Lessons from Hondo: Our approach to Agricultural Teacher Education?

Are we hoping they can just "swim'?

No doubt, we need more John Wayne's in this town...

2015 #AgEdCamp Primer!

Webinar: Using Social Media to Support Internationalization of Teacher Education and Broader Applications to the Classroom

Melanie (@GlobalMelanie) and I were excited to partner with Global Teacher Education, the Asia Society and the Longview Foundation to conduct this one hour webinar on Tuesday, December 2, 2014.

The Twitter hashtag for the event was #Web2SocialTPrep

Here is a link to materials: http://www.globalteachereducation.org/webinar-social-media-internationalization-teacher-education 


The video recording on YouTube is embedded below (1 hour and 12 minutes; Melanie and begin talking about Agricultural Education at 29:10):

Social Media, Risk Averse Administration, and Agriscience Teachers

As many know, I am a huge fan of each of being a digital advocate for school-based agricultural education. Unfortunately, there are several anecdotes I hear from ag teachers who have their administration tell them, "No." and implement restrictive social media policies.

All this in a time when according to a recent survey, mobile technology is becoming more popular in today's classrooms, . A majority of educators -- 86% -- who responded to the survey said mobile technology bolsters student engagement, and 67% said it helps support personalized learning. eSchool News (free registration) (9/3)

A blog I really enjoy following is "Dangerously Irrelevant" by Dr. Scott McLeod. Here is a direct link: http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/  Here is a video of him at a Ted Talk in Iowa talking about Teens and Technology:

He just posted a great post (Cutting off our nose to spite our face) wondering if school administrators restrict conversations that occur at church, the mall or grocery store or limit handwritten notes, etc...

A must read and I am curious to my fellow ag educators thoughts. How can we share with administrators the incredible benefit of community relations and student learning by increasing transparency of inviting others into our teaching and learning processes via social media platforms?

The seem to value those community relationships when bond elections come up, why penalize all for the actions of such a very few?

Daniel's Life Playlist - Just for Fun

So, creating the Ultimate #TeachAg Play List got me thinking...what would be my life sound track/play list. So, after some reflection, here is Daniel's Life as an iTunes Playlist!

I would love to hear any kind of feedback! Suggestions, laughter, etc. Yes there are plenty of Willie Tracks! Maybe this helps explains the craziness that is Foster...

What track would be on your personal play list?

Daniel's Life

Track 1 - Bob Wills is Still the King - Waylon Jennings 

(A nod to my heritage and appreciation for legends)

Track 2 - My Heros Have Always Been Cowboys - Willie Nelson

Track 3 - New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills

Track 4 - On the Road Again - Willie Nelson

Track 5 - Waltz Across Texas - Ernest Tubb, Willie Nelson

Track 6 - Send Me Down to Tucson - Mel Tillis

Track 7 - Big City - Merle Haggard

Track 8 - Should've Been A Cowboy - Toby Keith (unofficial Willcox High School Song!)

Track 9- Living in Fast Forward - Kenny Chesney

Track 10 - The Fall Guy - Theme Song

Track 11 - Una mas cerveza - Tommy Alverson

Track 12 - Pearl Snaps - Jason Boland and the Stragglers

Track 13 - Hobo - The Departed

Track 14 - East Bound and Down (From Smokey and the Bandit) - Jerry Reed

Track 15 - The Auctioneer - Leroy Van Dyke

Track 16 - She Never Spoke Spanish to Me - Joe Ely

Track 17 - All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
(Melanie and I's First Dance Song at the Wedding)

Track 18 - And the Crowd Goes Wild - Mark Wills

Track 19 - Hang on Sloopy (O-H-I-O) - Saving Jane

Track 20 - Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes - George Jones

Track 21 - I've Always Been Crazy - Waylon Jennings

Track 22 - Walkin Along the Fenceline - Wade Bowen

Track 23 - Amazing Grace - Willie Nelson

Track 24 - The Road Goes on Forever - Robert Earl Keen

The Ultimate #TeachAg Playlist

I believe music can be a very powerful instructional tool: both for fun and to cultivate a great environment.

