I want to write more on the other side of this as I have had more questions than answers lately, but I won't. I completed the Advancing Environmental Education Practices course led by Dr. Marianne Krasny and it was all great experiences that connected students in depth to global contemporary environmental ed topics and issues. The whole course validated things I have been doing in extension work and provided me guidance on areas I have been struggling. There were a bunch of people in the course, and it was difficult for everyone to have time to talk, but outside the active learning time students were able to be heard through email and other lines of communication.

As an online instructor, I think a lot about the difference between teaching and learning. I teach cannabis science and biochemistry courses virtually, where students may never be in the same physical room, so the activities must be intentional, applied, and engaging.

The experiences I learn from most are the ones where I am asked to actively use the information instead of only receiving it. For example, when a scientific concept is connected to a real-world problem, such as interpreting cannabis testing results, evaluating product claims, or understanding how cannabinoids and terpenes relate to plant biology and human use, the material becomes memorable because it has purpose.

This is also why I have been developing assignments that incorporate AI thoughtfully. Students can use AI to explain biochemical pathways, evaluate cannabis-related claims, or improve scientific communication, but they must also check accuracy, compare outputs with reliable sources, and reflect on limitations. That process works because students are not just memorizing content. They are practicing how to think, question, verify, and communicate.

For me, meaningful learning happens when students leave with skills they can apply beyond the course.

I had to think through this question for a bit! I don't deliver programs directly to participants but do provide trainings to referring partners (healthcare providers who refer to FVRx for example) and sometimes internally with and for our team, specifically regarding systems change strategies.

In trying to identify a similar model that was a memorable learning experience, I landed on a train the teacher session for a Montessori-style classroom program for young children (unrelated to CCE/paid work). In this case, for part of the session trainees were in the role of students and the trainer served as the teacher. Because the trainer/teacher was so passionate about the educational approach and content we were fully engaged. The teacher/trainer also allowed sufficient time to debrief the experience, which allowed for rich discussion and shared ahas among the full group.

This is a valuable reminder that ensuring time for debrief and discussion can be a critical piece of the learning puzzle. I am working to edit myself - talk less and allow more open space for conversation, questioning, grappling, and even finding the wow in the learning experience.

I recently had a chance to participate in setting up a relatively complex field trial and was reminded how important preparation is to successfully execute a goal, in this a case a corn silage evaluation. I wasn’t sure what to expect and showed up to a bare field (blank canvas). We measured and remeasured the plot before splitting it up into blocks, where the varieties were placed and replicated three times. Luckily, the large and tedious task of separating the seed into individual packets and placing them in the order they were to be planted had already been completed. The planter was automated with GPS, but the loading of the seed was manual, and cued by the sound of the planter refilling the next round of seed and a beep that indicated the seed had been drilled and was approaching the next block. There were a few hiccups at first, but I learned about the equipment and how to dial it in. More importantly it reinforced how proper preparation improves effectiveness and efficiency. Getting the chance to collaborate with experienced researchers was memorable and inspiring.

I think the programs where I learn and felt inspired to learn more are when you may be taught in a classroom, but then there's a hands on aspect to it. I feel as thought putting the material learned in the program to physical use makes me want to learn more as to why something is done, how it could it be done differently, and how other people are doing it. I found I got this experience from working and going to grad school online. My MPHM work aligned with my job completely, so I was able to listen to lectures and then apply what I learned to the field and share it with my growers. This helped solidify concepts in my mind because I could see how they were used in real life. I think that's important and it's why I love doing in-person programs, such as blueberry pruning workshops. Also, the host farm gets pruning done by volunteers so its a win-win.

Over the past few years, I have participated in many educational opportunities surrounding trauma-informed nutrition education and mental health. These have been likely the most impactful to me, especially when teaching tactics that are no longer considered "best practices" have evidence to back up potential harm. I'm someone who responds strongly to evidence and not-so-strongly to much else, and being shown literature and examples of why I should tweak my teaching methods was the more impactful to me. I also found multi-media use to be most engaging, as well as some audience participation (though this can be a challenge at times)!

I have a history of needing to be right and wanting to be in positions of influence and power. I also love teaching and explaining nuances. I have learned the difference between teaching and facilitation and am practicing the art of creating learning environments that welcome diverse knowledge and lived experiences to meet the needs of those in participation. Creating great learning environments is a skill. I believe that skill is sharpened when we hold a balance of confidence, humility, and curiosity. When we have the experience and confidence we can improvise an agenda, hold our knowledge beside that of which participants share, ask questions, make space for all participants to share in one way or another, and leave time for conversation and exploration. Oftentimes we, as participants, invest in a program/ class because of our interpretation of it, and many times the actual objectives do not meet our preconceived expectations. If the facilitator has the flexibility to pivot, to make their points while leaving time for participants to share their expertise and wonders, by large everyone in the room has greater potential for learning, including the instructor.
I have been part of some great learning environments where the information by students was heard, valued for being a perspective, affirming any fact and experience, by the instructor, while they shared facts, reasoning, their experience, and their curiosities on the topic. I appreciated these experiences so much, fostered by my professors at Brockport, and from my colleagues in Organizational Sustainability.

It is nice to have a prompt to reflect on my experiences as a participant since I have been doing so much facilitation reflection, I havent though much on my own participant learning experiences in a while. Which is ironic because we ask this exact same question when we train Seed to Supper Educators to help them remember what it is like to be a student to help them become better teachers.

I recently got to be a participant in a way, as my supervisor for my CCE Tompkins job taught me to use our wood work tools so that I could be equipped to lead the Compost Bin build we just completed with the help of volunteers and students. I really appreciated the way he taught in a calm, patient, and very respectful way which totally had not been my experience in past jobs where men "taught" me to use tools in often belittling and condescending stressful ways. The impatient, rude, and rushed, perfectionist attitude of past teachers had squashed my confidence and made me avoid that type of work for years. This recent work experience reminded me that is so powerful to be taught in a way that is calm, hands-on, and patient and had the goal of giving me a skill and building my confidence. Thanks to my CCE suporvisor's skill at teaching, I actually was able to learn enough to guide volunteers in something I had for so long been really fearful of. So that goes to show teaching in a way that respects both people's fear, and ability can help them learn much better than assuming they can't do it, or rushing them for efficiency's sake by just stepping in and taking over.

In my graduate program I found case studies to be a way to apply knowledge and get a further understanding of the topics we have learned. While lectures helped provide the background information, I learned the most when I had the opportunity to apply concepts to actual situations and discuss them with others.

I think those experiences were effective because they were interactive and relevant. Instead of just listening to information, I was actively involved in the learning process.

As I develop my Ag Leases 101 program, I hope to incorporate a similar approach by using real examples and discussion opportunities. Since many participants will have their own experiences with leasing land, I think there is a lot of value in creating opportunities for them to learn from both the content and each other.