tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44948898054906118922024-02-20T10:42:59.608-08:00Rose-Anne Meissner, PhDScience and Math Tutor // Writer and EditorRosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-44424828419446306422022-01-01T13:03:00.004-08:002022-01-01T13:08:03.377-08:00On a Wing and a Prayer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0hxDLii-iUk-mn_HAhEH3tp7f488v8wiYDDIMRkKh6lDcql1cSjspWsmmQ_R0a-8-28DSJnFS1VhkmNI5zW_sCyauLNIhmoQ3TsiF23OEOf8jy617zicpdUcpHwH0NSMOTBSaLB9LnQ6hjG67C3Rs1Lq5RJeZOt_Wg2Kj3vl_bi-5Nluyn9H5DdaTAQ=s2400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1920" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0hxDLii-iUk-mn_HAhEH3tp7f488v8wiYDDIMRkKh6lDcql1cSjspWsmmQ_R0a-8-28DSJnFS1VhkmNI5zW_sCyauLNIhmoQ3TsiF23OEOf8jy617zicpdUcpHwH0NSMOTBSaLB9LnQ6hjG67C3Rs1Lq5RJeZOt_Wg2Kj3vl_bi-5Nluyn9H5DdaTAQ=w512-h640" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Happy New Year, dear readers!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I have been wanting to write this post for weeks, but I've been unsure about what to say. It's been a very hard two years of trying to survive and navigate a pandemic, with a virus that continues to mutate and spread. My city is currently experiencing another wave of hospitalizations. It's sad and frustrating.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And it's difficult to write about life during a pandemic with the grace and depth that is needed. But I want to try. I'll start by saying that if you or someone you love has suffered an unbearable loss, I'm so sorry. I am sorry if someone you loved passed away from covid or if you or a loved one is suffering from long-haul covid.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Truly, the amount of suffering that we have had to endure is staggering. Words are never enough, and yet, I think it's important to acknowledge the pain and loss.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Against the background of a pandemic, I wanted to talk about goals and achievement. How do we reflect on a year that has passed, a year that brought us vaccines and new variants? Freedom and setbacks? </span><span style="font-family: arial;">How do we think about life moving forward when so much feels uncertain?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Personally, I think the best way to approach these questions is a both/and approach.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* We can acknowledge our achievements, even if they were modest. Even if they were done under duress.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* We can address with compassion our failures and setbacks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Frankly, I think if you accomplished any of your goals, it's worth celebrating. Here is my list.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>GOALS ACCOMPLISHED:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☑ I was a consistent, supportive presence in my students' lives. Like many people, I have had my own emotional and mental health struggles during 2021. I was able to persevere and keep showing up for my students, which I think is the best thing I could have done for them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☑ We enrolled my son in preschool, and he loves it. It was very difficult for us to find a preschool that had any open spots for new students. We were able to find one in west Austin that was a good match for our family. Having Sammy in preschool benefited our family immensely. It gave him much-needed time with other children and with loving teachers. It gave me time to work out and tutor students; both of those activities helped me feel more like myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☑ We finally published an issue of <i>Dook Dook Ferret Magazine</i>. This one requires some backstory. One of my freelance gigs is writing and editing a ferret magazine. The magazine operates under a larger parent company called <a href="https://www.ferret-world.com/">Ferret-World</a>. I am the science writer for <i>Dook Dook</i>, writing articles about ferret medicine and health. This is one of my favorite gigs, and I've been with the <i>Dook Dook</i> team since 2017.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In 2021, Ferret-World was sold to a new owner. The transition from old to new owner was not a smooth one. The magazine's editorial team was in limbo for several months, but finally in late November, we got the go-ahead from the new owner to put together a new issue. On a wing and a prayer, and with a newly hired designer, we created a beautiful issue that went out on Christmas Day, December 25th. (Our magazine is digital.) I'll share with you the cover just so you can see what an amazing job our designer did:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh035BVXmVHshUEj5s6YD--KD0mm6xK_4BCWqfNRwhr9ypV7UMXdxBtEpnA4XMt4AQ2TY006cWyz9hIexgIEQg0dVC-WcbWQ53rRc-0smoK-YyhukHkHuhNokCMzFPpVtlKHeo8wqE9x5XsZEOl6pSgy1dJJUy7jSCzcahSJTixwOxG1ll3Ao2tHCNaBg=s929" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="652" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh035BVXmVHshUEj5s6YD--KD0mm6xK_4BCWqfNRwhr9ypV7UMXdxBtEpnA4XMt4AQ2TY006cWyz9hIexgIEQg0dVC-WcbWQ53rRc-0smoK-YyhukHkHuhNokCMzFPpVtlKHeo8wqE9x5XsZEOl6pSgy1dJJUy7jSCzcahSJTixwOxG1ll3Ao2tHCNaBg=w450-h640" width="450" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☑ I learned some new techniques for my eye shadow! This goal may seem frivolous, but makeup is a hobby of mine and I love it. This year I learned how to do all-over-the-lid looks with matte eye shadows in my collection. I had been convinced that matte shadows don't look good on me except in the crease, but I learned how to wear them like a wash of color over the lid. What I realized is that because of the matte (non-light-reflecting) quality, mattes are great for really showing off a beautiful color, which I enjoy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2021 also contained real disappointments, which I'll share here as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>FAILURES AND SETBACKS:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☒ I had a number of tutoring sessions that I would call "fails." Failure to connect with the student, failure to work collaboratively on the student's goals, etc. It's not realistic to expect every tutoring session to be awesome, but some of these fails really stung. I think the frustration was mutual. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☒ I had big plans for my "free time" when Sammy was in school. I wanted to read, journal, write, practice yoga, prep meals to help us eat more healthfully...most of that did not happen. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☒ My health worsened in measurable ways. I gained a significant amount of weight, and my blood work indicated my health has decreased. I hesitate to share this information on my professional blog, but I am sharing it for the sake of honesty. Now, I want to be clear that I believe the relationship between weight and health is somewhat murky. I don't believe that thin always means healthy, nor do I believe that fat means unhealthy. But for me, it's clear that weight gain has correlated with not feeling great. It's collateral damage from the pandemic.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">☒ I was not always kind and patient with my child. I continue to work on this goal and on forgiving myself for not always being the mother I want to be.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* * *</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I encourage you to write your own list of achievements and setbacks. It might help you to put 2021 into perspective, even if you feel like it was a crappy year overall. If you are reading this post, then we can say you survived, even if you are in worse shape (as I am). It's okay if all you did was survive this year. It's okay.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOS6a8e3VhwW1cE2GpDScr-f4ybdvOoOlIGAmAB2p6AleDpnqf7fCZdpCYGOsEi_r6gn1ZSuR-M9ro90Uu21dokCbTWWiFZy0lxCypl2Rpvs9IiJDPkEmVaR91eBQNNzZJnkFOZFY9p53Vdxf4-vdrYyfcqxYQdZBZi6FCAEH5KNIHHq_YWNQncZK-Nw=s1059"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1059" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOS6a8e3VhwW1cE2GpDScr-f4ybdvOoOlIGAmAB2p6AleDpnqf7fCZdpCYGOsEi_r6gn1ZSuR-M9ro90Uu21dokCbTWWiFZy0lxCypl2Rpvs9IiJDPkEmVaR91eBQNNzZJnkFOZFY9p53Vdxf4-vdrYyfcqxYQdZBZi6FCAEH5KNIHHq_YWNQncZK-Nw=w400-h394" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>I'm proud of you too.</b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2022 gives us a chance to start fresh. I wish you all a wonderful New Year and a happy, productive semester. Take care of yourselves!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJih3igcx-_w2SzE_S_qg2r9k2AhqgqP7n8wR3vsfVP0_2FlT-jKmCLJ0Ds88Cw77Eui7EIW04p4n9VW_gC0nU9mrGQuLbFWcOnrZBffIzGeJpv1vWKXW4q07d8eiFHX_J7lCCN6e2s-n3pfhx8MoiivOATkEA6YZ-iv37gqXl8sh5EmFVYJA_ZpCyDw=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1920" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJih3igcx-_w2SzE_S_qg2r9k2AhqgqP7n8wR3vsfVP0_2FlT-jKmCLJ0Ds88Cw77Eui7EIW04p4n9VW_gC0nU9mrGQuLbFWcOnrZBffIzGeJpv1vWKXW4q07d8eiFHX_J7lCCN6e2s-n3pfhx8MoiivOATkEA6YZ-iv37gqXl8sh5EmFVYJA_ZpCyDw=w400-h268" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Photos courtesy of Jackson Eaves (top photo) and Amanda Frank (bottom photo) via unsplash.</span></p>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-72362224537379322372021-12-31T12:17:00.004-08:002022-01-01T13:12:40.856-08:00Be Patient<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-2h-TMCue_UOvK7uplNdM4S4wTuU5bBJhoetwncc90d15Bw8zA-xmtwXjiIwb-HlUdb0HCF-gZHuefiNpsO9alnX_EnU3Xcz1AE54n9pU41xnwjCtQd4osd0eA0kQhN6e5IqFLCKHi-S/s1920/michael-fenton-0ZQ8vojHNuc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-2h-TMCue_UOvK7uplNdM4S4wTuU5bBJhoetwncc90d15Bw8zA-xmtwXjiIwb-HlUdb0HCF-gZHuefiNpsO9alnX_EnU3Xcz1AE54n9pU41xnwjCtQd4osd0eA0kQhN6e5IqFLCKHi-S/w400-h266/michael-fenton-0ZQ8vojHNuc-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Times are tough, so I thought I would share a little poetry here to lighten the mood. One of my absolute favorite quotes about learning and love is from Rainer Maria Rilke, and it goes like this:</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Live the questions now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Farewell, 2021.<br /><br />* * *</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Source: <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/06/01/rilke-on-questions/" target="_blank">The Marginalian</a></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Photo: Michael Fenton via unsplash</span></p>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-86274068649196654332021-11-10T14:35:00.001-08:002021-11-10T14:36:25.802-08:00Memorization: My Best Tips and Tricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pinGrzPcHKV92qwQ9QZyucRcUStUFSKcC5DXj57p3atmWB1pVr-pB1MiNgQVj6bbENdhvAdANHyExoozXD4V16ZS0pmvA-z7M_JnebtlDmP1vGhiEKDg98bnZwqDQB2F7-53OPhhRhaQ/s640/green-chameleon-s9CC2SKySJM-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pinGrzPcHKV92qwQ9QZyucRcUStUFSKcC5DXj57p3atmWB1pVr-pB1MiNgQVj6bbENdhvAdANHyExoozXD4V16ZS0pmvA-z7M_JnebtlDmP1vGhiEKDg98bnZwqDQB2F7-53OPhhRhaQ/w400-h267/green-chameleon-s9CC2SKySJM-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><b>High school and college students often need to memorize a lot of material. </b></span>Personally, I would love it if every student could use a sheet of notes on every quiz or test. I believe American education tends to emphasize memorization a little too much; we could stand to shift our priorities a little more toward applying knowledge and critical thinking.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But in the absence of giving students that option, I have a toolbox of tips and tricks to make memorization a little less painful. Many of my tips focus on figuring out what you already have memorized and therefore don't need to spend extra time studying. </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Don't waste time "memorizing" things you already know!</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In this post, I'll describe the strategies that help me memorize material, which is useful to me as a tutor. I'm also going to muse about the neuroscience that may explain the technique, drawing on my background as a PhD in neuroscience and my on-going studies in learning and education.</span></p><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">* Include Equations and Other Relevant Details when Doing Your Homework</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This tip may seem very obvious, but many of my students skip this important step. Write down your equations when you are working practice problems. This will help you memorize the equations in the context in which they are used. You could also add details about which concepts or other information you are using in your work. Adding information will build a mental framework in which equations and concepts are woven together rather than being separate pieces of information. Part of how our memory works is with association: thinking about A reminds me of B and C. On a test, it will be useful if you remember A, B, and C as part of a cluster of information.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Write down your work. Include equations, units, and any algebra used to solve the equation. Do it even if your teacher lets you get away with showing little or no work.</span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">* Mind Map</span></b></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I've <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/more-drawing-more-learning.html" target="_blank">written about mind maps before</a>. I still think they are a great study tool! Basically, you give yourself a big sheet of paper or a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas and connections for the material you are studying. You can include diagrams, equations, drawings, and text--anything, really, that you think is important or relevant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After you've created your mind map, take a moment to think about what's missing. Was there anything you wanted to include but couldn't remember all the details? Those missing pieces of information tell you what you should deliberately study in order to memorize them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">* Prepare a "Cheatsheet"</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You might not be able to use this cheatsheet on your quiz or exam, but it's still a great tool for exam review. The idea here is to write out the cheatsheet that you would want to have for the exam. The practice of writing things out will show you what you need to memorize and thus streamline the time you spend actively memorizing things.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For the cheatsheet, I'd recommend using <b>your class notes and other resources</b>. Then go through it and ask yourself: what information is here that I don't have memorized? What data would I struggle to reproduce from scratch?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">* Do Extra Practice</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When you prepare for an exam, do you ever seek out extra practice? Some teachers and professors will provide extra practice questions or even full-length practice exams. For some courses, there is a lot of practice material available online; I frequently recommend <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/" target="_blank">Khan Academy</a> to my math students for extra practice.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Doing extra practice, even just a little bit, can strengthen your skills and boost your confidence before your exam. If you practice using only the resources that will be allowed on your exam, you'll discover what you need to have memorized. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">* Write Your Own Practice Problems</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The beauty of this tip is that it asks you to spend time with this material in a new way. You aren't answering questions; you are asking them! In learning, it can be useful to look at things from a different perspective. The novelty of it will strengthen your understanding of the material. For extra practice, you can write out your own answers as well. (And quiz yourself: can you answer your own questions without looking at the course materials?) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">* Quiz a Friend or Have a Friend Quiz You</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This tip is pretty self-explanatory. You and your friend can make the questions as easy or as hard as you want. You can make it timed so you can practice your speed. Hearing your friend's questions may help you identify areas of weakness in your own understanding of the material (and vice versa for them).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In general, I am a big fan of having study buddies as long as you know you can get some work done. But be honest with yourself about whether the time spent with a friend is for fun/pleasure or to get schoolwork done.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* On the Exam: Immediately Write Down Your Memorized Information</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is a tip I discovered in college when I was taking either organic chemistry or biochemistry. If you are nervous or anxious about remembering a lot of information for a test, you can start the test by writing down everything you have memorized. Do this before you start answering questions so you are less likely to lose any details. I think this is a great way to "download" your brain before you have to dig into a challenging exam. You'll free up your working memory to focus on the questions rather than trying to hold onto whatever you studied.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">OTHER TIPS</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I wanted to add a few more tips that I think can be useful. They aren't my preferred strategies, but they might work well for you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">* Flashcards</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Lots of people love flashcards to drill themselves on basic information for a class. They're convenient too, as you can review your flashcards several times a day to use repetition to build your memory.