Speakers: Michael Schmidt, Mark Martin, & Vincent Racaniello
This session will offer an opportunity for the audience to experience the award-winning podcast, This Week in Microbiology (TWiM). The session will showcase the podcast's format, featuring the hosts and attendees discussing current research using a conversational approach.
Those attending will gain valuable insights into:
- Engaging students with cutting-edge microbiology: TWiM's live format fosters curiosity by bringing the latest research directly to students.
- Enhancing scientific method comprehension: The podcast unpacks research papers, deconstructing the scientific method and encouraging critical analysis.
- Promoting critical thinking skills: Hosts and guests debate and dissect research findings, modeling strong critical thinking practices for students.
- Enlivening classroom discussions: Live recordings capture the excitement of scientific discovery, providing a dynamic resource for in-class discussions.
Beyond the conference, attendees will learn how to effectively utilize TWiM in their classrooms:
- Identifying relevant episodes for specific topics.
- Encouraging student listening and discussion prompts.
- Leveraging episode transcripts and supplemental materials.
This session anticipates that attendees will learn how TWiM can foster and become a powerful tool for faculty, fostering student engagement with microbiology research, and strengthening their scientific method and critical thinking skills.
