December 2011
It's that time of year when young learners find it difficult to stay focused on their work in the classroom. There are so many distractions associated with the holiday season and quite a number of them find their way into the classroom. Along with extra activities for families and communities, school activities ramp up at holiday time as well.
It is well to consider how NC Ag in the Classroom can serve to eliminate some distraction while helping students to enjoy the holiday spirit until the vacation bell rings! During December, two more North Carolina counties (Wilkes and Swain) were added to the more than eighty that possess "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow" nutrition and fitness lesson kits. The kits help students to focus on healthful eating and fitness habits as they consider the vital role the farmer plays in feeding, clothing, and sheltering us.
As kids enjoy decorating their Christmas trees, dining on delicious fare, and attending special events at school and around the community, they can be challenged to "look for the ag" in all they see. The spectacular turkey dinner most likely had its origin in the eastern part of the state as a part of the poultry and sweet potato industry. They may enjoy warm winter clothing complements of the farmer as well. The brightly colored vegetables on their plates can be purchased at Farmers' Markets year round, and their beautiful Frazer Fir or other live tree may very well have been freshly cut on a North Carolina tree farm.
As savvy educators choose to use Ag in the Classroom curricula at this special time of the year, they may very well find that attention to academics is on the rise in their classrooms and kids are appreciating the special nature of the holiday season in a whole new way!
November 2011
There is a growing excitement for school and community gardens all around the nation these days. Awareness is increasing concerning the value of producing and enjoying one's own food. The state of the economy makes having a garden a very wise and practical choice for many families, classes, and neighborhoods.
NC Ag in the Classroom is no exception when it comes to rolling up our sleeves and getting growing. AITC has in its repertoire of workshops, a full day of professional development related to school gardens. The program provides a bit of basic information about starting a garden and seeking resources to help with the process. The event is filled with instructional strategies for using the garden to support math, science, literacy, social studies and all academics in the classroom.
NC Ag in the Classroom is also involved in a collaborative effort with NC State University, 4H, and NC Strawberry Growers to support the development of strawberry beds at elementary schools across the state. Workshops help teachers to learn the basics for growing strawberries and provide connections to agricultural experts and classroom resources that allow strawberries to drive effective and appealing instruction all year long.
Teachers report with great enthusiasm that their students can't wait to visit their gardens and see what is new to be learned and accomplished. It is exciting to consider the boundless potential gardens hold for future success of students across the state.
October 2011
With fall officially "in progress" our thoughts turn to the harvest around our state. Many farmers are enjoying the bounty provided through the kindness of Mother Nature and their own wise planning and hard work. Many other North Carolina farmers are dealing with the devastating effects of drought and storms that have taken a toll on their efforts to provide food and fiber to consumers.
The Ag in the Classroom staff enjoyed presenting at the NC Association of Educators of Young Children on September 16. The two sessions were filled with enthusiastic pre-school and primary grade teachers who were there to harvest a bumper crop of new and effective teaching strategies which will allow them to address prescribed curricula and help their students develop an appreciation for the vital role agriculture plays in all of our lives.
Another presentation was made in Lincolnton during the month of September. Elementary teachers gathered to receive training that accompanies "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow." This lesson set helps learners to connect the harvest of crops and livestock to the harvest of learning that can take place through Ag in the Classroom.
Teachers who attend Ag in the Classroom events often comment on how they are made more aware of the agriculture around them as they travel around their communities. Growing crops, farm machinery, grazing animals, livestock transport and the important role of farmers in the lives of all citizens become more prominent in the view of teachers and students who have been exposed to Ag in the Classroom curricula and activities. Here's a bountiful harvest for farmers, educators, students, and their families…. a clearer view of our state's number one industry and an understanding of the importance of living and working together supportively.
August 2011
The month of August included four workshops for NC Ag in the Classroom. In fulfillment of grant guidelines, AITC co-hosted a "Strawberries in Schools" workshop for a number of teachers who came to learn how to build and tend strawberry beds in their schools. The level of enthusiasm was very high in anticipation of helping young learners achieve academic goals through their work as strawberry farmers.
