Technology == Change

Russ Feldhausen
Marshall Co. Extension Board
August 12, 2015

My Story

12 years in 4-H (Work to Win)
B.S. Computer Science 2008
M.S. Computer Science 2017
3 years KSRE student helpdesk
4 years KSRE helpdesk supervisor & computer support specialist
5 semesters in CIS teaching, academic advising & K-12 outreach

What is Extension?

1949: The central task of extension is to help rural families help themselves by applying science, whether physical or social, to the daily routines of farming, homemaking, and family and community living.
1965: Agricultural extension has been described as a system of out-of-school education for rural people.
1966: Extension personnel have the task of bringing scientific knowledge to farm families in the farms and homes. The object of the task is to improve the efficiency of agriculture.
1973: Extension is a service or system which assists farm people, through educational procedures, in improving farming methods and techniques, increasing production efficiency and income, bettering their standard of living and lifting social and educational standards.
1974: Extension involves the conscious use of communication of information to help people form sound opinions and make good decisions.
1982: Agricultural Extension: Assistance to farmers to help them identify and analyze their production problems and become aware of the opportunities for improvement.
1988: Extension is a professional communication intervention deployed by an institution to induce change in voluntary behaviors with a presumed public or collective utility.
1997: Extension is the organized exchange of information and the deliberate transfer of skills.
1999: The essence of agricultural extension is to facilitate interplay and nurture synergies within a total information system involving agricultural research, agricultural education and a vast complex of information-providing businesses.
2004: Extension is a series of embedded communicative interventions that are meant, among other goals, to develop and/or induce innovations which help to resolve (usually multi-actor) problematic situations.
2006: Extension is the process of enabling change in individuals, communities and industries involved in the primary industry sector and in natural resource management.

Wikipedia

Extension == Change

Technology == Change

Invention → Innovation → Diffusion

Computing Science

The study of computation techniques, not computers themselves
Logical thinking
Problem solving
Tinkerers and hackers needed!

K-12 Outreach

K - 4: "This is AWESOME! Look at all these fun things I can do"
5 - 8: "This is kinda neat. With a bit of effort I can make something fun"
9 - 12: "This is math. Math is work. I'm not sure I like this, but okay"
Adults: "Meh. I don't have time to learn. How can this help me?"

Code.org Video

Future of Computing Science

Job market is growing
Closing the gender gap
Closing the income gap
Problem solving and logical thinking
Analyzing big data to gain insight

Soft skills are very important for job seekers - 4-H can help!

Bufferapp.com

What We've Done for KSRE

Senior Projects:

Aphid Counter Mobile App
Sorghum Yield Mobile App
MyFields Mobile App

Got ideas? Email Me!

What's Changing in Technology

Windows 10 is here!
Security is still a problem
Mobile devices are everywhere
The IoT is coming...maybe someday
Social media is still a thing
Self driving cars & the link to farming
Managing productivity is important

Windows 10

Runs on everything! (phones, tablets, Xbox, small devices)
Universal apps run everywhere
Free upgrade for 1 year (Win7+)
Search seamlessly with Cortana
Read your settings carefully!
It shares everything with the cloud
Verdict: Win7 wait; Win8 upgrade!

Security

Safe surfing! Always use protection
- Anti-virus software
- Web of Trust - mywot.com
- AdBlock Plus - adblockplus.org
- Disable Javascript - NoScript
Be careful what you share
Chip credit cards - Use your PIN!
Educate others to be vigilant!