Stossel in the Classroom DVD: 2011 Edition
Use segments from John Stossel's television programs—specially selected by John for your classroom—to spark thoughtful, engaging, curriculum-driven class discussions. Here's what you get free with the 2011 EDITION STOSSEL IN THE CLASSROOM DVD:
 
FREE 38-minute DVD, which includes six segments from John Stossel television programs, chosen and edited specifically for the classroom. The two segments that would be relevant to our ag classrooms are:

Food Irradiation: Who should we believe when some people tell us food irradiation is bad and others tell us it's good? Are people who support food irradiation in the pockets of big business? Are the opponents just alarmist kooks? What about the science? What does it show? This segment looks at the debate over food irradiation.

Endangered Species: How can endangered species be saved? Why are they at risk of becoming extinct? What's the solution? This segment questions the commonly accepted solutions and presents a non-traditional answer to the diminishing numbers of certain animal species.

FREE downloadable and printable Teacher Guide (available in English and Spanish) with suggested discussion topics and activities for your classroom to supplement your "2011 Edition" video segments.

To order, visit: http://stosselintheclassroom.org/index.php?p=dvd11_descriptn.html

The Secure Optimal Yield Scholarship
 
The 2011-2012 Secure Optimal Yield Scholarship is a $5,000 one-time scholarship award presented to a High School Senior who is going to pursue Agriculture as a degree area of study at any accredited College or University of their choosing.  The scholarship is managed by the American Soybean Association and is made possible through a grant by BASF Corporation. 
 
The scholarship will be presented in $2,500 increments per semester.  The student must maintain successful academic progress and be in good standing with the College or University to receive the full amount of the scholarship.  Candidates may apply on-line Sept. 1, 2010 through November 15, 2010.  Final Selection will be made the first week of December.  The student will be notified prior to an official announcement made in March 2011, during Commodity Classic in Tampa, FL.    BASF sponsors the winner and one parent to attend Commodity Classic for two days to participate and receive special recognition at the ASA Awards Banquet on the Friday night of Commodity Classic.  See below for specific scholarship requirements.

To apply on-line or download an application, go to
 
http://www.soygrowers.com/soy/scholarship.htm

2011-2012 Scholarship Requirements
 
· HS GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale to apply and submit a current HS transcript
 
· HS transcript can be official or unofficial but must show HS GPA scale. For example how high does the scale go 4.00 or 5.00?
 
· Applicant must be the child or grandchild of a current ASA member.  Only one award per household for the duration of the life of the scholarship.
 
· Applicant must plan to declare Agriculture (or discipline in the school of Agriculture as a degree area of study at any accredited College or University of their choosing.
 
 
· Applicant must submit most recent ACT/and or SAT standardized test score.
 
· Applicant must maintain a college GPA of 2.5 and remain in good standing with the College or University to obtain the full scholarship.  (GPA will be checked between semesters)
 
· Applicant must complete an essay of 500 words or less, entitled, “What does the future of agriculture look like, and what role will I play in that future.”
 
· Applicant must provide two letters of recommendation from an authority figure dealing directly with the student’s academic progress such as HS Guidance Counselor, Ag teacher, other Advisor etc. and one personal recommendation letter, such as FFA advisor. 
 
· Applicant must show demonstrated extra-curricular activities/leadership skills in agriculture activities.
 
· Scholarship application will ask if student has taken Advanced Placement Courses and/or if they were offered at their HS.
 
· Student’s parent or grandparent must remain a current member throughout the tenure of the student’s scholarship.
 
Selection Process
 
· Applicants fill out on-line application from September 1, 2010 through November 15, 2010
· Scholarship winner will be selected in early December and the winner will be notified
· The official public announcement of the winner will be made at Commodity Classic in Tampa, Florida in early March.
 
Selected Candidates Scoring
 
20% HS GPA and ACT/and or SAT standardized test score
20% Response to Essay Question
30% Extra-curricular/leadership activities related to agriculture
30% two letters of recommendation.  One academic. One personal.

