Katha 2014: Science Track-Facilitating Change through Action Research

Minutes of the Workshop Transcribed. Speaker Dr. Maricar Prudente

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 10

Science Track: Facilitating Change through Action Research

Dr. Maricar Prudente

Science Education Department

De La Salle University-Manila

October 4, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker first introduced the importance of action research not just for the sake of doing it but for the sake of making a difference in their students’ learning. She also emphasized about facilitating change that leads to new knowledge, which will also eventually lead to change in teaching the course for the students. It is a research that attempts to embed action and change in the actual research process.

 

2. Action Research. Research generates knowledge to 1) build broader knowledge, which entails a basic or pure research 2) pave way for change through applied or evaluative research 3) action change within a system 4) emancipate through action and 5) expose and change the dominate system through critical or radical ethnography. The speaker also discussed about the credibility of one’s work of action research which should be change oriented. She further explained that action research paves way for change and is often linked to policy or program development, which includes studies that 1) investigate a problem situation 2) assess potential interventions and 3) evaluate change initiatives. Action research is not limited to teaching, rather to other professions because it is a practical approach that is of particular relevance. It covers a variety of strategies that is dedicated to integrated production of knowledge. It is also cyclical where the teacher should not stop in one action, but rather keep abreast of the changes in the environment and with the influx of new information for learning. Action research should be the essential tool for basic education, the speaker added. She also said that action research is to improve a teacher’s practice of teaching and reflecting on their current methods. The teacher’s concern should be on teaching practices and the student’s learning processes. The ultimate goal for action research of the teacher is the student’s learning, where high scores in NAT, greater participation of students and mastery of the skills would eventually follow. This entails good teaching, the speaker emphasized. She said that the teachers themselves know best the nature of their students if they are effective and good teachers. This entails that the teachers would change their techniques and create new approaches that would engage their students to learning.

3. How does this qualify to Research. Action research requires the same rigor, systematic research process, and reflects a professional development. This also qualifies as a research because it is an act that would make the teachers understand their methods of teaching better. It is also the act of finding the teachers’ solution makes them understand their practice better. Practice in this case means the way the teachers teach and carry out their professional action. It is an avenue to the teachers’ reflection with their own practices and professional actions to improve student learning. The speaker then asked the teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices if they have improved on their professional actions and emphasized that it should be a way of looking at their role in the world that would drive them to do better in their profession.

4. Professional Knowledge Makers. The speaker also discussed that teachers, through action research enhance their professional development, where they understand their own practice, how to make them better, how to accommodate outside change in their practice and how to change the outside to make their practice better that would affect their students’ learning. It is about enacting a practice that the teacher should understand based on their students’ needs. She emphasized that the teacher should not follow the cookbook style of teaching lessons to students but rather catering to the students’ learning needs.

5. Action Research at Work. Action research involves four acts: 1) observe 2) reflect 3) plan and 4) act. It can also be worked out through the following process: 1) identifying a classroom problem 2) developing and implementing an action research plan by conducting a strategy to address the classroom problem 3) collecting and analyzing data and while conducting the strategy 4) using and sharing the results, where dissemination is an essential part of the research. The speaker gave a specific example of an action research plan about how a science teacher changes her strategy to engage her students more to ask questions and explore on the lesson in the classroom.

6. Limitations of Action Research. The speaker asked the teachers what may be the problems that would arise with the use of action research. One teacher raised that the consistency of the action research may be a problem but the speaker said constant examination of the strategy should be required. Another teacher raised the familiarity and the knowledge of action research. The problem is that superintendents don’t exactly know how to do action research and so do not encourage such action plan to their teachers. She emphasized that action research is classroom-based and encouraged the teachers to do action research and pointed out that the teachers often do not go out of their comfort zone of teaching and not changing their strategies in teaching to engage their students more. They should focus more on how to teach and how to make their students learn. A teacher shared his problem on discussing the most difficult topic in his subject and the speaker suggested a process of action research that would make the students more engaging on the topic. The teacher should conduct the action plan and document it so that they can see the development of their action research.

7. Individual or Collaborative Work. Use of different strategies through individual or collaborative works may be used, more on collaborative strategies, the speaker emphasized, so that there would be sharing of results and discussions to formulate conclusions based on their data. Collaborative work also leads to the teachers’ reflection and comparison of their own work with other teachers’ works. Factors that may help collaboration include the teachers’ professional desire to improve on their teaching strategies instead of competing with other teachers. However time management may also be a problem but this may be given a solution if the teachers know what to do, the speaker added.

8. Methods in Action Research. There is a need to employ triangulation in action research, which includes 1) observation of interactions of the students’ work in the classroom 2) analysis of children’s work and 3) interview with the children. The question now is how to employ these action plan, where considerations include questions such as 1) does the method give a form of data which relates to my question? 2) is it feasible in the available time? 3) have the teacher made himself aware of its strengths and limitations of the methodology? 4) will it be an acceptable method for the other people involved? and 5) will it disrupt normal routines?

Barret and Whitehead (1985) proposed six questions on the methods of action research, which includes 1) what is the teacher’s concern? 2) why is he concerned? 3) what does he think he could do about it? 4) what kind of evidence could he collect to help him make some judgment about what is happening? 5) how does he collect such evidence? and 6) how would he check that his judgment about what has happened is reasonable, fair and accurate?

