#MSU2PSU

The weekend of April 13-15 was an eventful one for Penn State Teach Ag as we hosted an exchange program with Michigan State University. Six students from Michigan State’s Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education Club came to learn more about Penn State and our Agricultural and Extension Education program. The weekend filled with exciting tours, fellowship, and swapping of ag ed stories was all made possible by LEAD Society and the Center for Professional Personnel Development.

The festivities kicked off with breakfast at The Waffle Shop, a Happy Valley classic. The group then had a tour of campus to learn more about our history and traditions. After exploring campus, we hopped on a big blue bus and were off to begin our day of tours.

First stop, the Mushroom Research Center, to meet with the manager, Dr. John Pecchia. John shared so much with us and we were interested to learn about the practices that help PA mushroom producers to produce 2/3 of the country’s mushrooms!

Our next stop was the Poultry Education and Research Center. Manager, Scott Kephart, was kind enough to take time out of his weekend to share with our group. We enjoyed touring the six buildings that make up the facility and learning more about the research and work that goes on there.

The lovely spring weather was perfect for a picnic so we enjoyed our lunch break at the arboretum! And in true Penn State fashion, we followed up with a trip to Berkey Creamery. After explaining the no mixing rule and making our way through the line, our group took advantage of the sunshine and enjoyed our ice cream. Some of the MSU students even admitted that Berkey Creamery ice cream beats their Dairy Store’s ice cream!

Back on the big blue bus we piled and headed out to see where our ice cream ingredients came from, the Dairy Barns. We all enjoyed meeting with the students who live and work there and learning about their day-to-day at the barns. I’ll have to admit though, our favorite part was definitely hanging out with all of the calves.

Speaking of cute baby animals, our next tour was of Penn State’s Equine Facilities where we got the chance to meet this year’s group of foals. The students who work there explained to us how their annual sale operates and all of the work that goes into it.

Our last tour was just across the street at the one and only, Beaver Stadium. Assistant Athletic Fields Supervisor, Nate Miller, took us right onto the field and explained the ins and outs of turf management. Not only was this tour interesting and informative, a few of us (*me) were definitely fan- girling over having the whole stadium to ourselves. 

After a long day of tours, we had one last stop before dinner, the Ferguson building. Jon Seaman, Program Manager, had a fun and informative workshop waiting for us; 3-D Printing in Ag Education. We all enjoyed learning more about how 3-D printing can be used in agricultural education and I know the MSU students were excited to receive their very own Spartan cookie cutters.

We wrapped up a long day with dinner at The Corner Room, another State College classic, and then a movie night.

Sunday morning, after reflecting over breakfast, our guests packed up and headed home to East Lansing.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and we can’t wait to visit Michigan State in the fall!

A huge thank you shoutout to those who were willing to lead our tours, LEAD Society and the Center for Professional Personnel Development for their financial support, the students who participated and hosted, and Ms. Terra Ingram for her incredible help behind the scenes.

Victoria Herr

Guest Blogger

Twitter Handle: @Victoria_Herr

2019 Agriculture Student Teacher Candidate

#psuaged18 returns: Celebrating the Elite Eleven!

Our Elite Eleven 2018 Penn State Agricultural Education Student Teachers (#psuaged18 on Twitter - Check it out!) return today, April 23rd, for their post-internship seminar! They have spent the last fifteen weeks completing internships in secondary schools across Pennsylvania!

The PSU Teach Ag! Program thanks each of you for the role you have played in their educational journey. Your assistance helps us achieve our core values as an agricultural teacher education program. 

Below is a snapshot of this incredible group of students accomplishments. To learn more about the individual candidates, please view the PSU Teach Ag! Student Showcase: http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2018/02/blog-post.html

As a group, the #psuaged18 interns:

• Taught 72 different classes to students from K-12th grades that are 40 minute periods to 90-minute “block” periods in length. 

• Delivered 139 units of instruction on topics from leadership development, agricultural mechanics, environmental sciences & natural resources, plant sciences, animal sciences and much more! 

