Topics & Speakers | Agenda | Registration | Hotel Information | Driving Directions

• KEYNOTE: Strategies for Teaching Science to Non-Majors
  Jeffrey Bennett, University of Colorado, Boulder
• Theatrics, Chemistry, and Music
  Gary Michels, Creighton University
• Using Technology to Enliven Introductory Biology
  Eric Simon, New England College
• Hands On: Exploring the Human Genome Project Online
  Michael Palladino, Monmouth University
• Who Are These A&P Students? And How Did They Get in MY Class?
  Lori Garrett, Danville Area Community College
• Engaging Students In and Out of the Chemistry Classroom
  Keith Anliker, Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis
• Online Science Labs: Maintaining the Rigor
  Wendy Dusek, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
• Engaging Students in Introductory Biology to Learn to Reason with Causal Models
  Randy Phillis, University of Massachusetts
• Serendipitous Gallimaufry for A&P
  Kim Aaronson, Columbia College
• Using Chemistry History to Help Students Learn Chemical Concepts
  Robert Widing, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Developing Thinking Skills Roundtable
  Kim Aaronson, Columbia College
• Just in Time Teaching
  Kathleen Marrs, Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis
• Hands-On PhysioEx™ V6.0
  Andrew Lokuta, University of Wisconsin

KEYNOTE: Strategies for Teaching Science to Non-Majors
Whether you are teaching school children, undergraduates, or colleagues, a few key strategies are always useful. After an introduction on teaching philosophy, I will discuss five key strategies for teaching science, all designed to help non-science majors learn about the nature of science and key scientific ideas. The ideas apply across the science curriculum, although most of my examples will be drawn from astronomy and physics.

Jeffrey Bennett holds a B.A. (1981) in biophysics from the University of California, San Diego, and an M.S. and Ph.D. (1987) in astrophysics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has taught at every level from preschool through graduate school, including more than fifty college classes in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and education. He served two years as a visiting senior scientist at NASA headquarters, where he created NASA’s “IDEAS” grant program, started a program to fly teachers aboard NASA’s airborne observatories (including the hopefully soon-to-be-flying SOFIA), and worked on numerous educational programs for the Hubble Space Telescope and other space science missions. He has written college-level textbooks in astrobiology, mathematics and statistics, and a book for the general public.

Theatrics, Chemistry, and Music
Experience the art of combining chemical demonstrations with music. A typical performance of Creighton University's "Musichemistry" program will be reviewed. Several of the demonstrations from the performance will be presented. The set-up, science, and choreography of each demonstration will be explained. Through the "Musichemistry" website resources such as pictures, videos, music, and descriptions (including chemicals, equipment, and setup) are available so that you can bring music and demonstrations to your classroom.

Gary Michels has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Iowa State University. After nine years as a petroleum geochemist, he joined the faculty at Creighton University where he teaches general and analytical chemistry. He has a passion for doing chemical demonstration programs and performs approximately 20 shows a year in the Omaha community. For 10 years he has developed demonstrations choreographed to music and directed and produced "A Melodious Musichemical Manifestation," a theatrical presentation of these demonstrations.

Using Technology to Enliven Introductory Biology
Introductory biology is well suited to the incorporation of technology into lectures and laboratory exercises. Multimedia allows for inclusion of current topics, the incorporation of animation and video to clarify complicated issues, and reference to popular culture. In this presentation, creative ways to use technology to teach introductory biology will be discussed, including collaborative projects between professor and students, ideas on using personal response systems (clickers) during lecture, blogging, and incorporating pop culture into the classroom environment. The goal of this presentation is to present practical tips on how any teacher can use technology to improve the teaching and learning environment.

Eric J. Simon is an Associate Professor of biology at New England College where he teaches introductory biology to both biology majors and non-science majors, as well as genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, and careers in science. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University and M.A. and B.A. degrees in biology from Wesleyan University. Dr. Simon is a co-author, along with Neil Campbell and Jane Reece, of the books Essential Biology Third Edition, Essential Biology with Physiology Second Edition, and Biology: Concepts and Connections Fifth Edition.

Hands On: Exploring the Human Genome Project Online
The Human Genome Project advanced at a pace that was far too rapid to chronicle in a textbook, so how can faculty and students develop an accurate understanding of what can be learned from studying the human genome? This hands-on computer lab workshop will demonstrate how the Internet can be used as a tool to actively engage students, both majors and non-majors, to learn about goals, outcomes, and implications of the Human Genome Project. Participants will explore student-friendly, up-to-date sites that present a wealth of information including: genetic technologies, chromosome maps, recently identified genes, genetic diseases, resources for educators, and thought-provoking discussions on ethical, legal and social aspects of the Human Genome Project. Session attendance limited to 24.

