A "key" for the integration of science and education, opening the door to scientific exploration for children in remote areas

A "key" for the integration of science and education——

Opening doors to scientific exploration for children in remote areas

Sharingscience and technologymuseums, astronomical observatories, AI interactive spaces... In recent years, Zhongyi Township Primary School in Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing City has been continuously "new".Things that seemed distant before, such as 3D printing, drones, astronomical and meteorological observations, have become objects that the students of this deep mountain elementary school are "exploring".

How to carry out science and technologyeducation 　　in remote ethnic areas toopen the door for students to explore the world of science?This is a question that many tech educators are trying to answer.When serving as the principal of Zhongyi Township Primary School, Liu Bin felt that he had found a "key" - the integration of science and education.

The organic integration of science and education is being practiced and explored in many ethnic areas across the country.What effective experiences do they have?Recently, a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily conducted an interview on this.

Chinese class, or science class

"How is sugar extracted from sweet cane? When the sugar factory starts pressing, the air is sometimes filled with the aroma of cane and sugar, and sometimes there is an unpleasant smell, from light to thick, usually coveted sugar Why does it taste like this when it is made? What scientific principles are contained in it..." This is the "inspiration for popular science" that Xu Qiongrong got from the sugar factory near the Hongtian School in Yitian Town, where he volunteered to teach.

Xu Qiongrong is a language teacher at the Fourth Primary School in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province, and a science and technology counselor at the Changjiang County Youth Activity Center.In her eyes, science is everywhere in life, and science materials are everywhere, which is an opportunity to lead students to carry out scientific and technological practice activities.During the year she volunteered in Lixiang, she not only taught Chinese, but also tried to combine popular science and Chinese, especially with writing.

The sugar factory is a juncture.Many students usually pass by the sugar factory, but few people go in.Xu Qiongrong led the students to observe and experience the process of turning cartloads of sugarcane into pure small particles, and guided them to think, ask questions, and solve problems. The students not only increased their knowledge, but also contributed to their writing, and also exercised their hands-on ability.

In Zhongyi Township Primary School, any class can be a "science class".Liu Bin told reporters that the school selects 1-2 texts from the corresponding textbooks in each grade, and teachers appropriately add popular science content for extension in addition to their regular teaching tasks.Taking "Thunderstorm" as an example, when teachers talk about "windy" and "rainy", they not only let students feel the level of paragraphs and beautiful sentences, but also introduce the formation process of natural phenomena such as wind, thunder and rain.

In Liu Bin's view, one aspect of the integration of science and education is the integration of classroom teaching and popularization of science, that is, the integration of science and technology education and popularization of science and technology into the whole discipline, so that it can be organically integrated with courses and classrooms, organically integrated with training goals, and matched with functional rooms. fusion.In his words, "teaching is also a popularization of science".

When Liu Bin proposed the integration of classroom teaching and science education, many teachers in the school had concerns, worried that it would be difficult for students to master the textbook knowledge, let alone expand the content of science.Teachers have no idea how to integrate into the classroom."We are also trying to do it step by step. When teachers see that students have a strong interest in the extended scientific knowledge, they have the confidence to persevere." Liu Bin said that it is these attempts to integrate the classroom and popular science that broaden the students' knowledge. stimulated their enthusiasm for scientific exploration.

Technology education, not just in the classroom

But technology education is not just limited to the classroom.Liu Bin believes that another aspect of the integration of science and education is the integration of school education and social science and technology institutions to form a multi-level, good atmosphere for everyone to participate in science popularization, and to improve the level of science and technology education through multi-party cooperation.

In Zhongyi Township Primary School, in addition to the shared science and technology museum, clay sculpture room, astronomical observation station and other functional rooms, there are also science class "teachers".Among them are both full-time teachers trained by the school itself and members of scientific institutions outside the school.

In the summer of 2021, a group of university professors and experts from Zhongyi Township Primary School will bring students to "look up at the stars" with astronomical telescopes.Liu Bin clearly remembered the students' curiosity and excitement at the time. "The children ran over and told me that they had never looked at the sky above their heads from this angle, and they thought it was very magical."

