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Annual Report-Polando
Rachel Polando
Annual Report 2010-2011

Teaching: Enrollment
Fall 2010
Human Biology 36
Introduction to Molecular Biology 52
January 2011
Development of Scientific Thought In GB 13
Spring 2011
Microbiology 47
Cell Biology 22

Advisees
Primary Advisees 15
Regular Advisees 14
Teaching Self assessment

Human Biology
Having taught this class four times in the two years I have been at
Manchester I think I have learned several important factors in a non-majors class
setting. I continue to improvise and improve on the content and delivery of this
material with each class.
The fall section of Human biology was by far my best planned section but the
hardest class I have had to motivate to work. They did not seem interested at all
and I struggled to keep them motivated and engaged. I heard lots of complaints
about the workload and expectations so I was very surprised by the overwhelmingly
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positive comments made by this group of students. I added a note card attendance
policy, this is sort of similar to the one-minute paper idea, except they write
something they learned or a question they have about a concept from class. One
student wrote, writing questions on note cards I dont always like asking
questions in class so this helped. My goal was to get them more interested in the
material, allow them a forum to ask questions in private, and if the same question
was asked repeatedly I could assess their comprehension of the material and back
up if necessary.
As I noted last year, another problem area was the use of citations and
appropriate sources. To combat this, I had Doris Stephenson speak to the class for
an hour about sources, library resources, and determination of credible information.
She also created a web page for the class so that they could easily access what she
talked about. This did increase the quality of the citations. I also made an MLA
cheat sheet to try to help and most seemed to appreciate it, although one student
complained Some of the grading of the essays were not consistent- I was graded off
for things that she claimed were not really MLA format but I found out after looking
up in my Essay writing hand guide that things I was counted off on should not have
been counted off for. This comment troubles me a little since I tried to be extra
vigilant about MLA as this is not a common citation system for me. I also never
spoke to the student about this, had they talked to me about this I would have
readily fixed the problem.
In an effort for increased clarity of paper grading I implemented a rubric, this
seemed to help and made the expectations as clear as possible. I have also included
a mandatory peer review that everyone must complete for the first paper and then if
they receive lower than an 80% on any previous paper. These reviews must be
conducted by writing center staff. This has increased paper review before
submission and paper quality.
There were a few negative comments about the final exam that I think need
to be addressed. The last 5-6 lectures I ask the students to present in groups, this
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increases their accountability with eachother, practices speaking skills, and makes
them invested in their content. Some of the students did not like this project and
were not happy that I let the students write 25% of the final with questions they
submitted. I rewrote or reworded bad questions as needed but think that the
presenters knew best which parts were the most important as they had taught the
content. Next time I teach this class I will write the questions to avoid this problem.
Although students do not like the quizzes there seems to be an
understanding about their importance and place in this class. I spend much less
time teaching vocabulary and more time on content since they have seen all of these
words before arriving in class. I am still working on improving the quizzes but think
that they are effective and achieving their purpose.
Additionally, I have spoken at length with John Deal and Stacy Ericson about
their approach to non-majors courses. Stacy provided some valuable information
about her discussions and getting participation from more students as well as
making goals and expectations about writing more clear. I think that the
improvements I have made with the MLA format sheets, peer reviews, library
website have all increased clarity for paper expectations. I also observed and spoke
with John Deal about his macroeconomics course. Observation of Johns class
allowed me to see how he engages his classroom and garner some ideas to further
interact with my students.