 

9. Beginning of Action Research Process. The speaker gave the teachers an activity about investigating and identifying classroom concerns, their method of collecting information and sources of data and how to focus their instruction method in teaching. The speaker emphasized that the teacher should focus only a classroom problem and should be feasible and should not disrupt normal routines. The speaker called on three volunteers to discuss their answers and their co-participants and the speaker commented on their works. One teacher shared that one of his classroom concerns is how to motivate his students to ask questions. The speaker said that the teacher’s problem is on student inquiry and suggested action plan solutions for his dilemma. Another shared the low and passive participation of the students in his class. Effective strategies that should be employed include identifying indicators on how students participate in class, the speaker suggested. Finally another teacher shared a similar concern on the active participation of her students in the classroom. The speaker suggested classroom observation and making a checklist, a corresponding tool for evaluating strategies on how to make the students more active in participating in class.

10. Identifying the Classroom Problem. The teachers must first observe their class and identify their problem statement. The speaker then gave a second activity on identifying classroom problem by specifically describing who is affected, supported causes of the problem, the goal for improvement and what might be done about the problem.

Katha 2014: Part 2 Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Minutes of the Workshop Transcribed. Speaker Dr. Maricar Prudente.

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 9

Science Track: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes Part 2

Dr. Maricar Prudente

Science Education Department

De La Salle University-Manila

September 27, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

5. Characteristics of an Exemplary Assessment Task. 1) Valid, which yields useful information to guide learning 2) Coherent, which should be structured so that activities lead to desired performance product 3) Authentic, which addresses ill-defined problems that are emerging 4) Rigorous, which requires the use of declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge 5) Engaging, which provokes student interest and persistence 6) Challenging, which provokes and evaluates student learning 7) Respectful, which allows students to reveal their uniqueness as learners and 8) Responsive, which provides feedback to students leading to improvement. The speaker also shared most of her experiences in teaching students using the simple context in their classroom, like introducing problems on pimples and oral bacteria that the students are able to relate to. One teacher raised the issue of using technology for more exposure to the students. The speaker agreed with utilizing technology as much as possible for them to be more engaged and interested in the lesson. She introduced internet learning and gave samples of online modules. She also emphasized that the lessons to be taught should be challenging to the students and not easy to accomplish. Asking the students on the project they could come up with may also help in improving the lesson at hand, the speaker added. She again emphasized the issue of finances when applying these methods.

Teaching in the context of assessment depends on providing effective feedback to students, encouraging students’ active involvement in their own learning, adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment, recognizing the profound influence of assessment on students’ motivation and engagement and ensuring that students assess themselves and understand how to improve. One thing that the teacher must be in the classroom is unpredictable, the speaker emphasized, so that the students will be engaged and interested in class. The teacher should also be techy in their own way to be able to enter their world which already started in the technology era. The speaker also shared her techniques in manipulating the students’ addiction in technology by utilizing it in her topics and lessons in Science. The speaker also suggested the use of a progress chart with regards to the quizzes of her students to see their learning development in class. As teachers, they have to be open to their students, the speaker added, by giving them the element of choice to make them feel responsible and empowered.

6. Implications for Learner-Centered Assessment. The students 1) are clarified in the learning outcomes at the course planning stage 2) are shared with the learning goals throughout the semester 3) ask appropriate and effective questions 4) focus oral and written feedback n the learning outcomes of lessons and tasks. The teachers on the other hand 1) encourage students’ self-assessment against the learning outcomes and 2) organize individual student target setting that builds on previous achievement. The speaker emphasized that the teachers should enter the students’ world of digital age so that there is more productive learning in the classroom.

7. Rubrics. The speaker said that there should be a question and an action in rubrics. There should be a criteria or essential elements in the rubrics, with a clear description of performance at each achievement level. There are also task-related rubrics for specific assessments by indentifying the skills and abilities needed in the context of the lesson. The teachers may also add the teamwork rubric, with expectations from group members and their level participation. She presented a sample teamwork rubric for the teachers, where it involves creativity, cooperativeness and skillfulness. This entails a more objective process of making a rubric for the students. This must be continuous and ongoing as a feedback to the students that should be focused on quality feedback. She paralleled the use of feedback in a classroom with a panel of judges, who first comment and provide suggestions to the students for them to be guided in their activity. Feedback should be 1) specific 2) descriptive 3) be offered ASAP after the event 4) offer alternative or ask the learner to do so 5) Encourage and plan for opportunities for the feedback and 6) involve the learner wherever possible to improve the chance of feedback being understood and acted upon.

The teachers should also encourage students for self-assessment to create a supportive environment where students are willing to share and discuss on their work in pairs, groups and with the whole class. The speaker shared some of the online resources for assessment as a final note.

8. Workshop 1. The speaker grouped the teacher-participants and asked them to construct conceptual test items. The teachers presented their questions and the speaker and other teachers critiqued and commented on their work.

9. Vee Map. This provides the students with questions to help them with assessment, which includes skills that should be developed such as planning, conducting and reporting. This is also to give students a focused question. Concepts are related to each other through a concept map, while finding out more questions lead to state claims. This shows the template to the rubric to evaluate components and a chart to map out results and feedback.

10. Dynamic Assessment. This is driven by self-assessment which is trust-worthy. The speaker also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of dynamic assessment. The speaker also shared some of the complaints of the students with regards to this type of assessment: 1) the test did not assess what they learned 2) students have difficulty recognizing which strategies to use 3) tests are beyond their level 4) there is no way of assessing learning processes and 5) passed the test but did not understand. However she said that the teachers should always challenge the students when it comes to exams.

11. Static Assessment. There are three types of questions for this type of assessment: 1) recall 2) algorithmic 3) higher order, where it includes conceptual questions, translation of the information, interpretation of info, extrapolation and evaluation 4) misconception, i.e. identifying a common misconception and generating a question based on it.

