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To
learn new practical skills (DNA technology)
by working alongside experienced
scientists at the industrial science plant
Pfizer, University of Kent |
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University: Ursuline College,
Kent |
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Fellow: Gaynor Duffy |
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Email: gdduffy@aol.com |
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What is my chosen Project? |
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I wish to learn new practical/ laboratory
skills ( microscopy, Dna Technology and dissection)
by working alongside experienced people of
science from around my local area, namely
the Industrial Science plant...Pfizers, the
local university of Kent and other teachers
of A level biology in East Kent schools. |
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What form will the project take?
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I have contacted the Academic
Liaison Advisor at Pfizer's and have spoken
about applying for one of their ‘teacher
placement’ courses. They have not run
this course for a while but wish to revive
it and I wish to apply for it.
It will enable me to visit the laboratories
and have a mentor and instructor to teach
me new laboratory skills and carry out practical
experiments that I can use for my A level
teaching. The teacher placements are usually
carried out over half days for up to two weeks.
I also intend to contact the microbiology
unit at the University of Kent to see if I
can meet with science professionals and organise
a short placement there.
And finally, I wish to start improving the
links to other Teachers of A level biology
from the East Kent area. I would like to organise
an event whereby I would invite them to demonstrate
their favourite A level practical. The event
would also enable us to carry out the practicals
ourselves and discuss any difficulties that
we as teachers might have or that our students
might have. |
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What are the benefits to my project?
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My project will ultimately develop my practical
skills and also further improve my teaching
of A level biology. I will have also made
links with industry, scientists and other
professionals. I will have also encouraged
the teachers of East Kent to come together
to support the teaching of science in secondary
schools. More importantly, students of A level
biology and science will get an interesting,
stimulating biology course which may inspire
them to go into science based careers. |
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How will I disseminate the outcomes?
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The new skills that I will learn will be
directly placed in the scheme of work and
teaching of A level biology. I will be able
to teach new practicals and skills to my students
and other teachers of biology. I also intend
to record any new practicals that I carry
out in a photocopiable booklet (with intended
permissions). |
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What will be the
costs? |
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The teacher placement at Pfizer's
is free, but my school will need to provide
cover for me. This is at a cost of approximately
£160.00 per day. I would therefore like
to use only half of the grant for the teacher
placement.
I envisage that up to £500 may be used
to buy resources and consumables for the science
department so that the students can carry
out the new practicals that I have been taught.
Our science department is fairly well equipped
in the microscopy area so much of the new
materials will be for DNA based practicals
and dissection.
I would like to use the remainder of the grant,
to pay for the event that I wish to organise.
I will need to pay for a day’s technical
assistance, consumables, eatables (!) and
any reprographics that I wish to do. |
