Professional Organizations

1. Professional Organizations Their role & Your responsibilities Jon W. Ramsey

2. Definitions per Webster • Profession – Learned occupation • Professional – 1) pursuing a profession. 2) pertaining to a profession. 3) meeting the standards of a profession. 4) professional person

3. What others say…. “Amateurs hope. Professionals work.” Garson Kanin “A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he [or she] doesn’t particularly feel like it.” Alistair Cooke

4. Who are the players?

5. Team AG-ED is a united effort in promoting local program success • National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) • American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE) • Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) • National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization (PAS) • National Young Farmer Educational Association (NYFEA)

6. Some Reasons for Joining Professional Organizations . . . • Be part of a communityof professional educators . . . (e.g., The Pete Gailey Plan) • Attend professional development/improvement conferences – locally, in Oklahoma, and Region II, and nationally . . . • Hold positions of professional leadership locally, at the state level, regionally, and nationally . . .

7. Reasons cont’d • Receive recognition from professional peers for outstanding achievements, e.g., the Outstanding Young Member Award • Receive professional literature – journals, magazines, newsletters, LISTSERVS . . . • Numerous opportunities for travel and informal learning . . . • Numerous opportunities for professional networking and for making career – long friendships . . .

8. Travel

9. National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) • The membership in this association consists of individuals who are professionally involved in Agricultural Education. ~7650 members • Student dues are $10.00; this provides $100,000 professional liability insurance coverage during student teaching. • Active members pay dues of $60.00 • Ag Teachers’ Creed www.naae.org

10. Scholarship Award Applications • Delmar Learning - NAAE Upper Division Scholarship Application • Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Delmar Learning and proceeds from the auction at the NAAE convention, NAAE will award scholarships to university juniors, seniors or post-baccalaureate students who are majoring in ag ed and who intend to become ag teachers. Three applications will be accepted from each university that offers a teacher education program in agricultural education. Fifteen (15) scholarships of $750 each will be awarded for the fall 2006 term. Previous recipients of the NAAE Upper Division Scholarship are not eligible. • The postmark deadline for submitting applications to the NAAE office is May 15, 2007.

11. Scholarship Award Applications – Recent Success • Oklahoma State University . . . • 2003, Brian Cunningham • 2004, Karie Smith • 2006, Eric Kennel

12. American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE)As a professional organization, we value . . . • Effective teaching • Developing and empowering others • Actively engaging learners/experiential learning • Quality research and other scholarly activities

13. Values cont’d • An active role in contributing to both formal and non–formal educational system • Professional renewal and adjusting to change • Interacting with peers http://www.aaaeonline.org/

14. Association for Career and Technical Education • This organization covers all areas of Career Tech - 12 Divisions • Agricultural Education • Family and Consumer Science • Technology Education • Trade & Industrial Education • As well as a variety of adult educational programs

15. ACTE Agricultural Education Division: National Goals • Highly motivated, well educated teachers provide quality education for students at all levels, pre-kindergarten through adult. • All students have access to seamless, lifelong instruction in agriculture and national resources through a wide variety of delivery methods and educational settings.

16. ACTE National Goals • All students achieve conversational literacy about agriculture and natural resources. • Partnerships and strategic alliances ensure a continuous presence of education in and about agriculture and natural resources. http://www.acteonline.org

17. What are your responsibilities? • Maintain your status as a lifelong learner • Seek out and develop a mentor/mentee relationship with other professionals • Meet and develop a relationship with your political representatives • Become active in your state professional organization (OAETA)

18. Responsibilities cont’d • Oklahoma has a national reputation of unity and strength • 100% of Oklahoma agricultural education teachers pay professional dues • That gives Oklahoma 14 voting delegates at the annual NAAE convention • When other states need a proposal/item moved forward, Oklahoma is called on to provide support.

19. Responsibilities cont’d • The continued strength of our profession depends on the infusion of new teachers that embrace the fact that professional growth occurs on a variety of local, state, and national levels. • Developing a proactive attitude about professional growth opportunities is essential.

20. Professional Dues • Oklahoma agricultural education teachers pay dues to the following professional organizations: • OKACTE • ACTE • OAETA • NAAE

21. Conclusions • One of your many responsibilities as a new professional will involve activities within your states professional organization. • Embrace this opportunity • Save your money and be prepared to pay your professional dues at Summer Conference. • Get involved . . . You paid for it!!