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"I think there is something more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision."

- Clement Stone

Events: 2010 Biology Schedule

Biology Summary

Friday, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
"Tools and Techniques for Teaching A&P in the 21st Century"
Speakers: Doug Cortese, Education Representative, Hands On Anatomy and Biology; and Lori Garrett, Author and Professor of Biology, Parkland College

Saturday, 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
"The Importance of Genetic and Evolutionary Proficiency in the Classroom"
Speakers: Tineke Berends, Professor of Biology, Houston Community College; Chad Cryer, Professor of Biology, Austin Community College; and John Holman, Biology Instructor, Blinn College-Bryan

Friday, March 5th, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

"Tools and Techniques for Teaching A&P in the 21st Century"
Speakers: Doug Cortese, Education Representative, Hands On Anatomy and Biology; and Lori Garrett, Author and Professor of Biology, Parkland College

9:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Hands on Anatomy and Biology Education Representative

Rather than dissect frogs, bovine, and minks to study humans, why not build human anatomy with clay? This approach has been used in high schools for decades, and is just now crossing over to colleges. Special skeletal models and clay will be used to demonstrate this kinesthetic teaching style.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Who Are These Creatures?

Do you ever stand in front of your class and feel that you are staring at a group of aliens from another world with a different culture and customs? Do you long for the "good ol' days" when college students knew that their hard work was their key to success? As student populations diversify, meeting the needs of all students while maintaining the integrity of our courses becomes a greater challenge, while the pressure to improve retention increases. In addition, staggering numbers
of students arrive in our classrooms who are ill prepared for the rigors of college. To stay successful in our teaching, we must first really know our audience. In this session, we will explore who today's students are and look at how we can adapt our educational approach without compromising our standards, realizing that our success is made possible only through theirs.

Biographies:

Doug Cortese is originally from Houston and does teacher's trainings around the country. He teaches a hands on approach to anatomy and biology education called Anatomy in Clay learning.

Lori K. Garrett is a Professor of Biology at Parkland College and Author of "Getting Ready for A&P", "Getting Ready for Microbiology," and "Getting Ready for Biology."

Saturday, March 6th, 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.

"The Importance of Genetic and Evolutionary Proficiency in the Classroom"
Speakers: Tineke Berends, Professor of Biology, Houston Community College; Chad Cryer, Professor of Biology, Austin Community College; and John Holman, Biology Instructor, Blinn College-Bryan

10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
ENGAGE! Research as a Learning Tool in the Community College Classroom

With their highly diverse student body and exponentially increasing enrollment, community colleges are the ideal recruiting ground for filling our nation’s need for more scientists. But how do we encourage community college students to pursue STEM careers? Past experience has taught us that participation in hands-on research is one of the more effective ways to “hook” students in to science career paths. However, traditional summer internships reach only a few students at a time, and are often not a viable option for community college students who may be juggling family and job constraints. Therefore, Houston Community Northwest College’s ENGAGE Program has pioneered a different approach, taking the research experience directly into most of its Biology classrooms. In collaboration with scientists at Texas A&M University and Baylor’s Children’s Nutritional Research Center, HCC General Biology, Microbiology and genetics students work on different phases of a research project culminating in the sequencing of chickpea DNA. The project has not only energized faculty and students alike, but it has also greatly improved HCC’s lab infrastructure. Such infrastructure may now be used to leverage further grant proposals, while lessons learned during the ENGAGE project may facilitate similar collaborations between other interested community college faculty and researchers.

11:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Challenges in Teaching the Unifying Theme in Biology “Evolution"

Here we are 150 years since the publication of the “Origin of Species” and still current polls show nearly half of Texans reject the Theory of Evolution. How will we ever see cures for major diseases in the future without properly educating students of today? A few misconceptions seem to be major hurdles to the understanding of the Theory. Recent courts have ruled against teaching “alternatives” to the Theory, but still it’s a concept that is met with lots of resistance at schools across the nation.

Speakers:

Tineke Berends, Professor of Biology, Houston Community College

Chad Cryer, Professor of Biology, Austin Community College;

John Holman

John Holman, Biology Instructor, Blinn College-Bryan

Biology Section Chair:
Chad Cryer, Austin Community College-Northwest