Season 11 Finale
Another end to the school year, another end to an Owl Pellets: Tips for Ag Teachers season. Come along as Brian, Becky, and Mike wrap up season 11.
Owl Pellets: Tips for Ag Teachers
Practical tips for your ag classroom and interesting information to incorporate in your teaching. Quick and easy resources for you to read, or “pellets” of information.
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Special Episode: Meet an Author from How Learning Works
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. However, in this episode, they are meeting a very special guest. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into how the book came to be and some of Michele DiPietro's advice for both teachers and students. Come along as we wrap up our season 11 mini-series.
How Learning Works: Self-Direction
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the eighth and final section of the book "How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian,…
STEM in the Ag Classroom: Boosting Confidence, Making Connections
Ready to boost your STEM teaching confidence? William Norris and Lacey Roberts-Hill deliver crucial insights from research exploring how agricultural educators perceive their ability to integrate STEM-based AFNR standards! We unpack findings on specific STEM concepts where teachers excel and areas where more support is needed. Learn about the vital role of preservice training and actionable…
How Learning Works: Course Climate
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the seventh section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky,…
Rooted in Practice: Tailoring Professional Development for Ag Teachers
Ever feel like your PD doesn't quite deepen your ag literacy instruction? This "pellet" uncovers vital research on a professional development program that's all about equipping ag teachers for success! Learn how relevant, discipline-specific content (think animal and plant science!) from experts was highly valued for its direct impact on teaching core agricultural knowledge. We'll explore why…
How Learning Works: Practice & Feedback
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the sixth section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky, and…
Beyond Posters and Press Releases: Making Ag Comm Work in Your Classroom
Want to elevate your students' communication skills for the modern ag industry? This "pellet" delivers crucial insights from research on how agricultural communication is being integrated in SBAE classrooms nationwide! Learn about the rapid growth in ag comm offerings, the current state of content consistency, and the vital design, writing, and software skills students are mastering. This episode…
Cracking the Middle School Code: Real-World Strategies for Ag Teachers
Ready to dive into the world of middle school ag ed and supercharge your SAE program? Jacob Englin digests two powerful research articles! First, we explore trends, gaps, and teacher needs in U.S. middle school agricultural education, revealing where we need more up-to-date research. Then, we dive into how top teachers create high-quality SAE experiences by focusing on student growth, leveraging…
Supporting Every Student: Practical Strategies for Addressing ACEs in the Ag Classroom
How can your ag classroom be a haven for students impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)? William Norris and Shannon Norris Parish share vital research exploring how SBAE teachers compassionately support these learners! Discover actionable strategies like providing hygiene items, purchasing meals on Ag trips, and offering emotional support. We'll highlight the deep personal commitment…
How Learning Works: Developing Mastery
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the fifth section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky, and…
Plugged In and Growing: Practical Tech Tools for the Ag Classroom
This episode unpacks compelling research on how diverse tech tools—from flipped classrooms to digital games—are impacting agricultural education at all levels. We reveal the growing gap between a rapidly evolving ag industry and current teaching methods, highlighting how integrating modern tech can significantly enhance student achievement, engagement, and teacher efficacy. This is a must-listen…
Empowering Every Learner: Practical Strategies for Including Students with Learning Difficulties in SAEs
Ever wondered how confident you are in supporting students with learning difficulties in SAEs? This episode digests research exploring how Georgia ag teachers perceive their ability to do just that! We uncover findings that show teachers value inclusive practices like using IEPs and adapting instruction, but often feel only moderately competent. Discover the vital role of hands-on preparation and…
How Learning Works: Motivation
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the fourth section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky,…
Cultivating Inclusion: Practical Strategies from the Field for Ag Teachers
How can your ag program be a game-changer for students with special needs? This episode unpacks vital research exploring ag teachers' confidence and strategies for inclusion. We reveal how hands-on agricultural experiences are uniquely effective at building occupational skills, self-identity, and confidence, directly impacting future employment. Discover the importance of targeted professional…
What Parents Want: Turning Support for Ag Literacy Into Classroom Success
Imagine parents as your biggest allies in ag ed! Amelia Miller explains groundbreaking national research on how much value parents place on their children learning about agriculture in school. Discover the surprising finding that parents overwhelmingly see agricultural topics as "very important" for K-12 students, regardless of their own background! Get ready for practical insights on how you can…
Sparking Critical Thinking: Socioscientific Issues in the Ag Ed Classroom
Ready to prepare your students for the real world? Michelle Burrows helps the Owl Pellet Crew digest vital research on integrating Socioscientific Issues (SSI) like climate change, GMOs, and food security into school-based agricultural education! Discover why these complex, multi-perspective topics are essential for building critical thinking and discussion skills. We'll explore how SSI-based…
How Learning Works: Knowledge Organization
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the third section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky, and…
Boosting Your FFA Chapter: Social Media That Works
How effective is your FFA chapter's social media strategy? Raquel Taylor, Taylor Ruth, and Nathan Conner dive into research exploring how secondary agriculture teachers use social media to promote their FFA chapters. We examine which platforms are favored, the content shared, and the significant benefits teachers experience. Despite widespread use, findings reveal untapped potential and a clear…
Agriscience Fairs: Science, Communication, and Career Readiness
Ready to supercharge scientific thinking and real-world skills in your students? This episode digests research on how U.S. agriculture teachers implement Agriscience Fair programs! Discover the complex decisions teachers make and how these fairs uniquely strengthen scientific thinking, hands-on learning, communication, and interview skills. We'll explore the power of cross-curricular collaboration…
How Learning Works: Prior Knowledge
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the second section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning ." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky,…
