by Brady N. Penner M.Ed.
bpenner@seeworthacademy.org
Step #1, work with local teachers to coordinate a school visit and determine how to correlate an agricultural aviation unit into an existing lesson plan. Most teachers are thrilled to have a guest speaker tie real world experiences with material covered in class.
Step #2; ask the teacher for suggestions on interesting and alternative methods of instruction to present material rather than lecture for an hour. I have had success with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders by allowing time to show videos, circulate pictures, and have students get creative by drawing and designing his/her interpretation of the perfect agricultural aircraft on paper while working either individually or in small groups. With the junior high and high school students I have managed to keep a high level of interest by conducting brief, moderated classroom debates and by allowing time for post debate discussions. This promotes higher-order thinking skills such as analytical thought, critical thinking and determining cause and effect of hypothetical situations. Just remember to keep the teaching method age appropriate to avoid creating confusion and boredom during the lesson. I have also observed that all age groups enjoy field trips to the local aerial application hangar. This idea requires much more time to plan, but yields a valuable chance for hands-on experiential learning. If a field trip cannot be arranged bring the hangar to the classroom. What I mean by this is bring visual aids such as helmets, flight suits, GPS units, and legal description maps to the class and demonstrate the purpose of each item. These props are always a big hit with the students.
Step #3; Present accurate and modern material to establish a positive future frame of reference. The learning process is better served if the presentation focuses on current industry practices and procedures to eradicate incorrect preconceived notions. Keep the presentation accurate by adhering to the facts and introducing innovative and improved industry ideology.
Step #4; Maintain an encouraging and positive environment at all times. Facilitate learning by giving praise in response to all student feedback. This provides important positive reinforcement and motivates students to become more involved in the lesson. Ask only questions that require an opinion based on the factual information covered. This simultaneously reduces learning anxiety by eliminating the chance of a student giving an incorrect answer to a question, and averts lower-order thinking by not requesting students to simply receive and then recite information.
Step #5, Have fun. Nothing is more exciting and rewarding than playing an active role in a child's education. Give some thought to utilizing your unique experiences to help educate the children of America about our important profession. By following these guidelines you can maximize your educational effectiveness while devoting time for a school visit during the upcoming off-season.