Thursday, March 11, 2010

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Did you know, in Kings County over 600,000 acres are pre-zoned for dairy location and the spreading of processed water and manure?

Partnership Increases Ag Outreach

by Amy Roberts

A new interactive video lesson about cotton is being beamed live in local classrooms and its success has teachers quickly filling up slots for a showing.

Part history, part science and part language arts, “The Wonder of Cotton: from Farm to Fabric” teaches students in grades three through five about the origin of the fiber products that surround them in their everyday lives. Students learn about the difficulty and challenges of early cotton farming, the inventions that made harvesting and processing easier, the anatomy and care of cotton plants and cotton farming today in Kings County.

“Reaching 80-100 students in a week is phenomenal,” said Kings County Farm Bureau Executive Director Diana Peck. “So many students are out of touch with agriculture and our goal is to build a greater understanding of how agriculture impacts their everyday lives.”

On Jan. 12, Tammy Johnson’s Pioneer Elementary third-grade class participated in the lesson, taught by Peck.

“I thought she did a wonderful job teaching the lesson and presenting the information,” Johnson said. “She connected with the students on grade level and it kept their attention.”

While the lesson is proving to be a resounding hit, it took a village of people to make it happen.

The lesson idea germinated after Pioneer Elementary students participated in an interactive video conference about school gardens with First Lady Maria Shriver and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura.

Kings County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent Jerry Waymire said this teaching method became available about three years ago and demand has dramatically increased.

He said the first year, Kings County schools participated in approximately 15 video conference lessons; this year, that number increased to 450.

While most of the lessons are ordered through the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, an online repository of video conference content, the office of education was already researching the process of becoming a content provider and developing their own lessons.

“Last year’s conference with Maria Shriver really got the ball rolling,” Waymire said. “It was very exciting to think we could partner with [KCFB] to provide something educational and professional. When Janet presented the idea of highlighting ag and doing a cotton lesson – it was a perfect fit.”

Janet Adams, KCOE Curriculum and Technology Consultant, met with Peck to start hashing out a lesson plan and soon, the cotton lesson started taking root. The two worked in tandem for four months writing a lesson, matching the content to California curriculum standards and learning how to use the video equipment in the brand-new studio, which was built and fully funded by KCOE. Their first practice conference was with students from Mark Twain Elementary in Corcoran, on Dec. 17.

Both were thrilled with the outcome.

“Reaching out to students through the use of technology is presenting new opportunities to teach about agriculture,” Peck said. “It’s really fun and I enjoy working with the students. Our ability to interact throughout the lesson is an important part of the students’ experience.”

Adams said she’s amazed at the reaction students have revealed during the interactive video conferencing lessons.

“They’re not just listening, but interacting with experts in the field,” Adams said. “It’s an immediate communication – a back and forth – where students are asking questions instead of being silent. We’re seeing a freedom of questioning during this type of learning that is breaking down barriers.”

One such field expert is Justin Dutra, who works for Stone Land Company as its pest control advisor. Part of the lesson includes videotaped segments of Dutra teaching about beneficial and harmful cotton bugs.

“Doing it was a good experience and hopefully the students are learning something from it,” Dutra said. “Those working in ag are busy, but we need to take more time educating younger students on the importance of producing our own food supply in the U.S.”

Peck and Adams agree about the importance of teaching students the origin of food and fiber products commonly seen in stores and used everyday.

“Even students who live in an agricultural community, such as students right here in Kings County, often don’t know where their food and clothes come from, or the process of getting it to them,” Peck said.

She said she was surprised to see some students raise their hands when she asked if they thought cotton came from sheep.

“It justshowed us that our instincts were correct about their level of knowledge,” she said. “This is a great teaching opportunity that allows us to clear up misconceptions.”

Ultimately, Peck and Adams’ goal is to offer a variety of agricultural-based lessons to local students – and eventually to students anywhere, including those in urban communities. Because the technology is Internet-driven, lessons can be transmitted live to classrooms that are equipped with video conferencing capabilities throughout the U.S. and beyond.

The partnership between Adams and Peck continues as they refine camera angles and trim lesson content to meet classroom time constraints. While Peck works in front of the camera with a green screen behind her, Adams is busy working all the equipment and adding content that is visible to the students behind Peck.

“The technology brings equity to students and their teachers, regardless of their geographic location, and provides them with a greater understanding of the world around them,” Adams said. One of the most important outcomes, she said, is how students will share this knowledge with family members as they drive past fields.

Peck added, “KCFB is thrilled to be a part of this unique educational opportunity, which supports our mission to promote agriculture.”

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