The A&P Professor

Kevin Patton shares experience as an elephant keeper & trainer that give us insight to how the skin helps us maintain homeostasis of body temperature. An update in memory formation regarding the role of netrin at the synapse. And a reminder about your homework!

00:41 | Homework! 02:03 | Netrin and memory 06:47 | Sponsored by HAPS 07:04 | Featured: Elephants and skin 23:29 | Sponsored by AAA

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People are so difficult. Give me an elephant any day. (Mark Shand)

1 | Homework! 1.5 minutes

Don't forget your homework assignments:

1. Share this podcast with ONE other A&P colleague before the next episode arrives. Yes, I do accept late homework.
2. Have questions, comments, stories, or ideas related to accommodating student needs? Pass them along for a future episode focused on this topic.

1·833·LION·DEN (1·833·546·6336) [email protected] (you can attach a sound file if you like! you get double extra credit if you do!)

2 | Netrin and memory 4.5 minutes

New information about how memories form at synapses in the hippocampus tells us that netrin-1 is involved. (Click on the image to see details (you can use this image in your teaching, if you dare).

• Key molecule responsible for learning and memory discovered (summary of new discovery) https://my-ap.us/2zgjc5c
• Activity-Dependent Netrin-1 Secretion Drives Synaptic Insertion of GluA1-Containing AMPA Receptors in the Hippocampus: Cell Reports (full research article) https://my-ap.us/2zizHNU
• If the diagram is not visible in this view go to https://my-ap.us/netrin-art
  • This diagram is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

3 | Sponsored by HAPS 0.5 minutes

The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS) is a sponsor of this podcast. Did you know there's a reduced "early bird" registration rate for the annual HAPS confercnce in Portland OR next May? Check it out. You can help appreciate their support by clicking the link below and checking out the many resources and benefits found there.

Anatomy & Physiology Society | theAPprofessor.org/haps

4 | Elephants and skin 16.5 minutes

Kevin's experience in zoos, circuses, and on safari in Africa form the basis of some elephant stories he tells in his A&P courses to emphasize some concepts of the integumentary system. In this episode, he shares some elephant research updates, then goes into how elephant skin can help us better understand the thermoregulatory function of human skin. The images show Kevin (on ground in dark suit) and his elephant friend Flora, the retired namesake of Circus Flora. The anterior and posterior sides of Flora's ears pictured are referred to in Kevin' stories (you may use these images in your teaching with attribution).

• Image of the Day: Swish Swish | Animals' tails swat away insects using both wind and whack. (video and animation of the "double pendulum" pattern of elephant tails) https://my-ap.us/2zgjuZQ
• Mammals repel mosquitoes with their tails (journal article about elephant tails repeling mosquitos) https://my-ap.us/2zgkAVs
• Discerning Elephants | Elephants are able to tell human voices apart based on cues for age, sex, and ethnic group. (summary of research) https://my-ap.us/2zeeRzk
• Elephants can determine ethnicity, gender, and age from acoustic cues in human voices (journal article with full details of the research) https://my-ap.us/2zhwIoY
• Elephants Revived a "Zombie" Gene that May Fend Off Cancer (summary of research about gene that may protect elephants from cancer) https://my-ap.us/2zodgar
• A Zombie LIF Gene in Elephants Is Upregulated by TP53 to Induce Apoptosis in Response to DNA Damage (research article about cancer-protective gene in elephants) https://my-ap.us/2zi2qT5
• Why Elephants Don't Shed Their Skin | The cracks in African elephants' skin help them keep cool and stay healthy. A new explanation for how those cracks form could offer insights into treating a human skin disease. (brief summary article) https://my-ap.us/2zgIuQC
• Locally-curved geometry generates bending cracks in the African elephant skin (full research article which includes some cool histology images) https://my-ap.us/2zetSBl
• Elephant skin (general comments and photos from the Elephant Encyclopedia) https://my-ap.us/2zgl4ee
• Elephant foot and foot care (article from the Elephant Encyclopedia has photos of the "wedge" structure of an elephant foot and how foot care is done) https://my-ap.us/2zfy5Vj
• If the photos are not visible in this view:
  • Anterior elephant ear https://my-ap.us/eleph-ear-front
  • Posterior elephant ear https://my-ap.us/eleph-ear-back
  • Kevin & Flora at the circus https://my-ap.us/kp-flora-circus
  • These photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

