BLOG POST 3 - MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN YOUR ESE AND MPS FOR ICT

Based on my 4 weeks in Bedok South Secondary School, i am very convinced that MP 3 is more evident and profound in the teaching pedagogical approaches used by the school. As explained in my Blog Post 1, the Mathematics lesson have gone virtual with ACE Learning System put in place. Schools in Singapore adopt a day for E-learning whereby student log-in from their home computers to attend lesson conducted on-line. Not only is the approach enquiry-driven for the students, it challenges the teacher to engage the students virtually on his/her lessons with visuals as well as problem-based questions for easy understanding. Students as well as teachers are also exposed to tenets of virtual etiquette in their comments as well as teaching methods.

The teachers of today are fast subscribing to the basic requirements of MP 3 which has seen its impact into our schools and education system.

BLOG POST 2 - MP FOR ICT IN EDUCATION

Q1. Having 3 Master Plans (MP) for ICT is a plan to tackle the following issues:
  

      Technological Development   

      MOE aims to embrace the changing technology with the changing attitudes of students and the environment they live in. Progressing from MP 1,2 and 3 from years 1997, 2003 and 2009 respectively, MOE aims to ensure that it remains technologically relevant in equipping students with the necessary IT skills to progress into the world.

     Pedagogical skills

Teaching methodologies must progress with the societal advancement as students become more technologically engaged and development cognitive skills through problem-based learning rather than factual memorisation. Teacher adopt the role of facilitators more than spoon-feeding information to the students.

Q2. As i had completed my Secondary / JC education before the arrival of MP 1 in 1997, i would not have had the exposure its mechanics. However, we were exposed to basic computer education in our secondary and JC era where Internet was still something not widely explored by students. We were exposed to MS office using words, excel and PowerPoint in our projects.

Q3. Underpinning the MP 3 is the concept of self-directed learning whereby i see myself increasingly becoming more of a facilitator in education. This role requires me to direct students using a new set of pedagogical aid like analysis, inquiry, evaluation, discussion and forum platform. Such self-directed learning enables students to challenge the ideas of their teachers as well as that of their fellow students. Hence, my role broaden to elevate their thinking skills to a new paradigm through problem-based learning whereby experimenting the range of answers actually provides a catalyst for new ideas and concepts.

BLOG POST 1 - ICT REPORT ON ENHANCED SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

ICT Report on Enhanced School Experience

School Name – Bedok South Secondary School

Class Profiles: - Secondary 1A Express. Students are fairly good in Mathematics and have scored at least a grade C for their PSLE Mathematics.

What ICT Tools are used in the lesson?

A.        Geometer’s Sketchpad

During my attachment to the school, the students were into lesson 8 of their Maths  text book 1A which is Triangles & Polygons (Constructions of triangles & quadrilaterals). I followed Ms Lam, the Maths teacher to do lesson observation and I was pleasantly surprised to note that she had used the Geometer’s Sketchpad to conduct her lesson.  This software enables the user to explore the properties of geometry.

Functions of software:

Upon initializing the software, a blank sketch area is portrayed.  From the menu bar the user can use the following menus: FILE, EDIT, CONSTRUCT, TRANSFORM, MEASURE, GRAPH to construct various line segments, arcs as well as perpendicular / angle bisectors, etc. The TOOLBOX is a collection of six tools as follows:

·                     Selection Arrow Tool – selects or deselects objects and to move objects

·                     Point Tool – constructs points

·                     Compass Tool – constructs circles

·                     Straightedge Tool – constructs segments, rays or lines

·                     Text Tool – shows, hides and adds text

·                     Custom Tool – creates and stores tools for specific constructions

B         ACE LEARNING SYSTEM

This is interactive on-line educational software that tunes the syllabus in the textbook into an exciting and enriching experience for the students. Topics like ratio, percentage, algebra are explained effectively starting off with examples and slowing engaging the users with problem-based learning and exercises to instill the knowledge through practice.

            The ACE Learning System consists of the following interactive sessions:

·         Video lessons consists of quiz and lesson drills;

·         Interactive Labs consist of hands on sessions whereby the students tackle problems and eventually challenge their own solutions through corroborative learning.

