I like to compare the process of education to a three-step ladder, which is being climbed together by students and their teacher. If you are familiar with Ron Prokopy's work, you can probably tell after reading these words that he influenced me a lot.
On the first step, a teacher is supposed to convey to the students certain information, and the students are supposed to acquire it. Obviously, this is a very important step by itself; it also has to be passed on the way to the other two steps. However, I consider it to be a complete failure when the only thing learned by the students is how to take notes and then reproduce them during an exam.
Scientific progress is currently proceeding at such a pace that a large portion of this knowledge might be outdated a few years after the students' graduation. Therefore, it is extremely important to continue to the next step, where the students learn how to obtain information on their own, and how to process it in the most rational way. Reaching the second step requires some additional effort, but it is absolutely essential for student success in the real world.
The third step is the most challenging one. On that step, the students are supposed to develop the skill of analytical thinking. It is my deep belief that the ultimate goal of education is to produce the people who can distinguish between right and wrong on their own. Therefore, I see my primary duty as an educator in assisting my students to achieve this goal.
For all my classes, I like to make student presentations, review papers, discussion sessions, and independent research projects to be a significant part of student activities. I also usually offer my students an opportunity to critique a variety of entomology-related materials, ranging from the "Bug's Life" movie to Green Party press releases, and from Syngenta advertisements to peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals.
Currently, I teach the following classes:
BIO 391-0003 / BIO 511, Insect Ecology
Course Objectives. The overall goal of this class is to provide students with an understanding of intricate interactions between insects and their environment. More specifically, the students completing this course are expected to
- Describe the impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on insect biology
- Explain mechanisms of population regulation
- Rationalize the concept of energy flow through trophic levels in an ecosystem
- Place ecological interactions in their evolutionary context
- Show appreciation of insect contribution to maintaining diversity of life on Earth
General Course Description. The course covers fundamental concepts in ecology as they apply to insects on population, community, and ecosystem levels. Materials are presented in the form of lectures, discussions of primary scientific literature, and hands-on exercises.
Syllabus. Click here to get a copy of the current syllabus in PDF format.
BIO 455/555, Biological Invasions
Course Objectives. Biological Invasions is listed within Area V (Ecology) of the School of Biology and Ecology curriculum. Joining this class is expected to contribute to student understanding of the interactions of organisms and their environments and the consequences of these interactions for population, community, and ecosystem dynamics. Specific objectives to be met by taking this course include being able to describe biotic and abiotic factors that influence the dynamics of populations and to use ecological principles to explain the consequences of human activity (current economic and social issues). Students completing Biological Invasions will also improve the array of the tools for life-long learning and should be able to demonstrate the ability to use resources at hand to gather information, clearly articulate questions and answers to others, and assess the accuracy of science reports presented in the media.
The students completing this course are expected to
- Know theoretical bases of invasion biology
- Understand mechanisms behind species establishment in non-native areas
- Understand the impacts of exotic organisms at the population and ecosystem levels
- Appreciate economic and sociopolitical issues surrounding exotic species
- Know alternative approaches to managing invasive species
General Course Description. In an increasingly global society, virtually no areas remain sheltered from invasion by alien species. Currently, invasion by alien species is recognized as one of the major environmental problems worldwide. Failure to address this issue may have dire consequences, including disruption of vital ecological processes, loss of agricultural, forestry, and fishery resources, and epidemics of serious diseases within human populations.
This course is designed to serve as an introduction to invasion biology, a rapidly growing area of applied biology. It is assumed that the students have already taken a course in introductory ecology and are familiar with basic ecological concepts. In this course, students will learn about the mechanisms of natural and human-mediated biological invasions, their consequences from ecological, economic, political, and ethical perspectives, and review management options available for prevention and/or mitigation of the negative impacts of invasive species. The intent is that a strong foundation in ecological principles will lead to an understanding of what causes biological invasions and what are the possible ways of dealing with them.
