In this episode, the Owl Pellets Crew wrap up their mentoring mini-series. What better way to conclude a series than to add recommendations? Brain, Becky, and Mike discuss seven recommendations for mentoring programs.Av Owl Pellets

Have you ever heard of 8th graders enjoying accounting? In this week's episode, Neil Knobloch and Andrea Brown talk with the crew regarding their success in integrating an agricultural business management simulation into an eighth-grade classroom. They make double-entry accounting sound fun! Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/art…

Alternatively certified teachers bring a variety of experiences to their practice of agricultural education that add value to their schools and benefit their students. Kellie Claflin (The Ohio State University) asks us to think about how we can better support teachers, but especially those new to the profession. She encourages us to be connectors; …

Virtual professional development is a reality of the post-pandemic world, and it's changed how we deliver and expect to interact with PD. Amber Rice (University of Arizona) shares great insight from CASE participants to help us think about what professional development participants have access to in terms of community development, content, and deli…

With a decline in the teaching workforce and a decline in teacher diversity, Matt Wood and Michelle Burrows at Utah State University wanted to know: what's the effect on ag programs? In exploring attitudes and professional development around Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE), they found teachers were looking for PD to help them tap into studen…

What are we recruiting to? Tiffany Marzalino and Aaron McKim at Michigan State University share how Michigan ag teachers are recruiting students to their programs--and it might be more straightforward than you think! Tune in as we talk about authenticity, inclusivity and belonging, empowering students to share their experiences, and the different l…

How can we evaluate mentoring? Do you know what purpose you are serving as a mentor or mentee? In this week's episode Brian, Becky, and Mike discuss how to assess and evaluate mentoring. Tune in as the crew continues their mentoring mini-series.Av Owl Pellets

Establishing integrated school gardens takes a champion to start, but a team to maintain. Jade Davidson (Oregon State University) and Jason Peake (University of Georgia) share a framework and the components necessary to integrate sustainable and integrated school gardens that are part of the school culture. Journal Article: https://agdevresearch.or…

Geocaching is a treasure hunting community teachers can leverage as an instructional tool. Rachel Hendrix (West Virginia University) and John Rickets (Tennessee State University) join the crew to help us learn how to use geocaching to promote critical thinking, teamwork, and communication and to use geocaching as an instructional tool. Journal arti…

Understanding and experiencing culture is critical for young agricultural leaders, but there's often some anxiety around having culturally competent conversations. Never fear--Janiece Pigg (Tennessee Youth Development) is here to help us think about opportunities to expand our cultural lens. Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/art…

Prepare to enter mentoring! Mentoring is a huge undertaking, and in this episode, Brian, Mike, and Becky explore what we need to enter mentoring and point to tools to support that process in formal mentoring relationships.Av Owl Pellets

There are hundreds of ways to measure success in SBAE programs, and Haley Traini (Oregon State University) joins us to talk about them all! We'll chat about teacher and program performance, overwhelm, and career expectations in the jam packed episode! Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/29…

We all have students with special needs in our classes. Unfortunately, many of us also need additional training to support our SPED students. Tune in as the OP team chats with Raegan Ramage (Louisiana) as she shares tips for opening communication with SPED teachers, working with students, and involving SPED students in Agricultural Education. Journ…

We rely on a toolbox of instructional methods as agricultural educators. Blake Colclasure (University of Tennessee) and Jack Dempsey (University of Illinois & Cascade Reading) share how our belief in a method's effectiveness affects our use of that method. Spoiler alert: you've got to believe! Journal Article: https://agdevresearch.org/index.php/aa…

Growing as an effective educator is a skill to practice, especially as we work to engage students. Tune in as we talk with Tre Easterly (University of Florida) about how to improve our teaching by improving instructional clarity, increasing variety, demonstrating enthusiasm, using task-oriented behaviors, and providing opportunities for students to…

Identity is the composite of who a person is, including their thoughts about themselves, how they're viewed by the world, and the characteristics individuals use to define themselves. Join the OP crew for the next installation of the mentoring mini-series as they talk about supporting people in finding their fit and acknowledging contributions.…

Mentoring, coaching, advising, role modeling, sponsorship--what's the big deal? Aren't they all kind of the same thing? Join the Owl Pellets team as we work through the difference, and value, of each different type of relationship in our personal and professional lives.Av Owl Pellets

Being involved in agriculture connects kids to their communities. Rebecca Mott and John Tummons (University of Missouri) share how we can use youth livestock experiences to encourage deep reflection and growth toward independence. Resources: https://bit.ly/41h9lYl Journal Article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/297…

FFA is steeped in tradition. Join the conversation with Mike Martin (Iowa State University) to think about how we engage our chapters and communities over competition as we enact meaningful FFA programs. Mike shares how we can focus on the things that make sense to local members and adapt traditions to make them more meaningful. Journal Article: ht…

A co-pilot mentoring relationship builds trust over time, allows both parties to guide the relationship, recognizes conditions will change, embraces communication as essential, and develops as a skill through guidance and commitment. The Owl Pellets team chats about what this means for us both as mentors and mentees.…

Growing as an effective educator is a skill to practice, especially as we work to engage students. Tune in as we talk with Tre Easterly (University of Florida) about how to grow in our instructional clarity, variety, enthusiasm, task-oriented behaviors, and student opportunity. Journal Article: https://agdevresearch.org/index.php/aad/article/view/2…