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">* R</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ewrite Your Notes</span></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This strategy is pretty self-explanatory. I think it can be useful to find ways of explaining the material in your own words or with your own edits (perhaps adding additional material like acronyms, new connections you have made, etc.). For me, the cheatsheet I described above is like a condensed version of my notes.<br /><br />I've been getting into making new note sets for some of my core tutoring subjects, like chemistry and physics. It's fun for me because I enjoy learning. Over the long run, all the efforts I have put into studying have made me more effective at this work. My hope is that the same is true for you when it comes to your academic performance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* * *<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>What are your favorite strategies for memorization? Did I miss any good ones?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Image courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/@craftedbygc" target="_blank">Green Chameleon</a> via Unsplash.</i></span></p>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-17288080897465242472021-10-08T13:40:00.009-07:002021-10-08T13:42:45.319-07:00How I Actually Study: My Best Tips and Tricks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ip8ok2buxSAKemggR_R5tTpRQFdm8Tz4J3BGC1PXLCoS_Fj9pwCPL6qy3t_GsMkaZV_csKN8wrQaUJjDyy2EvX01HQeVfWcviFyLy9QsPoRWbN28I5Jkl72UG_ZTKhyAuVT1ZjxOc_D/s1920/avel-chuklanov-DUmFLtMeAbQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ip8ok2buxSAKemggR_R5tTpRQFdm8Tz4J3BGC1PXLCoS_Fj9pwCPL6qy3t_GsMkaZV_csKN8wrQaUJjDyy2EvX01HQeVfWcviFyLy9QsPoRWbN28I5Jkl72UG_ZTKhyAuVT1ZjxOc_D/w400-h266/avel-chuklanov-DUmFLtMeAbQ-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I<span style="font-size: medium;"> recently had the pleasure of working with a student on her preparation for the AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 tests. As part of my own preparation for working with her, I spent many hours with two review books, my own notes, and the internet to polish my physics knowledge. I thought it might be helpful to share with other students what my study process looks like.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Work the practice problems.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You probably have practice problems available to you, whether from your teacher or a test prep book. Do the practice problems, using all the resources that you have available. For some classes, you might be looking up information as you go. This is okay! Take note of what you are looking up. When I work with students, especially for online tutoring, I'll leave all the web pages open and then send my student the links afterward. That way, we both have a record of the resources we used during our session.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Compile the topics and concepts on which you need more information and/or practice.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Sometimes it will become clear to me that I just don't know enough about a topic to explain it well to a student. I make lists of these topics so I can study them in depth later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Work-wise, I tend to be in one of two modes: produce or learn. When I'm in my productive mode, my preference is to knock out as much of the task as I can. If I were a student, I would want to complete as much of the assignment as I could. Then (perhaps later) I would shift into learning mode to study and think about the things that I didn't understand. This strategy has a lot to do with how my brain and energy levels work. The important thing is to not lose track of the material that needs more attention, even if you can't get to it right away.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Do a deep dive on the material you need to better understand.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I love nothing more than to do a deep dive to learn more information! My favorite resources for independent study are:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">- trustworthy websites</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">- textbooks and test prep books</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">- Khan Academy</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I use practice questions as my touchstone for the deep dive. If I can answer those questions confidently, with good information to justify my answer, then I have completed my task. If I'm having a good time while learning about something, I might go deeper just for fun. But I'm always keeping an eye toward being able to help my students. The deeper my knowledge is, the more I can offer them as a tutor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What do I during my deep dive? Sometimes I'll just read and think. I might watch a video or several videos. I take notes. I ask myself questions. Since I enjoy learning so much, I don't mind if this process is a bit meandering. If I'm crunched for time, though, I'll just stay focused on trying to answer the practice questions. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The more crunched for time you are, the more you'll have to take a triage approach to studying. You'll want to focus on getting as much done as you can, and you might have to limit how much time you spend on a deep dive. This is okay! Gradewise, it might mean you get a B instead of an A, or a C instead of a B. This is life--it's messy and imperfect. We all have seasons of life during which we have to triage our to-do list and know that we did the best we could. But even if you are taking a triage approach, I'd still recommend making notes about the material you didn't understand. You might be able to get the information you need directly from your professor, a tutor, or a review session.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Ask a trusted source for help.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm a former academic married to another STEM tutor. So I have a lot of people in my life who can answer questions for me. My own approach is to answer questions as best I can on my own, then enlist help from other people. I think this a great way to approach tutoring if you hire someone or get free tutoring from a trusted person. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Revisit challenging practice problems.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This one is self-explanatory. It's worth it to retest yourself to see if you have truly learned the material. Are there any parts you are still stumbling over? Is there anything new that you realize you need to know?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Write up a study guide for yourself.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is one of my absolute favorite study tips. It's so empowering to create this resource for yourself. If you could use a study guide on a test (maybe in an open-notes situation), what would you include? Which equations, concepts, and diagrams would you want to have available? Are there any pieces of information that you tend to forget or find confusing? Write it all down. I created a study guide for my AP physics student to summarize what I thought was the most important information from the topics that we reviewed together. I plan to expand that study guide to cover all the topics on the AP Physics 1 and 2 tests, mostly so I can continue to improve and refine my approach to physics tutoring.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* * *<br /><br />Those are my study tips: practical, thorough, detail-oriented, with an eye toward the big picture. What are your favorite study tips?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/DUmFLtMeAbQ" target="_blank"><i>Image courtesy of Avel Chuklanov via Unsplash.</i></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-61880114209694619302020-11-26T15:21:00.005-08:002020-11-26T15:34:15.118-08:00Wyzant Tutoring: Tips to Find the Best Tutor for You<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I get asked by family and friends how to find a good tutor for specific classes. There are many tutoring platforms and tutoring businesses that are looking for students, and it can be overwhelming, trying to decide which one(s) to try. In this post, I want to offer my two cents about a platform with which I am very familiar, <a href="https://www.wyzant.com/" target="_blank">Wyzant Tutoring</a>, along with my tips on how to find your best tutor.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>This post is not sponsored by Wyzant! </i>Everything I am sharing here comes from a desire to be helpful to my students.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">PSA: "Wyzant" is pronounced "wise-ant." I think their logo used to include a cute little cartoon ant wearing glasses.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Why Wyzant Tutoring?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I have been a tutor on Wyzant's platform for seven years, and I've tutored hundreds of students through them. What I like about Wyzant is that it's an easy way to connect with a tutor. It's fairly low risk to try a new tutor and see if it's a good fit between tutor and student. Wyzant has allowed me to connect with students to form a variety of working relationships, from single sessions to tutoring students through multiple classes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Contacting tutors is totally free</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To contact tutors, you just need to set up a free Wyzant account. There are no fees or charges to start talking to tutors.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* You enter payment information when you are ready to commit</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Once you have found a tutor with whom you want to schedule a session, you enter payment information on Wyzant's system. This way, your tutor is reassured that he or she will get paid for the work.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In seven years with Wyzant, I've never had a client tell me that he or she had an issue with payment that could not be resolved. I believe that Wyzant's billing system is safe and secure to use.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* The good-fit guarantee</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Wyzant wants you to try tutoring! To make it as pain-free as possible, they pay for the first hour of tutoring if you aren't happy with your session. I think this is a great policy.<br /><br />For my business, if I feel the tutoring session was not very productive, I won't charge my student. I do this for two reasons. One is that I don't want the student to feel bad asking for a refund. The second is that I don't want a negative review on my Wyzant profile. At this point, I feel established enough on the platform that I don't worry about a negative review. But I still want my students to be happy, and I am sensitive about whether the session went smoothly and provided real value for money.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* You can meet online or in person with your tutor</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is useful, during a global pandemic and during normal times. You can prioritize whether it's more important to find the best <b>local</b> tutor or to find the best tutor from a bigger pool of tutors across the nation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>* Vet your tutor efficiently</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This is the meat of the post, the part I want to discuss most. The items above are all reasons why Wyzant is a good platform. Here I want to share what I would recommend to streamline your search.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First, check out your tutor's educational background and subject proficiencies. Wyzant allows tutors to provide a lot of information about themselves, so be sure to look closely at what they say about their tutoring business. For example, I have what I consider to be primary subjects (biology and chemistry). These are my strongest tutoring subjects; they are the subjects I studied the most in school and for which I have booked the most tutoring hours. I also have secondary subjects (physics). These are subjects in which I'm not as strong; I might be working on my own proficiency. For physics, I work with students taking high school physics but not college-level physics. This is the approach I took with high school math as well. I started tutoring algebra 1 and geometry; after a few years, I added algebra 2. Now I'm working on my precalc skills with a few students.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Second, for the tutors who interest you, reach out and ask them about specific questions or topics. You can even send them a sample homework to give them an idea of where you need help. Don't send them more than two documents! It's better to send them a small sample and then make plans to meet for a session. Tutors don't get paid for this kind of client communication, and I don't think it's fair to ask them to spend a lot of time looking at your course materials. If you want a tutor to invest time in you, give them the chance to get paid for it. If it's not a good match, tell Wyzant and they'll refund your money.<br /><br />When students have vetted me like this, and they've sent a sample of the work they are trying to do, I have been able to honestly assess whether my skill set is a good match for them. But for this to work, you have to be pretty specific and transparent about what you need. Sometimes that's really hard for a student to do.<br /><br /><i>Is it wrong to meet with a tutor and then figure things out?</i> <b>No, not at all! </b>But I want you to understand that it takes time for a tutor to figure out how to help you. It's not a bad use of time, but it does take time, and that's time for which a tutor should be paid.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">* * *</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I hope these tips are helpful! Do you have any questions for me about Wyzant or finding a tutor? Ask them in the comments and I'm happy to answer them. </span></div></div>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-61589808043435393802020-10-16T14:55:00.002-07:002020-10-16T14:55:48.106-07:00An Update for 2020<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hello, dear reader!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After a long hiatus, I have returned to update and refresh this site. The year is now 2020, we are living through the covid-19 pandemic, and it feels like everything has changed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I am still tutoring and writing. I had a baby in 2018, and I shifted my freelance commitments from full-time to part-time to be a (mostly) stay-at-home parent to our young son. Samuel is now almost 2.5 years old. He is wonderful--so smart and funny. I have been working on a personal essay about the decision to become a parent, and I look forward to publishing it on this site when it's finished.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Because of my scheduling constraints around childcare, I have a small number of tutoring students with whom I am working this year. Being able to work this semester (fall of 2020) has felt like a lifeline. I'm so glad to have this connection to the outside world during a time when it feels like we still live under the threat of a deadly virus. A few of my sessions are done in person, with both of us wearing masks and hand-sanitizing before and after sessions. It is a risk to be meeting in person, and we remain vigilant about our health and potential covid symptoms. For now, our risk seems to be okay. I've remained healthy, though the pandemic has turned me into a hypochondriac. Every sniffle, every cough, every sore throat makes me think I have covid.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I've been doing more writing and editing work, which I have loved. For four years, I've been a science writer for <i>Dook Dook Ferret Magazine</i>, a magazine for ferret owners which is published through <a href="https://www.ferret-world.com/" target="_blank">Ferret-World</a>. Austin Writing Shop, a small business I own and run with Courtney Stoker, has been helping clients with job-seeking and school applications. I am working on two books, one solo and one with my friend, Lewis Weil, the founder of <a href="https://www.moneypositive.com/" target="_blank">Money Positive</a>. (Full disclosure: my partner is a member of the Money Positive team.) And I have a bunch of ideas for essays that I want to write, some of which I plan to publish on this site.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In short, I am absolutely swimming in inspiration.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For now, I am not seeking new tutoring students, but because things can change rapidly, feel free to get in touch with me if you are looking for a math or science tutor. Even if I am unable to work with you or your student, I can give you resources to help you find a tutor.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>I wish you all the best! Stay safe and stay healthy.</b></span></p>Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-89627448415487192002015-05-22T11:18:00.001-07:002015-05-22T11:18:40.222-07:00Five Ways We Should All Try to be Like Scientists<p><font size="3"><em><strong>Be brave in front of the Universe, its grandeur and magnificence.</strong> </em>Paraphrased from Carl Sagan </font></p> <p><font size="3">My recent post for <em><a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-grad-school-series.html">The Grad School Series</a></em> got me thinking about the intellectual benefits of science PhD training. I no longer work full-time in a lab, but I feel I’ll always be a scientist at heart. My training shaped me as a person, and I know I’m a better human for having survived that experience. Here are five ways in which I think we should all strive to be more like scientists.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Be willing and able to admit when you are wrong.