12. Authentic Assessment. This involves direct evidence on the performance of the students through their tests. This is also about how students monitor their understanding in the classroom. The speaker suggested a progress chart. This also entails a meaningful learning in the classroom, where the students do science experiments, conduct social science research, write stories and reports and read and write literature. The teachers on the other hand first determine and measure the students’ ability to apply the knowledge. Between traditional and authentic assessment, teachers can use both. Rubric making is still required. Such tasks may include performance assessment tasks and portfolio. Advantages of this assessment include the promotion of creativity, encouragement of collaboration and emphasis of integrated learning. However this is not applied in real time teaching nowadays the speaker said. The students should also have a self-assessment to evaluate their own participation. Disadvantages on the other hand include time-intensive process.

13. Metacognition. Students both have declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge which comprises of metacognition. The speaker asked the participants about the relationship of these three concepts, which includes authentic assessment, constructive feedback and self-regulated learning. One of the participants said that this will give them more idea on how to address the problems they encounter with their students with regards to self-regulated learning. Another said that the teachers can diversify on the students’ knowledge and explore their inclinations to produce self-regulated learners. The speaker then asked the participants to use the three concept in a single sentence. One said that authentic assessment opens the students to a world of new concepts, constructive feedback for students to realize their strengths and self-regulated learning for students to give them the drive and the motivation to a certain topic or lesson. Another said authentic assessment gives the students the opportunity to learn more and with teachers to have constructive feedback for the students to appreciate the lessons better and become self-regulated learners. The speaker asked more participants to make their own summarized statements about the three concepts. She then asked about the constructive feedback which would come from the teachers while the self-regulated learning comes from the students. She said that authentic assessment give evidence to how students learn in which the teachers will provide constructive feedback to make students self-regulated learner.

14. Workshop 2. The speaker asked the teachers to make a performance task and an authentic assessment based on the questions they made from the previous workshop. They also have to articulate the idea using a rubric. Each group presented their performance task and the speaker commented on their work.

Katha 2014: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Minutes of the Workshop Transcribed. Speaker Dr. Maricar Prudente.

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 9

Science Track: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Dr. Maricar Prudente

Science Education Department

De La Salle University-Manila

September 27, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker introduced the topic as an integrated course, and aimed to define the relationship between course objectives and assessment of student learning. She provided an overview of the session, starting with course assessment, intended learning outcome and achievement outcomes. She emphasized the need for the students to think critically and the use of proper rubrics in a classroom setting which can be developed by the teachers along with the students. She also aimed for the teachers to create a workshop on performance task and classroom assessment techniques.

2. Overview of Assessment. The speaker first discussed the origin of the word “assess” and how it should be taken to the student. She said it is something we do to and for the students. Assessment should be looked as an art and not just a result of the students’ output, which would not help the student realize how much time he has to take to fully comprehend and understand the lesson. It is an art and a science of knowing how much has the student learned. It also provide evidence of the skills developed by the students, which is not measured only by pen and paper in a card of their grades. She asked the participants the need to know the science teachers how far has the students learned and discovered their potentials in their learning skills. One teacher said so that they will know when to proceed with the next lesson. The speaker also said that such practice should be proactive, not just active. The process of assessment ends when the students have improved their critical thinking skills through the output of their tests. The speaker aimed to redefine the meaning of assessment to the teacher-participants.

3. Course Assessment. The speaker asked the teachers what guides them in determining whether their students have learned their lessons. One teacher said by the results of their exams. Another said by the quizzes every after the lesson, when the students are able to restate the topic of the lesson on their own. She further asked what is their basis of their evaluation of the students’ learning, which is rooted in the objectives of the teachers, not just by giving tests. The course objectives must guide the teachers because it is an integral part of the lesson plan. They should ask how the student will gain maximum outcome and learning in the one hour of the Science topic. The teacher must work backwards starting from the learning assessment technique that shall measure the skills the students must gain at the end of the lesson. The course objectives tell the teachers the learning outcomes of the students which should be actionable, the speaker emphasized. Learning outcomes or outcomes actually means what the students need to learn, know and discover in their skills. The achievement outcome of mastery of the students should be above 60%, which also applies in all subjects, according to the speaker. The success of the learning outcomes is reflected in the skills developed by the students and achieves the standard of the tasks of the course.

3.1. Elements of Learning Outcomes. The teachers should first formulate students of intended outcomes, then develop or select assessment measures through direct assessments of student learning such as projects and exhibitions. These activities yield a comprehensive information that needs to be analyzed and evaluated by the teachers with the students as their measure of their performance and knowledge acquired and skills mastered. Another is to create experiences leading to outcomes, such as service learning, field work and internship. This is where we give feed back to the students for them to realize their potentials.

3.2. Classroom Assessment Techniques. This is a systematic collection and analysis of information which includes analysis of the information to improve educational practices. It is also a method for understanding student learning. It is also based on the belief that the teacher knows more about the students and how they learn, they can better plan the learning activities and structure their teaching. The speaker emphasized that the teachers should not look at the scores, but on how they answered the question. This will give light to the knowledge skills of the students and how they learn. Benefits of proper learning assessment include an ongoing communication process between the teacher and the students, clarification of the teaching goals and what the teachers want the students to learn, credible evidence regarding whether or not learning objectives have been achieved, specific feedback on what is working and what is not and finally increased understanding about student learning in the classroom. The speaker shared that she felt bad every time the students could not answer the quizzes because of the wrong way of teaching. She said she used to treat students who succeeded in learning the topic of the lesson for the day. She pointed out that most teachers seem to consider that assessment is a punishment and a benchmarking of the students’ incapacity of their knowledge skills. The role of assessment should be on focusing on the students’ improvement of their knowledge so that they become self-regulated learners. The feedback should not be about complaining to the faculty about their students’ incapacity to analyze and synthesize but about talking about it to their students and evaluating them personally. One teacher complained how her students could not learn simple topics despite their grade level. The speaker suggested peer teaching and heterogeneous groupings and lesson bodies in class. She said that the more intelligent students are also willing to share their knowledge to their fellow classmates and the teachers should market on such practice. The speaker shared that cognitive psychologists said that mastery takes a long time to develop and that the teachers should maximize their time in making the learning process of the students productive and worthwhile.

