PSU Ag Councils Recognizes AEE Major with Youth Leadership Award

Caleb at the luncheon ready to get his award

Caleb Wright, a senior in agricultural education was recently awarded the Youth Leadership Award by the Penn State Agricultural Council. Every year the Penn State Ag Council recognizes three groups; one is a member of council for their leadership, second is a student, and third is a member or group in the agricultural industry.

Caleb was nominated for the award by his advisers and was asked to provide a resume to send into the selection committee. After sending in his resume, he was emailed said that he was selected for the award and was asked to attend the meeting to receive the award.

Caleb with his award!!

After receiving the award Caleb said “To be recognized by your peers when being elected to an office is one thing, but to be recognized by the leaders of the industry for your efforts as a student and leader is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” He is also very excited to have been selected and receive a lion statue. It is especially an honor because all of the agriculture in Pennsylvania is represented on the council and being recognized really shows that all of the work completed by you has not gone unnoticed.

Caleb feels refreshed and pumped up to go into the world as an agent of change. “This award was not won on one skill or event in my life. It has been the accumulation of taking chances and surrounding myself with amazing people and friends.” Caleb said, as he reflected on his time at Penn State.

The Agriculture and Extension Education Program has seen many student receive this award before Caleb.  This really shows the caliber of the students in the program and the amazing opportunities that the faculty provides. Students feel that taking advantage of one opportunity leads to the ability and want to do more. Sometimes students only need to take that first step to set themselves apart from the masses and find themselves as an individual. The Penn State Agriculture and Extension Education program as well as the Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education Department enable every student to reach their amazing potential.

The Lion that will be displayed on his desk this spring while student teaching at Midd-West High School

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!

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

Teach Ag! Society: Brand New Spirit!

Teach Ag! Society and ATA recruitment board

Teach Ag! Society, a newly formed club at the Pennsylvania State University, has kicked started the new year with a bang! With big events such as the Welcome Back Picnic and celebrating National Teach Ag Day on the 26^th of September, they are really making a splash in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Teach Ag! Society was formed as a branch of the Alpha Tau Alpha, an honorary professional agricultural fraternity. In order to be a member of Alpha Tau Alpha, a student must be in their junior year and have a GPA above a 3.0. This greatly limited the number of students that could be involved in the club. Since students could only be full members for two semesters, Teach Ag! Society was born to solve the problem of the rapid turnover rate.

Teach Ag! Society is open to all majors and focuses on students interested in promoting and teaching agriculture. They participate in the Alpha Tau Alpha Conclave at National FFA Convention where students get to show off their knowledge in Quiz Bowl, Parliamentary Procedure, essay writing and debate about agricultural education topics. They also try to enhance what their members are learning in class during club time by discussing current topics in agricultural education.

Students at National Teach Ag Day brunch

The club started the semester with many goals to work towards throughout the year.  So far, members have helped out at CDE Day, hosted by CFFA, by running workshops for parliamentary procedure and prepared public speaking CDEs. The club recently celebrated the first ever PSU National Teach Ag Day, and are currently working on having students participate in the ATA conclave during National Convention in late October.

To celebrate National Teach Ag Day the club hosted a brunch in the ASI building.  About fifteen teachers from across the college came together to enjoy food and company and receive recognition for teaching the wonderful subject of agriculture. Meagan Slates, president of Teach Ag Society, was happy with the first year’s turnout, but hopes more professors will come out to celebrate with the club next fall. Another event hosted by the club on Teach Ag Day was a National Association of Agricultural Educators live webcast party.  During this event, the students indulged in lunch and snacks while following the live twitter feed of the #taglive13 while watching the panel on TV. Students enjoyed connecting with agricultural enthusiasts across the nation through the live feed. It was especially fun when Penn State was recognized nationally for some of their efforts through shout outs from the panel. Lastly, the club sent resources for Teach Ag Day to 160 agricultural programs in Pennsylvania, which included: a lesson plan for Teach Ag Day, a letter thanking the teacher, an invitation to National FFA Convention, a PSU Teach Ag Day poster, a social media postcard, and a link to the YouTube promotional video that a member of Teach Ag! Society created.

Students at the live Teach Ag webcast Party

The club is continuing to grow and provide their students with resources and fun activities. Upcoming events include Bonfire/social event on November 7th  and NATIONAL CONVENTION during the week of October 30^th where they HOPE TO BRING HOME SOME TROPHIES!

