Thank you for your time and help.
Sincerely,
Kris
Teaching Philosophy
Draft as of 11/17/2011
"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" ~Theodosius Dobzhansky - 1973
I am aware that access to knowledge is not always the barrier
to obtaining an education. More often, the barrier is the ability to maintain
enthusiasm for learning. It is my intention not only to give my students the
tools to gather the information they need to excel in my class, but also the
critical thinking skills to analyze that information, and a genuine interest in
doing so. By the end of my course I intend students comprehend the mechanism of
evolution and have a clear understanding that evolution is a unifying idea in
all fields of life-science.
In addition to understanding the mechanism of
evolution I think it is important that students be able to explain it to
non-scientists. The lack of dialogue between scientists and layman is one of
the biggest hurtles in academia, leading to skepticism toward science in
general. To promote dialogue, I plan to incorporate an extensive writing
assignment and small-group problem-based-learning assignments along with
regular midterm exams for a well rounded student assessment.
I appreciate that there will be students with various
backgrounds in my classes. I hope to unfold the story of evolution in a way
that is challenging yet entertaining and infused with enough variety so that
students from all backgrounds may find something worth further investigation. I
realize that evolutionary biology as a topic may be difficult to reconcile with
some cultural beliefs however I will present the physical evidence in a
matter-of-fact way such that class discussion remains in the realm of the
observable world. This being said, I will not tolerate any form of disrespect
to anyone in my classroom and will make that clear at the onset of all courses
I teach.
When I think about my time as a student the best instructors
I had were those who had an infectious enthusiasm for the subjects they were
teaching. When a professor has this ability it is apparent by the number of
students that rush the lectern after class. I plan on using all tools at my
disposal to garner this reaction from my students. I will carefully use
punctuated theatrics to bring life to my lectures. As a student I could always
remember the content of a class better if it were wrapped in a story. Whether
it was a professor’s dance interpretation of mitotic spindle attachment or the
bumpy feeling of a fossilized trilobite being passed around the class while
learning about the Cambrian explosion, a unique presentation was always more
memorable. I plan on utilizing a wide range of sensory-stimulating techniques
in my class to reach as many students as possible.
Accepting that scientific knowledge is not stagnant, some of
the most important lessons a student can walk away with are not necessarily the
content of a lecture or a class, but the lessons which teach us how to use the
tools that keep us learning. It is a Professor’s obligation and opportunity to
give students the keys to unlock the scientific literature enabling them to expand
their independent thoughts. By actively thinking about the current
understanding in a given field and then identifying the new knowledge a journal
article brings into the public sphere, students will be able to assess for
themselves whether they think the conclusions made are valid or not. It is my
goal in teaching evolutionary biology to work up to a group discussion on a
current paper in a reputable peer-reviewed scientific journal. These
conversations are not only lively and entertaining but also provide the keys
for students to independently investigate questions they have outside the core
content of my class.
Providing sufficient feedback to students will be high
on my priority list. I plan on staying personally engaged with students inside
as well as outside scheduled class time and office hours. Recently the use of
online discussion forums, assignments, and online grades has become more and
more pervasive. My experience with the blackboard online learning system,
science blogs, and scientific journal clubs gives me the ability to communicate
with students fast and effectively. Maintaining a presence online, both an open
discussion forum and an anonymous forum, benefits the entire class as well as
future classes. In an open forum students are free to identify themselves and
take credit for their work in helping their classmates, while an anonymous
forum provides the space and freedom for students to ask questions they may
feel intimidated not to ask otherwise. In all cases I want to maintain transparency
in my classroom while concurrently respecting students’ right to privacy.
At the end of my course I hope students feel eager to
continue investigating topics in evolutionary biology by taking one of many
available paths; whether it is picking up an issue of the latest scientific
journal or joining a research lab so they might make the next discovery in the
field. I hope students see how understanding evolution provides a unified
logical framework to build on research interests in all biological fields.
No comments:
Post a Comment