Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu) and Clarke Central High School FFA featured in Athens, GA News Magazine

Ms. Jillian Gordon, teacher at Clarke Central
and #psuaged15 alumni, holds up her FFA jacket.
Image courtesy of Odyssey Media Group. 

Recognition of our alumni and their accomplishments is always a welcome site! We're proud to see Clarke Central High School's FFA program, headed by #psuaged15 member and 2015 Penn State alumni Jillian Gordon, featured on the cover of Odyssey NewsMagazine, Clarke Central's student-run magazine.

When Ms. Gordon was hired in the Clarke Central School District two years ago, there was no FFA program in existence. In the article published by Odyssey Media Group, she explains that one of her main goals was to build a program that provides leadership and personal growth opportunities to students that aren't already invested in other school programs. So far, she's had great success in her program and takes pride in it. Also featured in the magazine is an article about Clarke Central High School FFA's president, Jordan Butler. You can read the Odyssey article about here here.

We're proud of Ms. Gordon and all of our #TeachAg alumni and friends fostering student success across the nation!

You can follow Clarke Central FFA as they continue to do great things and build their FFA program:

via Twitter: @FFAglads

via Facebook: @clarkecentralFFA

Read about Ms. Gordon's second year of teaching here:
Second Year Check-In with #psuaged15 member Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu)

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.

Hunter Kauffman, Student Blogger

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

College of Agricultural Sciences

Instagram: kauffman_hunter

Email: hlk5120@psu.edu

Second Year Check-In with #psuaged15 member Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu)

#psuaged15 member and 2015 Penn State grad Jillian Gordon.

It's great to keep in touch with our past #TeachAgPSU graduates! We love to give you a chance to see what kinds of awesome things our Teach Ag Grads are up to in the classroom and beyond!

This week we're checking in with #psuaged15 member and 2015 Penn State graduate Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu) as part of our Second Year Series! Since graduation, Jillian was hired in Georgia as the agri-science teacher at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. 

During Jillian's time at Penn State, she was heavily involved around the University, being initiated into Alpha Tau Alpha (Penn State's Honorary Agricultural Fraternity), a member of Penn State Teach Ag! Society, and a Teach Ag! Avenger. Her student teaching experience took place at Ridgemont High School in Ridgeway, Ohio, alongside Ms. Stephanie Joliff. 

Clarke Central High School, in Athens, Georgia.

After starting her first year at Clarke Central, Ms.Gordon quickly learned the challenges of classroom management and catering to different styles of learning. Ms. Gordon teaches a wide variety of subjects and makes good use of her constantly-refining classroom management practices. During her second year, she found more success in classroom management and was better able to understand how to cater to different styles of learning, which not only helped her to teach, but she says it, "...helped my student engagement and learning skyrocket.", going to show that learning from experience is valuable, especially as a new teacher!

Some of her favorite moments in teaching are when she gets the opportunity to bring new students to FFA events. She says that it's great to see students express the fun they have on trips, and to see them looking forward to the next ones! One of her most inspiring moments came from the exhausting end of her first year teaching at Clarke Central. One of her students sent her a message thanking her for the change that she was able to make in their education. "I left that year feeling pretty exhausted and not really thinking I had made much of an impact. I started BAWLING when I read this student's text."

Ms. Gordon's students working on the landscaping
for their school garden.

One of her biggest struggles was stepping into a program that she was starting. "...program participation and interest has taken a lot of work. A lot of the things that normally an officer team would handle, in the first year I had my officers help but I did most of the work as a model for them." The students at her school were never exposed to FFA, or even knew what it was. Ms. Gordon had fun being able to teach them for the first time, but said it was also pretty stressful.

Her advice for incoming teachers and those that just completed their first year teaching: "IT GETS BETTER!" She explains that everyone told her this, but that there's truth in it. "... I feel so much more confident with a year under my belt. My students who I have this year who had me last year how even mentioned to me how much more put together and rigorous my teaching is." She says to take things one day at a time, especially in the first few years.

"...there is no other job like this one."

