Some time ago I had the wonderful experience of observing one of my peers and cohort-mates, Michala Kuhlman at Central Columbia High School. I really value these experiences because it is a chance for us to see other agriculture programs, see what our fellow colleagues are up to, and a way for us to take ideas back to our cooperating-center to try before we leave.
I wanted to visit Michala because the program she is student-teaching at is much different than where I am at. Here, at Tri-Valley, it is a single teacher program with a lot of emphasis on agricultural mechanics. Whereas Central Columbia is a multi-teacher program with more emphasis on Animal Science and Environmental Science. Thus, I was able to see different classes in a different setting than what I normally do.
Here are some of my observations:
Schools that are 1-to-1 Technology
It was really neat to see a school where every student had an Ipad at their fingertips. Where I am student-teaching, we have a permanent set of laptops in the classroom, but students can't take them home. At Central Columbia they use an online resource known as E-Backpack, where all textbooks are provided to students on the Ipad. Thus, assigning a textbook reading or problem set is very simply because students do not need to take a textbook home, it is all in one place. I could see this being a really big benefit if you want to get online access to various agricultural magazines or journals. Additionally, Michala used the technology for a quiz and she monitored them while doing so. It was setup to provide instant results and feedback after the quiz is submitted.
Just one of a multitude of new tools/methods that I saw and really appreciated.
Multi-Teacher Benefits
Another reason I wanted to visit Michala at Central Columbia was because they have multiple teachers in the department. As a result, more classes can be offered in a wider variety of CIP codes. It was unique to see how multiple teachers share space and interact, while still being on the go. However, I have such a great appreciate for Gretchen and what she is able to accomplish as a single teacher. She truly does everything she can to offer students a wide variety of courses and opportunities, even with only one teacher. Proof that size of the program does not always impact the learning that can still occur.
Co-Teaching
One completely new aspect of teaching that I saw compared to traditional practices was co-teaching between numerous teachers. I really enjoyed seeing this because it invoked colleague collaboration among teachers from different departments. I also believe that this can really benefit students when experts of different content areas can come together and really create a unique experience.
The differences between Tri-Valley and Central Columbia are numerous. The classes that are offered are different, the facilities have a multitude of differences, and the amount of resources does vary. However, one aspect remains that same, the effectiveness of each program to deliver school-based agriculture education to the students. Every program does it differently, but our goals are unanimous; to educate and equip agriculture students with the knowledge and skills necessary for higher education or the workforce.