Sarah Thompson @ Coláiste Lorcain, Castledermot, Co Kildare.

Sarah Thompson is a member of the Science and Maths Departments in Coláiste Lorcain, Castledermot, Co Kildare. Colaiste Lorcain is a mixed school of 380 pupils under the management of Kildare VEC.  Sarah teaches Junior Certificate Science, along with Leaving Certificate Physics, Maths and Applied Maths. She has been part of the discover sensors program since joining the Kildare VEC group of schools in September 2010. Prior to teaching in Colaiste Lorcain, Sarah taught in a Local Authority School in North Wales and worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Sarah initially though that the program was concerned purely with the promotion of data logging equipment but quickly learned it was much more. “The Discover sensors program has allowed me to gain confidence in facilitating inquiry based learning in my classroom. The online forum for teachers as well as the stimulus to engage material on the Discover Sensors website provides teachers with excellent ideas and resources.”

“I have found working as a group with other teachers on the assessment materials as well as the training we received on developing resources very beneficial. After each session, you come away with new ideas and techniques to try in the classroom and are encouraged to discuss your feedback and experiences on the teachers forum”

“I have found that allowing pupils to investigate topics and discover concepts rather than “learning” them is far more effective in helping pupils retain the information. Allowing pupils to perform investigations in groups builds confidence as well as equipping them with the scientific skills of planning experiments, collecting data and analysing results.” Sarah has found encouraging pupils to complete projects for the Scifest competition in first and second year stimulates pupil’s interest in science, builds their confidence as well as completing the coursework B requirement of the Junior Science Syllabus.

Margaret Hourigan @ St. Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry.

Margaret teaches Science, Biology, Maths and IT in St. Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry. It is a co-ed secondary school (approx 800 students). Her involvement with Discover Sensors started in its pilot phase in 2006. At that stage her focus was on learning to use sensors. Through the Discover Sensors’ Summer Schools and workshops she became aware of the value for teaching and learning of using an inquiry based approach to teaching science. In 2009-2010 she researched the effect of an inquiry-based approach to teaching junior science, using sensors on students’ attitudes to science for her M.Ed. (Her study found that students’ attitudes to science became mostly more positive and particularly girls’ self-concept in science attitude.)

As well as the project giving her the confidence to approach a research project using an inquiry-based approach to teaching science, it has also gave her the confidence to attempt doing Coursework B projects of students own choice using sensors in 2011. The students’ Coursework B projects were then entered in SciFest (One of the projects won the Discover Sensors Award)

The students’ enthusiasm and enjoyment in doing their own investigations has convinced her of the importance of using an inquiry based approach where possible in the teaching of JC science.

Michelle Rogan @ Loreto College, Cavan

Michelle Rogan teaches in Loreto College, Cavan, an all-girls secondary school with 700 students. She teaches Junior Certificate Science along with Leaving Certificate Chemistry and Physics. Michelle has been involved in the Discover Sensors project since it was established in 2006. Initially she was more interested in learning how to use the technology including data-logging for experimental and practical work but she has welcomed the opportunity to develop a more investigative teaching approach over the past five years.

Michelle feels that the project has brought her on a journey – from a place where she depended on textbooks and notes to today focusing on classroom based activities where the students design and carry out the investigations for themselves. She adds, "When the students carry out their own work in an investigative way, they have a far better understanding of science than they would have learning from notes or from what somebody else tells them". Today Michelle no longer depends on the textbook any longer.

So does this approach make a difference? As far as Michelle is concerned, "It is obvious from the students themselves, they ask more questions, they are more involved and interested in what they are doing, and the atmosphere in the classroom is completely different". Michelle is in no doubt that the students’ understanding of concepts are now much better, and that "They can see beyond the question that's on the paper".

Michelle has also gone down the road of using sensor based investigations as part of Course Work B. She has found that this approach actually worked out quicker and easier for her as the teacher, and while there was no great difference in the results students achieved, there is an obvious difference in how students can work on their own and think for themselves when they move on into fifth year.

Michelle feels that the real benefit of Discover Sensors has been the opportunity to share practice with other teachers, to show the evidence that this approach does work. She feels that the project has built up her confidence in teaching science through investigation and in integrating the technology in a meaningful way for her students.

Liam Begley @ Mayfield Community School, Cork

Liam Begley teaches in Mayfield Community School in Cork, a mixed community school with about 350 students. Liam teaches Junior Certificate Science, Leaving Cert Biology, Leaving Cert Applied Science and Mathematics at Junior and Leaving Cert level. Liam returned to teaching in 2002 after a number of years working in the technology sector.

