Questions to ask yourself as you read :
Why is agriculture important for a country to "develop"?
What are the connections between the wages of agricultural workers and workers in other sectors?
What are the two determinants of agricultural growth mentioned in the reading? Are there others?
Where role do you envision for agricultural education in developing countries?
Showing posts with label Class Readings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Class Readings. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Next Three Classes
The next three classes - sessions 10, 11 and 12 - are all technology optional.
In each of these three sessions we will have guest speakers. These speakers include a representative from AgriCorps, an alumna of Zamorano University, a PSU professor that is heavily involved in researching global youth development programs, and a PSU professor that participated in the Farmer-to-Farmer program. Because these individuals are all unfamiliar with our special room, we don't anticipate that they will ask you to use your technology.
You'll note that the AgriCorps representative has asked you to read two short articles (links on ANGEL) and to take a look at the organization's website before coming to class. Our other guest speakers have not assigned any additional readings to date.
The entire instructional team reminds you to be polite and attentive to our guests. Show them that we value their time and their experiences by staying engaged and asking questions. Represent Penn State well!
In each of these three sessions we will have guest speakers. These speakers include a representative from AgriCorps, an alumna of Zamorano University, a PSU professor that is heavily involved in researching global youth development programs, and a PSU professor that participated in the Farmer-to-Farmer program. Because these individuals are all unfamiliar with our special room, we don't anticipate that they will ask you to use your technology.
You'll note that the AgriCorps representative has asked you to read two short articles (links on ANGEL) and to take a look at the organization's website before coming to class. Our other guest speakers have not assigned any additional readings to date.
The entire instructional team reminds you to be polite and attentive to our guests. Show them that we value their time and their experiences by staying engaged and asking questions. Represent Penn State well!
Friday, February 7, 2014
Questions to think about as you read Pingali's speech
As part of your reading for Tuesday's class we ask you to read a speech by Prabhu Pingali titled "Who is the Smallholder Farmer?" from the 2010 Borlaug Dialogue hosted by the World Food Prize. You can either read the speech, or watch this video of it on Youtube (it isn't the best quality).
Here are a few questions to think about as you read:
The World Food Prize hosts an annual event called the Borlaug Dialogue, presented in honor and memory of Norman Borlaug. This is an event that brings together stakeholders from all walks of life from CEOs of multi-national companies to smallholder farmers from Africa to discuss issues related to food security and international development. I mention this event specifically because each year two scholarships to attend the event are offered to students enrolled in the INTAG minor. If you'd like to learn more about the event, I refer you to your classmate Jenna, who has attended in the past and worked with the World Food Prize organization. I'm also happy to let you know more details about the event and the INTAG scholarship.
Here are a few questions to think about as you read:
- Pingali mentions several misconceptions about the role of smallholder famers. What are they? Are there others you can think of?
- What are the conditions to enhancing smallholder productivity that Pingali notes in his speech. Can you think of others?
- Based on what we’ve studied previously in this class, why is it important to care about smallholder farmers?
The World Food Prize hosts an annual event called the Borlaug Dialogue, presented in honor and memory of Norman Borlaug. This is an event that brings together stakeholders from all walks of life from CEOs of multi-national companies to smallholder farmers from Africa to discuss issues related to food security and international development. I mention this event specifically because each year two scholarships to attend the event are offered to students enrolled in the INTAG minor. If you'd like to learn more about the event, I refer you to your classmate Jenna, who has attended in the past and worked with the World Food Prize organization. I'm also happy to let you know more details about the event and the INTAG scholarship.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Barriers to Accessing Education
What
are other barriers to accessing an education, or if you would like to be more
specific, accessing an education in agriculture?
Discuss with your classmates, research online, look at past readings to identify an additional barrier to accessing education or agricultural education. Select one barrier and be prepared to share the following in class on Tuesday:
Discuss with your classmates, research online, look at past readings to identify an additional barrier to accessing education or agricultural education. Select one barrier and be prepared to share the following in class on Tuesday:
- What is the barrier?
- What are characteristics of the barrier?
- Where is the barrier prevalent in the world?
- What are suggested strategies for overcoming the barrier?
