Teaching Philosophy and Pedagogy
Teaching Philosophy
The primary purpose of a teacher is to build a base of facts into concepts, then encourage and support critical thinking and personal inquiry to build further knowledge. This is the role that my most influential teachers played and what I plan to emulate. I will use an engaged pedagogy to develop critical, independent and creative thinking skills within my students.
Personal Pedagogy
My engaged pedagogy will develop critical, independent, and creative thinking skills within my students through four main aims.
1. I aim to implement several learning strategies for effective lectures and laboratory courses. As students enter the classroom with various life experiences and modes of learning, I am to teach to the diverse needs of these students.
2. I aim to use real data in the classroom. Working with applicable data beyond the textbook example helps to practice critical and analytical thinking skills. In the age of “big data”, there are plentiful open-access, biological and geochemical data sets (i.e., NCBI-Sequence Read Archive, US NSF Long Term Ecological Research, National Ecological Observatory Network, Joint Genome Institute Genomes Online Database, etc.) that could be leveraged to make connections with textbook material. Working with raw data promotes active learning of data “carpentry”, visualization, analysis, and interpretation skills.
3. I aim to improve writing skills within young science students. Taking data analysis and interpretations to the next level is communicating the results, and the most important part of the scientific process. Communicating scientific results occurs, mainly, as scientific publications, but there is an increasing necessity to communicate scientific findings to scientists outside of one’s own field of study, the public, and policy makers. Many young, science students do not recognize the importance, nor the necessity of writing in a scientific career.
4. I aim to expand ecology and microbiology learning beyond the classroom. Observing and exploring nature not only sharpens our observational skills, but also cultivates an appreciation for nature and connects textbook concepts to data collection. Connecting students with the natural world is a true passion of mine.
The primary purpose of a teacher is to build a base of facts into concepts, then encourage and support critical thinking and personal inquiry to build further knowledge. This is the role that my most influential teachers played and what I plan to emulate. I will use an engaged pedagogy to develop critical, independent and creative thinking skills within my students.
Personal Pedagogy
My engaged pedagogy will develop critical, independent, and creative thinking skills within my students through four main aims.
1. I aim to implement several learning strategies for effective lectures and laboratory courses. As students enter the classroom with various life experiences and modes of learning, I am to teach to the diverse needs of these students.
2. I aim to use real data in the classroom. Working with applicable data beyond the textbook example helps to practice critical and analytical thinking skills. In the age of “big data”, there are plentiful open-access, biological and geochemical data sets (i.e., NCBI-Sequence Read Archive, US NSF Long Term Ecological Research, National Ecological Observatory Network, Joint Genome Institute Genomes Online Database, etc.) that could be leveraged to make connections with textbook material. Working with raw data promotes active learning of data “carpentry”, visualization, analysis, and interpretation skills.
3. I aim to improve writing skills within young science students. Taking data analysis and interpretations to the next level is communicating the results, and the most important part of the scientific process. Communicating scientific results occurs, mainly, as scientific publications, but there is an increasing necessity to communicate scientific findings to scientists outside of one’s own field of study, the public, and policy makers. Many young, science students do not recognize the importance, nor the necessity of writing in a scientific career.
4. I aim to expand ecology and microbiology learning beyond the classroom. Observing and exploring nature not only sharpens our observational skills, but also cultivates an appreciation for nature and connects textbook concepts to data collection. Connecting students with the natural world is a true passion of mine.
Polar science is of great interest to the public. My personal education and public outreach (EPO) goals are to generate excitement for science, increase science literacy in a broad audience, and engage students in hands-on activities that involve data collection and analysis. I am accomplishing my personal EPO goals by mentoring students, from underrepresented populations through the MSU American Indian Research Opportunities (AIRO) program and the University of California Minorities Access to Research Careers (MARC); teaching college level biology classes; giving public lectures; co-teaching in STEM teacher professional development workshops; and partnering with artists to explore new ways to communicate my science.
I enjoy going to K-12 classrooms to share my love of science. My activities and presentations are not limited to microbiology and introduce a wide breadth of topics such as glaciology, albedo, climate change, animal adaptations, and others. My focus in the classroom is to use short, informative activities that engage students in data collection and analysis. Students get hands on practice working with and viewing data that they collect while doing activities such as glacier goo, blubber gloves, or Earth's albedo.
During my PhD, I was active in the Crow Education Partnership (CEP), coordinated by the WISSARD project, for more than 3 years. We developed a distinctive and targeted program for an underrepresented population of elementary school-age children (http://www.wissard.org/education-and-outreach). The CEP provided the 4th-grade students on and adjacent to the Crow Reservation with monthly opportunities to learn and engage in hands-on science activities and field trips to Yellowstone National Park and other wild spaces.
I enjoy going to K-12 classrooms to share my love of science. My activities and presentations are not limited to microbiology and introduce a wide breadth of topics such as glaciology, albedo, climate change, animal adaptations, and others. My focus in the classroom is to use short, informative activities that engage students in data collection and analysis. Students get hands on practice working with and viewing data that they collect while doing activities such as glacier goo, blubber gloves, or Earth's albedo.
During my PhD, I was active in the Crow Education Partnership (CEP), coordinated by the WISSARD project, for more than 3 years. We developed a distinctive and targeted program for an underrepresented population of elementary school-age children (http://www.wissard.org/education-and-outreach). The CEP provided the 4th-grade students on and adjacent to the Crow Reservation with monthly opportunities to learn and engage in hands-on science activities and field trips to Yellowstone National Park and other wild spaces.