Introduction to Molecular Biology
This class was greatly improved this semester, as I knew a bit more about
where my students were content and understanding wise. We spent a lot of time
ensuring everyone had the same basic level of knowledge so we could learn more
challenging concepts later in the semester. The age of these students is still an issue
and perhaps an even larger problem now that this class is taught falls of sophomore
year. At this stage in their academic career they are maturing, realizing goals, and
the content difficulty increases. This makes this semester challenging for everyone
involved. I worked hard to keep on top of questions and content misunderstandings
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using the note cards as I had in Human biology. This was a tremendous success, I
could go over concepts, explain material again, and work with them in class to get as
many as possible to understand the material. The students also noted their
appreciation for note cards and my ability to relate information in an accessible
non-science term way. When I noticed the class was struggling with DNA
replication I made worksheets and we made a model for replication out of pipe
cleaners. I was concerned that the students would find it childish but several made
positive comments on their evaluations about the pipe cleaners.
I am happy to see that the quizzes were much improved and several of the
students made comments about actually liking the quizzes and reading beforehand.
A few comments were made about the length of the reading assignments for each
quiz. I have set it up that each quiz covers the entire chapter, which could be 30
pages, although this book is filled with pages of drawings and models. It would be
difficult for me to plan where we would be page wise in advance to allow them to
take the quizzes in pieces, especially since we back track when confusion sets in.
Although I am not teaching this class again as we have hired Kristen Short, I will
have all quizzes open at the beginning of the semester and all of the questions
appear at once to make it easier to take the quiz. Giving them more time in which to
take the quiz but not altering the duration should help alleviate this concern.
Another area of improvement could be the class meeting time to 3 hours and
the use of PowerPoint. The additional class hour was approved this year and
according to my student evaluations a much needed addition to improve their
understanding. As for PowerPoint I have comments about their positive use and
negative use. At this point I understand that it can be boring or tedious when the
format stays the same but I think that continuity improves their learning, as it is
familiar and expected. Changing the classroom format for every lecture would make
it hard to be consistent and probably be more disruptive than engaging. I do take
breaks, use demonstrations, and lots of videos to break up the monotony of lecture
alone. I will also continue to keep the lectures unavailable until after class, when I
make the lectures available before I see few if any students taking notes. The active
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part of learning occurs when they are responsible to write the content down. It
would be an interesting observation to chart the grade of the students in
comparison to the availability of the PowerPoint.
At this point I am very happy with the laboratory for this class. I worked
hard to rewrite all the handouts to make them easier to understand. Last year I
noticed a disconnect between some of the laboratory techniques and application of
them later in the semester so I created a lab practical. Students commonly struggle
with calculating and understanding serial dilutions. We practice and employ this 3-
4 times during the semester and they continue to use this skill in other labs in both
biology and chemistry. The practical reinforced this concept and held them
accountable for understanding dilutions. Students were also tested over proper use
of pipettes and calculations using dilutions, these practicals improved
comprehension and accountability of this information. I wondered last year about
the usefulness of the 5-week DNA laboratory. With the improvements to the
handouts and increased instruction this lab was a success. The students felt as if
they were doing real science and using practical skills that all biologists utilize. I
think that the labs are fulfilling the goals of the course and of the department.
I also continued the pet molecule paper and presentation this semester,
however the presentation format had to be changed due to the number of students
enrolled. It would have been impossible to have every student give a presentation
in class so I changed the format to a poster session during their laboratory time.
Students presented a poster to me individually and to their classmates similar to a
professional conference. The students were responsible for taking notes and asking
questions about their classmates molecules as this content was on the final exam.
This still achieves a goal of public speaking but does so in a smaller setting and uses
class time more efficiently. I also used the peer review sheet as I had in Human
Biology to improve their final drafts and demonstrate the importance of
proofreading.
Development of Scientific Thought in Great Britain
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I was fortunate enough to be allowed to accompany Susan Klein on her trip
to London for January to observe how to plan and execute a travel course. This
course really opened my eyes to the intricacies and planning that must go into a
travel course. I helped Susan plan out the schedule for the trip and added several
more biology related areas to the schedule, including Edward Jenner, John Snow,
and more perspective to Watson and Crick. In addition, I figured out a more
economical cell phone option and updated the reading packet and questions for the
students.
