Guh [teaching]
May. 4th, 2021 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterTuesdays always feel like they're rearing up and smacking me across the forehead.
Especially when the lab prep is finicky and something goes wrong and I don't know what it is.
I might have these labs figured out after about 10 years of doing them. We shall see.
One of the problems is that today's lab involves studying ion transport across frog skin, but the anaesthetic I'm required to use is a (voltage-dependent) ion channel blocker. I don't know whether it interferes with the ion channels found in frog skin, but from the morning lab's data it seems like there's a good chance it does.
Another problem is that it's impossible to ever wake up early enough before these labs to get ready for them.
For instance, when I got to campus this morning, I discovered that the ice machine was out, with a note taped to it.
It's a little hard to just come up with ice on the spot.
Especially when the lab prep is finicky and something goes wrong and I don't know what it is.
I might have these labs figured out after about 10 years of doing them. We shall see.
One of the problems is that today's lab involves studying ion transport across frog skin, but the anaesthetic I'm required to use is a (voltage-dependent) ion channel blocker. I don't know whether it interferes with the ion channels found in frog skin, but from the morning lab's data it seems like there's a good chance it does.
Another problem is that it's impossible to ever wake up early enough before these labs to get ready for them.
For instance, when I got to campus this morning, I discovered that the ice machine was out, with a note taped to it.
It's a little hard to just come up with ice on the spot.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-05 05:53 pm (UTC)I used to wonder why undergrad labs always seemed odd, but then I came across a book of old-fashioned chemistry demonstrations. It described how touchy a lot of mere demonstrations were, and those were run by professionals who know how to make them go. Much was explained about my undergrad labs.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-05 08:30 pm (UTC)With undergrad labs, one must play the game of, "Okay, how many different possible ways might exist for someone to do this incorrectly, and can they be made at least safe, if not also unlikely to blow up any of the expensive equipment?"
And then add on top of that, not having a good answer to the first part of the question.
I do think the demo videos have been helping, but it is still really hard to get the students to troubleshoot on their own.