The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
(Vol. 18 No. 3)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
A few years back, I used this Tuesday message to instill a sense of professionalism in our workforce. I've decided it's worth repeating. A part of being a professional is to be able to describe the work you do in a way that helps those who don't know what you do to understand the significance of your work in their context.
Whenever I think of what it is that Extension professionals really do, I think of two books, We Grow People edited by Scott J. Peters and Margo Hittleman,
and Catalyzing Change edited by Scott J. Peters, Daniel J
O'Connell, Theodore R. Alter, and Allison L. H. Jack. These books provide fascinating profiles of Extension Educators, their work, and how
they perceive their role in the county/community. These Extension
workers describe Extension educators as organizers and brokers; schmoozers and
scavengers; cheerleaders and encouragers of dreams; strategic planners
and community builders; partners, friends, and mothers; catalysts for
personal and community improvement. A foundational piece of Extension
work can still be described as one of "people helping people where they
are." An outcome is offered as "developing leadership of people in
their communities."
The argument put forth in the profiles within those books is
that the REAL work of Extension goes far beyond technology transfer,
teaching, and sharing information. Yet if left undefined, Extension work
will lose its tradition and identity, and with that goes its purpose and
value. Seaman A. Knapp was quoted in the book to
have been known to argue that the real yardstick for measuring success
of extension teaching was contained in the phrase:
"And the man grew faster than the crop."
A similar perspective was offered from a
comprehensive study published in 1930 by the federal Office of
Education:
"The ultimate objective was not more
and better food, clothing, and housing. These were merely means and
conditions prerequisite to improvement of human relationships, of
intellectual and spiritual outlook...... The fundamental function of
Smith-Lever extension education is the development of rural people
themselves...... Unless economic attainment and independence are
regarded chiefly as means for advancing the social and cultural life
of those living in the open country, the most important purpose of
extension education will not be achieved."
Peters, et. al. further suggest:
"As these profiles make abundantly
clear, the official institutional language of "technical
assistance," and "putting the knowledge to work" - by itself -
"misses it." It is far too narrow and flat to capture the rich,
varied, nuanced practice of extension education. Yes, there is a
technical assistance component to nearly every extension educator's
job. And yes, the transfer of research-based knowledge from the
university to community is embedded in nearly every extension
program. But to see that only misses so much of what these educators
do. It leaves the "something else" unnamed, vague, undefined, and
all too often, misunderstood."
I will tell more about their thoughts and
comments in coming weeks. Both books are available on-line in pdf format
and can be printed from the following linked sites:
We Grow People
Catalyzing Change
I hope you take a look at these
books on-line, and read sections to wet
your appetite. I'd enjoy your thoughts on how you would describe your
work as an Extension professional.
Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz
dbuchhol@ksu.edu
NORTH CENTRAL REGION VOLUNTEER E-FORUM
The 2011 North Central Region 4-H Volunteer Forum is virtual. The next session is 6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 17. The theme is 4-H Program Management, and the topics are Keeping Your Cool While Working with Youth, Pat McGlaughlin and Sheri Seibold, University of Illinois; Reducing the Risks of 4-H Club Meetings, Vicki Schwartz, Ohio State University.
To download the information for the November 17 session, go to http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/ncrvd/NCRVF2011.cfm for general information. Scroll down to Thursday, November 17 – 4-H Program Management heading, or, for direct information, go to http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/ncrvd/teenbrain.cfm.
You will find the Host Site Facilitator Guide for November 17. This is a very large file. Save it to your computer rather than opening it. This file provides you with:
Instructions for on-site facilitation of activities
List of supplies that you’ll want to have on hand for the program
Instructions for connecting to the program (p.2), including a phone number if you have
technical difficulties…be sure to test your equipment prior to the program!
Also on this site are materials that the presenters would like you to photocopy for each participant. --Rod Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu
TRAVEL SECURITY TIPS IS THIS WEEK'S COMMTIPS TOPIC
As we approach the holiday season, many of us will be traveling to spend time with loved ones. While on the road, it is important to think about safety and security, but not just in the physical sense. Many instances of stolen identity and computer or data theft happen while the victim is outside of his or her normal work environment.
This week's CommTips session will give you plenty of good information to keep your computer safe and your data private while on the road. You'll learn how to use the free Wifi at airports and coffee shops safely, as well as ways you can safeguard your devices against theft.
The session is offered starting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16, and is available online at http://connect.ksre.ksu.edu/commtips/. The session should last about 15 minutes with time for Q&A after.
This is the last CommTips session for the semester. We hope you have found at least a few topics interesting and useful in your work. If you have any comments or suggestions for topics you'd like to see next semester, please email us at gsnyder@ksu.edu (Gerry Snyder), elainee@ksu.edu (Elaine Edwards), or russfeld@ksu.edu (Russ Feldhausen).
Also, due to the technical glitches during last week's CommTips session covering Helpful Zimbra Tips, I will be re-recording it this Thursday, November 17, at 9 a.m. in the same meeting room. If you missed the first one, or were online but unable to see or hear, please feel free to join me as I cover that session again. --Russell Feldhausen russfeld@ksu.edu
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