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">THIS! This. My goodness, we could use more willingness to be wrong. I’m not saying that you have to <em>like</em> being wrong, but the faster you can admit you are wrong, the faster you can get back on track. Experiments do not move forward if you can’t admit your hypothesis was wrong or your methodology was flawed. Life often follows the same rules. (And it’s okay to make mistakes. Really. In my experience, people are far more forgiving of mistakes when you come forward and tell the truth.) </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Be open-minded <em>and</em> skeptical.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Many people underestimate how open-minded scientists have to be about their work. Science is a strange profession, full of unexplained data and experimental backfires. We become more effective at this work by <em>embracing</em> that possibility that we are wrong. Being a scientist has made it easier for me to listen to criticism and to see things from another person’s perspective. It has softened my hard edges. I’ve learned that there is often more than one side to a story, so I am slower to judge.</font><font size="3"> </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Be meticulous when it counts most.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">I have my flaky moments, as most of us do. But science has honed my ability to focus when it really matters. In an world filled with distractions, I think this skill is invaluable; it’s one that has pulled me through tough spots again and again.</font></p> <p><font size="3">What does being meticulous outside of the lab look like? For me, it’s a way of defining short-term goals. Some tasks require intense focus, like driving in bad weather. Other tasks ask us for some grace, like supporting a friend who just needs some love, not advice.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I try to make sure that my meticulousness is balanced with the understanding that we all make mistakes. I’m not a religious person, but I need grace in my life, for me and for those around me. </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><strong> <font size="3">* Learn to live with doubt.</font></strong></p> <p><font size="3">Who wants to live with doubt? No one, that’s who. And yet, that is what we have in this world. There will always be uncertainties, and I think it behooves us spiritually to learn how to make peace with our doubts. I am all about making plans for an uncertain future, but I recognize that <em>life is what happens when you are busy making plans**.</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">Scientists who are working at the edge of our knowledge, as I did for ten years, are working on the cliff’s edge of doubt. It provokes intense anxiety. Paradoxically, I think that working for so many years under those conditions has made me <em>less </em>anxious. Because I realized that in the face of the unknown, I would still find my way forward. I believe the same is true for most of us. But denying our doubt is not the answer: I say embrace it and move forward as best you can. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Approach problems with a collaborative spirit.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Science taught me how to troubleshoot with the best of ‘em. Shit would go wrong, and it was my job to figure out how to get things back on track. Now I apply this strategy to my life outside the lab. My general MO is to assume that there is a mutually agreeable solution. I am more open to collaborative problem-solving and more willing to listen. I’m able to prioritize problem-solving, and guess what? That means it’s easier to solve problems.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Science is so much more than the scientific method. It’s an approach to life that transcends lab work and scientific articles. And because we do science in pursuit of the truth, a scientific worldview is a toolkit that we can employ whenever truth is the highest priority. </font></p> <p><font size="3">** RIP, John Lennon.</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-80298807785170377732015-04-22T10:06:00.001-07:002015-04-22T10:06:08.909-07:00Should You Sign Up for a Science PhD Program?<p><font size="3">I’m dusting off <em><a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-grad-school-series.html">The Grad School Series</a></em> to bring you this post! The question above is one that is near and dear to my heart as a person who was always on an “alternative” path even while pursuing a PhD followed by postdoctoral research. My path, like so many, has been one of mixed success: I was able to complete my PhD in six years with <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Rose-Anne+Meissner">several publications under my name</a>, but my years as a postdoc were mostly a flop. And yet, I don’t regret the time I spent on my PhD and consider myself very lucky to have that experience under my belt. After a few “wilderness years” and the panic of not knowing what to do with my life, I’m very happy with where I am now and where my career interests are taking me. While a PhD is certainly not necessary for tutoring, it was through my PhD work that I discovered genetics, which is by far my favorite subject to teach. It was also through my PhD that I discovered a deep love for science and the scientific method. I also learned patience and great troubleshooting skills, which are essential for excellence in teaching.</font></p> <p><font size="3">In this post, I will highlight the most common reasons that people choose to pursue a PhD in science and I’ll share my thoughts on each. No matter what your reason for going after that PhD, there are ways you can set yourself up for career success after you reach those three little letters.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I want to be a professor.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Who <em>wouldn’t </em>want to be a professor? The excitement of leading a research team, the chance to be brilliant, the possibility of saving people’s lives through your work…it really is an incredible career to pursue.</font></p> <p><font size="3">But it is now rare for a PhD scientist to become a research professor. <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0036307">According to this analysis</a>, 14% of biology PhDs obtain a tenure-track position within six years of graduation. The numbers are a little more encouraging for PhD-trained chemists and physicists, with 23% of the chemists and 21% of the physicists landing those prized positions. In my experience, for the biologists who do land a tenure-track position, they do it after spending ten years in a postdoc position (or even several postdoc positions). <a href="http://lifeloveandfood24.blogspot.com/2012/06/science-postdoc-wonders-does-nih-see.html">Academic science is a pyramid scheme</a>: only a few can make it to the top.</font></p> <p><font size="3">The truth is that a lot of talented, hard-working science PhDs simply grow tired of waiting for a job to appear or (perhaps more commonly) they decide to move on with their lives and look at other jobs.</font></p> <p><font size="3">If you have your heart set on being a professor, what can I say to make your long, long journey better? Well, for one thing, I have seen people on this path land a tenure-track position. My colleague <a href="http://neuroscience.grad.uiowa.edu/faculty/bridget-lear">Dr. Bridget Lear</a>, who was a postdoc in my PhD lab, is one such person and I’m happy for her: she was a great mentor to me when I was in graduate school. Another encouraging observation is that people on the tenure-track path are able to transition successfully into science industry. I think their talent and ambition can work very well in the private research sector.</font></p> <p><font size="3">If you’re able to stay patient and engaged with your research while waiting for a tenure-track position, then perhaps the waiting won’t be quite so painful. But more often than not, I think a lot of PhD scientists decide to throw in the towel on waiting. I’m sure at some level, it feels like failure, and if that happens to you, you’ll have to find a way to make peace with those feelings of failure. <a href="http://anothersb.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-life-as-phd-scientist-you-should.html">Here’s a chilling account of one such person’s experience</a>.</font></p> <p><font size="3">But life goes on and so will you, even if you don’t become a research professor. And if you do make it? Congratulations! Go forth and do some kick-ass science.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I want to teach college.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">This is why I pursued a PhD in neuroscience: I really wanted to teach at the college level. And I am, <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/tutoring-rates-and-credentials.html">in a way</a>, though it looks different than what I imagined twelve years ago when I was applying for grad school.</font></p> <p><font size="3">The good news is that great science teachers are very much appreciated by their students and the general public. Great science<em> </em>teachers provide so much value. The real questions you’ll have to grapple with are: </font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>How devoted am I to teaching specific subjects to specific students?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>How much money do I need to make to be satisfied?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>Do I want to teach at a single school, or am I willing to teach at multiple locations?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">Community colleges are frequently hiring adjunct professors, but adjuncting carries with it a host of drawbacks, including poor pay, no health insurance, multiple locations, and the struggle to teach enough classes to make ends meet. My friend Courtney, who taught as an English adjunct professor for three years in Houston, has shared many horror stories with me about how hard the adjuncting lifestyle was. And yet, she loved teaching. I don’t think she regrets the time she spent teaching, but it was not financially sustainable. Courtney and I now run <a href="http://austinwritingshop.com/">Austin Writing Shop</a>, which is a business dedicated to helping students at all levels become better writers.</font></p> <p><font size="3">My dream was to teach at a small, liberal arts college like the one I attended and loved. That’s not what I do now, and I’m okay with it. I arrived at a fork in my road where I realized that being able to choose the city in which I wanted to live, with the partner I loved, was more important than my job.</font></p> <p><font size="3">The bottom line is that if you want to teach science, I think there are tons of ways to do so. You’ll find a way to teach, and you’ll find a way to make money doing it, too. I was able to get some of my first teaching experiences by volunteering and tutoring at a low pay rate, and those jobs showed me, without a doubt, that teaching is what I am meant to do. So even though I didn’t make much money doing them at first, the confidence I gained was invaluable and propelled me to try full-time tutoring. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I have another job in mind that requires a science PhD.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Awesome! You’ve got a career path lined up for yourself, and now you just gotta get a science PhD to make it happen.</font></p> <p><font size="3">But…what if you change your mind halfway into your PhD? Or what if that job isn’t waiting for you when you graduate? Many things can change between starting and finishing a PhD—interests, the economy, relationships, family life. My best advice is to take a step back and ask yourself if your PhD training is teaching you skills that you will be able to parlay into a good job in a few years. While the specific job may not be there any more, your skills are yours—make them work for you! </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* A science PhD will teach me useful, marketable skills.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Maybe…but what does “useful” mean to you? What about “marketable?” So much depends on what you like to do and what you want to do. I think one of the best things a science PhD student can do for herself is to be proactive about getting the training she wants. One of the best decisions I made before graduate school was choosing a lab where lots of techniques were used: behavior, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, even electrophysiology. While I didn’t learn every single technique, I learned a lot and I took all those skills with me when I left. I’m a better teacher now because I am so well-versed in biology. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I love science and just want the chance to study it deeply.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Yay! I love this reason for going to grad school. Doing something because you love it is so pure and beautiful. That being said, you’ll still want to spend some time thinking about what you might want to do <em>after</em> grad school. Having an eye trained toward graduation and beyond will help make that transition easier and less painful. If you aren’t sure what you might want to do, check out these useful <strong>career-planning links:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">- <a href="http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2012_09_07/caredit.a1200100">You Need a Game Plan</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">- <a href="http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/?_ga=1.163133759.2075254876.1429569159">myIDP</a> (a guide to creating your own Individual Development Plan, a strategy to identifying and getting what you want out of your career in science) </font></p> <p><font size="3">(As an aside, let me say that I had the chance to meet Dr. Phil Clifford, one of the developers of myIDP, and he was so kind, encouraging, and pragmatic. I’d say that it was one of the highlights of my postdoc years, and I’m delighted to pass along his words of wisdom by sharing the links above with you.) </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* A PhD will make my family proud.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">I admit, I can’t really relate to this one personally. My parents have always encouraged all of their children to pursue their own interests, so when I decided to pursue a PhD, it was not a big deal. It was always my choice.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I generally think that making big life choices to make other people happy is a bad idea. <font size="3">I’m American and a product of the hyper-individualistic American culture, so of course my opinion here is heavily influenced by my cultural background. And truthfully, research is too fucking hard to be doing it for someone else. <strong>You need to want that PhD for you.</strong> I’d say that if your family is pressuring you into grad school, give research a try (see <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-its-your-first-summer-of-research-in.html">my post on summertime research</a> for more thoughts on this) and see if you enjoy it. You might even need to dabble in a few areas of research to find the best fit. But when it comes time to apply to PhD programs, I think you need to be clear on why you are applying. If it will make <em>you</em> proud, then go for it! You need a lot of enthusiasm for research to survive the 5+ years of grad school. </font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* A PhD will make <em>me</em> proud.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">I find this reason interesting; I’m generally intrigued by what motivates people. I think that deep down, this was a huge reason I went to grad school, and finishing my PhD is still one of the accomplishments of which I am most proud.</font></p> <p><font size="3">It’s perfectly fine to start here with your journey into grad school. But then make the choice to dig deeper, to find more things that motivate you and make you excited to do research. Also see my links above for career planning to help guide you toward success on <em>your </em>terms. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* A PhD will make people think I’m smart.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Well…maybe. Grad school may also shred your ego because everyone there is so smart and talented and motivated. Success in research requires a certain humility that asks your ego to step aside. I found that the more open I was to learning, the better I became at doing research.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I will say, however, that there are times to stand up for what you believe to be true, whether it’s defending your own data, describing your role in a conflict at work, or not taking on projects that you know you don’t want to do. You gotta learn when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Don’t go to grad school so that other people will think you are smart. Work on the insecurity that is leading you down that path instead. You can always get some research experience while you sort out your insecurities by, for example, landing a job as a lab technician. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I don’t know what else to do with my life.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Hmm…perhaps you don’t want to commit to a PhD program until you figure this out?</font></p> <p><font size="3">I have mixed feelings about this reason. On the one hand, grad school can be a great place to be while you figure out your life path. There are tons of opportunities, cool things to learn, smart people—all great things to be around when you are young and uncertain. And lots of people who do earn PhDs end up doing something different with their career than what they had imagined during graduate school. On the other hand, you do need to be pretty motivated to do well in graduate school. It’s not a place you can just “hang out.” You gotta <strong>work</strong>—in your classes, in the lab, on your thesis. If you don’t know why you are in grad school, I fear that you may simply coast toward failure because you didn’t have an inner light guiding you toward goals.