Rinse and Repeat
After observing 59 classrooms in 16 schools across the country we concluded that Malaysian education is undoubtedly not in the 21st century, and that dramatic changes must occur in this educational system if Malaysia is to achieve the goal of a leader among nations and a nation replete with thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs. The majority of the classrooms observed were teacher-centered, lecture-based, textbook- and test-driven. The lessons were extremely basic and low level, and we saw virtually no evidence of 21st century thinking, skills or literacies. In short, Malaysian students are not learning, and without change they will be unable to compete or succeed as adults in the new millennium.
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The class was so highly structured that although the teacher had planned many group activities, there was really no high level thinking, creativity or discovery. Every group did exactly the same thing. After watching a number of these and taking notes I finally just wrote "Rinse and repeat." Those are the directions on shampoo bottles in the USA.
Purpose of Lesson - to learn the importance of water in the cell.
The class began with a student skit in which one student was eating potato chips, then began "choking". Two other students acted like they didn't know what to do, then decided to give the "choking" student a drink of water.
The teacher asked the questions, "Why water?" Students go get kits for their group work. Then the teacher tells them to be seated. There is a whole class Q & A during which the teacher shows the class a diagram of a water molecule and then continued with a lecture.
The purposes of the following activities were to teach the importance of water in a cell, beginning with the structure of a water molecule, H2O. Each group created a model of a water molecule by tying three balloons together (two of one color for Hydrogen, and one of another color for Oxygen). Then one person from each group went to the front of the room to show their water molecule model.
Although the following items are important, the activities were more appropriate for primary school, even kindergarten. For example, the teacher showed them a white flower that had been placed in water with red dye. For illustrating a transport system, she had the students break up pieces of styrofoam, then place them into a beaker of water. For photosynthesis, the teacher showed one of the CD courseware lessons. For solvency, she had each group add a little salt to a beaker of water, then stir. She also had two students come to the front of the room; each student is given a beaker, one contains oil and the other contains water. The teacher drops a tablet into each beaker then has the two students walk around the class showing the beakers, and asks them to compare the reactions.
The five uses/properties of water as demonstrated in this lesson were:
1. As the solvent of life.
2. As a medium for biochemical reaction
3. As a transport medium.
4. As a buffer.
5. As a cooling agent in plants.
The teacher asked the questions, "Why water?" Students go get kits for their group work. Then the teacher tells them to be seated. There is a whole class Q & A during which the teacher shows the class a diagram of a water molecule and then continued with a lecture.
The purposes of the following activities were to teach the importance of water in a cell, beginning with the structure of a water molecule, H2O. Each group created a model of a water molecule by tying three balloons together (two of one color for Hydrogen, and one of another color for Oxygen). Then one person from each group went to the front of the room to show their water molecule model.
Although the following items are important, the activities were more appropriate for primary school, even kindergarten. For example, the teacher showed them a white flower that had been placed in water with red dye. For illustrating a transport system, she had the students break up pieces of styrofoam, then place them into a beaker of water. For photosynthesis, the teacher showed one of the CD courseware lessons. For solvency, she had each group add a little salt to a beaker of water, then stir. She also had two students come to the front of the room; each student is given a beaker, one contains oil and the other contains water. The teacher drops a tablet into each beaker then has the two students walk around the class showing the beakers, and asks them to compare the reactions.
The five uses/properties of water as demonstrated in this lesson were:
1. As the solvent of life.
2. As a medium for biochemical reaction
3. As a transport medium.
4. As a buffer.
5. As a cooling agent in plants.
Suggestions to make this lesson more relevant and rigorous
1. Do a thinking activity called Think/Pair/Share. Ask the students this question: what are some ways that water is important? Give the students 1 to 2 minutes to think about it - silently - jotting down their thoughts. Then direct the students to find a partner, sharing and discussing their answers. Finally, facilitate a whole group discussion, listing all the ways students thought that water is important.
2. If the class did not come up with one or more of the above-mentioned uses for water, ask a few guiding questions to spark their memories and thoughts. By the age of 16 they certainly are aware of each of these uses of water.
3. Divide the class into five groups. Provide each group (these are Expert Groups) with one of the five uses of water. Have them research this purpose, find a way to teach it, and then have the students Jigsaw. Now each group will have one person from each of the Expert Groups. They teach each other, and then the Jigsaw group creates a product in a medium of their choice demonstrating what they now know about these five uses of water.
The teacher can also provide each Expert Group with pre-prepared materials related to the subject on which they are an Expert. This will save time, compared to just doing an Internet search. Also, the teacher could provide each Expert group with a list of 3 or 4 excellent web sites from which they could choose to use one, all or none.
2. If the class did not come up with one or more of the above-mentioned uses for water, ask a few guiding questions to spark their memories and thoughts. By the age of 16 they certainly are aware of each of these uses of water.
3. Divide the class into five groups. Provide each group (these are Expert Groups) with one of the five uses of water. Have them research this purpose, find a way to teach it, and then have the students Jigsaw. Now each group will have one person from each of the Expert Groups. They teach each other, and then the Jigsaw group creates a product in a medium of their choice demonstrating what they now know about these five uses of water.
The teacher can also provide each Expert Group with pre-prepared materials related to the subject on which they are an Expert. This will save time, compared to just doing an Internet search. Also, the teacher could provide each Expert group with a list of 3 or 4 excellent web sites from which they could choose to use one, all or none.