I am in the process of preparing to teach my first course:  Anatomy and Physiology.  This course is being taught at a small college and the students will be completing a Medical Assistant certificate program.  The thought of lecturing for 2+ hours twice a week is unappealing to me, especially since I will be teaching in the evening after working all day.  I’m sure my students will be less than enthusiastic as well since most are “untraditional” students with family and work responsibilities and attending what would likely be their last class of a very long day!  I attended a few workshops on team-based learning and am interested in taking the plunge and trying it out.  However, I am a bit nervous because I am sure that I will meet resistance from both faculty and students.  I am also a little uneasy because I am having difficulty coming up with appropriate group application exercises.  I want the application exercises to have real-life meaning for the students. More importantly, I want them to be prepared at the appropriate level (I am a doctorate prepared nurse and am afraid that I may prepare an application exercise that is too high level for the group).  Below are the topics that I am responsible for teaching:
The Human Body
·         Terms of Direction
·         Planes
·         Cavities
·         Structural unites
·          Homeostasis
The Chemistry of Life
·         Atomic Structures
·         Elements, Isotopes, Compounds
·         Bonds and energy
·         Common substances in living systems (i.e., water, carbon dioxide, molecular oxygen, ammonia, mineral salts, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and adenosine triphosphate)
·         Movement of materials into and out of the cells
·         pH
Cell Structure
Cellular Metabolism and Reproduction:  Mitosis and Meiosis
Tissues
The Integumentary System
The Skeletal System
The Articular System
The Muscular System
Does anyone have any ideas about potential group application exercises, particularly for the following modules:  the human body, chemistry of life, cell structure, cellular metabolism and reproduction -   mitosis and meiosis, and tissues?
Thanks,
Lowryanne Vick, DNP, APN, ACNP-BC, CCRN-CMC