John Stein, PHD
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Outside of teaching and administrative duties at Brown, I have spent a good deal of time over the past eight years participating in science outreach activities in the local community. I am currently collaborating with members of the Brown community and local professionals on an NCRR/NIH Science Education Partnership Award titled Project ARISE: Advancing Rhode Island Science Education. The goal of this project is to develop innovative science instruction in local high school science classrooms.
Biography
After receiving a B.A. Biology from Saint Anselm College in 1988 I entered graduate school at Brown University and received a Ph.D. in Physiology (Neuroscience) in 1995. I have been involved in teaching and advising ever since and I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Neuroscience Department.
Institutions
Bu
Research Description
The goals of my work with local science educators include creating and sustaining a partnership that will provide teachers with the content knowledge, tools, and skills they need to prepare students to think, read, write, and speak as scientists. Our project involves contributions from the Brown University Departments of Neuroscience, Education, Summer and Continuing Studies, and the Technology Division of The Education Alliance at Brown in partnership with the Providence Public School District, the East Bay Educational Collaborative, and the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
We will achieve our goals through a long-term professional development program that addresses the need for high school science reform in Rhode Island. During the course of this project, 96 high school biology teachers from Rhode Island will be trained in both innovative science content and pedagogical approaches that include inquiry-based methods and active support for improving students' content-area literacy skills. Fellows commit to a two-year involvement in professional development activities consisting of 147 hours of intensive summer instruction and 84 hours of continued participation during the two academic years. As teachers gain improved content knowledge as well as teaching effectiveness, their students will be engaged in hands-on experiences in cutting-edge research and will learn to connect science to everyday life. Mobile lab equipment will be provided along with scientific and pedagogical consultants to allow innovative laboratory exercises to be taught and performed in the high school science classrooms. The results of year-long scientific inquiry will be presented at an annual symposium held at Brown University in the spring.
Awards
2011 Hazeltine Teaching Citation (Senior Award)
2008 Harriet W. Sheridan Award for Distinguished Contribution to
Teaching and Learning
2007 Hazeltine Teaching Citation (Senior Award)
2006 Hazeltine Teaching Citation (Senior Award)
2005 Undergraduate Council of Students Excellence in Teaching Award
2004 Hazeltine Teaching Citation (Senior Award)
2004 Nominated for Advisor Award
2003 Undergraduate Council of Students Excellence in Teaching Award
Affiliations
Society for Neuroscience
Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
Funded Research
Project ARISE: Advancing Rhode Island Science Education
National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award, September 2006 ($636,131 over three years)
CoPI Jennifer Aizenman, Brown University Department of Summer and Continuing Studies
CoPI Lawrence Wakeford, Brown University Department of Education
2004 Society for Neuroscience Chapter Grant ($2,000) January 2004
McCune Grant, Biomedical Engineering Curriculum Development Grant
Teaching Experience
I am involved in the teaching several courses, from large to small, within the fields of Neuroscience, Physiology and General Biology. The majority of students in these courses are undergraduates, but enrollment can vary from high school (summer course) to graduate students.
Courses Taught
- Experimental Neuroscience (BN0160)
- Foundations of Living Systems (BI0020)
- Principles of Physiology (BI0080)
- The Brain: An Introduction to Neuroscience (BN0001)