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Reflections on a Challenge - What has made me rethink my project
Projecting About My Project
Hello again, my little blog! Last time it was noted that all I had was really just a first, single brainstorm to what my project could be. It had all stemmed from one particular experiment that sprung to mind. Now I’ve had some time to build more on the project and develop into something much more substantial. This has been partially forced by the fact I’ve had to write an interim report for the end of semester 1. We now have a title, a refined client choice, learning outcomes, linked E’s & O’s and rough outline for how the project will (hopefully) proceed during semester 2. Important to highlight these of course but the real purpose of this blog is to document the changes.
I’ve always been a sucker for acronyms so I’ve created: Project E.Q.U.A.L. (Extrasolar Query in Understand Astronomical Landscapes). The purpose is to make clear the area of science (physics) that the outreach will explore. An equal objective is that this project hopes to show that science is for everyone!
Reflection & Rebuild
From the week 6 workshop “Education, IDL and Storyline”, I was introduced to the Broad General Education as part of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. From the workshop and talking with staff, it became apparent that it was (unofficially) discouraged to pursue the senior levels of S3-S6 which was my original plan. This was especially damaging to my original plan as I intended to incorporate an impact of preparing them for the transition from secondary to tertiary education. While this initially sucked, upon reflection I think this is a vital for my outreach and self-growth. I wanted to be with these students as it’s a group I have experience from my tutoring.
(Dis)comfort Leads To Conditioning
I’ve realised now though that with this project, I need to get out my comfort zone! Clearly I had clear hesitance when it came to teaching science rather than physics, as S1-S2 have not specialised into a specific science(s) yet. Not only does this combat department tribalism that’s ever present in high schools (as also mentioned in workshop) but helps open up the potential of my project. It has to also be noted that if I am to follow through and become a teacher then I do need the exposure in how to teach such a class. For with those S3-S6 pupils who have picked Physics, they will possess at least some want/desire to be in the classroom. S1-S2 on the other hand presents a real problem of making the lessons engaging and enjoyable as possible for those who’d rather be somewhere else. There are many great resources out there on how to achieve this but I strongly believe it all comes down to the interpersonal relationship and empathy.
Cheers,
Charlie