Mentoring
Kenneth Lai - Bigelow-Colby Sea Change Semester, Bachelor's student at the University of Washington (Fall semester 2021-current)
"Identifying Viable Iron and Methane Cycling Pathways in the Arctic Tundra through Metagenomic Analysis"
Rémi Massé – NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Bachelor's student at University of Michigan (summer 2020)
"Using remote sensing to quantify biological iron oxides"
Maddie Michaud – Bachelor's student at Wheaton College (winter 2019)
"Fe oxidation in permafrost slump sediments"
Rémi Massé – NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Bachelor's student at University of Michigan (summer 2019)
"Iron reduction in the Alaskan Arctic: The role of biological iron oxides"
Kim Roush – MS Candidate, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (Successfully defended 2018)
"Geochemical characterization of shallow sediments from the Grounding Zone adjacent to the Whillans Ice Stream"
Tyler Subatsch – MSU American Indian Research Opportunity Advisee - Summer 2014
“Characterization of bacterial isolates from Subglacial Lake Whillans”
Stephin Littleshield – MSU American Indian Research Opportunity Advisee - Summer 2013
“Quantifying bubble volumes in polar lake ice cover”
Paloma Lopez – University of California, Santa Cruz, Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Fellow, Summer 2011
“The isolation and characterization of Hymenobacter granizonis sp. nov., from the natural, upper atmosphere sampler: a hailstone”
Chase Jordan – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2012
“Investigating the abundance and diversity of ice nucleation active bacteria”
**Blue ribbon, Gold medal and nominated for Broadcom Masters competition at Butte Regional Science fair
Chase Jordan and Hans Swenson – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2011
“How does temperature and salinity affect populations of Subglacial Lake Vostok ice core isolates”
**1st place Butte Regional Science Fair, 2nd place at Montana State Science Fair
Fritz Kalakay – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2010
“Bacterial communities present in a deciduous lowlying forest compared to a high alpine coniferous forest”
**2nd place Butte Regional Science Fair, Gold Ribbon at Montana State Science Fair
"Identifying Viable Iron and Methane Cycling Pathways in the Arctic Tundra through Metagenomic Analysis"
Rémi Massé – NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Bachelor's student at University of Michigan (summer 2020)
"Using remote sensing to quantify biological iron oxides"
Maddie Michaud – Bachelor's student at Wheaton College (winter 2019)
"Fe oxidation in permafrost slump sediments"
Rémi Massé – NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Bachelor's student at University of Michigan (summer 2019)
"Iron reduction in the Alaskan Arctic: The role of biological iron oxides"
Kim Roush – MS Candidate, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (Successfully defended 2018)
"Geochemical characterization of shallow sediments from the Grounding Zone adjacent to the Whillans Ice Stream"
Tyler Subatsch – MSU American Indian Research Opportunity Advisee - Summer 2014
“Characterization of bacterial isolates from Subglacial Lake Whillans”
Stephin Littleshield – MSU American Indian Research Opportunity Advisee - Summer 2013
“Quantifying bubble volumes in polar lake ice cover”
Paloma Lopez – University of California, Santa Cruz, Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Fellow, Summer 2011
“The isolation and characterization of Hymenobacter granizonis sp. nov., from the natural, upper atmosphere sampler: a hailstone”
Chase Jordan – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2012
“Investigating the abundance and diversity of ice nucleation active bacteria”
**Blue ribbon, Gold medal and nominated for Broadcom Masters competition at Butte Regional Science fair
Chase Jordan and Hans Swenson – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2011
“How does temperature and salinity affect populations of Subglacial Lake Vostok ice core isolates”
**1st place Butte Regional Science Fair, 2nd place at Montana State Science Fair
Fritz Kalakay – Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, MT Jan – Mar 2010
“Bacterial communities present in a deciduous lowlying forest compared to a high alpine coniferous forest”
**2nd place Butte Regional Science Fair, Gold Ribbon at Montana State Science Fair
K-12 and Public Outreach
Thanks to Chris Boyer for photos of Sub-Zero Science Day at MSU!
Public Media
Fe-Cycling in Arctic Permafrost.
Transect: https://www.bigelow.org/files/transect/transect-winter-2020.pdf
Further findings from Whillans Subglacial Lake.
Scientific American Blog: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/travel-down-a-borehole-into-antarcticas-lake-whillans-video/
Eos: https://eos.org/articles/a-subglacial-lake-in-antarctica-churns-out-nutrients
Science Nordic: https://goo.gl/yrQ91y
Montana State University: https://goo.gl/eEKUce; https://goo.gl/z4NMVS
NSF: https://goo.gl/AD6B7A, https://goo.gl/5pRgy6
The biological investigations of hailstones.
NPR Science Friday
Science Daily: http://goo.gl/iwY9d
American Society for Microbiology: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE-74v8vJqg
BBC News: http://goo.gl/PD02p
Daily Mail: http://goo.gl/dF97QJ
Montana State University: http://goo.gl/htNbf2; http://goo.gl/QjBH1Z; http://goo.gl/aNJt0i
The initial findings from Whillans Subglacial Lake.
Minneapolis Star Tribune: http://goo.gl/EDRFid
The Seattle Times
LA Times: http://goo.gl/dRaO2D
National Geographic: http://goo.gl/4IDQFG
Nature: doi:10.1038/512244a, doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12405
BBC News: http://goo.gl/PvKlu8
Montana State University: http://goo.gl/M7LuM8; http://goo.gl/dh05GT; http://goo.gl/xgdtUd
Video produced by Montana State University highlighting the work done by the Priscu Research Group in Antarctica: