A Petty Patent in my Name

        After waiting for circa 6 years, The Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand eventually granted a Petty Patent (Petty Patent 18158) that registers my name. This is one of the premier remarkable feats that I have achieved thus far! 

 

        Indeed, it was glad tidings from Dr Monamorn Precharattana, my Advisor during my candidature for a Master’s degree in Science and Technology Education (International Program) at Mahidol University, Thailand, who announced me through Facebook interface. Under her professional supervision and technical assistance of my Co-advisor, Dr Paisan Kanthang, the Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, we developed a Low-Cost Hands-on Model to Demonstrate the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation as a part of my thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree in Master of Science in 2015. 

Patent No 18158

        Like any other global education framework, our curriculum policies also identify learning scientific concepts through a constructivist approach with more emphasis on using hands-on learning (at least in the written documents). It is of paramount importance that students experience learning through materials that can be directly touched, felt, and manipulated to produce meaningful learning. By meaningful learning, I refer to a phenomenon where students can fragment complex and abstract scientific concepts into more concrete and clearer understanding within the classroom premises. 

A Low-cost Hands-on Model to demonstrate the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation 

        Based on my experience as a former middle school physics teacher, I shouldered this onus because energy is one concept that is not only abstract but also largely misconceptualised by our students. Students must understand energy because it enhances their understanding in appreciating the nature of any physical phenomena taking place physically, biologically, or technologically. More importantly, it is only through knowing energy that students will be able to comprehend the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation – a fundamental concept of any introductory physics – which is even more grossly misconstrued. 

        Based on these remarks, I contended in some of my publications that,

A similar trend of learning this concept [law of mechanical energy conservation] has been observed and found prevalent even in Bhutanese-based classroom situations… While teaching this concept [law of mechanical energy conservation], our classrooms are still dominated by the conventional method of using theoretical and imaginary examples and illustrations provided in the textbooks (Wangdi, 2015:2; Wangdi, Precharattana & Kanthang, 2017; Wangdi, Precharattana & Kanthang, 2020, Emphasis added). 

        Teaching students with some impact has been one of my favourite passions and I considered teaching more than a profession. Despite tsunamis of denigration directed to me or in general for teachers, I worked industriously – which can be fathomed ONLY by my students. But I have a long history of wanting to bring contributions to action than mere texts.   

A theoretical illustration used in our textbook. Courtesy: Grade 10 Physics

        Some 14 years ago, on the night of December 17, 2007, I became the recipient of the most coveted F L Goropse Prize for Academic Proficiency in B.Ed Secondary Science. This scholastic accolade is awarded to the pre-service teacher candidate that demonstrates outstanding academic performance in a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Science Education Program. I was also adorned with the Institute Prize for Invaluable Contribution along with other laurels for champagning as the editor for 3 magazines – the first of its kind in the history of Samtse College of Education. 

 

        That evening at the (farewell) banquet, I had the pleasure of sharing the dining table with Associate Professor Sonam Rinchen (PhD) who was the precursor of the same honour in 1992. Of the sea of communication that betided during that lightning togetherness, I was amused to religiously encapsulate one of his best phrases: “Let Your Work Speak, Not You”. 

 

    What a flywheel is to the machine, an engine to the car or nourishment to the starving, his words were for my continuance. 

 

        In many circumstances during my last 12 years of the teaching profession, when I sank so low in my life due to the sickening policies, fatiguing work nature, awful bosses, dilapidated working milieu or snubbed acknowledgements, his lines became the lifeline of hope, the mainspring of motivation, and slogan of enthusiasm to show my mettle. Keeping in mind Kopmeyer’s (2006:10) over compensation, I withstood the test of every adversity. At best, I never trumpeted my works as Facebook stories even if it is efficacious, at least in the sense of garnering outcomes. Most Facebook stories are more than eyes can meet.

 

        I survive by my life’s motto: Does not always have to be a rose to smell sweet. I also travel on the road most travelled by gathering raw stones of ideas seen on the way that may glitter one day if charily polished. 

 

        That is how I presented my first academic paper during the 9^th Siam Physics Congress co-hosted by the Thai Physics Society and some leading universities and research institutes based in Thailand, just 3 months into my postgraduate study. Like the primrose that heralds the beginning of spring, I boast this academic forum as a harbinger of my academic shoot.

        In 2014, during the 40^th Congress of Science and Technology of Thailand held at Khon Kaen, Thailand, I marketed the idea of constructing A Low-Cost Hands-on Model for Demonstration on the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation – the result in the form of the petty patent that I have recently received. 

 

        2 years later, I recorded my first academic footprint in the maiden publication of Educational Innovation and Practice, a peer-reviewed journal of Samtse College of Education. This invitation by Dr Sonam Rinchen was another hallmark to set as a harbinger for a few publications that I have under my belt today.

 

        Besides editing more than 15 theses on a pro bono basis, I have also reviewed some papers for International journals. 

Acknowledgement Certificate for being a Reviewer. The title of the paper was removed for confidential purpose 

        But for now, I have the most obligation of all the responsibilities. I have gambled with my career to move the last mountain of my academic dreams that I always kept dreaming of. 

 

And yet, I still have ONE FINAL DREAM that I always keep dreaming of.