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April 2003
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Tools of the TradeBest Practices in Teen Pregnancy Prevention Practitioner HandbookFe Moncloa Marilyn Johns Elizabeth J. Gong Stephen Russell Faye Lee Estella West University of California Cooperative Extension IntroductionThe Best Practices in Teen Pregnancy Prevention Practitioner Handbook presents 10 best practices that the authors synthesized from the literature and from the field. Specifically, in developing the 10 "best practices" the authors:
The handbook was developed for community practitioners in an effort to enhance program content and delivery. The authors acknowledge that no single practice or intervention will work for all teens. Holistic, comprehensive, and flexible approaches are needed. The handbook is easy to read, and each best practice includes:
The appendix contains information on developmental assets, cognitive and social development of adolescents, and a referenced list of promising teen pregnancy prevention programs in the U.S. The 10 Best Practices
Distribution and UseThe authors distributed this handbook to schools, community-based and health agencies in their counties and with statewide partners. Authors have distributed this handbook through countywide teen pregnancy coalitions and national conferences such as BAPPS and CYFAR. Evidence of the usefulness of the handbook includes its use by San Mateo County Pregnancy Prevention network in developing criteria to award local grants. The authors used this handbook to partner with and educate six local teen pregnancy prevention programs, to strengthen their capacity to deliver improved programs by incorporating the "best practices" identified in this handbook. The authors provided technical assistance in the adoption and implementation of at least one "best practice" and in program evaluation. In this way, we renewed our historic role as providers of science-based information in response to a contemporary need in our communities. To order, send a check for $7.50 per copy payable to U.C. Regents to the address below: Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program
How to Create and Use an Interactive PowerPoint Quiz GameBarbara O'Neill This article describes a Jeopardy style interactive quiz game that can be developed using Microsoft PowerPoint software. There are several educational settings in which such a quiz could be beneficial to Extension educators including the following:
The first step in developing a PowerPoint quiz game is to construct the grid for a quiz with 25 boxes, five each labeled 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 (point values). This means that the slide presentation will have 51 slides: the game board (slide 1), followed by 25 question slides and 25 answer slides. Creating Grid GuidelinesTo get started, go to "View" and "Guides," and click the checkmark before "Guides." This will activate the guidelines, and you'll see a blank screen with a cross-like pattern that looks like a small "t." The "Ruler" command should also be activated if it is not already. Next, drag and drop the horizontal line, using the guidelines, so that there are lines at 0, 1.25, and 2.5. Do the same with the vertical lines, and set the guides at 0, 1.5, and 3. Then go to "Format" and "Background," and choose a solid color from the color wheel or a light-colored textured background from the box labeled "Fill Effects." Creating Game Show ButtonsThe next step is to construct the game show buttons (i.e., the squares for selecting the quiz questions). To do this, select the "AutoShapes" button on the "Draw" bar. Select "Action Buttons." Choose the blank square on the top left. Draw a rectangle to fit into the space in the first column, second row. Choose the same background for the AutoShape that you have on your slide. To create the remaining 24 buttons, place the mouse over the first button. Hold the control key down and the left mouse button down, and drag to copy the button into the other blank rectangles created by the gridlines. Leave the top row blank to insert text boxes for your five quiz category titles. Type in the point value of the questions: the first row is 100, the second row is 200, the third row is 300, the fourth row is 400, and the last row is 500. Each of the buttons will be used as a hyperlink to the appropriate answer slide. Inserting TextboxesThe next step is to insert the textboxes for the five quiz categories. Click on the "Textbox" button on the draw bar. Draw a textbox in the first grid rectangle in the top row. Hold the control button down, left click with the mouse, and drag and drop into each of the top row grid rectangles. These textboxes will contain the category titles. For example, in the quiz developed for the Cooperative Extension Investing For Your Future (IFYF) program, the five category titles are: Basic