The most overwhelming thing I noticed in this class is how sheltered some of
the students are. I do not think I could take students to a country that did not speak
English; it was hard enough to have them understand an English accent let alone
another language. Some of the students complained both on the trip and in their
evaluations about our dinner choices. One of Susans goals is to have them try new
food and from a variety of ethnic options available in London. I knew this would be
a struggle since several refused to try anything new and ate only hamburgers. The
students knew ahead of time and when we could we consulted with them about food
but this was not always possible given the options available when it was time to find
dinner. I am not sure how to fix this problem as we did the best we could to
accommodate everyone and I spent most of my meals explaining what different
things were on each menu at every restaurant. It was really rewarding when a few
of the students tried new foods or didnt ask for help choosing. Those few students
really matured and learned how to embrace being in another country.
I also learned a lot about student behavior and out interactions with them.
As we spent at least 12-14 hours a day with the students it was a very easy to
develop a close relationship with them. I tried to take into account their need for
increased sleep and suggested to Susan to let them sleep in a few times as well as
their desire for a free day. In the past she had never given them time off and I
suggested they might want time to explore on their own, our compromise was a free
morning to spend it as they pleased. I also realized the importance of our
interaction with the students after we returned from a long day out. Several of us
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would write in our travel journals together at night. This often led to students
asking higher thought questions than they would on campus. They wanted to know
why and how these scientists accomplished what they did. I think that most of the
students walked away with an appreciation for how big scientific discoveries are
made.
I would like to plan a travel course in the future but I am not sure of the
location. I originally thought that France and Britain would be optimal but given my
observations concerning language and the number of classes that currently visit
those countries. I need to think and research more about a less traveled place that
still speaks English. I feel more confident about my ability to plan and execute a
successful travel course.
Microbiology
I think this class was much smoother my second time through it, although the
additional 18 students strained some aspects of this course. I continued to use
PowerPoint for lecture as I had last year and keeping the material unavailable until
after the lecture. I spent most of last summer reworking and restructuring the
lectures to make them more accessible and improve their clarity. Again, I had
positive and negative comments about the PowerPoint and its availability. From the
comments this year I think that time spent last summer was well worth it and their
understanding of the material was increased. I made an effort to keep the text
limited and phrases short to encourage note taking. We do cover a lot of material in
this class but the area of microbiology is so large that we need to touch on a lot of
topics. I have struggled with how best to deal with this content and believe that the
students need to be exposed to all aspects of microbiology including some of the
diseases. I also think that the pace of the lecture in this class worked well, I know
there are some comments about the pace but I know some of the students were not
paying attention and not taking notes. This summer I will continue to rework the
lectures and eliminate any redundancy in the lectures.
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I also used the reading quizzes on ANGEL as I had in my other classes for the
first time in this class. I had more positive comments about the quizzes and due to
the number of chapters we covered I did not have a quiz for each chapter. I think
the quizzes are serving their intended purpose and allowing the students to more
quickly understand concepts.
The lab for this class was especially demanding, a typical week worth of
media was 600 tubes and 200 plates. I was barely able to keep up with the demands
for each week, let alone get ahead in preparation. I did have student assistants but I
find that even the best assistants can be unreliable or unavailable when you need
them. I continue to try to utilize the help I have in the most effective way but with
this class growing each year it is increasingly difficult to keep up. As I have said
before the techniques and activities in this lab are integral to learning and
experiencing microbiology so I cannot in good conscience reduce the level of
involvement. I continued the golden slide from last year and the students seemed to
appreciate the importance of proper staining for microbiologists. Along the same
lines I added a lab practical to increase their accountability for understanding other
vital aspects of lab, including sterile technique, proper labels, and streak plates. The
practical really emphasized and enforced their understanding of these core
concepts. I ask that students keep a lab notebook similar to professional scientists.
