News: Teacher stories

“Better teaching through technology” was the theme of the 2019 Ohio Educational Technology Conference last month. Ohio Corn and Wheat-sponsored Feed the World had a booth at the conference and was able to introduce attendees to all that FTW has to offer. Two teachers won Amazon gift cards in a drawing at the booth. Krystal Kelley, New London Local Schools: “I teach 6-12 technology at New London, a rural area. We …

After attending the 2-day summer Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored Feed the World workshop, Matt McCormick presented the Fermentation in a bag lab and the Distillation of ethanol from corn lab to his students. Both labs integrated well with the Intro to Chemistry unit in his Physical Science class, as they support the study of chemical reactions and separation of chemicals through physical means. McCormick started with the Fermentation in a …

Scott Logsdon has an interesting work experience record: 3 years for International Field Studies on Andros Island in the Bahamas teaching marine biology and leading SCUBA diving, snorkeling and sailing trips; 3 years at Celina Senior High; and most recently, 22 years at Bexley High School. This adds up to 28 years of teaching, covering Biology, AP Biology, Ecology, Physical Science, and Marine Science. In his spare time, Logsdon loves to spend time with …

Janet Mulder is in her 15th year of teaching science at Bexley High School. She learned about Feed the World from her colleague Scott Logsdon. Her favorite part of the 2 day Feed the World workshop was “trying out all the different activities that are fantastic, engaging, and applicable for all levels of science at the high school level. Often, the units are not at an honors/AP level, so this …

Ohio vocational agriculture students are required to identify soil forming factors and explain how they produce variability in soils; and to collect, test and analyze soil samples for physical and chemical properties. Luke Ryan participated in the 2-day Feed the World workshop and used activities from the Soil and Sustainability curriculum to cover those standards. Ryan said his students responded well to these activities. He had them each bring soil …

Matt McCormick has been teaching for 18 years, and he currently teaches 9th grade Physical Science and 11-12th Astronomy/Geology at Lorain JVS. He learned about Feed the World through the agricultural education instructor at his school. McCormick said his favorite parts of the workshop were “meeting other teachers who want to connect agriculture with their classrooms and being introduced to the great lab activities that I can use in …

Jamie Brown took her 6th graders at Miami East Junior High through an extensive exploration of soil and its impact on agriculture, using a variety of lessons from the Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored Feed the World workshop. Brown’s class looked at soil stability and how it affects plant growth. They performed a soil slake test with three different types of soil: potting soil, garden soil, and dirt. Students first made …

Kristyn Keriazes teaches at Global Impact STEM Academy Middle School. She’s taught for 13 years, and heard about Feed the World from a colleague who suggested that she might enjoy one of the workshops. She’s used these FTW lessons with her students: Corn Field Math, Lawn Chemicals, Soil Texture Labtivity, Population Rates, Punnett Squares, Corn Fermentation in a Bag, and though I haven’t used this one yet, I am particularly excited to …