Stars and STEM Stories
GLOBE Taiwan Partnership Teachers Use Multidisciplinary Approach to Tackle Environmental Issues
“Since environmental issues are multidisciplinary problem, GLOBE Taiwan is helping teachers with different majors, and from different schools, gather together to develop teaching plans, share teaching experience, and discuss scientific investigations in GLOBE,” said Kuan-Ting Chen, assistant of Country Coordinator, Taiwan Partnership. “Moreover, we are encouraging teachers to work with international teams to improve their GLOBE teaching.”
The GLOBE Taiwan Partnership promoted the cooperation of National Kinmen Senior High School and the Fab Lab team of the Affiliated Senior High School of NTNU, which focuses on Maker Education, to host a workshop: “GLOBE Creative Construction Course of Instrument Shelter.”
“Teachers followed the GLOBE Instrument Shelter Construction instructions to use recycled chairs and desks to manufacture the shelter,” Kuan-Ting Chen said. “Teachers shared their teaching plans and GLOBE instrument maintenance experience through this workshop too. After the workshop, GLOBE teachers realized more about the design principles of the shelter, the relationship between the shelter and meteorological parameters, and also the carpentry skills.”
Dr. Desh Bandhu, GLOBE Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator, said “it is a good example of an eco-engineering project, and GLOBE-at-Home during COVID-19.”
“Hsin Tien Senior High School guided students to investigate the issue of marine plastic pollution, and to share his teaching with the microplastics monitoring protocol team, which consists of the country coordinator of GLOBE Italy and professors of Deakin University in Australia.”
“The teacher led students to collect microplastics in oysters in three coastal areas of Taiwan. They used the vacuum pump to filter the water and get the sample, and identified the plastic by the hot needle test. Although the method of identification is different from the microplastic monitoring team, the teacher and the team exchanged their concepts on teaching and development of the protocol. Since Taiwan teachers are experienced and open-minded about the microplastics investigation, we believe that the promotion of microplastics investigation will go smoothly in Taiwan.”
“As an Assistant Country Coordinator, I would like to promote the achievement of GLOBE Taiwan, and inspire Taiwan teachers to get involved in GLOBE more. I can also encourage teachers and schools, through this story, to put more effort into this, and help them to seek more opportunities of international cooperation,” Kuan-Ting Chen said.
After all, Kuan-Ting Chen said, “GLOBE is a science and education program. And the environmental issue that GLOBE cares are multi-disciplinary.”
Star Story submitted by Kuan-Ting Chen, Assistant Country Coordinator, Taiwan Partnership