Julie Brown
Julie Brown is head of Practical Action's education team in the UK, which produces teaching resources for teachers of Science and Design & Technology.
Recommended reading: http://www.practicalaction.org/schools
Posts by Julie
-
I recently attended an ASE Teachmeet at the Think Tank . It got me thinking, where else would you find out how to:
find an interactive periodic table from the Royal Society of Chemistry- Paint a huge diagram of a heart on a big sheet to use as a teaching aid
- make a small revision book out of a piece of paper http://bit.ly/ZfLQbo
- join a network that review research in education methodologies, @bio_joe
- run a floating garden challenge to teach science in a global context
- use ipads to provide interesting learning experiences @syded06
- connect with STEM ambassadors
- Get support on teaching microbiology using UV light
…all in a couple of hours?
Teachmeets are great, informal occasion where you can meet like-minded enthusiastic teachers and pick up great ideas to integrate into your teaching . You also get a nice up of tea and chocolate biscuits :-). They occur in 12 different regions around the country. To find the one closest to you go the ASE website or contact your local ASE field officer. For the West Midlands Teachmeet contact Gaynor Sharp gaynorsharp@ase.org.uk .
Follow #tmase to keep in touch :-)
Heart painted on large sheet to be used as a teaching aid
No Comments » | Add your comment -
Technophobe gets to grips with webinar
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
May 1st, 2013My friends and work colleagues would tell you that I ‘m just not that good with technology. I got a new phone recently and when I posted the photo to the right on my facebook account (which I have to say I am proud that I know how to do!) the comments would confirm that.
Me and technology
So when I was asked by Think Global to present a webinar for them on ‘Integrating global learning into STEM’ I must admit my initial reaction was – what me? Really? As well as being flattered to be asked of course. The very lovely (and I have to say much younger, which i am convinced must have something to do with her less technophobic nature) Amy West convinced me it would all be fine so I took a deep breath and went for it!
I have to admit it was not as difficult as I originally thought to set up, although that may have been because Amy did most of the work! When the day finally came I just took a deep breath, followed instructions and off we went. To my delight it all worked well. In fact, more than that I got a real buzz from being part of something new. OK, so the sound quality wasn’t brilliant, but it worked and enabled me to talk to teachers I wouldn’t normally have been able to reach. Something my friends and family will also tell you is I just love talking about Practical Action and our education work so anything that gives me a platform to do that is good by me.
It didn’t end there however. After the event there was another technology challenge…how to share the webinar presentation with others. There was a lot of info on the presentation I thought others might be interested in and I wanted to share it. So with the help of colleagues here at Practical Action I learnt how to change a presentation into a YouTube video – how cool is that!
So, I am feeling really pleased with myself for trying out new technological things and actually getting to grips with them. Hope you enjoy the resulting video below.
1 Comment » | Add your comment -
David Cameron talks to students about Practical Action project
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
April 15th, 2013Students show David Cameron their ideas of how science and technology can be used to improve lives of the poor at the Big Bang Fair 2013
David Cameron talks to students about their Practical Action CREST project
Students at Ursuline Academy had an experience of a lifetime at the Big Bang fair in March. The Science Angels were one of just two teams interviewed by David Cameron when he visited the Big Bang Fair. In his speech captured in the video clip below the Prime Minister said that ‘ it is important that students make that connection between what they study in the classroom and real lives…the problem you want to solve in the developing world’.
Watch David Cameron at The Big Bang Fair 2013.
I joined the students on the second day of the fair where they won and the UKFT Textile edge prize and another group of students from the same school won the Shell Prize for sustainability in the National Science and Engineering competition. They were presented with their prestigious awards from the Big Bang at the Award ceremony. Both groups were also proud to achieve their silver CREST awards.
Both teams used Practical Action’s Global CREST challenges materials as inspiration for their projects. The material provides students with support in using real life problems in the developing world to work on for their CREST awards . It gives students starting points for projects and links to Practical Action’s technical briefs as support material. The Sustainables were looking at materials suitable for housing in Bangladesh whilst the Science Angels focused on solutions to help grow crops in Kenya.
As well as an amazing achievement for Ursuline Academy I think it is great recognition of Practical Action’s Global CREST challenges which were launched just over a year ago.
