Whether you are a teen helping with a day camp, or an adult leading a club- it helps to have some tips and tricks in your back pocket to teach the content you want 4-H members to learn. 4-H volunteers and professionals often find themselves teaching a wide variety of audiences with different needs for learning. Trying to meet all those needs can sometimes seem overwhelming, but this week and next, our blog will focus on six specific strategies that will make this much easier- especially with practice! This blog post will discuss and give examples of three teaching strategies that can up your teaching and facilitation game- spacing, interleaving, and retrieval practice.
Why Bother? Isn’t the 4-H Curriculum “Good Enough?”
Some 4-H curricula have teaching strategies embedded within them. Some just have activities structured to help youth learn content. Learning and applying a few of these teaching strategies will make your teaching more interesting and engaging to a wider range of 4-H members. Engagement + interest = more fun for everyone!
Spacing
The term “spacing” simply means to spread learning out over time. When information is learned over the course of several weeks, months, or even years, youth (and adults) are more likely to retain that information than if it were dumped on them over several hours or days. This is why 4-H projects are so effective- youth often stay with the same project for one or more years, learning more complex information each year until they have mastered the content. Some project work even leads to future careers.
Here is an example of how you might apply spacing to the youth you work with in 4-H: One of the things youth want to do this year is participate in the Consumer Choices contest. Rather than teaching a marathon Saturday workshop the week before the contest, start early and introduce the concepts slowly either as part of a club meeting or an extra session before or after the regular club meeting time.
Meeting #1- Explain why consumer skills are essential, what the topics for this year’s contest are, and the contest rules
Meeting #2- Review cell phone plans and portable speakers (two of the topics). Demonstrate how to fill out a judging card and practice judging situations for cell phone plans and speakers.
Meeting #3- Review ground transportation and smoothies (two more topics). Review how to fill out a judging card and practice judging situations.
Meeting #4- Explain what oral reasons are- have an older youth demonstrate or what videos of youth giving oral reasons. Next, hold a mock contest and let youth practice giving oral reasons.
Interleaving (not to be confused with interweaving)
Interleaving means switching between topics. This allows youth opportunities to practice life skills in different situations. This helps reinforce the life skills that we teach in 4-H. For example, judging contest strategies are the same- it’s just the content that changes from contest to contest. Judging contests help youth learn about different topics, but the real value is they are learning how to think critically, communicate clearly, and work as a team. Applying those same skills to different subject matter helps youth learn lifelong skills (not just how to regurgitate facts). Here’s an example of interleaving that builds on the consumer choices example above:
The youth you work with will also want to learn about robotics, so you introduce an activity from the 4-H Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum. You divide the youth up into groups of three to complete a challenge to build a robot that draws. While teaching, refer back to what youth learned about critical thinking when they competed as a team in consumer choices. What did they learn about communication and teamwork? Ask them to apply those lessons to this situation when building a robot.
Retrieval Practice
4H youth work together in a drone course. Photo taken 10-15-18.
One of the best ways to strengthen your memory is to practice retrieving that information from your brain! Many of our 4-H curricula include games that allow youth to practice information retrieval. Quiz bowls and skill-a-thon stations are two great ways to incorporate retrieval practice. Here is an example of retrieval practice that builds upon the consumer choices example:
Youth enjoyed participating in the consumer choices contest and asked if they could do more activities like that. Your local 4-H agent suggested a program called “Living on My Own” which is a financial simulation that helps teach financial literacy skills. As the youth rotate through the stations, they retrieved and practiced some of the consumer skills they learned earlier as they decided on housing, transportation, food, and other items based on their simulated salary and living situation. Being about to recall and practice these skills helps reinforce financial literacy.
One of the best things about 4-H is it is learner-centered. That means that youth can choose what they want to do and learn in 4-H. Your local 4-H Extension Office can help you find the best curriculum to support your youths’ learning needs, but the curriculum is only part of learning. 4-H supports learning (usually referred to as a project) through a variety of competitive and non-competitive events. The three strategies described in this post can help volunteers and 4-H professionals link learning between projects and activities. Next week’s post will explore three more strategies for teaching youth- elaboration, concrete examples, and duel coding.
References:
Potter, S. (2021). Educational Design and Delivery – Utilization of Multiple Teaching Strategies. 4-H VKRC Fact Sheets.
Taylor Yoder is the daughter of David and Robin Yoder of Altha, FL. Taylor is a senior and has been homeschooled along with her 3 sisters. Her plan after graduating is to attend Chipola College and then pursue an ag business degree.
Taylor has been a member of the Jackson County 4-H club since 2017. Some of the events she has been a part of include Chopped Challenge, Holiday bake-offs, arts and crafts contest though the Panhandle Youth Expo, and is an active member of the livestock club. As a member of the livestock club, Taylor has participated in numerous judging contests across the Southeast. Her team was the third-place team in the 2022 state 4-H contest. In addition, she was the overall high individual in this contest.
In addition to these activities, Taylor helped start and holds a leadership role in the Jackson County Junior Cattleman’s Association, she has been a two-time state voting delegate for Jackson County 4-H, and is a board member for the Junior Florida Simmental Association.
Taylor is most passionate about cattle breeding, showing, and judging. Taylor had the reserve grand champion steer at the North Florida Fair in 2021 and exhibited the grand champion steer at this fair in 2022. She has also participated in the PYE steer show since 2017 and had the reserve champion steer in 2021. She has also won best county raised steer three times.
The thing that means the most to Taylor from being a part of 4-H is that it has prepared her to be able to face a challenge with confidence. Her time showing, judging, and giving reasons has helped to instill this confidence in her. These activities have created a love for cattle and has helped shape what her future will involve. Lifelong friendships and connections across the state have also played a huge role in her desire to pursue future endeavors in the cattle industry.
