My initial experiences for the SWITCH Program
As a new computer science teacher, I wanted to immerse myself in the field. I enjoy learning, and sharing what I know. However, there was a bit of apprehension on my part because I didn’t have the coding proficiency that I knew would be necessary to be successful in this program. As a teacher, I always want to give my students the best that I can offer. I know that in order to gain the skills necessary, I would need to take the initiative to seek guidance to be a better, more effective teacher. Even though I had used an outlined computer science curriculum, I knew that in order to learn how to become a better programmer, I needed to not only practice, but it was essential to learn from knowledgeable professionals in the field. While one of my goals was to gain the programming and coding skills to be a more effective teacher, I also wanted to collaborate and learn from both experienced and striving educators like myself. The SWITCH program is giving me the opportunity to build my skills while gaining valuable research on ways in which to apply those skills. As an African American Man, many of the health issues and concerns that are the focus of the PATHS-UP Initiatives impact me and my family. I’ve had family members that have suffered from Hypertension, Diabetes, and Breast Cancer. I’m appreciative to be a part of a program where I can learn at my own pace, seek direction and collaborate with my cohort, students, experienced administrators, professors, and educators.
Interesting Topics From Presenters
On Tuesday, June 22nd, Dr. Ballard mentioned several interesting components of the PATHS-UP program. One area involves the research and development of Paper Based Immunoassays as a way to test for pregnancy, antigens, antibodies, and diseases. Essentially, he mentions that “analytes are the jargon used for any molecule or thing you want to sense in a sample and that is typically a blood sample when looking for antibodies or proteins especially related to cardiovascular disease and this droplet of blood is put onto a paper and due to the capillary forces paper the paper will then suck up that that liquid sample and these analytes will then bind to the antibodies.”
What was interesting to me was that the results of pregnancy tests are actually caused by gold nanoparticles. He mentions that it’s “an amazing physical phenomenon that’s going on these particles actually absorb light incredibly strongly and electrons on these particles will oscillate back and forth very rapidly which is what allows them to absorb light very strongly and this results in a really strong color so whenever gold nanoparticles are used which are the most commonly employed tag in these tests it’s referred to as a colorimetric test.”
Dr. Ballard mentions that “low cost electronics like mobile phones for example can simply image these tests and through automated algorithms and image processing algorithms that isolate those tests and control lines we can very precisely quantify the color in these tests and then report that to the end user and this of course can be integrated in with a larger system that looks at spatial temporal mapping of disease and then of course reports hopefully through some helpful portal to an end user.” I appreciated that with simple electronics like the addition of a mobile phone and some very simple illumination with LEDs, “tests can be made much more powerful just by simply analyzing an image and actually quantifying the color as opposed to relying on an end user to make a general guess.”
On Wednesday June 23rd, I attended the discourse, “How To Make an Effective Presentation” by Dr. Kyung-Hee Bae. I feel that I can greatly improve as a presenter. I was able to pick up some valuable tips to deliver a better presentation, especially in regards to conveying our research topics.
Dr. Kyung-Hee Bae related that our presentations must be prepared for a group of people who don’t really know much about any stem topics in general.
I appreciated where she mentioned that “the most critical element for you as the speaker and researcher is how do we actually create a story.” She goes on to mention that there must be a formula that includes the content that delivers particular communication. Additionally, this research and content starts with the researcher/presenter identifying and understanding who will be your audience. One must prepare and present this information for researchers in your field or students who may not know as much about your research. We should create a story just like when we are writing a paper. She mentioned that we should have a good intro, body and conclusion just like when we’re writing a good paper. It should start off and end broadly.
Dr. Kyung-Hee Bae discussed how the researcher should feel confident about creating his or her story and to think carefully about creating it visually. She says, “ I want your audience to remember your story and main theme at the end of your presentation.”
Challenges & Opportunities
I know that I’m in the right program because there is so much to learn. It can be overwhelming and uncomfortable when you are learning something new. I try to practice and explain this to my students. So learning Python, Machine Learning, AI along with the different health terminology is challenging, but yet the opportunity is boundless. I feel that once I “catch a wave,” gain a better understanding, and am able to apply what I’ve learned, I will be successful. So for right now, I’m in the infancy stages of what I should know as a computer science teacher. I know that if I keep chipping away at it and practicing, I’ll be able to serve my students better. There are so many experienced educators in my cohort with a lot of knowledge, both technical and life skills. This is a great opportunity to be uncomfortable, but yet grow towards something great!
Goals and Takeaways
My goal is to be a more skilled teacher, a more diligent student, and an effective researcher. As mentioned before, I have a love of learning, especially with computers and technology. I have been accepted in the PhD Learning Technologies program at the University of North Texas and the PATHS-UP / SWITCH program is allowing me to have the opportunity to see how a research study is conducted. This program will be a great jumpstart to working in the field of Information Science and Instructional Technology. While these are professional goals, my focus will be primarily on my students. It is my goal to continually expose students to computer science, STEM learning activities to broaden their understanding and possibly encourage them to be a part of the new generation of STEM enthusiasts and to apply computational thinking in all aspects of their lives. One last component of the program is the attention placed on the underrepresented groups that are impacted by Health Issues. I am appreciative of the opportunity to learn more and contribute to the research that could potentially help others in regards to the quality of life through having ways to manage their health.