One teacher raised the issue of the lack of time for teaching more topics to students, where one concept may require more than a day for mastery. The speaker said that the teachers first have to find out what their students know and give them the extra work that they can bring home to study. They could also remediation. But the teacher shared the sad reality of students not doing the extra work home because they have other problems at home that they bring to school.

The speaker shared the life of the students in Leyte where the group of teachers really teach their students and they have the highest scores in NAT. She said she would like to believe that the teachers in the urban areas can do the same. The teachers should motivate them to learn. They should also invite scientists, mathematicians and not artists to school for the students to learn more outside the classroom and from other more intelligent people. For the economy to grow, science education should be developed, studies have shown according to the speaker. This has been proven by Singapore, where connections of learning science and math and other subjects in the proper way are the key to success. The teachers should encourage the students not to look and be absorbed by their problems and develop an intimate relationship with them to make them understand about the lessons and about life better. She said that teaching and mastery of Science is already rescued by the K to 12 program in a spiral and integrated mode of teaching.

The speaker emphasized on heightening the interest of the students in learning science and providing constructive criticisms to guide them to the right path of learning the subject. She also shared her experience with her granddaughter on how she teaches her to understand the topics better and guiding her instead of feeding her the answers to the problems at hand. This entails student appreciation, the speaker added. The speaker also suggested that the teachers should put their shoes in the students and research has shown that with positive emotions towards the students in a classroom setting lead them to do more work.

3.3. Samples of Classroom Assessment Techniques. 1) One minute paper. This provides a quick and simple way to collect written feedback on student learning, with questions like what is the most interesting topic they learned during class on that time. It is important for the teachers to read the assessments of the students and share it to the students to help them and evaluate whether they learned or not. Stop complaining, do the work, the speaker emphasized to the teachers. 2) Muddiest Point. The teacher may ask the student what was the most difficult topic for him. 3) One sentence summary. This challenges the student to answer the questions “Who does what to whom...” This will encourage the students to appreciate the lesson and teacher better, the speaker added. A teacher raised the issue of students cheating in the classroom. The speaker said that if the teacher have good classroom management skills there would be minimal cheating in class and the students are more motivated to learn in class. She suggested “learning contract for the year” for the students, like not being absent for the year that the student should not break. She emphasized the use of positive climate for the students and consistency so that they will appreciate the subject better.

The speaker shared some websites about classroom assessment techniques. She also clarified the use of one sentence summary techniques and it is important for the teacher to let the student understand that the activity is not to be graded but to have a worthwhile evaluation of what they have learned during the day.

4. Learning Assessment. The point of assessment is to find out if the students think critically and solve problems properly. The teachers should ask themselves on how students develop critical skills and solve problems. She said that the teachers should contextualize the concept and apply them in the students’ lives. In a class of 45 are 45 different concepts and different contexts, and it is the job of the teachers to get in to them. There are conditions: 1) the teacher should convince that their prior concept is wrong by giving them problems to solve which are contextualized and relevant to their lives to achieve a cognitive equilibrium in their brains. 2) the teacher should avoid short term memory by giving meaning to the topics of the lesson using their own contextualized environment. This is the reason why most students don’t remember most of the scientific lessons because they are not used in real life and contextualized in their own lives.

4.1. Essential Components of Critical Thinking. The speaker said there are three types of knowledge: 1) declarative knowledge, which is knowing the facts and concepts 2) procedural knowledge, which is knowing how to reason, inquire and present knowledge and 3) metacognition, which are cognitive control strategies such as setting goals and assessing the fruitfulness of a line of inquiry. Metacognition is the most important skill the students should learn that would make them learn by their own will. Motivation should be intrinsic, the speaker emphasized. There should be an internal drive on the part of the student for them to learn better. She shared again her experience in teaching her nephews and nieces about making them more motivated in studying. It is also important to make stories out of the lessons especially in science because it is always effective for the students.

4.2. Standardized Tests and Alternative Assessments. The summative standardized tests in pen and paper, the speaker said, does not really capture the learning assessment for the students. She said the students tend to have the attitude that the students study not because they want to learn but because there is a test. This goes the same with the achievement tests where even cheating is tolerated. One teacher raised the issue that indeed it is a pen and paper evaluation but the speaker said that if the tests were concept tests it would be good for the students. The speaker also said that formative assessment is more appropriate for student evaluation, where it is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching. It also provides interactive and timely feedback and response, which leads to students recognizing the learning gap and closing it. It also includes self-monitoring and fosters life-long learning. Formative assessment entails success for student evaluation with appropriate guidance. Their achievement also reflects the learner’s perceptions and beliefs about their capacity to learn. The speaker shared that their individual works are not graded but their portfolio reflecting on how much they have learned during the semester.

