Schedule | Faculty & Staff | Participants
Bioethics & Neuroscience: A Primer for High School Teachers
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D. is the Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and the Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to Penn in 1994, Art taught at the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh, and Columbia University. He was the Associate Director of the Hastings Center from 1984-1987. Art is the author or editor of twenty-five books and over 500 papers in refereed journals of medicine, science, philosophy, bioethics and health policy.
Igor Jasinski received an M.A. in Philosophy from Stony Brook University. For the last fifteen years, he has been teaching Philosophy, German and Latin in both private and public high schools in New Jersey and New York. Having seen first hand how students are eager to embrace philosophical ideas and having watched them become more independent and critical thinkers in the process inspired Igor to develop instructional materials specifically designed for the teaching of Philosophy and Bioethics at the high school level. He is pursuing an Ed.D. in Pedagogy and Philosophy at Montclair State University and teaches at The Pingry School, an independent private high school in Martinsville, New Jersey.
Craig Merow, Ed.D. is chairman of the middle school mathematics department and teacher of upper school philosophy at Germantown Academy. After teaching mathematics, physics, and biology for 29 years in both public and private schools, Craig decided that it was time to confront the really big questions: he earned a B.A. in philosophy at the University of Waterloo (Ont.) and won a Kast Grant to study at Oxford. He is currently an MBE student at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the American Philosophical Association's Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy. (Craig.Merow@germantownacademy.org)
Allison Rosenbloom is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Bioethics and History.
Dominic Sisti, MBE is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State and a research associate at the Center for Bioethics. His interests include philosophy of medicine & psychiatry, clinical ethics, & research ethics. Dom received his master's degree from Penn (Bioethics, 2000) and his bachelor's degree from Villanova (Biology, 1996). (sistid@mail.med.upenn.edu)
Meghan Snow, M.Ed. earned her bachelor's degrees in Biology and Philosophy at Villanova University. For the last four years she was a science teacher and department chair in an urban middle school in Houston, Texas. She has also worked as a teacher trainer for Teach for America in their summer institute and ongoing professional development. Meghan is currently pursuing a second master's in Education Policy and Management at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Jillian Fuller: Brookfield High School, Brookfield, CT.
Jeanne Gochnauer: I taught Biology and General Science for 15 years at Reading High before inheriting the Human Anatomy & Physiology classes. I truly enjoy teaching the topic as I was a Respiratory Therapy technician for 3 years before switching careers and find the health field extremely interesting. Currently, I start out the year with some ethics, mostly centered around animals' use in research, as we dissect cats during the lab portion of the class. I bring in John Ellis to speak (Director of PSBR), have them look around the PETA website, read some articles on bioethical issues (kidney black market, face transplants, etc.), show a video on captive chimps and their past and current situation in captivity, and do some discussion. At the workshop, I look forward to gaining a broader knowledge base and some new ideas on how to approach it with my seniors.
John Hale, Science
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.S. Environmental Biology, Ohio University; graduate studies in Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College. I teach or have taught High School level Bioethics, Anatomy & Physiology, Forensic Science, Marine Science, Environmental Science, Physics, Astronomy; Middle School Physical Science, Life Science; Elementary Science classes.
Marianne Martin: I am a science teacher at Ridley High School in Folsom, Pa. I am currently teaching Anatomy and Physiology I and II, but I have also taught all levels of Biology and Bioethics. I have a BS in Biology from Villanova University and a Master's degree in Science Education from Widener University. I have also taught science at several high schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as worked as a department chairperson, dean and assistant principal during my 27 year career in education. I enjoy teaching bioethics, when we are able to run the course at Ridley. A collegue and myself put the course together several years ago and we are always looking for new ideas and new ways to present ideas to our students. I have participated in several Bioethics workshops at Penn and found them very informative and helpful for the formation of the bioethics curriculum.
Nancy Massand, English and Dean of Grades 7-8
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.A. English, Gordon College; M.S. Secondary Education/English, CUNY Queens College. Head of Short Story Workshop in the Garden School Writing Project. Winner of 3 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships/Seminars.
