|
|
Schools Meet the Gene Machine!
New outreach programme to engage students and teachers on medical genetics
Is gene testing ethical on an unborn child?
Who should have access to your genetic profile?
Would you buy the gene machine if it became readily available in the
future?
26 June 2007 - These are some of the conundrums that will be thrown at
students and teachers participating in Meet the Gene Machine, a new
outreach programme organised by the Science Communication Unit of the
University of the West of England and delivered by At-Bristol science
centre.
Meet the Gene Machine uniquely combines drama and lively debate to engage
KS4 and Post-16 students and teachers in discussion about the social and
ethical implications of medical genetics.
‘’The advancement in human genetics have raised new questions about the
personal, social and ethical implications of science. Meet the Gene
Machine creates exciting opportunities to discuss and debate these issues
in schools and colleges. We hope to guide students towards forming their
own independent opinions without being indoctrinated or cajoled into a
specific way of thinking”, says Rebeca Medrano-Arnaez, Project Manager for
Meet the Gene Machine, At-Bristol.
Meet the Gene Machine also encompasses a series of Continuing Professional
Development workshops for teachers, offering them resource support and
useful transferable skills to lead debate activities in the classroom,
especially on contemporary science subjects that are contentious.
“Many teachers regard discussion about moral issues to be challenging and
this project aims to help them overcome this. As contemporary science can
need clarifying, we also hope to help teachers recognise the importance of
opinions and implications, while placing emphasis on learning. In
addition, teachers will also be provided with some useful pointers on
leading impartial discussions without influencing students with their
personal views and opinions.” Rebeca adds.
Meet the Gene Machine is a cross-curricular activity that supports the
National Curriculum in a variety of subjects, including Science
(especially biology, human biology and genetics), Drama and the performing
arts, English, PSHE, and Citizenship.
Meet the Gene Machine is funded by the Wellcome Trust and sessions are
offered free of charge to schools and colleges until early 2008.
The first three schools to have signed up to this outreach activity are
Chew Valley School, Katharine Lady Berkeley's School and Cheltenham
Bournside School
Schools that are interested to participate may contact Project Manager
Rebeca Medrano-Arnaez on 0117 915 7175, or email
education@at-bristol.org.uk for more information or to book
a session.
For press enquiries:
Mavis Choong, At-Bristol
0117 915 7152 / 0796 733 4152 /
mavis.choong@at-bristol.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
- At-Bristol (registered charity 1049954)
is a leading science centre in the UK and a major player in the
worldwide science centre movement. It aims to be a world-class science
and natural history centre that makes distinctive, valued and recognised
contributions to informal science learning and public engagement with
science - locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. A
registered charity, At-Bristol has hosted more than three million visits
and continually strives towards making science accessible to all.
|
