March 2010
One of the great things about being a southerner is that you have the right to get really excited about snow! The first week of February found us working from our homes for a few days on account of the first sizeable snowfall in quite some time. The days were filled with comfort food and flake watching!
Our first outing of the month was to J.W. Smith Elementary School in Craven County. At the invitation of Craven County Ag in the Classroom Ambassador, Leela Baggett, we presented a workshop to the school staff as part of an early- release staff development day. The event showcased cooperative learning strategies developed by Spencer Kagan. The afternoon was action-packed to say the least.
The very next Friday, we returned to Smith Elementary to meet with Craven County elementary principals. The purpose of this gathering was to share Ag in the Classroom as a resource with these administrators. We look forward to more training opportunities in Craven now that school leaders know more about Ag in the Classroom.
Between our two visits to Craven County, we were fortunate to have been in Edgecombe County for a workshop to deliver “The Farmer Grows a Rainbow” kits. We met with Physical Education teachers from elementary school across the county and had a great session helping them to become familiar with the lessons and training them to be trainers for their colleagues.
The last week of the month found us in Wilson and Greensboro. A Tuesday night session with Pre-School educators allowed us to share some favorite strategies for the youngest learners. The group of about forty pre-school teachers and daycare providers received us enthusiastically and we know that our precious little ones are in capable hands!
We left Raleigh while snow was falling heavily on the twenty-fifth and, yes, we were excited! As we made our way to Greensboro for the annual Social Studies Conference, the snow tapered off to nothing, but we had a great day with the Social Studies teachers gathered there. We presented a session we called “Things They Ought to Know” sharing strategies that address the prescribed curriculum while providing information about the importance of agriculture in our society. The presentation was followed by lively conversation, warm introductions, a delicious lunch, and a most interesting speaker. All in all, it was a great day for NC AITC!
Louise worked diligently on a new grant this month. The application was sent on the twenty-fourth for an ACE Grant offered by The National Ag in the Classroom Consortium and supports a very exciting project that will allow young learners across the state to plant and care for their own strawberry beds as they learn a great deal of plant science. The grant request is a cooperative project including Ag in the Classroom; NC State Professor, Dr. Gina Fernandez; 4 H Horticultural Specialist, Liz Driscoll; and, Debby Wechsler, Executive Secretary of the NC Strawberry Association. Hopefully, funds will be available for this ambitious educational endeavor.
We have a number of events scheduled for the month of March. Before heading out, we’ll be sure to check the almanac to see if we can be excited about any more snow!
February 2010
The holidays were great for Ag in the Classroom. Family time was precious, and for Louise there was a travel opportunity in the form of a Caribbean cruise. Once schools had a chance to reopen and get underway, we were back in business.
On the seventh of January, Ellen traveled to UNC Charlotte for the annual Southwestern Science Conference. She was delighted to attend a presentation by Mecklenburg County Ag in the Classroom Ambassador, Darlene Petranick. Later in the day, Darlene assisted Ellen with an Ag in the Classroom (AITC) session.
On January ninth, Ellen was invited to Halifax County Schools to take part in a new-teacher orientation session. It was inspiring to be in the presence of so many enthusiastic educators and it was enjoyable to share the essence of the program with them.
Ag in the Classroom was allowed to invite a special guest to the Halifax new teacher event. Ms. Lauren Vann is a junior at NC State and has taken a unique interest in AITC. Among her other accomplishments, Lauren holds the title of Miss Southeastern North Carolina International. She has adopted Ag in the Classroom as her platform and seeks to help young learners understand the vital role of agriculture in our daily lives. Lauren was on hand at the Halifax event to observe and assist with the activities shared there.
We are never sad about a trip to the coast and our visit to Carteret County on January 20 was no exception. We enjoyed spending the morning at Beaufort Elementary School sharing "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow" with teachers from six elementary schools.
It seems that we took the beautiful beach weather away when we left, because our next stop in Union County was a rainy one indeed. We had a great afternoon sharing the reading and literacy components of "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow" with members of the Union Monroe Reading Association. Members that were on hand were, as always, most interested in how Ag in the Classroom can enrich and enhance instruction in any classroom. Like many reading councils and associations across the state, Union-Monroe strives to increase membership and provide top quality programs for its members. You don't have to be an educator to join your local reading association or council. We encourage everyone to check out these possibilities!
On the 27th, we had a special invitation to meet with the collegiate chapter of Yong Farmers and Ranchers at NC State University. We shared the program "Addressing Misconceptions About Agriculture" with the group.
