Welcome Mr. Seaman and Ms. Mathie to PSU TeachAg! @JonSeamanAgEd @BethMathiePsu

Penn State Center for Professional Personnel Development has two new members that have been hired to assist in providing an effective impact on training new and beginning teachers as well as current educators. We welcome Jonathan Seaman and Bethany Mathie our new Co-Curricular Program Managers. Lets meet our new managers!

Jonathan is originally from Kutztown, PA, past volunteer firefighter, and a former graduate of Agriculture and Extension Education at Penn State. Jon was led to this position because of his natural passion for agriculture education and felt his skill set suited this position well. His past experiences from his childhood, working on dairy farms, training to be a firefighter, and FFA leadership and opportunities are what define his character in present times. Jon's goals in this position is to introduce nanotechnology, 3-D printing, and the use of certification programs in Pennsylvania agricultural education programs, to be a resource for pre-service and in-service educators, and to implement the use project and inquiry based learning through agricultural educators. Outside of work Jon enjoys spending time with his family and dog Axle, as well as watching Penn State Football.

Beth is originally from Montoursville, PA and a former graduate of Agriculture and Extension Education at Penn State. Beth was led to this position as she was looking to come back to Pennsylvania from the Baltimore area where she taught agricultural education. She felt that this position was the right fit for her, and wanted a change of life. Her past experiences from her supportive parents encouraging her along and teaching in various schools including urban education has defined who she is a person in present times. Her goals in this position are to do the best she can to support programs and teachers (new and beginning) to increase the teacher retention rate. Outside of Penn State Beth enjoys reading, yoga, and chasing her three year old.

WE ARE, excited to welcome you to Penn State, and we wish both of you the best in accomplishing your goals in the position you hold! 

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

December 2017 Program of the Month: Bald Eagle High School

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest. December's program of the month goes to Bald Eagle High School, Bald Eagle FFA Chapter.

Background Knowledge:
The current agricultural educators at Bald Eagle are Mr. Todd Biddle, Mr. Jade Thompson, and Ms. Morgan Campbell. The program was charted on January 12, 2012, and had not been a charter for over 30 years prior to that date. The students that were interested in learning about agriculture attended State College's program, and as that number grew the district decided to start a General  Agriculture program. Bald Eagle has a three period forestry program to train students for that industry.

Classroom Instruction:
The current offered of courses are Introduction to Agriculture, Animal Production, Animal Science, Horticulture, Agriculture Mechanics, Forestry Production (wildlife management taught within), and Agriculture Leadership. They have expanded animal science offering this year for those who have strong ambitions toward animal agriculture. All of the teachers have general science and biology certifications, and have taught science courses at Bald Eagle currently or in the past. Mr. Thompson had started the program in 2012, Mr. Biddle has been teaching agriculture for five year, and this year is Ms. Campbell's first year. Some innovations that are being implemented are producing and drying the lumber that the woodshed students will use since they have their own sawmill. There is also talk about selling the lumber to other local school districts.

FFA Accomplishments:
Bald Eagle FFA had earned the two star National Chapter Award in both 2016 and 2017. Their application has ranked in the top 10 within Pennsylvania for the past three years. The students are also very successful in area agricultural competitions with winners and winning teams in ag sales, forestry, poultry judging, livestock evaluation, public speaking, etc. At PA Farm Show the students also have done very well with tractor restoration, landscape box, window exhibits, and youth rabbit competitions. The chapter has received several grants that have allowed them to establish a pollinator garden on campus that is affiliated with the Snetsinger Butterfly garden at Tudek Park. The FFA chapter has worked with local state agriculture clubs as sites for agriculture conferences.

SAE Accomplishments:
Since 2012, Bald Eagle has had 14 students earn their Keystone Degrees. Seven of those students will receive their degree this year. In 2016-2017 one of the students was the state winner in goat production efficiency area, and scored silver at the national level.

Bald Eagle is a newer program, but still producing fantastic results from their short time as a chartered program! We are excited to see where your program will go in future years. Congratulations on being program of the month!

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.

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

November 2017 Program of the Month: State College Little Lions

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest. November's program of
the month goes to State College Area High School, Little Lions FFA Chapter.

Background Knowledge
State College Area High School's first Agricultural Educator was Edwin Dale in 1929, and since then there has been five others who have or are currently teaching at State College. Those include Robert Smith, Donald Cross, Dave Seamans, Paul Heasley, and Jessica Harpster. Former students that have went through the program at State College that are now teachers are Matthew Rider, Allison Hover, and Morgan Campbell, and previous student teachers are Jennifer-Stinglin-Keefer and Lydia Everhart. 