- Cite one resource in APA style that supports your finding.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Gender and AET
Here are the discussion questions from today's class:
- What does the proverb “Women hold
up half the sky” mean? Do you agree? Can you tie this idea back to the notion of
workforce development?
-
Why is it so difficult to empower girls
and women?
-
What is gender parity?
-
Why are there gender differences in
AET around the world? Do these
differences exist in the US?
- What are some strategies to overcome gender barriers in AET?
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Researching a Source
Remember that for Thursday's class we ask you to research a source cited in the reading "Gender, Higher Education and AET". Locate and read the article, and fill out the questions on the handout. If you need an extra copy of the handout, look in ANGEL under "Course Session Materials".
Be prepared to share your findings on Thursday!
Be prepared to share your findings on Thursday!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Additional Resources
This week we are wrapping up the first course theme: Education as Innovation, where we explored the notions of diffusion, the effects of education, and the special contribution of agriculture to development. We'll be moving into Access to Education and Employment, which focuses on the barriers to accessing quality education and employment.
Have lingering questions about poverty, education and agricultural development? Want to learn more about diffusion of innovations? Curious to learn more about the barriers to education and employment?
I encourage you to spend some time with the books from which we pulled our select class readings. These resources address other facets of poverty and development that are outside the purview of this course. Additionally, seriously consider reading Rogers' entire Diffusion of Innovations and spend some time looking at current and historical studies that have utilized this model.
I also recommend the work of Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize winner who writes about famine, poverty, health and education in the developing world from a very unique viewpoint.
Also, an alternative way of learning more about these issues is to look at the open course (MOOC) offered by MIT on global poverty. It's just like attending a class - you get a syllabus, the required readings, assignments and exams and then you can watch videos of the course lectures. The course I've linked to is actually taught by Banerjee and Duflo, two of the authors from our course readings and who are also world-renown development economists. MIT also offers several other open courses that you might be interested in such as sustainable development, food security and development policy.
Finally, challenge yourself to connect with at least three organizations or key individuals that are working within these subject areas. Visit their websites, learn about their strategies, identify their sources of funding, and stay updated on their activities via social media or newsletter updates.
Have lingering questions about poverty, education and agricultural development? Want to learn more about diffusion of innovations? Curious to learn more about the barriers to education and employment?
I encourage you to spend some time with the books from which we pulled our select class readings. These resources address other facets of poverty and development that are outside the purview of this course. Additionally, seriously consider reading Rogers' entire Diffusion of Innovations and spend some time looking at current and historical studies that have utilized this model.
- Banerjee, A. V., Benabou, R., Mookherjee, D., & Case, A. (2006). Understanding poverty. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780195305203.
- Banerjee, A. V., & Duflo, E. (2011). Poor economics: a radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN: 9781586487980.
- Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations 5th ed. New York: Free Press. Chapter one available on ANGEL.
I also recommend the work of Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize winner who writes about famine, poverty, health and education in the developing world from a very unique viewpoint.
Also, an alternative way of learning more about these issues is to look at the open course (MOOC) offered by MIT on global poverty. It's just like attending a class - you get a syllabus, the required readings, assignments and exams and then you can watch videos of the course lectures. The course I've linked to is actually taught by Banerjee and Duflo, two of the authors from our course readings and who are also world-renown development economists. MIT also offers several other open courses that you might be interested in such as sustainable development, food security and development policy.
Finally, challenge yourself to connect with at least three organizations or key individuals that are working within these subject areas. Visit their websites, learn about their strategies, identify their sources of funding, and stay updated on their activities via social media or newsletter updates.
Global ATVET
The information from the assigned reading yesterday - The Role of Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Developing Countries - is vital to this course. Spend some time answering the questions below to ensure your understanding of the material presented.
If you would like to discuss your answers to these questions, please do not hesitate to come see me. Also, make sure you visit the innovATE website, the project responsible for commissioning this paper.
- What is the definition of ATVET? TVET? What are the differences and similarities between these terms?
- What types of jobs are considered "agricultural"?
- What is "workforce development"?
- What are the steps to using the workforce development strategy?
- What types of skills should be included in ATVET? What are the current trends?
- Summarize the Ethiopian case study from the report. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Ethiopian ATVET system?
- Generally speaking, what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of ATVET in developing countries?
