A four-day seminar-workshop—Analyzing for Quality Science Curriculum Materials—was conducted at NISMED on 24-29 April 2019 through the kindness of Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta, UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Research), who donated a modest sum which she received as part of her prize as a Metrobank Awardee.
The seminar-workshop was designed to capacitate selected high school science teachers in analyzing teaching and learning resources. The training used NISMED-developed educative curriculum materials (ECM) for selected topics in earth science and physics. ECMs include materials that teachers can use in teaching with added educative features to support teacher learning.
A total of 20 participants attended the seminar-workshop. The participants consisted of teachers from four different schools which were selected because of previous collaboration with NISMED. The selected schools were Balara High School, Batasan Hills National High School, Commonwealth High School, and Krus na Ligas High School.
During the seminar-workshop, the trainers modelled how to teach a particular topic or lesson, pointing out the features of inquiry that were embedded in the lesson. The participants were provided with a protocol that they used to analyze sample lesson plans. Then they improved the lesson plans by discussing with their groupmates about the presence or absence of the features of inquiry. Each group of participants then presented their analysis and critique of the sample lesson plans.
The participants expressed their satisfaction about the overall conduct of the seminar-workshop as illustrated by the following comment: “It would be best if all public school teachers can attend the seminar like this. This seminar gave me an opportunity to enhance my way of teaching through giving relevant questions to my students. It will help me on how to choose teaching materials to use in my classes.”
The participants were highly appreciative of the invitation to attend the training and would love to be invited back for more. The seminar-workshop ended with the awarding of certificates by NISMED Director, Dr. Aida I. Yap. As a farewell message, Dr. Yap told the participants that the best outcome she could wish for is for the teachers to use and apply everything that they learned in their future classes.
