By Hope J. Gibbs, Techniques Contributing Writer
There is a lack of agricultural literacy in America. The majority of the U.S. population does not live on farms and does not engage in production agriculture. This has contributed to the diminishment of agricultural knowledge that has taken place over the decades but supports the need for agriculture education in today’s schools. Middle school agriculture educators enlighten students both in the classroom and the laboratory. And, with the growing world of biotechnology, a “new agriculture” has emerged, offering students exciting new career paths to consider before reaching high school where, customarily, the groundwork has been laid.
In 1997, Susan Fritz and Linda Moody of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln asked the question, “Why should we expand agricultural education into our junior high/middle (grades 6-8) schools?” in their abstract titled “Assessment of Junior High/Middle School Agricultural Education Programs in Nebraska,” found in the Journal of Agriculture Education, Vol. 38, No. 1. Their answer to the question was “to teach agricultural education to adolescents including: the issues of agricultural literacy; exploration of agricultural career interests; and utilizing experiential learning theory during adolescence.”
One of the strong points Fritz and Moody make is that, even if students do not pursue careers in agriculture after having completed such an exploratory program, they should have a working knowledge of the important role of agriculture in society as the future policy and decision makers of the nation.
The idea to root agriculture education below the high school level has been growing nationwide. Professor Roland L. Peterson, University of Minnesota, has focused his efforts over the years to teaching methods, student teacher supervising, student advising, and developing various courses and programs in agriculture education.
“In my understanding of the philosophy of middle-level education,” says Peterson, “those years serve as a time for students to explore many aspects of life and future career possibilities. The reality of having educational experiences around real animals and plants they see and handle every day provides a very unique context for middle-level students to learn the ‘why’ for various mathematics, science, social studies and communication concepts and skills.”
Peterson, who believes that agriculture education (as well as other areas of career and technical education) must be a part of every student’s middle school experience, comments, “I cannot think of a better way to create interest in school for many students who are starting to be ‘turned off’ by a school experience that is not connected to real things.”
Minnesota is not alone in its quest for developing such programs. Bringing agriculture education to the middle school level in Georgia was reinforced by a study done by the Georgia Rural Development Council. Polling almost 4,000 young students in 157 counties revealed that 90 percent felt that agriculture was important, 60 percent have not had the opportunity to participate in leadership programs, 67 percent wished there were more afterschool activities available, and 60 percent wanted to learn skills needed to start a business.
The results helped to determine that agriculture education at this level could very well help decrease the dropout rate; increase interest in science, math and leadership, as well as agriculture; assist in integrating career connections and academics; involve more students in personal leadership development; and provide students real-life experiences.
Agriculture education at the middle school level is logical.
James R. Woodard, Georgia’s state director of agriculture education, is a true advocate of improving agricultural literacy within his state and promoting agriculture education in Georgia’s middle schools.
“It is our responsibility to continue to open doors of opportunity for students so that they will have the self-motivation and confidence to bridge to new careers in agriculture and to develop an awareness of the importance of agriculture to the future,” states Woodard. “Two specific strategies that agriculture education will play a vital role in are: 1) substantially decreasing the dropout rate, and 2) increasing the number of students graduating with technical certification.”
The Georgia Agriculture Department of Education (GADOE) has identified three distinct, yet interrelated components of its agriculture education programs: (1) classroom and laboratory experiences, (2) the Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAEP) component, and (3) National FFA Organization membership.
There are approximately 30 middle school programs in Georgia for students in grades six through eight to explore agriculture and related careers using these three components.
Classroom instruction teaches students the concepts and theories of agriculture and agribusiness. The laboratory instruction allows students to take those concepts and theories and apply them through hands-on activities that are both practical and usable.
The SAEP component of the program allows students to work and learn in real-life situations where they can obtain on-the-job skills. Traditional home projects, entrepreneurship and cooperative work experience in production or agribusiness are some of the options students have through this portion of the program.
