The joy of Microbes!

Scientific American tells us a little about Microbes!

SciFi to Diversify!

There's a lot of material to cover in the average Biology class... A LOT. So much so that students can get burned out on taking in so much information, especially if that information is coming directly from the text book and the average worksheet. So, what can we as educators do to increase student engagement, get students to enjoy digging into a massive pile of content? One answer: using science fiction in popular books and films, such as The Martian, to introduce new material and create new unit environments for students to explore. Instead of introducing cellular process content in the manner that the textbook lays out, introduce films and other science media and tie the content to it. For instance, the teacher could create a hypothetical scenario where the students play the part of a scientist, trapped on Mars and trying to survive until a rescue ship can make the long trip to the red planet, much like Matt Damon's character in the film. To introduce those cellular processes, the teacher could pose a question to the student scientists: How do we grow food on Mars? This creates an original, applicable, and engaging learning environment that ties content to current events, making the content fun and relevant to the students. This question, "How do we grow food on Mars?", can introduce students to Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration, Human Nutrition, and even branch into basic plant morphology. There are many ways to tie the content in your classroom to exciting things going on in students' lives. Instead of plowing through that textbook, bring the content out of the book and into the real world!

Editing the Human Genome: Where do you stand?

According to many recent articles, scientists in the UK applying for permission to alter human embryos in order to increase their viability for in vitro fertilization. This certainly isn't the first time that genetic engineering has shown up in the news, but the debate over its ethics continues. Sure these proposed enhancements could potentially give infertile parents a higher chance of successfully conceiving a child, but at what cost? The enhanced embryonic cells are duplicated exponentially, passing on any genetic tampering to future cells and in some cases, future progeny. This is one of my and many others' concerns with genetic engineering: what are the long-term ramifications of this type of experimentation? There is a lot of grey area in this type of discussion and I would love to hear how you feel about the idea. If you have an opinion, leave a message in the comments below!

A Battle of Attrition - Time to Suit Up

One of my biggest concerns as a future educator is finding effective ways to motivate students to take an interest in Science and education in general. A student that isn't excited to be in your class or motivated to succeed in their education isn't likely to perform at their best. Since this is our goal as teachers, to unlock the full potential of our students, interest and motivation has been a big part of my lesson planning process. I think that science is a FASCINATING subject, but unfortunately, not everyone feels the same (crazy right!?). So, today I want to talk about one of the easiest ways to motivate your students. I'm sure that, like myself, many educators begin starry-eyed and idealistic, hoping to change the world one student at a time. Unfortunately, for some educators, this zeal is lost for a variety of reasons. How many of you remember sitting in a classroom with an instructor who seemed to have given up on motivating students and bringing excitement to their class? Students pick up on this easily and it has detrimental effects on student morale and performance. We as educators MUST continue to bring energy and excitement about our subjects to our classrooms or risk losing our students' interest. Now, not every student can be persuaded by the instructor's energy alone, but it can be pivotal to many. Don't give into the weathering effects of daily life, instead strive to be the driving force behind student motivation. If the instructor isn't motivated and excited to be in the class, how can we expect students to reciprocate? Student interest is a major factor effecting performance and can be affected simply by the instructor's classroom presence and energy level. Don't fall prey to disinterest or apathy! I had an instructor tell me yesterday, "Teachers have to be great actors", and this applies directly to the teacher's classroom persona. Sure, we all have bad days, bad mornings, and slumps in motivation, but we can't afford to let that affect the way we deal with students on a day-to-day basis. The show must go on, so put on your professional "happy face" and get inspired to inspire. It's time to fight the good fight and do all that we can to stay motivated in the classroom!

Professional Educational Organizations

      So, today I'm giving a quick speech about professional organizations for educators. I made this presentation to highlight some of the perks to becoming a member in one or more of these organizations. Groups like the National Association of Biology Teachers offer a multitude of resources related to Biology and Life Science education and will be a great tool for me during my time teaching. They even have a bioclub! I really look forward to some of the great opportunities that these organizations can offer, such as networking with other Biology teachers, keeping up with the latest methods and news, and conferences and workshops to gain the best skills. If you're an educator reading this, are you a member of any professional organizations? If so, tell me which ones in the comments below!

National Literacy Day!!!

Today, we focus on literacy. But wait, this is a science blog!!! So, how does literacy effect science education? We all remember being assigned chapters of text to read in science class and many of us actually read them! The unfortunate reality for many is that the average science textbook can be about as interesting to read as a VCR manual. This is especially true if one's reading skills are sub-par or one hasn't been shown the most effective ways to read and comprehend an "expository text". While fictions read in English and Literature classes offer a plethora of interesting stories, those bits of information presented in science textbooks tell an amazing tale of the richness and dynamic nature of scientific reality, albeit in dry and humorless fashion. As teachers, we should strive to make the information relatable to students and give them the tools to comprehend and use the information presented. Have you, as a science teacher, thought about implementing reading strategies into your lessons or methods? Since teachers do not generally have enough time to cover all the material they would like while in the classroom, this leaves them little choice but to assign reading to be taken home and completed solely by the student. This method is only effective if the students are able to effectively read and comprehend the text. Without the skills to do this, that textbook looks more and more like the manual above, not exactly thrilling. Take time today to look for ways to help improve your students' reading abilities as they will ultimately improve the students' overall academic performance in science and other subjects as well. Happy reading!

Links:
Question Answer Relationship Method
Promoting Critical Thinking with Science News

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

There are some really good points in this video. What can we do as individuals and organizations to make education more effective and applicable to peoples' lives? What is wrong with the current system and how can we fix it? I speak with people often about these questions and I get as many questions as I do answers. Watch the video and tell me what you think!

The journey begins! 

Today, I created a blog to keep track of my progress as a teacher and to share my thoughts with the web. This blog will showcase my philosophies in education and some of my personal interests that relate to education and science in general. Feel free to follow along and take this trip with me!