Hello, my name is Ayodele Ogegbo. With a background in science education, I’ve served as both a secondary school science teacher and a university lecturer for over 10 years. Currently, I am a researcher at the University of Johannesburg. My daily routine as a lecturer and researcher heavily involves the use of technology for teaching, learning, and research purposes. This requires me to conduct virtual classes and supervise postgraduate students through Microsoft Teams, where I share lesson contents and ideas using PowerPoint presentations that incorporate video and audio clips as well as online tools like PhET simulations.
To further enhance positive interaction and classroom engagement with students, I sometimes use Slido and Kahoot for online quiz purposes to check for students’ understanding. I also use Google Forms for collecting open-ended and closed-ended responses from research participants.
As a researcher, I use Turnitin to check the integrity of my work. In addition, I also try to use WhatsApp to communicate with my colleagues and other students, especially when there is a need to discuss urgent matters.
Photo obtained on Google
Good evening, Ayodele! I am curious to learn more about PhET simulations. Could you explain a bit more about your experience?
Hi Carol
The use of PhET simulations has been very helpful for me especially when I taught electromagnetism. Students were able to conduct a virtual experiment on this topic since we did not have the resources required. And they also had the opportunity to use the platform even outside school hours, so they are able to carry out indiviualized learning and understand the theoretical aspect of the concepts taught. I had to personally explore the application as a teacher and practice the experiments before introducing it to the students. So i think its something you might also want to explore depending on the topic you intend teaching. Anothe platform I also use is the “physics classroom” https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives
But PhET has simulation activities for other subjects as well
Hi. Thanks for this explanation. I was also fascinated to read about it.
Hi Ayodele!
I too am curious in hearing about the PhET simulations!
You have quite a background using technology with your job – I look froward to reading about your journey in this class.
Hi Ayodele!
I also am a fan of Google Forms. Each semester I send students a “Get To Know You” Google Form where they fill in pertinent information that helps me get to know them and their needs as students. I would love to say that I use them more often than that, but I’m more of a discussion-based teacher so talking it out is more of my strong suit.
Thank you for sharing this post, Ayodele! Your detailed account of how you integrate technology into your daily routine as a lecturer and researcher is truly inspiring. The use of tools like Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, PhET simulations, Slido, Kahoot, and Google Forms showcases your commitment to enhancing learning and engagement. It’s impressive how you balance teaching, research, and communication through various technological platforms. Your experience offers valuable insights for educators aiming to effectively incorporate technology in their practice. Keep sharing your journey!
I was surprised to read that you are currently a researcher in Johannesberg. It is good to hear how you move with technology and your experiences with it. It’s been a pleasure being part of this course with you.