• Impacted the lives of 958 individual students 

• Helped their cooperating centers earn and implement $13,200 of extramural funding assisted from grants, sponsorships, and fundraisers.

• Lead students in 2376 hours of community service.

• Has Earned (or will earn) degrees from 3 areas:  Agricultural & Extension Education (B.S.); Agricultural Sciences (B.S.); Food Sciences.

• Obtained 4 Minors/areas of emphasis: Agronomy, Animal Science, International Agriculture; Environmental Soil Science.

• Participated in Global Learning in 11 Countries, including Austria, Australia, Belize; Canada; Costa Rica, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland

• Completed FOUR Domestic Study Away Programs in, Colorado (Service Learning Pedagogies with Farm to School Initiatives, 2014), Mississippi (Financial Literacy through agricultural education in Appalachia Areas, 2015) and Tennessee (STEM in agricultural education in rural and urban settings, 2016), and Wisconsin (Gender in Agriculture, Agricultural Education, and Agriculture Classrooms, 2017). 

• Will have members who are Pennsylvania Certified (with reciprocity in more than 45 states) in the following 3 areas: Agriscience K-12; Biology ; General Science 

• Earned 65 different Additional Certifications/Accreditation/Licenses, including(listed alphabetically): Accredited Parliamentarians from the Society of Agricultural Education Parliamentarians; Army Corp of Engineers Wetland Certification; Beef Quality Assurance; Curriculum for Agriscience Education- Natural Resources; CPI Nonviolent Crisis Prevention; First Aid/CPR/AED Certification; Food Science ServSafe Certification; Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) Certification; Mandated Reporter Training; National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Instructors; OSHA 10-hr Safety Course in Construction Safety and Health; Pesticide Applicator License (Public and Private); Pork Quality Assurance; Project Food, Land People; Project WILD; Project WET, Sheep Quality Assurance.

• Completed 11 SLO/action research projects during their internship, including: 
• Evaluation of Mastery and Growth of Student Competencies in EPA Worker Protection Standards
• The Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Instruction compared to Teacher-Centered Instruction 
• Utilization of Group Testing for Animal Terms on Student Success and Retention of Information 
• Building Up or Tearing Down: Utilization of review methods on student success and retention of information. 
• Is Digital Note Taking More Effective? 
• From Green to Broke: Exploring Classroom Management 
• Tool ID Retention Strategies: Using Active Learning for Memorization 
• Do students’ public speaking skills improve by engaging in self-assessment? 
• How effective are Task Groups? 
• Are guided notes worth the extra work? 

• Completed 11 custom learning projects (DIY Teacher Education) for their center, including:
• The Influence of Utilizing Online Tools and Resources for the Comprehension and Transfer of Information 
• Annual Heirloom Tomato Fundraiser Sale Description List 
• Penn Manor Ag Ed Informational Video 
• How to effectively budget a CASE program 
• Designing Curriculum from the roots up! 
• What is Ag Education? 
• Pesticide Certification Teacher Manual 
• Adult Learners in Floriculture 
• Technology in Cowanesque Valley 

• Completed 2 undergraduate research projects, including: 
• #TeachAgChat: Building purposeful professional learning networks on Twitter. 
• Barriers and Opportunities for Implementing Agricultural Work-based Learning in Tasmania 

• Involved in 50 professional organizations, including(listed alphabetically): Alpha Tau Alpha, National Agricultural Education Honorary; Alpha Zeta; Association of Career & Technical Education; ADSA: American Dairy Science Association; American National Cattlewomen; Boy Scouts of America; College of Agricultural Science Ag Advocate; Coaly Society, PSU; Collegiate 4-H, Penn State; Collegiate FFA , Penn State; PSU Dairy Science Club; Gamma Sigma Delta; Grange- Penn State, National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE); National Brown Swiss Association; National Grange; Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators (PAAE); Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; PA Young Farmer and Rancher; Pennsylvania FFA Alumni; Teach Ag! Society, Penn State; Young Farmers.

