I recently attended a Journal of Extension Board meeting. I’ve been an author and a manuscript reviewer in the past but this was my first chance to learn the business side of our Extension scholarship. If you haven’t subscribed to the journal, I hope you will at: http://www.joe.org/journal-subscribe.php
I also encourage you to be an author or a reviewer. You can learn more at www.joe.org
The Journal of Extension will be moving to an online submission and review process this year to help authors and reviewers track the path of their work “just in time.” Finally, the journal will soon switch from APA 5th edition to APA 6th edition for writing style to join peer journals in this movement. I have a copy in my office of APA 6th if you’d like to review it.
Most of all, I hope you will read the Journal of Extension and discuss your thoughts with each other and the authors. JOE is a great resource for our work.
Professional Development, Scholarship
journal, Scholarship
I was meeting with a few Families cowokers recently and was saddened to hear that some of us are a bit bummed out about our work environment. I was surprised because so many of you have made this one of the best times in my life. Here are the things you’ve done for me that I hope you will continue to do for each other to make our time with each other some of the high points in our lives:
- be a gift to yourself and others
- embrace those who are new, disappointed, or out of sorts
- treat yourself and others
- give others a gift of your time
- nurture others to be their best
- compliment each other
- listen to each other
- be open minded about how others see the world
- perform random acts of kindness
Thanks to all of you for practicing what we profess!
General
care
Over 10,000 Iowa children with a parent or step-parent serving in the military have been affected by deployment. Many more children such as siblings, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and students, are affected by the deployment of caring adults in their lives. Stress associated with multiple deployments has seriously affected the psychosocial health of children and their families. Military Families in Iowa are geographically dispersed and do not have the support resources typically found at military installations. Military Families need the help of community based support networks to serve them where they live. School professionals, health professionals, and community organizations are key to developing these community based support networks. In this first in a series interactive workshop, learn how deployment affects Military Families in your communities and where you can find free resources and training to support them.
A Ready Set Go training is scheduled to help ISU Extension staff understand the deployment cycle and how it affects military kids and families. Chris Gleason will be facilitating this training. She serves three roles – 4-H Program Specialist, AYDP State Military Liaison, and Operation: Military Kids Project Director so is well qualified to present the Ready Set Go Training. This training will be done by Adobe Connect on February 22 from 10:00 AM – 11:45 AM. Chris will talk about her experience working with military families and kids across Iowa. She will also be available to help answer your questions too.
The February 22 link will be http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/webinar4h
Another connect is being scheduled in March. David Brown, former ISUE CEED is willing to help staff think thought how Extension can best work with military families. He is currently working with military families and can share some insight from his experiences and what families need. You will be receiving information soon.
Professional Development, Programming
military families
Thanks to all of you for embracing diversity as part of our work. In 2010 the ISUE leadership team created and adopted a diversity plan (see: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/710A5A22-AD2E-4710-A769-9CC1B9332DF5/136278/Diversity_Plan0710.pdf) The plan requires an annual report from each Extension unit. Thanks to those of you who shared shared diversity efforts for the ISE Extension to Families 2010 Diversity Report
We’ve documented a great variety of diversity efforts. Be sure to start documenting your diversity work for 2011. Hats off to you!
Administration, Programming, Reporting
diversity, Reporting
After six months with ISUE, I still hadn’t figured out who does what to help us with our IT needs. Luckily, there are lots of folks willing to help me figure it out. Recently CHS, Extension, and Families IT folks met with me and Extension faculty from three CHS departments. We discussed who we should go to for our technology needs. Here is what I discovered: 1) who is the best person or unit to help with my IT needs is very context specific. If I’m an extension worker on campus, I go to my department IT person first for general needs and Kristin for Families specific needs. 2) if I’m an Extension worker off campus, I approach the Extension IT folks (Floyd and co.) first and then Kristin for Families specific needs. 3.) If I have a very general IT question or concern or questions about managing my accounts, password help, malfunctions, etc. then I go to the ISU Solution Center.
Here are some keys to keep in mind to make the IT scavenger hunt more fun: 1) if you are working on a project or grant proposal that will involve IT-get these folks involved from the beginning of the discussions so everyone knows what is possible, what is expected, and if the project can be sustained beyond the life of the grant (see below). 2) your intended audience for your IT situation and/or where you are located may be the best determinant of who to ask for help. 3) IT staff have to set and use priorities to get work done effectively so innovations and adaptations of applications may not rise to the top of the “to do” list, and 4) requirements of funding partners may determine who best to work with on IT projects. If in doubt, simply ask the IT staff closest to you.
For more detailed info. on Extension IT services see Extension IT Services . I hope these points help you better navigate IT for our work. I already feel smarter.
FOR GRANT PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE IT services above and beyond support for existing services/programs make sure you budget for IT support. As you are developing the project/proposal ask lots of questions. Depending on the project, various IT units (department, college, university, extension) may be more able to respond to your needs (i.e. experience with software/project needs or time). Have a conversation with each area of IT, each will likely have a unique perspective that wil help focus your project. Alerting IT services well in advance of the project will also make the project go smoothly.
Administration, Technology
Technology
Happy New Year! I hope you have already found some joy and fun in the new year. For some people, this is a time of year for critical reflection on the past and what that means for the coming year. My husband and I chated about our highlights from 2010 and what we hope to continue and change in 2011. I hope we can also do the same with our programming. We should be very proud with all the great things our programs have accomplised in 2010 and work hard to make even deeper impact in 2011. As a group I hope this means we will all be intentional about aligning our internal and external program teams and partnerships. What can we do to more fully care about each other as people? How can we each take initiative to more fully connect with program partners? What can we do to help promote each other’s work? What can we do to more fully measure our progress? How can we more fully involve stakeholders in our program planning, implementation, and evaluation? I look forward to talking with you more about these programming resolutions. Here’s to an amazing 2011 for ISUE to Families!
Programming
Programming