Science Virtual Experiment

Here is my lesson plan in teaching Science using virtual experiment:

Lp Science



After we carried out the actual lesson, we wrote a report and here is my teaching report:

Science Lesson Report The following pictures were taken during the Science lesson:

Teaching and Learning of Science using ICT

ICT in My School

Teachers who are in the implementation of SPN21 or the new education system are the one who utilize ICT the most namely those who teaches Year 1 and Year 4 students. This is because they are being emphasized to use the provided facilities especially in the teaching of the subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. The Brunei government especially the Ministry of Education has spends a fortune on the implementation of the new Mathematics and Science syllabus for the Primary schools on the textbooks, resources, resource persons, workshops and etc.

ICT Facilities that can be found in my school are two ICT laboratories, computers, 20 Mac books, four units of projectors, one interactive white board, internet connections, wireless internet connections for staff as well students.

There are also integrated ICT across the curriculum where the core subjects such as Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Bahasa Melayu were given the opportunity to use ICT for allotted time for one hour for upper primary classes and 30 minutes for lower primary classes.

Teaching and Learning of Science using ICT

In the teaching of science, it is allocated four periods (2 hours) for lower primary and five periods (2 ½ hours) for upper primary per week where each period is 30 minutes.

Students should be provided with the opportunities to learn and develop their capability through the use of ICT tools. There are three possible approaches whereby ICT could be exploited for the teaching and learning of science. There are the uses of external devices such as sensors and suitable software installed into the computer, the use of internet to source information and synthesise the information according to needs and the use of interactive multimedia learning packages that are tailored for specific learning outcomes.

At the same time, teachers are expected to improve their computer-in-the-classroom skills which include the infusion of technology into the classroom/laboratory and also to upgrade their technology skills. In addition, websites and software relevant to the topics will be listed in the teaching and learning resources package that will be developed subsequently.

The curriculum development department (CDD) has provided Year 1 teachers the CD’s which contained power point presentations on the themes taught to the students. The provided CD’s is an audio-visual CD where the teacher does not have to explain what the visual is all about.

The disadvantage of the provided resource from the CDD is that the students do not understand English very well as this language is their second or sometimes third language. The teacher has to give explanation on difficult words to the students after viewing the CD.

The disadvantages of using ICT are time, as it is time-consuming for the teachers to prepare for the lesson and also the availability of the ICT laboratory since there are about 24 classes from Year 1 to Year 6 levels. Science teachers have to prepare materials for experiments in the science laboratory to teach on certain themes as well.

Most popular software use by Science teachers in their teaching:

1. Microsoft Words – preparing assessment papers/ experiments papers.
2. Microsoft excel – preparing assessment papers, computing marks.
3. Microsoft power point – in teaching suitable topics/themes.

What is inquiry-based learning?

Children are born with curiosity. They have a tendency to ask questions to parents or elders for something that they did not know and understand. They always seek for evidence.
The process of inquiring started with collecting of information and data by using all the five senses (Inquiry based learning, 2004). Then, by applying the existing knowledge that children had they will gain new knowledge. Inquiry is important in the generation and transmission of knowledge.

It is an active method of learning which is student-centred (Whowell, 2006). It is more interesting teaching strategy than the traditional method, chalk and talk. Enquiry skills are useful in the teaching of certain subject such as Science. Examples of enquiry skills are predicting, experimenting, observing, recording, inferring, measuring, communicating, analyzing and etc.

This method can be use in problem solving, field trips, dissertations, projects and research. Sometimes this method does not look for right or wrong answer but solutions to certain problems or questions. It is suitable to do inquiry-based learning in a small group which later will promote social interaction between the members of the group.

Some of the characteristics of the inquiry-based learning are as follow,

·Involvement with a complex problem, that is open-ended to allow a variety of responses or solutions.

·Students lead the enquiry and the methods use.

·Tasks stimulate curiosity in the students, encouraging them to actively explore and look for new evidence.

