World Wisdom with Weaver - Wrapping It All Up!

Kayla Hack and I at World Food Prize (October)

"Wrapping it all up" - do you see what I did there?!  :) 

Happy December to you all! As 2014 draws to a close and many of us begin the holiday festivities, I know that we can't help but reflect on the year that has unfolded. This has been one of my best, and most challenging years - I had a baby, I took a semester off of teaching, and I took the role of PSU Teach Ag! Fellow while completing my M.Ed.

Last December, I had decided that I wanted to finish my M.Ed. but had no idea how it'd be possible to accomplish this with a baby on the way and no ability to take summers to study at PSU. Then came the idea of the educational leave. My school was so generous to grant me this opportunity and I'm thankful that I was given this chance to improve myself personally and professionally. It's amazing to me how things somehow work out!

The biggest question I ask myself is "would you do it all over again if you had the chance?"and the response would be YES! Now, I was naive about some things - I didn't quite realize the learning curve I had for becoming a mother, which complicated the learning curve I had as a grad student - but I think this experience has made me stronger, more confident in myself as a person and teacher, and has reinvigorated me as an educator. I look forward to returning to the classroom and employing what I've learned to my students.

Through my work, I met amazing people like the coordinators for World Food Prize and the state youth institute coordinators. Amazing people doing amazing work to help our students grow in global competence. Through  my work as a grad student, I hope to bring those same opportunities to more of our Pennsylvania students so they can experience the amazing program that is the World Food Prize and Global Youth Institute.

My wonderful husband, Jesse!

I'm forever a changed person from this experience and I'm so thankful that I was given this opportunity. I wish to thank my professors and mentors at Penn State who guided me through this process and who will push me this spring to finish my research and walk across that stage in May! I also want to thank Twin Valley School District for believing in me enough to let me take off a semester and go "do my thing." It's not everyday that you find yourself working for a district that "gets you" and lets you wander off for a few months! I want to thank my mother, father and sister who traveled to PSU several times to help me take care of my son, and who also were his primary caregivers during my multiple trips! And of course, I'd like to thank my husband and son who were flexible, supportive and overall just wonderful for sacrificing so that I could do this.

Finally, I'd like to thank you, reader, for taking time out of your day to check out my blogs. If you ever want to look back at them, go ahead and CLICK HERE! and you'll find them! I know my mom (in true mom fashion) has kept a printed binder of all my posts, so you could always ask her, too! There are some pretty good little nuggets of ideas and curriculum for incorporating global learning into your classroom. I hope that in the new year you'll employ a few and work towards improving global competency among ourselves as professionals as well as our students.

David wishes you all a Merry Christmas! (photo: CarrieKizuka)

As for this experience, would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! As part of my duties as a fellow, I developed a description of the position so that, while I was the first Global Teach Ag! Fellow, I will hopefully not be the last! This is a remarkable experience and I hope that other Ag. teachers in PA will realize that every so often, we need to take a break to reinvigorate and re-inspire ourselves. It can be daunting to do what we do year in and year out; we work harder than a lot of teachers just by the nature of our job, and we need the ability to charge our batteries and come back stronger. These last few months did that for me!

Although this is my last official post, I am still around if you need me and always willing and passionate to talk about global learning. Over the next few months, I'll try to stop in and share some of what I'm doing in the classroom. I hope that the last few weeks of 2014 are blessed and happy for you and your family and that 2015 is your best year yet!

(photo: Carrie Kizuka photography)

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver
PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow
Agricultural Science Teacher

@TeamWeaverFever
TeamWeaverFever@gmail.com

World Wisdom With Weaver - More Global Classroom Activities!

So, I've been working feverishly on my M.Ed. project and finding resources left and right. I came across one that I think has some really fun potential and wanted to share it! It's some curriculum that is global and STEM related. What great buzz words!

The group is called "Practical Action" and their main goal is to use technology to alleviate poverty in developing countries. They work in over 45 developing countries around the world.