As ag teachers, we are always looking for ways to bring in more money for our FFA chapter, right? And, we know that the concept of "going green" has been a hot topic for a few years now. So, I am asking you to consider incorporating the "fundraising" and "green" ideas into one. With the beginning of the new school year fast approaching for most of us, there is no better time than right now to sign up for this FREE program, so it will be in place when the students arrive. 

The FundingFactory is a recycling company that pays for empty ink jet printer cartridges, as well as laser printer cartridges and old cell phones. You can encourage your students to save their empty cartridges and start collecting from their family members, as well. 

Additional benefits of the FundingFactory Fundraising Program:
• Free shipping supplies and 100% paid shipping  
• Complete online account visibility to see the contents of each shipment, payment history, upcoming promotions and more  
• Over 50 free customizable marketing materials  
• World-class customer service representatives    
• Countless contests and other promotions offering prizes such as iPods, pizza parties, digital cameras, die-cut equipment, color printers, movie tickets and others  
•   Top prices paid for used printer cartridges and cell phones   •   Providing used cartridges and cell phones for remanufacture or refurbishment so they are not dumped into the nation's landfills 

Earning additional funds for your program can be as easy as holding a contest between your students in all of the ag classes that are taught in your school. Or, you can do what I am planning on for the new year, and that is offering extra credit for students that bring in any of the items mentioned above. The money raised from our students will be used to buy additional plaques for our awards banquet next spring. Below the logo is their brochure. Please take some time to read it and see if this free and easy way to raise supplemental funds is right for your FFA chapter. If so, please click on the logo or the link below it to sign up. 

Thanks for reading,
Michael Southerland 

Below, you will find the powerpoint that was created by Mr. Michael Coley for the technology-based workshop at the Tennessee CTE Conference a couple of weeks ago. For the TN teachers that have been looking for this, I sincerely apologize for not getting it uploaded quicker. Mr. Coley did an exceptional job in compiling the materials and information for this ppt. Included, you will find valuable information regarding Google tools that you can use for your classroom/FFA chapter, as well as other programs that can be beneficial for specific areas (i.e. horticulture).

Spread the Word and Win a Free iPad!
Each year, FFA loses contact with many of its 60,000 graduating high school senior members. But did you know FFA opportunities do not end after graduation? The National FFA Organization offers many programs and scholarships for these students as well as activities at national convention and connections to future employers for internships and full-time positions. Graduates can still benefit from these many FFA programs and are likely to be interested in volunteering and mentoring for their local chapters. That's why we've started a year-round FFA Beyond High School campaign to try and connect with these transitioning members. We want them to know that there are still many ways they can benefit from FFA, even after they've hung up their blue jackets.
For the first phase of this campaign, our goal is to get as many students as possible to sign up for the "FFA Beyond High School" e-newsletter. The e-newsletter will provide subscribers with information about scholarships, internships and Collegiate FFA and FFA alumni opportunities.
So, from now until June 30, any member over the age of 18 who signs up for the "FFA Beyond High School" e-newsletter will be entered into a drawing for an iPad. Help us get the word out to FFA advisors and members. Tell them to go to www.ffa.org/beyondhighschool to sign up for the e-newsletter.
 
Jeff Papke
Team Leader – Collegiate Programs
National FFA Organization
6060 FFA Drive
Indianapolis, IN  46268
317-802-4350 – Office
317-294-0896 – Cell
317-802-5350 - Fax
www.ffa.org/collegiate

Via the link below, you will find a literature review and research paper that I wrote approximately one year ago concerning all aspects of supervised agriculture experience programs - the history, evolution, importance, decline & benefits. I would appreciate it if you would take a look and see just how the SAEP concept was formed and how it has changed. Leave some comments, if you like.

Thanks,
Michael Southerland
Ideas 4 Ag Ed

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2883774/importance_of_
supervised_agriculture.html?cat=9