www.pdesas.org/standard/standardsdownloads
• The PA Agriculture Standards/Benchmarks can be found at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/teacher_resources/7392/agricultural_education/507869 under the section titled "Determining Curriculum Content"
• The AFNR standards can be found at https://www.ffa.org/documents/learn/FINAL_AFNR_Standards_v3_2_4_6_09.pdf

How do you declare a major?

• When you reach 5th semester standing, you will be sent an email directing you to officially declare your major. You should be "in" a major prior to that time, however, as the coursework that you are completing needs to be in an area that will ensure a timely graduation. If you need to sit down and talk with an advisor, please let me know.

What did you learn?
Cool ways to do fun activities
Useful teaching tips for all age groups
Predator/prey game
Hands-on activities for classes
Ways to use cool teaching aids
Creative ideas
Variety of games

What do you want to learn more about?
Majors and minors

• Check out the college majors/minors page at http://agsci.psu.edu/students/academics You can click on any of the majors and minor to learn more about them, and determine the coursework requirements for each. You can even see who you would contact for more information for each major/minor.

The resources in room 007.

• Room 007 is the student teacher room. The room has resources available to the student teachers for use when they complete their micro-teaching, prepare unit/lesson plans, etc. It is really their "home base" for the semester when they need a place on campus to work/plan/use the resources for teaching.

More on teaching/teaching tips/cool ways to teach.

• AEE 412 does a lot with teaching methods, and how to effectively teach!

Time management strategies.

• There are many books, and several classes on managing time. We do talk a little bit about stress/time management from the teacher's perspective in AEE 413.

Session 26: What is your vision for the Future?

Thank you so much for a fun session. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember:

Be The Change YOU Want to See in the World. - Ghandi

Please, Take 2 minutes and watch this video:

Here are the visions of the future that members of the 2013 AEE 100 class have:

• I have a vision to lead a program where "No" or "we can't" are not acceptable words.  To cultivate a mindset that we can do everything because we want to change the world. We have the responsibility to feed the world and I hope to inspire students to embrace this challenge and work together to overcome.
• I have a vision to be the person who takes the time to be the best educator possible. I want to impact a student's life in such a way that they can reach their highest goals and create an amazing future with their vision. I hope to do this by creating a secondary agriculture program in my high school!
• I have a vision of building confidences in my students that allows them to feel prepared as competent leaders of our society. I want my students to realize how much potential each one of them has to make a difference and that each of them are important. For each of them to realize that they can be the spark that allows great things to occur in the world, influencing their community in unbelievable ways.
• I have a vision of helping make it so that 60% of NYC children tell the difference between a radish and a potato. For students without FFA or 4H to learn and love agriculture as much as those that are lucky enough to have a program. For those poverty stricken areas to be able to eat more than TV dinners and dollar menu items.
• I have a vision of educating people about the positive effects of agriculture in their community and the world. I believe that many people have negative attitudes about agriculture because they are misinformed due to depending on media sources for their education.  This needs to change, and the best way to change it is by teaching how agriculture benefits us as individuals and a community through a total school based agricultural education program with FFA, SAE, and classroom instruction.  This is my mission.
• I have a vision of being an agriculture teacher in a model program. I want to model Ms. Melanie Bloom's (Iowa) chapter global community service, provide Mike Honeycutt's (The Council) knowledge of SAEs, and promote accurate recordkeeping like Kevin Keith (LPS). I want to the enthusiasm of Ms. Stephanie Joliff (Ohio). I want to implement my officer, POA, CDE and SAE Plans. I want to be the ag teacher that embraces every piece of knowledge that was given to me at Penn State in the AEE program.
• I have a vision of impacting the world by educating the younger generations and watch them prosper through my teachings. I hope they remember me when they look back at what I helped them learn as they continue to achieve greatness.
• I have a vision of in the future directly helping in the conversation of a species to impact our environment while participating in Wildlife Conversation Extension programs to convince people how serious of an issue it is.
• I have a vision of teaching children and adults to appreciate and understand the nature that surrounds us. Both our local natural world of plants and animal as well as global plants and animals. I want to help people be a part of conservation efforts all over the planet.
• I have a vision of increasing global knowledge of conservation and environmental impacts. I want to help everyone understand their contributions to the world and their role in it.
• I have a vision of engaging in entrepreneurial edge in beef production as we reinvent family farming.
• I have a vision of making a wine that brings people together. A wine that when they see/taste it, great memories will come to them. I want to make lives happier!
• I have a vision of helping farmers produce exportable product that keeps them relevant and successful as producers.
• I have a vision of helping students create a vision for their own future, so that they can make a difference.
• I have a vision of working in a diverse community where I will learn from my student's differences how to be a better teacher. I will one day improve the lives of my students by showing them they have career options in their communities. 
• I have a vision of the future of helping schools partner with environmental centers to get students actively engaged in protecting and preserving our environment.
•  I have a vision of developing agriculture courses in every high school across America. I come from a city. My high school did not have agricultural education. I feel like if there are more agriculture classes, it will allow more students to become informed producers and will therefore make decision to impact the future.
• I have a vision of helping make is to agricultural education programs have events for their students in to compete in that represent a wide variety of species. While PA FFA members are allowed to show livestock and dairy, there is no or limited outlets for individuals wishing to show horses. I hope to help facilitate a state wide FFA Horse show for members.
• I have a vision of contributing to protecting agriculture and our nation's food supply through my career as a large animal veterinarian. I plan to genetically improve the Holstein breed through my involvement in the dairy cattle industry and help to develop the next generation of our country's youth as a 4-H leader.
• I have a vision maximizing my education at Penn State to have a career that helps farmers grow and find success in overcoming the hardships of their industry.
• I have a vision working in urban agriculture to end food deserts in America.
• I have a vision of bringing more agriculture education programs to high schools with diverse meaningful hands-on learning experiences.

