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MBB was a professional development program for science teachers that included an intensive summer workshop and related Saturday sessions during the academic year. In 2006 and 2007, the three-week summer sessions were followed by six Saturday sessions. In 2008, MBB conducted three Saturday classes in May before the two-week summer workshop and two voluntary Saturday sessions the following academic year.
MBB, one of a group of comprehensive projects sponsored by the Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to address the projected shortage of US technology workers (ITEST, 2006). Located on the California Central Coast, science leaders from three California State Universities, Monterey Bay, Moss Landing Marine Labs, and San José State, collaborated to develop the workshop.MBB encompassed a range of hands-on activities that supported teachers and their students in learning more about the cutting edge science techniques of biotechnology and bioinformatics. During summer workshops MBB faculty trained secondary school teachers, recruited largely from California’s mid-coast region, in the processes of DNA data acquisition and analysis using the most current methods and equipment. The Faculty supplied lesson plan templates and worked with individual teachers to adapt biotechnology and bioinformatics instructional materials for their own classrooms. Faculty also helped teachers become aware of the wide range of materials on the Web about STEM careers in biotechnology and bioinformatics. The MBB team also trained teachers in new workplace technologies appropriate for classroom use, including presentation software, peripherals, and teaching aids. MBB participants, in turn, are expected to reach up to 6,000 students each year in their own classrooms with the new content, materials and technologies.
2006: July 10 - 28. This first Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics for Teachers workshop was held at California State University, Monterey Bay, where 13 middle- and high-school science teachers immersed themselves in “doing science like scientists do.” The teachers who received a stipend and room and board during the workshop were from the San Francisco Bay Area, the California Central Coast, Southern California, and one traveled from Georgia to participate. The curriculum included an opportunity for participants to develop a group lesson and teach it to high school students who were participating in a summer math and science enrichment project for teens held at CSUMB. This opportunity provided a convenient venue for implementing new content and teaching strategies.
Six Saturday workshops at Moss Landing Marine labs provided opportunities to reinforce scientific content, teaching strategies, and the use of instructional technologies. The workshops also modeled distance learning using Skype so that participants who could not attend in person could still benefit from the experience. The final session, a Showcase, provided an opportunity for teachers to share their work with their peers and the community in a somewhat more formal professional setting.
2007: July 9-27. The second cohort followed the same schedule. The majority of participants were from California, but participants from Chicago, Connecticut, and New York City also attended.
2008: May 3, 17, 31, and July 6 – 19. Based on lessons learned from the first two cohorts, the summer program was shortened to two weeks and strengthened with three Saturday sessions in May to orient teacher-participants to the core science concepts of the program. Voluntary follow up sessions provided opportunities for teachers to practice new teaching strategies and to present their own work in person or remotely.
Through the NSF-funded ITEST contract Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (MBB – NSF grant 0525224, 2005-2009), four Northern California experts in marine sciences, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and instructional technology collaborated to create an intensive program for secondary science teachers that significantly expanded and enhanced a successful ITEST pilot program (IMBBT - NSF grant ESI-0323175, 2003- 2006). Based on teacher feedback, extensive program evaluation, and the expertise of an additional Co-PI and Instructional Designer, the expanded project developed a comprehensive curriculum, expanded outreach nationally, and formed strong partnerships between Moss Landing Marine Labs (PI), California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB, coPI), and San Jose State University Department of Instructional Technology (SJSU, coPI and Instructional Designer). Additional partners included Santa Clara County Biotechnology Education Partnership (SCCBEP) – an established regional collaborative among industry (Bio-Rad), university (SJSU), and K-12 schools; Recruitment in Science and Education (RISE) – a CSUMB-affiliated science and math enrichment program for low income and under-served youths living in the region; and West Hills Upward Bound of Lemoore, CA.
In a problem-based learning context within the field of marine biotechnology and bioinformatics, the teachers used current research methods for DNA extraction and analysis of mussels searching for an invasive species. They had a very positive response to doing rigorous science that took them out in the field and back to the wet lab. The workshop was designed with instructional strategies for rapid integration of new knowledge and best practices for transforming high-level, new science knowledge into lesson plans for students.
Schedule (Summer 2007, Academic Year 2007-08))
Schedule (May 2008, Summer 2008, Academic Year 2008-09)
The curriculum was written with high school biology and chemistry teachers in mind, particularly those who taught or were likely to teach students from groups underrepresented in science and technology careers. Most MBB teacher-participants were female and taught in California. They ranged in age from early 20s to 50s. Some were life-long teachers. Others became teachers after working in research or industry. Others, recent college graduates, were just beginning their teaching careers. As a whole, members of each group possessed diverse talents and skills that they shared to enrich the experiences of all. A majority of participants taught high school. A few middle school teachers hoped participating in the workshop would help them increase their chances of becoming high school teachers. Between one-third and one-half of participants had used SCCBEP biotechnology materials with their students, but only two had previously taught bioinformatics. Most had majored in biology, and about 25 percent of each group had earned an advanced degree. Participants with work experience outside education had typically worked for fewer than five years.
In addition to the teacher-participants, the MBB program was designed for high school student participation. The MBB program provided an opportunity for low-income students of color who participated in early outreach programs to experience a weeklong marine biology research intensive, an experience that fit well with the two participating groups’ missions. MBB activities directly supported the RISE mission: “RISE offers after-school science programs to show students that science is interesting, everywhere, and for everyone” as well as the goals of Upward Bound, to prepare high potential students for challenging college-level science and mathematics majors. Between 10 and 15 RISE students and students from West Hills Upward Bound constituted each summer’s class of 20 participants, about equally divided between males and females, who had already completed high school biology.
Promotional flyers designed to recruit participants:
Summary of benefits for teacher-participants:
Immerse yourself in a cutting edge science program on the California
central coastBe a scientist and do practical science
Participate in comprehensive lectures, lab activities, and computer exercises that you can incorporate into your science classroom
Practice and implement custom standards-based lesson plans with expert instructional assistance during the summer and at select Saturday sessions during the academic year.
Modify instructional resources to suit your needs
Implement bioinformatics, biotechnology, and webcasts in your classroom with a workshop researcher
Earn graduate course credits
Earn a stipend (lodging provided for those traveling over 60 miles)
The MBB application (PDF).
Teacher-participants conducted lessons with summer workshop students, produced Lesson Plans for their own classes, and created Showcase Presentations
See the MBB Evaluation Final Report [PDF] and
the NSF Final Report [PDF]
Contact Dr. Simona Bartl, Principal Investigator, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