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I’d be careful about pursuing grad school if you just don’t know what else to do. It’s not a place for slackers, but it can be a good place for the curious. And if I’m honest, <strong>finishing my PhD required me to commit again and again to reaching my goal</strong>. There are so many moments of doubt and frustration in research. For me, the only way to move forward was to acknowledge the doubt and commit AGAIN to my project and my path toward the PhD.</font></p> <p><font size="3">* * *<br>Whew! That was a long post. Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to leave them in the comments below, and I’ll address them there or in a future post. I really enjoy writing this series and hope to keep it going with more good content.</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-61617941127533441242014-09-04T12:01:00.001-07:002014-09-04T12:01:07.639-07:00LESSON: Selection Pressure, Part Two<p><font size="3">In this lesson, we’re going to pick up where my last lesson on selection pressure left off. <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/09/lesson-selection-pressure-and-changing.html">Here’s the link to the first lesson if you’d like to familiarize yourself with that first.</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">Today’s lesson focuses on how selection pressure changes allele frequencies over many generations. Our sample problem is a follow-up to the scenario in my first lesson:</font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>Despite your good work in Capitol City last time, the strange epidemic persisted and all individuals who lack Factor G are now sterile. Individuals who lack Factor G are genotype gg; individuals who produce Factor G are GG or Gg and have normal levels of fertility. How many generations will pass until the recessive g allele has a frequency of less than 1%?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">In my last lesson, we figured out that when gg individuals cannot reproduce, the frequency of g drops from 0.3 in the parent population to 0.231 in the first generation after selection. The simple formula for figuring out g’ if gg individuals are not reproducing is g’ = g/(1+g).</font></p> <p><font size="3">Here, g’ refers to the frequency of g in the next generation. (And if you want to see the derivation of that simple formula, <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/09/lesson-selection-pressure-and-changing.html">see my last lesson</a>.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">If we do the math, we see that after one generation of selection, g decreased by 23%:</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowtXu00ArutKzV1KX5cO4dp12XYEdIJgYW8J5fUm7MF32FCUcR7O2FMAshXrOUYPsPmqpMJpXrhs4XU-SFUqFevq1P721loB861tm1r1j8pakDeCOI9yjlL0nqFmoShue7gu6nLnDH9fT/s1600-h/Slide%2525201%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 1 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide 1 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxNlLugiwWuSael235yztu9vt0S0aYvbhewOt7J_Cj3uPPkA-vlY3vLFb-lm-bvShm9z92bCfs6LpOmKjqhFvu391H4tz5GfmaKR36VYgmwScSq-rXQDueNK_zxaYVN4Q6pkcBKCroBzE/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="308"></a></p> <p><font size="3">So how do we find the generation at which allele g is less than 1%?</font></p> <p><font size="3">Before we jump to those calculations, let’s consider what these numbers <em>really </em>mean. After the first round of selection, the frequency of g is 23.1% or 0.231. <strong>This number includes the individuals who are gg</strong>, even though they are sterile. Why is that? Because when Gg heterozygotes mate, their children will be:</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><strong>1 GG: 2 Gg: 1 gg</strong></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">The fact that Gg individuals have normal fertility means that there will be gg children, even though those children are not able to reproduce.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Also, let’s consider the number of Gg heterozygotes in the population after one round of selection pressure. Again, the frequency of g is 0.231. The number of Gg hets = 2pq.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><strong>2pq = 2(0.769)(0.231) = 0.355 or 35.5%</strong></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">35% of the population here is Gg, which means that g is being propagated by about a third of the population (a substantial fraction!).</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Let’s move on to the calculations to determine when the frequency of g will be less than 1%.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I doubt that you’d be asked to solve a problem like this on an exam without being able to use Excel or a similar program. The calculations are easy on a spreadsheet but very tedious to do by hand. I used Excel to solve this problem. Here’s what my spreadsheet looked like to set up the calculations:</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDK94axpgzoguD1fEc_rbcxrwt-9IDjFkl0ywO6u9ICUQMhWMzo1G5iehReiHfDp0ZAMW5VUw8Ngs8Hi17o_UXVvXigIZ2I2KantPoNhALQUQr0jbeiuL0INOcUhwLgqd70E3_JK1aYD0o/s1600-h/Slide%2525202%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 2" border="0" alt="Slide 2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK6g4Uf57_4W_uIMQp6Difjw89ImnsBA02R10hAILDe34fUmJ7AHsuVz7OWiNuGHWwhifwCMgEcxxtklaH0MP4QWrI3Oget5iME6GXT0D0pvMFYgfqRU7iy4fpOMVzdXAw14eRHXCEJ_c/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Here are the entries I put into Excel to set up this spreadsheet:</font> </p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>Cell B1</strong>: 0.3 (original value of g <em>before</em> selection)</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>Cell B6</strong>: =B1/(1+B1)</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">(this is the calculation for g after each round of selection: g’ = g/(1+g))</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>Cell B7</strong>: =B6/(1+B6)</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>Cells B8-B14</strong>: Copy/Paste from cell B7 down to B14.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">From the image above, you can see that after 9 rounds of selection (Row 14), the frequency of g is 0.081 or 8.1%. So we’re not done, and we can continue our calculations by copy/pasting Cells A14 and B14 until we reach…</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"></font><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4tfiQLByvazM58QUo0S2yrkOtAMPce0cO-wFefJ30Q3-N9DcyaqwzGYW94TDKge9Oo6tKC-2DtBa0bOa763P3HVSnu3JlEnF8KqBDreaKrOkDFsoaTn_G1GiMRJJSbZ2kQ_xmQjhwhTp/s1600-h/Slide%2525203%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 3" border="0" alt="Slide 3" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUsoEMpWFTvnujRJEIEqr42m5sgycQYuUoKomBWDvPLou6S0a-EvgGq-X31R3EHdM1RnhvcaXJPSGTqvccR1UIDPqy0dKGem1gvnp47MWgmEZTiHxGPVM_eWaEkF7nTKlTXPNEUcnynPm/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a><font size="3"></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">…Cell 102!</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">We’re looking for the generation at which q drops below 0.01, which happens to occur at the 97th generation of selective pressure. What’s so interesting to me as a geneticist is that g (or q, in Hardy-Weinberg terms) can persist for so long when gg individuals are sterile. This example illustrates why recessive deleterious alleles are not easily eliminated from the population. As long as Gg heterozygotes are healthy, then g will be in the allele pool for a long time.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">So that was a lesson on selective pressure and Microsoft Excel techniques. Got questions, comments, or something else to say? Tell me in the comments below! </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>Thanks for reading!</strong></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-44801105105975948862014-09-04T11:36:00.001-07:002014-09-04T11:36:26.020-07:00A Little Something Inspirational<p><font size="3">As your new semester gets underway, remember that…</font></p> <p><font size="3">“Education is not filling a bucket, but <strong>lighting a fire</strong>.” ~William Yates</font></p> <p><font size="3">Happy learning to you!</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-91459768553829057832014-09-01T13:20:00.001-07:002014-09-01T13:20:34.102-07:00LESSON: Selection Pressure and Changing Allele Frequencies<p><font size="3">We’ve <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-human-blood-type-and-population.html">used Hardy-Weinberg equilibria to determine phenotype frequencies</a> in a population. The Hardy-Weinberg equations assume that a population is stable. In other words, allele frequencies are not changing—there’s no selection pressure.</font></p> <p><font size="3">But what happens when selection <em>is</em> acting upon a population? Theoretically, we understand that selection will favor certain alleles or allele combinations over others. This will shift the balance of alleles toward a new equilibrium. If we know the magnitude of the selection pressure, we can calculate the effect of selection on allele frequencies.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Let’s work through a sample problem to unpack this set of questions. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>You and your medical team are summoned to Capitol City, where a strange epidemic has rendered 9% of the population sterile. Working rapidly, you discover that there’s a strong correlation between Factor G, a protein found in blood, and the fertile residents: all the fertile residents test positive for Factor G, but all the infertile residents test negative for Factor G. Later genetic and biochemical tests reveal that the population of Capitol City carries two alleles for a gene that is necessary for the production of Factor G such that G is dominant to g. All the fertile residents are genotypically GG or Gg. All gg individuals are now sterile. The original frequencies of G and g were as follows:</em></font> <p><font size="3"><em>G = 0.7</em></font> <p><font size="3"><em>g = 0.3</em></font> <p><font size="3"><em>After the epidemic, what are the allele frequencies of G and g in the next generation? </em></font> <p><font size="3">Let’s define a new term first.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Fitness, W. Fitness is a measure of reproductive success <strong>and should be a value between 0 and 1. </strong></strong>If there is no selection pressure reducing the reproductive success of a genotype, then W = 1. If a genotype cannot reproduce (as in our sample problem above, where gg individuals are sterile), then W = 0.</font></p> <p><font size="3">So for our sample problem:</font></p> <p><font size="3">For GG, W = 1</font></p> <p><font size="3">For Gg, W = 1</font></p> <p><font size="3">For gg, W = 0.</font></p> <p><font size="3">We’ll make use of these values below.</font> </p> <p><font size="3">Now we need to dive deeper into the math to connect s to Hardy-Weinberg equilibria.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiQEOCwhpfUWjg8MvotJTtyQDZJ8RhggE2zcZyXdMglhtra64QiXi8YG-8MaRwy6k3D-RTaj3spAMQZMevdCNg6nQHs9t43_pJIYlXoNdKN7_dJ_yRfQfz5r_yiYZNwoXEZdo8rtiXmkL/s1600-h/Slide1-cropped4.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide1 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide1 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KsngPEJievmwOzzAF-KxcMnCx9qUxLMHgwE7a4GKt7XhpC3uDTIiAsuHO69NGPDdghFBWB4EfvPrAPbC8tFwVRahPg2AqPVkrdNd40rTDwNzDdOXRqC-lEJDJHfvu60962moOKL3X9hw/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="387"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIMwxR7X-WPB2VM-a2guqk9XHjTu6QCq8qKcCXxMvs58U-vEKVCkKZVJHHA1YSqcuBzypYAtHJ5LCZfW1t-VWZrg-l2lYz_I8hdER7-Fu9SAQ3gdGP0Zact5TeOIkmBYnx2oetCgQxZ4W/s1600-h/Slide2%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide2" border="0" alt="Slide2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtN1sybSLIi-e8J38oAMRzbbbqEJzJvrTZk612dQJjtcWmxqQ-vwe1p4bF3V43ARxRUFOXcEgJg8IHLqzd4-pbn8dhdeJA1yT3N-V7RcNo1h2tmMTBF6shTy2WpQKr7FvqFh7cdKjTZyr/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">We could have predicted that if q<sup>2</sup> = 0, then p<sup>2</sup> + 2pq = 1. So that set of calculations confirms our prediction, but we still have no idea what p and q are after selection. We need another set of equations for that task.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hyS2Z_hof8VBulw6F0qyLec7mFTry7H0f2pJlpHHeprvFpfxhwFXK3J9wTTx9MGLIv8FfUd2FWmDxn5t1uIs5XdmFtLi1LKVpA3RA5EjBut0BAO95e28dTKyryvJ3L8Iyyrxhovcg_WO/s1600-h/Slide3%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide3" border="0" alt="Slide3" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBf1vMTq8luNFvle5vDt6b4ClTG0SQZPouH4_tKIu6L_wc-VYW8Z69XPqZssgkS-B-Z6M-N-QKDjurY-asdJUFtZsW22kAFtKY8Hq7AeDiwR98Z2QlGKVvQXTgmYXeT2dzBvl5f4IHKwc/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR73ekXY66MkoKNwPzHDJ_kbKhJwzQ6MnGoYHJ9qv8Mj6BAVldY8kaST0vwe-4Kl8R6x7_1XPjDqV-RuwUo7upzPgBDHzsS5ZRFto1eREkVXbWg_M-iKiyW2zCay6y_LnSFBwOigbaXTbr/s1600-h/Slide4%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide4 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide4 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zPoALCwvOWdQRZyl5jpY5x2IlEynipQKy6x30WZYm3oh9P2tQo5V5kb1ZFDIS0Qqj2hMjKCg7QaQcAyPcXLHyMKmFWi5JU2_1E6uGQ0lW6-2fohCUwHA7XnmbcEK4Bhqr29uCSjJziNc/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="360"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArr7rCEmH79RpShNdVZ3c0hppO0zxD8je7KRxusTOT00dRU6gavcA4gczzpdX7epmDfWVeYO4XgTKLTo8fR7g4-crSLm6JFwv3Z-6dHyJuSwJUM6qzbQtoz7bubEGnLgKyBKmY6GSYqnU/s1600-h/Slide5%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide5 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide5 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ckrh7hbDM0ocSxggRWPREtCzA8polYXZQYe5yYkmC3qgxktXUQhrQ78lpnVJkHW0KXImEnJGkTGEBV3LbpwY68-e5MZhJpQlDpyfgDj29ES1HXHv0Hsw9MrVEcopyWxiF6Fc72olNLRV/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="360"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWYgkAptIpZjwsMCZP9VPMsUX1TNKfzIZoP8yIkfoV1qKvRnIuvVPx6FEtQbLpJgk982d9S9zVA_HIjqD_TthOAAkpjd80KY8OsHopT-p_5c0XPCBnsBNVFZF7ogzZqYRJXvKLo7ll3Uu/s1600-h/Slide6%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide6" border="0" alt="Slide6" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJxAi-mOu-KwB9U9gErMwtMWSBGL09LHXK4Z0gLn0TQxW9RgUMxOEWypvXwGTd4i-DkjgrbZROmGKiw-GziPvyqIe6MlLeDIGkOaqXzZWVOZzo_cj5ReUo7TBpQoWsSGvZzRFlmZM9XpH/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk38MSAFVdFoMqfZ3pqgTPFbycDZbsbyHH_59yR0cVaGnPZrlGUGxmgEApbkbq-CRSi1B7bcc5Evr3YU0zu_cjjJLICaZitT74MI-qKkJPF2n581nHSaCQCFYao7yLulOvgv_Y2xJlMSX7/s1600-h/Slide%2525207%252520redo%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 7 redo cropped" border="0" alt="Slide 7 redo cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFcVo1y3ro9v3AZvXvkH5oA6wRdvYdO0u3zRmVtgSiuhwQ5RaZsOUvYHY7giGst9NYWsQNQ7Wm-5BAvlcNK3JyUmmfFle4m4ZsQpcms6jimhh3R29LpLCU4Zw4NajkjNua1JzjoGIOZ1c/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="322"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrn9aHulahH75R6q6oK9_CkIuOhBtcEb-pZ3WSLThfmLVDKQ_CMapirwrWEi99ZnsY7a4W4klOQ84WySoHm1aiEbxGVkxzNEL-QsDaF68G-BOA6NAotHkgkWtrHRuqjLZ6gomvAefz96J1/s1600-h/Slide%2525208%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 8 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide 8 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UifgU4Svhfk3XUFqT4jC6TFG-wV4BsSwZ5jcaZR0k9ucMTphlZwO3KU4nIIDj8R9iHWMEgNtdkB4YCXFBCWBoRZ4n8Pl13iWD2oPahJpYkwN4tILFcGmWgQyhD50xzX5hYO0wisXtbhF/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="324"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">And there you have it! <strong>Now it’s your turn</strong>: what if the epidemic, rather than making gg individuals sterile, reduced their fertility by 50% What would the frequency of G and g be after one round of selection pressure? (I’ll provide or confirm the answer in the comments when someone asks for it.)</font><font size="3"> </font></p> <p align="left"><strong><font size="3">References:</font></strong></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><em>Comprehensive Genetics</em> coursepack, 2014 version, published by Dr. John Ellison, Texas A&M University</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-77407409604511983412014-08-30T11:45:00.001-07:002020-10-16T13:50:00.423-07:00What Happens During My Tutoring Sessions?<p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vllHfDM06FFwlwYhLEqIXDCYdb56VeFs0bWwTBOSA02WNWHC3nA3RliCLUJm1aMC5shrL-klhTbwvGCTh3zfs5Cyhli2qtt0XGQhjafvIVMq7R6xfYPafSrCmkWCq31H5bulasKzpTZo/s1600-h/August%25252026%2525202014%252520iPhone%252520025%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img alt="August 26 2014 iPhone 025" border="0" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVW_Y5m97QUjlOhkHs9kKnzJB0h3SO1fdsyIOMUBclX_7MIAcRxW7nU-pzd-gplb0fht0NPE3nfFyCN1_8OeSCvTRU1PndDxhtZiJy00QSVNem0ecOEjdKlq1xo_R5i8fDVpi9yrcF8uk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="August 26 2014 iPhone 025" width="407" /></a></font></p> <p><font size="3">I’ve been in a few situations in the past week which have got me thinking that people have preconceived (and inaccurate!) ideas of what happens during a tutoring session. I want to offer some insights into what I do as a tutor.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>My sessions are, as a rule, student-led.</strong> As a tutor, I am here to meet my students’ needs, and I want their needs to guide our sessions. That means I’m not following a script or a checklist. I’m listening to my students, hearing their concerns, their confusions. I’m finding them on the map of learning and meeting them there.</font></p> <p><font size="3">A tutoring strength of mine is flexibility. Because I don’t have preconceived notions of what any given tutoring session should look or feel like, I feel very free to make each session unique. That’s not to say that I feel compelled to reinvent the wheel, but I think there is enormous power in the collaboration between tutor and student.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Allow me to be give you some concrete examples of what can happen in my tutoring sessions.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* We can start from “I’m totally lost in this class.”