Each lab period the students must write up the prelab information, this allows them
to understand the techniques and makes sure they are prepared for lab. The
students cannot start lab until an assistant or I have checked this. It is a way to keep
the students accountable for their comprehension of lab. A number of students
voiced concerns about the price of the laboratory manual and in an effort to be
sensitive about cost to our students I have decided to rewrite the handouts this
summer and post them on ANGEL.
I also continued utilizing the note cards to assess understanding and I think it
was very effective in this class. As you can see from the comments I encourage the
students to ask any question they want and I will explain what I can and look up
what I do not know. Most of the questions are directly related to class although
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sometimes we do get off topic on something that is occurring in their lives or that
they heard about on the news. I think that answering their questions improves their
understanding and appreciation for how involved science is in our everyday lives. I
did get off the original syllabus and I had to revise their syllabus 2 times. It did not
please me that I had to revise the syllabus but I thought that answering questions
and slowing the lecture down was more important than rushing through and not
taking the time to explain the concepts.
As in molecular biology I had the students write a paper and present a poster
on their favorite microbe or disease. I am trying to incorporate a significant writing
assignment in each of my courses and this seems to allow them to further
investigate a microbe they find fascinating. I use the poster session to have them
practice public speaking skills and communicating information to their peers. I think
that both of these assignments serve important purposes but may need
restructuring, although how that would be accomplished I am not sure of right now.
I know that there is one very long comment about the paper, poster, and
work he put into the class. I was sad to see this comment, especially since I know
which student wrote it and I spent many hours tutoring him and answering his
questions about this class. Evidently, he did not think he needed the help and was
disappointed in the difficulty. There is a lot of material in this class and that is what
makes it more difficult, I also know that most of my class was sophomores and
juniors so making this class more difficult for two seniors did not seem appropriate.
I also realize that in an effort to make students more accountable for certain aspects
of class there were too many gimme points. I have removed those and will only
subtract from the lab section when they do not follow directions instead of a single
point category for that. I am also restructuring the point values for other simple
items to make the grade distribution in this class more even. I continue to try to find
a balance between the content and difficulty in all of my classes.
I will just note that a few of the negative comments in my evaluation section
are obviously not from my class. There are two that stand out about a male faculties
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laboratory that are clearly not mine, I have never brought a computer into
laboratory nor do I allow my assistants to. We are constantly walking around and
asking the students comprehension questions, it is seldom that I sit down during lab
time. The other comment clearly addresses Young Lees class and not my own.
Cell Biology
Similar to my other courses I used PowerPoint and the ANGEL reading
quizzes for cell biology. I struggled with how much detail to include and how to
tackle some of these really complex and cutting edge findings in cell biology. As this
was the first time I taught this class I tried to keep ahead of misunderstanding and
confusion, using the note cards and asking questions after each section. We did fall
behind in this class which made it difficult to gauge the quiz timing but I know now
what concepts will take more time and how to spread the material out more evenly.
I also allowed the students to have all the questions for the quiz at one time instead
of question by question, which looking at the comments was appreciated. This class
also seemed to appreciate the PowerPoint being available after the lecture. I also
supplemented the material from their book with the bigger version of the book to
add more dimension and detail to their lectures. I found that these students in
particular wanted more detail and specifics to supplement their book.
I attempted to include a journal club, similar to what I had experienced in
Graduate school. As an undergraduate I was really unprepared to read primary
scientific literature when I started Graduate school. I decided that we should try to
read primary literature and give the students the tools and techniques they would
need to be successful and really understand the material. I had originally tried this
during Medical Microbiology last year and it did not work as well as I had hoped so I
strategized how to improve it. This time I gave the students a pre-lecture about the
background concepts and methods so that they would not get so caught up in the
jargon and not the big picture. Looking over the comments this seemed to help
quite a bit and allowed them to focus more on the paper. Additionally, I also gave
the final lecture over the paper to allow the students closure and a chance to tell me
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why they accepted or rejected the journal article. I also decided to place students in
larger groups that successively got smaller and the semester continued. The
students wrote the last paper by themselves. Group work is always a challenge and
some individuals worked better together than others but the groups allowed the
students to bounce ideas and talk through the papers without being isolated. It was
not to cut down on my grading but rather give them eachother as a resource to
figure out the paper. I would use this strategy again as it worked really well
regardless of how the students like group work. In addition, I structured the paper
topics around the current content we were learning about in class, which seemed to
really drive home the importance of research in solving questions about cell biology.