5 | Sponsored by AAA 0.5 minute

The searchable transcript for this episode, as well as the captioned audiogram of this episode, are sponsored by The American Association of Anatomists (AAA) at anatomy.org

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
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  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
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  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses. Transcript and captions for this episode are supported by the American Association of Anatomists. The Human Anatomy & Physiology Societyalso provides support for this podcast.(Clicking on sponsor links helps let them know you appreciate their support of this podcast!)

Host Kevin Patton previews the content of The Elephant Episode. Huh? Yep, elephants.

There's more...including a small bit of bonus content to make the full episode more meaningful to listeners..including two recommendations from The A&P Professor Book Club.

If you cannot see or activate the audio player click here.

Questions & Feedback: 1-833-LION-DEN (1-833-546-6336)

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This preview is an experiment. Do you like having a preview? Do you like the "bonus content" that goes beyond a simple preview? Or has it ruined your life?

Let me know:

1·833·LION·DEN (1·833·546·6336) [email protected]

Episode 31 topics:

• Mechanism of memory formation
• What elephants can teach us about anatomy & physiology

TAPP app:

List of URLs of curated A&P media we can use in teaching, complied by Barbara Waxer (available only in the TAPP app)

Word dissections:

• pachyderm
• integument

The A&P Professor Book Club has two new recommendations in this preview:

The Scent of Desire: Discovering our Enigmatic Sense of Smell by Rachel Herz

Receptors by Richard Restak

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
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Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses. Transcript and captions for this episode are supported by the American Association of Anatomists. The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society also provides support for this podcast.(Clicking on sponsor links helps let them know you appreciate their support of this podcast!)

Aaron Fried returns for a second conversation about anatomical specimens, this time discussing illustrations based on executed Nazi prisoners. Plus updates on epigenetics, handedness in cells, HAPS sponsorship, making course content accessible to all students. Oh, and your homework.

00:40 | Listen up: feedback on accommodating hearing impairment 05:06 | HAPS is now a sponsor of this podcast! 06:36 | Update in epigenetics 10:07 | Handedness in cells 13:45 | Featured: The Nazi Anatomists (a chat with Aaron Fried)

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I never teach the same course twice. (Elie Wiesel)

1 | Listen up!

4.5 minutes

Feedback from listener Ron Parente leads to a discussion of how accommodating for hearing impairments and other challenges actually help all learners—not just those needing accommodation. Have questions, comments, stories, or ideas related to accommodating student needs? Pass them along for a future episode focused on this topic.

Don't forget your homework assignment: share this podcast with ONE other A&P colleague before the next episode arrives. Yes, I do accept late homework.

2 | HAPS is now a sponsor of this podcast

1.5 minutes

The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS) is now a sponsor of this podcast. You can help appreciate their support by clicking the link below and checking out the many resources and benefits found there.

• Anatomy & Physiology Society (the HAPS website, where you can explore resources and check out the membership options)
• @HumanAandPhysSoc (follow the HAPS Twitter feed)

3 | Update in epigenetics

3.5 minutes

Epigenetic inheritance is known to involve various factors impacting DNA, such as methylation. We are now seeing roles for RNAs, including the long RNAs from sperm than enable epigenetic inheritance via the male parent.

• Studies raise questions over how epigenetic information is inherited (short, plain English summary)
• Alterations in sperm long RNA contribute to the epigenetic inheritance of the effects of postnatal trauma (Research journal article)

4 | Handedness in cells

3 minutes

Chirality is "handedness" or the characteristics of having mirror-image versions. You may be familiar with this phenomenon in cells, but did you know it also occurs in cells? New research suggests that a change in handedness in diabetes mellitus may explain how blood vessels get leaky.

