Time for Homework on Vision & Change

Abstract

With conference at the end of the month, I can feel the excitement building. Conference is a time for professional development with a personal touch – we have the opportunity to visit face-to-face with colleagues whom we have known for years or have just met in an environment rich in new ideas about the theory and practice of biology education. Through both formal and informal discussions inspired by presentations and workshops, we exchange and challenge ideas, build networks, formulate new questions, and acquire some tentative answers. We receive reinforcement for our ideas, are bolstered by the knowledge that colleagues in similar situations face similar challenges, and gain new perspectives as we learn about the challenges and solutions faced by those who teach in environments very different from ours. We learn about students from those who taught them before us and from those who may teach them after us, and we adjust our expectations and reflect on our expected outcomes. We learn about instructional techniques, assessment techniques, curricula, content, research, and policy. We also learn firsthand about our association and, finally, we build our networks (and, sadly, sometimes learn that we have to prune them). Last summer, I expanded my network …