Terms, Ownership Assets, Fixed-Income Assets, Mutual Funds, and Investor Resources. These categories correspond to the main topics of the IFYF home study course, at <http://www.investing.rutgers.edu/>. Creating Game Show SlidesAfter the first slide (game board) is constructed, it is time to create a question slide and then a second slide for the answer to that question. This process will be repeated 24 times for a total of 25 questions and 25 answers to match the 25 squares on the game board. Users will click on the answer slide first and connect with the corresponding question slide, just like on the game show. Each question slide will then hyperlink back to the main Jeopardy game board (first slide). To do this, choose any AutoShape hyperlink button (e.g., arrows), and add it to the question slide. Answer slides should have the title "The Answer Is" typed on them, and question slides should include the title "The Question Is." Use the text box function to create these titles. After the first answer/question slides are created, the remaining 24 sets can be copied and pasted in slide sorter view. The even-numbered quiz slides (2,4,6, etc.) are answer slides, and the odd-numbered slides (3, 5, 7, etc.) are question slides. Starting with slide 2 and continuing through slide 51, each answer and question sequence follows one another (e.g., answer, question, answer, question, etc.). It is advisable to write out your 25 quiz questions in advance, by category, referring to appropriate research-based information sources as needed. Then prioritize the questions so that the hardest questions garner the most points. You may also want to pre-test the quiz questions with clients or co-workers to check for ease of understanding. To hyperlink each answer slide to the main game board, go back to the main game board (slide 1). In slide view, click on the question button first (e.g., 100 point button in row 1). Then click on "Slide Show," "Action Settings," and "Slide." You'll see a dialog box with the numbers of all of the slides in the presentation. Pick out the even-numbered slide number that corresponds to the appropriate button on the game board. You will always be linking a game board button to an even-numbered (answer) slide. Starting with the 100-point answer button in the category in the top left corner, link to slide 2, which contains the text for the first answer. The 200-point question beneath it would follow next in sequence. Work down the point values in a particular category as you construct your slide show and then across to the next category, ending up with the 500 point value question on the bottom button on the far right side of the game board. Completing the Interactive QuizOnce your slides are hyperlinked, it is then time to type in the text for each question and answer, again using the text box function of PowerPoint. Add digital clip art or photos as appropriate to enhance the appearance of your slides, but don't overdo it. An excessive number of graphics or animations on each slide can detract from the overall message. Often, "less is more." Font sizes and styles and colors should be uniform throughout the presentation, and the typeface should be easy to read from a distance. The final step is to check all the links and make sure that they work correctly so that each game board button links to a different question. Go into slide show view, and run the program as if you were delivering the presentation as a class lecture. If there are presentation problems, go back to "Action Settings," and check for errors. Also be sure to run a final spell-check and proofread a hard copy of the presentation slides, which can be distributed to participants after an activity. It also should be noted that additional slides cannot be added to the body of a quiz show presentation once the hyperlinks are established. This would destroy the sequencing of the program slides. Additional slides can be added at the end, however, such as a slide with contact information for the Extension educator or the organization's Web site address. Simply don't press the "Auto Shape" hyperlink button on the last question slide when you are presenting the quiz, so that you can access these additional slides. SummaryIn summary, interactive PowerPoint quizzes are a fun and creative way of delivering information to Extension clientele. They can be used in a variety of educational settings to stimulate interest in a topic. This article has provided step-by-step instructions to create a Jeopardy style quiz game using Microsoft PowerPoint software. Busy Extension educators who would rather work from an existing template can also contact the author to purchase a CD-ROM containing the interactive PowerPoint quiz that was developed for the Cooperative Extension Investing For Your Future program. The CD-ROM also includes another file containing 51 hyperlinked slides with blank textboxes.
