Let’s play with Materials Vamos Brincar aos Materiais

1. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais Instituto Superior Técnico Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais Alberto Cabral Ferro alberto.ferro@ist.utl.pt

2. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais • Summary • Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 • Project Components and Strategy • Teachers training program • Challenges for the Future...

3. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais 1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 Motivation… how involvement started 1996 Number of high school students choosing Science, particularly Materials Science, is dropping Ciência Viva – challenge and opportunity for researchers involvement in initiatives for Science spreading and promotion of learning through experimentation 1st involvement with high school students

4. Let’s play with Materials1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 Motivation… how involvement developed 1st Ciência Viva Forum – challenge to focus on basic education University Policy – supportive or neutral towards initiative Private Motivation – family, pleasure, achievement Ciência Viva and Other Policies Primary School teachers reactions and dedication Interaction of students with the project in the classroom Project parenthood and stands… 1997 1998 till today

5. Let’s play with Materials1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 Project Development – milestones 1997 1st Ciência Viva Project financed 1998 1st teachers training course at IST 2001 1sts teachers training courses at primary schools 2002 Project financed by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 2003 1st Protocol with Municipalities

6. Let’s play with Materials1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 • Project Development: • schools, teachers and students • 1997 • 1999 • 2003 • 2005 10 schools 20 schools 55 schools 60 schools 30 teachers 120 teachers 260 teachers 280 teachers 600 students 2500 students 5500 students 6000 students

7. Let’s play with Materials1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 • Project Development: – (5 years Σ): • Financing • Training • Schools • Students • Experimentation • 300 000 € direct investment • (60% Ciência Viva) • 450 teachers trained • 670 training hours • 12 500 teachers.hour training • 85 involved • 15 000 children involved • 5 000 hours in the classroom 95 000 children.hour in the classroom

8. Let’s play with Materials1. Let’s play with Materials ... since 1997 • the project today • 6 professional monitors • 280 teachers • 45 schools with experimental kits • 60 schools involved • 6000 students • 11 experimental activities in the classroom

9. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais 2. Project Components and Strategy Technology Science with Materials

10. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy Scientific.... ...Experimentation Technical.... ...achievement Multiple.... ...learning

11. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy • to question • to trace • to observe • to measure • to register • to discuss • to be rigorous • to understand • to make • to conclude forming a new way to look the World Scientific Experimentation building a new knowledge a platform for citizenship

12. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy integration of learning • Mathematical calculus • Problem resolution • Construction of graph and tables • Reading and understanding of texts • Studying prominent Scientists • Research work • Art work • Group work etc Multiple Learning a platform to learn

13. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy • use of tools • selection of tools • motor coordination • control over equipment • understanding operation manuals • understanding security rules and behaviour • building skills • achievement development of affection links with work and science Technical Achievement a via for self-respect and confidence

14. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy Vamos Brincar aos Materiais the child. the actor Experimentation is carried out by the child Each five student team develops autonomously the activity, his results are confronted with other team’s results. A diversified and prolonged activity, occupying at least one full day work, is proposed to the class.

15. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy In action building equipments

16. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy In action Consulting texts, analysing results

17. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy In action making objects

18. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy In action Measuring and determining

19. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy the teacher. the director The teacher is the key element in the classroom. The success and fulfilment of an activity depends on teacher’s performance. In the classroom the teacher co-ordinates and guides the action.

20. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy the monitor. the right arm The monitor is the teacher’ right arm, he helps him The monitor help in the classroom is a key aspect to enrol the teacher in pursuing these practices in his daily teaching. The monitor support is very important to develop teachers self-confidence and autonomy.

21. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy Physical Resources for the classroom • Texts: • Activity Manual and support texts • Activity report sheet • Questioning… • Experimental kits (5 per classroom) • Proposed parallel activities

22. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy Vamos Brincar aos Materiais • With • Rigour • ...and • ...humour In action

23. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy Vamos Brincar aos Materiais ... rigour... Neither this way Yes, like this Not that way

24. Let’s play with Materials2. Project Components and Strategy ... humour...

25. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais Vamos Brincar aos Materiais 3. Teachers training program Objective: Teachers qualification/ability to work with the project in the classroom 1. knowledge of the addressed subjects – science teaching 2. readiness and self-confidence to use project laboratorial and technological ‘hardware’ – technique teaching 3. ability to develop a scientific experimental research environment in the classroom – pedagogical coaching

26. Let’s play with Materials3. Teachers training program Challenge: “Teachers know nothing about science, no nothing about mathematics, and primary school teachers have to teach everything. The teacher grabs a book but his insecurities are immediately caught by the children, they are very smart” Leon Lederman in Gazeta de Física 23, 4 (2000) referring to Chicago situation

27. Let’s play with Materials3. Teachers training program abilities development self-confidence promotion establish autonomy demonstration of feasibility and motivation

28. Let’s play with Materials3. Teachers training program Standard training Course: - 20 teachers – 4 groups of 5 teachers - 25 hours – 5/6 activities – average 4 hours per activity - each team of teachers act as a student team Work is developed in a classroom environment using the laboratory and technical hardware available to the students. The experience and enrichment accumulated during project development is brought to the training section. The Science component of the activities is further explored to ensure teacher self-confidence and understanding.

29. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais • 4. Challenges for the Future...... • Ensuring more financing • Establishment of coordination teams • Reinforcement of monitor team • Improve yield of teachers training effort

30. Let’s play with MaterialsVamos Brincar aos Materiais Vamos Brincar aos Materiais end • thanks for your time and attention alberto.ferro@ist.utl.pt