Session 25 - Philosophy (Shoeboxes)

What are you curious about?
Field observation journal... How long should it be?

• The journals should be long enough to describe your experiences, and what you learned from it. I think if you answer the questions in the assignment handbook, you will be just fine.

Business memo... what is it?

• Answered in class. If you still have questions, please talk with Dr. Ewing.

Does Renee have record of our hours that we have turned in for our 80 hours?

• Once you turn in your hours, Renee places them in a file folder with your name. I access these at the end of the semester to see who has completed the hours. Make sure you get the hours/forms to Renee.

How did the shoe box tie in?

• The shoe box was designed to get students to visually depict their educational philosophy of agricultural and/or environmental education. This was a hands-on approach to get students thinking about their philosophy.

Teaching Strategies?

• This is mainly taught in AEE 412, but if you want to get a good reference book for teaching methods, I would suggest... Newcomb, L. H., McCracken, J.D., Warmbrod, J.R., Whittington, M. S. Methods of teaching agriculture. Danville, IL: Interstate.

Do we learn any agricultural mechanics?

• In the PSU teacher preparation program there are 2 courses that focus on agricultural mechanics. One is AEE 297B and the other is AEE 350.

The Cordivano Scholarship??

• Check out the Teach Ag email blast for information on the scholarship. OR check out http://agsci.psu.edu/international/undergraduates/funding/international-agriculture-intag-minor-student-opportunities for more information

Aquaculture?

• Many of the schools in PA teach Aquaculture using contained systems in their classrooms/laboratories. It is a great way to teach animal science concepts while not having your traditional "farm" type animals. Many schools use Tilapia (an African fish) or bass as their fish of choice, but you can use other types of aquatic animals for this purpose.

When are modules due?

• The handbook provides recommended dates at various points throughout the semester, with the final deadline being November 21st. If you want any type of extension, you need to negotiate that with the module reviewer, Deb Herman.

Can we use student choice points for attendance, if we know we will be here?

• Yes, perfect attendance still counts.

Do we provide our philosophy statement when we interview for teaching positions?

• Absolutely. This is a document that interview teams/administrators want to see. This enables them to learn more about your understanding of education, and how you visualize putting your philosophy into action.

Do student choice points get turned in hard copy or on-line?

• You turn them in via hard copy and in the drop box on ANGEL.

What did you learn?

Everybody's teaching philosophy

Ideas to put in my final philosophy

Howie is awesome.

More ways to get student choice points (Don't forget... 5 points if you share your shoebox with someone outside of class!)

Same big ideas on philosophy, but many people have small variations

Ag. Ed. is more than just cows, sows, and plows

Many new terms

The "Metamorphosis Clap" (Just so everyone knows... I am going after the Trademark and Copyright on this :-)

Firework clap!

