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Archive for the ‘Learning Opportunities’ Category

Scientific Symposium and Medicinal Botany Walk

Posted in botany, Education, general botany, History, Learning Opportunities, Reference, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 12, 2013|

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Bridging the Gap Between Alternative and Conventional Medicine
Lloyd Library and Museum
Cincinnati, OH
October 12, 2013

The Lloyd Library and Museum invites you to attend Bridging the Gap between Alternative and Conventional Medicine, its first major scientific symposium. Speakers and participants will explore the complicated issue of using herbal and other natural remedies in a society that has long relied on conventional medical practices.

Alternative, sometimes referred to as Traditional, medicine tends to approach health from an entirely different perspective, looking to prevent rather than having to cure. However, the two medical practices can and do work together, and there is a way to integrate the two methods to obtain optimum health.

The Lloyd is bringing to Cincinnati some of the biggest advocates for herbal and natural medicine, including:

Mark Blumenthal, Founder and Executive Director of the American Botanical Council
Roy Upton, Executive Director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia ®
Sheila Kingsbury, professor of Medical Botany at Bastyr University
Lisa Gallagher, local naturopathic physician from the Alliance Institue for Integrative Medicine (Cincinnati)

Jan Scaglione, Clinical Toxicologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Cincinnati Drug and Poison Control Center, will serve as moderator in an open afternoon session, facilitating interaction between the speakers and audience. Attendees can expect to come away with a better understanding of the alternative therapies available and how to integrate natural medicines with their routine medical care to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

The symposium begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:00 PM. Registration for the event is $50 and includes light continental breakfast and afternoon snacks. Registration deadline is October 1, 2013.

On October 13, 2013, a Lloyd representative along with local herbalist/botanist, Abby Artemisia, will lead a medicinal botany hike at the Curtis Gates Lloyd Wildlife Management Area (CGLWMA) in Crittenden, Kentucky. The walk begins at 10:30 AM at the CGLWMA and ends at 12:30 PM. The cost for this educational and fun event is $25.00. Registration deadline is October 1, 2013.

Space is limited for both dates so please register soon if you would like to attend. Combined registration for both events is $65.00. Details and a registration form can be found on the Lloyd Library and Museum website.

View Details, Get Registration Form

About the Lloyd Library and Museum
The Lloyd Library and Museum, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, is a local and regional cultural treasure, which began in the 19th century as a research library for Lloyd Brothers Pharmacists, Inc., one of the leading pharmaceutical companies of the period. Our mission is to collect and maintain a library of botanical, medical, pharmaceutical, and scientific books and periodicals, and works of allied sciences that serve the scientific research community, as well as constituents of the general public, through library services and programming that bring science, art, and history to life. It is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, and on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

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Drawing Data & Hypotheses

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, teaching and learning on September 11, 2013|

On Monday Jennifer Landin told us how she collected data for her research. Did the data collected through testing tools, her Observational Skills Assessment, interviews and weekly observations support her hypothesis?

Well, yes and no. In the case of content knowledge, the students who drew did perform slightly better on the assessment. But there was only a tiny difference in their class grades. Considering that students were only drawing for ~5-10 minutes per week, though, the differences I saw between the groups were incredibly interesting.

For Attitude-Toward-Biology, I ran into an unexpected problem…

Find Out More

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Williamsburg Artist Paints Herb of the Year

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 11, 2013|

Berries for Nana's Jam, watercolor. © 2013 by Linda C. Miller. All rights reserved.

Every year the Herb Society of America selects a plant of the year. This year the chosen plant is the elderberry bush. Williamsburg botanical artist, Linda Miller, painted this heirloom plant for the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Gathering program.

The elderberry plant is a native of North America. Its flowers and fruits may be used to create jams, syrups, pie and wine. Linda worked from a specimen at The Williamsburg Botanical Garden in Freedom Park.

This month Linda has two print-signing events. The first event will occur this weekend at The Gallery at York Hall on September 14 and 15 from 10 AM – 2 PM. The second signing will occur at The Williamsburg Botanical Garden during their Art in the Garden event and plant sale on Saturday, September 28 (8 AM – 2 PM).

You are invited to celebrate the 2013 Herb of the Year, to see Linda’s original painting and to learn more about botanical art.

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Collecting Data to Study Drawing in the Classroom

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on September 9, 2013|

What kind of data did Jennifer Landin collect in her studies about the use of perceptual drawing in the classroom?

I measured knowledge of biology with a pre- and post-test (kind of like a short final exam). I also asked students to take an Attitude-Toward-Biology test and my Observational Skills Assessment. I supplemented these tests with interviews, questionnaires and weekly observations of student behaviors.

