AIBS Education Reports 3

Scientific Presentations on "Molecular Insights into Classic Examples of Evolution" Now Available

Interested in helping your students understand how cutting edge research in molecular evolution is revolutionizing our understanding of familiar examples of evolution? Watch videos from the 2010 Evolution Symposium, the annual event cosponsored by AIBS and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), online for free with them. Your students can learn about Butch Brodie’s research on the toxin arms race between newts and garter snakes, Allen Rodrigo’s insights into the value of studies in viral evolution, Hopi Hoekstra’s research on the underlying molecular mechanisms of coat color in beach mice, and Sean Carroll’s investigations into Drosophila wing coloration. To access the videos, go to this site: www.nescent.org/media/NABTSymposium2010.

Molecular Evolution Teaching Resources from NESCent

The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) compiled resources to support the use of the 2010 Evolution Symposium’s content. Molecular evolution can be challenging for students, but a better understanding of the “genotype to phenotype” relationship can help address a number of common misconceptions about evolutionary concepts. You’ll find a collection of teaching resources, such as activities, papers, short videos and other ideas, on their website: www.nescent.org/media/NABT2010.

New in Actionbioscience.org

Balancing Benefits and Risks of Synthetic Biology The field of synthetic biology challenges the way we see our world. Now that the first living “synthetic cell” has been created, University of Edinburgh’s Heather Lowrie suggests that the scientific community address ethical and safety concerns. www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/lowrie.html
Discovering Amazing Life in the Deep Sea Steven Haddock, of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, talks about his experiences in deep-sea exploration and some of the issues that face marine life, such as changing water temperatures. www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/haddock.html
Designing a Landscape for Sustainability Molly Phemister, a landscape architect, explains that sustainability in landscape design has everything to do with complexity, the interrelationship of the parts to the whole over time. Designers are catalysts of a landscape’s ecological path, not sculptors or painters of a stagnant medium. www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/phemister.html

Understanding Science Compiles Evidence for Teaching the Nature and Process of Science

Understanding Science (www.understandingscience.org) exists to “provide a fun, accessible, and free resource that accurately communicates what science is and how it really works.” Now the developers have compiled evidence based on education research that illustrates the most effective strategies to teach the nature and process of science, as well as the concepts most challenging for students to learn and for teachers to address. For an annotated bibliography, go to this site: www.understandingscience.org/teaching/educational_research.php.

Upcoming Event: "Molecular Insights into Classic Examples of Evolution" Symposium and Workshop

Be sure to join us at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) conference (www.nabt2010.org) in Minneapolis for the annual evolution symposium and workshop, cosponsored by AIBS and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). Anyone unable to attend can still participate in the annual evolution symposium via live webcast on Friday, November 5th, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm CDT and watch all or part of the symposium. Viewers will be able to submit questions online and have the speakers respond in real time. For full program information, including speaker names, talk titles, and times, please visit http://www.nescent.org/media/NABTSymposium2010. To participate in the webcast, go directly to http://dukeuniversity.acrobat.com/nabt2010.

New Module: Using Socioscientific Issues-Based Instruction

AIBS and the Science Education Resource Center have developed a new module that presents the “what,” “why,” and “how to” of socioscientific issues-based instruction, along with five peer-reviewed examples of controversial real-world issues to engage students in learning biology. To access the free module on the ActionBioscience.org website, go to http://www.actionbioscience.org/educators/socioscientific.html.

Science Posters for Your Classroom

Three new posters have been added to our collection to help communicate key principles about the nature of science in a fun and engaging way. To check them out and get them on your classroom walls this school year, go to the AIBS webstore: http://webstore.aibs.org/category/35998333721/1/Poster.htm.

Are You an Outreach Coordinator or Informal Educator?

Participate in the Outreach Coordinators and Informal Educators Section (OCIE) section events at the NABT Conference. Exchange ideas, learn about professional development opportunities with BSCS, and join the community on Wednesday, November 3rd during the afternoon section meeting. And on Thursday, November 4th the section is sponsoring a poster session where programs have a chance to reach out to NABT conference attendees. The theme for this year’s poster session is “What online resources/courses does your program use to impact teachers on a local regional, national and/or international level?” Abstracts are due by October 1, 2010. Please submit your proposal online at http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDVJQ3U4TW9mbDUtZ3BkTkNPTVU3RWc6MA.

