Please share a little about yourself, family, education, career, etc.
My name is Jessica Brogley. I am married with two children. I teach courses in educational technology in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. For years I taught high school English, but my bread and butter is now in supporting future teachers in learning how to leverage technology for learning in school. I also own my own businesses where I travel to schools supporting teachers and generating ideas for learning.
When you were growing up what did you want to be?
I remember wanting to be a teacher sometime before I was 12. I would bribe my brother with baseball cards to be my student, and I would teach him whatever I thought he needed to know. I remember reading about football in our encyclopedia set because he was about to begin football that fall. I thought it would be good to prepare him a bit with a series of worksheets. Thankfully, I’ve come a long way.
You received a scholarship from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in June. The conference helps educators learn how to incorporate real-life agricultural applications into science, social studies, language arts, math and nutrition lessons. Scholarship recipients were judged on their past use of innovative programs to educate students about agriculture as well as plans to implement information gained at the NAITC conference in their own lesson plans and share the information with other teachers and volunteer educators. What are some of the innovative programs that you highlighted in your application?
As a teacher of educational technology and an advocate for agricultural education, I’m afforded the opportunity to inspire and support any future teacher by looking at subject matter through an agricultural lens. I’ve supported our students by helping organize the ag-education tent at the Grant County Fair. Because I’m new to Farm Bureau and Ag in the Classroom, many of my goals focus on what I want to do in the future.
What do you hope to gain by attending the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference? How will you use these tools and ideas with the Grant County Ag in the Classroom Program?
By attending the national conference I am hoping to connect with other educators and gain a more diverse understanding of agriculture. What I learn, comes back to the county to be shared with local teachers and our pre-service teachers in the School of Education, especially those entering elementary education.
What is one agricultural experience that has defined you?
I suppose an agricultural experience that’s defined me would be when we, as a family, began our own goat herds. With almost no knowledge, the kids and I trucked home with goats in tow and, my goodness, have we been learning!
Briefly share your mission with Brogley Acres, LLC.
Our mission at Brogley Acres, LLC. is to support our kids as they raise their registered Nigerian Dwarf and Boer goats as part of their 4-H and FFA projects. Additionally, we are also licensed by the state to sell farm fresh eggs on home delivery and at farmers markets. Really, our goals, as parents, were to instill solid work ethics and to give our kids a foundational knowledge of animal husbandry and the livestock industry.
What is one Farm Bureau experience that you are most proud of?
Well, I’m new to Farm Bureau, but being able to lead the Grant County Ag in the Classroom program means a lot to me in that I’m able to support teachers as they ponder ways to integrate concepts of agriculture into their curriculum.
What is something that many Farm Bureau members do not know about you?
Something many Farm Bureau members don’t know is that I did not grow up on a farm. We had various animals, but more so for a hobby.
By Marian Viney, originally appeared in the June|July 2022 Rural Route.
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