</strong> It’s not uncommon for students to tell me they are lost and frustrated with a class. I have such love and admiration for their willingness to tell me how they are feeling. That takes courage. When a student is lost, we start a dialogue so I can find a starting point for our lessons. From there, I can create entire customized lessons to help my student build a base of knowledge. Generally, I think that simple is better in these situations. Yes, science is large and complex, and I don’t mean to diminish that truth. But we learn new ideas in bite-sized chunks, and I think it’s better for my student to walk away from a tutoring session with one new idea that they understand rather than five ideas that leave them confused and frustrated.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Lessons can be improvised from homework, practice problems, or class notes.</strong> Much of what I do is <strong>teaching mini-lessons that are centered around exam preparation</strong>. Feedback from students on these tutoring sessions has been really positive, so I’m happy to keep going. My students crave more than the right answers. They genuinely want to understand the how and why of their subjects. I strive to create interactive sessions so that my students are actively engaged as we work through the material. Many students want to participate, and I’m happy to co-create our learning environment with them.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Yes, sometimes we work through homework assignments together. We do homework <em>together</em>.</strong> Homework is the bread and butter of learning. Again, my students are seeking an understanding, not just the right answers. When we work through the homework, we’re having a conversation. And if a mini-lesson is needed, then that’s what we do together.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* I share resources, advice, and exam strategies.</strong> I’m aware that many students feel the pressure to get it all done, so time is of the essence. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>And now it’s your turn: have you ever worked with a tutor? What was your experience like? Would you work with a tutor again?</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">(And if you have any questions for me about my tutoring, feel free to ask them below in the comments! Happy learning.)</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-64765836690104326682014-08-25T07:43:00.001-07:002014-08-25T07:43:58.916-07:00LESSON: Heat Transfer, Part Two<p><font size="3"><em>If you’re new to this site, here is <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-heat-transfer-part-one.html">Part One of my lesson on heat transfer</a>. This lesson will be building on the ideas from Part One.</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">Now we’ve established that we can calculate values for heat transfer using the formula q = nC[DeltaT]. (Pretend that Delta is a triangle, please.) Let’s work through a more difficult problem. This one comes from <em>Chemistry </em>(Third Edition) by John Olsmsted III and Gregory M. Williams.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>A silver coin weighing 27.4 g is heated to 100.0 degrees C in boiling water. It is then dropped into 37.5 g of water initially at 20.5 degrees C. Find the final temperature of water and coin.</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI1CM152vRMj0jf704jzwRz5pKCk_AinJCgsBnB9ySPmRx2IXnYpcCCMpdFtbG9mdEUNRN8U1NJ7v_Eb-Lu929i0dVEnjwSfKv6Y4MosjMD9_cphszDfbEgPSuJJnW3BzVkMKZpQc54ZS/s1600-h/Slide1%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide1 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide1 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Z2GyV85tRy9a0LiQ5zDcW_msI63iowngsW3-WPnVFW3kYm7wCZ8K2wpyP8kGxLNIG8WQ25mi9MOiCm5-BtjdSJPnTEy8eblHVsKbhMRtOfcj2rzZYErBkxTh-JyYdfy2QONn3Q7LXYSx/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="301"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3">Here is an example of a problem in which we <strong>cannot</strong> just look at the values given by the problem and perform a plug-and-play calculation. We <strong>are</strong> going to use q = nC[DeltaT] but not before we do some algebra work. Let’s consider the values we have on hand.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS81YkU9PKlqwNMXdXdxxmcqmg0bi8PvtYZKj70i7i1iBdDnomkMQeiaOaHXxnyiAQCuQ8qlP7mfYQ_P9x5Xm0R2l9wBnuT78Wo48kkxMqw3cKXu0oe3vOgCSZWQoOWgGw53UZU8iyffn_/s1600-h/Slide19.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide1" border="0" alt="Slide1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyntKH4mQlz9iX1HHSqPMhUlBf535TjXYbms8mCmqseO3YG3pMiK2usINHNYr5eXyX_kpl7lzM1Oein72gC4lRvQvwLn9uwnLr-ZZBkVSENgSEWrNPXxH801faOhFzEQDfvule3qBtytqb/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUMhg-b81mRQOGkm-XKjzNuytnUxHXHA4wPA-6ank42YHmGubNLshsnfkGlRIBKAGgRUflrqhddnO-rTjhobMR4AbIV8RjIRhF9Ydb_hK-uTDMV0ItVnhJDtHyuIGnCQNRy_oPkJVgXoZ/s1600-h/Slide29.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide2" border="0" alt="Slide2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih63zLKMzfVHQp8MYg1u9vo0wXLpV09AIJZE5ydoMJT9RK-SsmWl0FhqExSq8hoSZ0G0TcS5-kRBLkLZf3a0Jcx0B6l2Un_NF7DyC6S0sGQcCPXy5VTwf8cKmdeyhp8VJcNhdLSCs5ygAg/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Do you see the dilemma? We have two unknowns, which means we can’t simply plug and play to get an answer.</font></p> <p><font size="3">But notice that we have <strong>the same unknowns</strong> for the silver coin and water, so perhaps we can use the set of unknowns to set up an algebra equation with a single unknown.</font></p> <p><font size="3">In this problem, we start off with two different systems: the hot silver coin and the room temperature water. When the coin is dropped into the water, it will transfer heat to the water until the new “system” (coin + water) are at equilibrium, which means SAME TEMPERATURE. (Also, does “transfer heat” mean anything to you? If you guessed <strong>q,</strong> <strong>as in heat flow</strong>, then you are correct and you get a gold star. )</font></p> <p><font size="3">To put this in mathematical terms:</font></p> <blockquote> <p align="center"><font size="3">-q<sub>coin</sub> = +q<sub>water</sub> </font></p></blockquote> <p><font size="3">All the heat that flows <strong>out</strong> of the coin will be heat that flows <strong>into</strong> the water. Furthermore, if q = nC[deltaT], then:</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3">-(nC[deltaT])<sub>coin</sub> = <font size="3">(nC[deltaT])<sub>water</sub> </font> </font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">And now we’ve reduced our unknown to one term, final temperature T<sub>f</sub>.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Here is the full-length solution, starting from the equation above.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2qQxrg1Ch04f6jAntIm0UKTpR8wTfdqz5qG5EHxePTtgI3fi5lNLcBZXEXSNFnjc3kMDgx0THw_38DSK8-FE07sygp9F3i0mo8MnEqjnjC-D0mRpGEVXeDhZ5hkf5em6hxFBAwbyS2s5/s1600-h/Slide%252520Four%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide Four cropped" border="0" alt="Slide Four cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYvLy61hFkBFLTtFR1BiMsVoUagWIiWAQJ-J6x9mKTGNnfiCG552DX-Ne7wNYP3ggpC6SdGSZDbx_ZLFUC4PukTMUqnu_BdHQIhCnFv3b_S8Vz8-2B5Vvg3EiVNX285aJEbhbmsDpcCmn/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="343"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3">And there you have it! <strong>Now it’s your turn:</strong> using the same problem from above, what would the final temperature of water and coin be if the coin were made of pure copper? The molar heat capacity of copper is 24.435 J/mol K.</font></p> <p><font size="3">(I’ll provide the answer if someone asks for it in the comments.)</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-34810532927099781482014-08-23T14:49:00.001-07:002014-08-23T15:28:27.018-07:00More Drawing, More Learning<p align="left"><font size="3">If you feel like you are living inside the pressure cooker of perfection, let me assure you :</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><strong>You are not alone.</strong></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I have a hypothesis that collectively, we have become so good at the game of school and scholarly achievement that what used to be learning has been replaced by an unrelenting pressure to get straight A’s and achieve, achieve, achieve at all costs. A sad price for this pressure is a loss of creativity and innovation. But learning doesn’t happen without risk. How can I encourage you to take some risks in your academic life?</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">I’ll start by offering a confession: I wish I were perfect, but I know I’m not. To accept my less-than-perfect nature is a daily challenge. For me, grace is found in the space where I can accept myself as I really am. Grace is also found in that space where I am striving for something I want. This is <strong>the paradox of ambition</strong>: it gives us a goal, something for which to strive, yet we don’t want to pin our self-worth on the achievement of that goal. It’s okay to fail, and it’s okay to<em> not</em> <em>want</em> to fail.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">This month, I’ve been reviewing thermodynamics at the general chemistry level, and I decided to make a “mind map” for myself. A mind map is a a brainstorming diagram in which you connect ideas, write notes for yourself, even draw images if that’s your thing. I had the idea that I would share my mind map on this site, but as I drew it, I started to think to myself, <em>Oh, it’s not good enough to share. It’s messy. Other people will think it’s not pretty enough.</em></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">And then I realized the mind map had something to teach me, which is that <strong>learning is messy</strong>. If I want my students to feel comfortable making mistakes, then maybe I should give myself the same grace. Plus, mind maps are awesome! They're great for studying. To make a mind map, you have to <strong>actively engage with the material</strong>, which I find is better for studying and remembering the important ideas.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">So here is my messy mind map for thermodynamics. Feel free to use it for your own studying! Or draw your own mind map to help you learn a new subject. If you prefer to download it, I’ve included a link below for that too. </font></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSpD-mRGtPE2NkyV_a4ytKI5x8Qc_QjJKtuPKjGBsPW-MHxLzXbUWD2MKUD0fMSyy3GXtRonT-lBLTRxpsnMitzRjJBSaNAWYIouLSYe7ElvhcS9sNA4FsdKYcjBdnAgIK9yExuYEib53y/s1600-h/Thermodynamics%252520Mind%252520Map_small%252520RM%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Thermodynamics Mind Map_small RM" border="0" alt="Thermodynamics Mind Map_small RM" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNfVbnl1cPkSAVmwFXX1DBEwsQSVP2x2cfA3IcGeZzfCS74hsIiavTOCoS8qTwaT_1zBdevKgqJOQHO9RXsI2i7HbE58EFHThOZ9QeIwyn4iMPZyhu_N1k-E5XsQE8sZohZNOSN-yT2oB/?imgmax=800" width="580" height="403"></a><font size="2">{Rose-Anne’s Thermodynamics Mind Map. Click on the image to see a bigger version!}</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><strong><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B44c9oMpvAsPbUFHaktmNmh3MGc/edit?usp=sharing">Click to download the Thermodynamics Mind Map from Google Drive</a></strong></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-51748225909350479232014-08-22T08:57:00.001-07:002014-08-25T07:49:00.917-07:00Chemistry Lessons<p><font size="3"><strong>This page is an index of all the general chemistry lessons I’ve published on this site. Enjoy and happy learning!</strong></font></p> <p><strong><font size="3">(Have any questions for me? Connect with me by e-mail at <a href="mailto:r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu">r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu</a> or on Twitter. I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/wormthoughts">@wormthoughts</a>.)</font></strong></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-heat-transfer-part-one.html">Heat Transfer: Part One</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-heat-transfer-part-two.html">Heat Transfer: Part Two</a></font> </p> <p><font size="3">* And to help you study: <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/study-tips-general-chemistry.html">some study tips to do your best in general chemistry</a>. </font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-18149155942819797112014-08-22T08:48:00.001-07:002020-10-16T15:06:46.333-07:00Genetics Lessons<p><font face="arial" size="4"><strong>This page is an index of all the genetics lessons I’ve published on this site. Enjoy and happy learning!</strong></font></p> <p><strong><font face="arial" size="4">(Have any questions for me? Connect with me by e-mail at <a href="mailto:r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu">r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu</a>.)</font></strong></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/07/hand-out-conditional-probability.html">Conditional Probability</a></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-mitotic-recombination-twin-spots.html">Mitotic Recombination: Twin Spots</a></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/lesson-human-blood-type-and-population.html">Human Blood Type and Population Genetics</a></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/09/lesson-selection-pressure-and-changing.html">Selection Pressure and Changing Allele Frequencies</a></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/09/lesson-selection-pressure-part-two.html">Selection Pressure, Part Two</a></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4"><strong>Bonus: here are some great on-line resources for genetics.</strong></font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4"><a href="http://www.radiation-scott.org/radsource/3-0.htm">* How radiation can damage DNA</a> (the first graphic on this page is terrific)</font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4"><a href="https://biotechkhan.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/dna-damage/">* A good (and very technical) guide to types of DNA damage</a></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-31200793249321806822014-08-21T09:55:00.001-07:002014-08-21T09:55:08.919-07:00LESSON: Heat Transfer, Part One<p><font size="3">I <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/08/study-tips-general-chemistry.html">wrote recently about the importance of algebra in general chemistry</a>. To illustrate, I’m going to present a lesson in two parts. This first part is an example of what I call “plug and play” chemistry problems.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I’ve been brushing up on thermodynamics at the gen chem level. Thermodynamics is a very math-driven branch of chemistry, so it’s a lot of equations and a little bit of theory. There are at least <strong>two conceptual ways to approach problems</strong>:</font></p> <p><font size="3">1) Envision the process being described, determine the unknowns, then select the appropriate equation that describes (mathematically) the flow of energy in the system.</font></p> <p><font size="3">2) Write down the values provides (such as heat capacity and initial temperature) and the value for which you have to solve (such as final temperature), find a formula that contains those terms, then solve for the unknown.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Option #1 is definitely the better choice and the one for which we should strive as we’re learning. But if I’m honest, I think a lot of us are tempted to use #2 if we can get away with it. In the second part of this lesson, I’ll show you an example of how option #2 can be insufficient. Additionally, thermodynamics uses signs (+/-) to indicate the flow of energy into or out of a system. Because of that, it’s a really good idea to get in the habit of imagining the process so you can double check your math and your signs. (Or draw it out! Drawing is always a good idea when studying science.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">(More on drawing later, I think. It’s a topic worth exploring for science students.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Let’s consider the following problem and how to find a solution.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>You drop a pure copper penny on the ground while walking to breakfast one day. The penny’s mass is 2.50 g. At the time you lost it, the penny’s temperature was 20 degrees C. When you find it later, the penny is 25 degrees C. How much energy did the penny absorb from its surroundings between the time you lost it and the time you recovered it?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">This problem is pretty simple, but let’s draw a diagram so we can visualize the energy flow.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYYTVr9oXf6CG4zl1ntGVOzpyod-BBkiaYoiqVMPFgrGBsZu-sRHwUvMDFuXRrJq0nufMcXjD84rNRWXdVxEQWYWMgamg4RICU_cO742XFPH69rkTBnlE4P0xL7SvTDJRQ8yTWRQocRBw/s1600-h/Slide1-cropped5.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide1 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide1 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtSwR5dGX2kiuSUKJvyj3lyWO43XEsLnodMuzxYoJGHvIgqfqmYBn6vjqBe6pentLRdIWDsfybn0dLfpwtU-xi7XVpohyy9aCPhers4JbyLLI0pbLYy9kM0_03m9kXt95fMsIvdOa_NH7/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="295"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3">Heat is flowing <strong>into</strong> the copper penny from the sun, thus raising the temperature of the copper.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Now let’s apply some technical labels to help us find the right formula.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn58GDebi2kaz5ffKRtJytMhWwL_qjoO3Nm2SkK7-HcwsrfCjNi_KW_UQid65g8xZxJGKTuCVHHX-AHxJGWvbtu0is9FDjCunAKhMv4oG34ZYJHPf67jZGENJMr_hV4haoTHtXFUlqG8T1/s1600-h/Slide2-cropped4.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide2 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide2 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTu086utcYQLvkilqbP2M_4OqtcMzjvdoXgnlQAkB-1my0qIQ4UMY6UmC9lsMcIo3_yeaCj0M51LIyfltFBRRrHOAUcMsLOnphqx2g_-qCdLcMvHrk1nT9px1wXUB0aXYZ_jaDpC6VTC02/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="282"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>A quick review of terms:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">q = heat flow, usually measured in Joules (J).