2008-2009 National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program

As part of the HSTP IIT collaboration with the Biotechnology Institute and Baxter International, nine IIT IDS CPS science teachers and IIT IDS Science Coach, Joseph Stein, were selected to attend the 2008-2009 National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader (NBTL) Program held in Atlanta, GA from May 14-19, 2009. The NBTL Program allows science educators to gain knowledge and experiences in the biotechnology field. Since biotechnology is an additional component to the IIT IDS science curriculum, opportunities given to our teachers in experiencing hands-on biotechnology field work is key in application to the classroom, affecting our thousands of students within our selective Chicago Public Schools' high schools.

Congratulations again to Kai Jones (Hirsch HS), Emma Norise, Adero Corner & Babatunde Taiwo (Dunbar), Matthew Myers (Mather HS), Ruth Johnson (Sullivan HS), Mircea Arsenie & Sue Grabowski (Schurz HS), and Savita Padmanabhan (Carver Military)! On behalf of the IIT IDS, please know we are proud to have hard-working and dedicated teachers! Thank you all for your efforts in implementing biotechnology!

Teacher Feedback

"For almost a week, thanks to your kind sponsorship as part of our IIT/IDS partnership, I was able to join others science educators from across America in learning and developing new ideas for the classroom in the context of applied biotechnology.... The days spent in Atlanta, GA from the 14th to the 19th of May, 2009 were invaluable on many different fronts, affecting my subsequent pedagogy on a personal and academic level. I was forced to rethink my approach in teaching biology, the applied biotechnology skills we could be teaching and the possible link between the classroom and industry, a partnership we sometimes forget can be multilaterally beneficial for the schools, students, teachers and the companies looking to bridge the gap between classroom training and future employees. ... Perhaps a personal highlight was to meet the Biogeniuses, a group of very impressive young men and women from various parts of the country, students who defy convention and created science projects with real life applications, full of adult ambitions and even better, REAL scientific knowledge. They inspired me to bring that enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge, vitality and energy back in the classroom...{regarding the BIO 2009 convention}... In closing, none of this would have been possible without your assistance. Thank you again for making this trip possible, for rejuvenating our classrooms with a new energy of collaboration. I believe that with your continued support, we can transfer the knowledge and skills learned in Atlanta not only to our classrooms and students but also to our colleagues, so that they as well, may become better science educators."

Best regards- Mircea Arsenie
Schurz High School, Chicago, IL

"As an IDS High School Transformation Science Coach currently working with six teachers at Mather High School, six teachers at Tilden High School, three teachers at Phoenix Military Academy,  and two teachers at Marine Military Academy as well as presenting during professional development sessions involving nineteen schools, the biotechnology program greatly increased my scientific expertise. The content of the lab activities helped me link the relationship of the nature of science, scientific inquiry, and the application of technology.  Using new instrumentation during the labs such as the micropipettes helped me to understand the link between absolute accuracy and the validity and reliability of biotechnology experimentation.  The labs demonstrated  the importance of enzymes in real world applications, questions very important to teachers and students.  The teaching strategies I picked up while completing the biotechnology labs at the program will be very helpful during the presentation of these exact labs during professional development and/or modeling these lessons for teachers during common planning time or in the classroom.  Discussing bioethics, especially during the tour of Biotechnology companies trying to reduce the threat of cancer to human life helped me to understand and critically examine multiple perspectives in order to foster engaged, educated teachers and students.  I also reaped the benefit of networking with my colleagues regarding the implementation of a biotechnology program.  "

"Taking part in the program increased my development as a coach and made me realize the importance of biotechnology to the success of our country and the future of our world."

Joseph Stein
IIT/IDS Science Coach

News

Operation Biotechnology Summer Institute - myPlantIT
Operation Biotechnology is one of HSTP’s teaching resources, in which teaching strategies in curriculum development.
>> read article

Announcements

HSTP Professional Development
August 17–21, 2009
Register for courses at http://pdcentral.cps.k12.il.us