• Gained experience or have been employed with over 31 different relevant jobs/Internships including (listed alphabetically): Center for Professional and Personal Development, Penn State; Global Teach Ag! Initiative, Penn State; Horse Barns, Penn State; Greene County Conservation District; Land O’Lakes Northeast Agri-Solutions Force; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and Promotion Inc.; Pennsylvania FFA Association; Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Plant Science Department - Penn State; PSU Science U- Curriculum Mentor; PSU Extension - York County; PSU Extension- Weed Science; Shaver’s Creek Outdoor School; Red Creek Wildlife Center; Wasson farm 

• Fun Facts about #psuaged18: 
• Includes a non-traditional returning student who had previously worked in Conservation Districts! 
• Throughout their experience, on candidate received 2 gallons of maple syrup from community members, students, and other teachers. Her internship placement site, Tioga County, is home to the top two maple producers in Pennsylvania.
• Includes a former Pennsylvania FFA State Officer, Pennsylvania 4H State Officer, and a Pennsylvania Dairy Princess, along with many other leaders! 
• Includes a 12 year competitive square dancer! 
• The entire cohort participated in 2017 Future Agri Science Teacher Symposium (FAST) at NAAE in Nashville, Tennessee 
• The entire cohort attended the 2017 National FFA Convention with as a chaperone with their cooperating teacher. 
• One candidate spent 3 weeks in Tasmania conducting research on work-based learning. 
• Includes a candidate who is the first person in their immediate and extended family to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree. 

To learn more about their specific student teaching experiences, check out their professional blogs and follow them on Twitter:

• Allyson Balmer (@allyson_balmer). The Agrication Station. Cooperating Center: TriValley HS. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

• Angela Becker (@BeckerAngelaM). Inches to Acres: Teaching to Grow. Cooperating Center: Manheim Central. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

• Rose Cowan (@Cowan_Rosalind). Grace to Growth. Cooperating Center: Penn Manor
  Post Graduation Plans: Pursuing Graduate School. 

• George Dietrich (@TheGeorge4H). From Green Blazers to Blue Corduroys. Cooperating Center: Cumberland Valley. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

• Macy Fisher (@Macy_Fisher). Macy’s Moments. Cooperating Center: Selinsgrove
  Post Graduation Plans: Returning to Penn State! 

• Michala Kuhlman(@Kuhlman_M40). The Chronicles of Becoming an Ag Teacher. Cooperating Center: Central Columbia. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

• Cheyenne Meyers (@MyersCheyenneN). Galloping in Ag Ed. Cooperating Center: Kennard Dale. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Opportunity! 

• Katie Smith (@KatieLady1995). Emu’s in Pre-K! My AgEd Adventure. Cooperating Center: Northwestern HS. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Opportunity! 

• Halee Wasson (@Wasson_Halee). Rooted in Agriculture. Cooperating Center: Derry AHS
  Post Graduation Plans: New Agriculture Teacher at Southern Cayuga HS in Aurora, New York! 

• Heather Wasson (@HeatWasson). From the Plow to the Owl. Cooperating Center: Cowanesque Valley. Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

• Karlie Wright (@Wright_KarlieM). Karlie Writes. Cooperating Center: Fort Cherry
  Post Graduation Plans: Seeking Secondary Agricultural Education Position! 

Since 2010, the @TeachAgPSU program has had 99 students complete their agricultural teacher education program. 61 of those alumni members are currently positively impacting the lives of students in 57 schools found in 12 states. Collectively, those 61 teachers are estimated to:

• Teach 435+ classes 

• Impact 7,000+ students 

• Lead those students in over 24,000 community service hours 

• Generate more than $425,000 in extramural funds for their schools 

• Engage as a member with over 200 professional, community, and civic organizations 

WE ARE...

April 2018 Student of the Month: Beth Winklosky (@Winklosky_Beth)

Each month we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in their involvement in the agriculture education program at PSU! We are proud to announce that Elizabeth Winklosky was selected as April's Student of the Month! Lets learn about her adventure and accomplishments so far.