The FFA organization, the third component, is where students develop their leadership skills. FFA is an integral and intra-curricular component of the agriculture education program, providing incentives and awards to students based on performance.
The GADOE states on its Web site (www.GADOE.org), “Teachers of agriculture have always stressed the problem-solving and decision-making approach to teaching. Through this approach, students are better equipped to cope with changes that are constantly occurring, not only in agriculture industry but also in life in general. The strength of the program lies in the flexibility and dedication of teachers whose philosophy is, ‘We don’t just teach agriculture, we teach students.’”
The FFA is also a vehicle for this philosophy and gives adolescents an avenue for character development and identity.
Among the 30 middle schools in Georgia that participate in agriculture education is East Jackson Middle School. Agriculture education has been in place at East Jackson since the school began in 1996. East Jackson believes that “every student can learn the subjects and skills necessary for critical thinking, informed living and lifelong learning within the context of his or her individual capabilities.”
The East Jackson Agriculture Technology teacher, Micah Story, believes this too, and every day he opens the eyes and minds of children to the growing and fascinating world of agriculture technology. He also serves as a mentor teacher.
“Agricultural education is very important to Jackson County,” says Story. “Our county is second in the state in the production of livestock, and we are in a high volume poultry production area. Jackson County administrators heavily support this program, and know the importance of educating students [at the middle school level] also includes career preparation.”
The program at East Jackson touches all facets of agriculture, not just the area of production. There is agriscience, agribusiness and technology.
“This new area of agriculture will require a prepared workforce and skilled individuals who have a science and math background as well as a functional vocational skill level,” explains Story.
Story’s enthusiasm is contagious. His students work together in modules to solve agriculture problems related to plant and animal production and learn about biotechnology and genetically modified crops while performing assignments such as isolating DNA from onion cells and making a biodegradable plastic from corn. He approaches each student as an individual.
“I believe that every student who comes into my classroom has not only the ability to learn, but the right to be successful in learning,” says Story. “Every child learns differently and develops differently; however, all are educable. I see a student’s weaknesses as a potential strength that needs to be fine-tuned. It is my job to encourage, motivate and assist with the preparation needed by the youth of today and the leaders of tomorrow, so that they are equipped to fulfill their destiny.”
Story spends a great deal of time, when he is not teaching, developing lessons that incorporate his students’ interests. He allows his students the opportunity to explore, create and excel, and shows that he is interested in their success now as his students and in the future as adults.
“My lab has 16 modules that involve such activities as writing a robotics program that will plant flowers in a simulated greenhouse, or an activity may involve students working together to design a landscape using an interactive design software,” explains Story. “In agriculture mechanics, students learn to wire and install a light switch correctly. In ag communications, students research, write, edit and produce a 10-minute video related to a current agriculture topic. I set my students up to succeed, but I also have a high level of expectation.”
Staying within the guidelines that are set up by the GADOE for agriculture education at the middle school level, Story works his magic in the classroom and laboratory, and encourages students as they embark on the agricultural experiences through SAEP and FFA. His students work a minimum of 20 hours on a supervised project designed by the FFA advisor and the member’s parents.
“In modular instruction, students are challenged to learn by completing hands-on projects and activities that relate to content material,” notes Story. “I combine the FFA program activities with classroom activities. Through the FFA, students develop leadership skills and become comfortable early in leadership roles. This enthusiasm carries on into the high school level, and students are more comfortable accepting leadership challenges and performing as young leaders in society. The FFA program allows students to experience real-world situations now so they will be better prepared for the workplace demands they will face in the future.”
Story is always making the connection of how and what he is teaching affect the success of his students’ future accomplishments. He takes great pride in his profession, and it shows in his students and the outstanding program at East Jackson.
“The interdisciplinary program developed at East Jackson Middle School has become a model program for the state,” notes Story.
The lab management package he developed can be used by technology teachers to assist them in the implementation of modular instruction in the classroom. “Visitors from across the nation have visited the lab here at EJMS,” says Story, “including an international visitor, Leo Cato, who is the officer in charge of implementation of technology in Grenada.”
