Validation & Implementation of a Coordinated Precision Agricultural Curriculum with K-12, Community Colleges, Universities and Industry

精准农业被定义为新兴技术的所有方面，例如生物技术，计算机/电信，动物技术和精准农业，允许农学家组织和维护数据，以便做出关于精确生产单位的决策。 豪克耶社区学院获得了为期两年的农业和食品技术应用科学副学士学位，这是由国家科学基金会（NSF）资助的第一阶段项目。 豪克耶社区学院沿着柯克伍德社区学院和兰辛社区学院目前正在中西部验证和实施协调的精准农业课程。 这种精准农业模型设计结合了精准农业，环境科学和地理信息系统的模块和课程，以应用数学和科学课程为核心，以增强农业和食品技术课程。 因此，这增加了农业和食品技术课程的灵活性，供中西部的其他社区学院使用。 另外五所参与的中西部社区学院正在开发一个证书课程，实施当前的课程，或将农业技术课程整合到当前的农业课程中。 每个参与的社区学院都与K - 12学校和大学建立了联系。 通过将这一课程的使用扩大到K - 12学校，可以通过应用精确农业来提高数学和科学技能。 正在为职前教师和在职教师举办精确农业技术讲习班和会议，以协调关于教育水平之间衔接的讨论。 这一努力的结果是一个协调的精准农业课程，提供了一个无缝的职业道路，同时提供技术先进的职业所需的数学和科学技能。

Precision agriculture is defined as all aspects of the new emerging technologies, such as biotechnology, computers/telecommunications, animal technology, and precision farming that allow an agriculturalist to organize and maintain data for maiing decisions about precise production units. A two year Associate of Applied Science Degree in Agriculture and Food Technology was achieved by Hawkeye Community College as a Phase I project funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Hawkeye Community College along with Kirkwood Community College and Lansing Community College is currently validating and implementing a coordinated precision agriculture curriculum in the Midwest. This precision agriculture model design incorporates modules and courses in precision farming, environmental science, and geographic information systems with a core of applied mathematics and science courses to augment the Agriculture and Food Technology curriculum. Thus, this increases the flexibility of the Agriculture and Food Technology curriculum for use by other community colleges in the Midwest. Five additional participating Midwestern community colleges each are developing a certificate program, implementing the current program, or integrating the agriculture technology program into current agricultural programs. Each of the participating community colleges is forming a linkage with K - 12 school(s) and a university. By expanding the use of this curriculum to K - 12 schools, mathematics and science skills can be enhanced through application of precision agriculture. Preservice teachers and current teachers are being offered workshops in precision agriculture technology and conferences to coordinate discussion on articulation between educational levels. An outcome of this effort is a coordinated Precision Agriculture curriculum that provides a seamless career pathway while providing mathematics and science skills necessary for technological advanced careers.