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.

Hunter Kauffman, Student Blogger

Wildlife and Fisheries Science

The Pennsylvania State University

Email: hlk5120@psu.edu

Instagram: kauffman_hunter

#psuaged15: Jill Gordon: A Pennsylvania girl in Ohio: I still haven’t figure out what a Buckeye is

Each week, the Penn State Ag Ed Roars! Blog will highlight a student teacher that is out in the field teaching and learning valuable experiences that they can use in their future! Jillian Gordon (@jillianpsu) is teaching at Ridgemont High School in Ohio under the supervision of Mrs. Jolliff in Mount Victory Ohio.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I can tell a lot about a person based on the way they look at me when I tell them I am a Pennsylvania born Penn Stater student teaching is rural Ohio. Almost anyone I talk to, the conversation ends with “oh, good for you! Best of luck!” The difference is that some people say that phrase with a look of genuine support and others still just look confused. The look of confusion people don’t get why I would take a risk and move 7 hours away for a semester when I could have easily gotten a great experience at a high school nearby my home in Pennsylvania. The genuine support people understand that while the risk of falling exists, so does the chance to fly.

Ever since I started my journey as a Penn State Ag Education major, I wanted to travel to another state for my student teaching experience. Not because I didn’t like Pennsylvania, or the PA Ag Ed Family, I consider many teachers across the Keystone State to be some of my best mentors, coaches and friends. I wanted to go to another state because I strive to see things from a new perspective. I can still remember sitting in Dr. Foster’s office as a sophomore, explaining my goals. As any good mentor does, he gave me more questions than answers as I left that meeting, but I still left with a smile knowing my goal was still a very real possibility.

Fast forward to junior year, sitting in AEE 311. The topic that day was creating and managing an effective Program of Activities, and Mrs. Stephanie Jolliff from Ridgemont High School in Ohio was the virtual guest speaker for the day. Like most of my classmates, my jaw was dropped for most of the presentation. One way or another, leadership was “ripped right out” of all of her students with each of them planning at least one event, they were a National Models of Innovation Winner, TWICE, and she had three kids and an ag teacher for a husband to top it all off. This lady was a rock star! The presentation ended, and Dr. Foster said his final remarks, “you know, I have always wanted to send a student teacher to Ohio…” A smile was instantly plastered across my face.

And now here I am, sitting in an Agricultural Education classroom in Ridgeway, Ohio working with that awesome lady who I called a rock star over a year prior, and not to mention the nearly 90 kick-butt students here at Ridgemont High School. Although Mother Nature does not seem to be a fan of me teaching (I have been here for six weeks, and been in school for only two Thursdays and one Monday…) I cannot even begin to describe the amount of growth and learning that has taken place for me.

Since most of you are probably not familiar, this is where I have been for the last six weeks.

I am a little over an hour Northwest of Columbus. It takes me about 7 hours to get here from State College, 9 and ½ hours to get home to Morgantown, PA. I am living in Mount Victory, Ohio a small little town with one stop light and a whole lotta corn fields. There are 500 students at Ridgemont (K-12). Here at Ridgemont, I get to teach plant science, FFA History, robotics, experimental design, welding and metal fabrication, professional communication, and integrate a brand new flipped/blended learning piece, just a mention a few things, thanks to the unending support from administration and staff across the district.

It has been a challenge for sure. Planning units and lessons is a whole different ball game when you gave the faces of students you will be teaching right in front of you. Some of my students are far more knowledgeable than me on some of the topics that I am teaching, which can be both a massive resource and a huge intimidation factor. I struggle with balancing doing cool learning experiences with the students versus teaching them the things they are “supposed to learn” as mandated by the state. On top of that, I am definitely not used to living in an area where a grocery or Wal-Mart trip takes a little extra planning to fit into my schedule. I am also not used to working in such a small school that has about 130 students and 20 faculty.

