FSMA Produce Grower Training Slide Set

Summary

This product is intended as an alternative delivery mode for presenting the PowerPoint slides developed by the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA). It was designed to be particularly useful at produce safety workshops aimed at plain sect (Amish) growers who do not prefer computer training or where electrical connections are not available. However, the books can be used in any situation where access to projectors is inconvenient.

The slide book presents the same material found in the PSA PowerPoint slides, with some adaptations of images and word emphases made so they are viewable in book form. It is not intended to replace the PSA Grower Training Manual, a copy of which is still required to receive the course certificate. The slide numbers in the book correspond to those in the PSA Grower Manual, so it is easy to simultaneously follow along in the manual. The slide books are 3-ring bound on durable paper so that they may be collected at the end of the workshop and re-used at future events. 

Up to 20 copies of this slide book can be ordered for free plus shipping. Email lfl5@psu.edu for a discount code before placing your order.

Teaching Tips

The slide books have been piloted at several PSA FSMA certification workshops that were exclusively attended by Amish growers. We have found that a single slide book can be shared between two students. This helps reduce the number of books needed and thus decreases training costs. There are some mechanical differences between using the slide books versus what has now become the standard PowerPoint projected presentations, so we recommend that trainers review the books prior to using them. We have found that it is easiest to teach off the PSA grower manual, making regular and frequent references to the slide number so that participants are kept in synch with the two books. Placing a teacher's copy of the slide book at an elevated position, such as on a box, is useful to avoid losing eye contact with participants. We found that the 3-ring slide books can be laid flat on the table, although it may be beneficial to supply blocks of wood place under the tops of the binders for a better viewing angle.

We eliminated some pictures and enlarged others that didn't look clear enough printed in black and white in the PSA Grower Manual. So, we recommend planning ahead to make notes in your Grower Manual whenever it is particularly advantageous to refer to the color enlargements in the slide book. Encourage participants to use their yellow highlighter pens as specific points in the workshop you think should be emphasized.

We have found the slide book method to be more fun to teach than the PowerPoint presentations. We hope you have the same experience.

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