Kelli Mohan, science teacher from Brookfield High School is excited to be attending the workshop with BHS Science Department Head, Jillian Fuller. To date each of us have classroom experience teaching Connecticut's 9th grade (STS Topics) and 10th grade (Biology) curriculum, as well as integrated science in our alternative program. I will be teaching a bioethics course that will be offered, as an elective, for the first time next year.
Paul Savage: I am a teacher of social studies and global ethics at the Academy of Information Technology in Scotch Plains, N.J. This is my fourth year on the staff. Teaching is my second career; I was a photojournalist for 26 years, two decades of which were on the staff at the Trenton Times. I studied art and history at Rutgers and earned an MA in education from Seton Hall, specializing in using technology in instruction. I live in Carversville, PA.
Scott Stein: Head of Science Department, Teacher of Biology, AP Biology Human Physiology, Springside School. Bioethics covered informally as part of units throughout the year (cloning, stem cells, assisted reproductive technologies, gene therapy, etc.).
Kevin Strogen: I teach Environmental Science (primarily seniors) and Intro to Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Environmental Science (freshmen). I have never formally taught bioethics before; however, I do try to occasionally incorporate some bioethical topics into the curriculum. I have found that students really enjoy having class discussions about what is "right" and "wrong" in regards to environmental issues, and often cite these lessons as their most favorite. I studied Environmental Resource Management at Penn State for undergrad and then received my masters from the University of Maryland in Secondary Education. I taught middle school science in Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands for two years, and high school science in Pennsylvania for three years.
Bioethics & Neuroscience: A Primer for High School Teachers
Center for Bioethics, Philadelphia PA
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sponsorship & Support
This workshop is offered by The University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics with the generous support of The Dana Foundation.
Schedule
This workshop is offered by The University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics with the generous support of The Dana Foundation.
Schedule
| Saturday March 6 | |
| 8.45am | Breakfast and Greetings |
| 9.00am |
Art Caplan: "Aims, Goals & Practicalities of Teaching Bioethics in High School" Bioethics is a controversial field. Oftentimes, discussion of the central topics of bioethics is met with resistance from parents, administrators, and school boards. Yet students continue to ask the challenging questions. This introductory session will provide workshop participants with a framework for understanding, and explaining to skeptics, the importance of teaching bioethics at the secondary school level.  |
| 10.45am | Break |
| 11.00am | Craig Merow: "Giving Students the Skills to Join the Conversation" Bioethical issues such as end-of-life decisions, genetic testing, neuroethics and organ donation, affect us all. In this session we will discuss exercises, skills, and concepts that can enhance the ability of high school students to contribute to the public debate on these important ethical concerns. Topics will include understanding ethical theories, diagramming arguments, writing dialogs, and blogging. |
| 12.30pm | Catered Lunch |
| 1.30pm | Igor Jasinski & Dominic Sisti: "The Case of Terri Schiavo: Critical Thinking and Neurophilosophy" The tragic case of Terri Schiavo highlighted just how little politicians, the media, the general public, and even some physicians knew about the clinical facts of persistent vegetative state. This clinical confusion led to confused ethical positions. In this session we will review some of the key facts around the Schiavo case, and highlight the way ethical arguments had been deployed on both sides. We will also work through exercises designed to help students critically examine both the ethical and metaphysical dimensions of this controversial case. |
| 3.30-4.00pm | Workshop wrap-up |
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D. is the Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and the Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to Penn in 1994, Art taught at the University of Minnesota, the University of Pittsburgh, and Columbia University. He was the Associate Director of the Hastings Center from 1984-1987. Art is the author or editor of twenty-five books and over 500 papers in refereed journals of medicine, science, philosophy, bioethics and health policy.
