Homemade teaching aids are teaching tools or instruments designed and produced by teachers, students or other personnel based on teaching needs and using readily available materials.

Self-made teaching aids belong to the category of teaching instruments and equipment, but are not industrial products. This name is mainly used in my country and a few other countries. Internationally, it is generally classified as low-cost teaching aids.

Historically, it should be said that the first teaching aids were homemade. When there was a certain amount of demand, they were converted to industrial production.

To this day, some universities in Germany still retain teaching instruments made by great scientists in history.

1. The status of self-made teaching aids

1. The status of self-made teaching aids in teaching equipment

In the 1980s The Ministry of Education has proposed that teachers, teaching materials, and instruments and equipment are the three basic constructions of education.

Initially, teaching instruments and equipment are mainly necessary tools for experimental teaching of natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, etc. It is conducive to students' establishment of scientific concepts, conducive to students' exploration of scientific laws, and conducive to cultivating students' realistic spirit. and practical operation ability, so schools are equipped with a large number of teaching instruments produced by factories.

In recent years, not only the teaching of physics, chemistry, biology and science courses are inseparable from teaching instruments and equipment, but also the teaching of geography, mathematics, information technology, Chinese, English and physical education, music, art, labor technology courses, etc. are becoming more and more important. There is an increasing need for teaching instruments and equipment.

However, in general, teaching instruments and equipment as industrial products have established experimental methods and strict operating procedures, which to a large extent limit the active role of teachers and students in exploring and creating. .

Since self-made teaching aids do not have fixed forms, experimental methods, and experimental steps, teachers and students can use their brains to design their own teaching aids based on teaching needs, use easily available materials, and make teaching aids directly for teaching.

Sometimes in order to verify and explore a certain natural law, different teachers and students may design and produce several completely different teaching aids, use different experimental methods to conduct experiments, and arrive at the same correct conclusion through different paths. .

Obviously, using self-made teaching aids has unique advantages in developing the intelligence of teachers and students and improving the quality of teaching compared to using conventional teaching instruments.

What needs to be emphasized is that there are many homemade teaching aids that are not required or suitable for industrial production. Therefore, homemade teaching aids are an important and indispensable area of ??teaching equipment.

2. The role of self-made teaching aids in teaching

As we all know, it is difficult to use formal teaching instruments to conduct experiments on all the scientific principles taught in textbooks. Sometimes it is necessary for teachers to make their own teaching aids based on teaching requirements, school conditions, and students' cognitive abilities to target the difficulties and key content in the course to strengthen these weak links.

In the process of conceiving, designing, and producing teaching aids, teachers and students must use their brains, use their multifaceted knowledge, search for a large amount of information, and undergo repeated trials and even experience failures. To achieve success.

Such a process is actually a process of concentrating on studying, reforming teaching methods, and improving one's own knowledge level.

Therefore, self-made teaching aids play a certain important role in teaching.

2. The role of self-made teaching aids

1. Self-made teaching aids have good pedagogical functions and are an "eternal topic" in teaching activities

Teaching Practice It shows that even for schools with good conditions, it is difficult to meet the needs of teaching methods just by purchasing teaching equipment and products.

This is because the teaching objects are different, and the teaching methods should change with the different teaching objects. This is the embodiment of the idea of ??"teaching students in accordance with their aptitude".

Industrially produced instruments can only meet the general requirements of teaching, and it is difficult to meet the individual needs of specific teaching.

From the perspective of teaching method requirements, industrially produced teaching aids always lag behind the latest developments in teaching methods.

In order to solve the difficulties and key points in teaching, experienced teachers will adopt teaching methods that are different from the teaching materials and design new experimental methods, which requires the production of self-made teaching aids suitable for teaching needs.

In economically developed industrialized countries, the teaching instruments owned by schools can meet the requirements in terms of variety and quantity. However, they still place great emphasis on the use of self-made teaching aids in teaching.

