Tag Archives: eXtension

by tomcoon | October 11, 2012 · 8:24 am

Working Differently in Extension – the rest of the story

In a recent Spotlight article, we lauded the Michigan State University Extension Consumer Horticulture Team as they received the Working Differently in Extension Award Oct. 2 at the National eXtension Conference in Oklahoma City. Read more about it here on the eXtension website.

I was thrilled – but not surprised – to see Michelle Rodgers receive a Working Differently in Extension Award. Michelle was recognized for her work in leading our I-team at MSUE as well as her leadership at the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. She was the first individual winner of the award. Read more about Michelle winning the award here on the eXtension website.

Michelle may be gone, but she’s not forgotten, and we STILL appreciate the leadership she gave us while at MSUE. And we STILL miss her!

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Tagged as award, Awards, eXtension, michelle rodgers, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue, national eXtension conference, university of delaware, university of delaware cooperative extension, working differently in extension award

by tomcoon | June 14, 2012 · 10:23 am

MSU Extension poised to share expertise on volunteerism on national level

Michigan State University Extension is leading the way in volunteerism. First off, we’ve been awarded the opportunity to put on the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism (NECV). The conference will take place May 20-23, 2013, at the Bavarian Inn Lodge and Conference Center in Frankenmuth, Mich. We’re expecting 175 to 200 participants from throughout the country to attend.

The NECV presents an opportunity for sharing and learning the latest research and trends in volunteerism, gaining innovative ideas for reaching new volunteers, investigating the best practices for developing and retaining current volunteers, and strengthening volunteer management efforts. Conference participants will gather tools and skills through interactive sessions and networking with colleagues and will develop plans to utilize new resources in their home state programs. Members of the MSUE Volunteer Management Systems Team will be actively involved in the scholarly presentations and learning as well as the logistics of the conference.

That’s not all of the good news regarding MSU Extension’s role in volunteerism. MSU Extension submitted a proposal to create a new eXtension Community of Practice (CoP) focused on volunteerism. We’ve recently received word that the proposal was selected. The carefully designed and implemented needs assessment was core to the success of the proposal. This reinforces the importance of that step in development of a logic model and program plan.

Molly Frendo, MSU Extension associate program leader, will co-lead the project with Jana Ferris, Washington State University Extension educator. Julie Chapin, director of the Children and Youth Institute, will act as administrative advisor, and Doug Brahee, Extension specialist, will lead the Content Development Team. Specialists and educators from other universities and the USDA will also be part of the leadership team.

As you know, we’ve been actively involved in eXtension since its inception, and I’m confident the resources and leadership we contribute to this new CoP will be a large part of its success. The CoP will build the skills of staff and experienced volunteers, foster collaboration and build scholarship in the area of volunteer administration. Volunteer managers will benefit from an online environment where they can find high-quality professional development tools, templates and resources that are research and evidenced based. And on top of that, they’ll belong to a community of peers through eXtension.

Molly said, “MSUE has such great work going on in the area of volunteerism, which makes them perfect for getting involved in this excellent scholarship opportunity. We’ll be doing a big push at NECV to recruit staff from around the country to participate in the CoP, and I can’t wait to show everyone why MSUE is leading the way in this field!”

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Tagged as doug brahee, eXtension, eXtension communities of practice, jana ferris, julie chapin, michigan state, michigan state university, molly frendo, msu, msu extension, msue, msue volunteer management systems team, national extension conference on volunteerism, necv, Volunteerism

by tomcoon | August 25, 2011 · 8:49 am

Two Extension specialists honored for teamwork in eXtension

The Joint Council of Extension Professionals recognized Christine Skelly, associate professor of animal science and Michigan State University Extension specialist, and Karen Waite, MSU Extension specialist, with its Excellence in Teamwork award for their contributions as members of the eXtension HorseQuest Community of Practice (CoP). The annual award encourages and recognizes successful Extension team programs or projects that demonstrate effective performance and significant result impacts at community, area, state or multi-state levels.

The two were co-founders of My Horse University, a national online horse management program for horse enthusiasts based at MSU and created through a partnership between MSU Extension, the MSU Department of Animal Science and MSU Global. My Horse University and eXtension HorseQuest partner in the shared goal of bringing easily accessible science-based information to equine aficionados.

Other members of the team and recipients of the award are Betsy Greene, University of Vermont; Kathy Anderson, University of Nebraska; Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota; and Elaine Bailey, University of Maryland.