My lessons don’t always go as planned, creating a consistent routine has been all but impossible and if I am being honest I really miss all of my friends back home in Happy Valley. These are some of the things I struggle with, but from struggle comes greatness. Although parts have been challenging, I have loved every second of it. The students at Ridgemont are wonderful, and push me every day to be the best educator. Mrs. Jolliff has been an unbelievable mentor in offering me guidance, reality checks and more often than not a good solid belly laugh. Only six weeks in, I have an even greater assurance that I want to be an Agricultural Educator.

I have said this in previous blogs I have written for Penn State Teach Ag ROARS! But I think it is important enough to say it again. I have learned that no matter where you go, students are students. Whether they admit it or not, they crave learning and attention. The students don’t care that my favorite dress to wear is blue and white, a shout out to my favorite place in the world, Penn State, or that I have absolutely no idea which schools are rival schools both in sports and FFA events, or that I have no idea what a Buckeye is (seriously though, I’m not kidding, what is it?!).

What they care about is the fact that I care about them. I might only be here for 15 weeks, but I will always call the “my kids.” The Ridgemont community has welcomed me with open arms. Only five weeks in, I know it is going to be very difficult when I need to say goodbye.

After graduation, I am not quite sure where I will be. My heart is very much in Agricultural Education, if you can’t already tell, and I have a few (very different) options in front of me currently that I am weighing, while still searching for teaching jobs and the like.

As someone who hopes to start an Ag Education program from scratch in a more urban setting, I have spent a lot of time out here just thinking. Thinking about how the philosophies and successes here at Ridgemont can be transferred into a community that isn’t quite so tight knit, or how to create the level of trust and support that exists from the administrative leadership of Mrs. Jill Stover and Mrs. Emmy Beeson. I have been thinking about the professional lessons and life lessons I have learned, and the ones that I still hope to gain. But most importantly, I have been thinking about how much I love this job and the opportunities I have in it.

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!

Olivia Murphy-Sweet

2016 Student Teacher Candidate

Blog Editor

@OSweetMurph

PSU Teach Ag! Society Welcomes You Back to School! #agedu

Since it is the beginning of the school year, the Teach Ag! Society would like to welcome you to the new school year! If you have never heard of Teach! Ag Society, we are a group of motivated agriculture education students who do activities involving the Agriculture Education major and complete other educational events throughout the year! You don't have to be in the major to join this awesome organization! If you don’t know the officers, we would like to introduce you to the team.

2014 Teach Ag! Society Executive Team

President:
Ms. Jillian Gordon,
 2015 Student Teacher,
 @jillianpsu

Vice President: 

Ms. Laura Metrick,

2015 Student Teacher,

 @Its_Laurabeth

Secretary: 
Ms. Cassidy Cheddar,
 2015 Student Teacher,
@crcheddar

Membership Secretary:
Ms. Janae Bickhart, 

2015 Student Teacher,

@JanaeBickhart

Treasurer:

 Mr. Tyler Schaeffer,

 2015 Student Teacher,

 @TylerDSchaeffer

CFFA Liaison:

Ms. Deanna Miller,

 2015 Student Teacher,

 @deannapsu15

Social Committee Chairs:

Ms. Amanda Forstater,

 2015 Student Teacher, @CityAggie

 Ms. Katie Andrews, 
2015 Student Teacher, @klandrews_24

Prof. Dev. Committee Chair:

Ms. Rea Ianson, 

2015 Student Teacher,

 @rnianson08

Fundraising Committee Chair:

Mr. Howard Poole, 

2015 Student Teacher,

@howie_plumcrazy

Outreach & Comm. Service

Ms. Rachel Telesz 

2015 Student Teacher,

@rachie12rach

Ms. Olivia Murphy-Sweet, 

2015 Student Teacher,

@OSweetMurph

If you see any of the officers or committee chairs, feel free to stop by and ask them questions! We just had our Welcome Back Picnic, so keep in touch with our future events!  Keep checking your Teach Ag Tuesday Email Blast's (to be added to the listserv email foster@psu.edu)  for more information and when our meetings are going to be held!

 Become apart of the Ag Ed TEAM!

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!

