Project Related:

Educational Resources

  • Teacher Workshops

    Grade: 6-12
    Resource: Professional Development Opportunities

  • Films, Videos, & Multimedia

    Grade: 6-12
    Resource: Powerpoint presentations: how to use a micropipetter, orientation to electrophoresis, casting an agarose gel, DNA extraction lab. On-line CLUE game.

  • Equipment Loans

    Grade: 6-12
    Resource: Loaner Kit Request forms for OK City school teachers

  • Curricula/Literature

    Grade: 6-12
    Resource: Constructing Graphs, Multimedia check-out, Lab safety information & contract, How to Keep a Lab Notebook, Lab Report Grading Rubrick, Tips on Making Agarose Gels, Suggested Course Outline with materials

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Biotechnology / Bioinformatics Discovery! - Phase II

Grant Code: R25RR017282-2

Funding Years: 09/01/2006 - 08/31/2008

Institution: Oklahoma City Community College

Department:

Address:
7777 S. May Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK, 73159

PI:
MULVIHILL, CHARLOTTE,
Phone: (405) 682-1611 ext 7225
Fax: (405) 682-7805
Email: cmulvihill@occc.edu

OTHER CONTACT:
BELL, DONALD,
Phone: (405) 682-1611 ext. 7685
Fax:
Email: dbell@occc.edu

OTHER CONTACT:
CAMPBELL, DEANN,
Phone: (405) 682-1611 ext. 7685
Fax:
Email: dacampbell@occc.edu

URL: http://www.occc.edu/bbdiscovery
URL: http://www.occc.edu/mockbiotech
Audience

Secondary and middle school science teachers and their students

Subjects Addressed

Basic science concepts through biotechnology and bioinformatics activities

Project Description

Enhance science education for students through professional development for teachers: using the learning cycle as a pedagogical model, teacher summer institutes demonstrate to participating teachers how to use exemplary biotechnology and bioinformatics laboratory activities to teach science concepts which are aligned to state and national standards. Participating teachers are then provided with -ready-to-go- loaner kits containing all the equipment and materials needed to implement the activities in their classrooms. Prebiotech middle school activities added in phase II. Increase student awareness of contributions and careers in the biomedical research enterprise. In partnership with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the GCRC in particular, OCCC will provide capstone activities for students. A DVD on clinical trials is planned. Disseminate and adapt the successful phase I model. Disseminate to rural Oklahoma, in four corners of the state, with focus on schools with high Native American populations. Teacher-Leaders at these sites will operate a regional biotechnology resource center with their students, using our mock biotechnology company model. Disseminate to a national audience, using conferences and highlighting lessons learned and best practices for teacher professional development and website.

Resources for Sharing

Website www.occc.edu/bbdiscovery contains extensive resources for teaching biotechnology and bioinformatics at the middle school and secondary level: sample outline for high school biotech course, Hispanic teaching resources, internet resources, list of supported activities (modules) including protocols for laboratories, powerpoint presentations to go along with labs, photo gallery, online request form, listing of local and national professional development opportunities for science teachers, links to science and biotech workforce standards, and a list-serve for communication among project participants. NEW module on clinical trials as a model of a scientific experiment available, targeted to middle school students, includes DVD on clinical trials for students to view at home with parents (with Spanish subtitles option). Companion website contains the SOPs for making reagents and materials to perform wet labs: www.occc. edu/mockbiotech .

Dissemination Strategies

1. Websites. 2. Science teaching journal articles. 3. Presentations at local and national conferences, including Oklahoma Science Teachers Association, National Association of Biology Teachers, national and regional National Science Teachers Association. 4. Presentations at school districts- in-service programs for teachers.

Abstract

Oklahoma City Community College, in partnership with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and teacher-leaders throughout Oklahoma, will expand the phase I Biotechnology/Bioinformatics Discovery! project to rural Oklahoma and disseminate curricula to a national audience. The broad goals of the project are to enhance science education through professional development for teachers, improve student success in science-especially among underrepresented groups-so that more students will enter college and choose careers in the health sciences, and to increase awareness of the contributions of the biomedical research enterprise. At least three of the four geographic regions of rural Oklahoma are targeted and the project will focus on isolated rural schools with large numbers of students from underrepresented groups in science. The Native American networks developed by OUHSC will be a primary resource. High quality inquiry modules for laboratory experiments for high school students have been prepared and are ready for adaptation to middle school students. Teacher-participants will attend summer institutes and then implement laboratory experiments for their students, using the learning cycle as the pedagogical approach (explore, develop concept, apply/extend). The quality and content of the laboratory experiments are derived from peer-reviewed national projects to give students experiences with science content and technology that would not otherwise be available. Project personnel provide the laboratory modules for classrooms along with in-class support for the teacher, as requested. Project coordinators will make regular visits to each region. A teacher-leader for each rural region will become an active member of the implementation plan. Teacher-leaders will help set up a regional equipment loaner center, and will form a mock biotechnology company with their students to learn how to prepare module materials locally. Capstone activities to celebrate and prmote the health sciences will occur regularly for students and their teachers with the aid of OUHSC partners. A DVD and learning module focused on clinical trials, tailored to student audiences, will be one project outcome. An external evaluator will provide formative feedback for continuous improvement as well as a summative evaluation. Data measures will include classroom observations, teacher surveys at baseline, post-workshop, and post module implementation, student surveys pre- and post-implementation, student acquisition of science process skills, and student interest in science and health careers at baseline and post-capstone experiences.

Keywords

teacher, career, student, inquiry, laboratory experiment

Other projects from the same PI:
View the Poster as presented at the 2006
SEPA Program Director's Conference

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