Reverse Stereotyping

While I may be a “typical” American being a white, Caucasian female, the environment around me has taught me how society functions. As a Caucasian I have been stereotyped against, just not in the normal connotation. Being of my ethnic background I have a stereotype that works in my favor.

If I were to walk into a store I would be treated with the respect of a regular customer. However, if someone of a different decent were to walk in to the same store, they may be looked at as if they were possible criminals. This is just one example of how society acts toward Caucasians.

Another example of how I am stereotyped is in a work situation. While it is not always true, many businesses assume that people who are white are better suited for the position. Due to miss conceptions, it is inferred that people of different backgrounds are not as reliable or hard working as Caucasians.

A final standardization that allows me as a white American to roam “freely” is the media. Media calls attention to people of different ethnic backgrounds that commit wrongs in their lives. Even though the do point out wrongs of whites, they somehow overpower this with other items in the media.

These three stereotypes have helped me to realize that no matter what your culture, ethnicity, or tribal background you will be conventionalized against in one way or another. This has enabled me to prepare for my future. I now strive to resist standardizing all individuals. By doing this I am making it easier for those around me to not stereotype. While it is hard to imagine a world without stereotypes, it would greatly benefit society as a whole.

Essay written in response to a minority scholarship essay.

Livestock Judging

This past fall I had the unique opportunity to participate on the Ohio State University Livestock Judging Team. It was a great experience that I would not have had without the push of my high school ag. teacher. He kept expressing to me the opportunity that I had available to me at OSU. So, I took the class and made not the team. And, while we were the most successful in terms of awards and ribbons, myself along with my team made memories that will last forever. These are from both in contest and out of contest. But no matter what the context of the memories, they were truly life changing.

The Great Tractor Debate

The age old question, what tractor brand is superior John Deere or Case IH? Well, being a JD fan I would have to say John Deere all the way. I just like thier equiptment better. Yet, this video and many others on youtube stand to debate my selection in tractor color. So whether you are on the red side or the green side, here. is a video that shows who the "winner" just may be, in this scenario of course!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aGmvyY1d5A&feature=related

English In the Ag Class?

As agricultural educators we are always striving for new ways to make our curriculum attractive to potential students, administration and the community. With the attached link I think we are moving in the right direction.

http://www.agclassroom.org/directory/search_result_details.cfm?pid=489

The USDA's Agriculture in the Classroom initiative makes it possible to co-mingle core curriculum in the agricultural classroom, which is important for the future of agriculture in society.

OSU Beef and Sheep Farm

I have been an employee of the OSU Beef and Sheep Units for a year now. Through my experience I have learned so many new skills and much knowledge. I think that it is so amazing that opportunities like this are available to students at the University. More over, the skills that I have learned here not only will translate into my future ambitions of owning beef cattle, but in my teaching career as well. There is so much to learn and gain here.

Over the past year I have worked numerous hours with the animals as they were being prepared to breed, being bred, calving or lambing, and everything in between. This allowed me to see how a livestock operation runs and how to be successful at it. Additionally, just simply working with the animals feeding them on a daily basis provides a respect and knowledge of how animals think and respond to human interaction.

I cannot say enough about the OSU livestock facilities and I cannot wait to continue working at the farm over the next year. I have so much to learn in a short amount of time.

"Block '11"

It is sad to say that the Block is over, yet our future as educators is on its way. So, to all my fellow "Blockies" I say, life is short and times are tough, but what we do is not for ourselves, but for the lives of our students. Therefore, we must make the most out of every situation that we are faced with and provide a rich environment for our students to learn for their future and the future of agriculture.

Technology, Technology, Technology

Technology is ever present in our world. I mean you cannot turn your head without seeing someone on a smart phone, poking around on a iPad, or simply using a computer. Now, technology is not going to disappear nor will it stop evolving. So why not embrace it?

That is exactly what I plan to do in my future classroom. Realizing that I am not a huge technology buff, I still want to incorporate it somehow in the classroom. In general students are up on the latest technologies and by providing them with an opportunity(ies) to use it in the classroom will get them excited to learn.

Bottom line, technology it present all around us, so take advantage of it!