Celebrate Learning! Spring 2013 (Volume 4, Issue 2)

Spring

2013

Volume 4 , Issue 2

Celebrate

Learning!
Speaker
Dr. Amanda Stockton

In This Issue

Featured
Spotlight P.2-4

NASA, Cal Tech JPL

P.1-2

Rocket Science and
Curiosity-driven
Learning
P.2-3

Underground
Research
P.3

“Research is Teaching”
TCC Well Represented
at Oklahoma Research
Day
P.4

TCC Wellness
Committee has been
busy
P.5

2012 National
Association of
Biology Teachers
Two-Year Teaching
Excellence Award
P.6

Free and Low Cost
Textbooks!
P.8-10

Technology:
From Workshop to the
Classroom
P.10-11

Developmental
Education and
Student Success:
TCC and Complete

Bronte Miller

P.7

Upcoming Events

P.12

Rocket Science and Curiosity-driven Learning
By: Rosemary Carlson
Native Oklahoman, Dr. Amanda Stockton has worn several hats in her pursuit of science: chemist, aerospace engineer, astrobiologist and meteorite-hunter. As a young girl in
Slaughterville, OK, she dreamed of “sending
stuff to Mars.” To achieve her dream, she went
to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics (OSSM), and went on to earn degrees
from MIT, Brown University, and Berkeley.
One of her current projects as a postdoctoral
fellow at Jet Propulsion Labs at Caltech is the
development of a “lab on a chip” about the size
and shape of a petri dish that could be included on a mission to Mars to analyze soil for the
chemical precursors of life in situ. She shared
her career path and her research with an overflow crowd of students and faculty at SE campus on January 24th. Her advice to students
was to take advantage of any and all opportunities to learn, even when they don’t seem to
lead directly to the goal. When asked about
her future plans, Dr. Stockton responded “I
would love to come back to Oklahoma. I love
this state. Oklahoma invested a lot in me, and I
would like to give back to Oklahoma to help
more young people achieve their dreams.”

well as higher-level research. For example, electronic toys and kits at sites such as sparkfun.com
have the potential to catalyze implementation of
robotic, e-textile, music, or cross-discipline projects. Computer-controlled technologies such as
3-D printing and laser cutting are available to the
public in facilities such as the Fab Lab Tulsa, allowing students to conceptualize an art project or
an engineering project and carry it through to
fabrication. Dr. Stockton quoted Nathan Bramall
of Los Gatos Research: “The only danger I perceive in giving your student access to [a new technology] is that he’ll derail his summer research
experience by building a robot that does somersaults down the hall.”

Following Dr. Stockton’s
presentation, a
panel of TCC faculty members
involved in undergraduate research shared
their experiences
of engaging students in research
projects in a community college
On January 25th, Dr. Stockton met with
setting. The panfaculty to discuss “Curiosity-driven Learning”.
el included Professor Patty Smith (Biology-WC),
In her work at JPL, she has had opportunities
Dr. Diana Spencer (Biotechnology- SEC), Dr. Alicia
to mentor students of various ages in science
Mackay (Psychology- MC), Professor Thomas Hencamps and undergraduate-level research. She
derson (Electrical Engineering, NEC) as well as Dr.
stated that “We can engage students by giving
Stockton. The panel discussion was moderated by
them the freedom to experience research as a
Dr. Doug Price, TCC Dean of Global and Engaged
form of play.” Both in research and in play, we
Learning. Undergraduate research is a powerful
can “poke at things, build new things, dream
tool for unlocking a student’s potential for deep
new things, and see what happens.” During
learning. It is not limited to scientific disciplines
her presentation, Dr. Stockton described some
and it can be implemented in a variety of ways
technologies that are suitable for educators as
within our courses or as independent study pro-

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