Putting young Americans to work

October 5, 2012

achartmann Kids in science, Scientists in action , , , Leave a comment

The garage door is up and the cacophonous whine of building equipment is in full throttle. Students, supplies and tools spill out of the classroom and onto the patio. Some are using circular saws to cut plywood, others are grinding away spurs with corded grinders, and a few are even welding, making aquarium racks out of wrought steel. It’s just another day in Chris Morissette’s Environmental Engineering class.

I’ve been teaching at High Tech High North County for only a few weeks now and I’m already gaining an appreciation for the project-based ethos. The students come in to class excited, and many use their free time for extra work or to get trained on new equipment. Each is shown the right way to use the tools and handed the accompanying outfit of safety equipment, then they go to work under close supervision.

The racks they’re fashioning will hold a single ten-gallon aquarium tank. Groups of four will have their own tank, a mini-ecosystem, which they will maintain throughout the year. All in all we will have fifteen aquaria, thanks to funding from SDG&E and the San Diego Foundation, and each will hold live coral from the Pacific and the Caribbean. Our overarching scientific goal is for the students to investigate how human activities—pollution runoff, warming of the oceans, and others—influence coral health. But there is much more to be gained from this project.

My classroom lesson topics thus far have ranged from the biology of corals to the tools of professional aquarists. Just last week we took our sixty students on a field trip to Birch Aquarium. While there I was able to give small tours behind-the-scenes, but it wasn’t to show off the animals. Instead, the students observed the complexity of engineering that goes into keeping the myriad marine systems functioning.

The students learned first-hand about protein skimmers, sumps, calcium reactors, filter socks, chillers, and algae refugia, all tools they will put to use in aquaria at the school. The field trip highlighted the line this project is straddling: science and engineering. The scientific questions are important, but they won’t be answered unless the engineering and maintenance of the systems is impeccable.

One of the only topics agreed upon during the first presidential debate was that America needs to bolster training in hands-on skills in order to put citizens back to work. When this came up I couldn’t help but think of the students in Chris’ class and our underlying motivation for the coral project: establish something for which a wide range of skills—academic and functional—are required, then allow students to pursue the skills with which they most align. And by providing the leeway for exploration, we hope to not just grow the students’ skill sets, but also help them find their passion.

Note: This will be the last Science Minded post on UT-San Diego. I would like to offer a sincere thanks to my editor, Mike Lee, for the great opportunity to blog on the Science and Environment page and wish him all the best in his next endeavor. Science Minded will continue, though, and can be found at http://www.scienceminded.net. Thanks for reading.

Reaching into the classroom

June 27, 2012

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Click here to read and comment on UT-San Diego or read on…

During the coming school year I’ll be part of an NSF GK-12 program at UCSD, which teams Ph.D. students with K-12 teachers in classrooms throughout the county.

We’re in the throes of a four-week course that preps the grad students and teachers for our collaboration in the classroom. We began with simple communication: the grad students had to strip jargon from our research explanations while the teachers had to clarify the array of acronyms used in education. Then we, the grad students, began our training to be effective teachers.

The program’s aim isn’t solely to make us better at presenting Powerpoints to a general audience. We’re pushed to dig deeper and make our research both intellectually and physically accessible to our high school students.

With the help of my mentors, I’ll develop a series of lessons drawing on coral ecology and biology, using coral reefs to teach ecosystem interconnectedness, coral energy reserves to discuss macromolecules, and coral skeletons and tissue elements to talk about isotope chemistry.

On top of that, my teaching team plans to implement a full-scale scientific experiment in the classroom, guiding, but not instructing, our students through the process of defining questions, developing hypotheses, and planning experiments, then implementing and collecting data, and finally analyzing and interpreting findings.

I’ll have the privilege of working with a team at High Tech High North County— environmental engineering teacher Chris Morissette and biology teachers Matt Leader and Parag Chowdhury — along with fellow Ph.D. student Mike Lovci. Because High Tech High is a project-based school, we have the flexibility to tackle the ambitious undertaking of studying coral health in the classroom as we attempt to build a bridge between professional science and high school education.

Our project will challenge everyone, students and teachers alike. Through the process I’m certain that the students will learn critical truths about science, such as the importance of working together, the value of detailed planning and the necessity of problem solving on the fly.

One of the major themes I’ve tried to thread into Science Minded is that science can be best learned by doing. When students have to combine book smarts and hands-on ability they have the potential to advance rapidly, and in doing so realize both their strengths and weaknesses.

To conduct the project our students will have to read and engineer, write and design, and interpret and build; it’s unlikely that any are skilled in all of these areas, but through the diversity of roles necessary to complete the project we hope that each student will find their niche.

Throughout the year I’ll use Science Minded to communicate our progress—conveying what I’m learning from the students and my mentors—both scientifically and as a budding educator. On a broader scale, I hope that our hands-on approach will engage high school students and push them to be science-literate citizens.

I’m certain that there are multitudinous teachers out there using interactive lessons in and out of the classroom. My exposure to the array of such strategies is only in its infancy and my team could certainly use your help. So please offer feedback, thoughts and suggestions as we navigate this ambitious and exciting project.

Internships launch careers

May 21, 2012

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This past week my parents and I attended my younger brother’s college graduation in Chicago. While we were very proud of him for finishing his degree in film production, we were also celebrating the fact that he’d already taken the next step.

Kevin took part in an internship for school credit during his final semester, doing film and print media for a Chicago-based hospitality company. He worked hard throughout, I’m told, going above and beyond, and impressing his would-be employers with the skills he amassed during his years in college. So when it came time for the internship to end they brought him on full time. The ink was barely dry on his new contract by the time my family arrived for graduation.

During the ceremony, the valedictorian of my brother’s class told his fellow students that each one of them is the “protagonist of their own film,” drawing on the process of screenwriting for an analogy. He likened their collegiate years to the life that a screenwriter must invent for their protagonist before writing a script—establishing their personal histories, as well as their wants and desires, strengths and weaknesses. Then, he went on, at the end of college is where the movie begins.

While I liked the speech a lot, I disagreed with him on this final point. I don’t think it’s enough to worry only about getting good grades, college is also a time to build your hands-on skills and personal contacts. Through a job, internship or volunteer position you can get your foot in the door and show a would-be employers that you not only have book smarts, but that you’re also a hard worker.

In the context of science, research experience in college or even high school is critical for getting into graduate school or going directly into a job. So here are a few of the many ways to gain experience:

Natural resource management: Walking beaches to monitor the nests of rare birds, tagging wild animals and removing invasive species are just a few of the great outdoor activities of a natural resource manager. My best friend spent his college summers getting paid to do just that on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and the expertise he built landed him a job with the state of Vermont after graduation. Click here and here for two natural resource management job boards.

Internship programs: A number of programs connect undergrads with scientists at universities, and many of them even pay students for their time. One such program is funded by the national government and is called Research Experienced for Undergraduates. Click here to see the wide range of disciplines and find a site near you.

Working in a lab for school credit of as a volunteer: Labs at universities and private institutions are always looking for volunteers to help with research. Often these opportunities aren’t advertised widely, so if you come across an interesting research topic or hear about a lab doing exciting work then look them up on the internet. A short email introduction can often lead to volunteer position, and be sure to try a few possibilities until one sticks.

Volunteering at aquarium or zoo: Zoos and aquariums rely heavily on volunteers for everything from taking care of animals to educating visitors. Volunteers can be a wide range of ages and both high school and college students are welcome. My girlfriend used to work at an aquarium and told me that they often hired their best volunteers when paid positions opened up. Click here to find out how to apply to be a volunteer at Birch Aquarium here in San Diego.

This list offers just a few suggestions for avenues to look down for hands-on research and outreach experience. Each one offers the chance to impress potential employers, all the while giving you a first-hand look at a potential career.

Teacher spurs curiosity

April 30, 2012

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My dad is a teacher, so naturally the idea for this week’s post came from him: Write about the teacher that inspired you to get into science.

The concept of having one inspiration may sound cliché, but I have such a person and I think that many of my peers do as well.

For me it was my AP biology teacher Karen Smereka at Montpelier High School in Vermont.

High schoolers are good at spotting a fake—a teacher can’t act overly enthusiastic about their subject because kids just won’t buy it. But when I was in high school my trained eyes told me that Karen was no fake: she was chronically enthusiastic and entirely genuine.

Karen’s lectures were speckled with insights into natural phenomena that she found fascinating, which helped enliven the compulsory curriculum. She treated us like adults, allowing us to work through complex concepts with her in an open dialogue, rather than learning through silent listening.

Karen was also good at admitting when there were questions she couldn’t answer (which wasn’t very often). Instead of getting flustered or defensive, she would get even more excited. Mid-lecture Karen would pull books off the shelf to search for the answer, or follow up by looking into a question after class.

Sometimes she’d find the answer and sometimes it just wasn’t known. When this happened we students saw that there was much left for us to sort out in the world, and this gave us a glimpse into the source of her enthusiasm.

Karen was up for researching anything, no matter how crazy it sounded. Thus, it was no surprise when she immediately agreed to help with my unique independent study proposal: I wanted to figure out what made people hungry.

At seventeen I was extremely thin. No matter what I did I couldn’t gain weight. But I thought that if I could figure out how the brain controlled hunger I could learn how to trick myself into eating more.

Karen could have scoffed at such an idea and pointed me towards a more traditional topic. Instead, she saw how interested I was, and was all in. We looked in books, sent emails and read articles, amassing as much information as we could about the brain and appetite.

I tried a few strategies, like drinking less milk with meals, but nothing seemed to work. In the end we found that the communication signals between the brain and stomach are complex, and certain aspects are poorly understood. Seizing a teaching moment, Karen pushed me to learn how multiple structures of the brain interact with the rest of the body.

The following year she helped me secure community based learning credits for shadowing neurosurgeons at our local hospital. And from there I was on my way.

Even though I eventually switched from an interest in medicine to marine biology, it was Karen’s infectious curiosity for science that pushed me towards this profession. She showed me that science can explain much of the natural world, but at the edges — when we hit the limit of what we know — is where things get most interesting.

And that’s where there’s work to do.

National Ocean Sciences Bowl

April 30, 2012

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While many people are familiar with high school academic competitions, I bet few know there’s one exclusive to the ocean.

Well, that’s the focus of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, an annual competition of young marine scientists. Our regional competition will take place Saturday, when more than eighty students from 11 local high schools will vie for a spot in the national finals in Baltimore.

Educators at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps work tirelessly throughout the year to oversee the success of the program, while teachers volunteer as team coaches and Scripps grad students, such as myself, act as mentors. Together, we help our students get excited about marine science and prepare for competition day.

I’m now in the midst of my fifth year with the program, and the students I’ve interacted with over my time with the sciences bowl are part of my inspiration for the Science Minded blog.

Early on at San Ysidro High, I worked with students like Elvida who is currently pursing a degree in marine biology. Currently, I mentor the “Grunting Garibaldi” at Escondido Charter High School, a group whose passion for all things marine led them to make an inspiring video pleading for ocean stewardship.

Each year I’m astounded by the students’ knowledge and dedication, a welcome reminder of the wonder that the oceans inspire in young adults.

This idea of bringing professional scientists into high school classrooms is highly encouraged by the National Science Foundation, the primary federal science-funding agency. In all grant applications, scientists must describe how their study will achieve a “broader impact” beyond the scope of their proposed work. Researchers can often satisfy this requirement by participating in programs like the sciences bowl.

The science foundation even formalized these connections through a program called GK-12. In it, grad students are paired with teachers to develop lessons related to their dissertation topics, which they then implement in K-12 classrooms. UCSD has two highly successful GK-12 programs that have connected grad students with more than 20 local schools in the past four years.

Despite the program’s success, the National Science Foundation has discontinuedGK-12, severing this critical link between scientists and hundreds of students here in San Diego.

In its absence, the importance of programs like the sciences bowl grows larger. The middle- and high-school years are a make-or-break point for kids’ interest in the sciences. Without exposure to science, many students are at risk of missing out or turning away.

The sciences bowl provides a free means for students to learn about marine science in a fun yet organized framework. Teams usually meet after school like a club and the program is open to any local high school.

While it takes a little extra effort, I’ve never spoken with a student who wasn’t ecstatic they joined. On a broader scale, participation in programs such as this will continue to bring the world of science into San Diego classrooms even as we lose key federal programs.

Marine biologist gives inside look at life, job

April 30, 2012

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It sounded like the perfect opportunity: Tall host needed for a nature television show, knowledge of biology is a plus. Check and check.

I’m a 6-foot 8-inch tall Ph.D. student studying marine biology. After excitedly emailing the show’s producers, I filmed a short clip of myself talking about coral, my research subject, and uploaded it to YouTube per their request. Then I heard crickets. They never wrote me back.

I shrugged it off—I’m no actor and am a bit awkward on camera—and assumed that nothing would ever come of my video “The Life of a Marine Biologist.” But ever so slowly people started watching it, and questions about my unique job started flowing in from students all over the world.

They had general questions: Is marine biology fun? Do you make a lot of money? What jobs are out there? They had specific questions: What should I major in if I want to be a marine biologist? What are the best colleges to go to? Are my grades good enough? They had practical questions: What if I can’t swim? What if I have tattoos?

And then there was my own personal favorite: “I Am Twelve But When I Grow Up I Want To Study Narwhals, Turtles, And Birds. Is That Possible??”

I did my best to answer them all.

The nature of their inquiries made me realize that students are often excited about science but fear getting involved because of grades, a lack of opportunities, or low confidence. It also became apparent that many of the barriers students are concerned with could easily be overcome through exposure to what being a scientist is really like.

With this in mind I’m writing this weekly blog to provide insights into what it means to be a scientist on a day-to-day basis. In addition to highlighting the exciting frontiers of marine research — local and worldwide — I’ll give practical tips on how high school and college students can get involved.

I’ll discuss what it’s like to work at a field station in the tropics, what writing a scientific paper really entails, and whether all marine biologists really are strong swimmers. Through my posts I want to open a discussion, so please leave me comments. With an open dialogue I hope to make the world of science more accessible to students, parents and teachers alike.

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