·Responsibility depends to the student for analysing and presenting that evidence in appropriate ways and in support of their own response to the problem.

What are the roles of the teacher?

Roles of the teacher are to:

1. Prepare the students before learning takes place by telling the benefits and expectations they can get from this method, the changing role of the students if compare to the traditional method, they would be able to work in groups.

2. Create the stimulus by carefully setting up the scenarios or problems.

3. Prepare the resources, determine the assessment methods and also the deadlines of the task.

4. Facilitate the students and the learning. By giving guide lines such as asking open-ended questions to the students and also support any difficulties that groups or individuals encounter.

5. Explain clearly to the students the assessment procedure and criteria.

6. Share the experience with the students.


7. Give feedback to the students as well as receive feedback from the students.

What are the roles of the students?

Roles of the students:

-Accept responsibility for their learning.
-Establish roles of the group.
-Investigate the stimulus.
-Identify the learning goals of the lesson.
-Determine a plan of activity and agree on individual tasks as well as responsibilities.
-Report individual findings and gather research.
-Completing the task.
-Tolerate with the assessment tasks.
-Give and receive feedback from other members of the group and teacher.

The advantages of using inquiry-based in teaching Science

Benefits to the students:

1. The students will remember more if they learn through this learning because they have to talk about it. It is also easier to apply to the real situation.

2. It promotes responsibility to the students.

3. Develops lifelong learning skills.

4. Nurture inquiring attitudes throughout life.

5. Accommodates different learning styles.

6. The students will become a more confident investigator, sensible, and often look at different aspects of the problem and are less frightened by the word research.

7. It helps the students to have the confidence to work with others, speak out and share ideas but also improve the students’ personality as they not only have hands-on skills and academic knowledge.

8. It reflects the multitude of skills such as intellectual and professional skills.

9. The students will be used to sharing info and deciding which one to use.

10. Involve everyone in the group work, so every student has a chance to participate.

11. Opportunities for reflection and review.

12. The students will enjoy learning.


Benefits to the teacher,

-Can inform the teacher’s own research.
-Livens up lessons.
-Encourages participation in the learning.
-Widens teaching experience.
-Enjoy teaching the students.

References

1. Boo, M. D. (1999). Enquiring children, challenging teaching. Suffolk: Open University press.
Inquiry based-learning: What is inquiry-based learning? (2004). Retrieved September 14, 2008 from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/

2. Kahn, P. & O’Rourke, K. (2005). Understanding enquiry-based learning. In T. Barrett, I. M. Labhrainn & H. Fallon (Eds.), Handbook and enquiry and problem-based learning : Irish case studies and International perspectives (pp. 1-12). Galway: CELT

3. Moore, I. (n.d.). Enquiry based learning. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from extra.shu.ac.uk/cetl/cpla%20resources/What%20is%20EBL.ppt
Whowell, M. (2006). A student guide to enquiry-based learning. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/resources/general/studentguide_july06.pdf

(These text were taken my PS 1236’s report, September 2008)

Science

In SPN21, the primary school students namely Year 1 and Year 4 students are introduced to the new Science syllabus beginning the year 2009. This subject are taught in English language.

The new Science syllabus will provide the students with enjoyable learning experiences, which will develop not only scientific knowledge but also process skills, appropriate values and attitudes for participating in a technologically changing and dynamic world.

Learning science is an active process which uses the principle of scientific inquiry.

Teaching Science

There are lots of teaching strategies that are useful for teachers available from the web sites, books and etc.

In the new education system or SPN 21, Scientific enquiry is emphasised. Teachers should use different teaching strategies.

In enquiry learning, students will discover new information based on the previous knowledge that they can link together with the new knowledge that they gathered.

Not only that, it will also develop the students' basic skills such as thinking, measuring, observing, predicting, classifying, comparing and etc.

This will promotes scientific literacy by equipping the students with the necessary scientific knowledge and also process skills.