Experiences

Homepage > Experiences > Teachers Experiences

TEACHERS EXPERIENCES FORM

Title of the Experience

Stereometry for 4. class

Name of the teacher

Zuzana Zuštinová

Country where it took place

Slovakia

School typology

High Secondary School

Thematic Area

Maths

Experience typology

Teaching in class

Type of contact

Direct

Description of the Experience

Opis skúsenosti When rehearsing stereometry in the III.C class in the subject of project teaching I gave students the following task: The first pair of students should determine the cost of materials for painting a classroom in which we learn. The second pair should check the price for the new floor. I did not tell them anything else. Usually I do not teach this way so I was curious about their reaction. They did not understand me therefore I answered the expected questions.
First, I reminded them that I wanted the results during this class. They found out the prices on the internet, I made my laptop available to them. We did not have a meter to measure so I gave them two sticks, which they used for measuring the class and a ladder to measure the height of the classroom. Initially they wanted to copy the measured values from each other, I banned them to do so. They had to pass the task results to me on paper. I did not tell them how I imagine it because I wanted to find out how they are able to solve an unfamiliar problem. I liked how enthusiastic they got about the selection of flooring, molding and paneling. At the end they forgot to add to the length of the classroom the door width, they "skipped" the door.
Despite my insistence that the lower part of the walls should be painted by a washable color, they did neglect it. They did not care even though they were graded at the end of the task. They took the whole task blithely, drawings on paper were incomplete and confusing. They also neglected both whiteboard and the windows, they did not count them off from the surface of the walls, which I was expecting them to do. They did not save and considered the school to be a solvent customer.
I was expecting a more responsible job from them and greater enthusiasm to prove me that they are able to tackle a problem by themselves. Therefore, I decided not to give this task in the apprenticeship. I describe experience from this class in another format.

Comments on this Teachers Experience

In order to post a comment it is compulsory to be logged in.

Date: 2014.11.09

Posted by Viera Kolbaska (Slovakia)

This experience is important from the point of identifying the ways of motivating the teaching of particular thematic unit. The author leads the students to cooperation and to searching for problem solutions by forming groups and pairs. I think that the fact that pupils did not react as author of experience expected, should not discourage her. Pupils usually react to the new teaching method negatively when trying it for the first time. Certainly, it was effective for them to learn "geometry" connected to "arithmetics" by addressing everyday life situation.
• Does this experience explain the causes of students´low motivation to learn science subjects?
Yes, from the description of the experience is clear that the pupils rarely encounter learnig for life.
• Does this experience offer possible solution to overcome this low motivation?
From the description of the experience is evident that it is necessary to interconnect the teaching of science subjects to reality with which pupils are likely to encounter in everyday life.
• Do you have a similar experience?

Last Educational Products Comments

Francisco Herenas Ramos - Spain

It's really great to explain the students the ALU and UC using meals to represent the functionality of this computer parts. This model can help the s......

New comment on the Initiatives "Basics of Central Processing Unit (CPU) functions"

News

Dissemination Seminar in Florence

31 October 2015 The seminar has been held in ITIS “A. Meucci” one of the schools involved within Goerudio project activities. Its main aim was to promote the results of the project toward a broad sample of stakeholders even overcrossing the number of people directly involved in the production of project outcomes. This purpose has been totally achieved especially thanks to the participation of students and teachers coming from different schools or from other classes instead of those ones directly involved within the project activities.