One section of their website includes lesson plans that utilize problem solving and critical thinking to develop solutions to real-world global issues. The one I found first is called The Squashed Tomato Challenge and deals with tomato farmers in Nepal. Did you know that tomato production is HUGE in Nepal?! Well, it is! This lesson teaches students about the tomato industry in Nepal and a common problem that farmers in the higher altitude regions face when harvesting and transporting their product to the local markets. The lesson includes links to teacher notes, students, certificates and helpful videos. I plan to try this out in my classroom!

Want something else? Well then check out their STEM Challenges Page. It includes lessons for "Beat the Flood," "Wind Power," and more! 

Another link under the Global CREST Challenges includes even more activities. From their website:

Global CREST challenges are based around Practical Action's work, which uses science and technology to address global issues such as energy, water and food. They give students a real insight into how science and technology can be used to tackle challenges faced by communities in the developing world, and how they can be part of the solution. 

Check it out and I hope it helps you in the classroom! Let me know if you use any of these lessons! I'd like to see what is done with the challenges!

Agriculturally yours,

Nicole Weaver
PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow
Agricultural Science Educator

@TeamWeaverFever

World Wisdom With Weaver - Multicultural Activities for the Classroom!

I know from years of teaching that this time in the school year is such fun - class holiday parties, assemblies, decorations throughout the halls. But these next few weeks can also be frustrating when trying to maintain focus, discipline and the drive to continue with the curriculum when the students have turkeys, cornucopias, sugarplums and holiday breaks on their mind.  I also know it's frustrating when family vacations coincide with these weeks and take students out of class for long periods of time.

My challenge to you is to see this time as a chance to broaden student minds. Take advantage of those days of "holiday ennui" when the students are antsy and you are just waiting for that bell to ring. I am supplying you in this blog with some activities you can use in class to promote multicultural learning and help students with cultural perspective. Most are lighthearted on the surface, and can help to get excess energy out, but they lead to good and deep discussions. 

Keep these in your toolkit to pull out when necessary. And hey, add one that I may have missed (just comment below - I'll even send you a little something if you do! Well, I mean as long as you email me your address!)

• BARNGA - We played this game at the Global Learning in Agriculture Conference (#GLAG14) that was held November 7-8. It was a blast! It's a basic card game that has a great deal of teachable moments and discussion starting points. Most kids will get wrapped up in the game, but will then will have their minds blown when you start to point out some of the inner workings of what is happening. I have linked a few resources on the Global Agriculture Space on NAAE Communities of Practice. Check it out! 

• Penn State Resources - the College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension has developed (from what I could find) these two online resources that includes over 20 different activities. Not all are gold, but there are some good nuggets in there. Most are generalized, but can be tweaked to be more "global" and agricultural with some slight changes. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Diversity Activities - My favorite from this one is Proverbs. It's a neat activity that could potentially lead to some other discussions or lessons. As an extension, it might be cool to research some of these sayings and find their origin in the culture.
2. More Diversity Activities for Youth and Adults - From this one I liked Unequal Resources. It's made to fit economic diversity as I interpreted it, but easily you could change this to different "resources" that are unequal. 

• Global Education Activities - This WEBSITE has links to all kinds of activities. These ones are more agriculturally minded, but have some great messages. Not all are for High School level, but there are several that are and can be used effectively in an Ag. classroom.

Enjoy the time leading up to these next two holiday breaks!

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

TeamWeaverFever@gmail.com

@TeamWeaverFever

World Wisdom with Weaver - Global Learning in Agriculture #GLAG14

Well, it seems that the temperatures in the north are starting to really match up to the time of year. This weekend I spent my time in blustery, but fun, Penn State!

From November 7-8, the College of Agricultural Sciences hosted the first "Global Learning in Agriculture" (#GLAG14) conference. Over 50 teachers, undergrads, professors, and professionals met at the Atherton Hotel to learn together.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of this two day event and was able to learn so much from those who spoke and shared.