Igor Jasinski received an M.A. in Philosophy from Stony Brook University. For the last fifteen years, he has been teaching Philosophy, German and Latin in both private and public high schools in New Jersey and New York. Having seen first hand how students are eager to embrace philosophical ideas and having watched them become more independent and critical thinkers in the process inspired Igor to develop instructional materials specifically designed for the teaching of Philosophy and Bioethics at the high school level. He is pursuing an Ed.D. in Pedagogy and Philosophy at Montclair State University and teaches at The Pingry School, an independent private high school in Martinsville, New Jersey.
Craig Merow, Ed.D. is chairman of the middle school mathematics department and teacher of upper school philosophy at Germantown Academy. After teaching mathematics, physics, and biology for 29 years in both public and private schools, Craig decided that it was time to confront the really big questions: he earned a B.A. in philosophy at the University of Waterloo (Ont.) and won a Kast Grant to study at Oxford. He is currently an MBE student at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the American Philosophical Association's Committee on Pre-College Instruction in Philosophy. (Craig.Merow@germantownacademy.org)
Allison Rosenbloom is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Bioethics and History.
Dominic Sisti, MBE is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State and a research associate at the Center for Bioethics. His interests include philosophy of medicine & psychiatry, clinical ethics, & research ethics. Dom received his master's degree from Penn (Bioethics, 2000) and his bachelor's degree from Villanova (Biology, 1996). (sistid@mail.med.upenn.edu)
Meghan Snow, M.Ed. earned her bachelor's degrees in Biology and Philosophy at Villanova University. For the last four years she was a science teacher and department chair in an urban middle school in Houston, Texas. She has also worked as a teacher trainer for Teach for America in their summer institute and ongoing professional development. Meghan is currently pursuing a second master's in Education Policy and Management at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Participants
Liliana Cabrera, Science and Computers
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.S. Biology; pursuing M.S. Biology, Long Island University.
She teaches Middle School and Elementary Science classes.
Michael Czapczynski (Chop - Chin - Ski) has been teaching science for four years at Oakcrest High school in Mays Landing, NJ. In the past he has taught Biology, Chemistry, and Forensics. This year he is only teaching College Prep chemistry, but looks forward to having some sections of biology in the future. Mr. Czaps (Chops) has previously attended workshops on bioethics, and introduced some of these concepts when he taught forensics.
John Elmore: Greens Farms Academy, Westport, CT. I taught biology and chemistry for a number of years and was a science department head before turning to school administration. In those roles, I have served as a Director of College Counseling and Assistant Head of School, and now in my fourth school, I am the Head of Upper School and Director of Studies. However, I continue to teach (this year a section of Algebra) and next year will be teaching a course in Bioethics. In graduate school, I took quite a number of courses in ethics and philosophy, but this will be my first opportunity to teach the subject.
Frederick Feraco Jr., Science and Computers (2008)
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.A. Biology; pursuing M.A. Biology Education C.W. Post Long Island University.
He teaches High School Physics, Middle School Life Science and General Science, and Elementary Science classes.
Jason Falconio: I teach two levels of biology at Conestoga High School and have been interested in integrating bioethics into my courses beyond the basics. After a previous career in molecular microbiology I am hoping to bring as much current research/scientific debate into my classes as possible.
Liliana Cabrera, Science and Computers
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.S. Biology; pursuing M.S. Biology, Long Island University.
She teaches Middle School and Elementary Science classes.
Michael Czapczynski (Chop - Chin - Ski) has been teaching science for four years at Oakcrest High school in Mays Landing, NJ. In the past he has taught Biology, Chemistry, and Forensics. This year he is only teaching College Prep chemistry, but looks forward to having some sections of biology in the future. Mr. Czaps (Chops) has previously attended workshops on bioethics, and introduced some of these concepts when he taught forensics.
John Elmore: Greens Farms Academy, Westport, CT. I taught biology and chemistry for a number of years and was a science department head before turning to school administration. In those roles, I have served as a Director of College Counseling and Assistant Head of School, and now in my fourth school, I am the Head of Upper School and Director of Studies. However, I continue to teach (this year a section of Algebra) and next year will be teaching a course in Bioethics. In graduate school, I took quite a number of courses in ethics and philosophy, but this will be my first opportunity to teach the subject.
