Education: Outreach Workshops

EDUCATING THE EDUCATORS: FURTHER ADVANCES THROUGH AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ENRICHMENT FOR K-12 TEACHERS
Drs. Anand Yadav and Nirmal Joshee, Fort Valley State University, Georgia
July 10-14, 2006

The current educational program at Fort Valley State University of agricultural biotechnology for educating K-12 Georgia school teachers is completing Phase-II through a previously funded project. Educating the Educators: The Future is Now Through Biotechnology Education Enrichment for K12 Teachers, addresses a high-priority area in teaching agricultural biotechnology not only in college but also in the K-12 schools. The program is the result of efforts by the PI/PD Dr. Anand Krishna Yadav, Co-PI/PD Dr. Nirmal Joshee, as well as institutional (Drs. C Borne, E Amoah, B Biswas, and A Yadav) and outside cooperators/collaborators (Dr. B W Wood, USDA-ARS, Dr. David Gilchrist, University of California, Davis, Dr. Jeff Adelberg, Clemson University, Dr. Albert Kausch, University of Rhode Island, Dr. Richard Wallace, Armstrong Atlantic University, Dr. P Parajuli, Wayne State University, and Dr. Carol M Stiff, Kitchen Culture Kits, Inc.).

Workshops have been conducted for K-12 school teachers using lectures, PowerPoint presentations, demonstrations in specialty plants house and technology laboratories giving them needed hands-on experience in laboratory exercises on various aspects of agricultural biotechnology techniques. Techniques to conduct inexpensive experiments in the classroom have been emphasized. Schools involved in this project receive beginners tissue culture kits and DVDs, culture media, laminar flow hood and other biotechnology equipment. This project has also employed / trained several undergraduate students who gained invaluable hands-on experience on in vitro microtechniques using medicinal / nutraceutical plants as explants.

Future projects include development of on-line agricultural biotechnology courses (with our collaborators) to expedite training of the remaining teachers at all the participating K-12 schools and biotechnology training / informative workshops for the farmers / growers and other interested consumers.

For further information on this project, contact Dr. Anand Yadav at yadava@fvsu.edu or Dr. Nirmal Joshee at josheen@fvsu.edu

INTRODUCING PLANT TISSUE CULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM
A Teacher's Workshop
Dr. Michael Kane, University of Florida, Gainesville
July 17-20, 2006

This is a four day annual workshop with teachers attending from around the planet - this year teachers came from several U.S. states and India and Pago Pago! The overall objective is to provide instructional resources, conceptual background information and hands-on laboratory experiences to facilitate the incorporation of plant tissue culture (micropropagation) into classroom curricula in the most cost efficient manner. His participants are teachers of grade school science, vocational agriculture and college faculty.

The workshop consists of morning lectures, afternoon hands-on laboratory exercises and one day field trip to commercial tissue culture/nursery operations:

• Understand the principles and concepts of plant tissue culture, specifically micropropagation
  
• Be familiar with the laboratory and greenhouse procedures and equipment used to propagate plants using micropropagation
  
• Have instructional materials including PowerPoint lectures, laboratory exercises and other informational resources that can be used in the classroom
  
• Know where to obtain supplies to economically and successfully teach plant tissue culture in the classroom
  
• Receive specialized, hands-on training completing several reliable laboratory exercises
  
• Observe the commercial application of the technology by visiting a commercial plant micropropagation laboratory

For further information on Dr. Kane's workshops or his research/teaching program, contact him at micropro@ufl.edu or visit his website at: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/

Teacher/Hobbyist/Nurseryman Workshop
Plant Tissue Culture for the Home and Classroom
A workshop for hobbyists, teachers, students, Master Gardeners, Nurserymen
Dr. Carol M. Stiff, Kitchen Culture Kits, Inc.
Various locations - February to July 2006

The purpose of these workshops is to show hobbyists, teachers, students, nurserymen and plant lovers in general, how to do plant tissue culture (micropropagation) using inexpensive equipment and supplies. The goal is to take the mystery out of science and show that it can be fun.

This kitchen culture approach has proven to be useful for science fair projects, teaching plant growth concepts, and providing a laboratory experience for homeschoolers. Hobbyists can mass produce their favorite plants as well as exotic plants. In this workshop participants make their own media, disinfect and culture plant leaves, axillary buds and orchid seeds, and discuss trouble shooting and internet resources.

For further information on these workshops contact Dr. Carol Stiff at her website: www.kitchenculturekit.com or email kck@turbonet.com.