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TLC at the Tbilisi State University. Butsiko Chkhartishvili.
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TLC at the Tbilisi State University Butsiko Chkhartishvili
Ivane Javakhishvili State University of Tbilisi has been involved in SENCER Program since 2004.TLC Center has been set up in one of TSU buildings. The center has a computer and library. Every Wednesday and Friday after 2 p.m. students have the opportunity to use computer for the purpose of obtaining the information they are interested in.
Active Learning Techniques for Large Civic Engagement Critical Thinking Designing Service Learning Opportunities Developing Civic Engagement How Do You Know What Your Students are Learning Science and Student Experience SENCER Service Learning and the Sciences
Georgia-Armenia-US-Alliance for Education and Economic Development With support from the 2006 New Ideas Partnership Program, we propose to establish the “Georgia, Armenia, United States Alliance for Education and Economic Development” (GAUSAEED). The Alliance will foster innovative and durable collaborations among Georgian, Armenian and American institutions of higher education that will improve teaching and learning (especially in the sciences and mathematics), connect improved learning to economic and civil society development, and foster state-of-the-art pedagogical practice and collaborative research, as well as scholarly and cultural exchange, among higher education institutions in the US and the newly independent states of Georgia and Armenia.
The seminar at Tbilisi State University was organized on May 24 by TLC director Butsiko Chkhartishvili and facilitator Nana Japaridze. Dave Tauck, professor from Santa Clara University made two presentations: one on teaching and learning issues “Focusing on Learning Instead Teaching” second – professional “Brain Computer Interface: Magnetic Stimulation of Neurons for Implantable Neuroprosthetic Devices”.
Ardith Maney, Professor, Iowa State University. Karen Kashmanian Oates, Provost, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Mr. John Halder, CCID President/ Executive Director Violet Kalesnikoff, Dean of Community, Corporate, and International Development, CCID Rameshwar S. Kanwar, Professor and Department Chair, Iowa State University Steven A. Freeman, Assistant Director and Associate Professor, Iowa State University Amy Leigh Kaleita, Assistant Professor, Iowa State University Embleton Karla, Director of Educational Technology, Iowa State University Mary Lou Lauer, Ph.D. Vice President, Kirkwood Community College Amy Shachter, Senior Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Dr. David L Tauck, Faculty Director - da Vinci
American Student Internships at Tbilisi State University The students internship program was jointly organized by IWISE, SENCER, the National Science Foundation and Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi State University and Medical State University.
Students started working on research projects at SENCER’s three Georgian partner universities. Alison Lima and Shane McCarty have been “doing rounds” in departments and faculties at the Medical State University. Engineering students Kyle Riley and Mark Holzer are working on water supply and safety projects at Georgian Technical University and some Tbilisi companies where their Georgian student colleagues have internships. Meanwhile Jessica Russell and Annie Peppler, who have majors at their home university in exercise science and animal science, have gotten first-hand experience in labs at Tbilisi State University.
At Tbilisi State University Annie Peppler and Jessica Russell, majors at Iowa State University in exercise science and animal science were introduced to several of the current research projects being conducted in labs at various departments.
• Department of Human and Animal Physiology (Dr. E. Mitaishvili) - Influence of nootropic drugs on memory disorders caused by epilepsy - • Department of Cytology, Histology, and Developmental Biology (Prof. D.Dzidziguri - laboratory of Developmental Biology) – - (i) The initial stages of liver regeneration; - (ii) The lecture and computer demonstration on 3- and 4-D modeling of living cells as a valuable tool in medical research and clinical practice, especially in cancer research. To study the liver regeneration students were introduced to the surgical technique employed to obtain liver samples from living snail specimens, also histological procedures of liver tissue preparation for study under a microscope.• Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Prof. N.Alexidze) – The role of lectins in potato disease. Students participated in an experiment concerning potato lectins’ discovering and blocking their action that will protect potatoes from bacterial infection.
The subjects have been created in accordance with the multidisciplinary principle. Representatives of various fileds of natural sciences, highlyqualified Georgian scientists have made their contribution to creation of these subjects.The academic staff of TSU decided to give lectures on “Environment and Health” and “Social Ecology”.
Apart from the university work the SENCER Group has settled on expansion and introduction of the program into school curicula (mainly, in 10th, 11th grades). For that reason the lectures were delivered for the students and teachers of schools.The staff of Tbilisi secondary school #53 have made up their mind to draw up a similar slightly simplified textbook for school children “We and Environment”. The supplmentary textbook prepared by the school teachers will be sent to other schools in Tbilisi and throughout Georgia in order to use it in the process of teaching.
.Why we decided to introduce SENCER into School Curricula 1. It is very important to expand the program and involve high school students from various regions and towns of Georgia in it. A lot of social, ecological and political problems have been accumulated in the regions that need to be dealt with by the local youth. 2. In order for the young people to take an active part in problem solution process it is of utmost importance to raise awareness and heighten a sense of civic responsibility among them. The younger they are when realizing that the more good they can do to the benefit of their country.
. 3. In order to identify and assess a challenge and then seek the ways of handling it the young people should be equipped with the basic knowledge of natural sciences. SENCER can really be helpful in that. 4. A number of reforms have been undertaken that aim to alter the outdated methods of teaching and update textbooks in Georgia. Retraining the staff in line with the new methodology of teaching is also on the agenda. The SENCER Program has a number of professors who can assist the school teachers and students by holding trainings in methodology and providing them with the information about the latest scientific developments.
As for our future plans we will certainly run the center: 1) Seminars will be held and young teachers will be invited so that they might familiarize themselves with SENCER principles and new learning methods and improve their teaching skills.2) The TLC Center also plan to continue work at schools in line with the program and dissiminate the SENCER principles within the various regions of Georgia.