TMN3705 ASSIGNMENT 1

ACTIVITY 1.1 1. In my educational life I would say that my experience with science has not been extensive, in fact I had a negative experience. I always had a negative perception of science, which was mostly influenced by the management of the classroom. We had teacher centred classrooms which limited us students to actually engage in the lesson. Teachers would come teach, demonstrate and give us work to do. Sometimes you did not even understand anything the teacher said and that would make homework difficult to complete. This led me to a question of why do we even bother to study science. My negative attitude towards science had a really negative impact towards my academic records. In grade 9 I started to develop interest towards the subject. I realised that the world we live in revolve around science, almost everything has a touch of science in it. My inquisitive mind was then activated; I started to pay attention in class and asked countless questions. I developed love for the subject and had the zeal to know more. This then led to my decision to choose science in grade 10. In a technology class things were a bit different. I really enjoyed each and every moment of it. Well… I should admit that at first when I thought of technology the only thing that rang loud in my mind was a cell phone, funny isn’t it?. In technology classes we were given opportunities to actually use our mobile devices to conduct research. This gave me so much interest and fun when it comes to the subject. We were frequently given online group activities as homework, were we will get time to interact with fellow students, share ideas and more. This really enhanced the fun in learning. One of the reasons that made me enjoy technology classes is that we were more engaged in lessons. The negative experience I had was to surf the internet for all the wrong reasons. 2. Yes it has massively changed. I perceive science and technology in a very different way now. I now understand the importance of studying science and technology. Science and technology makes our lives simpler. Communication has become fast, easy and cheap. Travelling has become easy, fast and comfortable. At home we use a microwave to warm my food and I watch TV most times. This is all because of science and technology.  The knowledge that I have acquired on technology and the love that I have developed for science and technology suggest that I am going to be an effective science and technology teacher. My school experience will also enhance my teaching practice. I realised that my school teachers often used a teacher centred approach in most times, and that did not work for me. This is why I will make it my personal mission to make sure that all my students are engaged in a lesson. ACTIVITY 1.2 ‘’Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world around you’’ Tata Nelson Mandela The statement of Tata Nelson Mandela is proven by the given images/pictures. In picture 1 the teacher is standing in front of the classroom teaching. This portrays a teacher centred classroom, were a teacher explains and teaches while students are paying attention. The arrangement of the classroom (sitting arrangement) also portrays the teacher as a dictator. There are no group discussions learners are only focusing on the teacher. In picture 2 leaners are doing an experiment with their teacher. This picture can represent a child centred approach or classroom. Leaners are engaged in the lesson (hands on) and are given the opportunity to ask questions. This picture also gives an impression that it is a science class.