4.3. Samples of Formative Assessment. This includes paper, written composition, projects, experiment, development of a product, performance and community-based experience and exhibition and portfolio. This entails consideration of a costly effect of this type of learning, but there can be solutions for this, like making a one summative portfolio for the students to make at the end of the semester, where there is evidence of learning. When developing an effective assessment task, the three types of knowledge should be involved—declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge. The teachers should also ask  questions like what real life settings do they use the knowledge taught in school, which task best exemplifies the characteristics of an exemplary assessment task and what criteria should the students and the teachers use in shaping and critiquing student work. The speaker shared her techniques of contextualizing the topics the students need for them to appreciate the lesson better. The dominating culture of the classroom should be followed so that the students will better appreciate the lesson and the learning environment better.

Katha 2014: Science Track-Plants and Photosynthesis

Minutes of the Workshop transcribed. Speaker Dr. Lourdes Cardenas

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 8

Science Track:

Dr. Lourdes Cardenas

MNH Curator

University of the Philippines Los Baños

September 13, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker first divided the teacher-participants into groups of six and gave them one type of plant for them to discuss and identify. She also distributed test sheets and the copy of her Powerpoint to the participants before starting the lecture. She first introduced the use of plants in the Philippines entitled Medicinal Plants.

2. Medicinal Plants. The speaker said that the Philippines is very rich in plants. She showed the participants different medicinal plants and asked them if they could identify one. She introduced the outline of her lecture which revolved around medicinal plants. She showed more photos of medicinal plants and asked the participants to identify them. She explained how they culture plants in UP Los Baños and identified some of the medicinal plants they use and cultivate. She said that these plants are often utilized in different countries like Japan, Singapore and China, but seldom in the Philippines. She also introduced the traditional plants that are often used in provinces. She identified some plants like the Tuba-tuba (Jatropha curcas), and asked one of the participants how it is used as a medicinal plant and also asked why it has boomed in the national and international news. She discussed the disadvantages of such plant because it is poisonous despite its being a medicinal plant. She also pointed out the kamoteng kahoy which has poisonous cyanide content that’s why it may also be dangerous to one’s health. She mentioned the significance of how teachers would teach this kind of medicinal plant to the students. She showed another medicinal plant lagundi and discussed its species. The pansit-pansitan plant has also become a popular medicinal plant in the Philippines and asked the participants how it is used. She also asked the participants on who have eaten this type of medicinal plant and how it is used in salads. She gave the participants a homework assignment on identifying more different types of medicinal plants. She showed more different medicinal and ornamental plants and their uses. She identified one plant pototpod, where one participant shared its proper dosage especially to children. She said that in Baguio that it is used for diabetic patients. Some of her students have studied more about the plant, she shared.

3. The Correct Plant. The speaker conducted a short quiz for the participants on identifying different types of medicinal plants. She showed photos like the lagundi and oregano. She said that such types of plants may also be used as spices. She also discussed a plant named tsaang gubat with medicinal properties. She also discussed its plant morphology and how the small medicinal plant differs from the mature one. She said that the teachers should be careful in teaching and using such medicinal plants. She also discussed its uses and anti-microbial properties using their extracts. She also illustrated root crops and their respective plant morphology and medicinal uses. Questions were raised on the plant morphology and size of such medicinal plant because the students may take it as a mistake without the proper illustration of the plant. She also discussed the research behind the medicine aspirin which also came from a medicinal plant. She discussed its use back in history during Alexander the Great. She said that the medicinal property possessed by aspirin is the salicilic acid where it is sold internationally a hundred years ago. However she shared that it was not yet popular in the Philippines at that time. Mostly nuns and priests would hide these medicinal plants which also possess wine-making properties. She next introduced periwinkle which is not endemic in the Philippines and is also used as anti-cancer. She discussed the complexity of the plant morphology, molecular figure and anti-cancer properties, which is why the medicine is difficult to harvest.

4. Plant Biodiversity. She then discussed the different plants found in the different parts of the Philippines like Mount Pulag and her field work experiences in finding medicinal plants. She discussed its properties which, contrary to literature, do not have anti-depressant properties. She emphasized the diversity of medicinal plants because of the different habitats found in the Philippines. She showed more photos of endemic medicinal plants like pandan fruit, pinecones, sarsabilla, tiger lily and apaton and also discussed their respective habitats—whether in the beach or in the mountains. She also asked the participants their respective medicinal properties based on their respective places. Some of the participants shared their personal experiences with the plants that were discussed. She discussed the plants’ uses and extraction processes.

5. Floral Kingdoms and Hotspots of the World. The speaker illustrated a map where the medicinal plants are rich and where there are less species in other parts of the world, like in the Philippines despite its biological diversity. She shared a quote about revisiting the past which led to pharmaceutical and therapeutic medicines that have boomed long after the popularity of herbal medicinal plants. She discussed their different uses and medicinal properties, like ginseng. She also discussed the Functional Foods that are beyond nutrition but health-wise very significant as well. She also mentioned about nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and showed more photos of medicinal plants that are responsible for these modified plant supplements. She asked one participant how such plant is used medicinally, which may also be used in salads. She also identified the plant Brassica spp. which has anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties, which also serves the way garlic is used for such medications. One participant shared her knowledge on the medicinal properties and uses of garlic. More participants shared their insights on these medicinal plants. She introduced new books that were released about different types of medicinal plants for further research. She also shared a quote from the bible “...the leaves of the tree were used for healing.”

6. Identifying Plants. The speaker proceeded with the activity for the teachers to identify the different medicinal plants given to each group and identify and determine their respective names, plant morphology, vitamin content, family group and medicinal uses. She also asked whether the plants were ornamental or medicinal plants. They identified different plants like gumamela, oregano, margarita, santan, kangkong, lagundi, fern, banana shrub, lubguban, papua, charitas and alugbati.