Krista Pontius shares her travel experiences.

The first evening kicked off with some keynote presentations on lessons learned from experience by Dr. Kenneth Cushner (Kent State) and Dr. Kirby Barrick (UFL).

Dr. Melanie Miller Foster (@GlobalMelanie) shared with us a very fun presentation on Risk Management. Although a serious topic to consider when taking students abroad, she definitely managed to make it an engaging presentation.

I also enjoyed the two group presentations of the night. The first was led by Eric Sawatzke (@ESawatzke), an Agricultural Science teacher from Minnesota. He's currently working with our very own Kayla Hack (@HackKayla) and Janae Bickhart (@JanaeBickhart) to develop curriculum for his classes that involves distance education from these two amazing young ladies. They reflected on their experiences with this class so far and all that they are learning and creating.

The group assembles and mingles!

After that, Megan Merrill (@megan_merrill), an Agriculture Science Teacher from Springport, Michigan, and Jeff Garrison of the AEC Spanish Institute discussed their experience working together to provide Megan's students with a study abroad opportunity to Turrialba, Costa Rica. It was really interesting to hear how Megan put the trip together so quickly and was able to provide such a unique and engaging experience for her students.

On the second day, we got down to the nitty-gritty!  

(L-R) Jeff Garrison, Eric Sawatzke, David Bittner

Dr. Cushner led an AMAZING learning experience for the group. We discussed the concept of Intercultural Development and the hangups that we have to consider when learning to become more intercultural in our thinking and teaching. To illustrate some of the concepts, we played a game called "Barnga" and considered perceptions and misconceptions can cause barriers to our growth. We learned about Robert Hanvey's Dimensions of a Global Perspective and worked on ways to integrate these concepts into our lessons. 

After lunch, we were treated to a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Andrew Thoron of the University of Florida. The panel consisted of a professor (Dr. Dennis Buffington, PSU CAS Professor Emeritus of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Distinguished Professor of Moscow State Agro-Engineering), a current Ag. Teacher (Krista Pontius, Greenwood PA Agriscience Teacher, NAAE Region VI Vice President, Past PAAE President, @KristaPontius) and a current AEE undergrad (Jasmine Graybill, PSU AEE Major, 2015 Student Teacher, @JasmineGraybill). This panel discussed their experiences with traveling, learning and teaching abroad and their plans and dreams to incorporate global learning into classrooms.

Dr. Cushner is just amazing!

We ended the day with some excited group brainstorming sessions and some challenges from the group, specifically, "Wouldn't it be cool if". Each participant walked away with a vast amount of resources, prizes, and a text on Global Learning. 

In the coming months, we plan to continue our growth by discussing the books on NAAE CoP as well as posting lessons and ideas to the site as well (Space: Global Agriculture).

It was an exciting and inspiring weekend. I like that it was a mix of people at different places in their careers and working in the field of global learning and competency in different ways. It was an atmosphere of sharing and collaboration and I feel confident that good things are to come from this group of highly motivated and global-passionate people!

If you didn't attend, you truly missed out! 

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

Agriscience Educator

TeamWeaverFever@gmail.com

@TeamWeaverFever

Got to share the experience with my wonderful former student, Jill Gordon!

World Wisdom With Weaver - Global Learning Blogging!

I'm a surfer. No, not the sun-kissed glistening skin, bleach blonde, "gnarly" dude surfer. I'm a web surfer. Yes, the internet can suck you in to a vortex of funny cat videos, kids being adorable, 50 pins that I'll never actually do, etc. But, it can also be a realm of knowledge, growth, and new ideas to challenge and expand your horizons.

And it connects us to people from all over the world - different cultures, races, religions, ideas - who can share ideas.

In short, global learning and the ever-expanding internet are pretty much hand in hand.  Through this blog series, I've found that to be an ever constant fact. I'm honored to share my insight and discoveries with you, but there are plenty of others out there who are more well-traveled, more eloquent and writing more about global competency!

