Posts made by Uzaif Talpur

# Introduction
In today's education system, teaching science in a siloed and compartmentalized manner can leave students disconnected from the real world. Recognizing this challenge, the Holistic Science Teaching Fellowship program was launched to empower teachers to adopt a more integrated approach to science education. As one of the fortunate participants, I embarked on a journey that revolutionized my teaching practices and ignited a passion for holistic learning.

# Background
The fellowship program, a collaborative effort between esteemed institutions, including World Science Collaborative Ltd (United Kingdom), South East Asian Ministerial Organization (SEAMEO)-QITEP In Science (Indonesia), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), The Aga Khan University-Institute of Education Development (AKU-IED), and Qatar University, aimed to equip teachers with the skills to connect science with diverse disciplines, fostering critical thinking and curiosity in students. With a rigorous selection process, only 45 teachers from private and government schools were chosen to participate, and I was honored to be among them.

# My Journey
From the moment I arrived at Nine Tree Hotel in Lahore, I knew that this experience would be extraordinary. The six-day workshop at LUMS University was a treasure trove of learning, with esteemed speakers and mentors guiding us through various subjects, including physics, philosophy, computer science, and more. We had the privilege of learning from renowned experts such as Dr. Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Astrophysics, American University of Sharjah (AUS), Dr. Faisal Bari, Professor and Dean, School of Education, LUMS, Dr. Sabieh Anwar, Physicist and Science Communicator, LUMS, and Dr. Athar Osama, Science Policymaker and Founder of World Science Collaborative Ltd, among others.

The workshop was a melting pot of ideas, with peers from diverse backgrounds sharing their perspectives and expertise. We delved into topics like myths, science, and religious conflicts, exploring ways to address contradictory questions from students. The concept of "A Big Question" became the cornerstone of our learning, encouraging us to define and explore complex, interdisciplinary inquiries. We crafted a UBD lesson plan, incorporating holistic principles, and presented our work to the jury.

The experience was not limited to the workshop; we continued to learn and grow through post-learning assessments, implementing our new strategies in the classroom and sharing our progress through recorded videos and updated lesson plans. We also had the opportunity to attend the International Event of Science and Engineering of the James Webb Telescope at Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBSSE) LUMS, Lahore, where we discussed the universe, gravity, black holes, the expansion of the universe, the big bang, and other topics.

# Organic Discussions and Crucial Topics
One of the unique aspects of the fellowship was the organic discussions that emerged during the workshop. We had the freedom to explore topics that interested us, from the intersection of science and religion to the ethics of artificial intelligence. These discussions not only deepened our understanding of the subjects but also fostered a sense of community and collaboration among the participants.
We also explored crucial topics such as pseudoscience, myths, and the importance of critical thinking in science education. The speakers and mentors encouraged us to question our assumptions and challenge our beliefs, creating a safe and supportive environment for growth and learning.

# Implementation and Impact
After the workshop, we continued to learn and grow through post-learning assessments, implementing new strategies in the classroom and sharing progress through recorded videos and updated lesson plans. I witnessed firsthand the power of holistic learning to engaging students and fostering a deeper understanding of science.

# Conclusion
The Holistic Science Teaching Fellowship was a transformative experience that has had a lasting impact on my teaching practices. I have witnessed firsthand the power of holistic learning to engaging students and fostering a deeper understanding of science and its connections to the world around us. To fellow educators, I recommend embracing this approach, and to the program organizers, I suggest continuing to support and expand this initiative. By working together, we can revolutionize science education and inspire a new generation of curious, critical thinkers.

@Uroosa-memon Thank you Uroosa, I really appreciate your kind support.

@BRYANb8875625e5 Thank you so much, Bryan, for your kind words. I always try to transfer my knowledge and learning to other fellows. The only thing which I like about this tool is it's smooth controls. No one needs advanced information and skills to use this tool, as it is free and too easy to operate. I also appreciate that you tried this tool.

@Adel-8d693e36c4 Dear Adel, there are thousands of ways to use this app, almost every typical science experiment of 8th grade is available to simulate. You can visit their website for better understanding.
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/browse

@Mariam Thank you Mariam for your kind appreciation.

