Progress 11/01/23 to 10/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of this project is secondary teachers in Virginia public schools serving students who identify as underrepresented minorities and underserved populations. A secondary audience is the students enrolled in the classes taught by the participating teachers. Changes/Problems:We continue to face the challenge of teacher participation in summer professional development programs. This coming year (2025) we are moving the program to one of our university's satellite research facilities closer to the urban/metropolitan/suburban communities from which we are trying to attract teachers. We will provide transportation for all participants attending the conference to ensure those from rural communities will also have easy access. The new location will offer us the opportunity to showcase new areas of the agricultural industry to these non-agriculture teachers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?PD-AL Final Reflection Summary The Engaging Secondary Teachers in CALS Research for Agricultural Literacy program (PD-AL) was held at Virginia Tech from June 17 to June 21, 2024. A total of 10 teachers participated in the program. On the last day, participants were given five final reflection prompts and provided their reflections either as written or verbal responses. We received nine responses to the prompts. Among them, eight participants provided written responses in their Rocketbooks, with one giving a partial response, and one participant provided an oral response. The handwritten and oral responses were transcribed and used for analysis. The findings for each prompt are presented below. What feedback do you have regarding the food, accommodation, or logistics that you would like us to know about? Participants were generally very satisfied with the food, accommodation, and logistics of the program. However, some suggestions for improvement included allowing participants to have dinner on their own rather than in a group to shorten the day, providing clearer descriptions and locations for each class, and ensuring that the schedule is not overly long to maintain meaningful engagement. What one to three things did you find useful or beneficial for your role as a teacher? Participants were asked to identify one to three things they found useful or beneficial for their roles as teachers. A prominent theme that emerged from their responses was the value of hands-on lab activities. Many participants highlighted the practical benefits of these activities, noting that the program provided engaging, real-world applications that could be directly implemented in their classrooms. In particular, the Spice Lab, the visit to Glenvar High School, and the DNA extraction lab were perceived positively. The program also broadened their understanding of agriculture. One participant (AW) described it as "an eye-opening experience into various agricultural careers," and another participant (ML) noted, "I learned that agriculture encompasses and touches many more aspects of our lives than we know." Additionally, the sharing of resources and information, as well as the reflective time to think about applying new knowledge to their subjects, were highly valued. Which sessions from the workshop do you think you will use in your teaching? In which course do you plan to use them? Participants were asked which program sessions they planned to use in their teaching and in which courses. They identified several sessions that align with their curriculum needs, highlighting a diverse range of activities. Notably, participants found the Spice Lab, the Gummy Bear Lab, and the DNA extraction lab particularly beneficial. Several participants (AE, KS, MF, MM) mentioned the Spice Lab, with its applications across various subjects such as ecology, cross-curricular content, and community engagement. Two participants (ML, MM) noted the Gummy Bear Lab for its engaging and educational potential, particularly in science courses. Participants (AE, AW) also highlighted the DNA extraction lab for its applicability in biology, and the Sea Urchin Lab for its relevance in ecology classes. One participant (JW) mentioned that the visit to Glenvar High School was particularly helpful in understanding the importance of integrating community resources. They plan to incorporate this insight into their health science course. What were the things that were not necessarily useful for you personally? Participants were asked to identify aspects of the workshop that were not necessarily useful for them personally. While many found the program sessions beneficial overall, a few sessions were highlighted as less applicable or more challenging to implement in their classes. Several lab sessions, including the Gummy Bear, DNA extractions, Cow Reproduction, and Sea Urchin sessions, did not align well with the specific curricular needs of some teachers. One participant (MF) mentioned that the DNA Lab was seen as too long for student engagement and pointed out the issue of not having access to the required lab equipment. Another participant (AE) mentioned that although they enjoyed the reflections, some parts felt repetitive. Additionally, a different participant (CN) expressed confusion about how the FEW Nexus relates to what they did. What recommendations or suggestions do you have for next year's program, particularly related to program content and design? Participants provided various recommendations and suggestions for improving next year's program. Two participants (AW, CN) mentioned the need to reduce the frequency of reflections, as they found them repetitive. MF and MM also noted that FEW-Nexus/systems thinking was abstract and difficult to comprehend. MF further commented that the daily reflections did not connect well with the lab work. One participant (MM) expressed a desire for more content related to farming and plant science, stating, "When I first thought of agriculture, I thought of farming and plant science. I expected to have a section on farming, but it was not included." Another participant (CN) suggested shortening the program days by going to dinner earlier to make the schedule more manageable. JW recommended increasing the number of program attendees to enhance the experience through diverse ideas and discussions, saying, "I think more people should be here. It would be a better experience with a bigger group." KS suggested that "sending out the registration/forms of interest in March may increase participation numbers." Despite these suggestions for improvement, many participants expressed high satisfaction with the program. AE described the program content and design as "Perfect, very exciting & fun." AW shared a similar sentiment, stating, "Honestly, everything was amazing & if you didn't change anything, you would still have a great program!" Additionally, DF expressed a desire to stay involved, saying, "I hope that current participants will still be able to participate in future programs. I have greatly enjoyed this whole experience. Please send any future program options for this or other programs to me to apply." How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This year, we've implemented a bi-monthly newsletter we disseminate to all teachers whoparticipated in our 2022, 2023, and 2024 summer programs. The newslettersare all available on our program websitehttps://www.alce.vt.edu/signature-programs/engaging-secondary-teachers.html. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are planning the June 2025 program, which will be held at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hampton, VA. Two of our project team members are working to prepare and submit the secondary teachers' lesson plans to GoOpenVA to increase the accessibility for teachers in Virginia and beyond. Once prepared for public access, the lesson plans will also be available on our project webpagehttps://www.alce.vt.edu/signature-programs/engaging-secondary-teachers.html.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
To achieve Objective 1, we offered the summer PD-AL program to teachers across Virginia. This program aimed to enhance their ability to promote agricultural and life sciences curricula in their classrooms. Collaborating with various FANH science faculty and graduate students, the program provided participants with technical skill training in topics such as food sciences and animal sciences, as well as leadership development. Participants' reflections emphasized the value of hands-on lab activities like the Spice Lab, DNA Extraction Lab, and Gummy Bear Lab. Many participants highlighted the practical benefits of these activities, noting the program's engaging, real-world applications. The program also broadened participants' understanding of agriculture and related careers while boosting their knowledge and confidence to incorporate FANH science topics into their classrooms. Participants identified several sessions aligned with their curriculum needs and could be directly implemented, ultimately expanding student exposure to FANH sciences. Furthermore, the program facilitated new partnerships between CALS researchers and secondary teachers in local communities across the state (Objective 2). Through the five-day in-person summer program, teachers had the opportunity to learn about FANH science topics from Virginia Tech faculty and graduate students in their laboratories. These professional development experiences connected teachers with CALS researchers and laid the foundation for ongoing collaboration. These partnerships are expected to enhance curriculum development and bring current research into the secondary education classroom. In alignment with these efforts, continued collaboration between teachers and CALS researchers will contribute to developing Open Educational Resource (OER) lesson plans aligned with Objective 3. These lesson plans will integrate current research initiatives in FANH content and leadership development into the secondary curriculum, further enriching student learning opportunities and promoting the career opportunities available in the FANH sciences.
Publications
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