NABT BioBlog » kbrown

Using an Online Community

kbrown — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:07:58 +0000

When teachers go online, one of the things that they are looking for is great resources for teaching. If each teacher were to find just one of their favorite resources that they always point their students towards, then together we could amass an amazing list of great teaching tools that we can all untilize. I think that with a list of great sites to visit we might all be a little more enthusiastic to teach with these new ideas and experiences for our students. I think we can use a blog to explore sites and tools especially in areas that our students struggle.

I will start with just two. There are some great annotated web links that help our students understand concepts. Go to http://nhscience.lonestar.edu/biol/bio1int.htm and look at the organized list of animations that Lone Star College has put together. This would take some time and my students love to look at these animations from across the web.

The second site is the Genetics Education Center at Kansas University Medical Center. Debra Collins has been updating this site for years and it is a great source for all things Genetic. http://www.kumc.edu/gec/

Check these out. If you have not visited them, do so and share some of your own.

I hope you are all having a great start to your year.

Kirk

Community Involvement

kbrown — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:25:51 +0000

In an era when science changes on a daily basis, it is so important to have opportunities for the involement of the community in the explorations made by our students. When so much focus has been placed upon the mastery of content standards, sometimes educators tend to swing right along with the pendulum. There are many ways in which we can involve our local community. In doing so, we engage them in the on-going learning that we all do as passionate teachers. One way that we can engage them is to ask for their help in mentoring our students as they conduct original research projects. These forays into true inquiry by our students are truly engaging for the teacher, student, and community mentor. Sometimes we assume that mentors need to be university professors, or scientific idustrial partners, but local business can also be utilized in any part of the country. Where I live, I have utilized local dairy farmers, partnering students as they explored protein content in milk from cows at various stages of lactation, or as they explored the evolution of bacteria in the guts of such bovines. Even the local Bee Keepers can be a great resource.

These partnerships are not onlybeneficial for the individuals involved, but are wonderful opportunities for much needed public relations opportunties. Eventhough I got a couple of bee stings out of the outing, the student’s comments after seeing drones, queen cells, and larvae make it all worth while. I just took this picture yesterday. Exploring the production of Defensin by Bees is a great partnership between these two people. The bee keeper is very interesting in organic farming practice, and the student is looking at the bee’s natural responses to infection. A match made in heaven.

Kirk Brown Intro

kbrown — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:02:08 +0000

Hi, My name is Kirk Brown and I have been a teacher for 22 years at Tracy High School in Tracy California. Since 1987 I have been teaching Higher Level International Baccalaureate Biology. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to teach so many outstanding students. I have taught long enough to have students graduate from some of the most prestigious universities in the world, become physicians, professors,teachers, lawyers, bankers, you name it, they have done it. Teaching is certainly a profession that has given so much to me. I’m sure you all agree, the success stories of our profession, makes all of the long hours, meetings, and work well worth it. Tracy High has about 25% of our students go to a 4 year college directly. One out of five are on free and reduced lunch. The diverse population of students and their equally diverse ability levels certainly make for a challenging bunch to teach. Since 1996, I have worked very closely with Bio-Rad labs in helping to develop the Biotechnology Explorer program. I help with their professional development and have a well developed business partnership with my local school district. Since 2000, I have been teaching a Biotechnology course the hour before normal school begins. Forty four brave souls come at seven in the morning. I also teach a Biotechnology course for San Joaquin Delta College.

In today’s uncertain economic times, with all of the concern on energy and the environment, it is so very important that teachers stay connected to current developments in the field. Students respond to the connections that we make as teachers. This blog site will give us an on-going forum to connect and communicate. To share the years and years of experience that we have accumulated and to help give that information to the next generation of teachers. It is my pleasure to be part of this Bioblog. I look forward to hearing from everyone.