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As a Centre of Excellence for Science, the establishment of a Science Academy in Xinmin is a strategic move intended to create a multi-faceted and multi-level realm of scientific learning that builds on students' strengths, talents and interests.
Programmes
Reading About Science
Reading About Science is a school-wide reading programme with the aim of exposing students and teachers to the latest scientific developments in the different fields of science and in the process igniting their passion in the learning of the sciences. The journals and magazines are carefully screened and selected to match the ability of the students for each level and stream. A two-magazine per class approach is used to provide variety and to allow students to share and read. Teachers were encouraged to use materials from the magazines as teaching, learning and assessment resources. For example, the Chemistry UbD team designed an Authentic Transfer Task on the unit, States of Matter, from an article in the magazine Discover.
Talks on Science & Technology
To nurture a passion forthe sciences, the Science Academy has organised a number of talks on Science & Technology. In term 2, Dr Rosemary Tan, CEO and founder of GenecetBiotechnologies Pte Ltd and Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd was invited to deliver a talk on the world's first avian influenza H5N1 diagnostic kit that Veredus Laboratories has developed. InTerm 3, two lecturers from theSchool of Chemical andLife Sciences and the School of IT, Nanyang Polytechnic gave a presentation to show the interdisciplinary connections betweenLife Sciences and Technology. In Term4, A/P Lim Tit Meng, Assistant Chief Executive(Education Programmes), Science Centre Singapore delivered a talk entitled "Innovation And Creativity Through Science". Students and teachers from other N1 cluster schools were also eager participants at this talk.
Science Learning Journeys
Learning journeys form part of the Levell and II talent development (science) programmes. As a Level I programme, Secondary 1 students attended a Physics enrichment programme organised by Science Centre Singapore. The Science Academy has also organised a number of trips for students on an opt -in basis (Level II programme) e.g. to attend "Meet-the-Scientist" sessions organised by Science Centre Singapore, to view the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) exhibits.
The Science Technology Research Programme
The Academy seeks to achieve strategic partnerships with tertiary institutions and research institutes in sourcing for suitable mentorship attachments or collaborative science research projects for our students. These opportunities will enable our students to negotiate their science learning beyond the confines of the regular classroom, co-create knowledge with peers, research mentors and teacher-mentors and develop skills and attitudes needed to embark on advanced research work or investigative study at a higher level.
The Science; Technology Research Programme was launched on 11 March 2008 as a strategic partnership between Xinmin Secondary School and Nanyang Polytechnic. The key objective of the programme is to give Xinmin students an opportunity to develop their research skills under the guidance of supervisors from Nanyang Polytechnic. The students are engaged in challenging projects that involve rigorous research work. The students will be presenting the outcome of their research at the 1 st Science and Technology Symposium organised by Xinmin Secondary School in partnership with Nanyang Polytechnic. This programme is part of the Xinmin Science Academy's talent development efforts to nurture science research talents.
The pioneer batch of 81 Xinmin students signed up in 26 teams for a one-year research journey in the following domains.
. Chemical and Life Sciences Engineering
. Health Sciences
. Information Technology
. Interactive and Digital Media
In the course of their research journey, the students would have each put in between 60-100 hours of work under the supervision of a research mentor from Nanyang Polytechnic and a teacher mentor from Xinmin Secondary School, making them rather experienced budding researchers indeed!. |
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