University of Idaho Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications

Using a Readability Scale  How easy-to-read is your writing? Whether you are designing a lesson plan or penning an article, communicating the complexity of agriculture can be challenging. One way to note the “readability” of a document is by using the Flesh Kincaid Readability Test, which is available through Microsoft Word. The scale assesses the reading ease of your document and indicates the appropriate grade level to read the paper. It takes into account sentence structure, syllables, word length, and vocabulary. With this in mind, as the author you can more accurately tailor your work to best suit the age of your audience. To access the readability statistics, go to Tools, Spelling & Grammar, 1 Click the File tab, and then click Options . 2 Click Proofing . 3 Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, make sure the Check grammar with spelling check box is selected. 4 Select Show readability statistics . Once the spell...

Welcome back to campus! We are thrilled to dive into the new year and provide a glance into exciting developments within the AEE department. Stay posted for weekly articles this semester!

On Monday, December 4th, Collegiate FFA and the Leadership Book Club class worked together to make nine fleece tie blankets to donate to Gritman Medical Center. With the temperature dropping outside, making warm blankets is a natural opportunity to help someone in the community.  "Making these blankets has become a meaningful tradition" said junior Liz Bumstead. "We've done it for the last several years because it's an easy way for anyone one to get involved and make a real impact." Thank you to all the members who assisted with this project! 

National Association of Agricultural Educators Award Winner Spotlight By Andrea Fristoe Every agriculture teacher has a unique story to tell about the beginning of his or her teaching career. Some are fortunate to have the opportunity to walk into a well-established, multi-teacher department, with excellent administrative and community support. Oftentimes though, new agriculture teachers have to take a struggling program and build it into something that the students, administration and community value. Such is the case for Tyler Johnson, agriculture teacher at Murtaugh High School, in Murtaugh, Idaho.  Johnson became the agriculture teacher at Murtaugh High School in 2014. He was initially faced with a struggling agriculture program and lack of student and community interest. Through the development of a program vision, community partnerships, and allowing his students to take ownership in their program’s facilities, Johnson has been able to establish the Murta...