From nnm1+@pitt.edu Wed May 28 01:31:21 2003
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 20:50:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: nnm1+@pitt.edu
To: jth@pitt.edu
Subject: PhysMoVan Summary


To everyone who reads this message:

     The PhysMoVan Project is beneficial because it plants a seed in south 
Africa.  This seed is science education.  This year, the PhysMoVan Project
 worked with students in the Eastern Cape, as well as with their teachers, 
on four lab activities and an exploratorium.  The lab equipment is distributed 
such that each school is able to access the equipment when needed; the 
exploratorium equipment is located in three different locations .  
The benefits of this exploratorium is that it is relatively inexpensive and 
mobile, which makes it easier  to replicate and transport.  
     In retrospect, what most sticks out in my mind is the excitement of 
spinning and falling off the rotating platform, of the surprise of the 
resonance of two tuning forks, and the joy of learners as they actually see 
physics occuring in "real life"...  For these reasons, the exploratorium was 
the most exciting component for me.   This statement by no means negates the 
pleasure I had in instructing the lab sessons.  There were four labs: 
electricity, light scattering, force tables, and momentum.  I focused on 
momentum.  My initial approach involved too much math.  I began to move away 
from F=ma, focusing more so on Newton's Third Law of motion.  I found that 
this approach was better understood, even by senior students.  Truly, it was 
in the lab session that I received an understanding of how much the learners 
understood.  I found that most seniors had studied forces, however many could 
not remember Newton nor his three laws.  Also, many could not do simple 
division such as 20/10.  Another observation was that many students followed 
each other.  For example, one student might answer ten for the above fraction.
Then all the other students would follow along and say ten, without
thinking about it for themselves.  It would take a minute or two for me to 
convince them to reconsider.  Afterwards, they would see the mistake.  It is 
this same group thinking/learning that causes the student to think of 
himself/herself as part of a group and not so much an individual. 

 A product  of this group-think is the view of success.  I spoke with one 
of the learners  about his future; he told me that he would either sell 
oranges or continue on  with his education.  He saw no future for himself 
nor the community around him. Even though he was only 18 years old, his 
mind was with the group, his zeal was chained down, his hope was lost. 
He spoke of percentages, that most of his peers would not pass the matric exam,
 and that most of those who do still won't make it.  I asked him if he could 
make a difference if he earned an education and got a good job.  His answer 
was that he would leave the community and never come back, just as everyone 
else.  This conversation taught me a lot; it taught me about the mentality of 
the students, especially in informal settlements; they go to school everyday 
of the week to prepare for exams that many of them do not pass.  Truly, they 
do not pass because of a lack of resources; teacher education is a huge lack 
in many areas in South Africa and also in the United States.


     Teacher education has a part in the PhysMoVan outreach.  There was one 
all day workshop with teachers on the lab experiments and exploratorium in 
Worcester.  After the workshop, we visited some of their schools.  It was 
great for the teachers because they were able to help their students when we 
brought the exploratorium and labs to their schools.  It was also good for the 
teachers whom we did not visit because they are able to obtain the equipment 
at a later time and use it to teach their students hands on activities.  


     I learned much from my experience in the PhysMoVan project.  I gained a 
better understanding of the need for science education in high schools in 
South Africa.  I found it surprising that many students never heard of 
astronomy, they did not know about the tectonic plates of the earth, they 
didn't know about atoms, they could not take measurements...  Again, these 
problems are not centered in South Africa, it is also present around the world.
I would ask the learners to tell me some of things a physicist might do or 
study, and I received as an answer jobs such as doctors or physical therapists 
or chemical engineers or electrical engineers.  These same students told me 
that they planned to be chemical engineers and physical therapists and doctors
and electrical engineers; I discerned that although they told me these things, 
they did not know what these scientists actually do.  I suggest that teachers 
implement a "Fields of Science" aspect to PhysMoVan.  This would be beneficial 
because it would give students the opportunity to understand what it is that 
they desire to do in science if they decide to go on with it past high school.
  It will also be potentially inspiring for many as they realize that a 
chemist is not necessarily a biologist, etc.  Modernized posters of these 
scientists, even if hand made, might stimulate the thoughts of learners, so 
they might diligently study science in high school and obtain the skills to 
move on to the post high school level.  It was very discouraging for me when 
one of the learners in my group told me that he wants to be an electrical 
engineer, but he could not divide 20/5.  As a senior, he has a lot of work to 
do.


     This experience was personally beneficial because it broadened the 
microcosm that I'm so used to.  It gave me an understanding of the need of 
mentors and motivators, the need of knowledgeable educators, and most 
importantly, the need of faith.  The mentality that education is not useful
is easily understood in the context where so much potential is lost to the 
lack of resources.  I desire that this waste end now, that my generation will 
begin to overtake this undercurrent of helplessness and become leaders, not 
only in science, but broader; rather much broader...

Shalom!
Nichelle Madison