"Ninaweza kulinganisha mchakato wa elimu na ngazi ya hatua tatu, ambayo ni kupanda pamoja na wanafunzi na mwalimu wao. """ Ikiwa unajua kazi ya Ron Prokopi, unaweza kusema baada ya kusoma maneno haya kwamba aliniathiri sana. Katika hatua ya kwanza, mwalimu anapaswa kuwapa wanafunzi habari fulani, na wanafunzi wanapaswa kuipata. Ni wazi kwamba hatua hii ni muhimu sana yenyewe, lakini pia inapaswa kupitishwa kwenye njia ya hatua nyingine mbili. Hata hivyo, mimi huona kuwa ni kushindwa kabisa wakati kitu pekee ambacho wanafunzi hujifunza ni jinsi ya kuchukua maelezo na kisha kuirudia wakati wa mtihani. Maendeleo ya kisayansi yanaendelea kwa kasi sana hivi kwamba sehemu kubwa ya maarifa haya yanaweza kuwa ya kizamani miaka michache baada ya wanafunzi kuhitimu. Kwa hiyo, ni muhimu sana kuendelea na hatua inayofuata, ambapo wanafunzi kujifunza jinsi ya kupata habari kwa wenyewe, na jinsi ya kuchakata kwa njia ya busara zaidi. Kufikia hatua ya pili inahitaji juhudi za ziada, lakini ni muhimu kabisa kwa mafanikio ya mwanafunzi katika ulimwengu halisi. Hatua ya tatu ndiyo ngumu zaidi. Katika hatua hiyo, wanafunzi wanatazamiwa kukuza ustadi wa kufikiri kwa njia ya uchambuzi. "Ninaamini sana kwamba lengo kuu la elimu ni kuzalisha watu ambao wanaweza kutofautisha kati ya haki na makosa wenyewe. """ Kwa hiyo, ninaona wajibu wangu wa kwanza kama mwalimu katika kuwasaidia wanafunzi wangu kufikia lengo hili. Katika madarasa yangu yote, napenda kufanya maonyesho ya wanafunzi, karatasi za ukaguzi, vikao vya majadiliano, na miradi ya utafiti huru kuwa sehemu muhimu ya shughuli za wanafunzi. "Mimi pia kutoa wanafunzi wangu nafasi ya kukosoa aina mbalimbali ya entomology-kuhusiana vifaa, kuanzia ""Bug ya Maisha"" filamu kwa Green Party taarifa za vyombo vya habari, na kutoka Syngenta matangazo ya biashara kwa karatasi peer-kukaguliwa kuchapishwa katika majarida ya kisayansi." Kwa sasa, ninafundisha madarasa yafuatayo: BIO 391-511 - Lengo la Kozi ya Ikolojia ya Wadudu. Lengo la jumla la darasa hili ni kuwapa wanafunzi uelewa wa mwingiliano tata kati ya wadudu na mazingira yao. Wanafunzi wanaohitimu kozi hii wanatazamiwa kuelezea athari za viumbe hai na viumbe hai kwenye biolojia ya wadudu, kuelezea utaratibu wa udhibiti wa idadi ya wadudu, kuelezea dhana ya mtiririko wa nishati kupitia viwango vya trophic katika mazingira, kuweka mwingiliano wa ikolojia katika muktadha wao wa mageuzi, na kuonyesha uthamini wa mchango wa wadudu katika kudumisha utofauti wa maisha duniani. Kozi inashughulikia dhana za msingi katika ikolojia kama wao kuomba kwa wadudu juu ya idadi ya watu, jamii, na ngazi ya mazingira. Vifaa ni iliyotolewa katika fomu ya mihadhara, majadiliano ya fasihi ya msingi ya kisayansi, na mazoezi ya mikono. Mtaala wa masomo. Bonyeza hapa kupata nakala ya mtaala wa sasa katika muundo wa PDF. BIO 455 - Biological Invasions Mauaji ya kibiolojia yameorodheshwa ndani ya Eneo V (Ekolojia) ya Shule ya Biolojia na Ekolojia mtaala. Kujiunga na darasa hili kunatarajiwa kuchangia uelewa wa mwanafunzi wa mwingiliano wa viumbe na mazingira yao na matokeo ya mwingiliano huu kwa idadi ya watu, jamii, na mienendo ya mazingira. Lengo la msingi la masomo haya ni kuweza kuelezea viungo vya biotic na abiotic vinavyoathiri nguvu za idadi ya watu na kutumia kanuni za ikolojia kuelezea matokeo ya shughuli za binadamu (matatizo ya sasa ya kiuchumi na kijamii). Wanafunzi wanaokamilisha Biological Invasions pia wataboresha safu ya zana za kujifunza maisha yote na wanapaswa kuwa na uwezo wa kuonyesha uwezo wa kutumia rasilimali zilizo karibu kukusanya habari, kuelezea maswali na majibu kwa wengine, na kutathmini usahihi wa ripoti za kisayansi zilizowasilishwa katika vyombo vya habari. Wanafunzi wanaokamilisha kozi hii wanatarajiwa kujua misingi ya nadharia ya biolojia ya uvamizi, kuelewa utaratibu wa kuanzisha spishi katika maeneo yasiyo ya asili, kuelewa athari za viumbe vya kigeni katika idadi ya watu na viwango vya mazingira, kuthamini masuala ya kiuchumi na kijamii yanayohusu spishi za kigeni, na kujua mbinu mbadala za kusimamia spishi za uvamizi. Katika jamii inayozidi kuwa ya ulimwenguni pote, karibu hakuna maeneo yanayobaki yakiwa salama kutokana na uvamizi wa spishi za kigeni. Kwa sasa, uvamizi wa spishi za kigeni unatambuliwa kuwa mojawapo ya matatizo makubwa ya kimazingira ulimwenguni pote. Kushindwa kushughulikia suala hili kunaweza kuwa na matokeo mabaya, ikiwa ni pamoja na kuvuruga michakato muhimu ya ikolojia, kupoteza mali za kilimo, misitu, na uvuvi, na magonjwa makubwa ya janga ndani ya idadi ya watu. Kozi hii ni iliyoundwa kutumika kama utangulizi wa biolojia ya uvamizi, eneo la kukua kwa kasi ya biolojia kutumika. Inadhaniwa kwamba wanafunzi tayari wamechukua kozi katika mazingira ya utangulizi na wanajua dhana za msingi za ikolojia. Katika kozi hii, wanafunzi watajifunza juu ya utaratibu wa uvamizi wa asili na wa binadamu, matokeo yao kutoka kwa mtazamo wa ikolojia, kiuchumi, kisiasa na maadili, na kupitia chaguzi za usimamizi zinazopatikana kwa kuzuia na kupunguza athari mbaya za spishi za uvamizi. Lengo ni kwamba msingi imara katika kanuni za ikolojia itasababisha uelewa wa nini husababisha uvamizi wa kibiolojia na ni nini njia zinazowezekana za kushughulika nao.