• Flipped Cells Cause Blood Vessels To Leak in Diabetes and Other Diseases (press release explaining the new research)
• Cell chirality regulates intercellular junctions and endothelial permeability (Research journal article)

5 | The Nazi Anatomists—A Conversation with Aaron Fried

21 minutes

Aaron Fried, A&P faculty at Mohawk Valley Community College and national speaker on human body donation and anatomists in Nazi Germany, joins Kevin for a lively discussion of the value of "the silent teacher"—the human body donor—in teaching human structure. In this second of two chats, Aaron discusses illustrations produced using executed prisoners in Nazi Germany and what this means for today's A&P teacher.

• Episode 29 (our first conversation, which which touched on the ethics of using human body donors)
• Who Was Eduard Pernkopf? (Aaron Fried's video explains some of the history around Eduard Pernkopf and defines the Pernkopf controversy.)
• https://www.mvccanatomy.org/ (Aaron Fried's website)
• professoranatomeme (Aaron Fried's Instagram)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (The A&P Professor Book Club selection by Rebecca Skloot; mentioned by Aaron Fried)
• History & Culture Mini Lesson (part of Kevin's course outline that explores issues of using human bodies in anatomy)
• Anatomy and Ethical Transgressions in National Socialism (video of a talk given by Sabine Hildebrandt at Harvard)
• Researchers Issue Guidelines on Handling Holocaust Remains (video with text summary; includes application of "Vienna protocols" to anatomical art, as mentioned by Aaron Fried)

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
  • Instagram theAPprofessor
  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses. Transcript and captions for this episode are supported by the American Association of Anatomists. The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society also provides support for this podcast.(Clicking on sponsor links helps let them know you appreciate their support of this podcast!)

Host Kevin Patton previews the content of The Nazi Anatomists, featuring another chat with Aaron Fried.

There's more...including a small bit of bonus content to make the full episode more meaningful to listeners...including a recommendation from The A&P Professor Book Club.

If you cannot see or activate the audio player click here.

Questions & Feedback: 1-833-LION-DEN (1-833-546-6336)

Follow The A&P Professor on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Nuzzel, Tumblr, or Instagram!

This preview is an experiment. Do you like having a preview? Do you like the "bonus content" that goes beyond a simple preview? Or has it ruined your life?

Let me know:

1·833·LION·DEN (1·833·546·6336) [email protected]

There's upcoming news about this podcast's relationship with the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS)!

The A&P Professor Book Club has a new recommendation in this preview:

The Silent Teacher: The Gift of Body Donation by Dr. Claire Smith (paperback available in UK)

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
  • Instagram theAPprofessor
  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.

Transcript and captions for this episode are supported by the American Association of Anatomists.

The Human Anatomy & Physiology Society also provides support for this podcast.

(Clicking on sponsor links helps let them know you appreciate their support of this podcast!)

Aaron Fried, national speaker on the use of human donor bodies in anatomy education, particularly in Nazi Germany, joins Kevin for the first of two chats on the importance of "the silent teacher" in learning A&P. Also, Kevin explains the loudness of this podcast, announces a grant from AAA to fund searchable transcripts, and describes the advantages of using the TAPP app.

00:43 | Why is this podcast loud? 03:56 | AAA now funds episode transcripts 05:58 | The TAPP app & your homework assignment 11:50 | Featured: The Silent Teacher (the human body donor)

If you cannot see or activate the audio player click here.

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1 | How Loud Should a Podcast Be?

3 minutes

This podcast may sound a bit louder (maybe a lot louder) than some other podcasts. The reason is that it's required for some podcast outlets. And for those of us who are hearing impaired, it works better because a low-volume podcast sometimes can't be turned up enough for us to hear it.

2 | AAA Supports Transcripts for This Podcast

2 minutes

The American Association of Anatomists (AAA or "triple-A") is now sponsoring the searchable transcripts available with episodes of this podcast. I'm a member of AAA, why don't you join me?