For example when we were learning about microRNA and its role in regulating the
genome, we read about how microRNA regulates development of the pig brain as a
model for human brain development. This seemed to really engage the students and
teach them what we dont know yet.
I also used the other half of our journal club time to discuss certain cell
biology related diseases at length. I let the students give suggestions about what
diseases they would like to learn about and tried to incorporate them when I could.
I matched up specific diseases with the content we were currently discussing in
class to try to make real world connections. When we were learning about gene
regulation and consequences that occur with deregulation we talked about
Huntingtons disease and the implications for duplication of this gene. I think this
was an especially effective strategy and I would use it again.
John Deal observed my class late in the semester and I was so happy to have
a person outside the natural science division for another perspective and point of
view. He commented on my ease with the students and the ease the students have
with me as well. I try to be as approachable as possible and encourage questions at
all times during the lecture. John also made some comments as to the structure of
the lectures and how they appear to be from the book. To clarify I use the images
from their book but I generate my own slides from scratch. I find the premade
lectures not well made and not very clear and do not use them for any of my classes.
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I do think it is important to use the images from their book to keep the continuity
between lecture and the text. I was glad to have John in class to get some feedback
about allowing the students to ask questions and assess my interaction with them
and gauging their comprehension of the material. The scrunchy eyebrow
comment does make the students chuckle a bit but it tends to open the door so that
they feel they can ask questions since I know there is some confusion. I also
appreciated his insight about my teaching style fitting in with the material and the
students understanding of the material. I hope to have more non-natural science
division faculty visit my class next year for some more feedback and suggestions.
Dave Hicks also visited this class this semester and I was glad he attended the
day that he did. As I noted earlier I have been trying a journal club with this class
and wanted departmental assessment of the worth and validity of this idea. From
reading Daves assessment of this assignment I think that the journal club idea is
working and benefitting our students. Dave also noted my attempts at relating back
to earlier topics in the semester and how they influence what we are currently
discussing. I make a very conscious effort to relate back to previously learned
concepts from not just the current class but other classes they have taken. I think
we have a bit of disconnect in how students interpret concepts. We focus a lot on
the current topic but not as much on how all of this ties into the bigger picture or a
broader topic. This disconnect is clear when you start reading the senior
comprehensive exams. The details and intricacies are there but the students
struggle in tying it all back to the larger subject. I will agree with Dave on the pace
of the last half of class, it was a bit faster than usual and I had not anticipated
covering the material as quickly but my observations of the students didnt seem to
indicate they did not understand the concepts.
Overall thoughts/review
I think that I am settling in and getting my feet under me more this year than
last year in terms of class work and expectations. There are still aspects that I need
to improve and know that I will always need to make changes and evaluate my
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courses. One item I noticed on the evaluations that I observed in a few of my classes
is the lower scores on the grading consistency. This is puzzling to me as I have
created a rubric for every graded assignment except the exams. I am uncertain how
to resolve this issue right now especially since any time there is a grade discrepancy
I immediately review it and make changes. I think I am one of the most
approachable professors about this, students have made several comments about
how easy it was to talk to me about what happened and why certain answers were
not correct.
The main stretch this year was the additional responsibilities I had as second
year faculty. I am not sure that 30 advisees your first semester advising is normal or
not but it was certainly a lot to handle. I put the needs of the students first which
left me with very little to no time to get any of what I needed completed. This was
especially difficult during second semester with all of the needs of the microbiology
lab. I am still learning how to balance the adivising, teaching, and committee work
and know that this will be an ongoing process.
