Recently at the National FFA Convention collegiate students participated in the Alpha Tau Alpha Conclave. There were a variety of events such as parliamentary procedure, quiz bowl, debate, outstanding chapter and essay. Here is an essay that Penn State's own Jillian Gordon a 2015 student teacher wrote in response to the following prompt:
With the changes in traditional agriculture and the
innovative technologies of the present and future, describe the potential of
SAE in school-based Agricultural Education. Use current agricultural research
to support your position
We are very proud of her essay and wanted to make it available on our blog for our reader.
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| Author Jillian Gordon (on the right) worked the National Teach Ag Booth during National FFA Convention |
Leveraging Crowd-Funding through Technology to Total Student Success in Supervised Agricultural Experiences
Potential
is defined as having or
showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future
(Merriam-Webster, 2013). Potential is what drives agricultural education across
the country, pushed forward by the notion that every student is capable of
developing into something larger themselves.
The potential of students is limitless, but the reality is that
potential has barriers, mostly in the form of resources. This is ever true in
agricultural education, specifically when looking into Supervised Agricultural
Experiences. While not true in every case, some of the most effective and
educational SAEs require monetary resources. Students can be limited in their
outcomes of SAE through school based Agricultural Education simply due to lack
of funding. Whether it be a research, placement or even entrepreneurial project,
the cost is there and limits students in their potential to receive a truly
complete agricultural education experience. A study done by three professors from Texas
A&M University showed evidence that among the factors influencing a
student’s participation of SAE was that of resources, specific the need for
monetary resources (Lewis, Rayfield, & Moore,
2012).
Conversely, while resources may limit, technology has the ability to expand
potential. If the burden of finances was
taken off the table through the use of technology, SAEs would have the
potential to be the leading force in the advancements of agricultural innovations
as well as school based agricultural education.
The evolution of SAEs from Rufus
Stimson and the beginnings of “home-project” concepts of vocational agriculture
to John Dewey and today’s SAE has been a captivating one (Boone, Doerfert, & Elliot, 1987). The advancements of
technology within SAE have assisted students in going from the traditional
applied “home-projects” to developing 21st century skills such as
financial literacy, global awareness, and initiative and self direction (Partnership
for 21st Century Skills, 2013). Innovations such as
The Agricultural Education Tracker help further advance these said skills. However,
technology has not fixed the barrier of funding student projects. As for any
individual who is in the market for seed money to start their own business or
project, students have the option to take out loans. Almost always, due to lack
of substantial income and credit history, students rely on their parents to get
that loan for them. The additional financial burden to parents is not ideal,
and unfortunately the student is simply out of luck. But what if technology
advanced to help students with this barrier as well? The solution could
potentially be just around the corner.
“Crowd-funding” is an up- and-coming
trend that is taking entrepreneurship and personal projects by storm. Defined
as “the use of small amounts of capital from a large number of individuals,” (ValueClick, Inc, 2013) there are many
companies and organizations out there that are utilizing this new trend. One
example is Kiva, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization founded in 2005 with the mission
of connecting people through lending to help alleviate global poverty (Kiva, 2013). The organization
works with micro financing- a financial service for those who do not have
access to typical banking systems- and pairs lenders with borrowers to provide
short-term loans. This allows low-income individuals and families the
opportunity to make an investment, earn the money back to return it to the
lender. The family is able to continue to thrive, and the lender can help with
no personal cost to them. Imagine the wealth of possibilities that could be
available if micro financing was available specifically
for Supervised Agricultural Experiences. Not everyone out there can
necessarily give $1,000, but what if every single person could give just $1 to
help fund a student project? Additionally, students could add even more 21st
Century Skills to their arsenal by having the ability to help micro-finance
projects of other students and see their investments come back to them.
When technology is incorporated in
the classroom, students are more apt to fully dive into the learning
experience. It has been shown that students who actively participate in FFA and
Ag Education in high school have a 97% chance of returning for their sophomore
year of post-secondary education; while only 60% of their non-FFA peers return (Aschenbrener & Dodson, 2010). In order to
facilitate the best possible experience for these students, having the ability
to give them minimal limits is vitally important. The technology of crowd
funding has the potential to advance SAE projects exponentially and in return,
impact the agricultural futures of tomorrow.
Bibliography
Aschenbrener, M., & Dodson, B. (2010). Impact of
FFA and Supervised Agricultural Experience on Student Retention and Academic
Success. AAAE Research Papers.
Boone, H. N., Doerfert, D. L., & Elliot, J.
(1987). Supervised Occupational Experience Programs: History, Philosophy,
Current Status and Future Implications. The Journal of AATEA , 8.
Kiva. (2013). How Does Kiva Work? Retrieved
10 12, 2013, from Kiva.org: www.kiva.org/start
Lewis, L. J., Rayfield, J., & Moore, L. (2012).
An Assessment of Students' Perceptions Towards Factors Influencing Supervised
Agricultural Experience Participation. Proceedings of the 2012 American Association
of Agricultural Educators Research Conference.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2013). Framework
for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved 10 12, 2013, from Partnership for
21st Century Skills: http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/1._p21_framework_2-pager.pdf
ValueClick, Inc. (2013). Crowdfunding.
Retrieved 10 12, 2013, from Investopedia:
www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crowdfunding.asp
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!
Ms. Jillian Gordon
Student Blogger
2015 Student Teacher
@jillianpsu
2013-2014 National Teach Ag! Ambassador