Word gets around, and Micah Story is more than happy to share his program with others. He also presented his program at an educational conference in St. Kitts, West Indies. His dedication and hard work resulted in his winning the Milken Foundation National Teacher Award, but the real winners are the students who benefit from Story’s instruction.
Coast to coast, agriculture educators are reaching out to one another for support and the exchange of ideas. One avenue for developing successful programs at the middle school level is mentoring.
One such mentor is Ken Ball, who was featured in the 2003 FFA Promising Practices (pg. 5-25), and who teaches at Creswell High School in Creswell, Oregon. Ball says that his experience has been that administrators often view recruitment negatively. He counters this by creatively developing, with a middle school science teacher, a career, mentoring program that focuses on building enrollment through student interest.
Ball’s program starts with an hour presentation with the aid of the FFA video, “Agriculture’s New Professionals,” and a discussion on agriculture careers and a career aptitude test that students find fun. The presentation is followed with a career day, when a worksheet (based on the video) is used, and middle school students are categorized by career interest using the test results. The middle school students are then paired with high school students, and field trips to sites that correspond to student interests are used to introduce students to the agriculture industry.
“The program requires middle school science teachers who are open to experiential learning and good communication between departments,” says Ball.
Sally Shomo, recipient of the 2002 NAAE Region VI Teacher Mentor award, meets with her protégés face to face at least once per month and is available to answer questions between visits in Augusta County, Virginia, where she teaches at Beverley Manor Middle School. The goal of the agriculture education program in the county is twofold: 1) to make students agriculturally literate, and 2) to spark their interest in high school programs. She believes that success does not come from participation solely in one program but from a variety of programs. Shomo also believes that building a sound communication network with the school board, community leaders, agriculturists and the state legislature is essential to success.
“To open doors for successful teaching programs, one must be willing to learn from others,” says Shomo. “As a seasoned teacher, I work with new teachers to offer experiences that I have gained that may help them be more successful in their teaching programs. While they may learn from my experiences, I am constantly gaining new ideas and techniques from them that help to make me a better teacher. Strong mentoring is an important part of any educational program. Not only can we be mentors to other teachers, but are also mentors to our students. Professionalism and a strong sense of morals and ethics can help to enhance the future for many of our students.”
Mentors such as Ball and Shomo make a positive difference in agriculture education by providing the knowledge and experience to get middle school programs off the ground and running, and keeping teachers focused and encouraged.
Resource materials abound in the area of middle school agriculture education and may be sponsored by corporations such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (www.wkkf.org). The Kellogg-sponsored 35-page booklet titled “Middle Grade Agricultural Leader’s Guide” provides educators with a collection of ideas, activities and recognition programs for implementing agriculture, food and environmental science literacy in the middle school. Activities are designed to support middle school development and provide teachers with catalysts for instruction.
GADOE has a publication, “Middle School Biotechnology in Agricultural Education,” that guides administrators/educators in establishing new middle school agriculture education programs and revitalizing existing programs.
Dr. Frank Flanders, Georgia’s state curriculum coordinator, says, “We have several out-of-state visitors to our Web site, www.gaaged.org, and inquiries into our middle grade programs. We are always willing to share our information and help others succeed in this area.”
Additional support can be found through such organizations as the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE), American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE), and the National Association of Supervisors of Agricultural Education (NASAE). And, of course, the FFA is always eager to assist in scholastic endeavors.
The career choices for youth interested in agriculture have grown beyond the furrowed rows of the farm, and middle schools are often the place where these new and exciting careers are being introduced. Agriculture education at the middle school level is keeping students interested in learning, providing real-life connections in the classroom and promoting the idea that success in the future starts now.
For more information, visit the Web site of the National Association of Agricultural Educators at www.naae.org. There you will find a wealth of resources, as well as links to the Web sites of a number of other organizations involved in agriculture education.
For more information about the activities and the opportunities provided by the National FFA Organization, visit www.ffa.org
- Techniques February 2005 Issue - 