This story prepared by Patti Peacock, Jackson County 4-H
The new 4-H year kicks off September 1st and that means our Virtual Volunteer Leadership Academy will begin our fall series. Based on volunteer feedback, we have made some exciting changes! The biggest change is that our live sessions will be offered in the evenings instead of the middle of the day. An email notification has been sent to all our registered participants about the time change. Hopefully, this will allow more people to attend the live sessions.
The second change is that we have adjusted some of the topics based on COVID-19 transition needs. Here is our updated schedule, as well as a description of the session:
Time is 6PM Central/7PM Eastern on the third Thursday of the month
Date
Topic
Description
September 17th
Making Virtual Meetings Fun
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 4-H club year looks different right now. As we move through phase 2 and phase 3 of our transition to “normal” virtual programs are still encouraged. Join us to learn simple strategies for making virtual and socially distanced programs fun and engaging for youth. This session will provided resources for:
1. Virtual and socially distanced icebreakers
2. How to lead hands on activities in a virtual or socially distanced setting
October 15th
4-H Judging Teams
Judging contests are a great way for youth to learn decision making skills, public speaking and teamwork. This session will:
1. Give an overview of judging opportunities in Florida 4-H
2. Provide resources for getting started coaching a judging team (virtually or in person)
November 19th
Mindfulness for the 4-H Volunteer
For many counties in the Northwest District, the past few years have been extremely stressful. Between Hurricane Michael and now COVID-19, our 4-H volunteers are burning the candle at both ends. This session will help you learn strategies to relieve stress through the science of mindfulness.
December
No session- enjoy time with family and friends!
If you are not registered, there is still space (and registration is free). Register once, and you will be signed up for all the sessions. If you can’t make a session, you will receive a link to the record so that you can participate at your convenience. While these sessions are geared towards 4-H club leaders, anyone interested in helping with a club or eventually becoming a volunteer is welcome to attend.Attend at least three live sessions in 2020, and you will receive a digital badge! We also have some exciting doorprizes as we gear up for our 4-H Volunteer Retreat in January 2021. If you have questions, or would like to suggest topics for 2021, please contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office.
It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week! Our 4-H volunteers invest their time into our community’s most valuable resource – our future!
Today we want to thank Stacey Warden who has led the Jackson County 4-H Livestock Club for the past six years. Stacey coaches our livestock, meats, and poultry judging teams and helps us host poultry and livestock workshops. A former 4-H national champion poultry judge herself, Stacey has coached teams that have competed successfully at the local, state, and national level.
Stacey loves to compete, but her dedication to her club members isn’t limited to just driving them to judging contests. She goes above and beyond to help her club members learn new skills, meet their goals, and chase their dreams. When asked about the impact that Stacey has made, Jackson County 4-H Livestock club member Taylor Yoder said, “Mrs. Stacey has done so much for me since I met her. She has taught me a lot about livestock and has grown my love for it. She is always pushing me to be the best I can be without overwhelming me.” Stacey’s service to her community has earned her statewide respect, but what’s truly special is that she’s captured the hearts and minds of her club members right here in Jackson County. Thank you for your service, Stacey!
April’s 4-H Virtual Volunteer Leadership Academy on April 16, 2020 was on the importance of awards and recognition. We learned that recognition is important feedback that every individual needs as it helps to give a sense of belonging when a task or achievement occurs. Recognition builds self-esteem and allows for self-reflection and personal growth.
In 4-H, youth members, volunteers, parents, and community partners all want to know that they have been successful in their participation and/or contribution to the program and that they belong in 4-H. All members need to experience recognition for their efforts and that recognition is more meaningful when it occurs soon after it is earned. April’s 4-H Virtual Volunteer Leadership Academy webinar explained that the National 4-H recognition model is based on five areas for recognition: participation, progress toward goals, standards of excellence, competition and cooperation. It also shared helpful tips on creative, low cost ways of recognition that will still send a meaningful message of value and importance to members in the program.
Registration Information
If you were unable to join us for April’s 4-H Virtual Volunteer Leadership Academy, it is not too late to register for future webinar sessions. And, as a registered participant, you will have access to all of the sessions available, including missed sessions, which can be viewed on demand.
Registration is required and can be found at http://bit.ly/4HVVLA Once registered, you can join each session live through Zoom. In addition, if you are unable to connect live, all monthly webinars will be available to you on demand as they are recorded. Register early – seats are limited to the first 100 registrants.
Future 4-H Virtual Volunteer Leadership Academy Webinars
May – Club Tools for Online Use
September*- Judging Contests
October*- Preparing for Exhibits & Shows
November* – Club Organization Basics
*Fall session registration will be available July 1, 2020.
Webinar Viewing Information
Join each live session simply with one click from your phone, tablet or computer, using the Zoom app. Once you have registered, you will receive email communication regarding the Zoom session links, dates and times.
4-H is one of the largest youth development programs in America with more than 6.5 million young people, ages 5-18, and 540,000 youth and adult volunteers. A variety of fun, educational, engaging activities are offered to teach the fundamental 4-H ideal of practical, “learn by doing” experiences which encourages youth to experiment, innovate and think independently. For information on how you can get involved with 4-H as a youth, volunteer, or supporter, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension to learn about 4-H in your county.
Whether you are a teen helping with a day camp, or an adult leading a club- it helps to have some tips and tricks in your back pocket to teach the content you want 4-H members to learn. 4-H volunteers and professionals often find themselves teaching a wide variety of audiences with different needs for learning. Trying to meet all those needs can sometimes seem overwhelming, but this week and next, our blog will focus on six specific strategies that will make this much easier- especially with practice! This blog post will discuss and give examples of three teaching strategies that can up your teaching and facilitation game- spacing, interleaving, and retrieval practice.
