| Abstract: | The advent of genomics, proteomics, and microarray technology has brought much
excitement to science, both in teaching and in learning. The public is eager to
know about the processes of life. In the present context of the explosive growth
of scientific information, a major challenge of modern cell biology is to
popularize basic concepts of structures and functions of living cells, to
introduce people to the scientific method, to stimulate inquiry, and to analyze
and synthesize concepts and paradigms. In this essay we present our experience
in mixing science and education in Brazil. For two decades we have developed
activities for the science education of teachers and undergraduate students,
using microscopy images generated by our work as cell biologists. We describe
open-air outreach education activities, games, cell modeling, and other
practical and innovative activities presented in public squares and
favelas. Especially in developing countries, science education is
important, since it may lead to an improvement in quality of life while
advancing understanding of traditional scientific ideas. We show that teaching
and research can be mutually beneficial rather than competing pursuits in
advancing these goals. |
