WALO 2

SUBMITTED BY: MOHAMMED KHIMANI CF: SHRIDHAR JAGTAP

I have been teaching Physics for past five years. I teach using conventional, chalk and talk, method most of the times. I also take the help of audio visual tools such as presentations, applets and animations to make teaching learning more effective and interesting. AV tools really help children to visualize, analyse, connect and draw conclusions in better way than conventional method. But still many students remain passive and lose focus in the classroom. It is a challenge to respond to their diverse interests and habit of learning. To create enthusiasm and stimulate curiosity among students and to find activities for that is the additional challenge. While sharing these challenges and possible methodologies with my colleague, we thought of demonstration. Experience with grade 10: Chapter: Sound Concept: Resonance By the time students come to grade 10, they have some basic idea about sound, how it is produced, how it propagates, what is frequency, wavelength, echo etc. In grade 10, they learn about qualities of sound and resonance. When I walked in the classroom with resonance tube, tuning forks and a beaker, everyone was eager to know what I am going to do with these apparatus. The aim of demonstration: - To explain the phenomenon of resonance - To explain the factors affecting resonance - To connect resonance with real life examples Process: Students were called in small groups to watch demonstration. Resonance was created using three different tuning forks.

Response of students: Each child was curiously waiting for his/her turn. Each individual was fully involved in understanding the concept and was keen to have hands-on. The response was very overwhelming. They (especially girls) started mimicking the sound. Few girls, in fact, could immediately connect it with saying- half-filled vessel makes more noise. Students could easily visualise why glass window breaks after an earthquake or a bomb blast. Experience with grade 9: Chapter: Current electricity Concepts: Simple circuit, open and closed circuit, function of each component of circuit. Students of grade 9 have some fundamental knowledge about a cell/battery and its function. In grade 9, they learn about basics of circuit such as open-closed circuit and function of each component of the circuit. The aim of demonstration: To make them aware about each component To teach basic requirements of any circuit. To teach the effect of current on intensity of bulb To teach basic difference between series and parallel connection

Process: Students were called in groups of 5. To each group, I demonstrated the components and explained the function, how it is connected (series / parallel) and symbol of each component. I also demonstrated that bulb (around 7V capacity) glows brighter as current flowing through the bulb increases by changing the voltage using the knob of power supply. Ammeter and voltmeter were connected to read increasing value of current and voltage. Response of students: Students were very excited and amazed to see increasing brightness with current. They wanted to have hands-on and very eager to see what happens to the bulb if voltage is increased beyond 6V. (Whether bulb blows off or not!) Each child was actively involved in the learning process. Few of them came up with innovative idea that lets try and see what happens to the bulb if it is directly connected to the mains.

What went wrong? - I had planned to demonstrate the direction of current using galvanometer but it did not work at the right moment. Personal Learning: - I was able to stimulate curiosity among students. - Teaching of physics was clearly enhanced. - Visual examples aided immeasurably in their mastery and this was evident when CCCA, for absent students, was conducted to check experimental and observation skills. Each child scored full marks on questions based on electricity. Whereas the same skills were missing in most of the grade 10 students. - By demonstrating heating effect of current on the bulb, I could relate experimental observation to scientific theory.

Wonderings / Fears: - How do I ensure the discipline in the class while demonstrating in groups? - How do I ensure the safety of the students (especially with electricity experiments), if they are given the chance to have hands-on. - Will I be able to sustain the same level of enthusiasm amongst students each time I demonstrate? - With limited resources available with us, will demonstration be possible for each topic? Finally, the use of demonstrations makes the learning of physics much more enjoyable!