@Tabassumlaghari I appreciate your kind reply. This is just one of the free apps, but there are thousands of other apps and free resources like GitHub and Microsoft Teacher Hub.

@Ana_moderator In my view, the workplace and its surroundings impact the thought processes of teachers and students. In Pakistan, the typical workplace of a teacher in school is "Staff Room." A dedicated space for teachers to discuss and spend time in their after-duty hours. Now it totally depends on the collective as well as individual efforts of teachers, administrators, and higher authorities who serve as resource providers to bring about change. I mostly spend time in my school's science lab, because it provides a spark of curiosity when I am surrounded by lab equipment, etc. It is like a place of creativity where we are able to innovate without any restrictions, where we can observe reality with the bifocals of science, and much more.
#This is what it looks like in the lab with my students.

@RAHEELSAHITO Dear Raheel, I partially agree with you. Even though, mobile phones in the classroom distract the students, it's also concerned with the teacher and how he/she allows or guides students to use that (powerful, innovative, resourceful, and on-demand device) called mobile for some big purpose.

There are pros and cons to everything in the world, and it depends on how we use/consume it. Suppose I as a teacher, assign my students to prepare a 2-minute presentation by choosing any five topics from your eighth-grade science book's first chapter, and xyz will be the main topics that will marked as your sessional grades. Here, I divide three student per group and each one will receive equal marks on their collective as well as individual efforts. Now comes an extra instruction for all of the students: "Everyone of you will use your mobile phone and internet connection, and all of you are authorized to use any app or internet resources to make or prepare your presentation content unique and engaging.

This way, students will start interacting with each other and will also fill the gap if someone does not have a mobile phone. Now, they may have learned how to work in groups and carry out meaningful discussions, technical skills, exposure to vast, unlimitedly available resources, and many more.

These activities of using phones in a controlled environment where everyone works with peers provide a better learning experience for both students and teachers.

There are many things, which may be opposite to my stance and opinion but I would also add that excessive availability and allowance of digital tools in 6th–8th grade levels must be operated in focused way.

Thank you for reading my comment.

Isn't it so boring when we as teachers, teaching our students with text books and with a white board only. In the era of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Simulators and VR Technology, the teachers still lack proper use of these devices while teaching students in schools. The learning is only possible when it has some kind of twist!in it. That twist leads to curiosity regarding the topic, and student gets attracted toward it's fundamental concept. Hence, to spark that curiosity which further lead a student to be creative and innovative is based on the clear visuals and experiments. Some times we cannot or unable to perform experiment or practice it live, then we use simulators, augmented reality, virtual reality, or any 3D graphics to represent that topic with some charisma of fun and excitement.

In my class along with other digital apps and platforms, I mostly use PhET simulator developed by University of Buffalo Colorado, USA. The project acronym "PhET" originally stood for "Physics Education Technology," but PhET soon expanded to many other disciplines. PhET provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. It extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. These tests include student interviews and observation of simulation use in classrooms.

In my classroom, my students practice the exercise on spot on PhET. The glory of this platform is it's availability on both desktop and android platforms with free access. My students have performed many experiments under different variable situations and conditions of PhET simulator. Their learning experience have drastically increased and now even their parents have installed such apps on their mobile phones as interacting with their kids to foster learning back at home with their parents.

Lastly, this simulator is just a simple free software accessible to everyone on their phones and computers, has enhanced the learning environment and made a significant impact on learning process. Specifically, improving the cognitive capabilities of student to observe live experiments.

I am ready to connect with other fellows, to broaden my knowledge regarding other apps and platforms freely available for our students.
Thank you so much for reading my column. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for reading

Thank you so much for sharing these resources. I find these resources very useful for supporting our educators specifically those who are teaching in remote areas of under developing countries.

@Bousl2336873cb4 The potential of using ICT is way beyond our imagination. The tools like PhET, ChemCollective, and other simulations based learning platforms play a crucial role in developing the enhanced learning of students. When students are exposed to reality based scenarios then learning methodology shifts towards on spot exposure of topic or scene.

You have explained it very well, these tools generate virtual environment mimicking reality based scenarios. This way students can learn very efficiently

@Ana_moderator you have explained it very well. The digital tools play essential role in understanding of students. When they perform or simulate the reality based scenario then their learning improves efficiently