The Sustainables, winners of the UKFT Textiles Edge prize proudly showing their CREST silver certificates
No Comments » | Add your comment
The Science Angels, Ursuline Academy, winners of the Shell award for Sustainability
-
#ASEconf13…the place to be
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
January 8th, 2013
I love the ASE conference. Every year before I have time to get stuck back into my ’real’ job after Christmas I am lucky enough to spend a few days chatting to enthusiastic teachers and others involved in science education about Practical Action’s Education work. I also get the chance to find out what else is going on in science education.This year we were promoting our new STEM challenge. The Floating Garden Challenge is based on our work in Bangladesh where we show communities how to build huge rafts to grow their crops on. Students have to think about the problem themselves first…that farmers crops get ruined by floods… then design and build a model solution. Teachers and other educators were quick to see the value of the science behind the challenge as well as all the other great cross curricular links, including how it could lead to some great outdoor activities that there seems to be a move towards this year.
For me there is nothing more motivating than when colleagues tell you how teachers and students really enjoyed using your material and Liz Lister from Graphic Science ( aka @scarycurlgirl) got the prize for being the most enthusiastic!!
‘I really really love the squashed tomato challenge’
Was the first thing she said to me as she rushed over. I had to promise to send her a pile of our floating garden posters before she would leave the stand!!
Renewing and deepening relationships is also a real bonus of the conference. I know some people have been coming for years and real friendships have developed as a result. For me one of the highlights of the conference was getting back in touch with friends from Millgate House. By the end of the conference we had hatched a plan to work together on some resources for a new project called ‘Make the Link’, which aims to embed issues around Technology Justice in Science and D & T teaching in Europe. The staff at Millgate House even trusted me enough to give me a member of their team to look after. Ricky is a bit of an adventurer and we are hoping to arrange a trip to Kenya for him to visit some of Practical Action’s great projects there this year. As it is the ASE’s 50th anniversary this year they will be holding an extra ASE conference in the summer on 27th and 28th June as a summer celebration . I have already got our place booked and can only recommend you do the same…hope to see you there.
2 Comments » | Add your comment -
A new challenge!
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
December 7th, 2012
If you are a teacher and have used any of our STEM challenges before we are sure you will love our new one……The Floating Garden Challenge designed for ages 7-19.Give your students a global problem and ask them to solve it.
The problem: In Bangladesh land is frequently flooded as a result of climate change, ruining crops grown for food. The result is that families go hungry
The Challenge: To design and make a model solution to the problem that will enable farmers to grow crops even when the land is flooded.
Students test their models to see which one holds the most weight when floated in water then look at how Practical Action has worked with communities in Bangladesh to build floating gardens out of local, sustainable material…. an example of technology justice in action.
Perfect for STEM and science clubs, NSEW, collapsed curriculum timetable days as well as for enhancing a lesson on forces.
Resources to help you deliver the challenge are free and include a PowerPoint, teacher’s notes, student worksheets, certificates and a beautiful A2 poster which you can request free. All materials are available in English and Welsh.
Go to practicalaction.org/floatinggardenchallenge
No Comments » | Add your comment
-
London Underground Flooded – the alternative tube map
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
November 15th, 2012
In Bangladesh people are already suffering the effects of increased flooding due to climate change. If we don’t act soon our future could go the same way. At Practical Action we have put together a tube map showing the possible effects of climate change on the London underground in 2100 if we don’t tackle climate change.Download our map to use as a novel teaching resource http://bit.ly/SYULgT
A great resource to help make climate change more real for your students the map is being used to promote our #adaptnow campaign.
Find out more about our campaign and please do encourage your students to join http://bit.ly/T2X1nk
No Comments » | Add your comment -
We got the GOLD!!
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
August 20th, 2012
I know the Olympics are over but last Friday I felt like we had won the gold medal!
We found out that that we had been successful in securing funding from the EC for a three year project. Practical Action will be managing the project with partners in Cyprus (CARDET), Poland (CCE) and Italy ( Oxfam Italia) as well as Engineers without Borders ( EWB) and the Centre for Science Education (CSE) in the UK.
Our project Technology challenging poverty: Make the link will focus around integrating issues around technology justice into science and design and technology education.
Students at both primary and secondary school will ‘make the link’ between:
- science and technology and global poverty reduction
- their own behaviour and the impact on the developing world
We are really exciting about what we will be able to achieve with this funding. It will enable us to not only produce a fantastic new range of support material for teachers but also include teacher training and a real opportunity to shape the policy and practice of science and D & T teaching within a large number of schools throughout Europe.
Watch this space!!
