Summer Workshop Testimonials

The neuroscience workshop provided an interesting array of topics related to the field, and it was valuable to meet and work with teachers from different districts and disciplines. I intend to use what I learned back at my own school, introducing my colleagues to these ideas and helping them to integrate the activities I learned. I also intend to see if other teachers are interested in leading a field trip to the MRI facility.

I have always been interested in the brain and nervous system, and so I was looking to learn more about the current research and how I can apply it to the way my students learn. Through this workshop, I was exposed to some great laboratory exercises that I can easily integrate into my instruction. It also gave me insight into how to tweak the labs I currently do, and make them more engaging for my students. I am excited to return back to my school and share some of the experiences that I learned. I am planning to meet with colleagues in my department to talk to them about how we can work these activities into our curriculum.

I’ve attended the workshops out of personal interest, and to network with other teachers. I’ve gained the ability to share snippets of information and experiences with my students. This adds both richness and substance to my teaching practices, and connects students with the real-world implications of information “in the textbook.” Very few of the labs have been immediately applicable to my practice, but having done them enables me to do a better job designing investigations for my students.

Over the years, I’ve been able to use the biology I learned during the summer workshops to build curricula for my own classroom. Most memorable were the years where we looked at bacterial growth, biofuels and neuroscience. I have my honors students do a long-term project on bacterial growth that has incorporated knowledge from the workshops, and I do a lesson on biofuels in my AP environmental science class. During the summers, I use the spiker boxes to measure action potentials in human muscle contractions.

The workshop curriculum is incredibly enriching and reflects the latest research. It is intellectually and professionally stimulating to be surrounded by like-minded, passionate peers. I’ve woven workshop content throughout my classes, using prepared slides to demonstrate morphogenesis in class, and the StarGenetics program to reinforce Mendelian genetics. It is important for my students to see that despite my advancing age, I consider myself — above all — a learner, and that I am deeply interested in science.

The workshops helped me become a better, more knowledgeable teacher — I could cite current research and was aware of recent discoveries. During the workshops, I performed labs using state-of-the-art equipment, collaborated with other teachers, and developed hands-on activities to use in my classroom. I have access to curricula developed by other workshop participants online, as well as lectures by experts, and have shared many of the curricula with my colleagues.