First Days of School!!!

On the first day of school people, whether they admit it or not, always feel some sort of emotion towards it. Whether it is the excitement of the adventure of starting another year or dreading that alarm clock blaring that they know will come. I felt excited and anxious as it is my last first day of school as a student in the foreseeable future. How do I define myself after this year, since I have been a student for the majority of my life?

But I also saw the flip side as my teacher friends, new and seasoned, post facebook statuses about how excited they are for the first day of school and how ready they are to teach agriculture. Nicole Weaver from Twin Valley High School posted a status about starting her 10^th year of teaching and expressed her excitement for the new school year but also thinking about her previous students that she has had and all the different stages of life they are in. Tons of previous students posted on it thanking her for being their Ag teacher and saying what they were doing that day. Some are starting grad school, some are going into teaching careers themselves and asking for advice. It is great to see how one person can affect so many people, and that it stays with them many years down the road.

Mike Woods at Cumberland Valley High School stated that he was excited about his new teaching partner, Darla Romberger who recently graduated from Penn State in Ag Ed. He also said that he is ready to keep helping their program grow and expand and continue to change lives through agricultural education.

Other teacher status yesterday on my newsfeed came from Kristy Brubaker who just graduated from Penn State this spring. She said that today was the best day of school that she has ever had, and is excited about the classroom and the students.

None of these teachers had anything negative to say and are excited about ‘creating positive agents of change’ which is a phrase commonly used in the Penn State Ag Ed Program. Seeing these other teachers' successes, makes me more excited about when my role will be reversed, and I will be standing in front of the classroom rather than behind the desk as a student.  I know that myself and the rest of the 2014 student teachers are up for the challenge that follows that first day of school and are ready to be Penn State Ag Ed ROCK STARS!

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

CASE: Your Vessel to Applied STEM through Agricultural Science Education

As agricultural educators, we are continually inundated with countless projects, obligations, and new tasks. Agricultural educators are the most innovative teachers on the planet.  Why?  Because we understand the importance of a competitive and competent world.  Just like the American Farmer, we must always think critically for the advancement and betterment of society.  As we advance into 21^st Century teaching methods, educators of agricultural science must remain at the forefront of education as engineers creating and designing the newest vessel to deliver applied STEM through agriculture.  This, my friends, is where CASE (The Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education) enters the mix as the tool to allow us, as positive agent of change, to enhance the relevance and rigor of our agricultural science curriculum. 

Recently, twenty-one agricultural science educators from seven states met at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, PA for a refreshing professional development opportunity hosted by the Penn State Center for Professional Personnel Development at Cumberland Valley High School in the realm of STEM delivery and how we teach learners of agricultural education the fundamentals and foundations of our diverse curricula.   Albeit, at the beginning of this two-week training some were apprehensive – BUT shortly after the institute began, everyone was fully invested in the learning experience afforded to them through #PSUCASE13 – Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Institute[AFNR]. (Click here to view the twitter feed for this experience)

How do we learn best?  BY DOING!  CASE Institutes do just that.  Agricultural educators are challenged as they progress through Activities, Projects, and Problems presented through CASE methodologies – which build upon a pedagogy that spirals and scaffolds the curricula.   

Science and mathematics are not “included” in CASE curriculum, rather science and mathematics are purposely and properly taught to provide true integration of core-academics. CASE does NOT assume students should know how to perform a science skill or mathematical operation – these are purposely taught within the context of AFNR. (Click here to learn more about the AFNR Course)

It has been stated that, “CASE is the most powerful tool available for the advancement of agricultural education and enhancement of student learning of agricultural science subject matter.” Truth be told – if you want ‘up the ante’ of your agricultural science program, - EXPLORE the opportunities of CASE!  Find more time to ‘Do what you love – Love what you do,’ by allowing the CASE Team to lay the foundation for you!  Think of the possibilities! 

Learning more by visiting: www.case4learning.org or following on Twitter @case4learning.  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! 

Mr. Mike Woods

Guest Blogger

Cumberland Valley Agriscience Teacher/FFA Advisor

@CV_Aggie

2009 Graduate of Penn State AEE

AEE Major Olivia Murphy-Sweet Has a Passion to Help Students Reach Their Full Potential!

Days of Service at National FFA Convention.

My name is Olivia Murphy-Sweet and I am currently attending Penn State Mont Alto. I am an Agriculture and Extension Education Major and am hoping to transfer up to University Park in the fall.

Growing up, I didn’t live on a farm; I didn’t own animals and I certainly did not know a lot about agriculture. All I knew was that I loved food and thought that cows were cute. When I started high school in my sophomore year I learned about the amazing opportunities in FFA that were offered. I was honestly scared out of my mind when I walked into that first FFA Leadership Class my sophomore year. I was out of my comfort zone but was ready to see what this whole “Ag” thing was about. During that class amazing things happened. I made new friends, signed up to go on a trip and also got to meet my FFA advisor, Mr. Mike Woods. I walked out of there feeling a sense of home and belonging on that very first day. After that, everything went uphill. My high school experience wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for FFA or the Agriculture classes offered in my school.

"The reasons I want to be an Agriculture Education teacher is because of my drive for helping students understand not only what agriculture is, but helping students learn to reach their full potential." 

Receiving my Keystone Degree at the PA FFA
Mid-Winter Convention.

The reasons I want to be an Agriculture Education teacher is because of my drive for helping students understand not only what agriculture is, but helping students learn to reach their full potential. I want to have an Ag room where my students feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging. I want to have my students walking into class excited to learn and walk out of my class smiling because I have made their day just a little bit better than it was before. Agriculture isn’t just about farming or animals, it’s about hard work and determination to get the job done.

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: Olivia Murphy-Sweet

AEE Major/PSU Mont Alto

Student Blogger

2016 Student Teacher Candidate