For this entry, I sought to find other bloggers who are using the Internet to share their ideas and experiences of global learning.

In particular, I'm going to highlight five resources:

1. Matador Network - @MatadorNetwork (also @MatadorU) This isn't a blog per se, but it is a vast resource of travel information and first-hand experiences from people who are living, working, thriving, and writing about travel. In particular, I found an interesting article written about the American vs. European view of travel (Americans Need a Thesis Statement for Travel). I enjoyed the article thoroughly. Now, teachers, some of this content is not G-rated, so I suggest pre-viewing before sharing. But it has some great insight from people who travel. A great resource to use with students. Their contributors come from all over the world and share stories about travel, living in other countries, learning culture, and taking photographs. 

2. Education Week - @educationweek Yes, once again, this isn't a blog I've given you, but please open THIS LINK. On the page are several blogs about teachers and international education/global learning. You have to register to read the entirety of most of the articles, but they have a FREE option (it lets you read three articles/blogs per month. Or you can subscribe for about $60 a year). Some ones of note?

• A Global Artology Program - Guest blogger Jamaine Smith discussed this program developed by a Build A Bridge initiative. Students from Philadelphia spent weeks over the summer in an experiential learning program. It enlisted the help of artists, science teachers and medical students to develop the curriculum. They worked in and around Philadelphia doing various activities and then got to speak to students from Ecuador as part of the program. I highly recommend the read - cool stuff happening here!
•  Real World Connections to Global Learning - I like how this blog discusses how the blogger's school has incorporated global learning into multiple academic disciplines. Meghan Sullivan covers efforts from the World History teachers to the French teacher and even discusses how they partnered with Proctor and Gamble in regards to clean water. They have typically done a lesson on water where they collected water to test the quality. Proctor and Gamble provided them with a lesson on "Children's Safe Drinking Water Campaign" and water filter packets. The students then had to clean the water with the packets provided.

3. The NEA Foundation - Global Learning Fellow This blog series (you have to scroll down toward the bottom of the page to link to the blogs) followed a group of 30 teachers who traveled to China in June of this year. It was part of a year-long fellowship. There was one in 2013 to Brazil. 

4. Global Learning Partners - BLOG - "Speaking of Dialogue" This blog has some fun posts about global learning. I encourage you to stop by and check out a few!

5. Shady Side Academy - Global Learning Blog This one is so cool! The students at Shady Side Academy are able to participate in diverse travel programs that take them across the globe and involve them in culture, service experiences and more! This blog is in the words of the very students who are traveling - a great way to show your students the benefits of travel!

Do you have any to add? Please comment below! 

Oh and hey! Have you checked out the NAAE CoP Global Agriculture page? You haven't?!? Well, HERE IS THE LINK - Global Agriculture Space. It's a great place to collaborate with other teachers, share your ideas/curriculum and get ideas from others regarding global learning in agriculture! Let's make it a great resource for everyone!

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

Agriculture Science Teacher

@TeamWeaverFever

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 - "The Millennium Development Goals"

Well, folks this is a big week! In the days to come two major events will occur; the first is World Food Day (October 16). Haven't heard of it? Well then check out my previous World Wisdom With Weaver Blog that details this event.

In addition to that, The World Food Prize begins this Wednesday and runs for the rest of the week. Visit the World Food Prize Website to see the events that Kayla and I are attending. My next blog will reflect on my experiences there and will share with you ways to participate or to utilize the information in your classrooms.
Running concurrently with this is the Global Youth Institute which I am attending with my cohort Kayla Hack! She and I are beyond excited to participate in this event for the first time and to meet
with students, faculty, scientists, policymakers and dignitaries from around the world. I feel that it will help us gain so much perspective. Check out their website.

