The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
(Vol. 19 No. 46)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Galaxy IV is now history, and for all who participated from K-State Research and Extension, I hope you brought home some ideas and opportunities to improve upon your professional work. Now it's up to you to do the follow through, and don't let that commitment falter. If there is someone you need to contact for further info or to help pull together your ideas, do so. Act now. The best of intentions without action are useless.
I also want to acknowledge all those who were in some way involved in an oral presentation at Galaxy IV. I found the following listed within the program book: Pam VanHorn, Debra Bolton, Robin Eubank, Becky Reid, Jeanne Falk, Roberta Riportella, Nozella Brown, Carol Fink, Marlene Glasscock, Michelle Perez, and Justin Wiebers. Thank you for your professional contributions to the meetings! If I missed someone, please let me know. I also know I've missed those who would have presented posters. Please tell me who all provided posters. Going through the 500 pages of the program book, it would be easy to miss a name. I sincerely appreciate having K-State Research and Extension faculty providing professional presentations on your work here in Kansas. We have much great work and it's our obligation professionally to present it to our peers and colleagues. That is the scholarship of Extension!
And, I wish I knew everyone who was honored by your respective Professional Associations with any form of professional recognition. I just know there were several K-State Research and Extension professionals recognized within each professional association. Thank you for submitting the nominations, and I know the recognition was much deserved. Congratulations to all.
Now, in just a few short weeks, I look forward to when we all come together for Annual Conference! See you all then. And, know that everyone at Galaxy IV made me K-State proud!! Have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
ANNUAL CONFERENCE LAPTOP PIT STOP
While you’re at Annual Conference, we’ll have the technology laptop pit stop as we had last year. Our main goal for the pit stop this year is to help you determine if your laptop can be upgraded to Windows 7 and Office 2010 or 2013 and to help with any other technology questions you may have.
If you are bringing your laptop to annual conference, you might want to make sure it’s up to date with the latest patches for the operating system, Java, Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash.
To update the Windows XP; Launch Internet Explorer, Click on Tools in the Menu Bar and choose Microsoft Update. When the Microsoft Update Web Page Appears, Click the Express button and follow the instructions. The computer may need to be restarted after the updates. Repeat the process to make sure all updates are installed.
For Windows 7, Click the Start Button, Go to Control Panel, and Click the Windows Update icon. Click the Check for update link in the upper left of the Window. If updates are found, click the Install button to begin installation. Again, you may need to restart the computer and you should check the updates again to make sure all the updates were installed.
You can check for updates to other programs such as Java, Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, by going to http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/. This will list all the plugs-in for your web browser and tell you which ones are out of date. If you find an out of date plug in, Click the Update Now button and follow the instructions to install the update.
If you’re having issues with your desktop or laptop before annual conference, be sure to contact KSRE tech support at 785-532-6270 or ksresupport@ksu.edu and have them remote in and take a look at the computer to see if the problem can be resolved before coming to annual conference.
If you’re planning to bring a desktop or laptop up for us to work on during annual conference, please contact us by calling 785-532-6270 or emailing us at ksresupport@ksu.edu before annual conference so we can look at the machine remotely before the conference to determine the scope of work to be done and get the equipment on our schedule.
To keep your desktop or laptop running smoothly, download and follow our computer maintenance check list under Tech Tips at http://ksre.ksu.edu/technology/. --Joe Lear learj@ksu.edu
KSU FALL BLOOD DRIVE
Union – 2nd Floor Ballrooms
September 30 – October 2
10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
October 3
8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Putnam Hall
September 30 – October 2
2:30 – 8 p.m.
1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767) OR
www.redcrossblood.org
for an appointment! Walk-in’s Welcome! --Maria Sweet marswe@ksu.edu
K-PICS UPDATES
Over the next month or so, you’ll see an
updated K-PICS homepage and new functionality within the system. The first update (September 18 release) provides you with visual
tools (program dashboard) that will assist you as you enter the remainder of your
data for the 2012-13 programming year (with a final due date for data entry of
October 15). The second update (mid-October) will allow you to enter your collaborative
program data into K-PICS for the 2013-14 programming year.
