While reflecting on the unique experiences I've had during student teaching, I have realized that nearly everything we have done so far during this internship is professional development. We've grown into the professionals we have become as a result of student teaching. Outside of the classroom, one of my more formal professional development experiences was at SLLC. During SLLC, teachers had a presentation from Dr. Troy Ott from the Pennsylvania State University's Department of Animal Science. Dr. Ott presented on genetic modification and biotechnology, and how teachers can reach students through all of the misinformation out there.
I actually had Dr. Ott as my of my Dairy Production classes at Penn State. I enjoyed listening to him speak, as he is a very intelligent and gifted lecturer. These professional development experiences involving content knowledge are so super important for young teachers to experience, as they can really enhance you comfort and knowledge of a certain topic in a classroom you are teaching. Dr. Ott explained basic principles of common biotechnological practices in agriculture. He explained how tansgenics works, how genetically modified plants and animals can benefit the environment and how we as educators in a community can overcome misinformation and fear among the public.
As I've said, Dr. Ott is a tremendous speaker. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch him do his thing and I learned so much about biotechnology. It was also a nice treat to run into him and see how he's been doing since I had him as a professor. Events like SLLC and ACES and PAAE events allow teachers to explore their content and new ways to teach that content. It's essential for teachers to invest in professional development in order to remain up to date on their teaching practices and content.
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