Survey of Essential Topics for Introductory Biology Courses for Biology Majors

For the past two years, a committee of the Four-Year College and University Section of the National Association of Biology Teachers has been attempting to identify a set of topics that all biology students should master prior to entering higher-level biology courses. Preliminary data to be published in the January 2011 issue of The American Biology Teacher indicate that it may be possible to reach agreement on a set of 25 topics that would be minimally required. Consensus on these essential topics would provide instructors with the freedom to choose to teach only these topics or to include more material as their time and interests allow. Eileen Gregory (Rollins College), Jane Ellis (Presbyterian College), Craig Lending (State University of New York at Brockport), and Amanda Orenstein (Centenary College) invite you to participate in an online survey so they may collect additional data for this project: https://survey.itec.suny.edu/opinio/s?s=3870.

Symposium at Purdue University: "Investigating Students' Scientific Reasoning about Biological Experiments"

On Saturday, November 13th, 2010, a group of doctoral students and faculty who teach introductory biology courses will conduct a symposium about assessments of scientific reasoning. Topics will include experimental design and identifying independent and dependent variables, use of positive and negative controls within an experimental set up, deciding what is feasible to measure, and use and interpretation of visual representations of data. Full details and the registration form are available at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9tVgOWuNuiRPUuE.

Participate Online in a Youth Conservation Connection Project

Classes and after school groups are invited to participate online in Conservation Connection. Fusing virtual and real experiences, the project uses a combination of WhyReef (the virtual coral reef in Whyville.net), webcasting, video blogging, and a customized social networking site (FijiReef) to connect youth around the issue of environmental conservation. Your group will engage in inquiry-based activities with other Chicago and Fiji teens as they learn about coral reef biology and ecology. To learn more, go to www.youtube.com/whyreef.

New in ActionBioscience.org

Urban Coyotes Are coyotes moving into cities, or are we moving into their territory? John A. Shivik, Utah State University, examines why these remarkably adaptable animals are increasingly seen where people live, and he describes the difficulties of managing them in urban landscapes. www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/shivik.html
Light Pollution and Ecosystems By disrupting natural patterns of darkness, artificial light acts as a pollutant, with significant impacts to ecosystems. Travis Longcore, University of Southern California, and Catherine Rich, the Urban Wildlands Group, illustrate how light pollution affects wildlife. www.actionbioscience.org/environment/longcore_rich.html
Extreme Environments: Is There Life in Sea Ice? Sea ice in the Arctic region provides a habitat for organisms even in the cold of winter. Jody Deming, University of Washington, Seattle, says that studies of sea-ice ecosystems may shed light on how organisms evolve and survive in extreme conditions on Earth and beyond our planet. www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/deming.html

Science posters your classroom can't live without. Pre-order now!

UCMP and AIBS have teamed up to bring you the awesome artwork from the Understanding Science Web site to your classroom walls this school year. Three new posters are being added to the collection to help communicate key principles of the nature of science in a fun and engaging way. View the designs below and pre-order your copies!! www.aibs.org/public-programs/sciencepostersyourclassroomcantlivewithout.html

Help Rate and Comment on Resources in BEN

The BEN Collaborative recently launched a user comment and five-star rating system. The new feature is intended to enhance the user’s experience by gaining insights into how others rate and/or use resources. The BEN Collaborative needs your help to develop user responses; in particular, it is looking for comments that describe courses in which the resource can be used, experiences in using the resource, and any modifications that were made. Also be sure to check out two new features hosted on the BEN homepage: the BEN Collaborator’s box, a slideshow highlighting the types of resources available from each collaborator, and the Biological Sciences Education User Groups, a list of groups making advances in the education biology community. Go to BEN at http://biosciednet.org to see these new features.

New in BioScience: "Update: Have BIO2010 Goals Been Achieved?"

It has been seven years since the publication BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists was published, and in the latest edition of BioScience, Beth Baker reports on the progress made since that date. The complete article, “Update: Have BIO2010 Goals Been Achieved?,” is freely accessible through University of California Press Journals on Caliber (http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/full/10.1525/bio.2010.60.7.4) or on the AIBS website (www.aibs.org/eye-on-education/eyeoneducation201007.html). Here is an excerpt:

Leaders in biology education are celebrating the progress made since the publication of BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists. The landmark report, published in 2003 by the National Research Council (NRC), called on institutions of higher education to revamp both the curricula and teaching methods in the life sciences to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

BIO2010 urged much deeper connections between the biological sciences and mathematics, the physical sciences, and computer science. In addition, the report called on faculty to move out of the lecture hall and into the field and lab to help develop hands-on learning and higher-order thinking in their students.