7. Photosynthesis. The speaker first asked the participants about photosynthesis and emphasized that the teachers as well as the students must be able to appreciate the lesson despite its complicated process and explanation. She simplified the explanation of the formula for photosynthesis and also asked the relevance of its process in the ecosystem. She proceeded to discuss about the parts of the plant and its cell structure that undergoes photosynthesis including the pigments, the anthocyanin, vacuole, and plasmid. She pointed out the easy way on how to identify the parts of the plant and its cell structure including the glucose and its pigments. She also discussed about monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides in the leaves of the plant, which produces the starch in the plant. She further explained the significant carbons that the plants produce. She also described amylose proteins that branches out into amino-peptin that makes up the cellulose of the plant. This is one of the special properties of plants that make it distinct with humans and animals. She also emphasized the materialization of different starches depending on the protein build-up of the plant. She also discussed the different components that need to be utilized like the chlorophyll and enzymes for photosynthesis to take place. She went deep into the parts of the cell of the plant, where each part does its part for the process of photosynthesis.

7.1. Light Reaction or Kreb Cycle. She said that the lower layer and the stomata of the leaves of the plant for light to come into the plant. She gave an overview of the visible spectrum, electron, NADP and photon—pockets of energy in a simple way. She explained the excitement of electrons in the cell of the plant as the excitement of one person being passed on to another person. She then proceeded with the concepts of reduction and oxidation. She also simplified the formula for the chlorophyll and showed illustrations of its protein build-up. She focused on the membrane of the chlorophyll of the plant, where light from the sun is captured. She also illustrated the morphology of the grana or thylakoids. She summarized that light reaction requires enough light compared to the light-independent reaction. She also illustrated the color spectrum of the plant compared to the light rays and frequency of other appliances like radio. She simplified the capturing and absorbing of light by the chlorophyll using everyday experiences and teacher participation and unity. She also discussed photolysis and electron passing in the NADP. She also discussed the significance of ATP syntase protein.  A question was raised on if the lecture on hand is the Krebs Cycle and Electron Transport Chain. The speaker confirmed the lecture but said she explained it in a simpler way. She also discussed about the significance of mitochondria and its role in food making in photosynthesis. She said that chloroplast is an essential part of the plant for light reaction.

7.2. Light-Independent Reaction or Calvin Cycle. This is the counterpart of the light reaction, where the plant does not need light to be able to produce food. She emphasized the significance of ribulose and biphosphate in the cycle. The by-product, she said would be carbon molecule and glyceraldehyde phosphate. The speaker said that this lecture is indeed a challenge to teach to the students but pointed out that they should be explained as simple as possible in the language known to the student. Enzymes, such as carbo-oxilate is also significant in the process. The speaker said that photo-respiration is basically at work in this process compared to the food-making process of photosynthesis. She challenged the participants with an activity on devising a plan to present photosynthesis in the simplest way possible that the students will understand.

8. Activity on Photosynthesis. Each group was able to illustrate the process of photosynthesis in a simpler way and was able to describe and discuss it the way students would be able to understand it better. The speaker emphasized that the target audience are the students, and so they should be able to simplify the illustration as much as possible. Some of the groups were able to illustrate the process of photosynthesis that the children would be able to understand. The speaker evaluated the presentations and commented that the teachers should be very careful with the use of their technical terms. She further discussed the misconceptions of the process of photosynthesis to the teacher-participants so that the students would not be confused with the process and technical terms. She also said that transformation of energy that occurs in the chlorophyll may be paralleled with the solar panels that the students already know. Observations were shared on how the teachers would be able to make the parts of the process of photosynthesis tangible for the students to better understand the concept. Other questions were raised on the difference between protein and starch, chloroplasts, and cellular respiration. 

Katha 2014: Science Track- Revisiting Geology

Minutes of the workshop transcribed. Speaker Dr. Eligio Obille Jr.

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 7

Science Track: Geology

Dr. Eligio Obille Jr.

UP NISMED

University of the Philippines Diliman

September 6, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker first grouped the teacher-participants into nine groups and distributed globes for each group. The activity started with geography called “Where am I?” using the globes. The participants showed the parts of the globes like the equator, longitude and latitude. The speaker clarified that the equator should be shown as a line and not as a point for the students to better understand it. Then he asked some of the participants to define the equator in their own words. Most of the participants gave different and various answers. The speaker clarified one of the participant’s use of the word “imaginary” in the definition of the equator. He emphasized that it is important to put the definition in one’s own words and not read from a book henceforth. He still extracted the full definition of the equator from the teachers and said that it should be equally or midway that separates the North and South Poles. He also clarified that use of north and south hemispheres that one of the participants shared. It should be the line that separates the north and south hemispheres equally into two halves that is midway between the north and south poles.

2. Latitude and Longitude. He then proceeded with the definitions of the lines of latitude and asked the participants to define it in their own words and based on what they see. He clarified that there is no wrong answers and not every definition should be governed by what they read in textbooks. One participant said that latitude is a circular line that expands going from the north dimension which changes as it goes in the midway down. The speaker clarified that the teachers should define the terms as if they were teaching Grade 6 students. Another participant said that it is a circular line that goes around the globe. Another said that each latitude has a 15-degree separation from each other. The speaker said that all their answers were correct but the definitions they gave may only be understood not by everyone. He clarified that latitudes are parallel to the equator, which the teachers had not noticed. Another said that the circumference changes, but better use the word “change in size”. It is important to use very simple words that everyone must understand, especially the students. He also stressed that parallel lines mean the lines do not meet. He said that there is no top or bottom or north and south in space that’s why it is important to avoid the use of top or bottom in defining geographic terms. “Equation is at latitude 0”, was an advanced answer that should not be taught immediately to the students. It is not the job of the teacher to give the definition of the term, it is his job to let the student discover the answer, the speaker emphasized.