Teach Ag! Society’s mission is to promote the high standards and ideals of agricultural and extension education, to promote a bond between individuals in and those that have an interest in the world of agricultural extension education, to aid in the development of leadership, citizenship, and scholarship, and to cooperate in promoting the interest of the national organizations of Alpha Tau Alpha and Teach Ag!

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!

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

Penn State -- The MOST Students Receiving Scholarships from NAAE in the Nation

Fifteen students from across the United Stated have been selected for the Upper Division Agricultural Education Scholarship through the National Association by Agricultural Educators (NAAE) due to their academic performance, leadership and service activities. The Pennsylvania State University is home to THREE of those individuals. Congratulations to Caleb Wright, Emily Urban and Mindy Stoops! Each of them will be receiving $750 to help offset the expenses that they will face during their student teaching experience this coming spring.

L-R Caleb Wright, Mindy Stoops, and Emily Urban

Caleb Wright plans on using the money for living expenses, as he needs to focus all his time on student teaching rather than trying to work a second job. Emily wants to use her scholarship money to help with tuition during the spring semester.  Mindy would like to use her amount for living expenses and transportation. All three of them understand the importance of belonging to a professional organization in their field and are excited to be members of NAAE and also PAAE (Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators). They know that the professional organizations will help them to continue growing as a teacher professional after their college career. 

As stated in the NAAE News Release:

The funding for the Upper Division Scholarship comes from Gothic Arch Greenhouses, Delmar Cengage Learning, and donations by NAAE members. Gothic Arch Greenhouses specializes in greenhouses and supplies for a variety of uses including agricultural education programs. Delmar Cengage Learning delivers highly customized agricultural education learning solutions for all levels of educational institutions.

NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its' nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community though visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” They are headquartered in Lexington, Ky.

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!

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

PAAE Summer Conference - Student Teacher Style

[Editor's Note: Every year, we conduct an orientation for cooperating teachers, university supervisors, and teacher candidates to ensure that everyone is on the same page for the upcoming year/internship. We purposefully conduct this at the summer conference of the agricultural teachers association to introduce students to the professional organization. Below is the perspective of one 2014 teacher candidate, Ms. Jeanne Case, who will be student teacher at Dover High School. Follow the adventures of this student teaching group on Twitter at #psuaged14]

A couple weeks ago I attended the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE) conference in Manheim, PA. Since I am interning with the PA Farm Bureau this summer and am living in Harrisburg I was a simple 45 minutes away from the conference – or so I thought. As per typical Jeanne, I got lost and was late despite giving myself an extra 15 minutes when I left home. Thankfully one of my peers, in my student teaching cohort, Mr. Billy Saylor, called me and gave me directions and I did not miss that much of the conference.

My peers and I started the conference meeting with our student teacher mentors and talked about what the perfect student teaching experience would look like. Ideas were thrown around, such as our individual experiences with different aspects of FFA – ACES, SLLC, chapter meetings, CDE’s, etc. We also thought it would be good to go to department meetings, meet with the principal and other teachers in the building, as well as attend a school board meeting. Respect of the students, teachers, and each other was also an important subject. Some people seem to think that the student teachers have to be in competition with each other since we are graduating at the same time and looking for jobs. This year we are striving to work together, to really help each other out, to work as a family and a team. We should be building each other up rather than breaking the group down.  Drama is not an option in our cohort.

After we met with the teachers and Dr. Foster and Dr. Ewing, we split off for some focused instruction for teacher candidates with leaders of the program and recent graduates like Ms. Laura Rice, Ms. Mackenzie McCollum and Mr. Doug Masser. They tried to calm our fears of the upcoming semesters. They also stressed how it is important to dress tastefully because we may have the opportunity to meet important people and it is important to present yourself well because everything is an interview. We went over appropriate clothing for different events.  Dr. Foster is not the best at expressing what girls should be wearing –" uh, nice pants and a shirt" - is not a detailed enough answer for a girl.  Ms. Rice and Mackenzie were really helpful. The individuals running this session also stressed that if we keep up with our work, rather than waiting until the end of the semester, that student teaching really is manageable and will not “kill us”.

Student teacher, Billy Saylor, with the winery grapes

We also received our own teacher " big idea"  books to keep track of any ideas that we may want to use later or things that we will want to look up to implement in the classroom.

