Scientific thinking is not limited to science and knowledge and it’s beautiful!
Scientific thinking is not limited to studying to science (physics, chemistry and biology)
Scientific thinking is also not limited to me being “good or bad” in science.
Scientific thinking is a process, which is not about knowledge but about a skill, a way to think.
Stimulation in the beginning of the week with wondering, pondering, playing with balloons..
A session with Vijetha and Ram from Paryoga added flavor to our week. They are promoting learning by doing, where children of various ages are challenged to build reliable contraptions and explain the scientific principles behind it. A contraption is a machine which does a simple task by using a series of really complicated steps. Prayoga is a not-for-profit organisation focused on improving school-level education through sustained research.
We never looked at machines and each process of machine with such respect before. Yes, took it for granted that all machines in our daily life are suppose to work perfectly every time we use them. Every-time I press the break in my car, every-time it works with the same efficiency? Never wonder or gave attention to how it happens? Thank you Team Prayoga, for bringing this process alive for us by sharing about contraption. True, when we start building some reliable process to make things, we may start appreciating the various mechanism. They introduced to the concept of contraception – many of the kids do the same while they play games, contraception is all about bringing those small steps in one process. Making contraption involves – Find an alternate ways , Experiencing real life problem to not reach somewhere, but to solve small small steps to find an alternate ways, Connect various independent things to make them work together, Get to work with a team , using strengths of individuals, Bring wicked ideas in action, Building own brings joy, Put all the concept in action.
Parag from Mumbai, a professor in the Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science Department at IIT Bombay, shared his experiences of different materials and the role they play in our lives. Ah! Another gem in our week to explore various metals, and the processes in daily life – Where does the metals comes from? What is metal? We use metal in our daily life in different ways but how are they made, why that martial, etc?
Imagine the same silica in clay as well in computer chip! He shared various entrepreneurship run by students – convert their research into action – Like making Clinical trial of braces for legs, Dental caps, Walk analysis to measure diseases, Make hot plates, Make ceramics for industrial purpose, Make furnaces which are beyond be 1600 temperature, Making silver powder in labs…he share din brief the making process of things like dental cap. And left us inspired to ask “where does this comes from?”
And the life continued …