September 18
The
first release includes an updated K-PICS homepage. As of September 18,
After 5 p.m., the homepage screen view shows a
program dashboard that enables you to see the current state of program entries
for the current programming year (2012-2013) and reveals areas that may be
missing data or have inaccurate data, which will need to be completed by
Close of Business (5 p.m.) October 15, 2013. After this data entry deadline date,
you will not be able to enter or edit data for programs that ended
during this programming cycle. You will, however, still be able to view and
export this data after the data entry deadline.
Mid-October
The
second release includes new
functionality for assigning programs for the 2013-2014 programming year to
multiple program areas, thus, facilitating the use of K-PICS in collecting
data for those collaborative PFT action plans. By the KSRE Annual Conference,
you will have the ability to select more than one program area when entering
program data. With this functionality, you and partnering PFTs can be confident that
data represent the collaborative efforts of multiple PFTs without duplication. Additionally, this new feature will assist
you and PFTs in better representing, encouraging, and reporting on the
collaboration that is occurring naturally within programs you are delivering. As the date for this update release approaches, we will email K-PICS users and update the Extension Evaluation Resources website, http://apps.oeie.ksu.edu/extension/.
Remember: The K-PICS Support Team is available via phone, 785-532-5930, and email, kpics@ksu.edu,
to assist you with the system. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have
any questions about K-PICS. --Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation
DESIGN FOR LEARNING, JANUARY 24 - MARCH 21, 2014
Registration is now open for the
next Design for Learning Course, January 24 - March 21, 2014.
Have you heard about the ten minute rule that includes chunking, shifting,
hooking and repeating? Individuals who participated in Design for
Learning have, and here is what some recent class members said about
the course:
"I previously had a
tendency to try to pack too much information into a program. I have been making
a conscious effort to select a few major ideas and do a better job of imparting
that knowledge well."
"At a recent workshop I taught
I focused on engaging the learners and gave them an opportunity to share what
they knew."
"We planned our course
with more break time, less lecture and more varied types of learning
experiences.
Design for Learning is
a hands-on learning opportunity to help Extension faculty design creative and
effective educational experiences. North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and
Kansas are cooperating to offer Design for Learning to extension professionals
in the four states. Five learning sessions are conducted using Adobe
Connect. The 2014 dates are January 24, February 7, February 21, March
7, and March 21. There is no fee for registration. Go to the Employee Resources Website for registration details and a course description.
Concepts reinforced in Design for
Learning include:
•
Understanding adult learners
• Organizing
and designing content
• Creating
an effective learning environment
• Selecting
appropriate teaching tools
• Teaching
for transfer
• Assessing
learning outcomes
Sessions are 1 1/2 hours long and
take place from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. CST. --Margaret Phillips margaret@ksu.edu, Stacey Warner swarner@ksu.edu, Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
THANK YOU FROM TONI JO BRYANT
As we close down the Extension Office at Fort Riley, I want to take a moment and say what a pleasure it was to work with K-State Research and Extension and the Family Nutrition Program, collectively for the last 11+ years. As Susan Schoneweis and I transition on to another era of our lives I think I can speak for her in saying that we have had a wonderful, meaningful, and challenging time at Fort Riley.
We have participated in many events, held many classes and been very busy in the schools. We have met some wonderful soldiers and family members that have touched our hearts. We hope that we have made a positive difference in their lives because we know they have in ours.
Although this is a sad time, we have gained a great amount of knowledge, become more resilient, and Susan has learned some valuable "Army lingo." Our friends at Fort Riley and our friends in Extension will be greatly missed. I wish you all great and continued service to the people of Kansas and hope that some of the counties surrounding Fort Riley will reach out to the military families, both on and off post, and let them know just how truly great K-State Research and Extension is. Thank you all for what you do. --Toni Jo Bryant tjbryant@ksu.edu
KSRE WORDMARK, SLOGAN CAN NOW BE DOWNLOADED ONLINE
The K-State Research and Extension wordmark and slogan are
now available online and can be downloaded by all employees with their K-State
eID and password.
Downloadable versions are available at www.ksre.ksu.edu/wordmark.
The wordmark is available with or without the Powercat, and
in black and white or color. Depending on your needs, you can download
Illustrator, TIF, JPG, and PNG files.
Illustrator files are most common for high-resolution needs.