But, for this week, while these other events are occurring I want to discuss another topic that ties in with both of these - the United Nations' Millenium Development Goals (MDG's). In 2000, a committee of world leaders sat down to compose the United Nations Millennium Declaration. This document outlined the commitment their respective nations made to help end extreme poverty by working as a global community. From that came the UN Millennium Project and the UN Millennium Campaign. Both are tasked with informing, inspiring, and challenging the global citizens to take action and help to combat extreme poverty. The UN Millennium Goals are 8 topic areas that help to focus the project to not only pinpoint areas of need, but to also help guide resources and action.

They set a deadline for 2015 to reach these goals...

That date is soon approaching, and in fact, on several pages of the website, there is a countdown clock to the 2015 date they set. So, what have they done? It's a wonderful question and, I think, a great question to ask your students!

My goal in this blog is to get you thinking about how to incorporate the 8 MDG's and inspire higher level thinking in your students. They are, after all, the next generation to tackle these global issues.


Listed above are the 8 MDG's the UN Summit determined. These goals drive the campaign and the efforts of those involved. Let's talk about some ways to introduce these in class:

1. Idea #1 - Class Summit
1. I like to challenge my students to "think outside the box." Start by giving them some documents to read:
1. What is the United Nations? The United Nations: An Introduction for Students
2. What was the point of the 200 UN Summit? Millennium Summit (6-8 September 2000)
1. But leave out the part where it lists the 8 MDG's.
2. Encourage a class discussion with the prompt "What are the greatest issues affecting those in extreme poverty?" As students begin discussion, have someone serve as scribe and list those items on the board. Have them review the board and reflect on their choices, perhaps ranking them. Before you know it, they've BECOME the UN Summit and are developing their own set of MDG's. Want to make this more technology-forward? Facilitate this discussion through Twitter or other online forums. Develop your own hash-tag for the event.
3. When the discussion is over and they have determined the most pressing global issues (feel free to give them a number - 8 would be appropriate), provide them with the 8 goals the UN Summit developed and discuss the similarities/differences between this list and theirs. Have them evaluate - did the UN get it right? Is there something they missed?
4. Take it to the "streets." Encourage your students to interview classmates, faculty, administration, families and community members to have them weigh in on the topic. 
2. Idea #2 - News Sharing
1. Want to incorporate some literacy initiatives in your classroom? Have your students check out some of the ARTICLES related to the UN MDG goals. In groups of 4, students will read an article of your choosing (each group will read a different article). Within each group, provide questions as a starting point for discussion in the group. One student should be the reporter and write down the main ideas presented by the group and a question they'd like to ask the group pertaining to what they read. 
2. When ready, have each group report out on the article they read and facilitate discussion through the question they formed.
3. Idea #3 - Fact Sheets
1. A simple activity utilizes the Fact Sheets developed in 2013.  
1. Goal #1 Fact Sheet
2. Goal #2 Fact Sheet
3. Goal #3 Fact Sheet
4. Goal #4 Fact Sheet
5. Goal #5 Fact Sheet
6. Goal #6 Fact Sheet
7. Goal #7 Fact Sheet
8. Goal #8 Fact Sheet
2. Split students into groups and have them read over a goal you assign. Each fact sheet provides an overview, targets, and current progress. From this, students can produce a product (poster, Prezi, infographic, etc) to share that information.

These are just a few ideas for now. Please check back in future blogs when I'll focus on just a few of the goals at a time and provide some articles, curriculum and ideas to incorporate these MDG's into your classes. 

Have a great week!

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

Agriculture Science Teacher

@TeamWeaverFever

World Wisdom With Weaver - Student Travel Round #2

Happy October! I know I have touched on the topic of student travel and gave you several ideas of where to travel and what groups/companies can accommodate you, but in this blog post I'm going to give you some information on HOW to fund it!

See, I know that money can be tight. Trust me - I have a 4-month old who thinks it's an Olympic sport to see how many diapers he can go through in a day - I know. But, I would hate to think that a student decides NOT to travel based on cost. That's the worst reason.

