Document available in PDF format: Cell
Biology for Life - Philosophy
Acknowledgments
This project is the product of many collaborations,
friendships, and opportunities that I was privileged
to have experienced over the last ten years. I owe
a special debt to Bruce Alberts who saw in me the
embryonic form of this project and brought it to the
attention of Garland Science. His enthusiasm, support,
and mentorship allowed me to push myself in new directions
which continue to shape who I am today. I would also
like to recognize Toni Oliviero, my Associate Dean
in 1999, who suggested that I attend Case Studies
in Science Summer Workshop led by the marvelous Kipp
Herreid and tireless Nancy Schiller of the State University
of New York at Buffalo. The people I met during those
five days taught me lessons that will last a lifetime,
and in my most humble attempt, this collection of
modules strives to spread their gospel far and wide.
And far and wide it has gone. I could not have garnered the large cult following for this collection without my colleagues at Project Kaleidoscope (www.pkal.org). The comments, suggestions, and genuine curiosity of the participants of many meetings and workshops organized by a superhuman staff, provide me with feedback that continues to enhance and improve this project. My involvement with Project Kaleidoscope would not have been possible without my Dean for many years, Bea Banu of Eugene Lang College. Her efforts to provide me with a scholarly science education community contributed a great deal to this project, as did her decision to provide me with release time to work on this collection. More than that, Bea created an academic environment that allowed me to dream big, take risks, and explore my limits. I am forever grateful for the time and energy she spent on me during those early years and her willingness to take an active role in each one my academic projects.
There are many readers who spent countless hours reading the roughest of drafts. I would like to thank Trace Jordan, Dago Dimster-Denk, Carmen Domingo, and Gipi Schiavo for their generous time and expertise. More than that, these individuals are responsible for helping me articulate the mission of this collection and to reach a high level of accuracy and depth for each of the cell biological topics. A very big "Thank You" goes out to Carmen Domingo at Cal State University at San Francisco who has been piloting the Stem Cell Research Module for the last two years with her Developmental Biology students. Two very special readers are my parents, Parvin and Ahmad Chamany. Without my father's insight, this collection might have remained nameless, but his first reading and subsequent suggestion for the title Cell Biology for Life, was right on the money. I will always be grateful for the space and support to complete most of the writing during my sabbatical and academic breaks. I am especially grateful that my father was able to hold his tongue during each harried dash to the Fed Ex drop box. I do not have words to describe my thanks for my sisters Shireen and Shadi, who managed to make me laugh and get over my writing humps without missing a beat.
A very special thanks goes to those at Garland Science Publishing who even when this project took on a life of its own, provided me with unwavering encouragement and constructive criticism delivered in the most delicate manner. Jane Mackerall, who served as my first assistant editor, created the spark that then evolved into this collection. Denise Schanck has hung in with me from the very earliest stages of this endeavor and continues to open my eyes to new opportunities and to foster wonderful collaborations. I will fondly remember many long meetings with Lilith Wood, my first copy editor, who managed to give this project some form when it was still a loose collection of ideas and Mike Morales, my media editor, whose insight, patience, and perseverance pushed us forward. I will forever be grateful to Alan Grose, my second copy editor, who somehow knew just what I wanted to say and how to say it, and always managed to help me say it better. His demeanor and spirit made the grueling process of rewrites endurable and I can not thank him enough.
I save the best and the most important for last. I need to thank the administration and the students at Eugene Lang College of New School University for their courage to learn in new and interesting ways. The students openness and constructive criticism are a testament to the interdisciplinary nature of this curricular project, and I thank each one of them for enriching my mind and helping me make the necessary connections that allow this project to speak to diverse audiences.
References
Allard, D.W. and Barman, C.R. (1994). The Learning
Cycle as an Alternative Method for College Science
Teaching. Bioscience 44: 99-101.
American Association for the Advancement of Science.
(1989). Science for All Americans. New York,
NY: Oxford University Press.
Angelo, T. A. and Cross, K. P.(1993). Classroom
Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers
(2nd Ed). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Anton, E., et al. (1990) An Inquiry Approach to Nonmajors
Biology. Journal of College Science Teaching
19 (6): 340-346.
Brewer, C. A. and Ebert-May, D. (1998, November). Hearing the Case for Genetic Engineering. Journal of College Science Teaching 28 (2): 97-101.
Brookhart, S. M. (1999). The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: the Missing Part of Pedagogy. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report (Vol. 27, No. 1). Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development.
Bruffee, K.A. (1993) Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press.
Bybee, R. W. (1982) Piaget for Educators (2nd Ed) . Prospect Heights, Ill. : Waveland Press.
Chamany K. (2006, October).Science and Social Justice: Making the Case for Science Case Studies. The Journal of College Science Teaching. 36 (2):54-59.
Dancy, M.H., and R.J. Beichner. (2002) But Are They
Learning? Getting Started in Classroom Evaluation. Cell Biology Education 1 (3): 87-94.
Dewey J. (1963) Experience in Education. New York, NY: Collier Publishing.
Ebert-May, D., Brewer, C., and Allred, S.(1997, October)
Innovation in large lectures- teaching for active
learning. Bioscience 47 (9): 601-607.
Farrell, J.J., R.S. Moog, and J.N. Spencer. (1999)
A Guided Inquiry General Chemistry Course. Journal
of Chemical Education 76 (4): 570-574.
Fortner, R.W. (1999) Using cooperative learning to
introduce undergraduates to professional literature.
Journal of College Science Teaching 281 261-265.
Harwood W. S. et al. (2002, May) Acting out science.
Journal of College Science Teaching 31(7):
442-447.
Jackman, L.E., et al. (1990) Effects of Conceptual
Systems and Instructional Methods on General Chemistry
Laboratory Achievement. Journal of Research in
Science Teaching 27 (7): 699-709.
Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R.T. (1989) Collaboration and Cognition, unpublished manuscript, Minneapolis , MN, University of Minnesota, Cooperative Learning Center. (Prepared for Developing Minds: A Resource book for teaching thinking, Alexandria, Virginia, ASCD.)
Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation.
(1998). Student evaluation standards: Descriptors
and standard statements. Kalamazoo, MI: The Evaluation
Center, Western Michigan University.
Lawson, A.E. (2001) Using the learning cycle to teach
biology concepts and reasoning patterns. Journal
of Biological Education 35 (4): 165-169. (http://www.iob.org/default.asp?edname=943.htm&cont_id=13&n=7)
National Research Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards : Observe, Interact, Change, Learn. Washington, DC : National Academy Press.
Project Kaleidoscope.(1991). What Works: Building natural science communities. Vol. 1. Washington DC: Stamats Communications, Inc.
Slavin, R.E. (1995) Cooperative Learning.
Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Springer, L., M.E. Stanne, and S. Donovan. (1999)
Measuring the success of small-group learning in college
level SMET teaching: a meta-analysis. Review of
Educational Research 69 21-51.
Tobias, S. (1990) They're Not Dumb, They're Different: Stalking the Second Tier. Tucson, AZ: Research Corporation.
Viadero, D. (2001, April), Getting Serious About
High School. Education Week 20(30): 1,18,20,22.
Whisnant, D.M. (1982) Descriptive Chemistry in the
General Chemistry Laboratory: A Learning Cycle Approach.
Journal of Chemical Education 59 (9): 792-794.
<< Previous 1 2 3 4
Return to Top