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It’s teaching… On Campus and Off. Steve Isaacs University of Kentucky. 75/25 Distribution of Effort. 100% teaching 75% paid by Extension 25% paid by Teaching. Distribution of Effort. Classroom teaching and extension teaching are complementary in every respect except time.
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It’s teaching… On Campus and Off Steve Isaacs University of Kentucky
75/25 Distribution of Effort • 100% teaching • 75% paid by Extension • 25% paid by Teaching
Distribution of Effort • Classroom teaching and extension teaching are complementary in every respect except time
Complementarities • Source of illustrations • A two-way street • Extension cases to illustrate principles • Classroom principles to explain why things happen
Complementarities • Farm illustrations • Marginal decision making • Spent $600 on fencing next milk check was up $800 • Award winning dairy farm in bankruptcy • Pen of hogs that “eat a hog every two days” • Add Input as long as value created by the input exceeds it’s cost
Complementarities • Classroom illustrations • Add input as long as the value created exceeds the cost of the input • 10% interest and 8% returns, risk aversion • Senior seminar projects (machinery costs, corn grazing, dairy heifer budgeting) • Lab exercises on financial statements
Complementarities • Classroom principles- teaching/learning • Deficient in learning “how to teach” • Teaching methods • Direct instruction • Socratic method • Interactive approaches
Complementarities • Classroom principles- teaching/learning • Learning styles • Visual • Auditory • Kinesthetic
Similarities • Diversity of audience • Undergraduate backgrounds, majors and abilities • Farmers education and knowledge level
Thoughts on addressing diversity • Avoid the least common denominator • Don’t leave some behind • Err on the challenging side • See challenge as a motivator
Tools to address diversity • Low student/teacher ratio • 1-on-1 assistance • Use TA’s, LA’s • Peer tutoring, e.g. Lab tracking
Extension workshops
Classroom labs
Another similarity • Students want to know • “what’s on the test?” • Farmers want to know • “how much do I use to kill it?” • The challenge • to move from facts to application • to teach thinking
How do we teach thinking? • Critical thinking in classroom equals decision making in Extension • The easy way is to answer the questions • It’s harder to teach critical thinking and decision making
How do we teach thinking? • Active learning • Ext addresses current problems • Bring current problems to classroom • Classroom interactive lectures, exercises, problems, projects • Extension workshops instead of 20 minute show and tell
Differences (other than time) • Extension is not a captive audience • when you going to get to the estate planning? • Extension audiences are more cynical • Extension audiences rarely take notes • Extension education is too cheap • Is the classroom?
Your thoughts • How do you reach diverse audiences • In the classroom? • In Extension? • How do you avoid teaching to the test? • How do you avoid giving them a fish?