REFLECTION - 1 : EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY and ME As Physics Educator

Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) an umbrella term encompasses all : use of hardware devices connected to computers , software applications , interactive digital content , learning management systems etc . We as educators are all using ICT in our educational system . It has its reach now in our classes , examination system , and in managing school administration . This  boom of ICT in Education is very much taken care by National Policy on Information and Communication Technology in School Education which clearly defines the mission and in it says : 

" To devise , catalyse , support and sustain ICT and ICT enabled activities and processes in order to improve access , quality and efficiency in the school system "

No doubt we have come far ahead as far as use of technology in education is concerned but the point is , are we justifying its use? . 

For instance : these days smart boards are in every class rooms but I always feel skeptical about its use by teachers . Teachers ignore its presence in their class rooms and continue with their conventional way of teaching . There is no problem in traditional teaching but I strongly feel a little initiative on the part of teacher while planning his /her lesson with technology can bring about a large and significant difference in the whole teaching learning process of any subject .

I would like to share my personal experience of using teaching modules in Physics Class at school level .Teachers usually face tough time in completion of syllabus as a result they rush through it but using technology based method ie smart boards , power point presentations , one can complete syllabus before deadlines and that too with much better explanation . It's a great reliever .......

On the contrary , infusion of ICT in classroom practice should be a sensible process . It has been observed that teachers use tools of educational technology without having sense of objectives behind them .One cannot just play a teaching module and sit back having no role in explaining the topic . This is what most of the teachers do .

Instead teacher should supplement it at the right place in their teaching plan . For example I observed that students develop better understanding of Physics concept like different modes of communication : space wave , Sky wave etc when taken up by videos than when taught by traditional method devoid of ICT based educational tool . 

There are many more points to discuss regarding use of educational technology  but for now I am closing my article here with the conclusion that it is solely in the hands of teacher to use Educational Technology at its best . 

TOYOLOGY : Science learning through toy

In order to   innovate 

“ People don’t have to be different but they just need to think differently “

TOYOLOGY : Science learning through toy 

For understanding  principles and concepts of Science , relying on conventional science teaching approach with focus on textbook learning is not a good idea for  21st century learner and educational system . It promotes rote - learning , creates disinterest among learners and proves that  our science pedagogy is not strong enough to develop  skills which are  required to make our learners have a stand in global scenario  .  As a result though we  have a largest number of engineer graduates but not actual engineers . 

STEM education is the buzzword these days . Expanding this we have SCIENCE , TECHNOLOGY , ENGINEERING and MATHEMATICS all integrated and gives us new goals and objectives to be worked upon  by us as educators for our learners . But reality check is different . Still learners could not relate classroom studied science concepts with  their daily life experiences . Although students tend to enter school with a natural tendency for scientific questioning , observation and wonderment , conventional and outdated science teaching stifles their natural curiosity and refrain them from asking  basic questions of Science : What , Why and How ? 

Having such a disheartening situation in science education , we need to gear up and redesign , rethink and revive our pedagogies in science  teaching .As educators before planning for the lesson plan , clarity about the immediate environment and interests of a child is foremost important and we all know games , toys , cartoons etc are a part of child's world . So why not we base our teaching on such tools . 

Looking around us we can have many examples of such educational tools but I selected two of the traditional one : Dippy Bird and Spinning Top  . As Science teacher , we can use  them as educational tools developing understanding about various science concepts using mode of inquiry method , project based learning( PBL )  and thereby creating a scientific temperament , inquisitiveness , exploration among students . 

  So Lets explore  Science through Dippy Bird and Spinning Top 

1.      Dippy Bird

The drinking bird or sippy bird is a popular science toy that features a glass bird that repeatedly dips its beak into water. The earliest version of the device appears to have produced in China circa 1910-1930

Working : 

The goop in his abdomen is methylene chloride, which has a very low boiling point, and therefore evaporates quickly. At room temperature, one or two degrees temperature difference causes the bright red chemical to climb to his head. Suddenly top heavy, he falls over. The felt head, soaked in the water from the cup, cools the methylene chloride, and it drains back to the bottom. The bird rights itself, and it starts all over again .