• anatomy.org (AAA's website, where you can explore resources and check out the membership options)

3 | The TAPP App and Your Homework Assignment

6 minutes

The TAPP (The A&P Professor) app has many features:

• Car/bike mode that rotates your screen to display larger playback controls while driving
• Streaming access to play episodes from anywhere
• Always updated with the latest episodes—and an archived back catalog
• Playback resume (when interrupted by a call, a student drops by, or other distraction)
• Quick access to all the contact methods for the show like call, email, web, Facebook, and Twitter (but not carrier pigeon)
• Playback controls like continuous play, Speed Control, Repeat On/Off, and Sleep Timer
• BONUS content, such as sample handouts and other resources

It's a great way to share this podcast with colleagues. Just ask them to go to their device's app store, which everyone knows how to do—even if they don't know how to access a podcast. Plus, they get the great functionality of the app!

Your homework assignment: share this podcast with ONE other A&P colleague before the next episode arrives.

25 minutes

Aaron Fried, A&P faculty at Mohawk Valley Community College and national speaker on human body donation and anatomists in Nazi Germany, joins Kevin for a lively discussion of the value of "the silent teacher"—the human body donor—in teaching human structure. This chat touches on the value of respect and appreciation of human donors, proper implementation of human remains such as skeletons in A&P courses, and how that respect should extend to reproductions of human specimens.

This is the first of two conversations with Aaron Fried. The next episode (Episode 30) will delve more deeply into the anatomy illustrations produced by anatomists in Nazi Germany and the many ethical questions surrounding their continued use in anatomy labs around the world.

• https://www.mvccanatomy.org/ (Aaron Fried's website)
• professoranatomeme (Aaron Fried's Instagram)
• The Anatomist (book by Bill Hayes about Henry Gray and illustrator Henry Vandyke Carter; from the TAPP Book Club)
• History & Culture Mini Lesson (part of Kevin's course outline that explores issues of using human bodies in anatomy)

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
  • Instagram theAPprofessor
  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.

Transcript and captions for this episode are supported by the American Association of Anatomists.

Barbara Waxer gives advice on the "proper" use of media in teaching, including where to find it. Documented number of protein-coding genes & noncoding genes (RNA-coding genes) in the human genome continues to fluctuate. A new sensory structure, the neuropod, is demonstrated in the gut lining.

0:40 | How many genes in the human genome? An update. 4:36 | A new sensory structure found in the gut 9:27 | Featured: Advice on using media properly - chat with Barbara Waxer

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1 | Update: Number of Genes in Human Genome 4 minutes

A recent article in Science News kinda sounds like the known number of genes in the human genome has doubled since the report cited in a recent episode. Nope. It's just that experts are now often including both protein-coding genes and noncoding (RNA-coding) genes in the total.

• A recount of human genes ups the number to at least 46,831 (Recent Science News article; and a hint to today's lucky numbers)
• TAPP Radio Episode 20 (episode where we discussed the number of genes in the human genome)

2 | New Sensory Structure Found in the Gut 5 minutes

A new sensory structure has been documented in the lining of the mammalian gut. It involves the enteroendocrine cell, which has now been shown to synapse with neurons that lead to the brain via the vagus nerve, sort of like other epithelial-nervous sensory structures like the tactile disk (Merkel disk) arrangement in the skin.

• A gut-brain neural circuit for nutrient sensory transduction (research article in Science)
• A gut feeling (summary of the research)
• Permission granted to use image here in teaching (attribution: Kevin Patton theAPprofessor.org or link back to this page)

3 | Interview with Barbara Waxer 30.5 minutes

Barbara Waxer, a professor of media and expert in copyright and the use of media joins Kevin for a chat about a topic that has come up before: how to properly use media created by others in our A&P course.

• www.barbarawaxer.com (Barbara's website, where she curates a large collection of resources)
• Internet Surf and Turf-Revealed: The Essential Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Finding Media (book by Barbara)
• Teach Act - Copyright Clearance Center (brief synopsis; PDF file)
• Creative Commons
• TAPP Radio Episode 26 (in which Greg Crowther suggested the importance of citing our sources)
• TAPP Radio Episode 25 (in which Kevin first mentioned integrity in using images in our teaching)

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
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  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
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Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.