Michael Palladino is an Associate Professor of biology at Monmouth University in New Jersey. He received his Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology from the University of Virginia. At Monmouth Dr. Palladino teaches undergraduate courses in biotechnology, genetics, and cell and molecular biology, and directs an active laboratory of undergraduate students conducting research on gene expression in male reproductive organs. He is the recipient of several teaching and research awards including the 2005 Distinguished Teacher Award from Monmouth University, the 2005 Caring Heart Award from the NJ Association for Biomedical Research, and the New Investigator Award of the American Society of Andrology. Dr. Palladino is Series Editor for the Benjamin Cummings Special Topics in Biology booklet series and author of the first booklet, Understanding the Human Genome Project. He is the author of the student lab manual for BiologyLabs On-Line, and co-author of the textbook Introductory to Biotechnology.

Who Are These A&P Students? And How Did They Get in MY Class?
As competition for admission into Allied Health and Nursing programs increases, anatomy & physiology students need to do more than just pass the class, they need to truly master the course content. At the same time, many students have forgotten what they learned in previous science classes, are not prepared to study for a rigorous science course, or lack the fundamental knowledge necessary to handle the material in lecture and lab. In this interactive session, Ms. Garrett will discuss ways in which instructor expectations and student ability are often mismatched, and how this leads to frustration and poor performance on both sides of the podium. She will discuss her school’s approach to this problem, and various strategies and techniques that help her students overcome these challenges and ultimately succeed in A&P. Participants are encouraged to discuss ideas from their own teaching experience.

Lori K. Garrett teaches anatomy & physiology courses at Danville Area Community College, where she developed her own science "prep" course to help students succeed and, using assessment, convinced administration of the need for a prerequisite before A&P. Her gifts for simple, straightforward explanations and effectiveness in the classroom have earned her several teaching awards, including the Association of Community College Trustees' William H. Meardy Faculty Award. Ms. Garrett is the author of the new Get Ready for A&P workbook and online program from Benjamin Cummings.

Engaging Students In and Out of the Chemistry Classroom
It’s a busy world out there and faculty and students need ways to engage with course content that are time and cost efficient. This session will discuss high tech and low-tech strategies to truly engage students while they are in class and once they go home. The presentation will include easy and effective chemical demonstrations, demonstration of some emerging technologies for extending your impact beyond the classroom walls, “radical” suggestions for things not to do, and time to discuss and share your own best practices.

Keith S. Anliker received his B.A. in chemistry and biology from the University of Northern Iowa and his M. S. degree in chemical education working with J. Dudley Herron in the Department of Chemistry at Purdue University. He has been with the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) since 1990, where he is presently Lecturer in Chemistry and Director of Laboratory & Curriculum Support. He is a recent recipient of the IUPUI School of Science Lecturer Award and was a 2005 IUPUI Gateway Scholar. In 2006 he received the statewide IPSE Award for Innovation and Leadership: Teaching with Technology on Campus, from the Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education.

Online Science Labs; Maintaining the Rigor
Have you wondered how to teach a science or lab-based course online? If you have any interest in incorporating a virtual component into your class this discussion can get you started! We will begin with a discussion of science labs: wet labs, dry labs and virtual labs. We will also explore some of the possibilities available for incorporation of virtual labs in online, face-to-face, or web blend science courses. The second half of the presentation will focus on strategies to ensure course rigor and student comprehension.

Wendy Dusek has taught natural sciences at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College since 1989. She holds a BS in broad area science and secondary education from UW-River Falls, and a DC from Northwestern College of Chiropractic. She is in the process of completing the course work for a Ph.D. in instructional design and online learning. She has worked at the state level to develop curriculum for anatomy, physiology, and biology, and has worked with other WI Technical Colleges developing anatomy & physiology for online delivery. She has developed a two semester A&P course, a microbiology course and a chemistry course for online delivery and teaches all of those classes online and as web blend.

Engaging Students in Introductory Biology to Learn to Reason with Causal Models
To learn the complex skills required for scientific reasoning, it is critical that students practice by engaging in problem solving in an environment where they can get feedback about their work and ideas. However, many science classrooms, especially at the introductory level are too large for meaningful interactions between students and the instructor. We have adapted a classroom communication system to facilitate interactions around problem solving in a large introductory biology course for majors. This approach has changed our assessment techniques and increased the quality and complexity of quizzes and exams.

