This summer the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in Kaneohe Bay served as an inspiring location for an innovative workshop fostering collaboration between local science educators and leading scientific researchers. The workshop, organized by GK12 fellow Kimberly Tice and GK12 coordinator Kanesa Duncan, partnered four high school science teachers with HIMB researchers Dr. Steve Karl and graduate student Kelvin Gorospe, whose research focuses on the fine-scale genetic structure of coral reefs. The workshop provided teachers with the opportunity to participate in authentic scientific research while allowing researchers to share their work and take advantage of willing hands and minds to gather labor-intensive data.

During the three-week workshop, teachers and researchers mapped and sampled corals on a patch reef in Kaneohe Bay and gained proficiency in laboratory techniques including DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. Inquiry-based lessons fostered teachers' content knowledge of concepts such as genetics and ecological sampling, as well as furthering teachers' experience with inquiry-based teaching techniques. The workshop participants are currently designing an inquiry-based curriculum simulating the workshop experience to disseminate the lessons learned this summer to a wider audience-their own students!

Here's what workshop participants had to say about the experience:

"My expectations have been exceeded."
"I enjoyed my time in the workshop and now have good lessons and ways to get my students interested."
"This information makes me much more comfortable going in depth into genetics."
"I've learned a TON in the lab…I'm more confident of lab techniques."
"We learned a lot and it was fun!"
To see the researchers and teachers roughing it in the field or concentrating in the lab, click here to see a photo gallery from the workshop.

Mahalo to Claudia Rocha, Dr. Rob Toonen, Toby Daly-Engel and the University of Hawaii Diving Safety Program for contributing to the workshop and making it a success! In addition to funding provided by the National Science Foundation Graduate GK-12 program, additional funding for the workshop was provided by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program.

Click a picture to see a larger view.