The next question is “What is the latitude at the South Pole?” Answers were raised—90 degrees south. It is important to say that South Pole latitude is 90 degrees south because north pole latitude is 90 degrees north. It is important that the teacher would let the students to define the other terms by themselves after they have guided them. The teacher does not do all the teaching, they should let the students discover the definitions and answers by themselves as well.

The speaker then let the teachers show him the different degrees of latitude in the globes. The teachers all got the right answers and said that it would be better if the teachers let the students find the estimation of the latitude degrees—as he coined—guesstimate.

The speaker then asked the teachers to define longitude. Vertical lines, circular lines, lines from north to south, parallel lines. The speaker asked if the longitudes are parallel lines, which are lines that do not meet. It means that lines of longitude are not parallel lines because they meet in the north and south poles. He also said that they are not vertical lines. He said that the way the moon is tilted into a diagonal line is the same way as the lines of the longitude, which all meet at the ends of the poles. It is important to describe these concepts instead of reading it in textbooks, the speaker emphasized.

He also discussed the Prime Meridian, the first longitude, which passes from the North Pole near London to South. He asked the participants to find the Great Britain in the globe. He also discussed the Greenwich in England. The Prime Meridian is at 0 degrees, and it is going both east and west and meets at 180 degrees in the globe. It divides the Eastern and Western hemispheres. He further discussed the Prime Meridian and Greenwich and further called these that as the Prime Meridian is farther away from one country, it is called far east; the closer to Prime Meridian, it is called near east. It means that the Philippines is far east from the Prime Meridian. He then asked the participants to locate 25 degrees and one teacher said there is none in the globe. He illustrated and emphasized the use of legends of W and E in relation to the Prime Meridian—that is West and East.

He also asked the participants to locate Manila to the nearest degree. Answers raised were all correct—15 degrees north and 120 degrees east. The speaker gave some more exercises and competitions for the participants. He asked the participants to locate certain countries using the latitudes and longitude degrees. He gave at least three problem sets of finding countries using latitude and longitude degrees.  He next gave the activity in reverse, the participants were to identify the latitudes and longitude degrees of certain countries like Tokyo, Melbourne and Singapore. The speaker emphasized that the first to locate is the latitude then the longitude degree.

3. Latitude and Climate. The knowledge of latitude and longitude may be applied to climate. The speaker reviewed the climate of different points in the world. The relationship is that the closer the country is to the equator, the hotter the place is, and vice versa. There is a corresponding degree in climate and in the location of the place. Latitude 0 is called the equator. There is also a special latitude that is 23.5 degrees north—the Tropic of Cancer, in Tropic of Capricorn 23.5 south. Between these places are called the tropical areas. He also discussed the temperate zones and arctic zones. It is clear that there is a great correlation between the latitude and the climate. He also explained the cold climates due to the latitudes and longitude degrees in the north and south poles. Questions were raised on the long nights and long days in the north and south parts of the country.

4. Typhoon and Cyclone: Bottle Experiment. The speaker then distributed two bottles of water for each group and asked them to connect both bottles and shake them. He illustrated the correct use of the bottle experiment to illustrate the phenomenon of cyclone and typhoon. It is important to take off the label of the bottle and both bottles should be identical. It can be applied in different storms in the Philippines like the typhoon Yolanda. He discussed the entrance of storms in the Philippines using the bottle experiment to further explain how it is applied in climate. He also discussed the concept of the eye wall and tail of the storm that passes through different countries.

5. Tracking a Storm. The speaker also introduced how to identify and detect the eye of the storm and illustrated newspaper clippings during the worst typhoons in the Philippines. He also illustrated the storm approach of Yolanda in Leyte in a video. It could be noticed that the eye of the storm suddenly disappears once it lands in the place because it weakens. The speaker conducted an activity where the teacher-participants would plot the storm upsurge of Yolanda in a Philippine map given a set of data. He reviewed their answers which were measured in latitude and longitude degrees. He emphasized that such activity can be introduced to students where they can plot the Philippine area of responsibility and applying their knowledge on longitude and latitude. He also discussed the upcoming storms in PAR identified by PAG-ASA. PAR, which includes Taiwan is for the geography of storms only, the speaker emphasized. He also asked why the area in the east of the Philippines is a large part of PAR and rephrased the question. Answers raised were for PAG-ASA to be prepared in the upcoming storms in the eastern Philippine Sea. The speaker said that it is important to have a large part of the eastern area of the Philippines to be part of PAR because it would help PAG-ASA and the people to be prepared and this would become a warning for the people living near the coastal areas of the eastern Philippine Sea. He also pointed out the reason why Taiwan is included in PAR because storms may be strong enough for the people in one country to be prepared. He also pointed out that the teachers don’t have to give all the answers to the students and let them think it over to accomplish critical thinking. Questions were raised on the limited time for the teachers to extract the answer to the students in which the time may not be enough for them to do it. The teachers may adjust to their strategy relative to the time limit. Giving the answers to the students in an instant is not teaching at all, the speaker pointed out. Inquiry process is important for the students to be developed; even though it may kill a lot of time, but can be done. The speaker checked the answers of the participants and most of them got the right answers.

