February 9, 2007
Topics in today's issue of Extension Update:
WESTERN EXTESON DIRECTORS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE – NOMINATIONS DUE MARH 15
Please take the time to nominate your program for the Western Extension Directors Award of Excellence (see below). The WSU Extension educators have been very successful in having their programs recognized in the two previous years this award has been in place. Past WSU winners include:
- 2005 Award Winner: Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety (WRICOPS)
- 2006 Award Winner: Germ City; Clear Hands, Healthy People Program
- 2006 Regional Qualifying Program: Urban IPM and Pesticide Safety Education
The Award of Excellence includes a monetary stipend to support the program, and winners will be asked to present this July at the Western Extension Directors' meeting in Jackson, WY.
Information on the Award and Nomination Process
Western Extension Directors Awards of Excellence - The Purpose of this award is to recognize Extension outreach education programming that has achieved outstanding accomplishments, results and impacts in addressing contemporary issues in one or more of the 13 Western states and territories.
A subcommittee of the WSU Extension Administration Team will review the proposals and Dean Fox will forward two nominations for consideration. The Western Extension Program Leaders Committee is tasked with reviewing and rating the nominations. The Western Directors make the final selection of award winners.
Applications for this award need to be sent to Cheryl Rajcich <cherylr@wsu.edu> no later than March 15th
The guidelines are very specific. Applications are limited to 3 pages maximum. Please CAREFULLY follow the requirements as outlined at:
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/weda/orginfo/application.html
Don't miss this opportunity to have your program recognized.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
eXtension's professional development opportunities are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees. This month we are offering "30 Minute Sessions" on topics related to the collaborative work tools such as the wiki and FAQ, and also on social network tools like social bookmarking, blogging, and feeds. Give us 30 minutes and we'll teach you something useful! These sessions will be held via Breeze at http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn and your telephone. Plan to join the session 5 minutes before the starting time.
In addition, from February 12 to March 23, 2007 we're doing a 6 week professional development series open to anyone in Extension who is interested in working in any of the wikis hosted by eXtension.
The goal of this six (6) week seminar series is to allow you to create a piece of content to share in the CoP or Collaborate wiki. In reaching the goal, you will learn about using a wiki, create an article/page in a wiki using the various features available, which may include appropriate use of lists, links, and graphics. Each week of the seminar series will include a short video segment to introduce and explain the topic, and then activities to allow the participant to practice and learn the skills involved for the topic. Each participant is encouraged to attend "Office Hours" weekly to ensure he/she is on track before the next week of the series.
Plan to participate? Go to the seminar series page and add yourself to the list before February 12th. (Go to the Extension Collaborative Wiki. Click on "Working in MediaWiki - an Article Start to Finish").
Then, the week of February 12 at a time of your convenience, go to the Week 1 link for the Series and jump right in! Questions? Please contact Beth Raney at beth.raney@eXtension.org. We"re looking forward to working with you!
- On Thursday February 8 at 3:30 PM Eastern Time (2:30p CT, 1:30p MT, 12:30p PT, 9:30a HT), "30 Minute Session" Using Collaborate for agents/educators to share your educational materials… photos, PowerPoints, diagrams, and other media.
- On Tuesday February 13 at 3:30 PM Eastern Time (2:30p CT, 1:30p MT, 12:30p PT, 9:30a HT), a "30 Minute Session" Social Bookmarking as a collaborative tool -- how to keep your work team on the same page without burying them in email. Participants will be exposed to several social bookmarking tools with an emphasis on del.icio.us (for all Extension).
- On Thursday February 15 at 12:30p Pacific Time, a "30 Minute Session" FAQ -- FAQ Orientation for agents/educators to find answers to your clients' questions, also how everyone can contribute to enhancing quality of the FAQ System to make it a more valuable resource.
- On Tuesday February 20 at 12:30p PT, a "30 Minute Session" Feeding Frenzy – an introduction to Web syndication. Feeds are everywhere today. Even eXtension is syndicating everything. So what are these things? How do they work? And most importantly, how can you use them to save yourself a ton of time. Come to the Feeding Frenzy session to learn how you can start using feeds and change your life forever. an introduction to Web syndication. Feeds are everywhere today. Even eXtension is syndicating everything. So what are these things? How do they work? And most importantly, how can you use them to save yourself a ton of time. Come to the Feeding Frenzy session to learn how you can start using feeds and change your life forever. Participants will be introduced to Google Reader and it's use for managing syndication feeds. (for all Extension)
- On Wednesday February 28 at 12:30 PT, a "30 Minute Session" on the CoP to public eXtension Web site workflow. How does it all work? This session will walk a piece of content from conception through publishing so participants can see how it all works. This session will be less skill-based and will focus on the basics so that CoP members and other can get a feel for the "big picture" of how it all works. HINT: It's not really magic.
To participate in any of the 30 Minute sessions…
- Five minutes before the start time, go to the Breeze meeting room at http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn.
- You will be presented with a login screen that has an "Enter as Guest" option. Select that option and click your mouse on the "Click to Enter" button.
- Enter your first name, your last name, and your institution/ university, then click the “Enter” button to join the conference.