</font></p> <p><font size="3">T<sub>i</sub> = initial temperature (can be degrees C or K)</font></p> <p><font size="3">T<sub>f </sub>= final temperature (must have the same units as <font size="3">T<sub>i</sub></font>)</font></p> <p><font size="3">What else do we need to know to solve this problem? We need to know <strong>how easily copper absorbs heat</strong> from its surroundings. This material property is known as heat capacity, and the heat capacity is different for different substances. The molar heat capacity for copper at 25 degrees C is 24.435 J/mol K. What does this value mean? It means that 1 mole of copper requires 24.435 J to raise the temperature 1 K.</font></p> <p><font size="3">(For our purposes, we’ll assume that the heat capacity for copper is the same at 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Which formula expresses the thermodynamic question asked in this question?</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBDjx5OpS2C5tDlufdDpI5qhZ39xCYWeqZXQPMHzdFe87NNLr3t6hyphenhypheny37qAhaRTDg9w6zl7B5cB3blFZw3Ds65eypL8ZrbOUesRShNxXYAHYn-kHaHy25hCARv61kVkQ6VNN5ihwSdJIM/s1600-h/Slide3%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide3 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide3 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgH1UgaHoUQ6oR1CaX1myMHG6PSjUxtAtcHFdWg4lXbSUQ3WU2GrF4fr8RRbO3v5wD0e-XHGfX3GKnnqJ_OjSfvqrN5tp3oWWt77u_KqaB94caQ70hQoYq8zRSORzuPrUKARtyQ3u-z8Z2/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="316"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Now that we have a formula to connect heat flow to the change in temperature in a specific substance, we can plug in the values from above and solve the problem.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D5y8z2WYEeHuHJBv4UWEZImDV2nglET80_idM7k1NYv7wniiiY3hxizfba0y2qJU4FjumJ5l4ZF4ID3RiNYQ378j4w8u0skzhN0mDboLlYR65YDNEpsZt12HIcXTylU1UZOxNOrS7Leq/s1600-h/Slide4%252520edited%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide4 edited" border="0" alt="Slide4 edited" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQseqaYQcU-GGViNApRN5mfRWzFtZvjrUxsdP0Pvhdn6rIrnzzKE7FzZLavEHbrBxqlps3sQFUuRiozT6rWxopaO6oqYX7REOc5eGCF1bFILaYylB3IRUoCvWgtFX39nZCbaNSMr8prT52/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3">(Note that in this problem, K and C are interchangeable because a 5 degree difference in Kelvins is the same as a 5 degree difference in degrees C.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">So that’s thermodynamics, plug-and-play style. Once you have an answer, it’s good to consider <strong>whether your answer is reasonable in units and magnitude</strong>. In this problem, we have a small object that has increased in temperature by a modest number of degrees. 4.81 J is a small amount of energy, so this answer seems reasonable to me. </font></p> <p><font size="3">Next up: a similar problem that will require more conceptual heavy lifting on our part.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Now it’s your turn:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>You decide to cook some pancakes in a cast-iron skillet on your electric stove. You apply 2000 J of heat to your very heavy (3.31 kg) skillet, which was initially at room temperature (22 degrees C). If 375 degrees F is the ideal temperature for cooking pancakes, do you need to apply more or less heat to achieve that temperature? Assume the skillet is pure iron for this problem.</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* * *</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Bonus fun facts:</strong> </font></p> <p><font size="3">Pennies were made of pure copper from 1793 to 1837. {<a href="http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts2">Source</a>}</font></p> <p><font size="3">375 degrees F as a temperature for cooking pancakes? Who knows—I always cook pancakes by feel. But <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/868449">here’s a discussion</a> about griddle temp for pancakes.</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-6199923823149970172014-08-20T07:57:00.001-07:002014-08-20T07:57:32.931-07:00LESSON: Human Blood Type and Population Genetics<p><font size="3">Today’s lesson is inspired by one of the questions a student asked me earlier this summer. We’ll be discussing human blood types and population genetics, including how to solve problems on this topic.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>The question:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>In Capitol City, the allele frequencies of human ABO blood types are as follows:</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>I<sup>A</sup> = 0.2</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>I<sup>B</sup> = 0.3</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>I<sup>O</sup> = 0.5</em></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>What is the frequency of type A blood within Capitol City’s population?</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">There is a lot to know and unpack from this problem. Let’s start with a quick review of blood types.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Recall that for blood types, A and B refer to the presence of the A and B antigens, respectively, present on red blood cells. Type A red blood cells express the A antigen; Type B red blood cells express the B antigen. Type O blood expresses neither A nor B antigen. That means <strong>two genotypes</strong> can code for blood that is <strong>phenotypically </strong>type A:</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3">I<sup>A </sup>I<sup>A </sup>or I<sup>A </sup>I<sup>O</sup></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">(Why two genotypes? Because the I<sup>O</sup> allele does not code for an antigen. Instead, the I<sup>O</sup> allele contains a mutation that results in a protein that lacks enzymatic activity.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Similarly, two genotypes can code for blood that is phenotypically type B:</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3">I<sup>B</sup><sup> </sup>I<sup>B</sup><sup> </sup>or I<sup>B</sup><sup> </sup>I<sup>O</sup></font></p> <p><font size="3">Finally, only <strong>one genotype</strong> can code for blood that is phenotypically type O:</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3">I<sup>O </sup>I<sup>O</sup></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Now that we’ve established our genotype/phenotype relationships, let’s shift our attention to the second aspect of this question: population genetics.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><strong>When you see the words “population genetics,” you should immediately think of this phrase: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.</strong> The simplest version of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is a population that contains two alleles for a gene. Let’s say these alleles are A and a, where A is completely dominant to a. In Hardy-Weinberg terms, A and a are equivalent to p and q, the two alleles in our system. The Hardy-Weinberg equations (shown below) allow us to move between allele frequencies and genotype frequencies. We use algebra to do these calculations.</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHduJTyHaUomNkqzBkDWq7PFzYmVxc2k7Gt6VuO_L1y15v9m25X4VMy0To0nzao5lBw4UOqowlj2boHx1_APjIzt7SXinkCxMWJ1zdDX2oy8It3iYZTsvcvsUNtDOvyS7-lBdoLDkX5kP/s1600-h/Slide1%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide1" border="0" alt="Slide1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIy-HTBYkEy8fG2iArU62Tm6xT6_bjTqZzuYuYAfcVZHnefzE2PsyBgWFkS2lKmI6eORdqh1YpSbY_442qBQQ4GrErh0KTA88SdTux0Ch8jCkCTw9bF1pL8Bpi3mdHo_m4H6UWu9w8-F0/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bz8MKLcnvCDyCX_eZGtafC8BVVVQP4UUQhrhyphenhyphenADrvSiUCtbT8uDFNF82QfVcDhY4nAEyRWL4LoycnICMrX-XVylaQlpq4WOHrebOQud7aggffnvDXsryKOouTyroX0RYKzUx6eiY_hFH/s1600-h/Slide2%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide2" border="0" alt="Slide2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMIJwdxs64BJeNexeqvZZfuMQZGn5WBmjM0ihRJ18Bhwq3XL-87IWmDDI8Wr8iFirGvGrPkiGosi5G4sWyP9mSV6LZyCSjfZUOg0LDuGPWRrZ4u12shunKa77twV8yflaQNflNId0posd/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">To apply Hardy-Weinberg to our two-allele system, A and a, we would have the following:</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">pp = AA</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">pq = Aa</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">qq = aa</font> <font size="3"> </font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Let’s apply some numbers here to see how the math works out for a two-allele system. Let’s say that a population has the following frequencies for the A and a alleles:</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">A = 0.2</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">a = 0.8</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">(Note that it’s entirely possible for a recessive allele to be the most common allele in a population. Genetic dominance does not imply that it’s the most frequently found allele.)</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">To calculate the frequency of the three possible genotypes (AA, Aa, and aa), we use the binomial expansion from Hardy-Weinberg:</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">AA = pp = (0.2)(0.2) = 0.04</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Aa = 2pq = 2(0.2)(0.8) = 0.32</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">aa = qq = (0.8)(0.8) = 0.64</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Note that our genotype frequencies should add up to 1, which they do! Success!</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Now, let’s turn our attention back to ABO blood types. We can’t use our two-allele Hardy-Weinberg equation here because we have three alleles. Instead, we can modify the equations to include a third allele:</font></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2E93lnTfup3lVqntkw7oRfmg1oSkdLsi3VLPT8mg-5Hyez-JNDbxUAcX6IngdllDHZIZqEG2Oq-4q4oN5Pacmtl-wI042DdehYP7xN9NTzv5JM4JB-J5N1_uJ1BWzCUxkM4IDz-bEdWW/s1600-h/Slide%2525203%252520REDO%2525208_06%252520PM%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide 3 REDO 8_06 PM" border="0" alt="Slide 3 REDO 8_06 PM" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ld9KBYxjdDMGK09dxY4OhcdbfONMUMF0wR8XNDTpBayxMT_Bf_ZkJ67lqFG_LohaAMShAm-6LohLr0xrdItLI4MBh-b_U36XauLDlOUmJHFaHPlwXCm7gq0ENHDEH4zeeElPuS3eEPqZ/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">By squaring the trinomial, we now have equations we can use to calculate the frequency of particular genotypes or phenotypes if we have the allele frequencies.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Now let’s solve the original problem in four steps.</font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHaJRZnyKuxK4ocf6xSOvv9KTC0SXM7nA-Bzonq8ASPLTxrjwAle9493eVOBK7cupWVr3-WyTi8AbXCMLb_z9BVDJvLC-F3R3Kehlqkgmocs2PqrpEXAf0qE3Nexy6eZYtdrjdhZIlo2R/s1600-h/Slide4%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide4 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide4 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDetVNzSSWEyW2MwwjwLLqwFFvo_qon3M-I5S63HQl7GgoanoqGT8wC_Wh0J2UOELTjlwKYpuYEXfZz5XCiqvanPVs7tw1UcpuUVSguFtJd-PcC95P20SIKb6EhuhAOFd-TyHZfz8dc_w/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="314"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuho8Dzq7hrZXtgM4Bf4YuPjXBEFHAryqXjpqdsi2QuTXBxpW2i_YtsGSGzUWRg81xiz-5n2yYq3F7Q9A4u1qstBm-u4VSRDRApAtY_ibGSZv78lqbIaFbxCEVeklk03xEMNTmWSIdtPQ/s1600-h/Slide5%252520cropped%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide5 cropped" border="0" alt="Slide5 cropped" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJC-7CVvxJhRpqJ-474yXpoE3JVjf4fylTIKpvvFKh4_Kpes-R8z6Un35XGMI5U0q8DikFFpCtaHjV_pBYjIlC6dIuPXTHlEjjYyW0dqsVcctYWEoYg6aKDnk3cn6GUba1xdRbfi0OQhVo/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="380"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6HVasaX1EPgV4KQEdq-UOi3lRdFyNz4cv7m9ADRWELBBon39LZWFIFxZpm_ivL7c5G1NFgKq0-z7YCG-LtwfKE9h1YaDRRcUWaBNSCOBFsU46s_zp46vT7BwghQfoEJjDbge35rO4pXi/s1600-h/Slide6%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide6" border="0" alt="Slide6" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H_Ti0fU4B40jAi1U9R9NxOWe0V6_gqlgA-w2uZcptwFaqYf6MRM7f2mDMdV3ke3XJDaNVfquB1Qv9i503NS0UTVmmcOOmCtK3DAQuSPEhdfZG6e1PxjHy9jMyyTLeYbz_hBj5z0wDpVe/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09lOT_ji6WdDKPud8ySrL1VS5oDQ4H19U6NRcAQNe0_fcUKtDU4WfZTmgExLMnhUm2Tj30Kt7gupdtWw07D3rumrS71vdOwwmsqhGCc_-khrOzcNteF36BY-zswrzVMWctiIbfjhkon39/s1600-h/Slide7%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide7" border="0" alt="Slide7" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyPA_DIrThQbWL_nBUUHrblTTSFzCR6VpGP7Qi6bb2MWiLuD5q0_QODRPZzUy_rmwyRW1LAK3M433LXHz839RxlyHARwvMXQmCypIYpX6i7hFjJCt97YtDOMfpoRYiYu3RCsDqgp7VjW6/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></font></p> <p align="left"><font size="3">Alright, now it’s your turn! Using the data above for Capitol City, what is the frequency of Type AB blood in that population?</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* * *</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>More resources:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABO_blood_group_system">ABO blood types via Wikipedia</a> (a bit dense but still useful for more information)</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-25534440259975651742014-08-10T12:39:00.001-07:002014-08-10T12:39:42.575-07:00LESSON: Mitotic Recombination: Twin Spots<p><font size="3"><strong>This post will be my first lesson on this site.</strong> I offer these lessons as a gift in the spirit of <a href="http://charleseisenstein.net/project/sacred-economics/"><em>Sacred Economics</em> by Charles Eisenstein</a>. If you’ve arrived at this post, I assume you are looking for some help to better understand the classic phenotypes that are seen in studies of mitotic recombination. In this lesson, I’ll explain the mechanism that may explain <strong>one</strong> phenotype, twin spots. Here is a very simple graphic to illustrate the twin spots phenotype:</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj5HOLR3v_9XZ0INQreggQQ_KvQEw_Vwv-AxuEoINpADZAVzOiAZyGumccVSMnFmnPoByUEjTwM-WtQnVyBupx2dSHgrhwYCqsiLi57MoTBv4BAyKjgp_2EzNIoPD7sohUe8DT2SbCoGd/s1600-h/Figure-1_twin-spots-graphic9.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Figure 1_twin spots graphic" border="0" alt="Figure 1_twin spots graphic" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwp6K8SYIu9T0dLLp1_sLK0TjiXfjdVp0QdWxwwawoF4iwxCoZI1vHUng6fizktlpPbrZkmsqiic1YYt0w-6yEmPVviN_w06M0_4yq4mpvJWi1wXa03jfvopjN-08sNkTHVmxYfBHoL_b/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="330"></a></p> <p><font size="3">We can see that we have two “spots” on the fly’s back (dorsal surface for you anatomy fans), right next to each other, and each spot shows a different mutant phenotype (which I’ll explain below). Note that the wild-type phenotype is a brownish-beige body and straight-ish bristles.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Mitotic recombination is the phenomenon whereby homologous chromosomes swap portions of DNA with each other in non-meiotic cells. It’s a rare event and often induced either by X-ray radiation or by transgenes that cut and splice DNA when they are expressed. One of the most interesting questions that can be answered by mitotic recombination is <strong>whether a phenotype is cell autonomous</strong>. In other words, is the phenotype of a cell or patch of cells due to the genetic activity within that cell or patch of cells, or does it depend on the genetic activity of a different cell?</font></p> <p><font size="3">In <em>Drosophila</em>, we can study mitotic recombination using mutant alleles that affect the appearance of the body surface. Dr. Curt Stern did just this using alleles for two genes: <em>yellow</em> (<em>y</em>) and <em>singed</em> (<em>sn</em>)<sup>1</sup>. Homozygous <em>yellow</em> mutants have a yellow body color, while homozygous <em>singed </em>mutants have bent, funky-looking bristles.</font></p> <p><font size="3">(Check it out: <a href="http://dev.biologists.org/content/129/8/1849/F1.expansion.html"><em>yellow</em> mutants</a> and <a href="http://dev.biologists.org/content/suppl/2012/07/19/139.16.2999.DC1/DEV077800FIGS2.jpg"><em>singed </em>mutants</a>. For the <em>singed</em> mutants, compare D [a wild-type control called Oregon R] to A [a <em>singed</em> mutant].)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Stern worked with female flies that were heterozygous for <em>yellow</em> and <em>singed</em>. These genes are on homologous chromosomes. In Stern’s experiment, the mutations were on <em>different</em> but <em>homologous </em>chromosomes. We can write this genotype like this:</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O07O8B-om81ZySe68uXHss2F2BzMJVwPpLjor9zKeXfl0hUmchuDSrvEIva3TcSmTIzXl_wM4FgZERbZ5fSWX30vAG0crRwrNgoFXQBCNePsZX7bL3h7PLl6yEmlDdNBu-7UVeAwyiQm/s1600-h/Figure-2_Genotype-notation4.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Figure 2_Genotype notation" border="0" alt="Figure 2_Genotype notation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmQT0EWu3nDnyC8LupMjKZNR9zgO2f3ntWYq-KlBOKvnoQfA7L6NEWTCoPDZ9A8DhPOX5En-7WFyuAwbUZblGyeo8ikz1O5RajPjSyJ-VATWC2JTegL4f9V5YJF183QDXECCYUZqWTan2/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="222"></a></p> <p><font size="3"><em>y+ sn-</em> is the genotype of one chromosome, and <em>y- sn+</em> is the genotype of the other. Heterozygous mutants like this are also called <strong>trans-heterozygotes</strong> because the mutations are found on different chromosomes.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Most of the animals Stern examined were wild-type in appearance. In other words, their body color and bristles did not show mutant phenotypes. This is what we would expect in animals that have <strong>a wild-type copy of each gene</strong>. But sometimes he observed what were dubbed “twin spots” where a spot of yellow was adjacent to a spot of singed bristles. <a href="http://ch.sysu.edu.cn/hope/sites/inherite/lessonexp/G15/WEBTEXT/G15-3-6.HTM">This cartoon</a> is a nice illustration of the phenotype. Because of the location of these twin spots, Stern proposed that they were the product of mitotic recombination between the centromere and two loci located on the same side of a chromosome.</font></p> <p><font size="3">So how would that mechanism work? Let’s draw it out and follow the chromosomes through cell division.