Weinstein & Sumeracki join Kevin for a conversation about their new book that explores how learning science can help us teach more effectively & help our students learn more effectively. And a brief update on how myosin-actin interactions in the RBC cytoskeleton help regulate cell shape and deformability.

0:59 | New discovery about the shape of red blood cells 4:54 | Featured: Chat with the authors of a new book about how we learn

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"Educational practice does not, for the most part, rely on research findings. Instead, there's a preference for relying on our intuitions about what's best for learning. But relying on intuition may be a bad idea for teachers and learners alike." Yana Weinstein & Megan Sumeracki in Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide

1 | Regulation of Red Blood Cell Shape 4 minutes

Recent evidence points to a myosin-actin interaction in the cytoskeleton connected to the plasma membrane as a key mechanism for regulating RBC deformability. Thus that old myosin-actin attraction learned while exploring muscle contraction accomplishes important tasks in other parts of the body, too!

• Healthy red blood cells owe their shape to muscle-like structures (brief synopsis)
• Myosin IIA interacts with the spectrin-actin membrane skeleton to control red blood cell membrane curvature and deformability (research article)

2 | Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide 23 minutes

Dr. Yana Weinstein and Dr. Megan Sumeracki join Kevin for an informative chat about their new book Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide. These learning scientists explain how A&P professors can use the six strategies for learning in their courses to help students learn.

• Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide (the book; multiple formats available)
  • Featured in The A&P Professor Book Club
• learningscientists.org (the website for The Learning Scientists; links to blog, podcast, videos, downloadable resources; good link to share with your A&P students)
  • @AceThatTest (follow The Learning Scientists on Twitter)
• Related resources from The A&P Professor
  • Episode 1: Spaced Retrieval Practice (the pilot episode of this podcast explored Kevin's experience with combining spacing and retrieval practice (discussed by Weinstein & Sumeracki in today's chat).
  • Episode 7: Teaching for Long Term Learning
  • Seminar: Long Term Learning | Five Strategies for Teaching A&P

Please call in with your reactions, questions for the authors, comments, and ideas for implementing the tips in this book:

• 1-833-LION-DEN or 1-833-546-6336
• [email protected]

Here's an example of a visual chapter preview mentioned in the interview. Sample from Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide

If the hyperlinks here are not active or images do not appear, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
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Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.

Is there a newly discovered micro-organ in our lymph nodes? Perhaps we should be modeling professional integrity for our students.

00:42 | A new micro-organ in our lymph nodes? 05:31 | Daily Nuzzel newsletter with curated headlines for A&P teachers 07:18 | Succeed in A&P podcast mentioned us! 09:04 | Featured: Modeling professional integrity18:36 | The A&P Student blog

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I don't think it works very well to tell our students to be ethical. We have to show them what ethical looks like. Kevin Patton

1 | A New Micro-Organ? 4.5 minutes

One headline announced the discovering of a new human micro-organ. It turns out, researchers have found a distinct structure just beneath the capsule of lymph nodes called the subcapsular proliferative focus (SPF) where memory B cells hang out—not deep in the germinal center (GC). This puts them in a good position to be activated by macrophages acting as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and mount a strong secondary immune response.

• Researchers Discover New 'Micro-Organ' in Human Immune System (news item about the discovery)
• Memory B cells are reactivated in subcapsular proliferative foci of lymph nodes (research article from Nature Communications)
• Second Harmonic Generation Imaging Microscopy: Applications to Diseases Diagnostics (describes the SHG method used to visualize the lymph node cells; see image)

2 | Curated daily headlines in the Nuzzel newsletter

2 minutes

Sign up for a free email subscription to Kevin's daily headlines curated especially for A&P teachers.

• The A&P Professor Nuzzel newsletter nuzzel.com/theAPprofessor

3 | Succeed in A&P podcast 2 minutes

The A&P Professor podcast received a couple of mentions in Jim Connely's podcast Succeed in A&P. Check out the August 31 episode, featuring Krista Rompolski!

