What teacher learned this summer will grow Woodington ag curriculum

Jessica Jones, an agriculture education teacher at Woodington Middle School, is ready to do more with her students in the coming school year after completing a nine-day professional development institute at NC State University to teach the Food Science and Safety Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) course. 

CASE is an instructional system that is changing the culture of agriculture programs in the United States through intense teacher professional development; inquiry-based, student-focused lessons; assessment; and certification.  CASE equips teachers to elevate student experiences in the agriculture classroom, and prepares students for success in college and careers emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

CASE is an initiative of The National Council for Agricultural Education and managed by the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE).

During the CASE Institute, Jones spent 100 hours working through nearly every lesson in the year-long curriculum and learning how to deliver lessons in an inquiry-based way that will shift focus in the classroom from teacher-led to student-directed learning.  

“I am so excited about this new curriculum that I can share with my students. I feel refreshed and better prepared for the upcoming year,” said Jones.