State Programs
State Summary 2011 — Oklahoma
State Contact
Ms. Dana Bessinger
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
2800 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
P: 405.795.0121
E: dana.bessinger@ag.ok.gov
Website
Classroom Resources
Counting Sheep http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/countsheep.pdf Sorghum Feeds Cattle http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/sorghum.pdf Reading Wild Plants http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/upper/hybrid.pdf Good Grapes http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/grapes.pdf Just Peachy http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/peaches.pdf Oklahoma's Other Oilfields http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/upper/oilseeds.pdf Bandana Apron http://www.clover.okstate.edu/fourh/aitc/lessons/extras/recipes/apron.html Oklahoma's Bountiful Harvest Recipes, Games, and Activites Flip Chart Harvest of the Month Poster Set
Major Program Accomplishments or Outputs
Action Agriculture Across Oklahoma DVD
Ag Day poster, essay, bulletin board and storyboard contests, culminating in Ag Day celebration at the capitol
Workshops and in service training statewide
Summer tours for professional development
Statewide At in the Classroom teacher conference
Major Program Impacts or Outcomes
100 percent of the lessons on Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom web site are aligned to the Oklahoma Priority Academic Student skills and updated regularly.
96 percent of Pre-K-8th grade teachers received curriculum to incorporate agriculture literacy into their classroom curriculum.
50 percent of attendees at six OK State Dept of Education conferences learned how to include agriculture literacy into their curriculums.
Presentations at 85 percent of the state education conferences.
100% of the pre-service agriculture education teachers and elementary teachers at three state universities learned the importance of teaching agriculture literacy.
19 percent of Pre-K through 8th educators and cooperative extension educators received updated OAITC information and lessons each month through the OAITC web site.
OAITC resources sent to 100 percent (all 77) counties in Oklahoma as requested by teachers and cooperative extension educators.
99 percent of the teachers submitting grant proposals met the qualifications and were awarded up to $300 each.
Biosketch
Dana Bessinger is a coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Market Development Division program Ag in the Classroom. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent Science who taught middle school life science and also a stint in first grade. Dana has been involved in education for 26 years. She has provided professional development for teachers across the state, presented at state and national conferences, developed resources and written lessons for Ag in the Classroom. Dana has a BS in Education and a Masters of Agriculture from Oklahoma State University. Her husband Barry is a VP for Chisholm Trail Farm Credit. She has two sons and one grandson.