1 Comment » | Add your comment -
Our survey said…
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
August 15th, 2012
We recently carried out a survey to find out how teachers use on-line resources and what they think of our resources in particular. We were thrilled that over 400 teachers took part. Thank you so much if you were one of them.
We found out really useful information that will help us work out more accurately how many students our material reaches and how it shapes students attitudes towards global poverty and subsequent behaviour.
…for example
14% of teachers share resources through social media
On average a teacher will share a resource with 53 students
23 % of teachers said our resources often increased students understanding of the role of technology in reducing poverty
35% of teachers said our resources often led to students leading a more sustainable lifestyle, a further 60% saying it they did ‘sometimes’
We also found out that once they know about us they become strong supporters, visiting our site on on average once a month
What was most heart warming was all the quotes from teachers saying how much they value our material.
‘ ..flexible yet detailed, simple to access and adapt with enough information that you can write a lesson plan in a few minutes using the information available. I frequently use Practical Action’s resources when being observed. Topical, up to date and best of all the students love them!‘When using the tomato challenge students were surprised to see how technology can really help the poor.’
There is often an ‘aha’ moment when students make a connections between theoretical subject specific knowledge, a real work example and how it works for good’
‘..using the resource Moja Island I received an ‘outstanding’ observation’
We also asked teachers if they would be willing and able to introduce the concept of technology justice – the right of every one to have access to the technologies they need to live a life they value, without harming others now or in the future – into their teaching. To our delight a whopping 65% said they would definitely or be quite likely to do so. As Practical Action begins a movement towards technology justice we take this as a really good sign and will begin including it in our future educational material.
No Comments » | Add your comment -
Smiles all round at the Big Bang fair
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
July 12th, 2012It was smiles all round at the London regional Big Bang fair yesterday. Students from Ursuline Academy had spent 6 weeks working hard on two separate projects that they entered into competitions taking place as part of the fair. Both projects had been inspired by Practical Action’s Global CREST challenges, materials launched last year.
The school won one of the four main prizes, the CREST award for creativity, and both projects were selected to go forward to the National finals in London next March.Ortis Deley, a passionate supporter of Practical Action hosted the award ceremony. He was thrilled with Practical Action’s involvement in the event, saying how important it was to inspire young people to get engaged with issues affecting the developing world.
The project by The Sustainables focused on developing materials to use in construction of housing in Bangladesh, using recycled materials and natural resources. The Science Angels project looked at providing a solution to food shortages in Kenya by combining techniques including rainwater harvesting and a special gel to grow seeds with using Polysolar glass in the construction of a new building they named an ‘Agriihouse’.
Rose Russell, the students’ Design and Technology teacher, said the students had benefited hugely by being involved in the project and that practical projects like this were a really effective way of engaging young people with issues around development. She also went on to say how the experience has helped the students to develop important skills such as team work and time management as well as improving their confidence.
13 year old student Floridine Fidegnon-Edon said the project ‘has made me more determined to raise awareness (of people in developing countries) and focus on creating solutions’. When asked what she had learnt during the project she said ‘more electrical information than I thought possible’!!
The students used Practical Action’s technical briefs for information as part of their research for their projects. Jeremy buckle, the Big Bang event director, said that many students he met showed a real interest in doing projects of this type, but until now he was unaware that there was material to support them. He particularly liked the inclusion of the technical briefs as support material and now that he is aware of them is going to be actively recommending our resources to schools.
Fingers crossed for the finals in March :-)
No Comments » | Add your comment -
‘Everyone is wearing them!!’
Bourton on Dunsmore, Warwickshire CV23 9, UK, Bourton on Dunsmore
June 27th, 2012
Practical Action’s glasses were a real hit with the children at the Eco-schools conference yesterday. While the children were busy putting on their glasses and laughing at each other my colleague Bren and I had a chance to talk to their teachers. Teachers already engaged with the eco-schools project were really enthusiastic about how our resources would help them deliver the eco-schools agenda, particularly in three of the nine topics…..energy, water and global citizenship. Our STEM resources were particularly popular, and over 70 teachers signed up to receive our termly newsletter so they can keep in touch with new resources we produce.In addition to students and teacher we also met education advisors from local authorities and other educationalists who as a result of meeting us will now be spreading the word amongst the network of teachers they work with.
….and finally, having stood for an hour waiting to catch just glimpse of Debjani Chatterjee carrying the Olympic torch through Sheffield the night before I actually met her at the conference and got to touch the torch!!!To view our resources and order our free posters please go to our schools homepage
No Comments » | Add your comment
