Educational Portfolio
Patterns all the way down
To decode this image for the educational context, the features of the painting are highlighted through the following perspective shifts, where certain components of the painting are looked at as both individual and as part of the larger whole, with an optional lens on the Autistic experience of the “big picture” available for interpretation:
Electrons pair and connect. Displayed as waves in the voids between structures –theorised by Hameroff (2014), experimentally tested by Mikheenko (2021) and summarised effectively by Bandyopadhyay & Ray (2022), electron pairing influences the functioning of the microtubules in the neurons of the brain and has been suggested to be a plausible mechanism for long term memory and consciousness itself.
Cells connect and then speak displayed through the microbiota representing E. coli and A. muciniphila. When you really think about it, there’s a layer of microbiota that cover the earth, who “speak” to each other via messenger molecules, and who we “speak” to about our internal environment through the enteric nervous system and the chemical messages we pass on. The interplay between the luminal inhabitants of the gut and the enteric nervous system is well documented by Spencer, Costa & Brierley (2022), with notable differences in Autistic enteric nervous system signalling leading to the next perspective shift in the painting.
Neurons speak and fire (displayed through neuron cells showing connection between dendrites in yellow). The dendrite spines on the neuronal cells are representative of what is known about the differences in structure found in the Autistic brain (Lo & Lai, 2020), as well as in those who experience great stress (Leuner & Shors, 2013). The representation includes shorter, more numerous spines, with multiple crossing connections (Hutsler & Zhang, 2010).
Minds fire and mirror along the cosmic web displayed through the containing shapes within which other phenomena occur, referencing the cosmic web of structural features of the universe (Bonnaire, Aghanim, Kuruvilla & Decelle, 2022) and the phenomenon of mirroring in neuronal systems (Burton, 2020) which is of particular relevance to Autistics (Xu, Zheng, Yao, Li, Fu, Li, Zhao, Li, Becker & Kendrick, 2022) such as the artist. The more recent work by Schmidt, Hass, Kirsch & Mier (2021) addresses the concerns raised by Ruggiero & Catmur (2018) discussions about the role of object associative knowledge mirroring. Using this picture as a representation of interconnectedness between physical and biological systems may help scaffold the identification of patterns both within and across fields of study.
References for Patterns all the way down
Bandyopadhyay, A. & Ray, K. (2022). QED Coherence and Super-Coherence of Water in Brain Microtubules and Quantum Hypercomputation. Springer Singapore Pte. Limited. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5723-8_9
Bonnaire, T., Aghanim, N., Kuruvilla, J. & Decelle, A. (2022). Cosmology with cosmic web environments: I. Real-space power spectra. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 661, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142852
Burton, H. (2020). Beyond Mirror Neurons: A Conversation with Greg Hickok. Open Agenda Publishing. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=6605852
Hameroff, S. (2014). Quantum walks in brain microtubules - A biomolecular basis for quantum cognition? Topics in Cognitive Science, 6(1), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12068
Hutsler, J. J. & Zhang, H. (2010). Increased dendritic spine densities on cortical projection neurons in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Research, 1309, 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.120
Leuner, B. & Shors, T. J. (2013). Stress, anxiety, and dendritic spines: What are the connections? Neuroscience, 251, 108–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.021
Lo, L. H. Y. & Lai, K. O. (2020). Dysregulation of protein synthesis and dendritic spine morphogenesis in ASD: Studies in human pluripotent stem cells. Molecular Autism, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-00349-y
Mikheenko, P. (2021). Magnetic Force Microscopy of Brain Microtubules. Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE 11th International Conference “Nanomaterials: Applications and Properties”, NAP 2021, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/NAP51885.2021.9568538
Ruggiero, M. & Catmur, C. (2018). Mirror neurons and intention understanding: Dissociating the contribution of object type and intention to mirror responses using electromyography. Psychophysiology, 55(7). https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13061
Schmidt, S. N. L., Hass, J., Kirsch, P. & Mier, D. (2021). The human mirror neuron system— A common neural basis for social cognition? Psychophysiology, 58(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13781
Spencer, N. J., Costa, M. & Brierley, S. M. (2022). New Concepts of the Interplay Between the Gut Microbiota and the Enteric Nervous System in the Control of Motility. In Adv Exp Med Biol (Vol. 1383, pp. 55–69). Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05843-1_6
Xu, L., Zheng, X., Yao, S., Li, J., Fu, M., Li, K., Zhao, W., Li, H., Becker, B. & Kendrick, K. M. (2022). The mirror neuron system compensates for amygdala dysfunction - associated social deficits in individuals with higher autistic traits. NeuroImage, 251(September 2021), 119010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119010
Spirit of the very small
To decode this image for the educational context:
The view through a stereo microscope is represented by the two large main circles. The lower viewing space represents the view of a leaf at the cellular level, showing veins, nuclei and cell walls. In the top viewing space, there is a representation of a Daphnia, or water flea – a common inhabitant of ponds. Also shown in this top viewing space are gram-negative bacilli – representing the model organism E. coli – and unidentified gram-positive diplococci observed from the artists oral microbiome.
Also pictured are the angles of a corner of a salt crystal, showing the angularity atypical of biological organisms. The surrounding context includes Fusarium, a distinctive banana shaped fungus found in the rhizosphere, some species of which may be pathogenic.
