World Wisdom With Weaver - Global Learning with Infographics

Yes, I know, Diane Glock-Cornman is our tech guru...but at the World Food Prize/Global Youth Institute, I had the awesome opportunity to take part in a teacher's professional workshop hosted by Donna Nesbitt (Director of GlobalEd Network of Central Ohio). She is also a consultant with the Asia Society. Although this organization is devoted to promoting understanding and developing relationships between Asia and the United States, they have a large collection of education materials that can be applied to global learning in a much larger context. Check out their Educational Resources for some ideas.

At the WFP/GYI, Donna led a group of educators from around the country in a lesson centered on infographics.  First, Donna defined global competence - "The knowledge, capacity, and disposition to understand and act on the dynamic interrelated global issues that confront humanity."

Then, we discussed 4 aspects of a globally competent student - the ability to Investigate the World, to Recognize Perspectives, to Communicate Ideas, and finally to Take Action. (Global Competency Matrix)

Finally, Donna provided us with an activity to develop an infographic. Not sure what an infographic is? I'm sure you've seen one...

Infographics are  visual way of representing information to an audience. These can be used for a variety of topics, but are utilized quite well for the concepts discussed in a global leadership curriculum or class. Infographics are also a way for the lesson to be SAGE (Student Choice, Authentic Tasks, Global Impact, Exhibition to an Audience). These are absolutely relevant and authentic tasks as they are used in a wide variety of professions. Students are probably pretty well-versed in these already! This lesson would be great to culminate a unit on global issues.

So, how do you use this in class?  Start by introducing infographics as a way to represent data. Then students will do this:

• Choose an issue
• Define your position on the issue.
• Gather numerical data.
• Identify your audience
• Choose the best format to tell a story with the data.
• Choose design elements like colors and symbols
• Create the infographic
• Get feedback on your infographic.

You can provide students an article or source of data, or you can give them free reign on the issue/information.  Be sure to check all sources for validity.  

As far as making the infographic - there are many options! Students can choose "old-school" and can make one with paper. Particularly artistic students may even prefer this as they can cut apart  magazines or create drawings and juxtapose images with content. Students who are kinesthetic/artistic may prefer this method. Student who prefer technology can try their hand at creating one on the computer. They can simply use Publisher, Powerpoint, or Word. If they want to get a little more creative, here are some websites that provide free (or free versions) programs to help create infographics:

• Google Developers - You can create a website that is is an operational infographic. 
• Easel.ly (get it?!) This is a free web-based infographic tool that offers a dozen or so free templates to start, and these are able to customize to fit your needs. There is a library with shapes like arrows and shapes and you can even upload your own graphics and photos to use.
• Piktochart - This is the one a fellow teacher at my worktable recommended to me. She has been using it for a while and enjoys it. You can modify fonts and color schemes, and it has some pre-loaded graphics and basic shapes and images. There's a free version of this, or you can really commit and upgrade to a pro account (about $170 per year)
• Visual.ly (get it?!) This site makes infographics, videos, web experiences, and presentations. This one is cool because you can easily share the infographics you create on social media (There's that "exhibition to an audience" piece!!)
• Venngage - This one was pretty awesome and I think the one that I'll be using in my International Agriculture Leadership class the next semester. It's easy, it's free and you can publish your infographics! You can even animate them!

So, get started! Your students are sure to love this engaging and interactive way to use technology and data to learn more about global agriculture. Please share your results in the comments, or even tell us about other infographic websites we can use! Sharing is caring :)

Agriculturally yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

Agricultural Science Educator

@TeamWeaverFever

World Wisdom with Weaver - Ms. Weaver goes to World Food Prize!

Des Moines @ Night (view from Hotel Room)

Oh readers! The last ten days have been some of the most remarkable of my life! I am beyond excited to share my experiences with you, so sit back, relax, and enjoy reading my tales of World Food Prize!

Each year, the humble city of Des Moines, Iowa busts at the seams as hundreds of scientists, politicians, professionals, researchers, students, teachers and others descend upon it for the World Food Prize. Begun in 1986, this event was initiated by Norman Borlaug to (from the website): "recognize - without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs - the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world." 

Each year, since 1987, a Laureate has been named and awarded a monetary prize through a sponsorship funded by businessman and philanthropist, John Ruan. The World Food Prize event allows committed parties from all over the world to come together, share, challenge, and try to solve the issue of providing food for the population. 

