Writing and Research Project asked in the M.Ed./Extension Forums at UMD Q&A Forum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Writing and Research Project: Self-Assessment Will R. Yliniemi Plants were especially intriguing to me as a child and remain an integral part of my personal, recreational, professional, and academic life. A significant influence in my personal and educational development has been derived from the stimuli provided by family, community, nature and rural country values. Living creatures and plants represented a learning laboratory that contained many unresolved questions and challenges. Growing up on a farm in the wooded region of central Minnesota provided an opportunity to engulf my youth in an investigation of natures many mysteries. My boyhood home was a living laboratory that has guided my educational and vocational direction.

The school I attended during grades one through six was a one-room country schoolhouse with one teacher for all six grades and an average class size of five students. The school was located a mile and a half from my home farm and I walked to school. The country school atmosphere presented a great opportunity for learning. If you were alert and ready to learn, you could observe and listen to instruction given to higher grade levels as well as competing academically with your peers in your grade.

I was considered to be a good high school student who achieved good grades, but did so without having to study. This begs the question: Was school challenging enough and how much more learning could have been accomplished? At this time in my life literature, writing and reading were painful abstractions. Natural science, math, and agricultural classes stimulated my interest.

Upon entering the University of Minnesota, I found out rather quickly that showing up for classes wasnt enough, and this college stuff was going to require some studying and one would have to learn how to read and write fluently. After two years of college, I ran out of funds, dropped out of school to earn some money, lost my student deferment and was drafted by Uncle Sam.

I served as a combat medic while in Viet Nam, and found that the military way of life was rather foreign to me because of the tragedy of war and the loss of personal freedom. In Viet Nam, for the first time in my life, I begin to earnestly read, write and compose both prose and poem. I found satisfaction and escape in the world of literature.

Returning to the University, I found I was not prepared to be a student and lasted only one quarter. I started a job for U.S. Steel Corporation in Duluth, and married. Was my chance to finish college beginning to slip away? With the combination of my spouse working and the GI Bill I had my opportunity to finish college. I enrolled at UM-Duluth for the 1971  1972 school year and than transferred to the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus for my final year, graduating in 1973 with Bachelors of Science Degrees in Agronomy and Soil Science.

Finally, I was ready to enter the work world in an area that this long road of education had prepared me for. I interviewed and accepted a position as a Seed Merchandiser Buyer with Midland Cooperatives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This position provided me with an opportunity to travel and investigate the inner dynamics of the corporate structure. The traveling was tiresome, and living in the metropolitan area was driving me nuts. I kept yearning for the country, and thinking about where I wanted to raise a family. I finally looked at and accepted the position of Specialty Crops Instructor at a Technical College, which would evolve into a position as Instructor of Agri-Business. This was my first experience in teaching, and required allot of writing and preparation as both of the programs were new programs and demanded extensive developmental work. My first few years at the Technical College found me working 12-16 hour days. The work was exciting and the rewards were many. Engaging young people to learn and develop into responsible young working adults was very satisfying and I had found a place for activating my talents. It was a joy to go to work.

The farm crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s would change my life, as rural parents and high schools stopped promoting careers in agriculture for their children. Enrollment in my Agri-Business program started to soften, during same time as the State of Minnesota Department of Education demanded increasing student to teacher ratios. By early 1985 it was obvious that I would have to look for another job. In the fall of 1986, I interviewed and was hired into a permanent Extension position in Hubbard County, which is my present employment location. This was the beginning of my Extension career.

I find Extension work interesting and motivating. I am amazed at how much latitude is allowed Educators as they choose the educational direction they want to pursue. Successful Extension Educators are those that are internally motivated and not in need of constant supervision and direction. This is an aspect of being an Extension Educator that can be very satisfying to me. The projects in my Extension work world have engaged me in many new frontiers of learning, and exposure to vast information resources and personal educational experiences. This freedom to explore and take risk in programming has yielded both success and failure. In recent years, I find that I am most stimulated by new or out of the ordinary educational issue response opportunities. Addressing extension educational requests, which are not or will not be addressed by anyone else, gives me the greatest satisfaction and challenge. Going through a problem solving and resource gathering process, followed by a targeted educational activity that meets the needs of my clientele is very rewarding. I am convinced that I can make a difference in the lives of the people that I serve.

Extension has stimulated my interest in writing, as the position requires that multiple forms of credible literature be produced: Fact Sheets, Newspaper Columns, Presentations, Peer and Public Communications, Brochures, News Releases, etc. I feel that my writing skills are not as refined as they should be, and my goal is to strive for improvement.

The M.Ed. Extension Partnership Cohort Project will be an ideal opportunity to pursue improvement in writing and associated communication skills. This will make me more productive as an Extension Educator and also enhance my position if I should seek managerial positions both in and outside of the Extension Service. Professionally, I would like to have the opportunity to experience some new avenues that might be available to me as an Extension Service Educator. This may include moving to a different county; becoming a Regional/ District Specialist; applying for Extension Positions in other states; or over- seas service through the federal government. I also will keep my radar on for any private sector positions that could stimulate my interest. My hope is that this Masters of Education program will be stimulating and rewarding for me. I would like to acquire skills, which are practical as well as useful in both my personal and professional life. The pursuit of this Masters Degree has now become more personal, with greater expectations for personal and professional achievement.

For my thesis project I will work with Sue Damme, University of Minnesota Staff Development Leader, and Cohort colleagues in several planned learning experience projects. One area of emphasis will be with Extensions Early Career Training Workshops. Sue, my Cohorts and I will plan, conduct research, survey participants, prepare materials, facilitate sessions, present sessions, and participate in the evaluation of the planned three day Early Career Workshop. All work will be documented and summarized for public consumption and review. The second planned project is the development of a formalized Mentoring Program for recently hired Extension Educators. This project is just in the planning phase. This will require many avenues of research and literature review from both public and private sources before the mechanics of a mentoring program can be evaluated and implemented.

-- Will R. Yliniemi (wyliniemi@extension.umn.edu), January 13, 1999

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