Thomas Gabel Utilizes Student Engagement Remote Innovation Grant for Professional Development

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made it especially difficult for college students to engage in meaningful experiences this year, one Penn State student in the College of Agricultural Sciences took advantage of an opportunity through the Student Engagement Network to develop his professional resume. Thomas Gabel, a junior in Agricultural and Extension Education, applied and received the Student Engagement Remote Innovation Grant this past summer, earning a few new certifications to add to his resume.

Unable to take part in many in-person activities this summer, Thomas transformed his apartment desk setup into an area for professional development completing VoiceThread, Google Educator, and WordPress trainings virtually. Thomas explains, "Now more than ever, educational technology and virtual instruction is in the forefront of educational discussions". Realizing this, he took advantage of these opportunities to engage in the professional development they offer for educators. He hopes to utilize these skills in his future classroom in order to better challenge and teach his students. "The true impact of this experience will be felt as I transition into the role of an agricultural educator and utilize these skills in my lessons". Additionally, he has been able to share this new knowledge through the Global Teach
Ag Network with current educators, acting as a resource for Pennsylvania Agricultural Education. 

Thomas' studies and position as an intern for Global Teach Ag were directly complimented by his summer experience. Highlighting the importance of experiences like these, Thomas says, "Both my coursework and internship emphasize the importance of technology in connecting educators and students to create impactful learning experiences". During his internship, he will be able to utilize his new knowledge of VoiceThread and Google Educator to engage over 450 educators during the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference and over 50 classrooms across the world with online global agriculture modules that he continuously curates for the GLAGjr program. 

From the experiences he was able to engage in after receiving the Student Engagement Remote Innovation Grant, Thomas became a Google Level One Certified Educator. After he completes his capstone project, he will also be a certified VoiceThread Educator. Through this opportunity, Thomas will be better able to utilize different technologies in his future classroom. "The positive growth I experienced this summer will create an exponential impact on tomorrow’s youth as I work to engage and inspire them through effective agricultural education instruction". 

Congratulations Thomas on receiving the Student Engagement Remote Innovation Grant and utilizing this opportunity to engage in meaningful professional development experiences during these challenging times!

Taylor Halbleib

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022