Kayla and I in the lobby 

I arrived Wednesday night and was soon joined by my roommate and partner-in-learning for the event, Kayla Hack (@HackKayla), the PSU Global Teach Ag! Intern. We were both a little nervous and unsure of what to expect, but we're both adventurous, so we were ready to see what WFP had to offer! Our first day there, we traveled to the Marriott Hotel and were immediately immersed in the hustle and bustle of the event. We zoomed up to the 2nd floor and joined one of the Borlaug Dialogues being held there. The first was a round table discussion on Soil Health and Fertilizer. Then we were honored to hear Dr. Pamela Anderson (Director of Agricultural Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) address the group.

Kayla and I were lucky enough to meet Dr. Emma!

Next, came a presentation regarding the development of the African smallholder and women's education. This was also my favorite presentation of the entire event. Dr. Emma Naluyima Mugerwa was dynamic, interesting, inspiring and humorous all at once! Her presentation was magical and had every person in the room wanting to drop everything and return with her to Uganda to help her realize her dreams! If you can, I recommend you checking out the WEBCASTS from the event. They were all so interesting.

At the luncheons we were served meals that centralized or highlighted particular foods or people - our first meal centered on the soybean, and the other meals honored the keynote speakers including Dr. Rajaram, the 2014 WFP Laureate! Delicious meals and great company! We met a family farmer from England who had been nominated to attend by his county, a specialist in animal genomics and biotechnology who makes educational parodies of hit songs, and an adviser for a company that provides micro-financing to name a few!

Dr. Rajaram receives his award at the luncheon

But, the World Food Prize wasn't the only event occurring! In addition to the esteemed participants of the event, there were 170 students accompanied by their teachers, parents or advisors attending the Global Youth Institute. These students had developed a research paper detailing information on a country and issue they chose. These ranged from water quality in India to infrastructure of Japan and providing hot lunches to children in Bolivia. They mingled with the World Food Prize participants and participated in learning sessions during the week.

Borlaug and Ruan family members!

Teachers also challenged themselves. There was a teacher professional development workshop that I attended with Kayla. We learned some techniques to incorporate global learning into the classroom (I'll share in a future blog!).  We even met up with fellow Pennsylvanian Tiffany Turrentine (teacher at W.B. Saul HS in Philadelphia)! She made PA proud by sharing her expertise and creativity with the group!

Tiffany share her visual of global issues

On Saturday, the students had their chance to shine! They were split into several smaller groups consisting of 7-10 student presenters, 3 panel members, and a mediator. Teachers, parents and guests were able to move about the rooms. There, each student summarized their research and recommendations in a 3-minute presentation. The panel members (consisting of field experts from around the world) then made comments and asked questions. After all presentations, each group then elected a representative to share out to the whole group later in the day.

On Saturday, I also saw the posters and met some of the 23 Borlaug-Ruan International Interns from this year. Three accomplished young ladies were kind enough to share with me on video their experiences. Students attending the Global Youth Institute are eligible to apply for this amazing experience. Why would any student not want to take advantage of this opportunity?!

I want to personally thank Jacob Hunter, Keegan Kautzky, Lisa Fleming and Libby Crimmings. These amazing people have made this event possible and were so kind to welcome Kayla and me in and teach us about the program. 

Students and teachers, I absolutely encourage you to investigate this opportunity. The students I met during this event where poised, creative, respectful, mature and full of amazing potential. We ABSOLUTELY have those qualities in PA students! Students can apply to be interns internationally or can work stateside with the Washington Carver Internship. Please check it out, you will not be disappointed! 

Kayla & I and the WB Saul reps got to meet Dr. Rajaram!

As always my friends, keep looking for those great opportunities to travel, share, grow and learn. Although I traveled to a destination within the US, the things I experienced have changed me forever. Travel, meeting people of diverse backgrounds, challenging yourself in new situations and simply putting yourself out there can have positive and lasting affects on your life!

Agriculturally Yours,

With Dr. Ngumbi of Auburn University (originally from Kenya)

Nicole Weaver
PSU Teach Ag! Fellow
PA Agriculture Teacher
Hooked on World Food Prize!
@TeamWeaverFever
TeamWeaverFever@gmail.com

World Wisdom with Weaver: Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." ~Hilaire Belloc

~~~

"As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own." ~Margaret Mead

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A Collage of my France trip

In my senior year of high school, my french club (Societe Honoraire de Francais) offered us a 10 day tour of France. It included Paris, Loir Valley, Mont St. Michel and several other places. My best friend and I decided we were going on this trip together as a last "hoorah" as best friends before we went off to separate universities. It was an amazing trip! We ate baguettes in Paris, toured the tiny medieval town of St. Michel, touched the plaque outside Notre Dame and stood in awe at the amazing chateaus of the countryside. That trip changed me. It opened my eyes to a greater world beyond my front door; it made me love other cultures and seek new experiences; it made me brave to try new things; it made me yearn to know people from different backgrounds. It made me appreciate what it means to be HUMAN.

Several years later, I had the opportunity to travel to Poland and Ukraine with Penn State CAS for an agricultural tour of several cities in these two countries. One evening, we went out to see a ballet in Lviv and our translator was called away and so was our group leader. Suddenly, we were 8 American kids with 5 Ukrainian kids. We didn't speak their language and they barely spoke ours. Suddenly, I began to speak in French. One of the girls in the group had studied there for 6 months and began to answer me! So, here we were in Ukraine communicating in French! And I realized right there that travelling to other countries, speaking other languages, and appreciating people for their culture is a beautiful gift. 

And now I'd like to encourage you (yes you!) to take that plunge as well. Experience the gift of travel abroad, learn about a new culture, put yourself in a scary situation, find that you have courage and compassion deep in your heart. TRAVEL!!

EF Tours in Dominican Republic

I know it's scary, especially these days, but my friends, it is so worth it. And agriculture is a unifying occupation in all nations. We all grow food and we all care about how food is grown. You, as an agricultural science student, have a unique opportunity to not just travel, but to make a difference in your travels. My hope for you is that you'll travel somewhere before you graduate college. It's not hard, there are more opportunities today than there were when I was in school. But you have to make that choice.  You won't regret it.  

Here are some ideas to help you out:

1.EF TOURS

Talk to your teachers about EF Tours (@EFTours) (On Facebook)

EF Tours Summit Experience

This company has evolved in recent years and what they offer now is impressive. You can do everything from a service learning tour, to language immersion, to global summits. At the summits they've had keynote speakers from Al Gore to Jane Goodall work with the participants. And they can also customize a trip to suit your particular needs. In the coming months I'm going to be working with one of their representatives to develop an Agricultural Sciences Trip to the Dominican Republic for an 8 day service learning experience on a local farm. Interested? Have your Ag. Teacher contact me! I'm looking for a few schools to pioneer this trip!

2.Global Youth Institute

World Food Prize - Global Youth Institute. Technically this one is in Des Moines, Iowa. But hear me out! This is a great conference that brings together scientists, activists, students and professionals from all over the world! You have to apply to be accepted, but it's worthwhile. In addition to this, they offer the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship which gives students the opportunity to spend 8 weeks working with scientists and policymakers from around the world!

3. International Programs in the College of Ag. Sciences at PSU!

Somewhere in Ukraine! :)

On the train from Poland to Ukraine

CAS - INTAG. Most universities/colleges have a study abroad program, but #1 I'm a PSU girl so I have to support my Alma Mater and #2 I think PSU does a better job than most with the opportunities it provides! And in the College of Ag. Sciences there are so many great ways to travel and study agriculture! Who could ask for anything more?! You can do a summer abroad, fall break abroad, or an entire semester abroad. There are many options to fit your own academic needs. My advice? Don't make excuses, you are in college once so make the most of it!
4. A few others...Ketja Lingenfelter (Assistant Director for Student Global Engagement) has given me a few sites for you to check out:

• Forum on Education Abroad
• NAFSA (National Association of Foreign Student Advisers)
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)
• The Institute for the International Education of Students Abroad

Once again, these are just a few of the many opportunities you have to travel outside the U.S. I find these options to be the most practical, beneficial, and of quality for agricultural science students, but there are plenty more! Found a good one? Then comment below to share with others. And please, PLEASE consider travelling abroad. Who knows, it just may change your life!

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." 

~Mark Twain

The Streets of Lviv, Ukraine

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Advocate

World Traveler, Admirer of New Places