Pattaya School No. 1 won 17,000 baht by winning top honors at the city Education Department’s “Do It Yourself” project-based learning competition.
Cash awards in the contest, which also saw Pattaya’s other nine public schools win between 13,000 and 16,000 baht each, were handed out Sept. 10 by Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon at the judging at the Diana Garden Resort.
Carrying the theme, “Develop Pattaya to Sufficiency”, the contest highlighted new project-based learning curriculums introduced recently to Pattaya’s schools.
Parents, guardians, teachers, and committee members pose on stage with Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon (center).
Different from typical classroom-based learning, where teachers lecture and grade exams to students firmly anchored at their desks, project-based lessons encourage study, survey, research, experimentation, and invention by having teachers act as a facilitator or guide instead of knowledge provider.
The teacher-designed learning process lets students work as a team with the instructor providing motivation, suggestions and consultation.
Benefits include allowing students to develop their learning skills, sense of innovation, life skills, occupational skills, ability to process information, news and technology.
The contest saw a panel of seven judge 23 projects that included surveys, experiments and innovation. Awards were given at both the primary and secondary school levels.
Students gather to hear the judges’ final decisions.
Gold medals were awarded for a total of 85 points out of 100, with 8,000 baht awarded at the primary level and 9,000 baht at the secondary level.
Silver medals required scores of 80-84 and earned 7,000 and 8,000 baht for the primary and secondary school levels, respectively.
Bronze medals were awarded for scores of 75-79, with case prizes of 6,000 and 7,000 baht.
Honorary mentions were given for those at 74 or under and earned 1,200 baht.
Pattaya School No. 1 won two gold medals, one for “fishing boat safety regulations for Kratinglai fishermen” at the primary level, and “wastewater treatment to support plant growth” at the secondary level.
Pattaya School #3 won a gold medal for the secondary level in “Occupations and Technology studies” by creating abacuses with clam shells.
Pattaya School No. 2 won a gold-merit at the primary level in mathematics “motorbike fares in Naklua”, whilst Pattaya School No. 3 won a gold medal for the secondary level in “Occupations and Technology studies” by creating abacuses with clam shells.
Other gold-medal projects included the “amazing sludge” fairy tale lesson (School No. 4) and “Pattaya Beach in charts” (School No. 8)
Other results:
* School No. 3: Silver (primary); Gold (secondary)
* School No. 4: Bronze (primary); Gold (secondary)
* School No. 5: Silver (primary); Bronze (secondary)
* School No. 6: Silver for both levels
* School No. 7: Bronze (primary); Silver (secondary)
* School No. 8: Gold (primary); Silver (secondary)
* School No. 9: Silver for both levels
* School No. 10: Bronze for both levels
* School No. 11: Silver for both levels