Service Department and Division
1. Biology-Chemistry Council- Now a full member and assisting with advising,
election of major, senior comprehensive exams, and career advice. I
conducted 12 oral senior comprehensive exams this year and 24 written
comprehensive exams.
2. Wrote letters of recommendation for 12 students for summer research or
internships, dental school, medical school, Medical technology school,
MedPower internship, meeting attendance, Study abroad, and Eel River
research. 4 of my medical, dental students and medical technology students
were successful in securing professional school admittance. 4 of my students
seeking internship or summer research were successful in obtaining these
experiences, opportunities. The rest of my students have yet to hear back
about their opportunities and availability.
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3. Wrote letter of re-admittance for Allie Zuber after counseling her on how to
obtain a degree in medical technology. She has waived her admittance as she
found a job and would like to gain work experience at the present time.
4. Conducted election of major for Biology (5), Medical Technology (2) and
Biology-Chemistry majors (19).
5. Assisted with our successful Biology department search to add Kristen Short
to the Biology faculty.
6. Hired and trained laboratory 7 assistants for laboratory sections.
7. Organized and participated in a graduate school panel discussion during
science seminar.
8. Organized 2 science seminar presenters, Graham Polando on DNA forensics
in the courtroom and Jamie Kasuboski on regulating cell division and
graduate school.
9. Hosted the annual division picnic.
Service to the College
1. Academic advisor for 29 students this academic year.
2. Scholarship Day- interviewed prospective students with strong academic
credentials.
3. Student Research Symposium- 2 of my research students participated in the
symposium, I moderated and evaluated student research conducted at
Manchester, and one of my students was the symposium convener.
4. Founders and Faculty Scholars Day- Interacted with high achieving students
and talked to them about Manchester and the academic program offered.
5. Attended 3 Academic Fair events.
6. Planned and delivered 2 floor programs for 2 residence hall floors.
7. Participated in 2 advising and registration days.
8. Met with 20 prospective students regarding biology, medical technology,
biology chemistry, or pharmacy.
9. Updated the medical technology website, contact information and affiliation
agreements. Added 2 new affiliations with St. Joseph and St. Margaret
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Hospital, although the St. Joseph school will not be opening due to funding
problems.
10. Participated in the International Fashion Show.
11. Moderated one of the Discussion Day video and discussion sections.
12. Moderated and read Fast Food Nation for reading discussion group.
13. Member of Institutional Review Board.
14. Member of New Ventures Committee.
15. Member of Erin Coles Honors Thesis committee.
16. Mentored Michael Stocker for the First Year Writing Symposium.
17. Counseled and assisted 2 students of parents with stage 4 cancers. While not
service in the traditional sense these students needed to talk to a person who
has experienced a similar situation.
Service to the Community
1. Knitted several hats for adult cancer survivors that were donated to
Lutheran Hospital.
2. Expanding your Horizons- Educational program for 12-15 year old girls to
encourage studying science.
3. Applied for Court Appointed Special Advocate training and service. I will
need to complete my 33 hours of training in the fall.
4. Science Olympiad- Prepared and executed 2 events with 2 sections
administered by student assistants while I was in London.
Service to the Profession
1. Indiana College Biology Teachers Association- member and member of
steering committee.
2. Consortium of Indiana Medical Laboratory Educators- Attended annual
meeting and learned about our medical technology program.
3. Attended the IU medical school advisors conference with Susan Klein. I
learned about how to best prepare and advise our students to be good
applicants.