One of my favorite quotes is "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"  I'd like to modify that and suggest "Where would you attempt to travel if money was not a boundary?" Don't let a lack of funds keep you stateside. Seek out funding help!  With that in mind, my wonderful friend Ketja Lingenfelter (Assistant Director for Student Global Engagement, Office of International Programs, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University) has provided me with some promising scholarships that could help you or a student you know to travel internationally. Please check them out!

Applications are now being accepted for US Department of State study abroad programs U.S. high school students. These are all merit-based scholarships and most programs have no language prerequisites. Gap year students are also encouraged to apply as long as they remain age eligible. Here are the upcoming deadlines by program. Please note the first deadline, for the NSLI-Y program, is coming up soon.

1. The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
1. Offers merit-based scholarships to study one of seven critical foreign languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian and Turkish. The NSLI-Y program is designed to immerse participants in the culture life of the host country, provide formal and informal language practice, and spark a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. 
2. The application deadline for summer 2015 and academic year 2015-2016 is OCTOBER 30, 2014
3. www.nsliforyouth.org
2. The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program

1. Offers merit-based scholarships to spend an academic year in countries that may include: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey. This program increases understanding between people in the United States and people in countries with significant Muslim populations. Students live with host families, attend local high schools, do community service, and complete a capstone project.
2. Applications for academic year 2015-2016 programs are due JANUARY 7, 2015
3. www.yes-abroad.org
3. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX)

1. Offers merit-based scholarships to spend an academic year in Germany. The program was established in 1983 to celebrate German-American friendship based on common values of democracy. Students live with host families, attend local schools, and participate in community life of Germany. 
2. Applications for academic year 2015-2016 are due JANUARY 8, 2015
3. http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org

For more information on exchanges sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit www.exchanges.state.gov or watch THIS VIDEO about U.S. high school student exchanges. To receive printed brochures and/or posters about our study abroad opportunities, send an e-mail with your request to youthprograms@state.gov.

For information on having an international experience without leaving home, consider hosting a Department of State-sponsored exchange student. Learn more at http://hosting.state.gov

So, what's your excuse now?!?! GO TRAVEL!

Agriculturally Yours, 

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global Teach Ag! Fellow

Ag. Teacher

@TeamWeaverFever

World Wisdom With Weaver - WORLD FOOD DAY

Happy Wednesday blog readers and Happy October! I don't know about you, but between work, taking care of baby, cleaning the house, and other chores, it seems like finding time is a challenge! To alleviate some of that stress, my husband and I started making a weekly meal plan. It has done so much for us; we save money at the grocery store by only buying what we need for the meals that week; we waste less food that goes bad; we get to try new recipes and foods; and we save time that used to be spent figuring out what to eat!

Courtesy: World Food Day Website

And I know that so many households employ this mealtime tactic as well.

This month marks the beginning of that cozy fall feeling of the warmth of home, the thankfulness for all we have and the joy in celebrating with others. As we begin this time of harvest and reflection, I think it's only right that we think about our neighbors across the globe - especially those that don't have that happy stress of so much plentiful food that they have to pick which meal to prepare that night.

Hunger is still a major issue on our planet today. Malnutrition in children causes stunted growth, inability to focus in school, and the danger of a cycle of poverty and lack of food access.

Perhaps, then, World Food Day, is a perfectly timed event. Held on October 16th, it is a celebration and a call to action. It encourages us to celebrate our diversity, our similarities, and our universal right to food. It challenges us to think beyond our own daily life and consider the needs of others.

This month, I challenge you to learn more about World Food Day and plan an event in your classroom to help raise awareness and inspire students to become active participants in providing food for all. Below are some helpful links and resources that you can use.

1. World Food Day Website - The theme for 2014 is "Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth." The main page is a great resource on the history and background of World Food Day as well as the purpose for the event itself.