</font></p> <p><font size="3">First, let’s consider what the chromosomes look like <strong>without </strong>mitotic recombination. For simplicity, I have omitted everything but the most essential details in the diagrams below. CENT is the centromere of the each chromosome.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHq4YXrrxsJDGmO9n0uNFqljd7tVZO3MxT9sbTVqEv_1PPspCzz-Lu-9Z8a60P2_FnJBeeQxBdoI1cIZCdGuV2_f_l6f9IhS97EiZvQaSdOPLSIHTspDR_ziKISkbVEC-HGxS1qjP4owy/s1600-h/Figure-3_Parent-cell4.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Figure 3_Parent cell" border="0" alt="Figure 3_Parent cell" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-d05XB4TlaLPWS67Dg_9PQUcKvvI3HQ7dyYiIgE-3On7HOkh9wbECcFKBrbo0RudF610ou8m6rO39p56Td9lxSWJd9ivKeL7mrG9UI2ZZPQYVdRz7ONFc16dMZdpomJ8HlVIcqnjidGS/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="399"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Now let’s look at what happens when this parent cell divides in the <strong>absence</strong> of mitotic recombination</font><font size="3">. Here I show the cell before and after it synthesizes new DNA, which results in the replication of the chromosomes. Note that formally, DNA synthesis is not part of mitosis. Instead, it is considered part of the cell cycle.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPusLvG26WywWFVJnBiuSYKQk8owknWUKnnyV5qC74-OSvOmZketfdiUNgY6fY_1M0OXYrVv77h8ilBPoHABNFOhMllGm-8bs0-so6bcyLGjOREhnJ0bnGkHFAQt9OAey6dyUZvW_xEY1/s1600-h/Slide45.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide4" border="0" alt="Slide4" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFTHazIrQBqrrSChxP0ch_neUE5WRYLahfUMzAm92OCsNSi4Y_bfmkSl8p1HxWqMGcc59PH-f-brbL4bcVloUYg_oUF73JTraMd1BpPOoL_g7qc8ElnxwwPY0xoxsIxRB60jlGUuepikx/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Now that we’ve replicated our homologous chromosomes, let’s follow them through mitosis and cytokinesis. Note that after the chromosomes have replicated, the sister chromatids are connected via the centromere (CENT in the figure). This organization will allow sister chromatids to be separated during mitosis and pulled apart into the nuclei of the two daughter cells. The dotted line below represents cytokinesis, or the dividing of the parent cell’s cytoplasm into two daughter cells. </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBCXMJFBKv2uLC2M52FGMGeF-Q5UZ9ogYgOaBY7sNZkilPNfm5zH-ijYZ6SjlFvU3n35fwEI3DO2tACUv7DBBhok_nncvmO-Vck3RjZ7oap1xAo_5TQLepj8ZqkJ-HL1ILu3Sio8iwjwA/s1600-h/Slide54.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide5" border="0" alt="Slide5" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5APlwY79lajPrU9wzNrOJq1Sl_jfeMr3CUK__lMKmPQmsJ-0dyqlLLJ05Hz_ZMYgYaGnSug1ZFQ6fLPW-8-ARsqw0BCsaujyU-bOcCOhT62y0po8cBPL8f-IOfX0fv9dcH5UTDkMy9YqQ/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Note that after this cell divides, the daughter cells would have <strong>the same genotype (<em>sn</em>- <em>y</em>+/<em>sn</em>+ <em>y</em>-)</strong>. Note that all of these cells would show <strong>a wild-type phenotype</strong> because each cell has a wild-type copy of <em>sn</em> and <em>y</em>.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Now, let’s consider a situation where mitotic recombination occurs. Scientists aren’t really sure when mitotic recombination happens. Some think it happens during interphase; that’s what I have shown below (specifically, Gap 2 after DNA synthesis is completed). The take-home point: mitotic recombination will switch the order of specific <em>sn</em> and y alleles compared to the original parent cell. </font></p> <p><font size="3">First I’ll show the recombination step and the reordered chromosomes. Note that recombination is taking place between chromosomes 2 and 3. Also note that the recombination breakpoint is <em>between</em> the centromere and the <em>singed</em> locus.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HkoM8p8HTPXQciRI2JFBfOXdwTna40iZIpo3fSrNRtMK797ew0kQ74RhmTcyJeFztgye9oZIFC2747rP0XOTb3iG51GUeE3Wcu1dNW4skkHdIic7vdCZZ9E9PiNEPBHXGIyyq1IugkFV/s1600-h/Slide64.jpg"><font size="3"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide6" border="0" alt="Slide6" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvUSuBRutNfNj6XsVa44oERo2F8WCYiAsdc8gaXNbXNAhftd_YXje90UCRp2pPkYUV45lAYSH9avChyphenhyphenRIBit41HKajVi_ZHuEzF8Wl77vHE0AGBkJQt0VKjtoKvAEY6T5Mex5a_qaR4TH/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></font></a><font size="3"> </font></p> <p><font size="3">Now we have paired chromatids that have different genotypes. Chromatids 1 and 2 no longer match, but as you’ll see below, they will segregate during mitosis as though they are genetically identical. The same thing is true for chromatids 3 and 4.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Let’s follow the chromosomes through mitosis. </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1vaGkDxfmMCgbNUybCnJpFr6onmY1TDnXnTeBafEVQlz9Vi2v9TplyRRqWF8L7TWZ913aIHUyG0Jm9jYb99RHPMV_Ltp3cf-Q1v2pDt1QxwOsbmwXOKbZUFJ3XSxfxU0rFdnCw1KVlIx/s1600-h/Slide74.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide7" border="0" alt="Slide7" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDAvV__nKuq0h1LJLHdouU6hJZxOxwsP5kyfhhahtEetyvEZ-Ze-VWSf_xVjwVMMlhuwywWAa6IyZsZwTOH2asUeZqyw0KhZf7oPEaElU1kw7fCVOSkCAU68OokJMNBs0Lh6fiXoInfQc/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><font size="3">Because of the recombination event that happened during Gap 2, we end up with daughter cells that have <strong>different genotypes</strong>. Instead of the <strong><em>sn</em>- <em>y</em>+/<em>sn</em>+ <em>y</em>-</strong> genotype that the parent cell has, our daughter cells are as follows: </font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXcnUT06GxsNEOb1iHZpBMu4NHTY_0y9dlXu6GEqzjQHsa5aO7_wVPc4G-ws0Djo0EB5e1tKmRkahM74V83gDfvys-14NJ6FHqJYH3oT-NmLTJU1mmScHY0CIpBaim4Kw4bNyOkkJn9Z0/s1600-h/Genotype_Phenotype%252520Chart%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Genotype_Phenotype Chart" border="0" alt="Genotype_Phenotype Chart" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LmzShtgLH_n7piRcZRB7lQhl985Pb5yW17HxobRQkxGHm2rYUU0EfKmPi08Ih56AMhH27-T0oDsi00TMsFZKDldkVSOf_PLSCBKkBmjYD6gIFKa5ChoAGHKudVVDTjnQegKAIunTjDe-/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="351"></a></p> <p><font size="3">And finally, here is a cartoon to show how mitotic recombination in a precursor or parent cell could give rise to a twin spot. The idea here is after the parent cell undergoes mitotic recombination, the new daughter cells replicate themselves and make small populations that we can see visibly as the <em>yellow</em> or <em>singed</em> spots. (Pardon the reverse orientation on the spots; here I’ve shown the <em>yellow</em> spot on top and the <em>singed</em> spot on the bottom.)</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOHqLEoD1QpLgG0t5vWYUY-B6h0qZpBScV_jn-Y0msBVLe8Svc3v9KoBau6VhZWNK_9RyXupU1gJYO6D_8gf3uKiVsQbiTn0017xrCf8DC_tiiTY3bvSldJy0J2Btwymkq0VVLzTiklkc/s1600-h/Slide84.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" title="Slide8" border="0" alt="Slide8" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpB9_xvPiIv1qKIfJ2fG1ukLbHfLhy1gqYYQKT54ph4ys4xhYw50XwUJtldwiXYGqNGBrpy-9mn_WbNRgNQl9nDP4GO00tOCCJHM48hUGRjzVmi46_rbzB5rzZlWvMDg-HanjtUAQmWhq/?imgmax=800" width="520" height="395"></a></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>References:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><sup>1</sup>Stern, C (1935) The effect of yellow-scute gene deficiency on somatic cells of Drosophila. <em>Proc Natl Acad Sci USA </em>21: 374-379. {<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1076609/pdf/pnas01758-0076.pdf">Find the full-length paper here.</a>} </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>For more learning, I like the following links:</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://mcb.berkeley.edu/courses/mcb140/Syllabus/garriga_lectures/mosaic%20analysis.pdf">Mosaic Analysis [in <em>Drosophila</em>]</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20101/bio%20101%20lectures/mitosis/mitosis.htm">A good review of what happens to chromosomes during the cell cycle and mitosis</a> </font></p> <p><font size="3"> * * *</font></p> <p><font size="3">Like what you just read? To connect with me, you can find me on Twitter (I’m <a href="https://twitter.com/wormthoughts">@wormthoughts</a>) or by e-mail (<a href="mailto:r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu">r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu</a>). Or leave a comment below!</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Thanks for stopping by!</strong></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-54693959446040630532014-08-04T11:27:00.001-07:002014-08-04T11:27:15.618-07:00STUDY TIPS: General Chemistry<p><font size="3">I’ve had the pleasure of working with several students in general chemistry this year. It’s interesting to see chemistry through the eyes of my students. General chemistry came easily to me as a student; as a tutor, I find myself asking, “When it comes to learning this material, what works? What doesn’t? What holes can we fill so that my students have an easier time with the exam?”</font></p> <p><font size="3">Here’s my list of study tips for general chemistry. <strong>What you won’t find here:</strong> very basic tips like go to class, pay attention, take notes, work the problem sets. I assume you know these things. (But I’ll come back to that point about working the problem sets!)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* You must master the theory and application of chemistry concepts.</strong> What do I mean by this? Chemistry is a marriage of theoretical ideas, such as equilibrium, and the application of those ideas, such as calculating the equilibrium constant K<sub>eq</sub> value if I tell you the concentration of products and reactants in a solution at equilibrium. A theory question might ask you to predict the direction of a reaction if the reaction quotient Q is less than K<sub>eq</sub>. (Answer: the reaction will keep generating products until Q = K<sub>eq</sub>.) (Pop quiz question: what’s the difference between Q and K<sub>eq</sub>?)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Many gen chem exams will mix together theoretical questions and math-based application questions. You’ll want to be able to answer both.</font></p> <p><font size="3">“What if I don’t have practice questions for theoretical concepts?” If you are lacking study materials, get in touch with me. I’ve got a library of chemistry textbooks and practice exams to help you work on mastering gen chem theory.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* You must learn to think in four dimensions: the X, Y, and Z planes and time.</strong> Chemistry takes place across all four of these dimensions. Students who are, shall we say, spatially challenged (like myself) are going to have to focus their efforts on mastering three-dimensional chemistry.</font></p> <p><font size="3">A simple example from gen chem is molecular geometry: where do electron pairs (lone pairs or the shared pairs of a chemical bond) localize around an atom’s nucleus? In other words, what is the three-dimensional shape that defines where the electrons are in space? (Answer: it depends on how many of them we have around an atom.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">The question about time looms large when we start to talk about reaction kinetics. This topic may be discussed in an abstract way, such as in spontaneous reactions that happen so slowly that they appear to be not spontaneous (such as combustion reactions that require energy, such as a spark, in order to begin), or we might talk specifically about reaction rates and rate constants.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Work those practice problems, <em>especially the practice exams</em>. Then practice some more.</strong> It’s not enough to review your notes and think you understand the material. Practice problems demand that you understand the material and are able to apply it to solve problems.</font></p> <p><font size="3">If I could offer one piece of advice to gen chem students, it would be to focus your study time on practice exams (assuming your instructor provides them to you). Work as many of the problems as you can. If you struggle through any problems, go back and work them again. Try to see the logic that is applied to each problem so that when a similar problem shows up on your real exam, you know how to analyze it.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Seek out additional learning materials.</strong> I’m going to be really honest here: I dislike a lot of textbooks. I hated my gen chem textbook in college. If you find yourself in a similar position, don’t hesitate to seek out additional learning materials. I’ve been using an awesome chemistry textbook in my tutoring that I can recommend: <em>Chemistry</em> (Third Edition) by Olmsted & Williams.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Also, this is the age of the internet! There are so many wonderful on-line study materials (including this blog!). I particularly like <a href="http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/">ChemWiki</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MIT">MIT OpenCourseWare on youtube</a>. (As an aside, as much as I love Wikipedia, I don’t like it as much for studying chemistry. And that’s okay. The important thing is to find resources that work <em>for you</em>.)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Make sure your algebra skills are strong.</strong> A lot of problem-solving in gen chem comes down to setting up the problem as an algebra equation to be solved. If you feel your algebra skills are weak, you might want to spend some time working on them either before you start gen chem or while you are in the class. The more you can solve for X, the more comfortable you’ll be with chemistry problems.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Learn to think about chemistry in terms of units. </strong> This tip comes from my partner, Tutor Paul, who has been tutoring engineering students for years. When solving equations, we want units within a problem to match and cancel out.</font></p> <p><font size="3">One way to test your comfort with units is to do a little free word association. What unit words come to mind when I say the following?</font></p> <p><font size="3">- energy?</font></p> <p><font size="3">- stoichiometry?</font></p> <p><font size="3">- pressure?</font></p> <p><font size="3">- volume?</font></p> <p><font size="3">- concentration?</font></p> <p><font size="3">For me, I have the following associations:</font></p> <p><font size="3">- energy? <strong>Joules.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">- stoichiometry? <strong>Moles. Or molar ratios.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">- pressure? <strong>Atmospheres.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">- volume? <strong>Liters.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">- concentration? <strong>Moles per Liter.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">My answers are standard units in which amounts are expressed. A Joule is a unit of energy. The stoichiometry of a reaction is expressed in moles (or molar ratios). And so on. Getting comfortable with gen chem means getting comfortable with units.</font></p> <p><font size="3">* * *</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Readers, what else would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments!</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Happy studying!</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3"> </font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-13315564563457695132014-07-15T14:02:00.001-07:002020-10-16T15:05:18.819-07:00Hand-out: Conditional Probability<p><font face="arial" size="4">Hello, dear reader! <a href="https://new.tutorpaul.com/" target="_blank">Paul Stiverson</a> and I wrote a hand-out on conditional probability that we hope will help students understand this idea. I first encountered it while tutoring a student who was taking Genetics 301 at Texas A&M University. Discussing it amongst ourselves, we found conditional probability to be confusing, but eventually we found ways of explaining it that cleared up the confusion. Those ideas became the foundation of the hand-out below. </font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4">Happy studying! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any suggestions for us. Thanks for stopping by. </font></p> <p><font face="arial" size="4"><strong><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B44c9oMpvAsPVUdYTV9uX0RHanM/edit?usp=sharing">Conditional Probability Hand-out</a></strong></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-29605670104925029082014-06-23T15:02:00.011-07:002021-09-24T16:44:36.879-07:00Tutoring Rates, Credentials, and My Promise to Students<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b>Tutoring Rates.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>My tutoring rate is <b>$50/hour.</b> I keep the same rate for in-person and on-line tutoring. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>For in-home tutoring, my rate is <b>$75/hour</b>. </span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;">If you are experiencing financial hardship and need a discounted rate on tutoring, please contact me and we can discuss your situation. I care about serving the needs of my community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>I encourage all of my tutoring students to send me questions or study materials in advance. Whenever possible, I prepare for my sessions ahead of time in order to give my students a great tutoring experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>My e-mail address: <a href="mailto:r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu">r-meissner@u.northwestern.edu</a></span><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">