- To hear the audio of the workshop and participate in the Q&A portion of the workshop we will be using a built-in teleconferencing capability of Macromedia’s Breeze conferencing software. Once you log into the meeting you will be presented with the option to enter your call-back number, your phone will automatically be called. After entering your number you will be automatically called and joined into the audio portion of the Web conference on your phone.
Impact of Daylight Savings Time (DST) Change for 2007
For users of MS Outlook, there is evidence of Outlook calendar scheduling problems and the change to Daylight Savings Time. Until the computer “patch” is in place, WSU ITS will advise on further steps required of you and your department in the coming weeks, but there is one best practice that we strongly encourage everyone to do NOW. Do not wait to implement the suggestion outlined below, before any further system or application patches or fixes are applied. This information was published in WSU Announcements this week. Please direct other comments and questions to the Technical Assistance
Center (tac@wsu.edu) 5-5396 (Undergraduate students should contact the SCS
Helpdesk (helpdesk@wsu.edu) 5-HELP). ITS Technical Assistance Center tac@wsu.edu. If you have further questions contact your departmental computer system support staff. For Extension and CAHNRS, contact Tony Wright at wright@wsu.edu.
WSU EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS AND NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, FLYERS
This is just a gentle reminder. If you are going to mention a WSU Publication in a newspaper or magazine article or create a flyer advertising a WSU Publication, it is important to provide the correct information about the publication to the public. We recently had an incident where a publication was mentioned in a newspaper with the incorrect price. The article said the publication was free of charge to the public, when in fact it is sold for $4.50 plus shipping and handling. The other incident was a CD for sale with a sale price that said the cost included shipping and handling. The shipping and handling was $6.
Mentioning publications in magazines and newspapers generate business for Extension and is appreciated, however, mistakes in information and pricing generates angry individuals who call us to complain about our mistakes. If you have any questions, please contact Rob Stout at 509-335-2948 or rstout@wsu.edu
CSREES Integrated Water Quality Program - Request for Applications
CSREES Integrated Water Quality Program. Request for Applications - Closing Date is April 4, 2007. The FY 2007 National Integrated Water Quality Program is soliciting proposals for National Facilitation Projects, Extension Education Projects, and Integrated Research, Education, and Extension projects. This year's request for applications has two new emphasis areas for national facilitation projects: 1) Use of recycled water in agriculture; and 2) Impacts of bioenergy development on water use and water quality. Interested investigators are encouraged to review the RFA for relevant questions and issues to be addressed on these two topics. Extension Education Proposals are requested to address three priority areas for Adoption-Outreach that build upon topics from FY 2006. Information on these three topics is listed in the RFA. A new topic is added to the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension area. Proposals now can address any one of three topics: Measurable behavior change; Restoration; and Heterogeneity of the effectiveness of conservation practices and programs at the watershed scale. All proposals must be submitted via the electronic application process. Again, the closing date is April 4, 2007. For more information, see http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1134. Questions regarding the content of the RFA should be directed to Mike O´Neill, CSREES National Program Leader, at moneill@csrees.usda.gov. (NOTE: Applicants are encouraged to click on the Funding Opportunity Number (USDA-CSREES-ICGP-000365) to access the correct application materials via Grants.gov. Applicants will need a copy of the PureEdge viewer prior to completing the application packet, which is also available via Grants.gov).
eXtension Communities of Practice PARTICIPATION BY WSU EXTENSION
There are 22 Communities of Practice (CoP) approved and funded, some in their second year, for eXtension. The public launch and "soft" launch has occurred for three of those CoP:
- Horse Quest
- Financial Security for All
- Wildlife Damage Management
While I won't list the titles of all 22, I will list those involving one or more WSU Extension faculty. Let me know if I missed anyone. There continues to be opportunity to join so I might miss someone.
Financial Security for All
Doris Torkelson and Chris Koehler
Just in Time Parenting
Drew Betz
Consumer Horticulture
Michael Bush
EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network)
Susan Kerr
Dairexnet
eOrganic
Craig Cogger
Livestock & Poultry Environmental Learning Center Joe Harrison
Pesticide Environmental Stewardship
Carol Ramsay
JEFFERSON COUNTY RECEIVES AWARD FROM NW AREA FOUNDATION
Please join me in congratulating the dedicated team of people in Jefferson County who just received one of the four NW Area Foundation Great Stride Awards. To quote the foundation: These...."awards were created to reward communities for the significant progress they have made to reduce poverty over the long run." Each community receiving the award will receive $100,000 to further their work
For the complete story visit the foundation Web site.
http://www.nwaf.org/NewsAndEvents.aspx?pg=News/News.ascx&id=41
The Brinnon/Quilcene team was made up of community members and Jefferson Extension educators, and was "back-stopped" with help from staff in the WSU Extension Center to Bridge the Digital Divide.
ELECTION TO FACULTY SENATE
Congratulations to Arno Bergstrom, County Director for WSU Extension, Kitsap County, who has been elected complete the term on the Faculty Senate recently vacated by Mike Hackett, who has retired.
SCHEDULE
Next week Linda will be in Pullman Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. She will be in Seattle on Wednesday attending a meeting with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center.
John will be in Pullman all week.
******************************
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Dean and Director
Washington State University Extension
PO Box 646248, 411 Hulbert Hall
Pullman WA 99164-6248
(509) 335-2933 Office
(509) 335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
FAX (509) 335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu |
