As teachers, we are always learning. Or, at least, we should be. As I wrap up my internship, I’ve been reflecting on my experience and how I can bring what I’ve learned back to my classroom to benefit my students.
Overall, I’ve learned a great deal about stem cell potential, history and policy. I now have a much better understanding of how stem cells are currently being used in medicine and where research is headed. There are many learning objectives in the biomedical science courses I teach that connect with stem cell research, and I’m looking forward to integrating my new knowledge into my teaching.
But knowledge of stem cells is certainly not the only thing I’ve learned so far. The PLTW Biomedical Science curriculum teaches students a wide range of technical skills that are applicable to a similarly wide range of biomedical careers. Having spent minimal time in an academic or professional lab, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my internship or how it would relate to my students. But even after a brief time in the lab, I’ve not only practiced many of the skills biomedical science students gain, but I’ve learned about many more real-world applications for those skills. I’ve also learned new skills that, though not directly in the PLTW curriculum, have given me a greater understanding of the ultimate purpose of the techniques that my students learn.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve done flow cytometry on cells with a cloned target gene and learned how to interpret the results. I’ve used a spectrophotometer to analyze nucleic acid quantities in a sample. I think the most interesting thing I did, though, was to culture human embryonic stem cells. To know that these cells could potentially be used to develop groundbreaking therapies for deadly diseases…it was humbling and exciting at once.
It will be challenge to develop a product that will allow students to gain a firm grasp of the field of stem cell research. There’s so much to it, and there are so many misconceptions. But I’m excited to try and I’m excited to bring my new knowledge of what really goes on in research back to my kids.