From Classroom to Department of Ag: Sec. Redding speaks to #psuaged16

Yesterday, the 2016 Student Teacher Candidates and AEE staff met with the new Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding to discuss Agriculture Education, his time at Penn State when he was a student, and of course what he plans to do in the future with his new position.

Before Secretary Redding was the nominated by Governor Tom Wolf to serve as the 26^th Secretary of Agriculture for PA, he was the former dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College. He is a graduate of Penn State getting his B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Extension and Education and has used his education to serve as Chair for the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21^st Century Agriculture.

 

When Secretary Redding sat down with the 2016 Student Teacher Candidates they wanted to know what his expectations are for the future teachers in agriculture and what he personally thinks they should be aware of. He stated, “I believe that Agriculture Science teachers should be able to connect science and civics together to form good lessons. Teachers should be solid in science skills and be translators to why agriculture is important to show students and parents to gain support. Be contemporary on issues, well read, engaged and persistent. Lastly, look at the need for what we are preparing our students to go out and do after they graduate.”

He also gave the student teacher candidates some advice to prepare them for the future when they are student teaching and even when they accept jobs. He stated, “The top three things that you should be aware of are, you can never have enough patience, don’t be afraid to accept constructive feedback, and lastly be personally organized.” All of his advice and input for the future teachers were taken seriously and the 2016 Student Teachers felt more prepared for their student teaching experiences in the next semester!  Overall his visit was constructive and the students were happy to have him! 

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph  

2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

Program of the Month: Pequea Valley High School #studentsuccess

In Pennsylvania we have over 150 FFA chapters that represent the Blue and Gold at its finest. There is one chapter that has stood above the rest this month to become our October Program of the Month. This month Pequea Valley High School, is that program.

Student's in the Lab at Pequea Valley High School

Pequea Valley High School was chartered in 1956. Since then it has been under the supervision of Mr. Doug Masser and Mrs. Jasmine VanSant. Pequea Valley has a large array of classes and opportunities for students that are in the FFA program. They currently have 30 students working on SAE’s which is higher than previous years and have even started a program for agriculture internships with local businesses  where students will have paid positions for course credit as a senior capstone course starting in the Spring of 2016!

Pequea Valley High School’s Agriscience Program offers a wide array of classes for their students to take including:

Introduction to Agricultural Sciences

Introduction to Agricultural Mechanics

Biological Students in Agriculture Science (Mandatory Ag Class for all 10^th grade students)

Horticulture

Natural Resources

Animal Science

Veterinary Science

Food Science

Foods Unwrapped

Agricultural Biotechnology

Power Technology

Welding

Precision Agriculture

Agricultural Topics (Independent Study in Agricultural Education) 

 

Students at Churchill Downs during FFA National Convention

Some of their latest chapter accomplishments are highlighted below:

1^st Place Small  Gas Engines Team (FFA Activities Week 2014)

4^th Place Agricultural Mechanics Team (FFA Activities Week 2015)

Pequea Valley High School has done a great job in the past and we can’t what is yet to come for this chapter. Under the supervision of two Penn State Alumni, we know that they are in good hands! Congrats again for being Program of the Month Pequea Valley High School!

If you would like to contact them for information about the program you can reach them at these social media outlets:

Program Twitter: @PVAgEd

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog

Student of the Month: Kayla Hack #psuaged17 #teachag

Every month we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in the Agriculture Education department! For the month of October, that student is the one and only Kayla Hack!

Kayla is a junior this year and is minoring in International Agriculture and also specializing in Spanish. Kayla has always had a passion for teaching and agriculture so this major was the perfect career path for her. She states, “When people ask me what I want to do, I respond: “I want to teach”, there is something about teaching, learning and students that warms and breaks my heart all at the same time.  Agriculture is my subject area, and Agriculture Education community has opened a multitude of doors, at Penn State, across the nation and World for me.”

Kayla also has a unique experience in traveling seeing as she spent 10 weeks in Costa Rica through the College of Agriculture Sciences. She went with a goal of studying Spanish and agriculture while completing her undergraduate research. Upon her return, Kayla enrolled in a class called “Introduction to Teaching English Language Learners” where she is in a virtual tutoring session that allows her to go in depth with class discussions about issues involving emergent bilingual education and how teachers can play a role.

On top of all of that, Kayla is involved in the Penn State Navigators, is the Vice President of Membership Development for Teach Ag! Society, and was the Global Teach Ag! past intern and volunteer for the college.

Kayla is a great student and community member and does a lot for the Agriculture College! Congratulations Kayla for being October’s Student of the Month!

Want to know some fun facts about Kayla? Check them out below!

Hometown: East Troy, Wisconsin

Favorite PSU Class: INTAG 100, INTAG 499B, AEE 311

Favorite place to eat in State College: Cozy Thai

Favorite Penn State Athletic Team: Football

Favorite Hangout on Campus: The Study abroad Lounge or The Pasquerilla Center

If you would like to read more about Kayla’s travels, check out her blog at: http://kaylahack.blogspot.com/

Janae Herr: Penn State Ag Council Youth Leadership Award #psuaged16 #studentsuccess

Leader [lee-der]

noun: a person or thing that leads, a guiding or directing head

A leader is someone who isn’t afraid to take charge and accomplish much in a short amount of time. It is someone that is kind, delegates work, and is someone who isn’t afraid of complicated situations. At Penn State, there is an award to recognize students that are youth leaders through the Penn State Ag Council. To be qualified for this award, the student much demonstrate outstanding communication and advocacy skills, exhibit high levels of professionalism, and serve as a role model or mentor to others. This year, the Penn State Ag Council has selected a leader that has gone above and beyond in the Agriculture College. That leader is Janae Herr.

Janae is a senior majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education and is minoring in Agribusiness Management and International Agriculture. During her time here at Penn State she has dedicated her time to numerous clubs and organizations and has had several leadership roles in the college. Some of her leadership roles include, being President of the Teach Ag! Society, led a 8-day trip with several Penn State students to Mississippi to teach students in rural Appalachia, being a College or Ag Sciences Advocate, a National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador, and has worked with national FFA corporate sponsors to aid in recruiting agriculture educators. WOW! Just reading all of those accomplishments you know that Janae cares about the agriculture industry and making her mark in the college!

Janae states, “I count myself incredibly blessed to work underneath such a phenomenal instructional team; individuals who stretch and challenge me and my peers to be the best professional and future educators we can become. I am thankful instructors who are incredibly passionate about the future of school-based agriculture education and the production of similarly passionate individuals who will choose a career in that field after graduation. I would like to give a huge thank you to each of them, Dr. Foster, Dr. Ewing and Dr. Rice for the nomination for this prestigious award and for investing continually into me as a professional and an individual.”

Congratulations again for the award Janae! It is well deserved!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph  

2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

Olivia Murphy-Sweet: Alumni Scholarship Award #studentsuccess #psuaged16

“It’s a funny thing coming home.  Nothing changes.  Everything looks the same, feels the same.  You realize what’s changed is you” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Olivia Murphy-Sweet has lived this quote to the fullest.  She spent the summer doing research in San Ignacio Belize, immersing herself in the village of San Jose Succotz.  Olivia's research focused on establishing a 4-H program in the village of San Jose Succotz.  She attests to her personal and professional growth while in Belize.  It’s safe to say, she returned with a different perspective on life!

Like any intentional research, there was some motivation behind Olivia’s research project.  In Belize, there is a lack of youth organizational development which drives youth to turn toward crime and violence.  Community leaders worry about passing down indigenous knowledge of local agricultural practice due to the lack of youth participation.  Agriculture education programs are a key component of addressing this issue.   Olivia’s passion for agriculture education shines through all avenues of her work.

During her research, Olivia interviewed current 4-H leaders, community leaders and students in San Jose Succotz, in the Cayo District of Belize.  The interviews were to aid in understanding how 4-H youth development could be adapted to fit their cultural context in order to preserve the indigenous knowledge in the local community.  In-depth studies of the village and community during her time in Belize helped provide perspective to incorporating 4-H in the village.

Olivia’s internship experience deserves accolades, as she was one of 48 students to be conferred with the prestigious Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Ag Alumni Society Internship Award.  Created in 1986, the Internship Award was created to recognize students who participated in an educational internship program during the school year or summer.  

Olivia would like to extend a special “thank you” to Dr. Filiberto Penados who was her in country advisor in Belize.  He helped Olivia organize her trip and made the immersion into a new culture welcoming and seemless.  She would also like to thank Dr. Melanie Miller-Foster and Dr. Daniel Foster who presented her with the opportunity and were a great support system while in and out of the country.