"Welcome to the Real World" Positively Affects Youth Financial Management Skills, Knowledge, and AttitudesMarnie Spencer Barbara Petty Janice Stimpson Lorie Dees Linette Riley University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System BackgroundHigh school students lack financial knowledge and skills necessary to make wise financial decisions. The results of a nationwide survey measuring knowledge of personal finance basics of 12th grade students showed that only 50.2% of the questions were answered correctly (Financial Literacy News, 2002). According to the American Savings Education Council, only 15% of students surveyed reported that they understand savings, investing, credit, and budgeting very well. Even though personal financial courses are available, only 35% of students have taken them (American Savings Education Council, 1999). Youth are not always aware of how their career choices may affect their earning power. Earning power has an effect on lifestyle choices. A census bureau survey conducted between March 1998 and March 2000 indicated the lifetime earnings from $821,000 for a high school graduate to more than $3 million for a professional degree-holder (U.S. Census Bureau). Sound financial decisions and good financial management are imperative if youth are to be successful contributors to the well-being of the community in which they live. Money management is one of the most important life skills to be learned. Learning by experience in this field can be very expensive. Even though youth may be employed and receive a salary, they lack the knowledge and ability to make the lifestyle choices necessary for successful money management. Area financial institutions report that many high school graduates do not have adequate training in financial management. They indicated a need for education in the areas of proper check writing, check book balancing, and making appropriate spending decisions. County advisory committees also identified financial management as a need for Extension programming. Our ResponseTo better prepare teens for financial decisions ahead, Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Extension Educators in Idaho's Upper Snake River Valley chose a career choice/financial management program for youth from the University of Illinois, "Welcome to the Real World." They then adapted it to make it appropriate for Idaho. This program is an active, hands-on experience that gives teens a chance to explore career opportunities and make lifestyle and budget choices similar to those faced by adults on a daily basis. In the simulation, participants assume they are 25 years old, single, and on their own and have completed basic education requirements. Students receive instruction and go through the process of putting money in a savings account, depositing money in a checking account, writing a check properly, and balancing a checkbook. Students discuss factors that influence career choices and randomly select a career for this activity. When they have determined their net income, they begin to make choices for housing, transportation, insurance, groceries, etc. Each category has several options worth varying amounts of money based on prices in the local geographical location. For each category, students make a choice, write out a check, and balance their checkbook. At the end of the exercise, they draw a "chance card" that reflects emergency expenditures or unplanned income requiring budget adjustment. Team members alternate between teaching the program and assisting students. Team members consist of Extension educators, 4-H program assistants, and community financial professionals. The program takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to teach and can be taught in one or more sessions. Goals of this program are to:
AchievementsSince 1998, 1,450 eighth grade to twelfth grade students in six Idaho counties and the Fort Hall Indian Reservation have participated in "Welcome to the Real World." Participants were surveyed to measure skills learned, knowledge gained, and attitudes changed in financial management and career choices. Results of the survey are:
The survey also asked what skills participants learned that they did not have before taking the class. Results indicate that:
Students made comments about the program on their evaluation. Here are a few of the comments we received.
Conclusion"Welcome to the Real World" positively influences the financial management skills, knowledge, and attitudes of youth in Idaho's Upper Snake River Valley. Each year the program has been taught, it has reached an increasing number of students and classes in both traditional high schools and alternative settings. Family and Consumer Sciences Extension educators from throughout the state of Idaho are implementing the program. Through this program, Idaho youth have been taught financial skills necessary for success in the "real world." ReferencesAmerican Savings Education Council. (1999). Financial
understanding and money management: Perception vs.
reality among students. Available at: Financial Literacy News. (2002). Survey says: Personal finance savvy of high school students is on decline. Spring, 2002, Volume 4, Issue 2. U.S. Census Bureau. (2002). The big payoff: Educational
attainment and synthetic estimates of work-life earnings.
