Lonny Rivera Ed.D
Director of Innovation at North Point ESC
Rivera can be contacted about these topics: STEAM, Maker Space/Fab Lab, technology integration, drones, and hydroponics. He is interested in collaborating on the use of drones in Ag and related fields and hydroponics in the classroom.
What about teaching excites you?
Relevant hands-on teaching can spark the imagination and transform the typical “sit and get” classroom. Kids need to be shown the “why” of their learning and then how to apply it real world problems. There are many problems in the Ag world that are just waiting to be solved.
What was your “aha” moment when you realized the value of using agriculture as a vehicle to teach science?
When I heard that Agriculture is Ohio’s largest industry, I was amazed. When you stop to think about all the related industries that are needed to make agriculture work, it is truly mind boggling.
How do you help students make the industry or real-world connection to what they’re learning?
Our teachers and administrators need to have access to the ag world so they can have a clear vision of what opportunities exist. Having educators attend events like the Commodities Classic is a great first step to helping us understand the expansive world of modern agriculture. As an employee of an Educational Service Center, I would love to offer regional training events that focus on agriculture and the connections to the curriculum standards.
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