Database of Publications

Date: 2014.05.06

Posted by Mariusz Jarocki (Poland)

Message: The paper presents an example scenario of a lesson. The main topic is methods of making salts who is realized at the secondary level of chemistry learning.

The scenario focuses on several ascpects: a role of an experiment, a role of team working and a role of active motivation of pupils. It is used many modern didactic and evaluation tools here. So the approach is very relevant in terms of the mission of Chemistry is all around Network project, as a reference material. Especially I like the approach because of common character of methods and conclusions: they can be used in any other similar courses, not only chemistry. I think mentioned by other reviewers problems with high costs of experiments can be easily reduced by use of, f.e., ICT simulation although I personally prefer some real contact with a subject of experiments.

I strongly recommend this paper to teachers as very helpful to creating own scenarios of lessons.

Date: 2013.06.19

Posted by Ilaria Rebella (Italy)

Message: The publication reports an approach to chemistry in which the student is an active subject in the process of learning in a school level, the secondary level, where this approach is not always used in systematic and ongoing way. In the experience described above is also given a crucial role to teamwork, that allows to develop interpersonal and communication skills that are essential in today\'s society.
I believe very helpful to the method described by the author to bring pupils to distinguish the various types of salt, using the chemical skills acquired previously (use of tools such as reagents, various types of equipment, tables of salts and hydroxides solubility, the periodic table of elements, specific software, ...) according to a protocol execution wizard that scans the ways and timing of:
individual choice of a card with the name of a salt, a division into groups according to the type of salt you choose (sulfates, carbonates, nitrates, phosphates) and explanation of the task from the teacher (5 minutes), a study of the task, in which the students use a molecular visualization software that allows you to graphically control the search for models of chemical fragments to determine the possible model of salt assigned (10 minutes);implementation of the task, in which each group must find a shared model of salt on the basis of individual study carried out previously, to analyze the formula (whose correctness is checked by the teacher) and to determine possible ways to get it, delete among these methods the ones that are not feasible for technical reasons or for reasons related to the solubility and highlight a possible procedure, write an order for the equipment and the reagents necessary to perform the experience and record observations and conclusions (60 minutes);presentation to the class of their work, in which the representatives of each group read and document the performance of their duties and the validity of the assumptions and the result they arrived at (10 minutes), the final phase of reflection in which students draw a self-assessment questionnaire (5 minutes). This procedure can in my opinion be very useful to teachers who want to train in a critical and aware of their students and can also be used for other topics in science. The only question that you may have is for construction times that are really exiguous, but it is a path I have experienced have been tested.
The paper reports an experience carried out in a class II of a secondary level school on a specific topic, but I think that the author wants to promote the kind of approach she used more extensively because he highlights the learning objectives and general key competencies as: communicate effectively in different situations, organize their own learning, to cooperate effectively in a group, be able to manage the information, evaluate their own learning.The kind of approach outlined in the article (execution procedure in which the students must comply with assumptions based on tools including computer at their disposal, planning the experience of testing hypotheses and conclusions with exposure to the class) seems to me also applicable in the context of the Italian school with good learning outcomes.
The only doubt I have is about the possibility of finding low-cost software for graphical display for interactive procedures such as the one indicated (Logchem).

Date: 2013.05.16

Posted by Marcela Grecová (Czech Republic)

Message: Article is reproduced in the magazine for teachers. Magazines for teachers are a good tool for lifelong learning and the search for inspiration for teaching chemistry. It contains materials on various topics to help teachers Improve Their teaching of chemistry. I highlighted the theme of practical tips for chemistry experiments and safety in the chemistry classroom. Here Is the trend in the use of modern teaching technology. The problem is that the technology is often at the expense of the experiments. Practical tips for the experiments are important and necessary for every teacher. The article is in Polish and is not available in angličitně. Can be evaluated only a brief introduction and not objectively entire magazine. Still works for me good and useful contribution for the use of teachers.