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Smart Boards trump blackboardsYesterday, the school bus drove down our driveway for the first time this fall. I forced my 11-year-old to pose for his "First Day of School" picture. He was not at all impressed, but it is a tradition that I'm not willing to give up just because he's now in the 6th grade and way too cool for something like that. My mother did the same thing and I turned out just fine. The truth is, however, that is where the similarities stop, between today's classrooms and the classrooms where I learned. I'm showing my age when I say computers didn't make an appearance to my classroom until high school and only then as a programming course. We used encyclopedias and library research instead of the Internet. And standardized tests involved a lot of sharpened No. 2 pencils instead of a keyboard. Today, my son's classroom has a Smart Board that allows his teacher to incorporate all kinds of media. The bonus is the kids think it is cool and if that means he's paying attention to his teacher, then I'm happy. Some schools have laptops for each student. Others are offering a wide array of classes through video classrooms or over the Internet. The curriculum is changing with changes in today's world, as well. Kansas State University's College of Agriculture is now offering a degree program in Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management. The classes train students to work for game lodges, shooting preserves, guide services and outdoor adventure companies. Dodge City Community College is now offering an Agriculture Food Chain Security program that addresses the agriculture industry's growing awareness of the need to protect our nation's food supply. These are just a few of the new ways schools are trying to address changes in agriculture. It's not a choice between just agronomy and animal science. It is encouraging to see the change. The better prepared we make our students for the world of the future, the better off we will all be. I hope the changes in learning don't stop with a diploma, however. We all need to be open to using new technology and learning in new ways. As shifts in the ag industry occur, take the chance to grow. As fast as things change, there is a never-ending opportunity to learn. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 620-227-1806, or by e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com.
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