2008 Woodie Awards
Delaware teachers attend science workshops at university
Jessica Delli Santi
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
In an attempt to keep up with advancements in science, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute is offering three workshops to high school teachers to help them stay up-to-date and provide hands-on experience.
On Oct. 12, approximately 60 middle school and high school teachers from across the state attended the fifth annual in-service day using the university's bio-imaging lab. Officials at the Delaware Department of Education invited DBI staff to host the workshops focusing on current research in the science field.
Jeanette Miller, assistant director at DBI, said the workshops are offered to keep teachers updated.
"The workshops help to show what's happening in the world of science today, like stem cells and avian influenza," Miller said.
The sessions combine new information with hands-on interaction, which is an ideal combination, she said.
The workshops were held in the morning and afternoon and included lunch, networking time and a tour of the institute. Teachers were taught a variety of subject matter including lessons in life science and contemporary bioscience research.
Danielle Winget, a doctoral student at the DBI from the College of Marine and Earth Studies, did a presentation on marine and earth science viruses. Her session focused on viruses found in the Chesapeake Bay, a current topic in marine science. She showed the teachers how to build models of viruses, a skill they can implement in the classroom.
Patsy Cicala, an environmental science teacher at Indian River High School in Dagsboro, Del., stated in an e-mail message that the equipment used for the workshops is more advanced than what teachers normally have access to.
"Some of the equipment used in this facility is light years ahead of what I was trained on in the fields of biology and chemistry," he said. "They are running 2,000 genome tests in the time it used to take us to run one DNA strand, and our students should be made aware of the protocols used for this type of research."
On Oct. 12, approximately 60 middle school and high school teachers from across the state attended the fifth annual in-service day using the university's bio-imaging lab. Officials at the Delaware Department of Education invited DBI staff to host the workshops focusing on current research in the science field.
Jeanette Miller, assistant director at DBI, said the workshops are offered to keep teachers updated.
"The workshops help to show what's happening in the world of science today, like stem cells and avian influenza," Miller said.
The sessions combine new information with hands-on interaction, which is an ideal combination, she said.
The workshops were held in the morning and afternoon and included lunch, networking time and a tour of the institute. Teachers were taught a variety of subject matter including lessons in life science and contemporary bioscience research.
Danielle Winget, a doctoral student at the DBI from the College of Marine and Earth Studies, did a presentation on marine and earth science viruses. Her session focused on viruses found in the Chesapeake Bay, a current topic in marine science. She showed the teachers how to build models of viruses, a skill they can implement in the classroom.
Patsy Cicala, an environmental science teacher at Indian River High School in Dagsboro, Del., stated in an e-mail message that the equipment used for the workshops is more advanced than what teachers normally have access to.
"Some of the equipment used in this facility is light years ahead of what I was trained on in the fields of biology and chemistry," he said. "They are running 2,000 genome tests in the time it used to take us to run one DNA strand, and our students should be made aware of the protocols used for this type of research."
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