11th November Day 3 Reflections - Chiu Chen Ning
Posted by Anonymous at 11:12 pm- Connect
The lessons conducted today in Busan Science High School gave me the opportunity to make connections between the new material taught and existing content in lessons back at SST. An example of this was during the Chemistry practical session, where we had to determine concentrations of ascorbic acid in common vitamin drinks with a spectrophotometer. Since I had already used the spectrophotometer in Biotechnology classes to determine protein concentrations, this practical session allowed me to leverage on my prior knowledge and apply it to more scenarios. Thus, I completed the experiment in a shorter timeframe and learnt of the different applications of familiar concepts in the real world.
- Extend
The lessons also deepened our understanding of certain subjects taught in SST and built upon familiar concepts already covered in our lessons. One such example was during the Mathematics lesson I sat in on with my buddy. The questions tackled during the lesson seemed challenging at first and I was stuck, unable to solve them. However, the teacher explained the solution using the concepts of trigonometry and coordinate geometry. Through the lesson, I saw how things covered in Mathematics lessons in SST could be used in deeper concepts like 3-dimensional graphs and stereographic projections. Thus, this experience showed me how the relatively simple concepts taught in Secondary school now can act as gateways to other, more complex ideas and concepts in the future.
- Challenge
The innovative teaching methods presented at Busan Science high school caused me to rethink the way concepts can be taught in the classroom to students. During the Mathematics lesson I sat in on with my buddy, I was surprised to find that the teacher was not talking throughout the lesson. Instead, he invited students up in front of the class to explain the solution to the questions given. Through this, I found that I was able to follow the students' explanations equally quickly, and eventually found the solution myself too. This experience challenged my notion that the teacher has to be the main information source in the classroom. Instead, I found that students and my peers also hold valuable information and experience that can be shared with everyone, leading to advancements in everyone's learning.
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