Think outside the box!

Diversity is important

People stink at arts and crafts

The theme for FFA this year is "Ignite"

My peers are very creative!

What do you want to learn more about?

Dr. Ewing and Dr. Foster's philosophy statements... 

• We may have to include these as examples in the future.

The future of ag. ed... 

• Next class session.

How can we build our philosophy to impress our employer

• I think it comes down to being honest in what you believe and then articulating that on paper, as well as in the interview. 

How long should our board game take?

• You will be sharing your games in 3-5 minutes. However, for the actual game, it can take as long as necessary... when you have your students doing this in your classroom.

If we get more than 200 student choice points, do we get extra credit?

• No, but good work if you do!

How do we prove that we shared our shoebox with someone else?

• You just note it in your student choice point section for that assignment and tell a little bit about who you shared it with and what they responded. Beyond that, it is a total "trust" thing on my part.

How do I get involved with clubs/organizations?

• Check out the college clubs and organizations' page at http://agsci.psu.edu/students/activities

What forms are necessary for the Ag. Lit. Lesson?

• The learner satisfaction form needs to be completed by each student and then you can complete/compile a summary of the results.
• Two digital pictures (minimum of 2)
• Lesson Plan/presentation materials
• Powerpoint presentation for our class session in AEE 100
• Each person must complete/turn in a 1 - 2 page reflection on the teaching experience.
• Advisor form??? - I am not sure what you mean by this one... Maybe just a signature from the person that supervised/saw you teach?

Session 24 - Special populations

What are you curious about?
How many people develop an IEP?

• This is dependent upon the group that completes the evaluation/determines eligibility. Ultimately, IEP teams can end up being around 6 - 8 people.

Special populations in higher education?

• Check out the Penn State site at http://equity.psu.edu/ods for the Office of Disability Services and how this is handled at Penn State.

Where to get student choice points?

• You propose it, and we can figure it out together... but I bet we will approve it, if it is advancing you professionally/educationally!

How IEP's vary from state to state and when students are placed outside of the "normal school setting".

• The question of variation from state to state is that the overall items that are addressed are similar, but the formatting may vary.
• In terms of school placement, it often comes down to what is best educationally for the student, and safety of that child/other students.

How do we modify when we are in a shop setting?

• Many times it is a matter of having others help, whether that is a student, an aide, or you as the teacher. The main thing is to be aware of safety issues.

Philosophy boxes.

• Be ready to share on Tuesday!

Will we have a chance to develop an IEP in college?

• Not currently in our programming, but this is an interesting question for the teacher educators in our program to consider!

What did you learn?
About IEPs and what they are for
Accommodations and modifications
Interventions
Much of what we already do in "good teaching" can help all students learn.
About disabilities/barriers
IEPs vary greatly depending on the needs of the student
A real life example of an IEP!!!

What do you want to learn more about? 
How far will a teacher go to help a student before they are moved to another class?

• I think this totally depends on the support of that teacher and the other teachers/aides in the school.

Our role as the teacher in an IEP meeting?

• You will be considered the "general education" teacher, and your role is to share how the student is performing in your class. This will help the team make decisions on how best to serve the student in the future.

How to maintain a classroom when accommodating to all students?

• I think this comes back to good planning and use of resources. You need to be prepared to include the students, and many times this is just by making sure they are safe and included in the activities at a level appropriate for their skills. You would be amazed at how other students will "come around" a classmate when they need help. Some students have a great deal of "care" for others.

There are a lot of specific disabilities, and we can't learn about them all now. We need to get out and work with students and experience the many different needs of students.

IEP meetings.

• Some of the cooperating centers may allow you to sit in on a meeting, with special permission of the parent, but many times you will need to wait until you are a teacher in a district to serve.

Who makes the IEP?

• Once a child has been identified with a special need, it is really up to the IEP team to make the decisions on how to best serve the student. The team is often made up of teachers (special education and general education), counselors, school psychologists, parents/guardians, potentially an administrator, etc. 

What makes each ag program/school different?

• In my view it is the teacher, and how they work with every student... not just the "superstars" in their program. I think it goes a long way when a teacher builds rapport with every student in a program no matter the level of the student's knowledge, skill, or ability.