Liam finds using the investigative approach as a great way for getting the students interested in science and allows him to teach science in a “hands on” way. He finds that students tend to remember things better. They investigate on their own behalf, and while there is a lot of work involved initially, Liam has seen huge benefit in the classroom. The students are definitely more engaged and Liam has found the experience very rewarding.

For the last 9 years, the school has been running an after school science club. This is open to all students who have an interest in science. Liam has found great value in using sensors in a more informal way, without the pressure of curriculum or timetables. The students have become experts themselves in setting up the activities and they see the technology as being “cool”. This has begun to lead on to other opportunities for the students, through greater participation of students in the BT Young Scientist and Scifest competitions. There is now a great buzz throughout the school which Liam feels is on a par with success in sports events.

The school has been focused on developing its science capability and this was one of the reasons that Liam got involved in Discover Sensors. There are four teachers in the science department and they have access to three science labs. Liam and his colleagues have been gradually building up their bank of ICT and sensor equipment so that they can use technology in a hands-on way rather than using them for demonstration purposes only.

When they do have the equipment to carry out particular investigations, there are manifest benefits for the students and this has been begun to be borne out in results and feedback from the students themselves. Liam adds “There’s nothing like the students themselves handling the equipment, seeing the results coming up immediately and getting immediate feedback on the variables that they are investigating”.

There is a supportive and cooperative atmosphere in the science department particularly in regard to using ICT. This has developed from using the sensors for demonstration purposes to being used by the students themselves for their own investigation. Liam and his colleagues have experienced issues around the coursework aspect of the syllabus – “It does take a lot of time to get through the practical aspects of the course and sometimes things don’t go according to plan”.

Liam has found the interaction with other teachers through Discover Sensors inspiring as it given him access to a “huge resource of expertise, enthusiasm and energy”. Liam continues to get a “great kick” out of being involved and sees great potential for the development of a community of science teachers willing to share ideas and resources with each other.

Seán Ó Finn @ Coláiste Daibheid, Cork

Tháinig Discover Sensors go Coláiste Daibhéid den chéaduair mar chuid de scéim phíolótach i Meán Fómhair 2006. Laistigh de roinnt laethanta d'aithin Seán Ó Finn athrú i ndearcadh na bpáistí i leith na ranganna eolaíochta.

'Gan aon amhras, chothaigh Discover Sensors spéis nua agus chuir sé na páistí faoi dhraíocht maidir le heolaíocht sa seomra ranga. Mar ghrúpa thugamar faoina a lán turgnamh nua nár cheapamar a dhéanamh roimhe seo de bharr modhanna sean-aimseartha de theicnící eolaíochta'.

Dúirt Séan an méid seo freisin, 'Mar gur féidir graif a chumadh anois i 'bhfíor-am', tá am breise ar fáil chun plé a dhéanamh ar na torthaí in ionad bheith ag díriú ar an modh ina ndéantar na turgnaimh'. Cabhraíonn na braiteoirí le daltaí Sheáin réamhaisnéis a dhéanamh sula ndéantar na turgnaimh, ag tuar cad a tharlódh dá n-athrófaí cúinsí na dturgnamh.

Nuair a bhí an rang ag déanamh staidéir ar fhótaisintéis, cuireadh duilleoga agus duilliúr isteach i mbuidéal mór gloine chun leibhéil dé-ocsaíde charbóin a mheas. 'A bhuí leis na braiteoirí, bhí muid in ann réamhaisnéis a dhéanamh roimh ré ar na torthaí agus ansin bhíomar in ann díreach féachaint air ag tarlú i rith an ranga agus measúnú a dhéanamh ar chruinneas ár réamhaisnéise'. Is cinnte go dtugann an réamhaisnéis gné níos idirghníomhaí do dhaltaí ar na turgnaimh, rud a fhágann an rud ar fad níos spéisiúla.

Aithníonn múinteoirí eolaíochta atá páirteach i Discover Sensors go forleathan gur '...bheag an chiall a bhain le graif Ghluaisne ó théacsleabhair do dhaltaí roimhe seo'. Anois, áfach, tugann na braiteoirí tomhais ar an toirt do dhaltaí agus mar sin de tugann siad freagraí ar a gcuid ceisteanna láithreach - rud a thugann tuiscint i bhfad níos fearr maidir leis an gciall a bhaineann leis na graif.

Dar le Seán, is é an braiteoir gluaisne an chuid is riachtanaí den trealamh, mar go bhfeileann sé go huile is go hiomlán do Shiollabas an Teastais Shóisearaigh. 'A luaithe agus a bhíonn an chéad turgnamh braiteoirí déanta bíonn an trealamh féin i bhfad níos éasca a láimhseáil - agus ós rud é go dtugann braiteoirí gníomhaíochtaí nua isteach sa seomra ranga, tugann sé seo an eolaíocht isteach sa nua-aois'.