• Listen in iTunes
• MHHE blog (scroll down to the podcast entry)
• The Syllabus Episode (from The A&P Professor, our podcast featuring contributions from Krista Rompolski)

4 | Modeling Professional Integrity 9.5 minutes

Greg Crowther, whose song was featured in episode 25, calls in with an important point about modeling professional integrity for students: we should always cite the work of others. Whether we are using material legally is a separate issue. If we tell students they are plagiarizing if they don't cite others' works, then we are hypocrites if we don't model that behavior ourselves.

Kevin mentions some other benefits of consistently citing the work we use in our courses.

• Promoting Academic Integrity in our Course (episode 25, also featuring a song by Greg Crowther)
• The HAPI graduate program in which Kevin teaches
• Barbara Waxer (a media expert slated for a future episode)

Please call in with your reactions, ideas, and tips for promoting academic integrity:

• 1-833-LION-DEN or 1-833-546-6336
• [email protected]

Vesalius: The Fabric of the Human Body

5 | The A&P Student 3.5 minutes

The A&P Professor is Kevin Patton's blog for A&P students. You can link to the blog, or to any specific post within the blog, from your course materials (syllabus, course page, learning management system, emails/messages to students). Kevin (mostly Jenny, his wife) sends out bookmarks you can distribute to your students. This wacky bookmark has an anatomical illustration of eyeballs in their orbits on the obverse and information (including URL) about the blog on the reverse. If you mention that you are a podcast listener, you'll also get the almost coveted The A&P Professor label pin (authorized for use on your academic attire).

• theAPstudent.org (the link to the main blog page)
• Bookmark request page (fill out the form accurately, or the request will be rejected)

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
  • Instagram theAPprofessor
  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.

Master teachers focus more on promoting a culture of integrity than on specific anti-cheating strategies, but what are some practical ways to do that? Greg Clowther sings a song for A&P and challenges us to do the same. Button junctions in lymphatic capillaries explain how endothelial cells act as valves.

• Greg Crowther sings A Physiologist's Blessing (3.5 min)
• Button & zipper junctions in the lymphatic capillaries (7.5 min)
• Methods to promote academic honesty and reduce cheating (28.5 min)

If you cannot see or activate the audio player click here.

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You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Harper Lee

(0:44) If you keep up with the HAPS Blog from the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS), you may have already accept Dr. Greg Crowther's challenge to incorporate songs into your A&P course this semester. With his permission, here's a song from Greg that's great for the first day of class!

• Starting on a high note: a first-week-of-fall A&P challenge (HAPS Blog post with a fun challenge from Greg Crowther)
• A Physiologists Blessing (the home page for the song in this episode; inlcudes lyrics, mp3 demo, karaoke file, sheet music, background info; used in this podcast by permission)
• VOICES (online conference on using songs in STEM education; only $10; features Crowther)
• https://hapsblog.org/ (HAPS Blog; one of my favorite blogs for A&P teachers)
• Playful & Serious Is the Perfect Combo for A&P (previous episode explaining the value of playfulness in the A&P course)

Dr. Greg Crowther teaches anatomy and physiology at Everett Community College (WA). His peer-reviewed articles on enhancing learning with content-rich music have collectively been cited over 100 times.

(4:14) Are you familiar with the button junctions that connect overlapping endothelial cells in lymphatic capillaries in a way that forms valves? What about zippers? Where do they fit into the story? (They do.) Here are some links to the details behind a great demo that Kevin shares for understanding lymphatic structure and function.

• Functionally specialized junctions between endothelial cells of lymphatic vessels (2007 research article outlining button and zipper junctions; great images)
• Plasticity of button-like junctions in the endothelium of airway lymphatics in development and inflammation. (2012 research article shows that zippers predominate in early development, but are then convert to buttons; also has some really cool images showing these junctions)
• Lacteal junction zippering protects against diet-induced obesity (2018 research article)
  • Tighter lymphatic junctions prevent obesity (perspective and summary of the research article; includes a nice slide you can use in teaching)

(11:55) One way to approach "the cheating issue" in our courses is to promote a culture of academic honesty from the start. But how do we do that? Kevin shares some practical tips you can use for a comprehensive approach to creating and maintaining a culture of professional and academic integrity in your A&P courses (or any courses, really).