Following lunch we split into different groups and went to a session that was hosted by teachers from across the state. I went to an electrical lesson where three different teachers shared how they teach electrical wiring in their class. All of them did it completely different but it still got the same point across.Students learn things differently and it was nice to see different ways to teach the same subject. It will be important to keep that in mind during our teaching career as some techniques may work with some students and not with others – it is good to keep an open mind and be willing to change your teaching style to help a student learn.  Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

As PAAE is an agricultural conference we. of course, have to support ALL aspects of the agricultural industry so we went on an industry tour of a local winery. We toured the farm then got to learn how they process the grapes on the farm and make their product. We even got to sample that product with a little swirl, smell and sip. To bring out the different flavors there were local cheeses and crackers provided as different foods change the taste palate of your mouth and create a different experience.

Student teachers listening to a presentation about the wine industry in PA

To end the evening we had dinner at a local auction barn and played Minute to Win it. Teams were made up of teachers and student teachers alike as we battled to win. It was a good bonding experience for all involved, the participants and spectators alike. Lots of the games were quite silly and it got everyone out of their shells, mingling and forming connections, which is what conferences and networking events are all about. Here are a few example videos of competition in action!!

Dr. John Ewing in the infamous "Pencil Snatch". Mad Skills

Mr. Herb Hoffeditz puts his nose in it!

Our Teacher Educators Team Up. Dr. John Ewing & Dr. Daniel Foster

2014 Student Teachers Billy Saylor and Caleb Wright Exhibit Team Work!

The second day of the conference and the last day for the student teachers had us attending more workshops to learn of opportunities that we can provide to our future students such as certifications, dual enrollment and tests to prove that our students are learning adequately, to name a few.

We were also able to listen to issues happening in the state, such as state days and other events. There was time to network with different teachers from across the state and make connections and friendships. I even met a woman whom I had talked to previously via email and facebook that is an alumni of the Greek organization I am involved with. It turns out that she was in the house the same time as my mom and that she and my mom actually worked together in the pasture research lab sorting different types of weeds. My mom even went to her wedding and took wedding photos for her. I love to network and make connections and I also love to meet alumni as they just seem to pop up out of nowhere and provide excellent resources. I also met another man who is actually the father of my student teacher mentor; I had talked to him on the phone last fall to interview him for a project in one of my AEE classes. It was very nice to be able to put faces to names.

We, the student teachers, ended our portion of the conference with a meeting to discuss why it was important that we were there and the importance of professional organizations. Agriculture is such a small industry while being so large.  It is important to help each other out and share ideas, as it helps the industry to constantly grow in the forward direction.  On behalf of this spring’s student teachers I know that we were very appreciative of the opportunity to attend the conference, to make friends and to learn a lot about the profession that we are about to enter. It was a great jump start to the fall semester!

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! 

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

Caleb Wright: PSU Teach Ag Avenger and 2013 Case New Holland Intern

Caleb Wright standing in front of New Holland equipment.

Caleb Wright, a spring 2014 student teacher, is interning at Case New Holland, CNH, this summer in New Holland, PA as the Dairy and Livestock Marketing Segment Intern for New Holland Agriculture. He has always enjoyed broadening his education through experiences and internships. He has wanted to have an experience in the corporate industry and has found marketing and public relations interesting.

In CNH there are a lot of opportunities to work in different areas of marketing. To get the internship, Caleb submitted his resume online and completed an interview process with the Case New Holland Talent Acquisition staff.  The Dairy and Livestock Marketing Segment Intern is responsible for marketing all hay and forage equipment, along with mid-range (60-140) horsepower tractors.

Caleb said so far in his internship, no two days have been the same. Right now, his main responsibility is editing and updating a an annual report  sent to all dealers that highlights Model Year 2014 products as well as prepares them for the coming year of retail sales. Additionally, Caleb creates correspondence, other documentation and helps with the photo and video shoots. Caleb is surprised by the amount of time that he spends outside of the office during the shoots. All the photos that are seen on publications that have the New Holland logo are taken by a professional photographer. Caleb is impressed by the amount of work it takes to get high quality usable product for the promotional materials.

When asked what his favorite part of the internship is, Caleb responds with being able to work with the equipment. He typically gets to work with the equipment during the photo shoots or moving the equipment around for a variety of reasons. He gets to drive equipment that is brand new – which is something that many farmers never get to experience. Caleb enjoys being outside and likes to see and use the photos after they are done.