Another workshop was for a group of elementary teachers in the southeastern region of North Carolina. The classroom sessions were well received, but the farm tour was truly inspiring. The teachers commented that, even though many of them had lived in the same rural community all their lives, they had never known all that takes place on a farm. They noted the many ways that the work of the farmer and the activities on the farm can facilitate learning in the classroom.
The remaining two workshops served pre-service educators and teachers who are in their last year of a Masters in Education program. Both the "Rookies" and veteran teachers stated that they were surprised to learn certain facts about agriculture and were eager to share them with students as a part of ongoing instruction.
It has been proven that we learn best by doing and making connections to real-life situations. What is more true to life than farming?
July 2011
Much of the month of June was spent preparing for and attending the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. North Carolina Ag in the Classroom enjoyed escorting a group of four outstanding educators to the conference. All NC representatives reported harvesting many new and effective teaching strategies at the conference.
If you stay in touch with current events in North Carolina and beyond, you are most likely aware that the state of the economy is adversely affecting schools and the services they can offer young learners. You may also have noted the rising popularity of community and school gardens, farmers markets, and the promotion of fresh and local produce.
These two conditions of present society have proven to offer a number of golden opportunities to Ag in the Classroom. Existing curricula and professional development opportunities provided by AITC offer many strategies to effectively connect activity in the garden with required skills and concepts in the classroom. The possibilities are endless to link the work of the farmer to science, math, social studies, and language arts at every level.
North Carolina Ag in the Classroom, along with faculty from NC State and the Strawberry Growers Association has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Agriculture to facilitate the building of strawberry beds at many NC elementary schools. Elementary teachers will be paired with Cooperative Extension Agents from their counties to build beds and plant strawberries with their students. Tending the plants and studying their growth provides countless "teachable moments" all year long aligning with a number of prescribed goals and objectives at all grade levels. For schools operating on a traditional schedule, strawberries are a perfect crop for young learners to grow. In our state, they are planted in the fall and harvested in the spring and kids tend to love them! They are fascinating to grow, interesting to study, and delicious to eat!
It may seem hard to find a "silver lining" in the cloudy economy, but Ag in the Classroom is reminded that sometimes being give lemons enables us to make strawberry shortcake!
June 2011
It's that time of year when so many school children can be heard shouting cheers for the upcoming summer vacation. Even those attending on year-round calendars are happy for the long days, ball games, and other summer activities that await. This is a favorite time of year for many, including farmers and friends of farmers everywhere.
Overheard during lunch was the sentiment that June is full of promises. Crops are "in the ground." The soil is neatly arranged in the fields and the promise of an abundant harvest is the hope of so many. Proof of that promise is available at the many farmers markets and roadside stands that spring up as quickly as the crops and offer natures freshest and best.
Whether or not we take time to express it, we all benefit from the promises that we see on the farms of our state. We depend on farmers and Mother Nature to do their best to see that the promises are kept so that we can continue to enjoy safe and abundant food supply to which we have become accustomed.
Those cheering children represent another promise vital to our continued well being as a society. We depend on families, friends, neighbors, and concerned communities to cultivate relationships with young learners that will move them on toward informed, interested, and involved adulthood that includes an accurate understanding and appreciation of the role that agriculture plays in our society.
North Carolina Ag in the Classroom wishes everyone a great summer and issues the challenge to help the young ones in your lives to appreciate and understand farmers and the work they do each day.
January 2011
The New Year is upon us and we need to reflect, resolve, and reach into the future with enthusiasm for sharing Ag in the Classroom across the state of North Carolina. As we reflect we are reminded that we took "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow" (TFGAR) to 23 counties in 2010. In December, we presented the lessons to educators in Alleghany, Mitchell, Rowan, and Clay counties.
Our New Year's resolutions include taking "The Farmer" to counties which have purchased kits for their schools. It's exciting to think that almost 90 NC counties have gotten on board" with TFGAR.
Our reaching into the future includes a year of review for NC Ag in the Classroom. A committee of supporters has been formed to examine the program and all its features. Following the review, the group has been charged with the responsibility of making recommendations for future activities and services for AITC.
It's most important for AITC to do its part to enhance and enrich education in a way that helps young learners gain an understanding and appreciation for the vital role agriculture plays in all our lives. Here's to a new year filled with new opportunities and successes!