• • What the Best College Teachers Do (the Ken Bain book mentioned in this episode)
  • The Syllabus Episode (mentioned several times in this podcast)
  • Academic Integrity (A special topic page at The A&P Professor website; includes additional information and links to resources)
  • Why be honest? (about academic integrity; for students)
  • Kevin's Academic Integrity statement (This is a statement I have used in my course syllabi. You are welcome to adapt it according to your own course and institution's needs. It's an example to get you thinking about actively promoting honesty.)
  • Kevin' Academic Integrity Case Study handout/activity (This document is an example of an in-class activity that I use to promote discussion of academic integrity. It's a handout used for small group discussions. You can adapt it to fit your needs, per the attribution/share-alike license enclosed in the document.)
  • Frank O'Neill @growgraymatter (Turn on your "Frank O'Neill filter.")
  • Using copyrightable materials in teaching (Some good practical advice from the University of Minnesota Libraries. But ask your own librarians for help. And don't forget, I've got an upcoming episode with an expert!)
  • Testing as Teaching (this seminar at The A&P Professor website shows you how I use Respondus test editor, one of many available test editors that can also easily produce multiple versions of a test)
  • Caring for Students Helps Them Succeed (the episode where I focused on "that empathy thing")
  • Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do about It (a book you might find to be helpful)

Please call in with your ideas and tips for promoting academic integrity:

• 1-833-LION-DEN or 1-833-546-6336
• [email protected]

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
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  • YouTube

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The syllabus is a key document in any college course. But do we really pay close attention to it? In this extended bonus episode, host Kevin Patton tells listeners how to make a syllabus easy to READ and easy to RAID, so that students really will use it to guide them.

• Introduction (2 min)
• Do students read the syllabus? What is a syllabus? (8 min)
• Reading and raiding the syllabus (14.5 min)
• First-day activities | A syllabus quiz? (18.5 min)
• Basic elements of a syllabus (13.5 min)
• More things to put in a syllabus (12 min)
• Study strategies, extra topics, & FAQs (8.5 min)
• Conclusion (1 min)

If you cannot see or activate the audio player click here.

Questions & Feedback: 1-833-LION-DEN (1-833-546-6336)

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There is a peculiar aesthetic pleasure in constructing the form of a syllabus, or a book of essays, or a course of lectures. Visions and shadows of people and ideas can be arranged and rearranged like stained-glass pieces in a window, or chessmen on a board. A. S. Byatt

(0:58) It's a BONUS episode, meaning that you get bonus minutes, meaning that it's a really, really long episode!

• How eccentric do you think Kevin is? Other listeners want to know! Really.
  • 1-833-LION-DEN or 1-833-546-6338
  • [email protected]

(3:03) Do students read the syllabus? Maybe half? It's the other half who drive us nuts. Wait! do we always read the directions before asking questions?

What is a syllabus? It can be different things, right? Why do administrators seem to love the syllabus so much?

• Recommended Twitter feed: @ReadTheSyllabus
• Please share the first tweet in my Twitter feed: @theAPprofessor.org
• That "empathy thing" I'm always harping on: Caring for Students Helps Them Succeed
• Is it syllabuses or syllabi? The answer is in a previous episode: 49 MORE Tricks for Retention & Success in Online Courses

(11:09) Some general considerations when designing a syllabus include make sure that students can both read the syllabus through, and raid the syllabus for key information when they need it. The key is simplicity and logic in syllabus design.

• READ and RAID your textbook (a link for students; explains the "read & raid principle" as applied to textbooks
• Storytelling is the Heart of Teaching A&P (the episode where I explain storytelling as a teaching technique)
• Utilize Clear Language (my take on simpler language to reach students)
• Temple Grandin, animal science professor and autism spokesperson; someone who "gets it" that we have to try to put our head inside their heads
  • Recommended book: Animals in Translation
  • Recommended video: Temple Grandin (the film starring Claire Danes)

(25:36) Is it just "here's the syllabus; see ya next class"—or is it an engaged look at important syllabus elements? The first day of class is key to starting things off on a good foot. What I learned from Krista, Michael, and Richard—and my own sideways twist on those first steps. What about a syllabus quiz? Is that a good or bad idea?