Collaborating with national experts, the HorseQuest team has developed and maintained www.extension.org/horses, which provides information about horse health, care, management and training through interactive learning lessons, webinars, basic information and “Ask an Expert.”

Congratulations to Christine, Karen and the other members of the HorseQuest team. This is a great example of collaborating between partners in education as well as the use of innovative technology to reach the goal of educating the public. Thank you for your leadership.

Read more about the award and eXtension HorseQuest here.

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Tagged as ask an expert, award, Awards, betsy greene, christine skelly, communities of practice, CoP, department of animal science, elaine bailey, excellence in teamwork, excellence in teamwork award, eXtension, horsequest, horsequest community of practice, joint council of extension professionals, karen waite, kathy anderson, krishona martinson, michigan state, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msu global, my horse university, university of maryland, university of minnesota, university of nebraska, university of vermont

by tomcoon | August 18, 2011 · 9:38 am

eXtension selected for Google for Nonprofits program

The single nationwide Web presence for Cooperative Extension, eXtension, is another way U.S. land-grant universities provide objective and research-based information and learning opportunities that help people improve their lives.

Since the time our Michigan State University Extension eXtension Institutional Team (I-Team) was formed in Oct. 2009, we’ve made a lot of progress in the increased use and adoption of this Internet-based educational network by MSU Extension staff members and faculty. I’ve reported on that progress and even awards the I-Team has won for outstanding work with eXtension. Educators, specialists and faculty are answering questions on Ask An Expert, leading and participating in Communities of Practice (CoPs) and offering many professional webinars nationally through eXtension.

Recently, eXtension gained additional resources to further strengthen the interactive learning environment as our national “front door.” The eXtension Foundation, which exists to support the work of the national eXtension Initiative, has been selected to participate in the Google for Nonprofits program. Participating in the program gives eXtension access to a free or discounted version of Google Apps (applications). Through the Google grants program, eXtension will get free Adwords advertising and appear as an advertiser on Google search results pages, and have premium branding and increased uploads on YouTube as well as access to other applications. These products and resources will allow us to reach more potential donors or partners, raise awareness and improve business operations. Read about it here.

The initial CoPs involved in the Google grants program will be DAIReXNET; Families, Food and Fitness; and Just in Time Parenting. Other CoPs will be included as knowledge and experience in participating in the nonprofits program is gained.

Read more about the Google for Nonprofits Program: http://www.google.com/nonprofits/.

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Tagged as Adwords, ask an expert, branding, communities of practice, CoPs, dairexnet, eXtension, eXtension Foundation, eXtension institutional team, families, food and fitness, Google Apps, google for nonprofits, google for nonprofits program, Google grants, I Team, just in time parenting, michigan state, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue, web, webinars, YouTube

by tomcoon | July 7, 2011 · 2:19 pm

Michigan State eXtension shines nationally

Michigan State University Extension came off a winner at the 2011 National CoP (Communities of Practice) Workshop in Louisville, Ky., June 29, earning both a team award and an individual award for work with eXtension, the nationwide collaborative web presence for Cooperative Extension.

The Institutional Teams from MSU and the University of Missouri received the first ever Be Grow Create awards for outstanding work in advocating for and integrating eXtension into their respective institutions. The award recognizes outstanding teams for planning, creativity, organized activities, web conference attendance, director interaction and institutional engagement.

Team members are Wayne Beyea, Ruth Borger, Erica Ciupak, Kathe Hale, Michelle Rodgers, Chris Skelly, Lela Vandenberg and Liz Wells. Glenn Pape and Erica Tobe were also team members the first year the team was organized in 2009.

The Institutional Team, known as the I-Team, has made significant strides in the two years since its inception. Most notable are the increases in eXtension IDs, Ask an Expert (AaE) resolved questions and CoP membership. An eXtension ID allows an educator or specialist to contribute to eXtension by answering questions or collaborating with CoPs. Given the strength and commitment of the team’s members and their ongoing effort to promote eXtension involvement, these increases should continue.

Lela Vandenberg, senior MSU Extension specialist, was one of three recipients of eXtension’s first Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team Member award. The award recognizes her responsiveness and engagement with MSU on behalf of eXtension, her role in institutional team development and sustainability, and eXtension advocacy.

As chair, Lela has been the driving force behind the eXtension I-Team. She created a series of how-to handouts that have been shared widely. Her online AaE experiential training has dramatically increased staff involvement. More than 150 people have taken the hands-on course. After training, staff members feel competent and excited to answer questions on AaE.