Words that Grow: Boosting Ag Literacy with Writing, Speaking, and Hands-On Learning
How can your agriscience classroom cultivate strong agricultural literacy that goes beyond hands-on skills? This episode digests research exploring how SBAE teachers are promoting ag literacy through speaking, listening, and writing activities! Discover how explicit explanations, group discussions, and project-based work help students grasp complex vocabulary and apply concepts to real life. We'll…
The Donut Model: Finding the Sweet Spot for Teacher Success
Ever feel like you're constantly balancing on the edge of burnout? This episode introduces the Donut Model for Ag Teacher Success! Adapted from Doughnut Economics, this new framework offers a fresh way to understand the sweet spot between minimum and maximum productivity boundaries. Learn how factors like mentoring, support systems, and workload management can help you thrive, not just survive.…
Special Episode: Meet the Producer
Have you ever wondered what it takes to produce this podcast? Who is this mysterious fourth person of the Owl Pellets crew? For the past three seasons, Kyleigh Hilburn has been behind the scenes producing Owl Pellets: Tips for Ag Teachers Podcast. In this week's episode, Brian and Becky pull Kyleigh out from the background and into the guest's chair. Hear all about what it takes to produce a…
Building Stronger Ag Classrooms: Youth-Adult Partnerships in Action
Ready to unlock deeper student involvement and real-world learning? This episode digests a powerful 7-year study on the CROPS Project, grounded in the transformative Youth-Adult Partnership (YAP) Theory! Discover how fostering genuine collaboration between youth and adults in ag education can dramatically enhance student motivation, build practical skills (like farm safety!), and strengthen…
Margin in the Middle: Finding Balance and Boosting Creativity in Ag Teaching
Ever feel like you're running on empty? This episode digests vital research on "margin" in the lives of ag educators – that crucial buffer between your workload and your personal resources! Discover why having more margin is key to maintaining wellness, boosting creativity, and finding greater satisfaction in ag teaching. We'll share actionable strategies from the study on how you can protect and…
How Learning Works: Student Identity & Development
Brian, Becky, and Mike are back to diving into how learning works. Throughout this episode, they will dive deep into the first section of the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning ." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come along as Brian, Becky,…
Building Employability: Real Skills for Real Ag Classrooms
What do school superintendents really want your ag program to teach? This episode digests research exploring how district leaders prioritize essential employability skills within SBAE curricula! Discover why critical thinking, problem-solving, and resource management are top priorities. Learn how superintendents view these skills as "very" or "extremely important" for student careers, reinforcing…
Nurturing Positive Youth Development: Turning Research Into Action in Rural Ag Classrooms
Ready to empower every student, no matter their background? This "pellet" delivers crucial insights from research on Positive Youth Development in rural, low-SES high schools! Learn how SBAE programs are uniquely positioned to build student confidence, competence, and belonging. We'll explore the importance of trauma-informed teaching and mental health support, plus concrete strategies to foster…
Herding Knowledge: Making the Most of SBAE Classroom and Laboratory Instruction
Ready to fine-tune your classroom and lab skills? Ryan Best, Iowa State University, digests key research on essential instructional practices in School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE)! We'll explore how effective teaching aligns with the eight AFNR career pathways, covering everything from supervising labs and managing equipment to recruiting students and adapting to hybrid learning. Discover…
How Learning Works: Introduction
Another season, another mini-series! This season, Brian, Becky, and Mike are diving into how learning works. Throughout this mini-series, they will dive deep into the book " How Learning Works: 8 Research-Based Principles for Smart Learning ." Marsha Lovett, Michael Birdges, Michele DiPietro, Susan Ambrose, and Maria Norman focused this book on making learning work for you and your students! Come…
SAE Supercharge: Grading, Tech, and Student-Driven Growth
Ever wondered how FFA, classroom, and SAEs really impact student growth? In this week's episode, Tiffany Marzolino, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, explores ag teachers' perceptions of student development across the three-circle model! Discover why the classroom often leads, but how grading SAEs and using tech can supercharge their perceived impact. We'll also dive into making SAEs truly…
From the Farm to the Classroom: Using Clarkson's Farm for Agricultural Literacy
Ever thought about using Jeremy Clarkson to teach agriculture? This episode discusses fascinating research on how the TV series "Clarkson's Farm" impacted undergraduate students! Erica Summerfield, South Dakota State University, reveals how showing just two episodes sparked rich dialogue and boosted understanding of food systems, farming challenges, and rural life, even among students new to…
Digging Deeper: Bringing Land-Based Learning to Life in Ag Classrooms
Ever wondered how hands-on learning can transform students and your community? This episode digs into fascinating research on land-based learning! Aaron McKim and Abbey Palmer, from Michigan State University, share how connecting high schoolers with local agriculture boosts their leadership skills, sustainability awareness, and understanding of local food. Get ready for practical models to bring…
Season 11 Introduction
We are back,... we are SO back! Brian, Becky, and Mike are super excited to be back with another season of Owl Pellets: Tips for Ag Teachers podcast. Be ready to tackle conversations over how learning works, getting beyond the walls of the classroom, adult partnerships, the donut model, how to communicate about your program, and many more exciting topics. You might even get to meet a member of the…
Supporting Males in Ag Ed Classrooms
Ag Ed is uniquely positioned to support boys in school. Stacy Vincent (University of Kentucky) joins the OP crew to share key findings from an experimental study looking at student performance in same-sex versus co-ed classrooms. Tune in to hear more about how students process and engage in school differently. Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/122
To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention: Letter 9
The "To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention" mini-series highlights a series of vulnerable conversations in letter form to help us ask tough questions of the education career. The series will challenge listeners to consider new solutions, imagine "what ifs," and inform future directions for education. The full journal article includes appendices for further discussion, and we welcome you to use…
Enhancing Classrooms with VR
Jamie Greig and his team at University of Tennessee knows implementing VR can feel intimidating, but with their guide to planning, process, and reflection, you'll be a VR implementation expert in no time. Journal Article: https://agdevresearch.org/index.php/aad/article/view/353
Teacher Mobility: What does a career in education look like?
We'll just come right out and say it: Mobility might be a retention strategy. Becky Haddad (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Lavyne Rada (Co-Director of the Minnesota Teacher Induction Program) chat with Mike and Brian about reasonable retention, navigating the teaching career, and supporting newness across the career spectrum. Journal Article:…
To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention: Letter 8
The "To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention" mini-series highlights a series of vulnerable conversations in letter form to help us ask tough questions of the education career. The series will challenge listeners to consider new solutions, imagine "what ifs," and inform future directions for education. The full journal article includes appendices for further discussion, and we welcome you to use…
Problem Based Learning in Fab Labs
Curious about how to set failure as an expectation? WHAT?! Taylor Merrick (Arizona ag teacher) and Amber Rice (Iowa State University) have the inside scoop on problem-based learning to help teachers work their students through the process of problem solving, the nature of conflict, and the environment you create in the process. Journal Article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/103
Team Building Norms in LDEs
A team isn't just a group of people thrown together, and Tom Jacobsen with the University of Idaho Extension has some great tips for us to build teams through LDE preparation. Tune in as Tom chats with the crew about defining success, engaging in a team building process, and teaching employability skills in how we ask students to prepare for competition. Journal Article:…
To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention: Letter 7
The "To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention" mini-series highlights a series of vulnerable conversations in letter form to help us ask tough questions of the education career. The series will challenge listeners to consider new solutions, imagine "what ifs," and inform future directions for education. The full journal article includes appendices for further discussion, and we welcome you to use…
Gen Z's Philanthropic Engagement
Philanthropy is an intentional, private allocation of time or money--more simply, it's just giving back where you can, and Amber Rice (Iowa State) and Weslee Potts (Arizona Mom & administrator) are here to tell us more! Tune in as they share how Gen Z seeks connection, meaning, purpose, and belonging in their philanthropic efforts, looking to give time more than money in ways that align with their…
Integrating Virtual Reality
VR may feel intimidating to implement, but never fear! Justin Pulley (Tarleton) is here to make sure we've got the basics covered to dive in. Tune in as Justin shares that we don't need to be experts to give VR a try as long as we implement it with a pedagogical purpose in mind. Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/165
To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention: Letter 6
The "To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention" mini-series highlights a series of vulnerable conversations in letter form to help us ask tough questions of the education career. The series will challenge listeners to consider new solutions, imagine "what ifs," and inform future directions for education. The full journal article includes appendices for further discussion, and we welcome you to use…
Professional Development in Agricultural Mechanics
Engaging with teacher professional development provides so many opportunities to meet people where they are. Trent Wells (Murray State) joins the OP crew to talk about designing and delivering teacher professional development. Journal Article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/2473
Pillars of Effective Mentorship
Mentoring can be a tricky relationship to define and maintain. Jarred Shellhouse (University of Florida) joins us with reminders that mentoring is more than feedback and guidance; it requires respect, trust, and aligned values. Journal article: https://jae-online.org/index.php/jae/article/view/39
To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention: Letter 5
The "To Those Concerned with Teacher Retention" mini-series highlights a series of vulnerable conversations in letter form to help us ask tough questions of the education career. The series will challenge listeners to consider new solutions, imagine "what ifs," and inform future directions for education. The full journal article includes appendices for further discussion, and we welcome you to use…
Experiential Learning in Ag Ed
It can be easy to take experiential learning for granted, so Brad Coleman (Oklahoma State University), and Grady Roberts and JC Bunch (University of Florida) chat through how to move beyond "hands on" learning into true experiential learning. Tune in as they unpack how to help students make productive contributions, real life applications, and interdisciplinary learning. Journal Article:…