JPG files are most common for web and other electronic needs. Transparent
background PNG files are intended for the web, or for use by someone who can’t
use Adobe Illustrator files with transparent backgrounds for print.
As before, you should not share copies of these wordmarks
with outside vendors, who must be licensed by Kansas State University in order
to produce retail products with the Powercat or other university marks. The wordmark is available to KSRE employees for professional
uses only.
You can still send questions about the wordmark to ksrelogos@ksu.edu. You can also learn more about correct uses of
the wordmark by visiting the KSRE branding page, www.ksre.ksu.edu/branding. --Pat Melgares melgares@ksu.edu
FINAL 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN IS NOW POSTED ON THE WEB
After many months of work by the Steering Committee, seven subcommittees, and lots of input from faculty, staff, and partners on and off-campus, I am pleased to report that the Final 2025 COA/KSRE Strategic Plan is now posted on the web.
You can link to our plan from the K-State 2025, the K-State College of Agriculture, or the K-State Research and Extension websites. For easy access, go to http://strategicplan.ag.ksu.edu/doc8342.ashx.
As you work on our departmental and unit plans, please refer to the 2025 COA/KSRE Strategic Plan to see how your plans match up.
Thanks to all who worked on the 2025 COA/KSRE Strategic Plan. I look forward to seeing the departmental and unit plans later this fall. --John D. Floros, Director and Dean
4-H VOLUNTEER E-FORUM
We are looking for offices and volunteer hosts to host local sessions for the North Central Volunteer e-Forum. Join with 4-H Volunteers in your community to learn cutting edge information from experts across the North Central Region. Gain new knowledge you can share with your 4-H members throughout the year!
The Forum will be much more fun and valuable in a group. We hope your local office will host a group to participate in the Forum. A hosting and facilitators guide will be available soon. Please hold the dates and plan on attending the Forum(s).
The Kansas Information web page is http://www.kansas4-h.org/p.aspx?tabid=422
North Central E-Forum 2013 Information Page.
Dates and topics for the E-Forum are: Time: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Central Time for all sessions - Monday, November 18, 2013 - OMG! You've Got 4-H Parents! Now What??
- Tuesday, December 3, 2013 - Engaging Teens & Older Youth
- Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - Using Technology to Enhance Your 4-H Experience
- Monday, February 3, 2014 - Exploring the Science of 4-H Projects
--Rob Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu
MARIE'S PICKS...
My pick this week
is a success story reported by Linda Beech, Ellis County.
Ellis County Extension collaborated with Brandon Hines, youth services
coordinator at Hays Public Library, to plan an America Saves story hour event
on Saturday, March 2, at the Library for the conclusion of America Saves
Week. The event included a breakfast of silver dollar pancakes, two
money-theme children’s stories, a piggy bank beauty contest with rolls of coins
as prizes, a resource table with information on teaching kids about money, and
door prizes for youth and adults. Children gained an awareness of money
issues such as saving and spending and their decorated piggy banks will provide
the motivation and the means to begin saving for themselves. Attendance was
terrific with 35 children, 16 adults and a TV crew from Eagle Local News!
The Piggy Bank Beauty Contest was the star attraction of the event:
- 96 plain piggy banks ordered
- 88 banks given out
- 44 decorated banks returned
- 6 local financial institutions
donated 15 rolls of coins for contest prizes and door prizes. --Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
HOW SHOULD I REPORT OUTCOMES?
As you complete reports against intended outcomes recorded
in your Action Plans, here are a few reminders.
When you report evidence of your intended short, medium, and
long-term outcomes, it’s about your clientele--not about you. What have they
accomplished as a result of your programming efforts?
For the short-term outcomes, you might report what your producers,
4-Hers, or family and community members learned. Or if you introduced a new
program, it might be what they gained awareness of. What do they “know”? Medium
term outcomes are about behavior change or action. What new practices did they
adopt? What did they “do” with what they “know”? Long-term outcomes (or impact)
are those outcomes that occur over a longer period of time, a change in
condition, whether that be social, economic, environmental, or civic.
I sometimes read reports about what the agent has done. . .
these are outputs, not outcomes. You have an opportunity to share what you have
done in your performance review documentation, but your outcomes are about your
clientele. -–Marie Blythe mblythe@ksu.edu
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