Lela has shown herself to be a tremendous advocate for eXtension. She’s presented at professional association meetings and statewide conferences to introduce eXtension to the MSUE community, encouraging participation. Lela has worked with the marketing and promoting subcommittee to recruit faculty and staff involvement. Through her leadership, MSU eXtension IDs have gone from 30 in 2008 to 223 in the first six months of 2011.

The I-Team with Lela at the helm is helping to carry out two of the principles of our redesign – increasing responsiveness and adopting emerging technologies. Clearly, we are doing both with eXtension and winning awards in the process.

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Tagged as aae, ask an expert, Awards, be grow create, be grow create awards, chris skelly, communities of practice, CoP, erica ciupak, erica tobe, eXtension, eXtension awards, glenn pape, I Team, institutional teams, kathe hale, lela vandenberg, liz wells, michelle rodgers, michigan state, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue, National CoP Workshop, ruth borger, university of missouri, wayne beyea

by tomcoon | May 26, 2011 · 2:27 pm

eXtension earns an ‘A’ on report card

We have some exciting news to report regarding one of our principles of the redesign, “enhancing technology.” While there are many ways to measure our use of technology in carrying out our mission, one metric is the use of eXtension, the Internet-based collaborative environment where land-grand university content providers exchange research-based knowledge solving problems in real time. The 2010 report is out, and we’re surprised and encouraged by the progress we’ve made since our eXtension Institutional Team was formed in October 2009. This progress is thanks to many of YOU who are answering questions through Ask an Expert, leading and participating in Communities of Practice (CoP) with colleagues across the country, and offering national webinars to colleagues and the public. Here are some of the highlights of the most recent report comparing 2008–2010 data.

Metric	2008	2009	2010
Total Site Visits (number of individual sessions initiated by visitors to eXtension from Michigan)	25,626	54,069	66,589
Total Pageviews (number of pages viewed while at the eXtension site)	59,708	116,248	138,505
Answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions) Published by MSUE (peer reviewed and part of CoP)	35	17	58
Total Number of Questions Resolved by MSUE	152	264	723
eXtension IDs (total number of participating MSUE staff)	30	131	188

Additionally, Michigan State University is represented by 146 eXtension members in 29 of the 47 approved Communities of Practice. And there’s more! To see the total state and institutional report for Michigan for the year 2010, go to the following website: http://tinyurl.com/eXtensionreport

Also note that the Ask an Expert feature is now on the new MSU Extension website and Lela Vandenberg and Liz Wells are training an increasing number of individuals to respond to questions that come in through this feature as well as the Ask an Expert feature on the national website.

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Tagged as ask an expert, communities of practice, eXtension, eXtension institutional team, lela vandenberg, liz wells, michigan state, msu, msu extension, msue, redesign, technology

by tomcoon | May 5, 2011 · 11:30 am

MSU Extension lends expertise to eXtension webinars

Michigan State University Extension is now able to offer professional development webinars nationally through their eXtension “Learn” system. These are open to Extension colleagues from all states, and are recorded and archived on their Learn site: http://www.extension.org/learn. Land-grant university content providers exchange objective, research-based knowledge to solve real challenges in real time in eXtension, an Internet-based collaborative environment.

Jeannie Nichols, health and nutrition educator, and the MSU Extension Food Safety Team in the Health and Nutrition Institute will present a webinar on May 27 at 11:00 a.m. EST, explaining their new “MI Cottage Food Law: Food Safety” online training for those interested in selling cottage foods. This webinar is an overview of the training for Extension professionals from all states and those from Michigan who may want to encourage their clients to take it. The site for the 30-minute webinar is http://breeze.msu.edu/cottagefoodlaw/.

Another MSUE staff member, Brian Wibby, children and youth educator, will present the eXtension webinar, “PowerPoint – Friend or Foe?” on July 20 at 2 p.m. EST.

To view past webinars, go to eXtension Learn at http://www.extension.org/learn. Two previously offered by MSUE are included there: “Radon, Something You Can Live Without” by Jeannie Nichols and “Innovating with Social Media to Connect Communities: Learning from Disasters, Aiming for Resilience” by Theresa Bernardo, associate professor of veterinary medicine.

If YOU want to offer a professional development webinar to a national audience, contact Lela Vandenberg, senior Extension specialist, at vanden34@msu.edu.

