ASPB EDUCATION FORUM

The ASPB Education Booth in Montréal
Sharing Innovative Teaching Ideas, Materials, and Techniques to Advance Plant Biology Education

The ASPB Education Booth at Plant Biology 2010 in Montréal will feature a diverse array of interactive education and outreach displays and activities. Here is a preview of what is in store for visitors at this year’s booth, which you’ll find just inside the entrance of the main exhibit hall.

For the first time, this year’s booth will be the site of informal “Hot Topics in Science Education” discussions, which will be facilitated by ASPB members on a number of different educational subjects. The Education Committee is pleased to announce that Penny Humby and Stacie Reck at Crandall University, winners of the 2010 ASPB Education Booth Competition, will lead two discussion sessions on creative pedagogical approaches to engage students using angiosperm biodiversity as an example. Penny and Stacie will share their experiences on using constructivist approaches to teaching and assessment as an alternative to more traditional methods. They will also be on hand to offer one-on-one and small group consultations to booth visitors who want to find out more about using these approaches at their own institutions. Look for posted schedules of the “Hot Topics in Science Education” discussions and consultation times at the meeting.

Jeffrey Coker (Elon University), Jane Ellis (Presbyterian College), and Mary Williams (ASPB) will have a comprehensive display and demonstration of hands-on activities they have developed and tested to teach K–12 students about the 12 Principles of Plant Biology, which were formulated by ASPB to help students gain a better understanding of plant biology concepts. Jeffrey, Jane, and Mary will show booth visitors how they can use the activities for their own outreach purposes, share the activities with teachers, or use the activities as models to develop their own outreach materials. The 12 principles activities were developed through funding from the Education Foundation 2008 and 2009 Grant Awards Program (GAP).

The ASPB Education Committee and Education Foundation will have a display that features a number of resources on talking about science in public and the scholarship of teaching and learning. As always, packets of popular worksheets and handouts will be available for visitors to take away, as well as samples of simple tools that educators can use in their outreach to stimulate student interest in plant biology. Examples of print and video educational materials, developed through several GAP-winning projects, will also be onsite.

The Education Committee cordially invites you to drop by the booth to participate in discussions, interact with the displays, and share your education and outreach ideas. See you in Montréal!