HCM CITY– The interesting teaching method adopted by Lê Thiên Phúc, a teacher of biology and technology at Phú Nhuận High School in HCM City, is making lessons exciting for students compared to the traditional theory-based lessons.

His method, based on the principles of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics), won the first prize in a contest this year titled Community’s Ideas, which encouraged individuals and organisations to come up with innovative technology ideas, products and solutions for the city’s socio-economic development.

With Phúc’s method, his students experience food processing and cooking, which they had never done before at home or school.

Students are learning how to recognise food and vegetables contaminated by chemicals and poisonous substances and how to grow organic vegetables.

Information about nutrients such as proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals in vegetables and fruits is taught.

And then students make video clips to introduce the processing and cooking of food to present their dishes.

This teaching method trains students to co-ordinate with each other and work effectively in teams. Every student develops their capacity through this learning method.

The contest also honoured 13 other individuals and groups of students for their innovative ideas with prizes in various categories.

They included Lý Nhơn Thành, a safeguarder in Nguyễn Thái Bình Ward in District 1, who was honoured for his ideas for getting loans from banks to make mini firefighting vehicles for use in small alleys in his district.

Trần Vân Trang and Bùi Minh Nguyệt, ninth graders at Phan Tây Hồ Secondary School in Gò Vấp District, won a prize for inventing a method to make paper from waste lotus pods, which are environment-friendly.    

It was the third year the contest was organised by Khám Phá (Discovery) magazine together with the city Department of Science and Technology’s Grassroots Level Science Management Division.

Bùi Văn Quyền, vice chairman of the Việt Nam Invention Association, said: “Innovation and invention are currently occurring in society and their practicability is high.

“These winners’ inventions prove this.” — VNS