Teaching Biology Through Immunology Fellowships

描述(由申请者提供)：该计划的目标是在专业科学家、中学教师和课程专家之间建立持久的合作伙伴关系，以现代、前沿的免疫学实验室研究为基础开发和传播新的课程材料，以加强美国的科学教育和学生对科学课程的参与。具体地说，该计划将为中学教师提供暑期奖学金，让他们在美国各地不同中心的免疫学研究实验室工作。这一研究经验将与课程开发直接相关，以便每位教师为中学生开发一个新的实验室练习。预计这一经验将提高教师的教学技能和科学知识，以便将生物科学(特别是免疫学)的最新基本概念更好地纳入目前的课程。由于没有足够的创新练习来说明现代免疫学的基本原理和概念，教师将被要求根据他们的实验室经验制定教案，并在课程专家的帮助下制定教案。该计划还将包括对导师的教育，使他们对实验室的教师有合理的期望，以及加强导师科学家对他们在科学教育改革中的作用的态度。促进科学家和教师之间有效伙伴关系的导师讲习班将是AAI/教师年度研讨会的一个组成部分，此外还有教师和课程制定者举办的讲习班和演讲。通过在专业科学家、中学教师和课程开发专家之间建立联系，我们将建立一种持续的关系，这种关系不仅将促进科学教育，还将促进公众对科学的了解，以及基础研究在改善健康方面的作用。我们将评估的假设是，这一研究经验将为教师带来对科学的新的热情，这将转化为(通过他们新的课程实验室练习)免疫学的综合教学，以及增加学生对科学课程的兴趣，以及对科学职业的追求。因此，我们还将对该计划中以前参与的每个教师和学区进行调查，以确定该计划对科学教育和学生职业选择的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this program is to establish a lasting partnership among professional scientists, secondary school teachers, and curriculum specialists to develop and disseminate new curricula materials based on modern, cutting edge laboratory research in Immunology, in order to enhance science education and student participation in science courses in the United States. Specifically, this program will provide summer fellowships for secondary school teachers to work in Immunology research laboratories at various centers across the United States. This research experience will be directly linked to curriculum development so that each teacher will develop a new laboratory exercise for secondary school students. It is expected that this experience will enhance the teacher's instructional skills and scientific knowledge so that up-to-date fundamental concepts in biological sciences (especially Immunology) can be better integrated into current curricula. Since sufficient innovative exercises illustrating the fundamental principles and concepts in modern Immunology are not generally available, the teachers will be required to develop lesson plans based on their lab experience, and formulate them with the aid of curricular specialists. This program will also include the education of the mentors as to reasonable expectations for the teachers in their labs, as well as to enhance mentor scientists' attitudes regarding their role in science education reform. Mentor workshops to promote effective partnerships between the scientist and teacher will be an integral part of the AAI/teacher annual symposium in addition to workshops and presentations by the teachers and curriculum developers. By providing linkages among professional scientists, secondary school teachers and experts in curriculum development, we will foster a continuing relationship that will not only stimulate science education, but will also promote the public understanding of science and the role of basic research in improving health. The hypothesis that we will evaluate is that this research experience will engender for the teachers a renewed enthusiasm for science, which will be translated (via the vehicle of their new curricular laboratory exercises) in terms of integrated teaching of Immunology, as well as increased student interest in science courses, and the pursuit of scientific careers. Thus, we will also survey each teacher and school district previously in the program in order to determine the effect of the program on science education and student career choices.