Available at:
Using Speed Dating Techniques to Enliven and Improve Conferences and WorkshopsLarry Lev IntroductionAdmit it--you wish your workshops and conferences were livelier. Often the most animated interactions and the most valuable learning take place during breaks, meals, and receptions. Extending these unstructured networking periods provides one way to improve these events. But another, underutilized means for strengthening them is by carefully integrating structured networking periods into the conference schedule. At Oregon State University we have begun using variations on the "speed dating" model (just another name for structured networking) in a wide variety of settings. The results have been excellent. Sessions in conferences and workshops, whether keynote addresses, panels, or town hall meetings, share a common characteristic: one person at a time speaks, and everyone else is expected to listen. After hours in that role, it is little wonder that participants pour out into breaks, hungry for conversation. As an antidote, Robert Chambers, in his superb book Participatory Workshops, proposes the "buzz": "So easy. So underused. Invite participants to buzz with others next to them--about what has just been covered or done, an issue that has arisen, the agenda. The immediate wake-up often includes learning by talking." Speed dating takes these conversations a step further by focusing on a specific topic of interest and by recognizing that individuals fill different roles in many conversations. The original speed dating was introduced as a way of promoting a safe and quick way of meeting a broad variety of date candidates. (A simple "Google search" will uncover many examples.) Speed Mentoring ExampleThe Oregon Farmers' Market Association (OFMA) holds an annual conference to educate market managers about current issues. A panel of veteran market managers providing tips and suggestions has always been valuable, but it suffers from a format that is too similar to all the other sessions. At the 2003 meeting, OFMA replaced the panel with "Speed Mentoring." The entire group divided itself into two categories--experienced managers and inexperienced managers. (Some juggling had to be done to make the two groups of equal size.) Worksheets were passed out to serve as discussion starters. The inexperienced managers listed market management issues/problems they wanted to discuss. The experienced managers listed three significant lessons they had learned in managing markets. The experienced mangers lined up against one wall (think an 8th grade dance), and then the inexperience managers selected one for a conversation. Instantly, the group of 28 managers who had listened attentively for nearly 2 hours to invited experts formed 14 pairs and went at it. The room became noisy and active. Energy was sky high. After 10 minutes, a signal was given. The experienced managers stayed put, while the inexperienced rotated one station. Instructions were given to talk about either the same topics (since different people might have different views) or new ones. Without delay, new, intense discussions began. After a second period had passed, this conversation was closed, and the speed mentoring ended. It was a tremendous networking and shared learning opportunity. Furthermore, the change of pace played a valuable role in the day. Speed Dating ExampleA more classic version of speed dating was used during the Farmer-Chef Connection, an educational event that seeks to foster better relationships between chefs and individual farmers. The traditional format for this program was a mix of speeches, panels, and workshops, along with long breaks that featured outstanding food provided by the farmers and prepared by the chefs. The primary workshop goal of making new matches largely was accomplished during the breaks. At the most recent conference, the organizers inserted a speed dating session in the dreaded after-lunch slot on the agenda. Both groups were given worksheets that listed the types of information they might want to share. In advance, the chefs had been told to bring their menus, and the farmers instructed to bring their crop lists. Using the 8th grade dance model, the chefs line up against the wall, and the farmers went over and chose an initial "date." If it had been a smaller group (there were more than 80 participants), the chefs would have given a brief introduction so that farmers would have been better able to target their speed dates. In introducing the speed dating session, we deliberately downplayed getting to actual deals and instead discussed these desired objectives/outcomes:
As it turns out, the objectives were needlessly conservative. All participants easily accomplished these three goals, and many actively engaged in deal making. After 10 minutes, we rang a bell and gave the instruction, "Shake hands and move on." After three rounds, we called a halt. A show of hands revealed that all felt that they had made useful business contacts. No complaints were heard about being sleepy from the spectacular lunch. Participants had renewed energy to face the afternoon workshops. In ClosingThese two examples demonstrate that pairing up people with a purpose can achieve excellent learning and networking results. The event organizer gives up control of the actual content of the interactions, but that is a small price to pay. Why don't we do more of this? ReferencesChambers, R. (2002). Participatory workshops: A sourcebook of 21 sets of ideas and activities. London: Earthscan.
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