Profiles
Sandra Kaufmann
Title/s: Consultant
Consultant
I am an education reformist. I have had a lifelong passion to teach scientific literacy through movement and imagination. That doesn’t mean, however, that I come into a classroom and make students dance around. But I do have everyone stand up, and move them to parts of the room so they can visually see and learn about science. I believe that the retention rate is much higher when students learn through engaged activities like movement. I’m excited to teach the high schoolers how to come up with movement bachelor’ssed activities for middle schoolers. In one of the high-school after-school sessions, I walked into a high school lab and realized the long skinny aisle was the perfect space to show them the structure of a nerve cell. I had all of the students stand up. I pointed at two students and said, “You two go stand over there. You’re going to be the nuclease.” I moved a few other students and told them they were the axon. Then we crumpled up a piece of paper and acted out what neurotransmitters do. I had them pass the ball of paper in one direction to mimic how neurotransmitters work. There was a gap between the groups to demonstrate synapses, and we threw the ball over that gap. We all did the wave at one point to demonstrate the concept of electrical activity in a brain. Experiential learning through movement is a great way to teach science and health. If you don't understand your health and science, how are you going to live on this planet? What called you to this project?
Can you explain what happens during one of your workshops with the high school students?
About
Sandra Kaufmann’s primary responsibility for the Loyola Program for Neuroscience and Society is to implement experience-based learning into the after-school workshops and Summer Ethos program. She serves as the founding director of the Dance program at Loyola University Chicago. Kaufmann has performed at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. and other locations around the world as a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company. She is also an award-winning choreographer. Kaufmann graduated summa cum laude from the College of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University. She has been awarded Loyola University Chicago’s Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence and Faculty Member of the Year. She serves as an Advanced Fellow of Innovative Experiential Pedagogies through Loyola University Chicago Center for Engaged Teaching Learning and Scholarship.