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Assessment of Service
I think that my service to the college and division are pretty well developed
at this time. I volunteer in a variety of activities that are focused on all of the
different aspects at Manchester. I greatly enjoy speaking and counseling students
about what their career goals and aspirations. I also enjoy interacting with them
outside of the classroom and would like to participate more in extra curricular
activities. I have noticed a deficiency in the science division of an honorary for
biology and biology chemistry majors that are not interested in professional
outcomes or ecology as well as a complete division honorary. I am currently
investigating potential membership of Beta Beta Beta, biology honorary as a place
for all of our students interested in biology, not just pre-professionals. I have heard
from several of my advisees that they would like a place to belong that encompasses
all of biology. There are a few details with this organization that could be
problematic, as I have discussed this with Dave Kreps, the most being the distinction
between full member and associate member. I am also investigating Sigma Zeta,
which is an honorary for all math, computer science, and natural science students. I
think this would be a great asset to the division and attract many students. I
continue to enjoy outreach activities for younger students, getting them involved
and excited about science. I continue to realize that I need to connect more outside
the college and am eager to begin my involvement in CASA.
Scholarship
1. Attended all science seminar speaker presentations.
2. Hosted Graham Polando and Jamie Kasuboski for science seminar.
3. Attended the Autumn Immunology conference with Adelaide Kamagaju.
4. Attended 3 Faculty Development Seminars.
5. Attended 4 Faculty Forum presentations and presented at one.
6. American Association of Immunologists-member.
7. American Society of Microbiologists- member.
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8. Submitted one manuscript for publication to Infection and Immunity. My
other manuscript is awaiting collaborator comments prior to submission to
Infection and Immunity.
9. Indiana Academy of Sciences, member.
10. ICI meeting on technology in the classroom.
11. Attended Autumn Immunology Conference in Chicago IL.
Assessment of Scholarship
This last year I have I participated in several scholarship programs and tried
to be more proactive in my involvement. I still spend most of my scholarship within
the college, while I learn a lot from these events it was rejuvenating to attend the
Autumn Immunology conference. It was so refreshing and a much-needed reminder
of what it is like to be amongst people who share my scientific interest and passion.
The time of year was also especially soul lifting as this was during a low point
emotionally for me. I came back from this conference excited about what I love and
I could pass on that enthusiasm to the students. I have submitted my one
manuscript to Infection and Immunity and am waiting for feedback; the other
manuscript will also be submitted there. I have definitely increased interest in cell
and microbial related research and am excited that if my grant is funded to be able
to bring research opportunities to these areas that are really lacking right now.
Goals
1. Attend a professional meeting.
2. Submit last manuscript to Infection and Immunity.
3. Rewrite the laboratories for Microbiology.
4. Continue to increase awareness of Manchesters Medical Technology
Program.
5. Submit my funding proposal to the National Science Foundation.

Assessment of Goals from 2009-2010
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1. Attend a professional meeting
2. Submit my 2 written manuscripts
3. Rewrite the laboratories for Molecular Biology
4. Increase awareness of Manchesters Medical Technology Program
5. Attend the Wakonse Teaching Conference
I think that I was fairly successful in reaching the goals I set for myself last
year. I attended the Autumn Immunology Conference in November to fulfill my
professional meeting goal. I submitted one of two manuscripts, although
submission of the second one is not something I can currently control. My hope is
that the comments from our collaborator will be finished soon and we can submit
this manuscript as well. I successfully rewrote all the laboratories for Introduction
to Molecular Biology, this greatly improved student learning and comprehension.
They found the new handouts to be clear, easy to understand, and well written. This
made lab significantly easier and more enjoyable for everyone. I also successfully
increased awareness of the medical technology major. I currently have 3 students
involved and spoke with 4 prospective students about it this year. I think that with
more promotion and awareness this program will blossom and become a more
established program. I did not complete my last goal of attending the Wakonse
teaching conference this year. The conference conflicts with my teaching of summer
school online. I would attend a conference as I am teaching summer school online
since I do not have to lecture in person, however there is limited internet access at
this conference due to its location at a YMCA campground and it is my first time
teaching an online course. I think that the potential needs of the students are more
important than attending the conference this year. I want to be able to quickly
troubleshoot problems and be available for students; especially during the first few
days of class as we all settle into our routine.