Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
- Education and Training: demonstration, extension, mentoring, networking
Proposal abstract:
Since Covid it has become more challenging to engage with producers. We have also experienced changes in staffing that would benefit from learning adult education techniques and developing their presentation skills. Extension personnel were surveyed at the completion of the previous professional development. Those results indicated the need and desire for additional training that focused on increasing knowledge of adult learning techniques, information on new technologies like AI and new and evolving practices in agriculture. To address these areas we will offer educational seminars focusing on utilizing tools and techniques that increase ASP’s skills to be more impactful in communications and presentations while building their comfort and confidence. Topics would include: understanding artificial intelligence: how, when and where if can be utilized to increase success, techniques to presenting technical / data heavy information while keeping the audience engaged, using technology for farmer outreach, teaching methods / adult education. This project would offer the opportunity to visit, engage, and build technical knowledge of another research and extension facility while simultaneously building connections within the ag team. Participants would have the opportunity to receive funds for individual skill development and /or increase technical knowledge.
Performance targets from proposal:
This program would be offered to forty extension professionals from the University of Delaware and Delaware State University. The opportunity to participate in the programs will be announced through the agricultural leadership team meetings, where a schedule will be shared with topics and objectives for the program. The topics focusing on utilizing tools and techniques that increase ASP’s skills to be more impactful in communications will be delivered in person through workshops to build skill set and knowledge, as part of this training the new knowledge will be applied through various methods to put in practice what has been learned. This will be accomplished through role playing and planning with discussions to follow to further develop the participants skill. The topics will be part of the Ag Team agenda allowing for an extended meeting. Each topic will be have three hours dedicated to increasing knowledge then skill building and application.
-Understanding Artificial Intelligence: How, When and Where it can be utilized to increase success.
-Techniques to presenting Technical / Data heavy information while keeping the audience engaged.
-Using Technology for Farmer Outreach
-Teaching Methods / Adult Education
-From Nervous to Confident When Facilitating a Program and Making Presentations