bioCEEDSters – on the inside of bioCEED!
My name is Jonathan, I am Engineer at bioCEED and teaching technician at the Department of Biology (BIO) in Bergen, and I’m the luckiest of all bioCEEDSters!
“- Wait a second, you arrogant Frenchman! Why is it so that you can declare yourself the luckiest of us all???, I hear them say.
– Well, first of all, I have the chance to be with a whole bunch of biology students nearly every working day, all year long. They arrive at BIO, spend a few years with us, learn a lot, get skilled, and then leave upon graduation. But happily (for me at least), new students come every year, and then it just starts all over again. They are curious, motivated, thirsty for knowledge, inspired, inspiring too, but sometimes they need help. And this is where I can gladly help! I help them feel more comfortable with numbers and stats (through bioCEED’s platform bioST@TS, where they can find assistance with Excel, R and learn simple concepts in statistics). I help them learn to talk more efficiently about biology (through Teach2Learn, with which they can improve their communication skills by creating short videos). I help them get help from the peers (through biORAKEL, where experienced biology students help younger biology students get a better grip on biological concepts, whenever necessary).
Photo: Tina Dahl
– Hmmm, ok. And so, what else?
– Well, then I work with course teachers and administrators who want to make biology education evolve. They don’t claim to make biology great again; they know that biology IS great already! But they know that biology teaching can be improved. And I work with (and for) those who want to try new methods for making practical courses more interesting, more adapted to reach intended learning outcomes, more attractive to the newer generations of students who enter the world of biology. I help them create video material to introduce concepts and illustrate courses, also to prepare students for upcoming course activities.
– Yeah. and then…?
– And then I work with all of you guys. bioCEEDSters in Bergen and Svalbard, in the US and in Sweden, young researchers in pedagogy, talented professors and associate professors, dedicated student representatives and administrative officers, and last but not least, an amazing couple of “nasty women”! So now, tell me why I should not feel like I’m the luckiest of you all!”
Cheers
Jonathan