Ag literacy is an important piece of helping individuals apply what they know about agriculture. Amelia Miller (Michigan Ag In the Classroom) and Brian Warnick (Utah State University) join the Owl Pellets crew to talk about the ways school-based ag ed can engage with younger grade levels, helping students who come into programs with little or no ag…

The encouragement to set boundaries is becoming the norm in agricultural education, but that doesn't mean the boundaries come easily. Mike and Brian get the chance to grill Becky and her teammates Haley Traini (Oregon State University) and Aaron McKim (Michigan State University) as they discuss what boundary challenges for teachers might mean for t…

Students who know their career path believe their employability skills are better developed, but what about those who aren't so sure? Jean Parrella (Virginia Tech) joins Becky and Mike to talk about cultivating employability skills in our programs through community participation and cross-disciplinary experiences. Journal Article: https://www.tandf…

Career support means providing career guidance, skill development, and sponsorship while psychosocial support focuses on psychological and emotional support and role modeling. Tune in as the OP team talks about how many we can do this for well and how we cultivate other mentors.Av Owl Pellets

Agricultural education classes incorporate a wide range of technical skills. Tune in as Jay Solomonson (Illinois State University) and Trent Wells (Murray State) share what technical skills we need to teach in plant science and how to grow in those skills. Journal Article https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/298…

Cooperating teachers want to be a helpful resource to student teachers. Heather Nesbitt (University of Florida) and Debra Barry (University of Florida) help the Owl Pellets team dig in on organizational best practices for mentoring and closing the gap between demonstration and reflection. Resources - EDIS Series: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publicati…

Cooperating teacher and student-teacher relationships are one of the most important elements of the student-teaching experience. Dr. Peyton Sweet Moore (Georgia), Bradley Coleman (Oklahoma State University), Heather Young (University of Florida), J.C. Bunch (University of Florida), and Carla Jagger (University of Florida) join the Owl Pellets crew …

Mentoring is a professional working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the providsion of career and psychosocial support. Join the Owl Pellets team and we talk through what that definition means for our mentoring practice …

Grand challenges in this episode: Preparing Students for Biotechnology Careers About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in a…

Grand challenge in this episode: The Dairy Dilemma About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agriculture, capture those ex…

Grand challenge in this episode: The Impacts of Youth Ag on Mental Health and Rehabilitation About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive ex…

Grand challenge in this episode: Glass of Sunshine About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agriculture, capture those ex…

Grand challenges in this episode: Nutrient Loss in Foods and Federal Land Use About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in ag…

Grand challenge in this episode: The Urban Heat Island Effect About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agriculture, captu…

Grand challenge in this episode: Invasive Species - The Ultimate Challenger About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agri…

Grand challenge in this episode: Investigating Sustainable Practices in Agriculture, Food and the Environment About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engag…

Grand challenge in this episode: Food Banks About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agriculture, capture those experienc…

Grand challenge in this episode: Solving the Agriculture Labor Shortage About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agricult…

Grand challenges in this episode: Beef Cattle Awareness and Food Inequity About the Challenge The purpose of this project is to leverage a preexisting online professional development resource and its large following of SBA educators to create a more effective model of professional development where teachers engage in immersive experiences in agricu…

The Owl Pellets crew chats about learning across the lifespan in the final episode of the How People Learn series.Av Owl Pellets

The Owl Pellets crew discusses a new take of motivation in this episode of the How People Learn series.Av Owl Pellets

In this episode, we hear from Deer Park High School agriculture teacher Savannah Schroeder and Texas A&M's Peng Lu and Matt Baker about a study using eye-tracking technology to learn about the use of metacognitive strategy and reading. SQ5R (Scan, Question, Read, Respond, Recite, Record, Review) is a strategy to support reading comprehension It wor…

In this episode, Oklahoma State's Courtney Brown and Lauren Cline join the Owl Pellets crew to discuss shifting the conversation about what diversity brings to agriculture. Students left a course about African Americans in agriculture feeling empowered, able to connect, knowledgeable, ready to engage in hard conversations, and curious Nervous about…

In this episode, the Owl Pellets crew chats with Oregon State's Dr. Haley Traini about the managing expectations and how ag. teachers do it all. Teachers often look successful on the outside, but aren’t satisfied on the inside as they try to meet real and perceived expectations. There is real challenge in trying to sift through the available opport…

The Owl Pellets crew discusses memory, specifically the systems and distinct processes associated with memory that contribute to learning.Av Owl Pellets

In this episode, Virginia Tech's Natalie Ferand shares "illuminating" information about the integration of science concepts in our teaching. Highlights include: There are three types of teachers as we think about integrating science concepts: vocational purists, illumination attempters, and science illuminators. You might be one or the other depend…

Stephen McBride (Purdue) joins the crew to discuss openness & preparedness for ag. technology. Highlights include: Students are open to new agricultural technologies, but not necessarily prepared to use them Technology opens career opportunities for students across the food chain, from production to purchase Community members and manufacturers are …

Dr. Jason McKibben (Auburn University) discusses authenticity in learning, projects, and project-based learning.Av Owl Pellets

The Owl Pellets crew discusses the developing brain and what that means for facilitating learning.Av Owl Pellets