In the past, I have interviewed students and created a playlist on their "favorite song". This year I had the idea of "crowdsourcing" the ultimate first day of Ag Teaching Playlist to share in my AEE 412 Methods of Teaching Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (#AEE412) for the #psuaged15.

Below is the result. I would really like it to be only 20 songs, so please make suggestions on which ones to remove or substituitions to make!

Song	Artist	Nominator
2001: A Space Odyssey	The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra	Michelle Pauken Cromer Art/Honors Educator (Texas)
And the Crowd Goes Wild	Mark Wills	Daniel Foster PSU Ag Teacher Educator Former Arizona Agriscience Teacher
Boom Boom Pow	The Black Eyed Peas	Laura Rice PSU Ag Teacher Educator Former PA Agriscience Teacher PSU Graduate
Start Me Up	The Rolling Stones	Kate Feuerstein Michigan Agriscience Teacher
Are You Ready?	Creed	Neil Fellenbaum Penn Manor Agriscience Teacher (PA) PSU Graduate
Tattoos On This Town	Jason Aldean	Mark Anderson Elizabethtown Agriscience Teacher (PA) PSU Graduate
East Bound and Down (From Smokey & Bandit)	Jerry Reed	Daniel Foster PSU Ag Teacher Educator Former Arizona Agriscience Teacher
Soulshine	Gov't Mule	Matthew Eddy Iowa Agriscience Teacher
Train 45	Stanley Brothers	Robbie Walker Production Agriculturalist
Eye of the Tiger	Survivor	Michelle Pauken Cromer Art/Honors Educator (Texas)
Sabotage	Beastie Boys	Michelle Pauken Cromer Art/Honors Educator (Texas)
Tubthumping	Chumbawamba	Melanie Bloom CASE Curriculum Designer (IA) Former IA Agriscience Teacher
I was Here	Beyonce	Mark Anderson Elizabethtown Agriscience Teacher (PA) PSU Graduate
Roar	Katy Perry	Brittany Sentelle (Arnold) Frederick Agriscience Teacher (MD) 2012 Graduate PSU
No More Tears	Ozzy Osbourne	Josh Rice Minnesota Extension Educator Former Maryland Agriscience Teacher
Sandstorm	Darude	OP McCubbins ISU Ag Teacher Educator Former KY Agriscience Teacher
Danger Zone	Kenny Loggins	Sarah LaRose Connecticut Agriscience Teacher
My Hero	Foo Fighters	OP McCubbins ISU Ag Teacher Educator Former KY Agriscience Teacher
Hall of Fame	The Script	Ann Delay Cal Poly Ag Teacher Educator Former CA Agriscience Teacher
Back to School Again (From Grease2)	The Four Tops	Nicole Weaver (Marinos) Twin Valley Agriscience Teacher (PA) PSU Graduate
Perfect Day	Hoku	Sarah Quigg Ephrata Agriscience Teacher (PA)
This is Your Life	Switchfoot	Neil Fellenbaum Penn Manor Agriscience Teacher (PA) PSU Graduate
I've Always Been Crazy	Waylon Jennings	Daniel Foster PSU Ag Teacher Educator Former Arizona Agriscience Teacher
Kickstart My Heart	Motley Crue	Edward Frankling Arizona Ag Teacher Educator Former CA Agriscience Teacher
Winning	Santana	Kate Feuerstein Michigan Agriscience Teacher
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades	Timbuk3	Daniel Foster PSU Ag Teacher Educator Former Arizona Agriscience Teacher

Hello from the Future!

Seems relevant to not only myself, but also our teacher candidates who will be preparing for student teaching!

December and Final presentations will be here before you know it!

Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.