the Portico
“Our mission is to enhance the relationship between the University and its alumni and friends and promoted pride and commitment within the University Community.”Grad Brings Social Media to Class
You can find Philip Shaw, B.Sc.(Agr.) ’81 and M.Sc. ’89, on Twitter as @agridome discussing commodity prices and the latest in farm machinery. This term, you could also find the senior grain analyst in the senior farm planning class at Ridgetown Campus, sharing his career insights with students.
“I was invited to discuss with them the opportunities that come with a career in agriculture,” he says. “My message was to have a vision for where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.”
While Shaw normally uses the social media site to help farmers market crops by tracking the going rates for corn, wheat and soybeans, for his in-class presentation he went live, asking nearly 2,700 followers what he should be telling the students. It was a unique angle, and to his knowledge, a first using the technology in the Ridgetown class.
“Twitter lit up,” he says. “It was an incredible experience – I think for them and certainly for me. A pin could drop – the students were transfixed.”
“Hope is in short supply,” he continues. “This was a giving back thing I was happy to do. My educational experience at Guelph was the most dynamic thing I ever did. It taught me there are no limits. As an older person, giving hope and vision to young people is incredibly valuable.”