The drinking bird is used to illustrate many principles in chemistry and physics:

·       boiling and condensation [dichloromethane has a low boiling point of 39.6 °C (103.28 °F)]

·       combined gas laws ( proportional relationship between the pressure and temperature of a gas in a constant volume) .Ideal gas law (proportional relationship between the number of particles of a gas and the pressure in a constant volume) , torque, center of mass, capillary action (wicking of water into the felt)

·       the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, heat of vaporization / heat of condensation

 

Educational Concepts Gas laws ,  Centre of Mass , Boiling , Condensation , Capillary Action etc .

2.Spinning Top or Lattoo defying the gravity !

Another simple yet challenging toy is Spinning top or lattoo demonstrates beautifully very important concepts of Physics like Angular Momentum and its conservation , Moment of Inertia , Torque , Friction , Weight , Precession etc .

How a spinning top "magically" resists the force of gravity. Why don't a spinning top fall over ? These are the questions which arise when we start thinking about its working . Its  just not a  toy but a thesis can be written on it researching various factors on which its working depends .

Its tendency to defy gravity while spinning makes it unique . If spun fast enough, a spinning top will rise to a vertical position and happily stays there, despite the fact that it will fall over if it stops spinning.

There are many forms and shapes of spinning tops, and we can put them into motion in various interesting ways. Some are spun by snap-twisting a center stem with your fingers and releasing, while the top remains on the ground. Others are held by a support at the top while a cord wound around the top is pulled to spin it.

When it is first launched and spinning its fastest, the top is most nearly vertical and stable in its spin. As it begins to slow down, its precession becomes more pronounced and its tilt angle off of vertical increases.

Educational Concepts Concepts of Rotational Dynamics like Conservation of Angular Momentum , Moment of Inertia , Torque , Angular Velocity and last but  very important Precession .

We are living in digital world , Children are tech savvy using various apps , social networking websites ,tinkering with sensors , engage in virtual world , gathering lot of information at a single click . They don’t have time now to play outdoors on street or in parks . games like Ludo , Chess are losing their charm in fron    t of new glamorous computer games like candy crush etc .  Onus is on teachers in selecting right kind of learning experiences for today’s learners . Its range can be from highly tech educational tools to non digitalized indigenous version like toys , games etc . 

It is not necessary that teaching with toys and games can be just limited to junior classes but our senior level  science concepts can also   be taken through Toyology : Science learning through Toy . Even today’s STEM learning ; explaining various STEM  concepts can very well be associated with it .

In traditional formal education, students typically learn in a   didactic manner, that is, taking notes within a classroom lecture setting. Contemporary educational research indicates that such a passive environment is not effective and results in limited retention of knowledge by students (Prince, 2004). Active learning is an instructional methodology that engages students in the learning process to improve the results of the process (Bruner, 1961). Active learning is a multifaceted and directional approach where various interactions are welcomed (e.g., teacher-to-student, student-to-teacher,and student – to – student  ) (Grabinger & Dunlap, 2000).

Teaching Science through toys foster active learning in which a child is developing higher level thinking skills , problem solving ,  a positive attitude towards the subject and above all motivation to learn which is the ultimate aim for any science educator

so why do we limit our self as science teacher and rely on only chalk and talk . Explore science through Toys and games by bringing it to our classrooms ensuring active learning of our learners .

References :

1.http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~cross/SPINNING%20TOPS.htm

2.http://www.4physics.com/phy_demo/top/top.html

3.Active Learning Through Toy Design and Development by Arif Sirinterlikci ,Linda Zane , and Alee L. Sirinterlikci

4.www.littledayout.com › Learn ›