Science: unlocking potential

News and chat from the frontline of science and technology at PACA

As part of British Science Week, we are immersing ourselves in the Big Energy Project with EDF energy. The project requires developing a campaign about conserving energy – we decided to combine the campaign with updating the park opposite the school. So with a little bit of knowledge on board about generating electricity and with masses of excitement, the year 7s had a trip to the park. The pupils then had to come up with various ideas about the campaign and what we could do. The results were amazing, and it just goes to show that clever old Einstein was right … the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. When you are standing on the frontier of science and technology, you need imagination. Loads of it!

Armed with their imaginations, the pupils came up with some fantastic concepts for an eco-active keep fit park that will charge your mobile phone. After some research we discovered that this idea has recently been implemented, but our ideas are different – being more play equipment related rather than gym related. One pupil also came up with the idea of installing a temporary toilet unit that generates electricity. It was great to discover that this idea has also recently been developed, where urine produces enough electricity to power a light bulb. One of the pupils commented that it should be called “P2C”.

The University of Cambridge is currently conducting a research project, “Learning Without Limits”, where education is freed from the damaging effects of monitoring ability levels and ability focused practices. One cited case study found that in a writing task, children had a lack of motivation, a desire to stick to what was safe rather than taking risks, a fear of not having good ideas, and a lack of enjoyment and imagination. So the teacher took the class into the woods to play out the adventures of Robin Hood. Upon coming back into the classroom, with no apparent need for direction or instruction, the children just settled down to write (“and some of them wrote pages!”). The conviction behind the project is that “all children can become more powerful, committed, successful learners given distinctive supportive conditions and generous opportunities for learning.”