Welcome to Bugs 101

This is the first post in a series I'll be calling Bugs 101. This series will catalogue my first experience with full control over a university course. The plan is to deatil both the technical (pedagogical strategies, course design, curricular materials) and personal (thought processes, successes, failures) aspects of this experience. I'm writing this for both the curious reader, and for myself as a way to reminisce and reflect on this adventure.

Some Context

For those unaware, prior to teaching this course, I've had a lot of experience in teaching and course design. I earned my MA (Master of Art) in Education while teaching 7th grade science in Western Colorado, so putting together materials and developing a scaffolded sequence of learning experiences is something I have a lot of practice doing. At MSU (Michigan State University), I work on an NSF (National Science Foundation) grant designing curriculum and working with teachers, and to secure additional funding, I also serve as a GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant) for a general biology lab.

My last day of school at Mt. Garfield Middle

Through the connections I'd established at MSU, I was given the opportunity to teach a section of the lecture which compliments the lab I previously TA'd. This section is capped at 48, which pales in comparison to the usual 200 student lectures. This course, ISB 201, is a general science course that meets the general requirements for a biology lecture. At MSU, general education courses for most subjects are hosted by a center rather than that home department. At CMU (Colorado Mesa University) where I received my bachelors, if you were required a general biology credit you had to take a course with the BIO course code through the biology deparment, while at MSU CISGS (the Center for Integrated Studies in General Science) offers ISB (Integrated Science: Biology) to meet this need.

For this series, I will be calling my course Bugs 101 rather than by it's official course code; mostly because I'd rather type Bugs 101 over and over.

The Goal

As this course is meant to meet a general science requirement, and will be taken primarily by non-STEM majors, it's important that this course is tailored to meet their specific needs. Listed below are the major goals and priorities I'm going to be keeping in mind as I design, implement, and reflect on this course:

• Prioritize real-world and transferrable skills, these include:

  • Science literacy

  • Information Literacy

  • Data Literacy

• Foster an appreciation for other living things

• Equip students to reason critically and communicate their thinking in an organized way

• Provide a proof of concept for my Insect Highway theory (read more about that here)

• Provide opportunities for students to learn about the process and practice of science

Moving Forward

AI generated image of an insect filled classroom

In the coming weeks, I will continue to post updates on the planning of this course, my thoughts and rationalization about the curricular design, and my thoughts and feelings as they develop. Once the semester starts, I will post weekly updates about student progress, how pedagogical theory did or did not translate to pedagogical practice, and my perceptions in the moment.

My hope is that this series provides a guide for my future course development, allows me to catalogue my memories along the way, and to maybe provide insight into my process for any of those interested. Here's to an exciting new semester.