How to make the resources in the school more effectively supplement and enrich the education in the school is also a problem that Guo Zhouyan, director of the Changjiang County Youth Activity Center, is thinking about.In her view, under the background of "double reduction", the activity center, as an off-campus educational institution, has a more prominent role in supplementing local on-campus education, "If the school does not have it, we will popularize it; if the school has it, we will To be better and stronger, to cultivate specialties.”

Since its establishment in 2007, Changjiang County Youth Activity Center has gradually formed a number of scientific and technological interest groups such as model airplanes, car models, and robots. It has also established a pairing relationship with 12 rural children's palaces located in rural schools in Changjiang County, and will visit the countryside every month. Children's Palace to carry out activities.

Some schools are relatively remote, and it takes more than two hours to drive, and the road is bumpy."But we go every year, because the children there are eager to see our technology activities on campus," Guo Zhouyan said.Some schools usually have very few science and technology activities. Every time the activity center goes to carry out such activities, the students are reluctant to leave, and they love the assembled model aircraft and small robots. At the head of the bed, even if it is very old, it is reluctant to throw it away.”

Guo Zhouyan remembers that the children were very excited when they first went to the Children's Palace in the rural school to carry out the model aircraft experience activity.But when it comes to teaching them how to control the model aircraft, "they hide far away and don't dare to approach. On the one hand, they are afraid that the model aircraft will hit them, and on the other hand, it is because of their lack of self-confidence."But to her delight, these children made continuous progress under the patient guidance of the teachers in the activity center, and some even entered the national competition arena and won the first prize in the national model aircraft competition.

This also makes Guo Zhouyan more determined. "Walking on two legs" in school and outside school education can further promote the development of science and technology education, enrich students' scientific and technological knowledge, improve their scientific literacy, and sow the seeds of science and technology for children.

Awuti Aisha from Xinjiang never imagined that he would be changed by a science camp that he attended in Beijing.Awuti Aisha, who was in the second year of high school in Bachu County No. 2 Middle School at the time, took the train to Beijing for the first time with the encouragement of the school's science and technology tutors, and won the first place in the handmade model aircraft competition at that event. , which gave him "more confidence in learning science."In the second year, he was admitted to Shihezi University as he wished.He felt, "The school's long-standing popular science courses and that trip to Beijing broadened my horizons and turned my little scientific dream into an ideal."

To make science and technology education go further, more people need to be united

Luo Kai, a young man born in 1985, has been working in Bachu County No. 2 Middle School for 12 years and is currently a senior science and technology counselor.In the process of leading students to participate in and carry out popular science projects, Luo Kai felt that his knowledge base was constantly being "emptied". Although he had been learning, it was still not enough to meet the students' needs for scientific knowledge.In his view, to make science and technology education go further, more people need to be united.

"I try my best to bring science experts and teachers from government departments, colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, and social organizations to the school, hoping to have better teachers to bring students richer scientific knowledge." In order to attract more For those who are interested in science and technology education for young people, Luo Kai also plans to build a famous teacher studio for young people's science and technology innovation education, and set up a science and technology volunteer service team to attract more people inside and outside the school to guide students to participate in scientific and technological innovation, scientific investigation experience, popular science drama performances, Robotic creative programming and other activities.

In order to allow more people to join her team, Guo Zhouyan went to many related companies, schools, etc., to discuss cooperation in scientific and technological education activities, and invited technology enthusiasts to come to the activity center for part-time jobs.

"The most difficult thing to find is the school's counterpart teachers, because science and technology education outside the school is of little help for their performance evaluation and professional title evaluation. We can only use the importance of science and technology education to the development of young people to encourage them. Sometimes it's 'three visits to the thatched cottage'." Guo Zhouyan said.

Guo Zhouyan believes that in order to promote the further development of science and technology education, a science and technology counselor workstation should be established to give recognition and policy preference to participating teachers in terms of performance appraisal and professional title evaluation, "to allow teachers' work and achievements to be seen and recognized. , get the treatment it deserves.”

"Tough teachers, good students, and improved teachers can change generations of students," said Tang Dapeng, a Chinese and science teacher at Zhongyi Township Primary School. "The integration of science and education in rural schools requires more learning teachers, who promote learning through teaching, accept new educational concepts and models, and bring students all-round guidance."