The open nature of the design represents the way that the world of the microscopic connects the different parts of our world – the sea, rivers and creeks represented in blue, life in green, and cascading through the air, carried on dust, pollen and smoke particles.
This artwork can be used to scaffold the development of the ability to judge the correct scale at which to look for bacteria and other organisms and objects, and as a visual reference of shape and form.
Crossing School Lines: Advice for Sessional Staff (2021)
In academia, the assumed (or traditional) pathway towards lecturing in higher education seems at first glance to be quite linear. A foundational degree, followed by an intense period of specialisation, at which point the obvious choice is to teach to your speciality. What in reality often happens with the ever-increasing sessional staff population, is a diversification of skills and capabilities, as each staff member is used where they are needed most. This can lead to a complex network of connections, and teaching across multiple schools – something that, as the university implements change proposals, and sessional work becomes even less secure, can allow sessional staff to keep paying the bills.
It’s likely that over the next few years, we as sessional staff will enquire further afield in the hunt for teaching contracts, leading to a greater number of staff juggling associations with multiple administrative teams. As a personal example, my own first contract with CSU was in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, which was then balanced through work with the School of Biomedical Sciences. After committing to work with CSU as my primary occupation, I now belong nominally to four schools – my initial two, the Pathways program through the Department of Student Services and the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences, though I do not teach in all semesters in all schools. The subjects I have taught range from sociology and history to anatomy and microbiology. For sessional staff who may be considering applying to work across schools, there are a number of pieces of advice I would like to suggest.
Stay Current
When working across schools, and as a sessional staff member in general, there are a number of free resources to continue learning and practicing the skills needed to pivot rapidly into a new subject area as needed – Coursera and LinkedIn Learning are two of these. Coursera allows you to access university level courses, either as a free audit (with no assessments or certificate), or as a paid endeavour. These courses are valuable not only for the skills and knowledge they provide, but also allow you to investigate current teaching styles being used for a wide range of subjects. LinkedIn Learning (which CSU has organisational access for) is a fantastic resource to stay up-to-date with technologies, personal branding and communication skills.
Be Organised
When teaching across multiple schools, be aware that the respective administrative teams are unlikely to communicate with each other about your time allocations – which means that this is an area you should take initiative in. Don’t be hesitant about contacting each Head of School about your schedule, availability and as a matter of course, updating each school to changes in these as your contracts come in. Creating strong lines of communication not only shows your willingness to work, but can also give you an idea of how each school operates – do they begin planning for teaching staff at the end of the previous year, or are you more likely to hear about potential contracts a week or two before you step foot into class? An excellent use of your time prior to semester is to collate your different assessments, calendars, scheduled announcements and timetables into a single document – I personally spend a few hours doing this in Excel.
Find a Mentor
If you have recently entered a school, a more experienced staff member in your contacts is one of your greatest assets. Some schools have in the past retained staff who were contracted as sessional staff support, while in other schools all sessional related communication goes through the Head of School or Associate Head of School. Understanding these minor differences in communication and procedure is vital to your success in successfully navigating multiple school contracts. Having a friend in each school who you can ask these kinds of questions will help both you and the administrative teams.
Check your Timesheets
Being organised with your timesheets when working across multiple schools is no longer about simply making sure it’s in on time – check the contract number carefully and make sure that you have selected the right one for the subject you are claiming, otherwise you may find that you receive an email saying that your approver has no idea what you are referring to!
First In, Best Dressed
Attempting to juggle multiple contracts, by necessity requires strong time management skills. While you may have a particular school you particularly enjoy working for, they may not always have work available for you. I personally take a “first in, best dressed” approach, where whichever school “locks in” a contract first takes priority. You may choose to approach schools in your order of preference, or engage with the timetabling team closely, but your own individual approach is something to consider, and maintain consistency with. Becoming a known element – someone who will say yes to whatever work is available, but who will carefully consider whether taking on further work is likely to cause undue stress and overload is an asset for the administrative team, as they can then have confidence that if you say yes to the work they offer, you will perform it to the best of your ability.
Have Fun
Lastly, working across multiple schools can be fun. Enjoy the challenge, meeting different members of CSU staff and teaching a diverse range of subjects and students. Treat each subject as a learning opportunity not only for your students, but also for yourself. Each cohort of students is individual, and the schools they belong to bring differences in their expectations (as a notable example, it tends to be relatively easy to initially engage humanities students in wide ranging discussion, while in more science based courses, students may expect their tutorials to be more focused).
Working across multiple schools can create semesters where you have a heavy teaching load, or a heavy marking load, and so it’s important to maintain the joy you get out of teaching and interacting with students. Create healthy boundaries around your work (such as working only business hours, or respecting the Sabbath, Jumu’ah or Shabbat), practice self-care, and prioritise not only your work responsibilities, but those in your life as well.
Best of luck for teaching in 2021 – may the force of knowledge and enthusiasm for learning and teaching be with you!
Tabin Brooks BA(Ling), BMedSc (Biotech) Hons.
Wagga Campus Coordinator (Pathways), Lecturer, Tutor and Demonstrator
Division of Student Services
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
School of Biomedical Sciences
School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences
I acknowledge the Wiradjuri, Ngunawal, Gundungurra and Biripai (or Biripi) peoples of Australia who are the traditional owners and custodians of the lands on which CSU's campuses are located, and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
