If you teach undergraduate toxicology or environmental science and are looking for new ideas or ways to engage your students, this course may be for you! Consider taking part in the 8-week online LifeSciTRC Scholars Program. I enrolled in The Archive Scholars Vision and Change Program this past spring and found it a useful way to critically evaluate my teaching methods and how they aligned (or could better align!) with the National Science Foundation’s Core Concepts for Biological Literacy and Core Competencies. Because of the intrinsic nature of toxicology, I was able to provide experiences from my toxicology teaching to my online colleagues that highlighted biology’s collaborative, interdisciplinary, and societal contexts (three of the six core competencies!). Some of the more basic physiology educators provided me new ways to teach the key background material with which I have a harder time engaging my students. A majority of the course involves exploration and familiarization with the LifeSciTRC digital resource library. This is a fantastic repository of teaching resources that with a bit of experience can be leveraged to add new material to existing courses or in new course development. In fact, the SOT Undergraduate Education Subcommittee (of which I am a member) is considering becoming a partner with the LifeSciTRC, and in the future maintain our teaching resources on their site.
Through the course, I also came to realize the critical importance of commenting and rating resources as well as submitting what works in my classes for others’ benefit. In sum, while having weekly homework assignments due was a blast from my long past student days, it was a highly useful experience. Without the structure of the course, I am sure I would not have gotten as much out of this experience as I did. I encourage others who teach undergraduates (or there is a high-school educators course too) to consider taking the course to personally enhance your teaching skills and portfolio. Most importantly, through this training we are all most effectively helping to advance SOT’s strategic priority: To Build for the Future of Toxicology by Attracting, Training, and Retaining Toxicologists and Providing Opportunities Aligned with the Evolving Science of Toxicology. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Kristine L. Willett. The applications for the summer session are due June 11 and additional information is below.
LifeSciTRC Vision and Change Scholars Program for Undergraduate Educators
If you are an undergraduate educator, take part in the LifeSciTRC Vision and Change Scholars Program for Undergraduate Educators. You will learn how to:
- Find and evaluate electronic resources to use with students,
- Effectively use electronic resources in student-centered learning,
- Apply the core concepts and competencies of Vision and Change in Science Education to existing classroom materials,
- Find and evaluate existing resources and resource collections centered around Vision and Change, and
- Further your professional development by participating in an online community.
Online Program: June 23–August 17, 2014
Application Deadline: June 11
Apply now on the LifeSciTRCScholar website.
Questions? Contact Miranda Byse, PhD, Program Manager