- Search for more information from one of the recent ATVET projects highlighted in table one. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this program?
- Summarize the Kyrgyzstan case study from the report. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the ATVET system in Kyrgyzstan?
- Where do you see opportunities for strengthening the global ATVET system? What are factors to take into consideration?
If you would like to discuss your answers to these questions, please do not hesitate to come see me. Also, make sure you visit the innovATE website, the project responsible for commissioning this paper.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Readings for Session 7
Class, just a reminder that in addition to the course readings for Tuesday, I'd like you to familiarize yourself with the Millennium Development Goals by exploring the website and checking on the progress made toward each goal.
Who made the goals, and how much time do we have left to achieve them? Is the world on track to meet these goals? Why do we care about these goals in this course?
This reading is not required, but you might be particularly interested in reading the report on teaching and learning, which found that 75% of the teachers in the world are not formally trained in education.
Tuesday is a tech day! Also, remember that we have readings #5 & 7, and that Tuesday will be the first journal check. Plan to leave your journal with us before you leave class on Tuesday!
Finally, remember that Step 1 for your "This I Believe" essay is due on Thursday - either a hard copy turned in during class, or uploaded into the dropbox on ANGEL.
Who made the goals, and how much time do we have left to achieve them? Is the world on track to meet these goals? Why do we care about these goals in this course?
This reading is not required, but you might be particularly interested in reading the report on teaching and learning, which found that 75% of the teachers in the world are not formally trained in education.
Tuesday is a tech day! Also, remember that we have readings #5 & 7, and that Tuesday will be the first journal check. Plan to leave your journal with us before you leave class on Tuesday!
Finally, remember that Step 1 for your "This I Believe" essay is due on Thursday - either a hard copy turned in during class, or uploaded into the dropbox on ANGEL.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Three Cups of Tea and Greg Mortenson
One thing that all students in this class should know is that the course syllabus has been passed out to education and development experts around the world, just to make sure that we're on target.
One thing a few syllabus-reviewers commented on was the Three Cups of Tea reading. Wasn't the author discredited? Why do we persist in assigning it in this class? In fact, the entire Three Cups of Tea book was used as a course text in a previous version of AEE 400.
I like this chapter because it shows an American going into a village in a developing country, witnessing the poverty, and jumping to the conclusion that a material good - a school building - will solve the problem of education there. He's also an outsider, meaning that he is not from that country and does not understand the culture or context well. The rest of the book chronicles the uphill battle he fought to get the school building built, install a teacher and to actually get kids to attend the school.
In short, this reading highlights many aspects of the diffusion of innovation model and provides fodder for discussion.
The scandal that broke with the foundation that the author, Greg Mortenson does not diminish what we can learn from this chapter. You can learn more about the scandal by searching for news articles or by watching this 60 Minutes segment. It's a great example of how accountability with development projects is difficult to document, and how some projects can do more harm than good.
If you're interested in engaging with this reading more, you might consider filling out the worksheet passed out at the end of class using this situation as an example. Also, the entire book is a great read and I encourage you all to pick it up from either Penn State Library or Schlow Public Library.
One thing a few syllabus-reviewers commented on was the Three Cups of Tea reading. Wasn't the author discredited? Why do we persist in assigning it in this class? In fact, the entire Three Cups of Tea book was used as a course text in a previous version of AEE 400.
I like this chapter because it shows an American going into a village in a developing country, witnessing the poverty, and jumping to the conclusion that a material good - a school building - will solve the problem of education there. He's also an outsider, meaning that he is not from that country and does not understand the culture or context well. The rest of the book chronicles the uphill battle he fought to get the school building built, install a teacher and to actually get kids to attend the school.
In short, this reading highlights many aspects of the diffusion of innovation model and provides fodder for discussion.
The scandal that broke with the foundation that the author, Greg Mortenson does not diminish what we can learn from this chapter. You can learn more about the scandal by searching for news articles or by watching this 60 Minutes segment. It's a great example of how accountability with development projects is difficult to document, and how some projects can do more harm than good.
If you're interested in engaging with this reading more, you might consider filling out the worksheet passed out at the end of class using this situation as an example. Also, the entire book is a great read and I encourage you all to pick it up from either Penn State Library or Schlow Public Library.
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