(Clockwise from upper left) Micah Pacheco, DepEd NCR Regional Science Supervisor and one of the expert panelists, and webinar organizers Regaele Olarte, SDO Muntinlupa Science Supervisor,; Joseph Gutierrez, DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Development Senior Education Specialist; and Michael Casas, PSHS Special Science Teacher. Olarte, Gutierrez and Casas are all alumni of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regional Training Course for Teachers to Introduce Nuclear Sciences in Secondary Schools through Innovative Approaches.
DOST-PNRI webinar builds teachers’ skills in educating students on nuclear benefits
How do you make a minute speck such as an atom relevant to children today? And how about making the atom’s nucleus vivid and concrete to today’s visual generation?
“If the nucleus were the size of a coin, then the atom would be bigger than a football stadium,” Michael Casas, Chemistry and Research teacher, described the atom to some 108 webinar participants. Teaching at the Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus, Casas has mastered the art of using analogy to explain scientific concepts to his students.
“Yet the smallest part of a matter is actually mostly empty, as what Ernest Rutherford in 1908 found out, but with a hard center,” Casas went on to explain more about the structure of an atom as participants noted his every point.
The webinar participants were even more amazed on learning about radiation, particularly its sources and uses, which were discussed by Ma. Regaele Olarte, education program supervisor at the Department of Education (DepEd) in Muntinlupa. She also taught participants on how to protect themselves from radiation, such as limiting the time of exposure, going away from the source of radiation, and using shield.
Webinar on nuclear S&T
All these learnings came during the Covid-19 pandemic where participants and expert resource persons went beyond community quarantines and time zones in a virtual convergence that focused on the basics of nuclear science and technology. The webinar, titled “Introductory Course on Nuclear Science and Technology Education for Teachers” held on April 29 aimed to equip teachers with basic knowledge and skills that will help them teach nuclear science and technology more effectively to students.
The 108 participants were composed of elementary and secondary teachers, education program supervisors, and science coordinators from various schools in the National Capitol Region. Participants joined the webinar despite the technical-sounding topic, short notice, and the inconveniences caused by the community quarantine in the region.
Educators as influencers
“We, as educators can be the influential factor in understanding the benefits of nuclear science in our country,” said Kristine Joan Barredo, master teacher from Muntinlupa City. “If we can understand how atoms work and interact, then new, more efficient materials and medicines can be developed.”
Discussed in the webinar were the basics of the atom, nuclear fission, and radiation and its applications. Aside from these, participants also had the chance to interact with a panel of experts including David Grabaskas of the Argonne National Laboratory (link to photo, lower left), Gerald Reyes of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (link to photo, upper left), Habibah Adnan of the Malaysian Nuclear Energy (link to photo, lower right), Jasmine Albelda of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), and Micah Pacheco and Roxane Villanueva of the DepEd in NCR and Mandaluyong, respectively. The experts shared their actual experiences in the field of nuclear science and responded to participants’ queries. The virtual but robust interaction gave the participants yet another facet of the field of nuclear science.
“I realized that it is high time for the Philippines to be open to the benefits of nuclear energy,” Barredo pondered. “Our government has planned and built a power plant almost 40 years ago but never reopened due to conflict from society and several opinions.”
The webinar was organized to carry on the DOST-PNRI’s efforts in raising awareness and appreciation for nuclear science and to help build teachers’ capacity in educating students on said field.
Organizers of the webinar were Casas, Olarte, and Joseph Gutierrez, all alumni of the “Regional Training Course for Teachers to Introduce Nuclear Sciences in Secondary Schools through Innovative Approaches” held at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, USA in October last year. Said organizers also shared during the webinar their learnings at the said training course.
Collaboration with partners
A collaboration among the IAEA, DOST-PNRI and the DepEd-NCR, the webinar is part of the regional technical cooperation project RAS0079 which aims to introduce nuclear science to at least 1,000,000 students in Asia and the Pacific by 2021.
“We initiated this event with the desire of inspiring educators to be champions for nuclear science and be catalysts of better understanding of this field despite the onset of Covid-19,” Casas, one of the organizers, said.
Meanwhile, Olarte, also one of the organizers, told that holding the webinar in the midst of the Covid pandemic is their way of paying it forward to the society and showing their gratitude to the institutions that made it possible for them to participate in the training course.
Said institutions include the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Philippine government through DOST-PNRI, and the Argonne National Laboratory.
Olarte said she was overwhelmed by the turnout and feedback from the teacher-participants. “It was indeed an affirmation for us to carry out similar activities again in the future,” she said. “We are looking forward to more collaborations and projects in the days to come.”
To sustain the traction of this webinar, the DOST-PNRI will again hold another webinar for secondary school teachers on June 18, 1:30PM. Titled “Using Reference Manager in the Teaching of Research,” the webinar aims to equip teachers in introducing nuclear science and technology in the K to 12 research subjects, said Dr. Albelda of DOST-PNRI.
Further, the webinar will also promote the online services of the DOST-PNRI library, particularly on requesting for research articles. Details of said webinar will be posted on the Institute’s website and Facebook page.
