HRI Monthly Newsletter
July 1, 2022
HRI is expanding across Texas!!
We are excited to announce HRI is expanding to reach new audiences across Texas. The focus of the grant is to work with educators in rural school districts across the state of Texas. The expansion of the HRI program will give teachers across Texas in rural districts access and training to inquiry modules lasting anywhere from one to five weeks. Teachers can pick and choose from the modules to implement throughout their course. Teachers will have the ability to teach up to seven modules from seven different UT Research Faculty. Teachers and students will also have the opportunity to visit and learn from research faculty members and undergrad mentors throughout the school year during virtual office hours. Learn more here https://cns.utexas.edu/hri.
Here is a preview of three of our new module topics:
- Virtual Drug Screening with Dr. Josh Beckham
- Fish Behavior with Dr. Mary Ramsey
- Studying Caffeine Addiction using E. coli with Dr. Dennis Mishler
If you are interested in implementing a module and attending the summer professional development in 2023, please contact Gwen Stovall at gwenstovall@utexas.edu or Bailey Williams at bailey.williams@austin.utexas.edu
2022 Virtual Summer Professional Development
UTeach Master Teacher, Dr. Deanna Buckley led a one-week, virtual professional development in which teachers were able to explore such topics as experimental design, lab safety, scientific writing, frequentist statistics, and more. During the PD we also heard from three UT Research Educators. Dr. Josh Beckham spoke to the group about his work with high school students and undergrads working with the Virtual Drug Screening stream. Dr. Mary Ramsey presented her passion and work with the Fish Behavior Stream. Dr. Ramsey has also collaborated with high school students to research fish behaviors. Dr. Samantha Santacruz works with engineering advancement of neuroprosthetics and their therapeutic application to a growing range of neurological disorders. Her presentation walked us through the first steps of the design process.
The PD culminated with each teacher presenting their own research they did at home throughout the week. The participants left the PD with many new ideas for research in their own class. Does the amount of flour impact the diameter of a cookie? Or, does removing screen time before bed help my kids fall asleep faster? Some teachers decided to pull data and analyze it. We learned about mercury levels in tuna, and if gender impacts EOC results in an Algebra class. It was a great STEM driven professional development!
Upcoming FREE professional development opportunities (click each for more info)
Monthly HRI Share-A-Palooza PD Opportunity
Beginning in September, join the HRI team for a monthly Share-A-Palooza. We ask teachers to bring one inquiry, data analysis, or active STEM idea to share that has worked well in their classroom. It can be a teaching strategy, data resource, or anything that might help fellow STEM educators.
Tentative date and time: September 21, 2022 from 6:00-7:00 pm CDT.
Weekly Science Briefing
This project is supported by the Office Of The Director, National Institutes Of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.