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Thursday, November 5, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST
Preparing Students for the AI-Powered Ag Tech Workforce: Real-World STEM Connections
Presented by Dr. Deborah Crawford, Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics, Frederick County Public Schools (VA); Dr. Laura Rice, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, Penn State University; and Alan Ireland, Brand Marketing Lead, CodeVA
Sponsored by Pitsco Education
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Farms already run on sensors, drones, and data. The students who will work on them need to understand agriculture and know how to work alongside AI. The goal isn’t training kids on one tool. It’s helping them think critically, solve real problems, and keep up as the industry changes.
In this edWebinar, Dr. Deborah Crawford, Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics at Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia; Dr. Laura Rice, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education at Penn State University; and Alan Ireland, Brand Marketing Lead at CodeVA, will share how educators can prepare students for careers in agricultural technology (Ag Tech). Learn how AI, math, computer science, and real farm challenges come together to make STEM feel relevant to students.
You’ll leave with practical ways to introduce students to AI-powered industries and connect what they learn in class to the work happening in fields and greenhouses today. This edWebinar will be of interest to elementary through high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders.
About the Presenters
Dr. Deb Crawford is the Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics for Frederick County Public Schools. She serves as a Facilitator with the Virginia Data Science teacher cohort, served on the VDOE course development Data Science team, chairs the Shenandoah Valley Computer Science Regional Partnership, and teaches mathematics education courses at George Mason University. A Past President of the Virginia Council of Math Supervision (VCMS), 2025 Virginia Computer Science Educator of the Year, and 2026 VCMS Mathematics Leader of the Year, she is currently co-PI of the GMU/Frederick Data Science and Computing Lab School. She has co-authored a book chapter in Navigating Issues of Equity in PK-12 Schools Through Research-Practice Partnerships: Stories From the Field and numerous articles and books. She is most interested in designing learning experiences that equip all students with the skill set needed for their futures in a global society.
Dr. Laura Rice is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Extension Education in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education at Penn State University. Her teaching, research, and outreach focus on educator development, technology integration, global learning, and workforce preparation within agricultural education. She prepares future agriculture teachers and supports practicing educators in designing meaningful, learner-centered experiences that connect agricultural knowledge with real-world applications.
Through collaborative initiatives, including the USDA-funded Microcontroller Minds project, Dr. Rice helps educators integrate agricultural technology, computational thinking, and problem solving into their classrooms. Her work emphasizes equipping teachers to help students understand emerging technologies, evaluate their applications, and adapt to changing workforce demands. She brings a teacher preparation perspective to conversations about AI-enabled agriculture, emphasizing the importance of disciplinary knowledge, critical thinking, and intentional instruction in preparing students to work effectively with intelligent technologies.
Alan Ireland is a marketing and communications professional at CodeVA with a background in product innovation, human-centered design, and user experience. He holds a master’s degree in product innovation from Virginia Commonwealth University’s da Vinci Center, where he studied interdisciplinary approaches to design, entrepreneurship, and innovation. In his work at CodeVA, he applies UX research and design practices to better understand educator needs and shape products, programs, and experiences around the people who use them.
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Pitsco Education has been bringing hands-on STEM learning to K-12 classrooms for more than 50 years. Based in Pittsburg, Kansas, Pitsco creates kits, curricula, and programs that help students learn by doing, from building drones and coding robots to collecting real data from plants and soil.
Pitsco’s tools are made for teachers. Lessons come with clear guides and standards alignment, so educators can bring new technology into their classrooms with confidence, whether they’re STEM veterans or just getting started.
Pitsco’s goal is simple, to help students build the skills and confidence to solve real problems and step into the careers shaping their communities and the world.