It can be seen that homemade teaching aids are by no means a stopgap measure to make up for the lack of teaching instruments, but an "eternal issue" in teaching activities.

2. The activity of making teaching aids can enable teachers and students to increase their knowledge, improve their hands-on ability, and cultivate a thrifty and simple style

Because in the process of making teaching aids, they need to constantly use their brains and think about problems. , look up information, find materials, draw drawings, you need to apply the basic skills of carpentry, fitter, electrician and mechanical processing to make, you also need to ask others for advice and continue to improve.

3. Self-made teaching aids provide a rich source for the research and improvement of teaching instruments

Self-made teaching aids come from teaching practice. When there is a certain amount of demand for it and it meets the needs of industrial production If the requirements are met, it can be developed and produced into a regular teaching instrument.

Many teaching instruments in China are developed from self-made teaching aids. In addition, when some teaching instruments are found to be unable to meet the requirements of teaching reform during the test of teaching practice, they must be improved and improved through self-made teaching aid activities. improve.

4. Homemade teaching aids have good economic functions and can save a lot of education funds.

Many teaching aids can be made by using waste materials.

For example, in junior high school physics teaching, we make our own teaching aids according to the production method introduced in the book "Junior High School Physics Self-Made Teaching Aids" published by the People's Education Press, plus purchase a small amount of higher-demand instruments (such as electricity meters, etc. ), you can complete all the experimental content required by the course standards, thereby saving a lot of instrument purchase costs.

In addition, some teaching aids with simple structure, low value, or low demand are not suitable for industrial production. It is more economical and reasonable to use homemade teaching aids.

Since homemade teaching aids can save a lot of equipment purchase costs, this is particularly important for schools in poor areas to popularize nine-year compulsory education.

Now, the connotation of self-made teaching aids also extends to the maintenance of existing instruments and equipment.

Teachers repair damaged instruments and equipment in schools, or disassemble and reassemble instruments of the same type to bring dead instruments back to life and exert new benefits.

3. The relationship between self-made teaching aids and the new curriculum reform

There are several basic concepts in the natural science curriculum reform, two of which are important concepts: “reflecting the essence of science” and “reflecting the essence of science”. Highlight scientific inquiry."

A large number of experimental investigations have become the main content of new textbooks for various science courses. In experimental investigations, in addition to utilizing or reforming existing teaching instruments, many of them require teachers and students to make their own teaching aids. to conduct experimental research activities.

Therefore, self-made teaching aids play an important role in this curriculum reform.

Taking middle school physics as an example, the physics course goals determined by the curriculum standards are: "knowledge and skills", "processes and methods", and "emotional attitudes and values".

The characteristics of the new physics textbooks are as follows: emphasizing students’ inquiry activities, placing the study of scientific inquiry and the study of scientific content in an equally important position. The textbooks contain many open questions and practical topics. Fully embody the idea of ??"STS", pay attention to the penetration of humanistic spirit, pay attention to the knowledge of the majority of students, and make the form vivid and lively.

Obviously, the above-mentioned course objectives and features of new teaching materials are mostly related to self-made teaching aids, because inquiry activities, practical topics, STS, etc. all require self-made teaching aids.

The new curriculum reform requires self-made teaching aids, and self-made teaching aids can promote the in-depth development of the new curriculum reform.

The new curriculum reform is an all-round reform. Curriculum standards have become more alive, teaching materials have become more alive, teaching methods have become more alive, and teaching evaluation has become more alive.

Traditional teaching instruments are difficult to meet so many flexible requirements. A large number of innovative self-made teaching aids are bound to emerge, thus promoting the further development of the new curriculum reform. Therefore, self-made teaching aids will play an important role in the new curriculum reform. important supporting role.

4. How to develop homemade teaching aids.

The development of self-made teaching aids is within the scope of scientific research and can be divided into four steps.