Olivia Murphy-Sweet

Student Blogger

Teach Ag! Avenger

Twitter Handle- @OSweetMurph

 2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher 

#psuaged15 Internship: Jillian Gordon, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council

Many members of #psuaged15 have been spending their summer interning at agricultural businesses all across the state. Jillian Gordon (@jillianpsu) is the intern working with Enhancing Food Security in the Northeast through the Penn State Extension Office in Allegheny County.

Jillian Gordon, 2015 student teacher

This internship is allowing Jillian to work on various projects that each provides a unique experience. A lot of the emphasis is put on exploring the different community gardens, farmers markets and co-ops around the city as well as meeting the stake holders who are working to promote these businesses and projects. Jill added “I also work to revitalize our Pittsburgh Food Policy Council social media accounts and dabble in some research as well. Currently we are working on researching different extension restructuring plans at land grant universities across the country.”

This internship is funded by a larger research project that is working to track where the food in the Northeast comes from. More specifically they are looking at the grocer in the Beechview community in Pittsburgh to see what is being sold, in what quantities and at what price.  This information is then compared to other sites in the Northeast to monitor food security and understand exactly where the food is coming from.

This position has opened Jill’s mind and completely changed her outlook on agriculture as a whole. “In today’s modern world, agriculture is no longer just large farms producing food for our millions of people, agriculture is extremely diverse and has the potential to be understood and practiced by everyone in this country”

The internship has given Jillian real, hands on experience to what urban agriculture looks like which could beneficial to the grad position specializing in urban agriculture education that Jill has her eye on at the University of Georgia.

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!

Laura Metrick

Student Blogger

2015 Student Teacher 

@Its_LauraBeth

2015 Student Teachers and Ag. Ed. Majors Travel the Nation Inspiring Student Success

FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Jillian Gordon and Matthew Reutlinger, 2015 PSU Student Teachers (#psuaged15) were chosen to visit many states and facilitate conferences for hundreds of youth throughout the year. The 212 Conference, which Jillian and Matt are a part of, is one of the seven conferences put on by National FFA.

Matthew Reutlinger and Jillian Gordon have been travelling to many states
facilitating conferences for the National FFA program.

The conference is called 212 because that is the temperature at which water boils. This conference focuses on taking students to the boiling point of leadership. It also focuses on student development and challenges students to push the limits. This year's conferences have been utilizing the Growth curriculum. This curriculum is designed to engage students through sessions about their personal growth. Students tackle questions, share success stories, and ultimately identify a mentor to help them with continued growth.

Matthew Reutlinger, 2015 Student Teacher

Matt and Jill typically facilitate to a group of about 180-200 high school students. Most of the conferences last two days and they highlight personal, mental, emotional, physical, social and lifelong growth. Matt (@mreutlinger) stated “We try to make each session as high energy as we can because students and sponsors have given a lot to make these conferences happen. It is Jillian and my responsibility to make sure they get the most for it.”

Jillian Gordon, 2015 Student Teacher

Matt and Jill have been facilitating many workshops, events and conferences for about 3 years. With the 212 program they have traveled to Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois and have upcoming trips to North Dakota and North Carolina. Jillian (@jillianpsu) said “My favorite part about the 212 conference is getting to know how students learn and engage different every place we go. There really is a difference in personalities and it’s fun to figure out how we need to modify our curriculum or teaching style for those students."

For more information on the FFA 212 conference and other opportunities through the National FFA program visit www.ffa.org/events.

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!



Laura Metrick, Student Blogger
2015 Student Teacher
@Its_LauraBeth

Teach Ag! Society Excited to Begin 2014

A new semester means new ideas for the Penn State Teach Ag Society! The group met on January 21st to re-group, introduce the new officers and make plans for the upcoming year. The purpose of the Penn State Teach Ag Society is to promote the high standards and ideals in agricultural and extension education, promote a bond between individuals in and those that have an interest in the world of agricultural and extension education and aid in the development of leadership, citizenship, and scholarship.