Classroom Instruction
In the classroom the students have a choice of four career paths which include Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences, Natural Resources, and Ag Mechanics. Some of the courses offered are Ag Science I, Exploring Ag Science, Large Animal Science, Equine Science, Horticulture, Landscaping, Agroecosystems, Wildlife, Ag Mech Construction, and Ag Mech Power. Some innovation that they have done in the classroom include production of hydroponic plants using Dutch Bucket System and Aeroponic system in their greenhouse. They also had processed and marketed 220 bottles of the hot sauce the developed its name is rather interesting, "Peachy Sweet Raspberry Heat."

FFA Accomplishments
State College Little Lions FFA Chapter has been successful in recent months with their 4th place Poultry Judging Team at the Eastern States Exposition, receiving a $3,000 donation to the chapter, and Justin Kurtz, a student, who was elected to a Pennsylvania FFA State Officer position.


SAE Accomplishments
Their recent SAE accomplishments are four students are currently completing work placement experiences and all 16 new freshman are entering SAE records into the AET record book system. 

State College Little Lions are thriving and accomplishing great things! We look forward to seeing what all your program will produce in the future as for the innovative thinking that you have now!

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.

Luke Kerstetter

Communication Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher

January 2017 Program of the Month: Central PA Institute of Science and Technology

All across the great state of Pennsylvania there are 145 school districts that have Agriculture Education courses and the FFA program. Each month we like to highlight a chapter that has stood out from the rest of the chapters. January's program of the month goes to Central PA Institute of Science and Technology or otherwise know as the Central PA Institute FFA Chapter!

Background Knowledge of CPI The agriculture program at Central PA Institute was first introduced in 1969. This program features one course that pertains to a certain area or aspect of agriculture. Throughout the decades the program has changed. When it first opened it was a Natural Resources Management course then it was changed to Horticulture, Floriculture after that, and today it is a Horticulture and Landscaping course. The current Agriculture Educator at CPI is Mr. Joe Luther, and this is his eighth year teaching at CPI.

SAE Projects and FFA Mr. Luther encourages his students to create a Supervised Agricultural Experience project in the category of exploratory. Some examples he gives students are job shadowing, working with contractors, exploring personal interests, co-op, and one student of his had raised and trained two Seeing Eye dogs through her local 4H program. The students at CPI have became heavily involved with the FFA program over the past two years. Their main area is in the Nursery/Landscaping CDE and Floriculture CDE at State Activities week. In the fall of 2015, CPI's Nursery/Landscaping team placed second at The Big E competition. In the fall of 2016 they also placed second at The Big E for landscape design. This past year several students competed in the Junior and Senior Prepared Public Speaking LDE. Each student that had competed moved on to the regional level.  From the regional event one moved on to the state level. 
Throughout the past several years Mr. Luther has had his class participate in the HeroScape Program which provides new additions of landscaping to war veterans homes at no cost. The students love getting the opportunity to give back to the community in this way because it goes to those who have served our country.

Pennsylvania Farm Show 
Every year, CPI competes at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in several different events including Landscape Design, to small competitions like the hanging basket competition. Over the past three years CPI has won the Landscape Design competition. Mr. Luther was surprised by the results. "Our success this year was a huge surprise to myself and everyone in our class. We expected some very strong competition, which we received, and when we came out on top, we were ecstatic. My students continue to innovate our class by bringing new ideas from their individual minds and imaginations." Since all of his students come from different areas they each have different ideas and interpretations to a design. Some of these range from modern to classical styles; which is drawn from the areas where they live. Many of his students have came into class only knowing basic knowledge and ideas about landscaping designs. After their two or three years in the class they have created a natural talent and eye for designing landscapes and other projects. They also learn how to focus on small details and final touches, which leads to big results.


Collaboration of CPI and Penn State
Dr. John Ewing teaches AEE 349; Shop Processes for Agricultural Educators, at CPI. There are many benefits to this course being held at CPI including the state of the art facilities that all the course work can be offered in one location. This relationship benefits the students in the Horticulture and Landscaping class because they are able to see college level courses happening in their own shop. It also provides an opportunity for the perspective student teachers to get observation hours, and teach  Mr. Luther's students mini lessons before they start their student teaching experiences.

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

Luke Kerstetter

Student Blogger

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agricultural Education Student Teacher