Open source 3D Printer – Photo taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source_hardware As makers, we have the opportunity to build upon the ideas and innovations of those who came before us. The “open” movement challenges us to consider the opportunities for innovations when ideas are not restricted or limited. I believe that open Read more…
As a teacher I am surrounded by learning, or at least I hope that I am. I spend my days trying to figure out ways to help my students learn and serving as an advocate for education. As I was driving to work the other morning and thinking through the Read more…
There are many different reasons that people go into teaching. I am still not sure how I got here, but I do know that I am supposed to be here. I can’t really explain it, but I feel at home in the classroom. Teaching gives me a sense of purpose Read more…
If you read the news paper, it’s impossible to avoid headlines related to big issues facing our culture. How do we value people and human life? How do we address poverty? How do we improve our education system to foster a culture of great teachers? For our exceptional teachers, how Read more…
I am well into the second month of flipping my microbiology class. The first exam did not go well and I had to make some adjustments to my approach (see this post) We had our second exam this week and I am much happier with the results. Here are the Read more…
On a Sunday drive with my wife, Sarah talked about how she will be teaching on public health and epidemics in her microbiology classes soon. For as long as I have known Sarah, she gets REALLY excited about epidemiology. She gets excited in the same way that a four year Read more…
In previous blog posts, we have discussed the necessity to encourage science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) especially in the United States. As our culture has become increasingly digital, we have coined this term of “digital natives” to describe the current generation of kids who grow up playing with IPads, Read more…
When I started teaching college classes last year I had very little preparation. I just kind of jumped, head first, into the deep end. I was handed a set of textbooks and a course description and sent on my way. Now I was pretty comfortable with teaching microbiology. It is Read more…
Teachers of computer science, like many STEM teachers, desire to find ways to engage students in the craft. How do we make learning computer programming fun? How do we empower students to be creative? As a computer science graduate myself, I have to confess that we cover some pretty dry Read more…