Reflections

21/3/2010

Title: Reflections on Term 1 learning experience

I greatly enjoyed science lessons in Term 1, and I think that they were fruitful and I benefited from the exciting experience. My favourite lessons were the ones held in the Science Labs. The Hwa Chong science labs were a great deal bigger than the ones in my primary school, and I saw all kinds of interesting equipment such as the Bunsen Burner and Evaporating Dish that I had never seen, let alone used before. Dr Tan explained to us clearly the method of using equipment and safety regulations. He made sure that all of us did experiments safely and few of us got hurt. I did pretty well in the class test with an A1, and that has helped me build up my confidence in science. Science has become my favourite subject after just 2 months and I look forward to another term full of surprises and excitement.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)

18/5/2010

Title: First experience in Preparation Laboratory

I recently went to the Preparation Laboratory in the Science Research Centre with my teammates to conduct glucose tests for my project. The environment was strange and alien after my primary school laboratories, and I was surprised by the amount of safety measures taken in the laboratory, such as the use of gloves and goggles, and the prohibition of food and drink, even water. The equipment was also very high-tech with mechanical shakers and incubators. We required a lot of help from the lab workers and I am very grateful to them for their patience and advice. Although our experiments were not a total success, it was a good learning experience and I cannot wait to go back.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)

13/6/2010

Title: Reflections on Term 2 learning experience

I feel that Term 2 was a good follow up to Term 1, and I am now more familiar with laboratory equipment, and I am now more efficient in doing experiments. I think that the laboratory helped me learn in more ways than one, and I think that it helped me bond with my classmates, especially with my lab partner. We both had a lot of fun together, and we became more familiar with each other. The laboratory lessons also helped me with my projectsday experiments, and we gained much valuable information on equipment usage that benefited my team greatly in our experiments. I achieved another A1 in the Class Test, but I believe that there is still space for improvement. I continue to learn more with every lesson and I look forward to Term 3.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)

12/7/10

Title: Inside of Animal and Plant Cells

In this experiment I partnered Jian Shern in order to investigate what animal and plant cells look like using a microscope. We had a lot of fun together although we had to redo the animal cell because I didnt scrape my cheek hard enough! From this experiment, we learnt how to use a microscope properly and we also saw firsthand the differences between them, not just reading about them through books.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)

26/7/2010

Title: Bouncy Raw Egg Experiment

I enjoyed this experiment a lot as I felt that it was unique and it demonstrated osmosis well, as the egg became larger after soaking in water. Jie Feng and I had a lot of fun together and we both had oppurtunities to feel the egg and watch it as the acid slowly melted off the outer shell. Although we left the egg in the water for too long and the effects of the water were unclear by then, I felt that this experiment was still a great learning experience and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)

5/9/2010

Title: Reflections on Projectsday Mango Experiments

I feel that this years Projectsday was a fantastic learning experience for me, as I learnt much about experimental techniques and much more about fruit ripening properties. For example, I learnt how to establish a trend, how to test for glucose, and how to present our findings effectively. I also bonded with my teammates, and we worked together well, especially towards the Finals. I feel that we did well this year, achieving an A for the Finals, but I also think that we could have done better, if we had thought ahead and took into account possible problems, eg. Mangoes going out of season. I look forward to next year, and I hope that I'll do better.

Kenneth Pay (1i1/20)