Promote initiative and creativity in students

In educational innovation, stimulating creativity, initiative and practical application ability in students is becoming the focus of many schools. New teaching models are helping students step out of the book, begin to look at problems with scientific thinking and creative solutions.

Students of Le Thanh Tong High School for the Gifted present their creative ideas at a competition organized by the school. Photo: Headmaster of Le Thanh Tong High School for the Gifted

From small ideas

At Ly Tu Trong Secondary School (Tam Ky Ward), Huynh Phuc Phuc, a 9/8 grader, is one of the typical faces of the youth creativity movement. His idea started from a haunting news story about cases of students being forgotten on school buses, leaving heartbreaking consequences for many families. "I think, if there was a device that could detect in time when children were still on the bus, many losses could have been avoided," Phuc shared.

From STEM lessons at school, having access to thermal sensors, motion sensors and basic programming modules, Phuc created a model of "Smart Kindergarten Bus", which can warn when detecting moving objects in the car after turning off the engine. This device connects directly to the software installed on the driver's phone, emits an audio warning signal and sends urgent notifications to the school.

Smart apartment model designed by students of Ly Tu Trong Secondary School. Photo: PHAN VINH

After weeks of testing in the lab and on a simulated car, Phuc's model worked stably, proving its high feasibility. "What made me happiest was when the teachers said this model could be applied in real life, helping drivers feel more secure. I think the lesson would be more interesting and engaging if it was connected to something close to reality," Phuc said.

That creative spirit is also spreading strongly at Le Thanh Tong High School for the Gifted (Hoi An Tay Ward), where scientific and technical research activities and STEM-oriented teaching are quite familiar in the curriculum. Each school year, each professional group in the school builds at least one STEM teaching topic associated with the curriculum content, encouraging students to apply interdisciplinary knowledge to solve practical situations.

Students of the school actively participate in the Science and Technology Club. Student groups are facilitated to develop research products, participate in school and city-level competitions and connect with universities in the region to access specialized knowledge.

Not only creating products for the competition, the school orients these activities as a process of capacity training, students must ask questions, discuss in groups, process data, model solutions and present to the evaluation board. Some ideas have been materialized into typical models of the school recently that are highly appreciated such as: real-time flood warning system using sensors; smart greenhouse model controlled by phone; safe chemical experiment set with recycled materials...

Creativity in every lesson

If in the past, each lesson was limited to lectures and sample experiments, now STEM teaching at Ly Tu Trong Secondary School has turned the classroom into a space for creative practice.

Students need to play a central role in the lesson to be able to freely create. Photo: PHAN VINH

Students participate in more than 30 interdisciplinary learning topics, combining Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Mathematics, with close and practical activities such as: making gravity fans, mini movie projectors, designing series and parallel circuits, assembling solar helicopters, producing scented candles, mixing hand sanitizer, mirror silvering reaction, creating banana vinegar, or 3D printing molecular models of alkene, DNA, and protein.

Mr. Nguyen Tu Luc, Principal of Ly Tu Trong Secondary School, said that each topic is designed in a student-centered way, allowing students to choose their own approach, come up with their own ideas, and experiment many times until they complete the product. "We hope that each lesson is an experience. When students are allowed to do things, make mistakes, and correct them, their passion for creativity will flourish. Many students are initially shy and afraid to speak, but when assigned the task of designing a product, they proactively find materials, assign tasks to groups, and then confidently present to the class. STEM teaches cooperation, teamwork, and responsibility for their products," Mr. Luc shared.

At the high school level, creative orientation is raised to a higher level. Le Thanh Tong High School for the Gifted has implemented comprehensive innovation in teaching and assessment methods towards developing students' abilities, with special emphasis on self-study skills, critical thinking, presenting results and applying information technology in the learning process.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Can, Vice Principal of Le Thanh Tong High School for the Gifted, in order for creativity to become a real ability, students need to be empowered to take the initiative. Each lesson is an opportunity for students to discover problems, find solutions, and be ready to ask questions and debate with teachers. Schools should also create their own playgrounds such as encouraging students to participate in scientific research clubs, youth start-up forums, and academic groups so that they can experiment and share ideas.

"The school wants each lesson to be a journey of discovery , where students not only learn knowledge but also learn how to research, create, persuade and take responsibility for their ideas. They are exposed to technology, practice science in a practical context, thereby forming the habit of logical thinking and a progressive spirit," said Mr. Can.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/phat-huy-tinh-chu-dong-sang-tao-trong-hoc-sinh-3309303.html