Beth is currently a junior in the #psuaged19 cohort majoring in Agriculture and Extension Education with the hopes of becoming a high school agriculture educator. She started her Penn State Journey as an Ag Business major, but after returning from her year of service as a PA State FFA Officer she changed her major to Agriculture and Extension Education. She made this change because she realized that was where her passion lied.
Beth is the LEAD Society Treasurer, Delta Theta Sigma Little Sitter/Professional Chair/Co-Historian, and a PSU Teach Ag Avenger.

Fun Facts:
Hometown: Derry, PA
Graduation: 2019
Birthday: July 29, 1996
Favorite PSU Class: PA History (HIST 12)
Favorite Place to Eat in State College: Otto's
Favorite Athletics Team/Sport: She is not completely into sports, but was born a Steelers fan because her family love the Steelers.
Favorite Hangout on Campus: Outside the creamery or anywhere outside on campus
Favorite Thing at PSU: Ice Cream - the new THON flavor, Death by Chocolate, and Birthday Bash
4H/FFA: She was in 4H since she was 8, and until she couldn't be anymore. She was in FFA throughout high school and served as a PA State FFA Officer from 2015-2016

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

March 2018 Student of the Month: Alicia Gates (@gates_alicia)

Each month we like to highlight students that have gone above and beyond in their involvement in the agriculture education program at PSU! We are proud to announce that Alicia Gates was selected as March's Student of the Month! Lets learn about her adventure and accomplishments so far.

Alicia is currently a sophomore in the #psuaged20 cohort majoring in Agriculture and Extension Education with hopes of becoming a high school agricultural educator. Alicia became inspired by agriculture education when she took her first agriculture class in high school. Through that class she had fallen in love with all aspects of agriculture and had developed relationships with many people in the Cumberland Valley FFA chapter. Her passion and understanding for the agriculture industry grew, and so did her love for the people around her. She is attending PSU majoring in Agriculture and Extension Education to mesh her passions together to make an impact on people's lives around her. 

Alicia is involved in LEAD Society, Poultry Science Club, Students for Cultivating Change, Teach Ag! Avenger, Global Teach Ag Intern, Parliamentary Procedure Specialist, and traveled to Morocco with Penn State's Forestry Department.

Fun Facts:

Hometown: Cumberland County, PA

Graduation Year: 2020

Birthday: July 26

Favorite PSU Class: Forestry 488 - Global Forestry Conservation

Favorite Place to Eat in State College: Anywhere as long as she is surrounded by great people!

Favorite Athletics Team/Sport: Penn State Football, Washington Capitals Hockey

Favorite Hangout on Campus: Ferguson Building

Favorite Thing at PSU: Not the weather; thats for sure

4H/FFA: She was involved in FFA

Luke Kerstetter

Communications Team Member

Twitter Handle: @lmkerstetter96

2020 Agriculture Education Student Teacher

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

Penn State's Domestic Study Away Program: Taking Success on the Go with #TeachAgDSA18

The 2015 Domestic Study Away took place in  Mississippi,
where students visited a catfish farm (above), toured cotton
production, explored international trade at the Port of Gulf,
and more.

Since 2013, students from Penn State have traveled all across the country, racking up thousands of miles to explore the transformative nature of school-based agricultural education as it relates to communities, schools, and most importantly the lives of students.

This year we're excited to have the opportunity to send students to the New England area to explore the agriculture industry and school-based agricultural education with #TeachAgDSA18. 

The Domestic Study Away program gives students a chance to broaden perspectives and immerse themselves in the vast diversity of agriculture in our own nation by hearing it directly from the source - a unique opportunity in itself. Typically each year includes industry tours, community engagement, meaningful discussion with peers from local universities, and a professional development focus in the area of school-based agricultural education. 

To really capture the essence of the Domestic Study Away program, we invite you to browse through the past DSA experiences of current Penn State students and alumni: 

2017 Domestic Study Away, #PSUAgEd2WI

Professional Development Focus: 

Exploring gender within the agriculture industry, secondary Agricultural Education classrooms, and the Agricultural Education profession.