Olivia leaves these words of advice for her peers:

“I urge anyone interested in an internship opportunity to travel out of the area or even out of their comfort zone to fully understand the benefits of what you are doing.  Growing my personal learning network (PLN) in a different county made my learning enjoyable."

Olivia is a shining star in the Penn State Agricultural & Extension Education Program.  Her passion helps create positive agents of change to make the world a better place.  Congratulations, Olivia!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Miranda Kane: Alumni Scholarship Award #studentsucess #psuaged17

The opportunities and scholarships are endless for deserving students in the College of Agriculture at Penn State. One of those deserving students, Miranda Kane, is a junior this year majoring in Agricultural Extension and Education and minoring in Spanish. She applied for the College of Agriculture Alumni scholarship and was one of 48 applicants to receive the award!

The College of Agriculture Alumni Internship Award was created in 1986 to reward students who participated in an educational internship program during the school year or summers. Since its beginning, the Ag Alumni Society has distributed $160,750 in internship awards benefiting 268 students in the college. To apply for this award you would have to create a report about the goals for the internship and an evaluation of how you viewed the internship went. Your employer also had to complete an evaluation form of how you did as well! Miranda went the extra mile and made sure that she had all of this completed to be considered for this award!

Now what exactly did Miranda do you may ask? She completed an internship as the 2015 Summer Assistant for the Chester County 4-H Program. She worked with youth all across Chester County, PA, and educated the students about the environment and their role in it. Her coworkers and her traveled to various under served communities and led a range of activities to get the members educated, active, and motivated to learn. They also encouraged members to submit crafts for the Chester County 4-H fair and directed tours for the members who joined them at the Chester County fair. Overall Miranda states that she had an amazing and educational summer working for the 4-H extension office but she couldn’t have done it without the help of people that worked in the office with her. Tracy Murdaugh who was the Programs Assistant during the summer and her supervisor Toni Stuetz both provided her with an “inside scoop” on how 4-H programming is run and the skills and techniques necessary for working with the youth. The experience motivated her only positively to becoming a great Agriculture Educator one day.

We know that Miranda is going to do amazing things in and out of the industry and we hope that she pursues furthering her education more and more as time goes on!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph  

2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

‘MOO’ve out of the way for Sarabeth Royer! #studentsuccess #psuaged16

Sarabeth Royer is a senior this year at Penn State majoring in Agricultural Extension and Education and she has done some utterly unbelievable things during her time here at school. She has made an impact by being a PSU Ag Advocate, being an active member of several student run organizations, and even works at the Poultry facilities that we have on campus. All of her hard work and dedication has led to her winning a top of the line award called the NDS/DMI Education and Communication Scholarship.

This scholarship is organized through National Dairy Shrine and Dairy Management Inc. who both co-sponsor this award for students who are pursuing degrees in education or communication in which they directly relate to dairy, agriculture, or food related industries. Due to the fact that Sarabeth has been an active member and current treasurer of the Dairy Science Club, a PSU Ag Advocate, and lives on a dairy farm in Lancaster, PA, she was able to relate to this award quite a bit! Stated in her essay, “I believe that there is a disconnect between farms and food. This ignorance is a huge and pressing problem in the United States, and has considerably shaped my decision to major in Agricultural and Extension Education. I want to help students bridge this gap between the field and the fork, the tractor cab and the fridge door, the cow and the ice cream cone...” Since her time here at Penn State, she has been working on that goal.

Sarabeth mentioned to us as well that the support she received from her professors at Penn State made her choose to apply for this award. Her professors Mr. Dale Olver and Dr. Chad Dechow (both PSU Dairy Science Club Advisors and professors in the Dairy and Animal Sciences classes) both urged her to apply and both wrote her letters of recommendation for this award.

Sarabeth will be receiving this award on October 1^st at the National Dairy Shrine awards banquet in Madison Wisconsin which is during the World Dairy Exposition. She will also be receiving a $1,500 scholarship to aid her in furthering her education. She states, “Lessons taught outside in our barn, in a field, or our milking parlor have all molded me, have sculpted me into a passionate advocate for agriculture. For these reasons, I am pursuing a degree in Agricultural and Extension Education with the hopes of teaching secondary agriculture education. After all, I am a strong believer in the fact that some of the best classrooms don’t have four walls.”

We know Sarabeth will continue being an 'Ag'vocate in the classroom and wherever she chooses to go! Keep on doing great things Sarabeth!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog.

Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph  

2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher