Frontiers in Physiology Programs Fellowship Components

Fellowship Components

• Experiencing Scientific Research
• Exploring Effective Pedagogy: Integrating Inquiry, Equity, and the Internet
• Science Teaching Forum
• Developing New Materials

Research Teachers (RTs) participate in three program components: Experiencing Scientific Research; Exploring Effective Pedagogy; and Developing New Materials.

Throughout the year of the fellowship, RTs participate in: 7-8 weeks of biomedical research in the laboratory of a physiologist during the summer; online activities throughout the year; and a summer Science Teaching Forum to explore effective online and in-class pedagogies. In addition, RTs develop new curricular materials for use in their own classrooms and to share with teachers worldwide.

Experiencing Scientific Research
What do research scientists do? How do they decide what research questions to explore? How do they share their findings with other scientists? How and why do they use animals in research? How do they train future scientists? How does basic research contribute to our understanding of diseases and how to treat them? What does it feel like to investigate a question that no one has tackled before?

These are some of the questions that RTs explore during their Research Experience. Each RT spends 7-8 weeks working full-time exploring a research project in a physiology research lab close to their home. RTs work closely with an APS member, as well as the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory group. They also participate in other professional activities with the lab group, such as seminars and journal clubs. Click here to read comments from APS members who have hosted teachers in their laboratories.

The culminating event of the research experience is attending the 2010 Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim (April 2010). At the meeting, RTs learn about research findings presented by more than 10,000 scientists, participate in the presentation of their own research, attend a full-day workshop and are honored at a special APS luncheon.

Exploring Effective Pedagogy: Integrating Inquiry, Equity, and the Internet
Frontiers not only offers teachers an opportunity to learn about scientific research, but it also helps them to expand their repertoire of teaching methods (pedagogy) and their network of colleagues. Over the fellowship year (April 2009-April 2010), RTs explore websites with outstanding teaching resources, discuss readings about effective teaching and learning, and reflect on their own teaching. For many RTs, these reflections and discussions have a deep and lasting impact on their teaching. As one RT put it:

As a summer research fellow, I was introduced to reflection activities for the first time. To be honest, I didn’t like them at all and I only did them begrudgingly. A year later I was asked to return as a teacher trainer (instructor). As I prepared for the retreat I looked over my materials. One of the items I reread was my reflections. Surprise, I found them to be rather informative. A number of the topics and issues I had reflected on were ones I have encountered and had to deal with. My opinion of reflections changed that day... Since then, I have used “reflections” in the workshops I have presented. Each reflection I developed was based on those I was exposed to at the APS summer retreat. I find them to be an invaluable tool.

Because the RTs hail from across the nation, many of the discussions and reflections are done online. The teacher discussion and reflection areas are provided through the University of California - Berkeley’s Project WISE (Web-based Inquiry Science Environment) website: http://wise.berkeley.edu.

Science Teaching Forum
One of the highlights of the fellowship is the summertime Science Teaching Forum. RTs take a break from their research experience to gather at a conference center near Washington, DC for an exciting week of exploration, sharing, and brainstorming. This year's Forum is scheduled for July 20 - 26, 2009.

Developing New Materials
Research Teachers also develop an inquiry-based classroom activity or lab. Selected activities are published by APS in print form and on the APS website. The Fellowship offers teachers an opportunity to apply for a Mini-Grant for materials and supplies to develop and field-test their activity. Click here for examples of lessons developed by RTs from previous years. Many RTs present their activities at local and national science teachers’ meetings, such as those of the National Science Teachers Association, and the National Association of Biology Teachers annual meeting.

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The Frontiers in Physiology programs are developed and sponsored by the American Physiological Society with additional funding from the National Center for Research Resources (Science Education Partnership Award #RR15251) at the National Institutes of Health.