Student Chair: 

Rose Cowan (@cowan_rosalind)

#PSUAgEd2018 Student Teacher

Digital Reflection:

http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2017/05/5th-annual-domestic-study-away.html

2016 Domestic Study Away, PSUAgEd2TN

Professional Development Focus: 

Using #AgEdu for STEM instruction in Urban and Rural Settings.

Student Chair: 

Nathan Repetz (@N8_Repetz)

Current Benton Area Agriscience Teacher

Digital Reflection:

http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2016/05/its-wrap-domestic-study-away-2016.html

2015 Domestic Study Away, #PSUAgEd2Miss

Professional Development Focus: 

Instructing financial literacy through work-based learning in rural Appalachian areas through school-based agricultural education.

Student Chair: 

Janae Herr (@kjmcmichael)

Current Lampeter-Strausberg Agriscience Teacher

Digital Reflection:

http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2015/05/mississippi-mindsets-reflecting-back-on.html

2014 Domestic Study Away, #TeachAgDSA2014

Professional Development Focus: 

Integrating Service Learning Pedagogies through Farm to School Programming.

Student Chair: 

Jillian Gordon (@jillianedu)

Current Clarke Central (GA) Agriscience Teacher

Digital Reflection:

http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2014/06/colorado-adventures-reflecting-back-on.html

2013 Domestic Study Away, #PSUAgEd2AZ

(Pilot Year)

Professional Development Focus:

Multicultural competency particularly including those serving the Navajo Reservation

Digital Reflection:

http://teachagpsu.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-domestic-study-abroad-teach-ag.html.

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

The Annual Teach Ag Essay Contest!

"Explore" is the theme for 2018's Teach Ag Essay Contest,
ran by the LEAD Society of Penn State.

Are you a current student, or do you know of current students enrolled in a secondary agricultural education class? 

Take a chance to explore a career in Ag Education! 

The Essay Contest was created by former Penn State Teach Ag! Society members and is now run by the new LEAD Society of Penn State to promote an awareness of the national shortage of agriculture educators. The contest provides secondary level students who are involved in agriculture education classes an opportunity to teach a class in their agricultural education departments. After teaching, the students write a brief essay summarizing their experience.
Participants submit applications and compete with others to win prizes. This contest has the potential to spark the interest of secondary agricultural students to teach and become agriculture educators. The Teach Ag Essay Contest encompasses the motto of the National FFA Organization by providing students with a chance to develop their leadership skills, their personal growth, and develop opportunities for career success within the field of agriculture.

Here's how it works: 

Students create and teach a lesson in an agricultural class addressing any topic they have an interest in. They will then write an essay reflecting on their experiences and answering the following two questions:

1. Why teach Ag?
2. What did you learn in your day as an Ag teacher?

Additionally, students are encouraged to submit an optional YouTube video about either why they want to be an Ag teacher, or why they love their Ag teacher. (The video should not exceed 2 minutes). Feel free to post the video on your personal social media, and tag us on Facebook (@PennStateLEADSociety). The submission of a video will add a 10% bonus to your overall score.

How to submit: 

Complete the online entry form including the following things:

1. Your essay
2. Your lesson plan
3. A photo of you teaching
4. A photo of you and your Ag teacher
5. A photo release form
6. (Optional) A YouTube link to your video

The deadline for entry is 11:59 PM on Friday, April 13th. 

Winners and Prizes!

The "Final Four" students will be announced by May and their placings will be announced at the PA FFA State Convention in June.

Every participant will receive a Teach Ag t-shirt and an invitation to an ice cream social at the State Convention. The "Final Four" will win the following additional prizes:

First Place

$100 National FFA gift card

Free registration to any 2018 PA FFA event

Second Place

$75 National FFA gift card

Third Palce

$50 National FFA gift card

Fourth Place

$25 National FFA gift card

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the contest, please reach out to Dylan Schoemaker (dus45@psu.edu).

Everything you need to compete in the contest can be found here! Good luck and happy teaching!