1. Find topics: Scientific research topics come from teaching practice.

Developers must have a thorough understanding of the "curriculum standards" and new textbooks, and must have rich practical teaching experience to find, demonstrate, and finally determine topics according to the urgent needs of curriculum reform and teaching.

The quality of topic selection is a prerequisite for the success of scientific research and the size of scientific research results.

2. Design and demonstration plan: After determining the topic of self-made teaching aids, we must first start with scientific ideas, structural principles of teaching aids, design plans and technical plans and their feasibility, selection of materials and components, production methods and processes Demonstrate in other aspects.

Scientific ideas refer to the scientific laws, experimental principles, experimental methods, etc. on which the teaching aids to be studied are based.

Then make a sketch or drawing.

In this step, the plan must be repeatedly designed and demonstrated to eliminate problems as early as possible in the design stage.

3. Make teaching aids: In order to reduce costs, try to make them yourself or cooperate with them.

During the production process, some problems in step 2 above are often discovered, and the plan needs to be modified or redesigned in time.

4. Experimentation and improvement: The completed teaching aids must be tested through multiple teaching practices, and opinions must be listened to with an open mind and continuous improvement must be made.

5. Principles for developing self-made teaching aids

1. Scientific principle: Self-made teaching aids must not contain scientific errors and problems.

The scientific errors of self-made teaching aids are:

One is that they cannot correctly reflect the laws of nature when used for experiments; the other is that the structure of the self-made teaching aids is scientific. Errors or problems; secondly, the materials used may also cause environmental or safety issues.

2. The principle of innovation.

Innovation is the life of self-made teaching aids. How to achieve innovation in self-made teaching aids, I think there are the following points:

(1) Innovation in experimental content, experimental methods, and teaching methods : The natural laws to be learned in basic education are known, but the same natural laws can be explored and learned using different experimental contents, experimental methods, and teaching methods. Therefore, innovation in this area is very important.

(2) Innovation in the structure of self-made teaching aids: novel design, simple structure, easy to obtain materials, easy to operate, beautiful appearance, safe and reliable, and low cost. These are the structural innovations that must be followed.

(3) Innovation in the application of new technologies, new devices, new materials, and new processes: This must be economical, practical, and not sensational.

(4) Innovation in laboratory tools and teaching tools: In recent years, the innovative production of new and applicable experimental tools and teaching tools has also become very popular.

3. Serve the principle of teaching.

Self-made teaching aids should be conducive to breakthroughs in teaching key points and difficulties; conducive to cultivating students' innovative consciousness and ability; conducive to students' research-based learning; conducive to students' understanding of knowledge and training skills; conducive to students' understanding of knowledge and training skills; Cultivate students' experimental operation ability.

6. Issues that should be paid attention to when developing self-made teaching aids

1. Remember to complicate simple problems.

The biggest feature of homemade teaching aids is that they are ingenious in conception, easy to obtain materials, and simple to make.

Some make self-made teaching aids into multi-purpose, multi-functional, all-inclusive, which results in the teaching aids losing their characteristics; some use complex processes and expensive materials to make simple natural laws, using It is very cumbersome, makes it impossible for people to imitate, and loses the significance of promotion, which is self-defeating.

2. Self-made teaching aids are used by students and even young children. Safety, hygiene and reliability are very important.

For example, some self-made teaching aids that are operated with electricity should have good insulation protection; safety protection devices should be installed in parts where danger may occur; and materials that are toxic and harmful to human health should be avoided to be used to make teaching aids.

3. Do not violate relevant policies and laws or infringe on the rights of others.

For example, teaching aids with radio signal transmitting devices cannot interfere with the normal work of communications and military command systems; the production of teaching aids must not damage the natural environment and ecological balance; especially self-made teaching aids for biology subjects must not be used to Specimens of rare wild animals protected by the state are made.

When using other people’s scientific research results or design ideas to make teaching aids, you should learn more about whether the resultant technology is patented, and whether it is an infringement when applied.