Wednesday 2 April 2014

Why I Joined Science Academy

Learning is all about making connections. May it be during English class, Science labs, or in our daily lives, making connections is what allows us to develop our skills and knowledge. In Science Academy, one of the main goals of the program is to make connections between science and math, in order for us to gain a better understanding and expand our learning.

Today, in Physics class, we actually related the physics material to both Chemistry and Math in ways I would never have thought about otherwise. We took the concepts of Electrostatics and used them to calculate the different charges of atoms in ionic bonds. Furthermore we represented the formula for Coulomb's Law graphically, and learned how we could manipulate any formula into the form y=mx+b to indirectly determine the formula's constants! Who knew that math from grade 10 really mattered. 

Since the students in Science Academy are like-minded and have a passion for science/math, it makes it easier for the teachers to teach extensive lessons that go beyond the curriculum, without losing the interest of the students. This is quite beneficial and I think that though it is hard work, I have learned more in this program than I ever would have in the regular school system.

By making connections between science and math, it makes it easier for us to appreciate why we are learning the material. For example, today I realized the importance of the simple math equation y=mx+b, and how it can be applied by physicists outside of the classroom. Making these connections helped us (me, at least) see the bigger picture, and it kept me more engaged. I had to think critically and use my existing knowledge in order to make the connections. This lead me to another realization- in order to make connections, you need to retain the knowledge from previous classes ... which means NO CRAMMING. Cramming may be an effective way to pass a test for some people, but it definitely won't help you remember the material in the long run. But that's whole different story.