• "PERSPECTIVES" is a link to a series of essays from farmers, ranchers, policymakers, and other involved in the making and regulation of food around the world. It features 2 articles each day starting in September and ending on October 16. What a great way to start the dialogue on World Food Day! Use these essays as an activation to your lessons. Students can each pick out an essay and then report back to the class on what they learned, felt, and were confused by in the essay. Have them write their own essay for this - what is their point of view (bonus points for the literacy standards addressed here!)
• Want to go one step further? FIND EVENTS helps you locate World Food Day programs and events held near your area. There are over 800 as of today. Find one to join or you can also upload your own event to this page to truly be a part of the celebration.
• Want to go even farther? TAKE ACTION is my favorite resource! One activity is to Tweet a Toast to a local farmer. The hashtags #ToastAFarmer and #WFD2014 will help to show a global community of people engaged in the fight to end hunger. Or host an event? It can be a walk to raise money, a hunger banquet to raise awareness, or even a food drive to be donated to a local shelter. There is a great slideshow from the WFD2013 events that can help inspire a class. What a great project for a leadership class or FFA group to undertake!

2. Teaching Resources

• PBS - 6 Ways to Teach World Food Day This article was published on WFD in 2013, but the lessons are still relevant and applicable. Age range is grades 7-12 and include articles, hands-on activities and lesson plans. My favorite? The one titled Teaching the Power of School Meals. It's interactive, it's personalized, and even has a "call to action" piece for students to feel that they are making a difference.
• OXFAM - granted this lesson plans is aimed at teachers in England, but it can still be applicable to american students. Age range is 8-11 grade and includes a teacher's guide, assembly slides and a script. I envision this lesson utilized by upper level students as a WFD activity aimed at the middle school or 9th grade class. What a great way to empower your 11th and 12th grade students while educating students in the lower grades!
• WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - as with the Oxfam lesson plans, these ones are aimed at a younger audience (grades 5-7) but as with the previous resource I believe this could be utilized as a lesson plan that high school students can use in teaching the middle school. This serves many purposes - it provides a positive relationship between the high school and middle school, it gives students a great experience of leaders others in a lesson, the lessons involve food insecurity as well as great geography lessons, students learn best when teaching others. 
• EARTH BOX The company has been providing gardening containers for the better part of 20 years, but have recently teamed up with WFD to develop a product and curriculum for the World Food Day event. I saved this one for last because, yes, it does involve a cost. And although this project was slated for the 2013 WFD, it is still applicable for this year. From their website: "EarthBox created the STEM-basedEarthBox for World Food Day School Kit. Students of all ages observe WFD, practice sustainable agriculture, perform an authentic experience, learn the importance of eating healthy and advancing local and global food security." The TEACHER GUIDE provides specificity in the lessons. There are 10 interdependent activities that range from learning about World Food Day to planting and harvesting a crop. 

3. Multimedia

• YouTube Videos - I have provided here a link to a Google Search that provides hundreds of videos related to WFD. Some are highlights of previous years, and some are educational videos produced specifically for the event. Use them as conversation starters, bell-ringers, inspiration for class projects, or to enhance a lesson.
• World Food Day Twitter Page (@FAOWFD) a great way to get kids connected to real-time information about food security. Have students follow the page and start each class with them discussion something interesting they found. While you're at it, try following World Food Programme (@WFP), Heifer International (@Heifer), Oxfam (@OxfamAmerica), or USAID (@USAID). You can also find them on Facebook. These resources will provide facts, articles, videos, and connections to people around the world.

Remember, as teachers we are the ones to develop our students into conscientious global citizens. We are helping to empower the next generation to make this world better. We have an important job! Do you have curriculum/lessons that you'd like to add to this list? Please comment below! Share the wealth!

Photo: Carrie Kizuka Photography 

Agriculturally Yours,

Nicole Weaver

PSU Global TeachAg! Fellow

Ag. Teacher

World Class Lasagna Chef :)

@TeamWeaverFever

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

~~~

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