All of the students had the same lecture class and same lab activities. So, as much as possible, all the experiences the students had in class were the same. The only difference was a “Journal” randomly assigned to each student. Some students had drawing activities to complete, others had writing tasks.

More About Our Conversation with Jennifer Landin

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Assessing Observational Skills in a Classroom

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, teaching and learning on September 6, 2013|

To collect data to evaluate the use of drawing as a learning tool in a classroom setting, Jennifer had to create her own assessment tool. She created a tool called the Observational Skills Assessment. What did she think of this experience?

Ugh! That was the hardest part of my dissertation.

Learn more about Jennifer’s assessment tool

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Preconceptions in Biology & Changing One’s Mind

Posted in botanical art, Drawing, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews on September 4, 2013|

Jennifer Landin is the featured guest for September. Her research about using drawing as a learning tool in a biology classroom is based upon Posner’s Theory of Conceptual Research. I asked Jennifer what Posner’s Theory is all about. She replied:

Posner basically says that you start with a preconception. When you get some new information, you either integrate it with your current knowledge or you need to adjust your current understanding into something new. The problem is that the world often makes sense with our preconceptions, and changing can be kind of uncertain and scary. So in order to change, it’s got to really be worth it…

Learn more about Posner’s Theory

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Botanical Art from the Edge of the Boreal Forest

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Articles & Interviews on September 4, 2013|

Red Pine New Growth, © Debra Greenblatt, all rights reserved. Courtesy MacRostie Art Center.

Art from the Edge of the Boreal Forest: Reflecting Biodiversity
September 6-30, 2013
MacRostie Art Center
Grand Rapids, MN

MacRostie Art Center has announced its exhibitions for September, including
Art from the Edge of the Boreal Forest featuring the work of ten Minnesota-based botanical artists. These artists have created an exhibition of artwork based on the trees, plants, birds, and insects of the boreal forest to help educate the public about the disruptive factors – such as fire, invasive species, and stressful climate conditions – that are affecting this ecosystem. Boreal forests cross most of the upper parts of North America. The forests of Minnesota are uniquely positioned on the edge of the boreal forest ecosystem, which makes them especially susceptible to ecological disturbances.

The artists launched their studies of boreal forests in 2010 and have consulted with Dr. Lee Frelich, a forest ecologist with the University of Minnesota, Dr. Gerald Niemi of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and Jana Albers, DNR Forest Health Specialist. The artists have created work featuring botanically accurate images of trees, plants, birds, and insects. The species depicted were identified as most at risk for disappearing from the northern woods of Minnesota.

The artists used the following media to create their work: watercolor, gouache, pastels, acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, pen and ink and scratchboard.

The work in this exhibition distinguishes itself from most floral art in its botanical and scientific accuracy. It also separates itself from descriptive botanical and scientific illustration in its reverential and artistic spirit.

Climate Change Project
In partnership with University of Minnesota Extension and the Itasca Private Woodland Committee, MacRostie Art Center is presenting two special events in conjunction with the opening of this exhibition. On Saturday, September 7, there will be a bus tour to the SPRUCE climate change project at the Marcell Experimental Forest. This project is a partnership between the US Forest Service and Department of Energy and is examining the effects of climate change on peatlands and forests. The tour will be given by scientists working on the project. The bus will leave MacRostie Art Center at 8 AM and return at 12 PM. Pre-registration and a fee of $10 are required to attend the bus tour.

At 1 PM, after the bus tour, there will be a presentation by Dr. Lee Frelich at MacRostie Art Center about the current and projected effects of ecological disturbances on the forests of Minnesota. There is no cost to attend the talk with Dr. Frelich.

Both events are open to the public. For more information contact MacRostie Art Center at 218-326-2697.

You’re Invited!
Downtown art galleries and businesses are open 4-8 PM on Friday, September 6, 2013 for First Friday Art Walk. MacRostie Art Center will have food, wine, a demonstration by botanic artist Vicki Barth and artist talks at 6 PM. The First Friday reception is sponsored by Children’s Mental Health Service and is free and open to the public.

About the MacRostie Art Center
MacRostie Art Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to community growth through the arts in northern Minnesota. The MAC exists to support and advance the work of professional artists in the region and build a community that recognizes, appreciates and celebrates art. They believe that art is central to the quality of life in northern Minnesota – as it is everywhere – and that the artists who create, sell, and exhibit art play a vital role in society.

MacRostie Art Center presents exhibitions, workshops, classes, festivals, lectures, and other activities to engage the community in the arts. They support artists by providing a well-established venue for exhibition and sale of work and they work to keep the arts visible as a defining part of the community.

Learn more about the MacRostie Art Center