Professional activities

Teacher Development & Training

Graduate teaching seminar (GRSC 7770): I took this 2-credit seminar for preparing graduate students to teach with Marshall Darley in Fall 2003. As part of the class I read portions of Gordon Uno’s book, “Handbook on teaching undergraduate science courses.” During class we discussed topics such as how to encouraging active learning, motivate students and communicate traditionally difficult biological concepts. I also gave a presentation and led a discussion on understanding and teaching students with learning disabilities.

PRISM (Partnership for Reform In Science and Mathematics): I participated in a learning community of professors, graduate students and P-12 educators and administrators for Northeast Georgia. In this NSF funded group I tested inquiry-based curricula, saw assessment tools for effective teaching, and acquired and discussed books and articles on active learning.

Mentoring Seminar: During Spring 2005 I participated in a series of discussions on mentoring offered through the Division of Biology at the University of Georgia. We discussed issues such as setting clear goals and expectations, identifying and resolving challenges, and evaluating progress. As a participant I acquired materials produced by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute New Generation Program for Scientific Teaching. I have frequently used these materials while working with undergraduates in the research laboratory.

Student Writing Seminar: During Fall 2006 I took a 1-credit seminar offered by the University of Georgia Writing Intensive Program where we explored effective modes of teaching and using writing in the biological sciences.
Conferences and Retreats: I have attended sessions on education at Ecological Society of America’s annual conference yearly since 2004. I attended the annual PRISM (Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics) weekend retreat in 2005

Activities:

Writing a new laboratory manual for introductory organismal biology for majors: I was invited to join a team to design a lab manual that would use guided and open-ended inquiry to introduced students to major organism groups. I authored one third of the labs, wrote appendices, developed the schedule of labs, assignments and graduate student feedback and contributed many novel ideas. For examples of these ideas see the section above on innovative teaching roles. After one year of using this new manual I led a thorough revision to produce the fourth version, which is currently being used. During the first year with the new inquiry manual I helped graduate laboratory instructors become confident and effective teaching with the new manual.

Lead Graduate Lab Instructor (GLA) Preparatory Sessions: During Fall 2005 I led 3 prep sessions for graduate laboratory instructors teaching labs I had authored. I prepared handouts for each session to help GLAs identify the conceptual ideas and scientific processes we hoped students would discover in the mini-challenges of each upcoming lab. The handouts also gave GLAs suggestions for time-management, encouraged creativity and suggested places where it was especially important to stimulate student thinking through questions or discussions. During the sessions I modeled inquiry teaching using probing questions that helped GLAs discover explanations.

Biology educator search committee: During 2005-2006 I served on a search committee to hire a biology educator for a tenure-track appointment at the Assistant Professor level. This novel teaching position bases promotion on research emphasizing biology education and biology pedagogy.

Plant Biology Graduate Student Association Peer Teaching Officer: During the 2004-2005 school year I was elected to serve in this position. My responsibilities included increasing teaching awareness, attending lectures or labs to provide peer feedback and mentoring to graduate students currently teaching.

Guest Instructor: In fall 2004 Marshall Darley invited me to give a guest lecture in his course, Principals of Biology II. I gave 1.5 lectures on plant water relations to a class of approximately 250 students. In spring 2006 I was invited by Lisa Donovan to design and lead a 3-hour laboratory for 14 graduate students in her plant physiological ecology class. I created materials that used inquiry to teach the operation of a complicated instrument and stimulate critical thinking about the various data collected.

Undergraduate Mentor: From spring 2006 to spring 2007 I mentored three undergraduates in 4-credit (BIOL 4960 or BIOL 4960) Honors research experiences. One student worked with me for 3 semesters and produced a poster of our research that was presented at the 2007 University of Georgia Center for Undergraduate Research (CURO) symposium. My goals for the students included learning concepts of plant physiological ecology and developing scientific research and science writing skills. In addition to working side-by-side to model good research I used principals of writing-to-learn and writing-to-present-learning to encourage synthesis and integration of new concepts and reflection on readings and daily activities.

Managing Research Assistants: Starting in early 2005 I became responsible for hiring, training and managing hourly assistants who work in our research lab. This has given me the opportunity to work closely with eight students, including a deaf student and a student with attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Outreach:

PRISM (Partnership for Reform In Science and Mathematics): PRISM is an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) designed to increase science and mathematics student achievement by enhancing teacher quality, raising expectations, and closing the achievement gaps through the collaboration of P-16 partners. Through my involvement with PRISM I have supported P-12 science education on many levels. I was invited to and participated in deliberations during a critical site visit held for NSF reviewers of the $35 million PRISM grant to Georgia’s Board of Regents. This visit was crucial for securing continuing funding. I have also provided articles on inquiry science education to the community and have given feedback on numerous projects presented at our monthly meetings.

Bringing Plant Biology to K-12 Classrooms: In collaboration with Marshall Darley I have created and given presentations on how to use inquiry activities with plants to meet the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for K-12 education. We have presented for the Georgia Science Teachers Association and the Regional Coordinating Committee (Northeast Georgia leadership and teacher team meeting). Together with Marshall Darley and Nancy Vandergrift (Northeast PRISM) I am constructing a website that will assist K-12 educators in using inquiry based activities to teach about plants in their classrooms. I have already produced two documents, one for kindergarten and one for high school, for publication to the website. Each document poses an age appropriate question about plants, gives background information for teachers on the topic and the standards met, and details an inquiry activity that follows a minds-on, hands-on, minds-on sequence.

Affiliations:

2007	Georgia Science Teachers Association
2006 - present	American Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE)
2005 - present	Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM)
2004 - present	Ecological Society of America (ESA)

Publications:

Darley, M., A. Howard, C. Myers Flaute, K. Miller, T. Luhring, L. Martin, C. Teare Ketter. 2006. A Laboratory Manual for Principles of Biology II: BIOL 1108L. Fourth Ed. Contemporary Publishing, Raleigh, NC.

Darley, M., A. Howard, H. Collantes, K. Miller, C. Teare Ketter, C. Wallace, L. Martin. 2005. A Laboratory Manual for Principles of Biology II: BIOL 1108L. Third Ed. Contemporary Publishing, Raleigh, NC.

Awards:

2008	Excellence in Graduate Teaching, University of Georgia (UGA)
2007	Department of Plant Biology Duncan award for teaching and research, UGA
2006, 07	Graduate School Teaching Seminar (GRSC 7770) Assistantship, UGA
2005	Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, UGA