Want to know what's in store for NC Ag in the Classroom. You can now check the website for our calendar to see where we are scheduled to be and what we'll be doing.
December 2009
Miles and miles and miles have been covered for AITC business and pleasure during recent weeks. Yes, we have taken the farmer and his rainbow to many places, but the most exciting news is that Louise has returned from her vacation in Greece! It was an exciting, unforgettable, educational trek to be sure and the pictures are beautiful and abundant. We are blessed that Louise is so focused on chronicling her activities. That way, we can enjoy her travels vicariously.
On the first day of November a "Rainbow" training was held for educators in Anson County Schools. Teachers representing the system's elementary schools took part in the three-hour event to become familiar with "MyPyramid" and the NC Ag in the Classroom that connects it to the farmer. Thanks to Anson County Farm Bureau and its President, Eloise Harrington for the gift of the lesson kits and for the refreshments at the training event.
Later that week, Louise flew off to Greece and Ellen hit the road! November 5 was a great day to visit Chowan University and share Ag in the Classroom with students who will begin their student teaching experience in January. It is clear that the future is bright for young learners in Northeastern North Carolina.
The very next day, Ellen was a guest at the monthly meeting of the Northeast Collaborative. This is a group of administrators representing fourteen school systems in the northeastern part of the state. Their mission is to help new teachers enter the profession successfully. Ellen was invited to share Ag in the Classroom as a resource for beginning and veteran teachers but found herself in the role of a learner when it came to professional standards and policies for newly certified educators.
November 7th found Ellen and Vance County Ag in the Classroom Ambassador, Jennifer Johnson, in Lee County. The Partnership for Children sponsored a day of professional development for pre-school teachers and childcare providers. Ag in the Classroom hosted two one-hour sessions and we really enjoyed making new friends who care so deeply for Lee County's little ones.
A most enjoyable activity for NC Ag in the Classroom is that of visiting college and university campuses to share the program with pre-service educators. In addition to the day at Chowan, Ellen was able to visit with students at UNC Charlotte and UNC Pembroke during the month of November. A total of six presentations brought her face-to face with approximately 150 future teachers. We are grateful to these folks for choosing to become educators and shape so many lives in order that our world will be a better place.
Another Ag in the Classroom signature activity is presenting at Professional Conferences and Educator Annual Meetings. It was Ellen's privilege to co-present with Daniese Smith, AITC Ambassador from Guilford County, at the annual meeting of the North Carolina Science Teachers Association on November 19.
Our "in office" activities include continued work on the "Hi Cotton" project and efforts to be a positive factor in raising the graduation rates in schools across the state. We have received acceptances to present at the 2010 National AITC Conference in Baltimore and have begun gathering materials and making plans.
This is the last blog entry for 2009. As the saying goes, "That just seems impossible." As 2009 approaches the holiday season, Ag in the Classroom wishes one and all a Merry Christmas and a new year filled with many blessings.
August 2009
Schools are back in session across the state and the role of Ag in the Classroom takes on a different character. The summer was filled with the National Conference, our own BIG workshops, and a number of training events in the counties of our state. Now we are spending time in the office catching up on our work and allowing educators to get the school year underway before we begin traveling to schools for the kind of events that take place during the instructional year.
In August we visited several counties for "The Farmer Grows a Rainbow" (TFGAR) training. We thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Mt. Olive College to take part in Wayne County Schools' staff development days. The sessions were great and we enjoyed spending time with Wayne County Ag in the Classroom Ambassador, Dr. Ralph Smith. We had a "hot" time in the old town of Dallas, NC as we worked with Gaston County educators on the tenth of the month. We met with curriculum coordinators in Franklin County on the twelfth and were joined by Ambassador, Lynn Hamner, who assisted with the presentation. We spent the morning with Physical Education teachers in Johnston County on the nineteenth. The twenty-first found us holding two sessions for Duplin County teachers in Kenansville. In each of these counties, we were strengthened by the support of the local Farm Bureaus. Presidents and Board members found time to attend the sessions and often provided refreshments. We are grateful for this outpouring of support and for the gifts of TFGAR kits to the schools in counties around our state. As of this posting, we have conducted or are scheduled to conduct TFGAR trainings in sixty North Carolina counties. All we can say is "WOW!"
In addition to TFGAR, we are scheduled to present at a number of professional conferences this fall. We have been accepted as presenters at The NC Dropout Prevention Conference, The Association of Elementary Educators Conference, The Math Conference, and The Science Conference. The presentation agendas are different for each conference as we attempt to connect to conference themes, but we always seek to share the value of Ag in the Classroom as a resource for teachers and students along with the commitment that the farmers of our state have to helping schools provide top quality education for all students as they share the importance of agriculture to our society.