He also presented questions: 1) Where did Yolanda fall? The participants said it was outside PAR. He said there are three ways to answer the question: the Pacific Ocean, the longitude and latitude and outside PAR given one has full knowledge of the geography of the country. 2) When did Yolanda enter the PAR? November 6, between 3pm and 6pm, where it depends on where it overlapped in the boundary of the Philippine area, according to the participants. 3) When did Yolanda leave PAR? November 9 and between 12am and 6am. 4) In what direction did Yolanda move? The participants answered from Southeast to Northwest. They may also say it moved westward. It can be observed that the question can all be answered based on the activity. Other different questions may be added given another set of data. The speaker illustrated the long path of the origin of Yolanda to the participants from far east to westward in China.

6. Tropical Cyclones. The speaker discussed the different categories of tropical cyclones, namely tropical depression, tropical storm, typhoon and supertyphoon, which all differ in their speed. It can be interpreted in the Filipino language in the way vehicles move in speed. Tropical storms mainly rely on their wind speed, not on the amount of rain it produces. He described the different types of position of the storm especially when one is located in the eye of the storm. He also gave and illustrated examples of different storms and emphasized that storms all come from seas and are formed in bodies of water. Temperate and warm water ranging from 26 degrees celsius is also one point to form a storm. The direction is also westward for it to become a storm. Therefore the eastern parts of Luzon are always affected. 5) Where do tropical cyclones die out? It dies out during its landfall because there is no temperate water anymore. Landfall in water areas may also be low in temperature that’s why it dies out. He illustrated the inquiry teaching by letting the teachers answer the questions themselves, which can be applied to their students. 6) Why is the Philippine prone to typhoons? The teachers said that it is because the Philippines surrounded by large bodies of warm and temperate waters. Also, there is no other country near the Pacific ocean where storms can land, except for the Philippines. This entails disaster preparedness. Observations were raised on the clockwise movement and rotation of the Earth relative to the movement of storms being westward. The speaker said it is the Coriolis Effect, but it was too advanced for the lecture. Convention box—when there is a storm in the country, the wind above is warmer, where warm air rises. The air around will replace the warm air, which is called the low pressure area. All storms have low pressure area according to the speaker. It may advance to tropical depression. Wind then, which is the horizontal movement of the air then rises and creates the low pressure area. Typhoons are always pushed by wind currents that are bigger than the current itself, and are always attracted by low pressure area. When the air rises in a certain area, the strong winds and low pressure area are attracted in that direction, that is why it is westward. Another question is raised on whether the storm moves in a clockwise or counterclockwise. In southern hemisphere it is clockwise and in northern hemispher it is counterclockwise. This is due to the Coriolis Effect. He briefly discussed the topic on the Coriolis Effect using the globe. This is why there is a rotation of the storms because there is the rotation of the earth.

A final question was raised if there is a possibility of the occurrence of a storm from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. The speaker said there is a possibility, but most probably it weakens because there is the equator that stops the storm from passing by. Tropical storms in convergent and intertropical convergent zones give rise to diagonal rises of storms where warm air rises.

7. Earthquakes and Faults. The speaker then gave an activity called Break and Shake. He recalled the 1990 earthquake in the Philippines where 201 people died. The use of intensity 8 was wrong; it should have been magnitude 7.8, where there was a simple miscommunication. He illustrated a map of the world and all the black areas are the ones in which earthquakes occurred. It means earthquakes do not occur in any place. There are only certain places where earthquakes occur and are confined in certain places. It occurs in boundaries below plates. The activity involved the use of sand and two pieces of paper where the participants would replicate the occurrence of an earthquake. The activity showed a similarity of a road in which it was displaced when an earthquake occurred. The crack is called the fault, according to the speaker. He then asked what the definition of a fault based on the activity. The participants said that it is the place where two plates meets, collide, crack, breaks, separates along which there is movement. He illustrated a real fault and asked why there is a fault in that place. It is because there is a crack and displaced movement of the plates or in the ground. The fault should be big enough to be called one, the speaker pointed out. He illustrated more examples of faults.

The speaker illustrated a model of a fault in an activity, which involved carton boxes, paper clips and rubber bands. He emphasized that the movement of the ground is sudden, not slowly. He illustrated the pull of force of the rubber band with the taped boxes of carton and showed an earthquake in action. At first the pull of the rubber band is the only force exerted in the movement until there is a strong force of pull and the ground shakes and turns into an earthquake. All the groups were able to illustrate the phenomenon using the materials given. The longer the rest period of the force, the stronger the earthquake would be, and vice versa. An earthquake therefore is a big fault made by a sudden movement of the earth’s crust. The other groups tried to tape a paper house in one box and tested the result of the house’s destruction with the earthquake in action. He also shared some websites on earthquakes. A question was raised on aftershocks. There are three kinds of shocks, foreshock, the shock itself and aftershock, where aftershocks are the small minimal earthquakes due to the aftermath of the vibrations of the ground.

8. Heat and Earthquake. The speaker then proceeded with heat, as in heat in the lava of a volcano. Heat temperature is relative, depending on the layers of the earth and the place. Excessive heat causes the plates to move above. A question was raised on the concept of trenches and plate tectonics, but the speaker did not further discuss the complicated topic. He also clarified the use of tectonic plate and plate tectonics—one is the place itself while the other one is the theory. He also slightly discussed convergent and divergent boundaries where all earthquakes occur. A teacher clarified the complicated topic which is taught in Grade 6, and asked the speaker to further discuss it. More questions were raised by the participants regarding analogies on earthquake. Another teacher asked the correlation of the earthquake and the volcanic eruption, but the speaker said they are not.