The Encyclopedia of Life Releases New Tools

The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL, www.eol.org) is a global collaboration between scientists and the general public to make authoritative information about all 1.9 million named species freely accessible online. The EOL Learning + Education Group, based at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, has developed an online collaborative tool called a LifeDesk to facilitate the writing of species accounts by undergraduate biology students. The opportunity to research and publish these accounts to the Encyclopedia of Life is a challenge that many students find highly motivating. For more information, visit www.edulifedesks.org. While still under development, a new Field Guide tool provides a way to organize species information based on a location. Based on the same reliable content found on EOL species pages, Field Guides will enable the creation of customized content to include just the information specific to your educational needs. To learn more and share your feedback during the development phase, visit: http://education.eol.org/ideas/tools/fieldguide

Biology Laboratory Teaching Materials Available through ABLE

The Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE, www.ableweb.org) completed its 32nd annual conference at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in late June. Members presented 18 major workshops, 27 mini workshops, and 24 posters to the almost 200 attendees. Proceedings of the 2009 conference, Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching, consisting of peer-reviewed class-tested laboratory protocols and ready-to-use student handouts, was distributed to members at the Dalhousie meeting on CD-ROM and will soon be available to members on-line. The proceedings of the 2007 conference became available to the public after the Dalhousie meeting (www.ableweb.org/proceedings). Only members have access to the latest two volumes and conference discounts, as well as other privileges. To learn about joining ABLE, visit www.ableweb.org/membership/information.htm. ABLE’s next annual conference will take place at New Mexico State University, June 14-17, 2011.

NABT News and Opportunities

NABT Professional Development Conference: Designed to give educators the tools they need to navigate the biology and life science education landscape, the NABT Professional Development Conference offers four days of renowned speakers, hands-on workshops, poster sessions, informative presentations, and special events. The conference features special sessions from AIBS, APS, BSCS, HAPS, HHMI, NESCent, and others. This year, highlighted hands-on workshops let educators “practice what they teach.” Take advantage of special advance registration rates at www.NABT2010.org.
BioClub Applications: NABT is currently accepting applications for BioClub chapters for the 2010-2011 academic year. The NABT BioClub provides opportunities for students to share and promote their interest in the biological sciences, and chapters are forming at high schools and community colleges around the Unites States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.nabt.org/websites/institution/index.php?p=19.
Share Information through the Outreach Coordinators and Informal Educators Section: NABT’s Outreach Coordinators and Informal Educators Section is its newest. Two events will take place during the 2010 NABT meeting for this community in November: (1) a professional development session and business meeting, and (2) a poster session for informal education programs to reach NABT conference attendees. For complete details about both events, visit www.nabt.org/websites/institution/index.php?p=534.

Teaching Resources and Education News from the American Society of Plant Biologists

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) and the ASPB Education Foundation are pleased to announce the release of 12 inquiry-based activities (www.aspb.org/education/12Labs/) to accompany the society’s 12 principles of plant biology (www.aspb.org/education/foundation/principles.cfm). Developed by ASPB members Jeffrey Coker, Jane Ellis, and Mary Williams, these activities explore each principle through concept summaries relevant to middle and high school students, and each includes a teacher’s guides linking the activities to the National Science Education Standards. Ellis, a professor of biology at Presbyterian College in South Carolina and a former high school biology and chemistry teacher, was also honored with the society’s 2010 Excellence in Education Award (http://aspb.org/awards/#teaching). Adam Fagen is ASPB’s new public affairs director and will guide the society’s public affairs, education, outreach, and communications activities. Fagen was previously a senior program officer with the Board on Life Sciences at the National Academies of Science, where he directed National Research Council studies on a wide range of topics including science education and training. For more information about ASPB’s education activities, visit www.aspb.org/education, or contact Katie Engen (katie@aspb.org) or Adam Fagen (afagen@aspb.org).

New from the Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education

The May 2010 issue of Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education (JMBE, volume 11, issue 1) is the first issue to be published since the journal’s extensive year-long expansion efforts, which resulted in its separation from MicrobeLibrary (www.microbelibrary.org). It is now open access and has broadened its scope. The May issue features abstracts from the 2010 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators. The JMBE editorial board has been expanded, and the editorial process now closely mirrors that of other ASM journals. The formation of JMBE’s editorial committee and the appointment of its chair, Chris Woolverton, a professor of biological sciences at Kent State University and editor-in-chief of the journal, were approved unanimously by the ASM Council. In addition, the journal was accepted for international indexing by the Directory of Open Access Journals. Visit http://jmbe.asm.org to view the new issue and author guidelines. Submissions for issue 2, to be published in December are due September 1.