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A 3 week intensive lab course in molecular biology: supporting teachers and encouraging labs.
Author(s) -
Rose Robert B
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.15.2
Subject(s) - curiosity , class (philosophy) , mathematics education , psychology , medical education , computer science , medicine , social psychology , artificial intelligence
I teach an intensive 3 week lab course in molecular biology for teachers. The purpose of the course is 1) to develop teachers' lab skills, 2) to support teachers' scientific curiosity, 3) to encourage teachers to do more labs in their classrooms. Labs are anticipated to foster students' interest and appreciation of science. During the course we clone the jellyfish gene, GFP, into E coli and generate glowing bacteria. We introduce techniques as they are carried out in a research lab, with applications geared to secondary schools. Labs are generally guided, though teachers also carry out an open inquiry lab. Teachers also develop their own labs. This opportunity is invaluable since teachers normally lack the time, resources and support to develop labs. The class is organized in conjunction with the science education department, providing masters students with lab experience for science credit. The teachers who have taken the class are genuinely excited about science, and welcomed the opportunity to develop their skills. Even so, barriers remain for teachers to do more labs in their classrooms including time constraints, standardized testing, access to equipment, and large classroom size. This project supported by an NSF Career Award.