Blog ‘Noodling Neurons’ Debuts at MEC ‘08 | ‘Noodling Neurons’ Debuts at MEC ‘08 |
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Many people flock to the desert Southwest for spring break with its balmy weather and -- in a good year -- spectacular wildflower displays. Generally, discussing neuron microanatomy and the enteric nervous system is not on their vacation agenda …  Nevertheless, March found Science Approach headed north to the Microcomputers in Education (MEC) conference on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe. The mission? To present the pilot test results from “Noodling Neurons”: Using Volumetric Imaging to Build Student Confidence in Science Careers.The lesson is the prototype activity of Volumetric Imaging for Science Instruction of an Open Nature (VISION) for use in middle schools, high schools, and informal science education centers. It’s a Phase 1 STTR project funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD). The mostly Arizona-based teachers were interested and enthusiastic as they toured the lesson and saw the pilot test results. They also gained an increased awareness of • volumetric imaging processing and analysis (VIPA), • how VIPA can help student understanding of enteric nerve cell structure and function, • how they can use and test VISION materials in their classroom, and • other Science Approach materials and opportunities. For more information about the project, check out the VISION Phase 1 story ! |
