As per a general perception, Science is considered to be least exciting, full of theories, hypotheses, observations and practical investigations. All these are supplemented with monotonous lectures. To top it all, it is very difficult to attract the attention of students and make them understand the concepts of science.
The scientific world is complex and simple at the same time. If one can understand the concepts with clarity, science is not difficult. However, at school level, the interest to understanding the concepts may not be natural and can put teachers in a fix. The problem can be fixed if students are being engaged in classrooms with the help of creativity. Thankfully, there exist multiple ways to interact with students creatively.
1. Story telling: This has been one of the most engaging ways to teach students for years. Students simply love to hear stories and it often leads to retention. Whatever they are being told in a story format, it is likely they will understand it better, relate to it better and remember it for a longer period of time. Teachers can incorporate storytelling in their classrooms while teaching biology or laws from physics.
2. Role play: This is another very innovative way to ensure that students are participating in the classrooms and are able to take the most from it. In role playing, students get to play the role of a person influenced by an issue, both intellectually as well as physically. This method has proved to be very effective in helping students learn new concepts with much ease and improved retaining capacity. Teachers can arrange for sessions in classrooms where a group of students are studying atoms and molecules with the help of physical activities.
3. Visual teaching: It is a proven fact that visuals hold the power of staying longer on our minds than words. If students are taught the complex scientific facts with a visual treat, it is likely they will be able to grasp it faster and longer. The multi-sensory experiences like drawings, diagrams and pictures help students to understand and memorize the concepts better while surfacing its practical application too.
4. Sports based learning: Almost every student loves to play sports. When anything that is fun appeals to the kids, then why not make the studying of science equally fun? Applying their learning using their interests like sports and other games could prove to be really beneficial in teaching them real life science. With the game of football or cricket, students can inquire into concepts like motion, speed, acceleration in a very engaging manner. While this will help students to learn physics, it will also inculcate the spirit of the sports among them.
5. Virtual science labs: We are growing technologically as a society and hence, it is high time we start utilizing it in our education system too. There are various virtual labs available which helps with experiential learning of a subject without really spending much. With the help of 3D learning, detailed diagrams or illustrations of plants or body system can be shown to the students to help them understand it better. Even for subjects like biology or chemistry, the practical classes can be done virtually saving them from the laboratory hassles.
We live in a constantly evolving scientific world and it is important that we keep advancing with our teaching strategies so that we can prepare our kids for a better tomorrow. Learners of today can be impatient and should be guided well and taught in the way they like the most. If we include creative means to engage their minds, help them apply their learning in practical ways and continue to evolve our classrooms to keep up with recent technologies, we can be assured of their future.
By, Harshita Mann, Director, Lancers International School, Gurgaon.
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