Mrs. Pensinger's Biology Blog: December 2021

I'm not a person who is overly comfortable trying new things, but I think it is important to step outside of my comfort zone every now and then. For example, my daughter and I have been working on a gingerbread house for our local library's gingerbread house contest (we enter most years, we never win!). She was very proud of the birdhouse she had made in her woodshop class at school (talk about stepping outside your comfort zone!), and so we decided to fashion our gingerbread house into a "ginger-BIRD-house," if you catch my drift! 😄 I do not consider art and creative design one of my personal strong suits, and I have quite a difficult time getting icing and candy to do what I want it to do, yet I knew it was very important to her. She and I have spent the past few nights working on the gingerBIRDhouse to execute the visions we had in our heads. We may not win the prize again this year, but we are both quite satisfied with the outcome!

Original Birdhouse and its Proud Builder

Various Views of our "GingerBIRDhouse"

One of my professional development goals this school year was to utilize a network of science and biology educators from around the world for ideas and resources. I have joined several Facebook groups related to biology and science education, and have found them to be great sources of new ideas for teaching my content. These groups include NGSS Biology Teachers, National Biology Teachers, STEM Teachers Group, RISE (Resources for Inclusive STEM Education), Teaching Science PLC with Mrs. Lau, Getting Nerdy's Science Teacher Lounge, and several others. Usually I simply find ideas and/or documents in group posts and revise them to suit my class. However, earlier this school year, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try something new.

A post in one of these groups introduced me to the S.C.O.P.E. Program from the University of Toledo. Among other opportunities, this program allows students to remotely control instruments like the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). I contacted the program representatives to see if it would be possible to set up a remote session for my students. I had no idea how the program would work, or if it would work, but it sounded cool and I figured it was worth at least looking into it. A representative quickly got back to me, and we decided on a module and a date to use with my classes. It was very convenient and easy to set up, and Cassandra Zamora, the program representative, was extremely responsive and helpful. I was thrilled to learn that they would be able to work with each of my four biology classes during the times that the classes met during a regular school day. I decided to do a basic microscopy module which would allow my students to remotely control the Scanning Electron Microscope at the University to view several sample specimens.

About a week before we were scheduled to do the module with my classes, Cassandra and I set up a test of the remote control of the microscope. We met via Zoom, and made sure we were able to get my classroom computer to communicate with the microscope at the University. I have to thank our Instructional Technology Specialist John Sengia for working with me to make sure everything was set up on our end to make this work, as well as hanging out with my classes the day of the activity to make sure everything went as planned technologically (it did!). The test went well and we were all set to complete the SEM module with students on December 9.

I was anxious before beginning, not being sure exactly how (and if!) everything would work, and how my students would respond to the activity. Our school day begins bright and early, with my first class at 7:30 am, and fortunately Cassandra was willing to start bright and early with us. She began the program with a short slide presentation for the students discussing the SEM and ways that it differed from the light microscopes students are more familiar with. We then began using the microscope!

Student volunteers were chosen one at a time to control the SEM remotely using my computer. We used my projector to broadcast the images on the front board for the whole class to see, and students were given a worksheet to record observations. Students using the SEM got a chance to choose from 10 unknown samples. They then had full control of the microscope. Cassandra directed them to use the microscope to center the image, bring it into focus, and change magnifications. Students were then able to take photos of their work. Each of my classes was able to view 3-4 different samples. For each sample, Cassandra had the students make observations first, and then asked for guesses about what the specimen might be before telling the students what it actually was and giving a bit of information about it. Students really seemed to enjoy looking at the specimens, and I was so excited that they had this opportunity- it is extremely rare for students (even college students) to get a chance to use a SEM, so our students were very fortunate! All the photos taken by the students were sent to me, and I was able to share them with the students.

My monitor as we began to view a specimen through the SEM- the crater-like image is created by the carbon tape used to help prepare the specimens for viewing.

The monitor showing a biofilm specimen

A student controls the SEM (in Toledo, OH!) from my computer in Spring Grove, PA!

While this activity was a bit outside my comfort zone- like creating a gingerBIRDhouse- it was worth taking a chance to try something new. I think that fear of failure is something that holds me back sometimes, but each time I step outside my comfort zone makes me more likely to do it again in the future- success or not. In this case, connecting with and bringing the SCOPE program to my classes was a big success, and I am so thankful to this program for letting my students do such a cool thing. I definitely plan to continue with them in future years, and maybe I'll even venture to try a new module with my classes next year!

Here are some of the photos of specimens taken by my students. All the work centering, magnifying, and focusing the images were done by the students!