Attention to details are the three key words that Caleb says come to mind when asked how this internship will help him as a future educator. When he has to edit documents, that will be sent to customers and dealers, detail is a necessity to make sure everything is correct. The same goes for when he has to look for the same formatting in the documents. Details are a key element to marketing. An example is looking at photos from New Holland, each one should have the driver wearing his or her seat belt. Details such as this can make a major difference in the eye of the customer. He noted that, for example, that an FFA monthly meeting could be a small detail in the chapter can make a huge difference in the eye of an Administrator or community member.

In conclusion, Caleb says that New Holland is an amazing company to work for as an intern. His advice to others is – ‘any student, no matter your major, should consider having some sort of internship experience!’

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! 

Jeanne Case

Student Blogger

2014 Dover HS Student Teacher

Twitter: JRose_Case

Pennsylvania FFA Kicks Off National FFA Week by “Sprouting Opportunities”!

PA FFA members get ready to start the conference.

Have you been celebrating National FFA Week?  The past two weekends FFA members from across the state of Pennsylvania attended the Agricultural Cooperation Establishes Success (ACES) conference.  Members had the opportunity to attend leadership workshops, show their moves on the dance floor, and even have an encounter with Teach Ag! at Penn State!  

Penn State lead a workshop called "Teach Ag" which focused on the big picture of agricultural education and how FFA members have a future inspiring students.  Agricultural education does not just happen in the United States; it happens worldwide.  It is important that we educate people not only in the agriculture classroom, but also use opportunities in the community.  Students also brainstormed ways that they can be advocate for agricultural education by sharing ideas on various events that we can do.  Some of the examples were: community gardens, teaching elementary students, and community Ag days.  We look forward to seeing some of these bright FFA members become possible agriculture teachers!

We were happy to have some of our dynamic AEE majors helping out with these workshops at the conference!  Those that participated were:

Caleb Wright, 2014 Student Teacher - University Park

Meagan Slates, 2014 Student Teacher - University Park

Quinn Cashell, 2014 Student Teacher - University Park

Olivia Murphy Sweet, 2016 Student Teacher - Mont Alto

Janae Herr, 2016 Student Teacher - Berks

Matt Dodson, 2016 Student Teacher - Mont Alto

So here are some questions...How are you going to inspire students?  How will you advocate for agricultural education?  How do you celebrate National FFA Week?  Please share your answers and ideas on our Facebook page, Teach Ag! at Penn State, and tweet us at @TeachAgPSU!

Happy National FFA Week!

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes 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 @TeachAgPSU, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PSUTeachAg.

By: Matthew Dodson, 

Student Blogger

2013 Teach Ag Avenger

2016 Student Teacher Candidate

AEE Junior selected a Harkins Family Emerging Leader!

Caleb Wright, 2014 Student Teacher Candidate

Congratulations to the spring 2013 Harkins Family Emerging Leader!!

Recently Caleb Wright, AEE Major and 2014 Student Teacher Candidate, was selected to receive the honor of being the spring 2013 Harkins Family Emerging Leader candidate!  

Undergraduate and graduate students chosen for this opportunity will work with College of Agricultural Sciences Deans in the form of a mentorship.  On top of this they receive a $1500 scholarship!  While participating in this program Caleb will choose an academic credit-based project to undertake.  When asked how he felt about receiving this honor Caleb said, 

“I'm extremely excited! It is always an honor to be the first recipient of such an awesome award.”  

Caleb Wright is a 2009 graduate of Juniata Valley High School where he was actively involved in about every program his school had to offer. He was highly involved in the music program, National Honor Society, and of course being a member of the Blue Juniata FFA Chapter!  He grew up on his family's farm in Alexandria, PA where they raise Registered Dorset Sheep, and now club calves. His high school career led him to serve as the 2009-2010 South Central Region Vice President of the Pennsylvania FFA Association. The summer after his year of service he came to Penn State.  Caleb is a College of Agricultural Sciences Ag Advocate  and also serves as one of the inaugural members of the Penn State Teach Ag! Avenger program where he advocates on the opportunities in agricultural and extension education to all stakeholders.

Congratulations on your new adventure as you continue to do great things!  Think you can do incredible things and find great opportunities?  Well we do!!  To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes 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 @TeachAgPSU, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PSUTeachAg.

By: Matthew Dodson, 

Student Blogger

2013 Teach Ag Avenger

2016 Student Teacher Candidate

2012-2013 Penn State TeachAg! Avengers

Congratulations to the 2012-2013 
Penn State Teach Ag Avengers!

