Ferguson College of Agriculture

 

Oklahoma State University agricultural education faculty are excited to host three professional development CASE institutes this summer on the OSU campus. CASE, which stands for Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education, is a way for both in-service and preservice teachers to gain different skills to take into the classroom.

 

Last summer, the agricultural education program had the opportunity to host two CASE professional development opportunities, which welcomed teachers from across the nation. This summer, an additional CASE session was added, and the agricultural education faculty are expecting to host more teachers from around the nation.

 

“We’ll get a large number of Oklahoma teachers that participate and also teachers from coast to coast,” said Christopher Eck, OSU agricultural education assistant professor.

 

Eck currently has multiple roles in the CASE program. He serves as an affiliate professor, where he teaches CASE curriculum to current agricultural education students. Additionally, he holds a position on the CASE executive committee, as a representative for post-secondary education. Finally, he serves as a CASE host, where he aids in the planning and logistics of all on-campus CASE events.

 

Along with the professional development opportunities for current teachers, CASE and the agricultural education program offer multiple courses for current agricultural education students to participate in.

 

“Our students can actually leave here with four certifications before entering student teaching, which is a really cool opportunity,” Eck said.

 

While on campus over the summer, CASE participants hear from current agricultural teachers who specialize in the curriculum they are teaching. Additionally, participants get to interact with OSU faculty and visit campus and the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture.

 

“We have had multiple [participants] that have participated in the summer professional development and then shortly after have enrolled in our online ag ed master’s degree,” Eck said. “So, it has quickly translated into some of those teachers seeking an advanced degree because of their on-campus experience.”

 

Through his multiple role involvement in the CASE program, Eck was named the inaugural CASE Host of the Year recipient. Eck was nominated for this award by past CASE lead teachers he worked with to coordinate on-campus events. Lead teachers, known as LTs, were asked to provide comments on why each nominee should be chosen as the CASE Host of the Year.

 

One lead teacher said, “I feel Dr. Eck did his homework before committing to host. He called other hosts to ask them what worked and what didn't. He has attended lead teacher orientation to learn about what the LTs need. He's been a participant and knows what the participants need. Dr. Eck showed me better ways of organizing materials. I feel better prepared for my next institute because of the way he handled the flow of participants, activities, projects, and problems, dinners and other planned activities.”

 

Another lead teacher said, “Dr. Eck was very interactive with the lead teachers and participants. He was at all CASE Institute events and planned most of them to showcase the Stillwater area. He was a very instrumental part of our CASE Institute success.”

 

Congratulations to Eck on receiving this inaugural award!

 

To learn more about CASE and the upcoming on campus events, please visit the CASE website.