Krausz learns new genetics teaching skills at summer academy

During the summer break, Enterprise High School life sciences teacher, Crystal Krausz attended the 2013 teacher’s academy Genetic Technologies for Alabama Classrooms (GTAC), hosted by HudsonAlpha Institute in Huntsville.  

GTAC is designed to help Alabama educators gain familiarity with hands-on genetic activities and classroom tools as well as identify common student misconceptions about genetics.

Krausz was one of handful of teachers who got to participate in the competitive academy, June 16-28.

“Overall, it was one of the most rewarding educational experiences I have ever (had),” Krausz said. “I got the (opportunity) to enrich my teaching style and my education about genetics. I also got the tools I need to go back into the classroom at EHS and say ‘this is exactly how genetics works,’ and make it way more intersecting for my students.”

Krausz was able to take back several lab exercises that will help students at Enterprise better understand the nature of genetics, which she says will help because a majority of kids have a hard time learning about the complicated subject from textbooks alone.

“Not only was I able to get the educational information, but I was also able to make a lot of contacts with real life geneticists,” she said. “A lot of them even agreed to Skype with my kids and take them on virtual tours.”

Krausz said the academy was a lot fun but had a rigorous schedule, with 10-hour days and several projects participants had to complete. 

One of the more interesting projects Krausz worked on involved a safe strain of the E. coli bacteria, which had been genetically modified to glow.

“In the lab they had taken a plasmid, a piece of protein, from a lighting bug and inserted it into the E. coli,” Krausz said. “We got to take it out and spread it on a plate with nutrients on it into a pattern and let it grow in an incubator for 24 hours. When it grows into that shape, it glows.”

Krausz made her shape in the Enterprise “E,” complete with a couple of Wildcat paw prints.

Krausz said she’s very excited to take what she’s learned and her new materials back to Enterprise High School and share it with her genetics students.