During the month of August we had the unique opportunity of being allowed to serve as preliminary judges at the National Envirothon which was held in Asheville. High School students from forty-seven states and seven Canadian Provinces took part in a competition that included field demonstrations, written assessments, and oral presentations. The experience was enlightening and encouraging as we saw that the future is filled with bright and concerned young citizens who desire to make our world a better place!
We are steadily putting the finishing touches on "Hi, Cotton!" That's our new lesson set for Pre-K though High School that covers just about all there is to think about when it comes to cotton. "Steadily" is a nice way to say that we are not working at express speed. Plans are to begin distributing one free kit to each school system in North Carolina during the 2009-2010 school year. Like other recent projects, the lesson can be obtained as a hard copy or online. Unlike other recent projects, there is not a silly song to help young learners recall facts and concepts from the lessons… there are TWO silly songs which have been professionally recorded by members of the Bluegrass group, The Hatley Family. Here's hoping you get to hear these tunes soon.
The news is full of many concerning items that seem to affect almost everyone. One is the economy and how its recent downturn has taken resources away from so many individuals and enterprises. At NC Ag in the Classroom, we are looking for the "silver linings" found in this situation and we believe we have found two. First is the increasing number of family, schools, and community gardens that are being planted. Working in a garden is a great way to learn science, social studies, health, economics, meteorology, and so much more. Even as the economy improves, we hope that the gardening craze will continue to grow and that families, schools, and communities will glean every bit of learning that can be gathered from a garden experience.
Another potential "silver lining" for Ag in the Classroom during the tough economic times may be opportunities to present programs to educators. As schools have increasingly limited resources to fund professional development events, it may be that Ag in the Classroom can gain popularity. Thanks to the generosity of NC Farm Bureau members, we do not have to charge a fee for our services as professional development presenters. If you know of a group of thirty or more educators who could use a training event full of action, fun, and top quality learning strategies, please contact us!
We'll soon be back on the TFGAR trail and loving it. The fall also brings those professional conferences and the State Fair. As always, we are looking forward to a bright future for NC AITC.
July 2009
The NC Ag in the Classroom year has turned another calendar page as we are finished with what we call the two BIG Workshops. We are pleased with the way both events evolved and so happy to have met approximately 100 new friends in the world of excellent education!
At the K-5 Science and Reading workshop, we were fortunate to have a fine group of educators who seemed to embrace the teaching strategies and concepts offered to them with much enthusiasm. We enjoyed a presentation from Teacher of the Year, Sandy Hatley. Our annual pilgrimage to the NC State Research Facilities at Lake Wheeler helped to enlighten everyone and we know that participants will use what they learned to enrich their instruction in all subject areas.
The Pre-K through twelfth grade event was a new one for us in 2009 and we really enjoyed sharing teaching strategies and concepts related to nutrition, fitness, and the farmer as the source of all our food. We were visited by twelve representatives of commodity groups or agricultural interests who shared nutritional information as well as educational resources they had to offer with our workshop attendees. Our traveling workshop took us to Maple View Farm in Hillsborough and to McAdams Farm in Efland. We learned about dairy farming, and produce and had a great day to meet new friends and discover new resources.
We were fortunate at both workshops to have volunteer Ag in the Classroom Ambassadors to assist us and we are grateful for all the help they gave. We are also grateful to the NC Farm Bureau Field Representatives who took time from their busy schedules to assist with the workshops. Along with their many duties they seemed to have time to take some really good photos of workshop participants in action. Some of the pictures are posted on the NC Ag in the Classroom website and others will be uploaded soon. Feel free to take a look at www.ncagintheclassroom.com.
The chore list for back in the office includes putting away workshop materials, preparing the "Rainbow" teaching materials for many training sessions scheduled for the fall, putting the finishing touches on the "Hi, Cotton!" lesson kits, and making plans to present at several conferences during the fall months. We also plan to devote time to reviewing and revising the Ag in the Classroom curricula sets for grades Pre-K through High School. Here's hoping we don't get bored with so little to do!
We invite teachers who use AITC lesson materials or who develop new and effective teaching strategies to share them with us. We are always looking for new "best practices" to share. It seems that this is one of the best ways to improve education in our state and with the budget concerns before us, the price is right! We would love to hear from you via the "Contact Us" feature on the NC AITC website.