Randy Phillis earned his B.A. at Miami University, his Ph.D. in genetics at Indiana University and was a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin. He is part of team that redesigned introductory biology at UMass with funding from the Pew Center for Academic Transformation. He has been awarded the College Outstanding Teacher Award and has been invited to several forums to discuss redesign of large lecture courses to engage students in problem solving and improve reasoning skills.

Serendipitous Gallimaufry for A&P
This engaging presentation will give participants a number of ideas that have been accidental discoveries that successfully engaged students in anatomy & physiology. Some of these activities could be tweaked and used in other science classes as well. Your creativity will be stimulated by this sometimes humorous and somewhat out-of-the-box presentation.

Kim Aaronson has been in the health care field since 1960, received a BS in science education, biology from East Carolina University in 1981, and a DC from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1996. He has taught middle school through college in the science and health field since 1985, recently teaching anatomy & physiology, nutrition, human biology, general biology and medical terminology as an adjunct instructor at various colleges in Chicago. Kim is actively involved in online course development and facilitation. He currently teaches an online medical terminology course he developed and nutrition and introduction to drugs at Columbia College in Chicago.

Using Chemistry History to Help Students Learn Chemical Concepts
”Why do we study history? Not just to find out what happened ... we want to know how our present situation came about, in order to understand it better.”
         – Friedrich Hund, in The History of the Quantum Theory, 1974
Scientific facts and theories isolated from the way they were discovered often seem dull and lifeless. In truth, they only seem that way when they are incomplete or poorly presented. Scientific facts and theories explained with historical examples enhance knowledge of supporting experiments, suspected flaws, conflict of ideas, and human desires and purposes. Examples of ways to incorporate history will be presented as handout notes, including some calculations that show some errors made by Dalton, Berzelius, and Faraday.

Robert Widing has taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago for the past 25 years. His course load has included Chemistry and Life, General College, General and Analytical Chemistry, Preparatory Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry. Dr. Widing is author of the Chem 100 Lab Manual published by Pearson Custom Publishing. He was nominated for the Silver Circle Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1997 by graduating seniors. In his free time Dr. Widing enjoys whitewater canoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking, reading science, history, and classic literature, and travel; he has visited 48 of the 50 US states. He is currently a chess coach for Lincoln Middle School.

Developing Thinking Skills Roundtable
What strategies do you employ to encourage the development of thinking skills? Share your own ideas in this facilitated roundtable discussion on practical ways of encouraging the development of thinking skills in our students. This will be a lively session where you can share your ideas and methods of getting your students to think. You will leave this session with some solid possibilities to implement in your classroom.

Kim Aaronson has been in the health care field since 1960, received a BS in science education, biology from East Carolina University in 1981, and a DC from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1996. He has taught middle school through college in the science and health field since 1985, recently teaching anatomy & physiology, nutrition, human biology, general biology and medical terminology as an adjunct instructor at various colleges in Chicago. Kim is actively involved in online course development and facilitation. He currently teaches an online medical terminology course he developed and nutrition and introduction to drugs at Columbia College in Chicago.

Just in Time Teaching
Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) is an interactive, web-based teaching method developed at IUPUI. In this workshop, participants will learn how to develop both the interactive classroom aspects as well as the web-based assignments of JiTT, and will leave with a working knowledge of how to implement JiTT in their own classrooms.

Kathleen Marrs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at IUPUI, with a research focus in science education. Her research program uses Just-in-Time Teaching (interactive classroom techniques, combined with web-based assignments) and peer-led course sections to help students at all levels succeed in the study of biology.

Hands-On PhysioEx™ V6.0
A common challenge for A&P and human physiology laboratory courses is that many good learning activities may be too costly, too time-consuming, or too logistically complicated to perform in an actual wet lab. This session will direct an exploration of a few of the 36 PhysioEx™ physiology lab simulations that may be used to supplement or substitute for physiology wet labs. Session attendance limited to 24.

Andrew Lokuta is a Lecturer of physiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore. Dr. Lokuta currently teaches human physiology to undergraduates, medical students and graduate students as well as molecular physiology to advanced degree students. These classes include both regular classroom lectures and hands-on laboratories wherein PhysioEx™ has been successfully (and thankfully) employed.

Special Thanks To:

Dr. Martin Vaughan and the Department of Biology, Indiana University, Purdue University Indianapolis.