K-State was selected as one of three field test sites for new curriculum being developed by the CASE Institute in the area of Agricultural Power and Technology (APT).
“This great material emphasizes the physics, math and chemistry that we use in agriculture,” says Steven Harbsreit, associate professor of agricultural education.
Harbsreit explains that the APT course “will help our teachers step up the content for some of our traditional agricultural mechanics courses.”
“APT focuses on hands-on curriculum and activities that students can enjoy,” says Alex Jost (‘05) who currently teaches at Chapman.
APT is a foundation-level course covering the fundamentals of agricultural mechanics. Students learn to apply technical skills, while becoming competent in the processes used to operate, repair, engineer and design agricultural tools and equipment.
“It is awesome curriculum,” Lauren Van Allen (’12) says. “With the time we spend here, it will help us tie curriculum in our agriculture classrooms to science. It will help my students see that agriculture is science.”
Van Allen teaches at Udall High School and is pursuing a master’s degree in communications and agricultural education from K-State through distance education.
CASE Institutes also offer educators and alumni from across Kansas the chance to network and reconnect.
“It was great to network with people from all over the state,” says Jost. “We have the chance to talk about our agriculture programs and see that others share the same success and struggles as we do.”