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<div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Subjects I Tutor.</b></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For high school students, I tutor:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* Math (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Precalculus)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* Chemistry</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* Biology</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* Physics</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For college students, I tutor:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* General biology</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* General chemistry</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">* Genetics</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Credentials.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I’ve been tutoring students since October 2013 and have logged more than 2,000 tutoring hours. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Many of my students choose to work with me again and again, which is the highest praise of all. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a </span><span style="font-family: arial;">five-star rating on Wyzant Tutoring, which is the platform on which I began my tutoring career.</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>I’m a graduate of Albion College (2003) and Northwestern University (2009). At Albion, I majored in chemistry and minored in philosophy. I went on to earn a PhD in neuroscience from Northwestern University, where I studied behavior in fruit flies, a field that allowed me to use genetics and molecular biology to better understand behavior, which is, in my opinion, the ultimate output of nervous systems.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After earning my PhD, I spent several years working in various labs at Texas A&M Health Science Center and Texas A&M University, including a fruit fly lab, a worm lab, and a honey bee lab. Altogether, I have more than ten years of research experience. My research background has given me a well-rounded education in biology.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I am a passionate, lifelong learner. My tutoring work is part of that passion. I pride myself on making science and math accessible to my students. I continue to learn and grow in my areas of expertise, always working to find ways to work harmoniously with my students and their needs</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>My promise to students.</b></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">When I begin working with a student, I don't know how long our tutoring relationship will last. Some students need just 1-2 sessions. Others want recurring sessions every week for a semester or a full academic year.<br /><br />My promise to students is that I will do everything I can to help you complete the course for which you have sought tutoring. I will commit to you with the same strength you commit to our tutoring sessions. Though tutoring is a freelance pursuit, I see myself as a professional and I don't quit in the middle of the project. If we have started working together, I will do my best to schedule sessions with you to help you meet your goals.<br /><br />I am here for you.</span></div>
Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-46248204682345654122014-06-21T11:39:00.001-07:002015-04-22T10:08:20.646-07:00The Grad School Series<p><font size="3"><strong>I’m writing a series of posts about pursuing a science PhD. Here you’ll find links to all the pieces I’ve published so far on that topic.</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-its-your-first-summer-of-research-in.html">So, It’s Your First Summer of Research in the Lab</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/advice-to-first-year-graduate-students.html">Advice to First-Year Graduate Students in Science</a></font></p> <p><font size="3">* <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2015/04/should-you-sign-up-for-science-phd.html">Should You Sign Up for a Science PhD?</a></font></p> <p><font size="3"><em>Coming soon…do you need permission to quit your PhD program?</em></font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-75444195180745692982014-06-21T10:29:00.001-07:002014-06-21T10:29:13.848-07:00Advice to First-Year Graduate Students in Science<p><font size="3"><em>“Scientific truth is beyond loyalty and disloyalty.”</em> Isaac Asimov, <em>Foundation</em></font></p> <p><font size="3">When I asked my research friends for their <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-its-your-first-summer-of-research-in.html">advice for summer undergrad researchers</a>, I got such great responses that I decided to write two posts. I felt some of their advice was better for first-, second- or even third-year graduate students, people who are still early in their research training but who have some experience under their belts. As you grow into your career, you’ll have different needs, and the advice you seek should reflect them. Furthermore, there are different expectations of students at different stages. Students who are trying their hand at research for the very first time should focus on learning and putting forth their best effort. That’s a great way to jump into research. Students who have entered a graduate program need to think more strategically about how they spend their time and efforts. They need encouragement, of course, but I think it should be more sophisticated than “just keep trying!” (Which is, to be honest, advice that I got as a postdoc and was far too simple for the level of anxiety I was feeling. It didn’t work for me.)</font></p> <p><font size="3">The people who offered the following advice represent many levels of graduate school success. Some, like me, finished PhDs, while others finished Master’s degrees. Some are still going strong in grad school, while others realized that graduate school was not the right path for them. Graduate school is nothing if not a learning process, so above all else, embrace that opportunity.</font></p> <p><font size="3">With that in mind, here are some thoughts on graduate school once you’ve committed to a degree path.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Pick a research advisor who can teach you.</strong> I could write an entire dissertation on picking a research advisor, but I’ll refrain from that here. The best advice I can offer on picking an advisor is to remember that you are in graduate school, so your number one task is to learn as much as you can about science and yourself. Pick an advisor who can and will support you in that goal. In many labs, you’ll have in-lab advisors (postdocs, more senior graduate students) who will teach you. That’s a good thing.</font></p> <p><font size="3">The best way to learn if a potential advisor is a good match for you? Ask the other graduate students about their experiences. Are they learning, improving, succeeding? Do they like working with their advisor? Is the advisor good at managing her lab? Is the advisor fair when dealing with in-lab conflicts?</font> </p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Define the purpose of your research <em>for yourself</em>.</strong> I don’t mean what you tell your family, your dissertation committee, or funding agencies. What do you tell yourself about your research? My friend Shawn Marie Wolffersdorff, who earned a Master’s degree in materials science and engineering, says, “It really helps to have a narrative about why what you are doing is good for the world. And it helps even more if you genuinely believe it to be true.”</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Find a mentor.</strong> You’re going to have to make a lot of decisions during and after graduate school. It’s immensely helpful to find a mentor or even several mentors to offer their perspective and care. Another friend of mine, Dr. Valerie McCarthy, who earned her PhD in physical chemistry, says, “Find a mentor. No matter what, you'll need a good sounding board for all kinds of things, big and small. A great mentor can really help you tap into your strengths and develop them.”</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* “Own your project,”</strong> advises Dr. Jeff Wilson, a professor of psychology at <a href="http://albion.edu/">Albion College</a>, my alma mater. “Don't wait for me to tell you what to do or what needs to be done. Read the literature, think deeply, and come up with ideas. I'll tell you if they suck (and why), or I'll tell you to act on those ideas, and I'll help make it happen. The best research comes out of projects that are owned by the people who carry them out.”</font></p> <p><font size="3">But then there’s also this next opinion…</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Learn to collaborate.</strong> Science is team-driven and deeply collaborative at the getting-shit-done level. There’s a rhetoric in science about the lone hero who discovered penicillin, developed the polio vaccine, or discovered what causes ulcers. And while those stories are valuable, <strong>today’s science is big</strong>, often too big for one person to do all the work for a story. Learn to be part of a team, and you’ll go far in science.</font></p> <p><font size="3">So how do I square owning your project against learning to collaborate? Ultimately, you need to be able to do both. Different situations will require different responses from you. Additionally, your own work preferences and temperament will shape how you approach science.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Realize that science is 90% process and 10% success. </strong>We’ve already talked about how <a href="http://rose-annemeissner.blogspot.com/2014/06/so-its-your-first-summer-of-research-in.html">failure is to be expected</a> in research. However, even when things are going well, daily life in a lab can be pretty mundane. Within that context, I think it’s a good practice to learn to appreciate the processes that are science at work. Shawn Marie says, “A little bit of statistics and design of experiments is good for the soul. If you find these two points at odds, research will be harder.”</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Get as much hands-on experience as you can.</strong> If your graduate experience is anything like mine, you’ll have the chance to learn a lot of techniques. Take advantage of them! My friend Kim (who was a fellow chemistry major with me at Albion College) says, “Ask to use and touch any equipment you can. Nothing is better than the hands-on experience of actually getting in there and doing the work! And it is fun.”</font></p> <p><font size="3">Finally, take a deep breath and…</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* “Don't forget to enjoy it,”</strong> says Dr. Dana Shaw Park, a recent PhD graduate from Texas A&M Health Science Center. “There are so many parts of research that can be such a bummer, but don't forget to wonder at how cool science is. You're on the forefront of uncharted territory—you're literally an explorer. Science is just as much about creativity as it is about rigor and logic! People forget the creativity part too often, I think.”</font> <p><font size="3">My best advice for those times when science is bumming you out? Read some Carl Sagan. His words always remind me of how amazing it is to practice science. Two of my favorite Sagan books are <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle/dp/0345409469/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403280899&sr=8-1&keywords=the+demon-haunted+world">The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pale-Blue-Dot-Vision-Future/dp/0345376595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403280934&sr=8-1&keywords=pale+blue+dot">Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space</a></em>.</font> <p><strong><font size="3">Have some advice to offer to graduate students? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!</font></strong></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4494889805490611892.post-1436573502615377462014-06-07T17:56:00.001-07:002014-06-07T17:56:24.578-07:00So, It’s Your First Summer of Research in the Lab<p align="center"><font size="3"><a title="ILSB at TAMU" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48115631@N05/14183449990/"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="ILSB at TAMU" src="http://static.flickr.com/3883/14183449990_1307e9c8a9.jpg"></a></font><font size="2">{Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building at Texas A&M University}</font></p> <p><font size="3">It’s June and undergraduate researchers are flocking to academic labs, eager to get </font><font size="3">started and maybe even—fingers crossed!—discover something new. Perhaps you are one of these bright-eyed, super smart college students. Good for you! In the lab, you’ll learn valuable things about yourself, whether you love the experience or not.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I’ve been working in research labs for ten years, starting as an undergrad myself. I went on to earn a PhD, and I’ve worked in three different labs after graduate school, two as a postdoc and one as a lab manager. I’ve been around the block a few times. I’ve seen many undergrads and first-year graduate students come and go. With all that in mind, I’d like to offer a few tips to help you get the most out of your summertime research experience.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Be open to learning.</strong> Your primary task is to learn as much as you can. As a research student, you have the chance to learn by doing, which is invaluable. But you also have the chance to get critical feedback from your in-lab mentors and the professor in whose lab you are working.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Take good notes on what you are doing.</strong> Oh my gosh, I cannot stress this enough. When you’re busy doing an experiment, you think you’ll remember what you did. And you might. But will you remember two months from now? Probably not. Do yourself (and your supervisor) a favor and WRITE IT DOWN. Write down what you did, what you observed, what you were thinking. Even your speculations are good lab notebook material. WRITE IT ALL DOWN!</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Take your time.</strong> This one is hard, I know. We live in a rush-rush-rush world. But science will bite you in the ass if you don’t let yourself slow down, think, and develop “good hands.” (“Good hands” is a phrase my friend Matt introduced to me, and it’s the idea of being able to execute your benchwork smoothly and easily. Think of all the muscle movements you must do to carry out an experiment at the bench, such as pipetting, pouring, mixing, injecting, and putting together your equipment. Good hands make your life much, much easier in the lab.) </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Be assertive but respectful. </strong> You should ask for what you need, absolutely. The social culture of the lab will play a role in when, how, and why people ask for things from each other. Try to avoid what I call “the lurker,” where you approach someone and stand there, waiting for them to acknowledge you when they are <em>clearly</em> at work on something. Instead, approach, say hello, and ask them if you can make a request. If they say yes, then go for it. If they say no, don’t take it personally, just come back at a later time.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Please understand that for long-time lab veterans, it can be hard to get anything done because of the number of interruptions during a day in the lab. Try to respect that they want to get their work done, just like you. Veterans have had to learn how to focus and say no amid the chaos of a busy lab, and sometimes they’ll say no to you, even if they really want to help you (just not <em>right this moment</em>).</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Eat some humble pie.</strong> “Don't be surprised at how often science doesn't work,” says my friend Tonya Shepherd, a PhD candidate in microbiology at Texas A&M University. Indeed, this is painfully common in science. Embrace your failures, learn from them, move forward with grace. Know that when you’ve failed, it also means that you <em>tried</em> something, and that counts for a lot.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Organize, organize!</strong> This one might strike you as boring and anal-retentive, but having worked with <strong><a href="http://gumiennylab.wordpress.com/">the most organized PI ever</a></strong> last year, I can assure you that any organizational efforts you put forth will be rewarded tenfold. Label things well and make a database (like an Excel spreadsheet) for any sets you have or make. DNA extracts, primers, plasmids—these are all good examples of things that belong in a spreadsheet for future reference. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Read.</strong> This advice comes from my friend Christopher Jagge, PhD, who manages <a href="http://amreinlab.wordpress.com/">the Amrein lab</a> at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. When I asked him what one habit he’d advise young graduate students to cultivate, it was this: read. I’d add that it’s good for you to push yourself to read challenging publications from your field of study. The more you read, the better you will get at reading the hard stuff and actually <em>remembering</em> something from it. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>* Go to lab meeting, dammit!</strong> If you’re doing research in a lab, even if it’s only a part-time thing, you should go to lab meeting. You’ll learn not only what everyone in the lab is doing, but you’ll learn a lot about how the lab thinks about science, their projects, troubleshooting, the state of their field, and so much more. Yes, I know, sometimes lab meeting is painfully boring—trust me, I’ve been there. But sometimes lab meeting is exciting and invigorating, a place where new ideas are born.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Ultimately, your research experience will be like many things in life: you get out of it what you put into it. In the words of my own undergraduate research advisor, Cliff Harris, PhD, of <a href="http://www.albion.edu/">Albion College</a>, “<strong>Immerse yourself. Read, think, ask, think about what you are about to do, ask, safely do, think about what you read and did, ask, write it all down all the time.” </strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">Wise words from a chemistry professor who has had over a hundred undergraduate research students over the years.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Good luck and have fun!</font></p> Rosiecat24http://www.blogger.com/profile/07219527037186545061noreply@blogger.com0