Learning task #3 Prepared by Vince Crary March 1, 1999

Who Are the Experts?

Who is an expert? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, an expert is one who is very skillful or well informed in some special field.

I read Kia's article on "Who are the experts?" and liked what she did. I, too, did a search of Extension Services. I did western USA: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Kansas. I also looked at the "Journal of Extension" for experts on New Extension Educator workshops or programs.

My Internet tour of the different Extension Services was not a real fruitful experience. I tried to search the different sites, but to find the search location on most sites was a challenge. Idaho was a site I gave good marks to. Idaho has a newsletter called ANT - Anybody for Nifty Techniques. In the July 21,1998 issue #61 of the ANT newsletter, it talks about a new and improved new employee orientation program. Deborah Manning of Human Resources Services is the team leader for the project. The group was asked to do the following: "make recommendations for the new employee orientation program: what information should be presented and/or provided, and what the format should be".

From New Mexico State University, I found that Brenda Seevers, a New Mexico State University agricultural and Extension education assistant professor, has put together a book, "Education Through Cooperative Extension". Seevers was joined in this project by Donna Graham, associate professor of agricultural and extension education at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville; Nikki Conklin, a member of the Extension Resources Team in Staff Development at The Ohio State University; and Julia Gamon, professor of agricultural education and studies at Iowa State University. According to the news release, "the book reviews the operations, structure and programs of the Cooperative Extension Service, touching upon every aspect of the world's largest non-formal education program". It is recommended for new Extension agent orientation or either undergraduate or graduate courses.

The other states I visited via the Internet did not show information related to new staff orientation in Extension.

The "Journal of Extension" had a June 1996 article titled "New Extension Professionals - Surviving the Start", by Robert M. Ritchie, Extension Specialist 4-H Youth at Purdue University. Ritchie relates how Purdue recognized the need for an effective New Educator program, and how Central Administration worked with program areas to put the program together. To view the article go to www.JOE.org.

Who are the experts? My list of experts on New Extension Educator workshops or programs would include Deborah Manning of Idaho, Brenda Seevers of New Mexico State University, Donna Graham of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Nikki Conklin from Ohio State University, Julia Gamon from Iowa State University, and Robert M. Ritchie of Purdue University.

-- Anonymous, March 01, 1999

Answers

Isnt it true how time-consuming internet tours can be! Sometimes worth it, sometimes not. I hope everyone whos reading is noting your finds at Iowa and New Mexico State University. Come to think of it, just a bit of trivia from my past life (I studied for my doctorate at New Mexico State University), I know that there is a BIG extension program--agricultural economics, agronomy, etc. (Extensive different programs)--at NMSU in Spanish in addition to all the programs in English. I mention this for those of you who may be working with Spanish-speaking populations in different parts of Minnesota. The New Mexico folks probably have lots of information, brochures, etc. written in Spanish and English if you need it.

Thanks, Vince for summarizing your "tour."

-- Anonymous, March 12, 1999