Newly elected president Jillian Gordon (@Jillianpsu) stated, “It is awesome to finally begin the year with Teach Ag! We have a lot of exciting events coming up that we hope the entire college can be a part of.” Jillian, along with the other officers, has been working on planning events, social activities and meetings for the coming months.

The new Teach Ag Society Officers
(Back Row) Tyler Schaeffer, Rea Ianson, Amanda Forstater, Katie Andrews,
Olivia Murphy-Sweet, Deanna Miller, Janae VanBuskirk and Howard Poole
(Front Row) Rachel Telesz, Jillian Gordon, Laura Metrick and Cassidy Chedder

Some of the exciting opportunities coming up are an AgriCorp seminar, National FFA Week Social with guest speaker Dr. Connie Baggett, CPR certification and a Peace Corp seminar. The society hopes that the events will not only be fun, but they will be education and an opportunity for professional growth.

Katie Andrews (@klandrews_24), a 2016 Student Teacher, is one of the co-chairs for the social committee this year. She said “I believe the Teach Ag. Society has a great balance of professional development, planning, and fun. This year the social committee members have some great ideas for everyone to enjoy. Our social events are diverse. They include food, creativity, athleticism, competition, conversation, and even other clubs.” Some of the exciting social events coming up are ice skating at Pegula Ice Rink, Wii nights and even themed meetings.

The Penn State Teach Ag Society hopes to continue to expand each semester. If you are interested in joining the Teach Ag Society or would like more information on any of the upcoming events, contact President Jillian Gordon.

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!

Laura Metrick, Student Blogger
2015 Student Teacher
Twitter Handle: Its_LauraBeth

Alpha Tau Alpha Welcomes New Members

2013 Initiation of New Members into ATA

Twelve students were initiated into the Eta Chapter of Alpha Tau Alpha on Tuesday, November 19th. Alpha Tau Alpha is a national, professional, honorary, agricultural society. It is founded upon the development of true professional spirit and grown in agriculture.

The 2013 Alpha Tau Alpha initiates.
(Back Row) Kate Bassett, Morgan Campbell, Amanda Forstater,
Katherine Andrews, Janae Van Buskirk & Toby Neal.
(Front Row) Jillian Gordon, Jena Shaffer, Laura Metrick,
Bryanna Kenno and Deanna Miller.

The initiation ceremony took place in the Ferguson building at Universtiy Park. It was led by current members of ATA and Advisor Daniel Foster.  New initiate and 2015 Student Teacher, Janae VanBuskirk stated “I am excited to begin this new experience. I have ever been involved in an organization like this. It is nice to be recognized as students who work hard for their grades. I think all of the initiates are excited to grow out professionally and to ultimately make new friends with the same goals!”

The society was founded in 1921 and the Eta Chapter was organized at Penn State in 1931. The organization strives to promote the high standards and ideals in agricultural and extension education and to promote the bond between individuals in and those that have interest in the world of agriculture and extension education.

 2014 Student Teachers helping with the ATA initiation ceremony.

Another 2015 Student Teacher and ATA Initiate Morgan Campbell said “Becoming an ATA member is an exciting and rewarding accomplishment. I am proud to be a member of an organization that represents the professionalism and camaraderie of agriculture educators!”

The twelve students who have just joined the Eta Chapter of Alpha Tau Alpha will enjoy the fellowship of individuals in an atmosphere of high scholarship that is dedicated to teaching, and who have a sincere desire to be a leader in agricultural education. The Students are; Katherine Andrews, Kate Bassett, Morgan Campbell, Amanda Forstater, Jillian Gordon, Megan Keller, Bryanna Keno, Laura Metrick, Deanna Miller, Toby Neal, Jena Shaffer and Janae VanBuskirk  


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!



Laura Metrick 
Student Blogger
2015 Student Teacher
Twitter: @Its_LauraBeth

Leveraging Crowd-Funding through Technology to Total Student Success in Supervised Agricultural Experiences - A submission to the Alpha Tau Alpha Essay Contest

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. 

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 21^st 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 21^st 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