Frederick Feraco Jr., Science and Computers (2008)
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.A. Biology; pursuing M.A. Biology Education C.W. Post Long Island University.
He teaches High School Physics, Middle School Life Science and General Science, and Elementary Science classes.
Jason Falconio: I teach two levels of biology at Conestoga High School and have been interested in integrating bioethics into my courses beyond the basics. After a previous career in molecular microbiology I am hoping to bring as much current research/scientific debate into my classes as possible.
Jillian Fuller: Brookfield High School, Brookfield, CT.
Jeanne Gochnauer: I taught Biology and General Science for 15 years at Reading High before inheriting the Human Anatomy & Physiology classes. I truly enjoy teaching the topic as I was a Respiratory Therapy technician for 3 years before switching careers and find the health field extremely interesting. Currently, I start out the year with some ethics, mostly centered around animals' use in research, as we dissect cats during the lab portion of the class. I bring in John Ellis to speak (Director of PSBR), have them look around the PETA website, read some articles on bioethical issues (kidney black market, face transplants, etc.), show a video on captive chimps and their past and current situation in captivity, and do some discussion. At the workshop, I look forward to gaining a broader knowledge base and some new ideas on how to approach it with my seniors.
John Hale, Science
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.S. Environmental Biology, Ohio University; graduate studies in Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College. I teach or have taught High School level Bioethics, Anatomy & Physiology, Forensic Science, Marine Science, Environmental Science, Physics, Astronomy; Middle School Physical Science, Life Science; Elementary Science classes.
Marianne Martin: I am a science teacher at Ridley High School in Folsom, Pa. I am currently teaching Anatomy and Physiology I and II, but I have also taught all levels of Biology and Bioethics. I have a BS in Biology from Villanova University and a Master's degree in Science Education from Widener University. I have also taught science at several high schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as worked as a department chairperson, dean and assistant principal during my 27 year career in education. I enjoy teaching bioethics, when we are able to run the course at Ridley. A collegue and myself put the course together several years ago and we are always looking for new ideas and new ways to present ideas to our students. I have participated in several Bioethics workshops at Penn and found them very informative and helpful for the formation of the bioethics curriculum.
Nancy Massand, English and Dean of Grades 7-8
The Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
B.A. English, Gordon College; M.S. Secondary Education/English, CUNY Queens College. Head of Short Story Workshop in the Garden School Writing Project. Winner of 3 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships/Seminars.
Kelli Mohan, science teacher from Brookfield High School is excited to be attending the workshop with BHS Science Department Head, Jillian Fuller. To date each of us have classroom experience teaching Connecticut's 9th grade (STS Topics) and 10th grade (Biology) curriculum, as well as integrated science in our alternative program. I will be teaching a bioethics course that will be offered, as an elective, for the first time next year.
Paul Savage: I am a teacher of social studies and global ethics at the Academy of Information Technology in Scotch Plains, N.J. This is my fourth year on the staff. Teaching is my second career; I was a photojournalist for 26 years, two decades of which were on the staff at the Trenton Times. I studied art and history at Rutgers and earned an MA in education from Seton Hall, specializing in using technology in instruction. I live in Carversville, PA.
Scott Stein: Head of Science Department, Teacher of Biology, AP Biology Human Physiology, Springside School. Bioethics covered informally as part of units throughout the year (cloning, stem cells, assisted reproductive technologies, gene therapy, etc.).
Kevin Strogen: I teach Environmental Science (primarily seniors) and Intro to Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Environmental Science (freshmen). I have never formally taught bioethics before; however, I do try to occasionally incorporate some bioethical topics into the curriculum. I have found that students really enjoy having class discussions about what is "right" and "wrong" in regards to environmental issues, and often cite these lessons as their most favorite. I studied Environmental Resource Management at Penn State for undergrad and then received my masters from the University of Maryland in Secondary Education. I taught middle school science in Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands for two years, and high school science in Pennsylvania for three years.
