Biotechnology Goes to School
 CIAT
launches an educational tool that brings science closer to the classroom
In an effort to bring science and technology closer to students of
public schools in Cali, Colombia, a group of professionals of the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) developed educational materials related
to biotechnology. The tool Biotechnology in the Classroom is now available
on CD-ROM, and seeks to create a space where students can learn about biotechnology
and become familiar with several of its techniques. Biotechnology groups
together a series of techniques that cover several scientific disciplines (biology,
biochemistry, genetics, virology, agronomy, engineering, chemistry, medicine,
and veterinary medicine, among others) and can be applied in many different fields
for example agriculture, health, and industry.
The CD-ROM contains different theoretical documents directed
toward teachers and also includes a series of practical exercises
so students can 'learn by doing'.
The tool is the result of a
collaborative effort between experts working in CIAT's Agrobiodiversity and Biotechnology
project and a group of teachers of the Auxiliary Center of Teaching Services (CASD),
an entity that convenes several public schools of Cali. Participating CASD teachers
will be responsible for disseminating this experience to other teachers. The
objective of the CIAT initiative harmonized with that of a group of CASD professors,
led by Ana del Socorro Narváez, who wanted to apply innovative teaching
methods in the subject of biology and were incorporating different components
into their school curriculum, with special emphasis on genetics.
"We joined technical and pedagogical efforts to transfer
to schools what we do in the laboratory every day", says
Roosevelt Escobar, one of the creators of this tool. "It
was therefore decisive to use a simple language, easy-to-build
equipment, and low cost reagents to ensure that it would be
viable to carry out the exercises in school laboratories".
Biotechnology in the
Classroom: new Web site Because of the high demand for
the CD of this title by private and public educational centers, NGOs and universities,
CIAT is seeking new alternatives for achieving greater cover and is opting to
place the material online on its Web site. To access the site, a format needs
to be completed, which will enable the Center to maintain contact with the users,
as well as obtain their statistics. User registration is important, as users will
be kept informed of updates. These, in their turn, will be included in a second
version of the CD to be published soon. CIAT hopes that this Web site will
be useful. All observations and suggestions will be most welcomed.
Download CD Application
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Gallery
Contact: Roosevelt
Escobar y/o Claudia Stella Zúñiga
CIAT, Phone: +57 (2) 4450055
***** El
CIAT lanza producto pedagógico para acercar la ciencia al aula de claseEn
un esfuerzo por acercar la ciencia y la tecnología a los estudiantes de
colegios oficiales de Cali, un grupo de
profesionales del Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) elaboró
un material pedagógico sobre biotecnología.
Bajo el nombre "La Biotecnología
en el Salón de Clases", este producto —disponible
en CD ROM— busca desarrollar un espacio para que los
estudiantes aprendan sobre la biotecnología y conozcan
algunas de sus técnicas.
La biotecnología es un conjunto de técnicas
que involucra varias disciplinas de la ciencia (biología,
bioquímica, genética, virología, agronomía,
ingeniería, química, medicina y veterinaria,
entre otras) y que puede aplicarse en muchos campos de la
agricultura, la salud y la industria.
El CD ROM contiene algunos documentos
teóricos dirigidos a los docentes y también
trae una serie de talleres prácticos para que los estudiantes
"aprendan haciendo".
Esta obra fue un trabajo colaborativo
entre los expertos del CIAT, que trabajan en el proyecto Agrobiodiversidad y Biotecnología,
y un grupo de profesores del Centro Auxiliar de Servicios Docentes (CASD) que
agrupa algunos colegios oficiales de Cali, quienes serán los encargados
de difundir esta experiencia a otros profesores. Esta
iniciativa del CIAT coincidió con la del grupo de profesores del CASD,
liderados por la licenciada Ana del Socorro Narváez, que querían
innovar la enseñanza de la biología y estaban incorporando diferentes
componentes al currículo de sus colegios, sobre todo con énfasis
en genética.
"Unimos esfuerzos técnicos y pedagógicos
para trasladar a los colegios lo que hacemos a diario en el
laboratorio", afirma Roosevelt Escobar, uno de los autores
de esta guía. "Por eso, era decisivo utilizar
un lenguaje sencillo, equipos de fácil construcción
y reactivos de bajo costo, para que las prácticas en
los laboratorios escolares fueran viables".
Descargar
Aplicación de Biotecnología
Descargar
Galería de Fotos
Contacto: Roosevelt
Escobar y/o Claudia
Stella Zúñiga, CIAT, Teléfono: +57
(2) 4450055
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