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Tagged as brian wibby, eXtension, eXtension Learn, jeannie nichols, lela vandenberg, MI cottage food law, MI cottage food law: food safety, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue, online training, PowerPoint, professional development, radon, social media, theresa bernardo, webinar

by msuespotlight | July 15, 2010 · 5:16 pm

Prepare now for Fall Extension Conference

The Fall Michigan State University Extension Conference may be months away, but there are things you can do now to prepare. As you probably know by now, FEC10 is going to be our first virtual conference, and its success depends on all of us being up-to-speed on Web-based technologies such as Adobe Connect Pro, Skype, Adobe Connect 2 and others. All are taught in small groups in which you will receive a lot of personal attention.

Another highlight will be the concurrent national virtual conference that eXtension will be presenting during the same week. If you don’t find a program that suits your needs from our conference, you can always turn to eXtension to see what they are offering.

You can see the full schedule of professional development opportunities that MSUE provides here.

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Tagged as eXtension, fall conference, Fall Extension Conference, michigan state, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue

by tomcoon | May 27, 2010 · 12:02 pm

Orientation sessions, educators, specialists make eXtension successful

We’ve made progress in the six months Michigan State University Extension has been an eXtension pilot site. During the last six months, we have already answered 324 questions, as compared to 239 questions in the previous year. And we now have 44 people signed up to take on questions from our clients and stakeholders, as opposed to fewer than a dozen last year. This increase is due, in part, to the 30-minute orientation sessions Liz Wells and Lela Vandenberg have offered. Thank you to the 19 educators and specialists who have taken that session. And special thanks to those who have answered more than a few questions in the past year: Liz Wells, Chris Skelly, Mark Longstroth, Dan Pavuk, Judy Marteniuk, Karen Waite, Jenny O’Neal and Erica Tobe. We hope many more of you will sign up for future orientations and start answering questions. What better way to apply research-based information to the immediate concerns of our clients!

Are you still wondering what eXtension is and how to get involved? Get started by watching a nine-minute presentation by Michelle Rodgers and Lela Vandenberg explaining what it is and how to get started. Visit the eXtension site by going to the professional development website at http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=298464 and clicking on the eXtension and Online Learning circle. Then click on the first link: “Getting Started in eXtension.” There are many other resources to explore there as well.

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Tagged as eXtension, michigan state university, msu, msu extension, msue

by tomcoon | February 25, 2010 · 4:04 pm

Are you ready to be an eXtension expert?

One of the tools that we can use to help expand our online presence is eXtension, a national presence for Cooperative Extension where residents can find answers to questions that they have or information or training they need. Part of its appeal is that it links us and our programs with residents and Extension expertise from throughout the nation.

One of the tools in the eXtension toolkit is the “Ask an Expert” (AaE) function. This is a flexible system for receiving questions from the public through a “widget” that is placed on Web sites. The person who submits the question does so without regard for where the information comes from. Yet as they enter the eXtension site, the geographic location they are asking from is noted and adds context to their query. On the professional side of eXtension, AaE calls upon Extension professionals from across the country to provide answers to the questions. To ensure that we don’t have a logjam of responses and to ensure that the question gets a response, the system sorts through a list of Extension professionals who have agreed to serve as experts in their program areas and in whatever geographic ranges they wish to designate. If you as an Extension professional participate as an expert, you only receive questions in your specific areas of expertise – at least in theory. [We already have some folks registered as AaE Experts, and one whose expertise is in animal agriculture and environment received a question about Asian carp, so there are still some bugs to work out.] You can choose to accept questions from anywhere in the country, from only our state, or from only your local site. Questions are distributed among all those participating, so you’d typically receive a few questions per month, at most. [Master Gardener Volunteers and other non-Extension professionals can also be trained to answer questions in their specialty.]

Our eXtension “Institutional Team” would like to hear your thoughts about this function and how it makes sense for Michigan State University Extension to participate. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Its aim is to find out about your areas of expertise, your experience with Ask an Expert, your willingness to participate, and how the MSU eXtension Team, can help you get linked in.

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Tagged as eXtension, michigan state university, msu extension, msue

Tag Archives: eXtension

Working Differently in Extension – the rest of the story

MSU Extension poised to share expertise on volunteerism on national level

Two Extension specialists honored for teamwork in eXtension

eXtension selected for Google for Nonprofits program

Michigan State eXtension shines nationally

eXtension earns an ‘A’ on report card

Prepare now for Fall Extension Conference

Orientation sessions, educators, specialists make eXtension successful

Are you ready to be an eXtension expert?

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