(From left to right): Megan Slates, Caleb Wright, Jillian Gordon, Janae Herr, Matt Reutlinger, and Matt Dodson

Avengers??  No it is not just a movie!  This team of individuals are eager to represent the Agricultural and Extension Education major at Penn State.  What is their mission you may ask?  It may not be to protect the world from a race of alien invaders.  However, some would argue that it is still imperative to our future.  

THE MISSION:  

The mission of the Penn State Teach Ag Avengers is to cultivate awareness for agricultural and extension education.

Unfortunately, it appears that inn today's world the majority of people across the world have an unclear view of what agricultural and extension education really is all about.  Some individuals say, "They teach that in our schools?" or "What does that even mean?".  This must be changed if we are to educate society on the importance of agriculture in everyday life.  Who better to do it then 6 highly motivated Penn State students??  How do these Avengers hope to accomplish this mission?

THE VISION:

Through our passion as positive agents of change, Penn State Teach Ag Avengers will empower individuals through involvement in agricultural and extension education; inspiring them to discover their career potential to influence and participate in the future of agriculture.

Talk about a vision!  If you are a current AEE major, or you are interested in finding out what your future may look like as an agricultural educator, be sure to talk to these individuals to see how you can be a part of positive change for the future.  Discover your potential!

Caleb Wright, Junior, 2014 Teacher Candidate - cjw5251@psu.edu
Megan Slates, Junior, 2014 Teacher Candidate - mns5096@psu.edu
Matt Reutlinger, Sophomore, 2015 Teacher Candidate - mrr5297@psu.edu
Jillian Gordon, Sophomore, 2015 Teacher Candidate -  jag5750@psu.edu
Matt Dodson, Freshman, 2016 Teacher Candidate - mpd183@psu.edu
Janae Herr, Freshman, 2016 Teacher Candidate - kjh5370@psu.edu

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes 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 @TeachAgPSU, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PSUTeachAg.

By: Matthew Dodson, 

Student Blogger

2013 Teach Ag Avenger

2016 Student Teacher Candidate

National Championship!!! Penn State Alpha Tau Alpha wins National Quiz Bowl Competition

Indianapolis – Five dedicated Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE) majors saw their hard work pay off on October 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana as they were crowned National Champions in a National Quiz Bowl Event. Students in any agriculturally related student organization in universities across the nation could compete in the event hosted by the National Alpha Tau Alpha (ATA) organization.   Alpha Tau Alpha is a National Professional Honorary Agricultural Education Organization which plays a vital role in preparing individuals who wish to pursue careers in Agricultural and Extension Education. Alpha Tau Alpha chapters exist in more than thirty one states across the United States and pride their organizations for outstanding and diligent work in professional development, fundraising, community service and fellowship. Penn State's Eta chapter was founded in 1931.

From Left to Right: Ashley Tressler,
Jeanne Case, Caleb Wright,
Mackenzie McCollum, Emily Urban

Each year, the National ATA Organization holds competitive events during the ATA Conclave, which is held in conjunction with the National FFA Convention. Penn State's team consisted of five students, Mackenzie McCollum, senior and 2013 Student Teacher; Caleb Wright, junior and 2014 Student Teacher; Ashley Tressler, senior and 2013 Student Teacher;  Jeanne Case, junior and 2014 Student Teacher; and Emily Urban junior and 2014 Student Teacher; as the alternate. 

The team endured four rounds of competition in their quest for a national championship.. During the competition, questions were asked to test the students knowledge in three areas; Technical Agriculture, Professional Education, and Agricultural Education. Each round of play consisted of four teams with four members each. The top two teams at the end of the round moved to the next round. Each round consisted of 18 toss up questions, six from each area listed above. Each toss up question was worth two points. Each toss up question was followed by a bonus question, where a team could receive up to four points for the correct answer.

The team anxiously waiting for the next question.

While the competition was tough, Penn State’s well rounded team prevailed, which is not surprising considering the amount of practice they put in to prepare themselves for the competition. Teammate Caleb Wright claims, “Competing in quiz bowl was an awesome experience. The team was able to represent not only the University, but the College of Agricultural Sciences and the AESE Department as well. Bringing home the championship was icing on the cake! Preparing as a team was a great way to forge new friendships and build on the ones already formed. Agricultural Education at Penn State and throughout the country is a close knit group, so any chance to learn more about your future colleagues is always a blast.”

To learn more about starting on the path to having a career that makes 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 @TeachAgPSU, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PSUTeachAg.