• Krista Rompolski PhD @KristaRompolski
• Recommended teacher gear: Leather index card wallet or Index card wallet
• Engaging Students on the First Day of Class (my first-day syllabus activity; adapted from Michael Glasgow & Richard Faircloth; click through to download copies of my handouts)
• First Impressions: Activities for the First Day of Class (article from Faculty Focus)
• Why be honest? (about academic integrity)
• Student Understanding
  • This is what I use for my Pre-A&P course, a self-paced onine refresher course
  • My web-enhanced on-campus courses use a similar list
  • The online quiz turns each item into a multichoice "I understand" or "I do not understand" test item
    • A perfect score unlocks the next item in the LMS, thus making this a necessary gateway to access course activities
• Test Zero
  • Reviews prior content and syllabus contents
  • Start A&P 2 with a Final Exam (explains my Test Zero for A&P 2)
  • Teaching For Long-Term Learning (episode in which I explain my Test Zero approach)

(44:24) What exactly goes into a syllabus? Who decides? What are the essentials? This isn't comprehensive, but it gets you

• How to Write a Syllabus (a great online guide from Cult of Pedagogy)
• HAPS Learning Outcomes - Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS membership is required to access them)
• Anatomy Core Syllabi (from the Anatomical Society; different flavors [undergrad med, nursing, pharmacy] membership not required to access them)
• LifeSciTRC Syllabus Resources (free samples of A&P syllabi & related resources)

(57:47) Frank O'Neill recommends video walk-throughs, which have the added benefit of letting students know that you really do care about them. Consider also a table contents, abstract/summary, and/or index if the syllabus is long. How about a disclaimer, some playful tidbits, and links to external resources. And make sure your supervisors know what's in your syllabus!

• Frank O'Neill @growgraymatter
• 7 Ways Video Can Enhance the Student Experience (video of Frank's live presentation, in which he addresses how to use a video walk-through of an A&P syllabus to give students a good first impression)
• Cumulative Testing Makes Learning Last (episode in which I discuss brief video walkthrough; click through for a link to more resources)
• Professors Are from Mars®, Students Are from Snickers®: How to Write and Deliver Humor in the Classroom and in Professional Presentations (recommended book)
• Playful & Serious Is the Perfect Combo for A&P (previous episode explaining the value of playfulness in the A&P course)

(1:09:38) Consider putting hyperlinks or URLs in the syllabus to take students to other resources. Consider linking to a FAQ page, wher you explain your rationals for doing things the way that you do them in your course.

• Additional links you may find useful
  • Syllabus Resources for A&P (from the TAPP blog)
  • Help Your A&P Students Get Off to a Good Start (from the TAPP blog)
  • Academic integrity in A&P (from the TAPP blog)
• Some links that your students may find helpful:
  • The A&P Student (Kevin's blog for A&P students; rich source of advice you can give your students; theAPstudent.org)
  • Lion Den (Kevin's website with all kinds of study skills tips and resources for A&P students; LionDen.com)
  • Medical Science Navigator (Margaret Thompson Reece's website for helping A&P students; she offers mini-courses!)
  • Getting a Good Start in your Anatomy & Physiology Course
  • Why be honest? (about academic integrity)
  • Why deadlines are important
  • Is spelling important?
  • Help significant others help you (getting busy students—especially returning learners—off to a great start)
  • Get Your Head in the Game - 5 Tips for Success in Learning (metacognition for A&P students)
  • 9 Proven Tricks for Reducing Test Anxiety (for A&P students)

(1:18:07) Final thoughts. Okay, no real thoughts. Just be glad you made it this far!

If the hyperlinks here are not active, go to TAPPradio.org to find the episode page.

• More details at the episode page.
• Transcript available at the script page.
• Listen to any episode on your Alexa device.
• Join The A&P Professor social network:
  • Blog
  • Twitter @theAPprofessor
  • Facebook theAPprofessor
  • Instagram theAPprofessor
  • YouTube

Amazon referrals help defray podcasting expenses.