Content
Science Teaching
WINNER - Ranjith Dediwalage
Science-by-Snorkelling Wins Teaching Prize
Head of Science at Melbourne's St. Leonard's College, Ranjith Dediwalage, is regarded by colleagues as a ‘builder of eternity' for his inspiring teaching. His project, Sustainable Living in the Bay, has brought hundreds of Year 8 students out of the classroom, teaching science-by-snorkelling in Port Phillip Bay. Mr Dediwalage has been awarded the Holmes á Court UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching.
This prize is part of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, the Oscars of Australian science. Coveted among science prizes, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced at a glittering event in Sydney on 19 August attended by a ‘who's who' of Australian science, government, academia and industry.
Ranjith Dediwalage encourages real-world science, with his students exploring the true meaning of sustainability. Now in its third year, Sustainable Living in the Bay has grown to an annual program involving 600 students from eight schools, two City Councils and two water and energy companies. Port Phillip Bay becomes an outdoor classroom, where children learn about marine biology, water education, waste management and energy education.
"We need inspiring teachers like Ranjith to ensure the next generation of science enthusiasts. He is having a major impact on thousands of children and the overall effect of that is enormous." says Australian Museum Director, Frank Howarth.
Sustainable Living in the Bay teaches students about the sustainable living practices of the traditional occupants of Port Phillip Bay, the Bunurong people. It also equips them to discover plants and creatures and appreciate in situ archaeology and anthropology. They also learn to snorkel, allowing them to conduct real science by identifying, sampling and monitoring their local ecosystem.
Student research has even been used by other organisations, such as the Melbourne Aquarium, contributing directly to the long term management of Port Phillip Bay.
Dediwalage's program also integrates science into other areas of the school curriculum. PE classes have been used to develop snorkelling skills. Other exciting learning activities include role-playing, marine habitat model creation and practical work involving snail and fish dissection.
Needless to say, the students enjoy their science. "Snorkelling was fantastic - at the end we learnt quite a lot about the ecosystem about the bay." said one. "Last year there was heaps of book work - didn't really like that. This is good because there is lots of freedom, lots of choice, gives us more control!" said another.
Ranjith Dediwalage has also been active on other fronts. Following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, he established the Panadura Fisheries Village Rehabilitation Fund for schools in Sri Lanka. His work has provided scholarships for 34 orphaned children, and he started the School in a Shoe Box project linking 150 Australian students with Sri Lankan pen pals.
The $10,000 Holmes á Court UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching is awarded for outstanding work by a secondary school science teacher inspiring and motivating pupils to become involved in curiosity-driven investigation in science.
Contents
Sponsor
The Holmes à Court - UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching is sponsored by Smart Population Foundation, and University of Technology, Sydney.
Description
The Holmes à Court - UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching is awarded to a secondary school science teacher who has motivated and inspired students to become involved in student-centred investigation and whose work impacts on the science participation and performance of students in their school.
prize
$10,000
Purpose
The Holmes à Court - UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching is awarded to a secondary school science teacher who has motivated and inspired their students to become involved in student-centred investigation, where students seek answers to scientific questions posed by themselves and set in real world contexts.
The focus of this prize is on work undertaken by a teacher that impacts on the science participation and performance of students in the teacher's school.
This 'curiosity-driven learning' must be undertaken as part of the school's science teaching and learning program. It could be part of classroom programs or could include inspiring and encouraging students to pursue learning in science as an exercise in itself - through local community projects, industry or work placements, science enrichment program or entries for competitions.
While judges will consider activity by an entrant that has a wider impact among students generally, or that impacts indirectly on students through work such as curriculum development, the bulk of the entrant's submission should relate to activity that has had a direct and demonstrable impact on the students taught by the entrant at their school.
The Holmes à Court - UTS Eureka Prize for Science Teaching is designed to reward activity by secondary school science teachers that is in accord with the National Professional Standards for Highly Accomplished Teachers of Science developed by the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) - in particular Standard 6 relating to Professional Practice. This Standard relates to how teachers develop knowledge of science and scientific thinking skills through engaging students in active scientific inquiry. These scientific thinking skills include:
- • curiosity and an openness to new ideas
• scepticism and the demand for reason
• honesty and objectivity
• acceptance of the tentative nature of scientific knowledge.
Judging Criteria
Entries should specifically address how the teacher's work meets the following judging criteria:
1. Excellence in design and delivery of a science learning program
a) Describe the methods used by the teacher to engage students in curiosity-driven learning. What principles underpin these methods and how are these principles manifested in these methods (ie. what is the "design" behind the science learning program)? How was the learning program(s) developed and implemented?
b) Describe how and why the methods used by the teacher innovative.
c) Describe the extent to which the teacher's methods integrate science teaching with other key learning areas in the school's educational program.
d) Explain the extent to which the science learning program provides an external interface to real world science (eg through local community projects, industry or work placements, addressing social and ethical issues raised by science, participation in science competitions etc).
2. Effectiveness in encouraging and developing scientific thinking in students
a) How effective has the teacher been in encouraging and inspiring students to develop scientific thinking (ie how have students responded)?
b) To what extent has the teacher has provided effective guidance and feedback to students?
Conditions of entry
This prize is open to all secondary school science teachers.
Entries involving more than one teacher are not eligible.
Entrants must be currently employed as secondary school science teachers.
The work entered in this prize must have been undertaken in Australia by an Australian citizen(s) or Australian resident(s) no more than five (5) years before the closing date for entries.
Teachers can either enter themselves or be nominated by others. If nominating a teacher, please ensure that they have the opportunity to provide input to the documentation provided in support of their nomination.
Online entry forms close 5pm AEST Friday 2 May 2008. Hard copy entries will not be considered until and unless an online entry form has been completed.
Completed entries must be received by the Australian Museum no later than 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries delivered to the Australian Museum after this time will not be considered.
Entries with insufficient sets of documentation will not be considered. Submitted material will not be returned.
The activity entered/nominated for this prize may not be entered/nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
The deliberations of the judging panel remain confidential. All recommendations and decisions taken are binding and final and no correspondence will be entered into on such matters.
Information provided by the entrant(s) in relation to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (including photos), may be used by the Australian Museum for promotional/publicity purposes.
Personal information provided in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be used only by the Australian Museum and only in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
How to enter
1. Complete an online entry form
Complete the online entry form by 5pm AEST on Friday 2 May 2008. Make sure you print out a copy.
2. Prepare five (5) sets of the entry, with each set consisting of:
1. a printed copy of the online entry form as submitted
2. a brief description of the teacher's activities, including an outline of their objectives and results to date. This description should address each of the points under the judging criteria above in order to explain how the teacher has shown excellence in design and delivery of a science learning program and effectiveness in encouraging and developing scientific thinking in students (four page maximum)
3. a maximum of four (4) short written reports addressing the judging criteria from people who are familiar with the teacher's work. NOTE: Judges rely on these reports to provide additional perspective and informed opinion on the teacher's work. Assessors could be fellow teachers, a Principal, a parent or a student.
3. Submit the entry
Submit five (5) complete and separate sets of the entry clipped together (not bound). Please do NOT bother with elaborate presentation when submitting the entry. This will be removed before material is sent to judges. The five (5) sets of the entry should be sent to:
Eureka Prize for Science Teaching
Australian Museum
6 College Street
SYDNEY NSW 2010
4. DEADLINE for submission of entries
The five (5) sets of the entry must be received at the Australian Museum by 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries received after this time will not be considered.
