Teaching Statements - Jeannette E.
Zamon
Teaching
goals and philosophy
Undergraduate
teaching
As a teacher of undergraduates, I set three goals for my students:
-
mastery of course content via a concept-based approach to
the subject area
-
acquisition of analytical skills which transfer across disciplines via
the ability to construct and evaluate logical arguments
-
appreciation for life sciences and the environment via personal awareness
of biological activities and principles at work in the "everyday"
world
The three goals illustrated above should reinforce one another: knowledge
of scientific principles requires knowledge of how those principles are
applied and allows students to recognize and understand those principles
in the world around them.
A concept-based approach used one or more unifying principles
to logically relate different examples, methods, points-of-view, or theories
in the sciences. For example, when teaching ocean ecology, I like to emphasize
how stratification and mixing of the water column are organizing principles
for understanding the timing and degree of biological production among
different habitats. The concept-based approach can be used in any course
format (lecture, laboratory, field course, or seminar). Because concepts
provide organizing principles for course material, students obtain an immediate
and direct benefit by gaining the ability to integrate lectures, laboratory
excercises, readings, and other activities. When given lecturing opportunities
and conducting review sessions, I make a special effort to point out where
general organizing principles tie material from previous lectures together.
Students frequently give immediate and positive feedback after such sessions:
they feel they are able to understand relationships among different lectures.
I find an emphasis on concepts is also very helpful in developing a student's
ability to apply their knowledge to new situations or problems.
Being able to construct and evaluate logical arguments
are valuable skills. These skills may be applied to "non-scientific" fields
such as law, business, theology, history, and politics. Problem-solving
and analysis in the sciences involves application of the scientific method.
The sequence of observation, hypothesis statement, hypothesis-testing,
analysis, and conclusion-making is a specific instance of the construction
of a logical argument which is then either supported or refuted by facts,
results, or theory. Teaching of the scientific method reinforces good organizational
and communication skills (both written and oral). I have used several methods
to teach and evaluate analytical skills in students at different eductaional
levels. These methods include classroom excercises asking students to outline
the procedures of the scientific method, identify parts and functions of
publications from research journals, conduct hands-on laboratory or field
experiments, and write or present short research papers.
If students are to retain and use knowledge they gain in my course,
they will need an awareness of how biological principles apply to
their day-to-day lives. My teaching experiences led me to the realization
that many of the students I teach will not go on to become research scientiests.
However, basic biological principles affect the lives of citizens through
environmental and medical issues. Awareness of these issues can be fostered
in at least two ways. First, as a teacher I can make students aware of
biologically-related issues directly affecting human beings or the quality
of life (e.g. fisheries or agricultural issues, global warming, medical
advances). Second, I can make students aware of the ecological dynamic
around them by asking them to complete the following exercise in "The Ecology
of the Ordinary." When walking to class, students are asked to observe
the environment, plants, and animals along the way, and to notice at least
one type of ecological interaction that was discussed in class. I would
ask students to write one paragraph describing the interaction they saw
and which principle(s) it illustrated. A classroom discussion and sharing
of examples would follow. This exercise would reinforce the concept-based
approach to biology while allowing students considerable freedom and individuality
in their observations. The written assignment and enthusiasm level in discussion
would allow me to evaluate how well students understand the principles
taught in class.
Advanced undergraduate and graduate
mentoring
To be an effective mentor for an advanced student, I would need to become
familiar with an individual student's personality, educational background,
skills, experience, and interests. Although mentoring must be tailored
to individual students' needs, talents, and goals, I believe there are
skills all advanced students should master. Gaining hands-on experience
designing, implementing, presenting, and publishing a complete research
project is essential. I would invite a student to collaborate with me on
a project during his or her first year at this level of training. A student
should also be taught task-management strategies, so that he or she can
pursue truly independent research successfully.
If a student is likely to continue in postgraduate research (academic
or otherwise), then that student should also be taught how to write effective
and successful research proposals. Doctoral students should also gain at
least one full year's experience teaching (although not necessarily all
within the same year). I would want my advisees to know that in addition
to my personal experiences teaching, other teaching-related resources and
development workshops are available to them on campus and on the web (e.g.
UC-Irvine's Instructional Resource Center: http://www.irc.uci.edu).
Teaching as a means
of professional development
I see teaching as an important component of my own professional development
for several reasons. First, teaching makes it necessary for me to develop
not only good oral, written, and interpersonal skills, but also conceptual
frameworks for a wide range of biological topics. These frameworks aid
my own understanding of how the details of a subject area or my own research
lead to or illustrate general scientific principles. Second, teaching introductory
course in subject areas like ecology and oceanography necessarily means
I must maintain a "Big Picture" perspective for my own research. Without
teaching, I might lose this perspective in the day-to-day details of research.
Finally, I know from experience that students challenge my own thinking
and work, thus fostering intellectual growth and vitality in my professional
life.
Teaching
awards, experience, and development
Teaching
awards
In spring of 1996 I earned an Edward A.
Steinhaus Award from the School of Biological Sciences for excellence in
teaching (for the course 'Population and Community Ecology'). This award
recognizes teaching by graduate student assistants in biology and includes
a prize of $200.
Undergraduate
courses
I have worked as a teaching assistant in the following subjects:
-
introductory oceanography/ocean ecology
-
marine ecology
-
population and community ecology
|
-
introductory biology
-
introductory genetics
|
During these courses, I was responsible for two or more of the following:
-
writing and presenting some classroom lectures
-
presenting and facilitating laboratory exercises
-
leading group discussions and review sessions
-
creating and correcting homework assignments, research papers, and exams
-
holding office hours and administering exams
-
designing five new biological laboratories associated with introductory
oceanography and marine ecology classes
-
leading field trips and field equipment demonstrations for oceanography
Graduate teaching and
mentoring experiences
I was in charge of selecting and organizing seminar and workshop topics
and materials for graduate courses in
-
the use of stable isotope techniques in food web ecology
-
the history and principles of community ecology
-
biological applications of hydroacoustic techniques
Teaching
development
I have participated in elective seminars and workshops
promoting teaching skills. These have included departmental seminars for
teaching assistants and campus-wide workshops on course design and curriculum
development offered through the Instructional Resource Center (see http://www.irc.uci.edu/
for listings of workshops). I would expect to continue developing my teaching
skills in faculty programs offered at my home university.
Teaching
interests
I believe my educational, teaching, and research
backgrounds have prepared me for teaching undergraduate courses in the
following types of subjects:
-
introductory biology
-
biological oceanography
-
marine ecology
|
-
general ecology
-
community ecology
-
ornithology
|
Ideally, coursework in the above subjects would include
some type of laboratory or field component(s) where students have hands-on
experience with equipment, techniques, and organisms. Hands-on experience,
especially with living organisms, is crucial for increasing the enthusiasm
and retention levels of the students.
When appropriate, I would particularly enjoy organizing
advanced undergraduate- or graduate-level seminars in more specialized
areas of the above subjects, such as physical-biological coupling in oceanography
or predator-prey dynamics in ecology.