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This
program offers
teachers 7-8 weeks of full-time, hands-on laboratory experience during the
summer. Teachers/faculty are selected annually to work with APS members, who
serve as hosts at research institutions
nationwide. Since its inception in 1997, 27 science educators
have participated in the program.
Teachers receive $500 per week for their work (up to $4,000) and receive living
expenses to travel away from home (up to $3,500). In addition, they attend a week-long,
expense-paid Science Teaching Forum where they learn hands-on, inquiry-based
teaching methods recommended by the National
Science Education Standards.
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What is
Explorations in Biomedicine? |
The
Explorations in Biomedicine Program provides professional development
opportunities for middle and high school science teachers and tribal
college faculty who teach Native American students on or near Indian
Reservations. Teachers who
apply and are selected to be Explorations in Biomedicine Research
Teachers (RTs) can expect to:
- improve their
understanding of science "in action," that is, how the
research process works, what research scientists do, and the
intrinsic satisfaction and sense of excitement that comes from
conducting scientific research;
- improve their
understanding and increase their use of the NSES, especially in
developing new curricular materials, selecting and modifying
materials for use, and selecting pedagogy;
- increase the
integration of effective teaching strategies, including inquiry
approaches, equity strategies, and authentic assessment, into
their classrooms;
- increase
their integration of web-based teaching materials in the
classroom, their skills in developing web-based materials, and
their understanding of how to integrate inquiry-based teaching,
equity strategies, and web-based resources; and
- develop
productive working relationships with members of the research
community and with other RTs.
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What do
Research Teachers do? |
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RTs
participate in three program components: Experiencing Scientific
Research; Exploring Effective Pedagogy; and Developing
New Materials. Each component is detailed below. Each RT participates in 7-8 weeks of biomedical research in the
laboratory of a physiologist, participates in on-line activities and
the Science Teaching Forum to explore effective online and in-class
pedagogies, and develops new curricular materials for use in their
own classrooms and to share with teachers worldwide. |
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What
do research scientists do? How do they decide what research
questions to explore? How do they share their findings with other
scientists? How and why do they use animals in research? How do they
train future scientists? How does basic research contribute to our
understanding of diseases and how to treat them? What does it feel
like to investigate a question that no one has tackled before?
These are some of the questions that RTs often explore during their
Research Experience. Each RT spends 7-8 weeks exploring a research project in a physiology research lab at a location of
their preference in the continental U.S. (Note: 7 weeks is the
minimum commitment to research time.) RTs work closely with an APS
member, as well as the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in
the laboratory group. They also participate in other professional
activities with the lab group, such as seminars and journal clubs.
The Explorations program takes care to match RTs with an
experienced researcher who has hosted other teachers in our programs
before.
The culminating
event of the research experience is the RTs' participation in the
2006 Experimental Biology meeting in San Francisco during
April 2006. At the meeting, RTs learn about research
findings presented by more than 10,000 scientists, participate in
the presentation of their research, and are honored at a special APS
luncheon. |
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Explorations
not only offers teachers an opportunity to learn about scientific
research, but it also helps them to expand their repertoire of
teaching methods (pedagogy) and their network of colleagues.
Throughout the fellowship period (April 2005-April 2006), RTs will
explore websites with outstanding teaching resources, discuss
readings about effective teaching and learning, and reflect on their
own teaching. For many RTs, these reflections and discussions have
a deep and lasting impact on their teaching. As a 1996 RT (who
later returned as a program Mentor) commented: “As a summer
research fellow back in 1996, I was introduced to reflection
activities for the first time. To be honest, I didn’t like them at all
and I only did them begrudgingly. A year later I was asked to return
as a teacher trainer (instructor). As I prepared for the retreat I
looked over my materials from 1996. One of the items I reread was my
reflections. Surprise, I found them to be rather informative. A number
of the topics and issues I had reflected on were ones I have
encountered and had to deal with. My opinion of reflections changed
that day...I find them to be an invaluable tool.” |
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Teachers will develop an
inquiry-based classroom activity or lab, along with a corresponding
web page to accompany their activity. Selected activities are
published by APS in print form, on the APS website, and on a CD-ROM.
The fellowship offers teachers an opportunity to apply for a
mini-grant for materials and supplies used in developing and
field-testing their activity.
Many RTs have the opportunity to present their activities at local
and national science teachers’ meetings, such as the National Science
Teachers Association annual and state meetings, the National
Association of Biology Teachers annual meeting, the Society for the
Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science national conference, and the Human Anatomy &
Physiology Society annual meeting. |
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Who
Should Apply? |
The
program is open to science
faculty members at any of the Tribal Colleges that are members of
the American Indian Research Opportunities Consortium (i.e., Blackfeet Community College, Dull Knife Memorial College, Fort
Belknap College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn
College, Salish Kootenai College, and Stone Child College); and
science teachers who teach at middle
schools (Gr. 6-9) and/or high schools (Gr. 9-12) serving primarily
Native American students.
Applicants
DO NOT need to have extensive mathematics skills (e.g., calculus) or
previous research experience. Important
assets are a commitment to excellence in teaching, strong
observation skills, interest in learning about research first-hand
and in making contact with researchers in other parts of the
country, and willingness to travel away from home during the summer.
(Note: Program participants will be spending 7-8 weeks at a
location away from home during the summer. Therefore, the travel and
housing allowance will reimburse trips home during the summer.)
More than one
applicant from one school, school district, or college may apply for
the program at the same time. Two
applicants may choose to work together in a single laboratory or
department if desired, since this would promote long-term networking
efforts.
IF YOU HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ELIGIBILITY, please contact the
Explorations Program Coordinator, Kathleen Kelly, at
kkelly@the-aps.org
or 301-634-7231.
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How
Do I Apply? |
Complete
the application form available on this web page.
Include the requested resume and letters of recommendation as noted
in the application checklist.
Applications should be submitted by January 28, 2005 to:
APS Education Office
Explorations in Biomedicine
9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814-3991
After acceptance of your application, the Explorations Program
Coordinator, Kathleen Kelly, (kkelly@the-aps.org
or 301-634-7231) will be in contact in early spring to
discuss matching you with an experienced research host.
Every effort is made to accommodate requests to work in
specific locations across the continental U.S. (all research hosts
must be members of the APS). |
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Want
to talk to a past Research Teacher? |
Click
here for a list of past
Research Teachers who would be happy to talk to you about the
program. |
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Application
Form |
Download
the 2005 Explorations in Biomedicine program information and
application in Adobe .pdf format
Download
the free Adobe Acrobat reader! Adobe Acrobat software allows documents created in Adobe's Portable
Document Format (.pdf) to be displayed and printed from any
computer, regardless of the fonts or software used to create
the original. To learn more about Adobe Acrobat, visit the Adobe web
site at http://www.adobe.com. "Acrobat"
and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. |
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The American Physiological Society Education Office, 9650 Rockville
Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991
telephone (301) 634-7132 fax (301) 634-7098
email education@the-aps.org |
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