·         Practice Drills are areas where exam focus questions are put forth to encourage practice and to instill confidence at tackling questions.

·         Forum enables students to pose their queries to their teachers and fellow student to seek explanations. This interactive platform cultivates learning and encourages students to voice out their concerns to seek prompt and real-time solutions.

·         Mailbox is another tool for students to email their teachers on queries and to seek explanations. Teachers will also be able to use this technology to track students who effectively use the system.

Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning the lesson

A         Geometer’s Sketchpad

Ms Lam, the teacher explains the various constructions of polygons and triangles using the sketchpad from her laptop. The students are able to visualize the construction of the diagrams. I also learnt that the students are able to use the software in the Computer Lab for their Maths lessons. This gives them hands on practice to try to do the virtual sketch themselves on their own PCs.

            Pedagogical Skills displayed:

1)      Experiential learning – Students are exposed to rich immersive experiences in a multi-model environment that provides the exposure in exploring and interpreting various construction rudiments like angle bisectors, perpendicular bisectors, etc. Students are able to visualize the virtual pencil, compass and protractors showing a display of movements to illustrate the problem.

2)      Inquiry driven approach – Students are attuned to an interpretation and identification of 2D or planar drawing perspective of the triangle and polygon constructions by manipulating the various tools in the toolbox.

B         ACE LEARNING SYSTEM

Based on my understanding from Mr Low, the HOD of Mathematics, the students have been given access to this software through their individualized log-In ID and password. They are able to use this software at home or in the school computer labs to enhance their learning of the particular topic taught by the teacher in class. Topping the afore-mentioned skills of experiential learning and inquiry driven approach, other pedagogical skills explored in the ACE Learning System are as follows:

3)      Exploratory & Constructivist Learning – Students are no longer hand-held by teachers but are thrown into a virtual corner to explore for themselves the fundamentals of the topic and to grope their way out to find that balance and clarity in their coursework. Problem based questions and answers allow students to explore, make mistakes and learn from mistakes. This virtual avenue to learn and re-learn concepts through self-inquiry of all the problems and examples given, gives students an opportunity to build a profound foundation of that topic. This experience of self-learning will go a longer way enabling students to remember concepts better as they fished for that information themselves in contrast of being given the ‘fish’ by their teachers in classrooms.

4)      Empathy-based learning – This approach comprises of physical markers, parameters and behavioural options that enable students to experience social interactions and appreciate the real-life applications of the topics that they learn. For example, the following topical questions (see enclosures attached) address the corresponding real life issues:

§    Algebra – Supports the Tsunami Alert System

§    Algebra – Measures the blood flow in normal human venae cave

§    Arithmetic –  Supports management of hotel complimentary car park coupon allocation

§    Geometry – Measures the satellite constellation network

5)      Interpersonal communication skills & strategies / Collaborative Learning – Students are exposed to COM projects whereby in teams they work to tackle problem-based real life situations through mathematical concepts learnt. COM projects expose students to use mathematics in the fields of science, medicine, engineering and management development and instigate their interest towards a multi-disciplinary awareness.  For example, the Secondary 1 students of Bedok South were instructed to do a survey on the results of the NAPFA tests undertaken by boys and girls of the Secondary 1 cohort. They were supported to chart the results of their observations into a histogram, pie-chart, bar-chart and line-graphs. Working in teams the students used the ICT to draw the various statistical models to tabulate and present their results. Concluding the project, they were also instructed to comment on the results as found. A project from one of the class visually illustrated using bar chart that showed boys fared better in their 2.4 km run while the girls were better at standing broad jump.

How do teachers in the school feel about the use of ICT for teaching and learning?

Mr Low, HOD for Mathematics – Mr Low shared his experience of the changing world whereby route    learning cannot bring anyone far. In his perspective, ICT during lessons prepares students to surmount challenges in the real-life and also well-equips them on soft skills like leadership training, communication skills especially when they work in groups to solve problems. He cited the usage of problem-based application tools in the ITE and Polytechnics to solve mathematical issues relating to accounting, construction and even medicine. Therefore students need to be well-equipped with this kind of training else it may be a culture shock when they go to tertiary education.

Mrs Liau, who is a senior teacher heading the Principal of Accounting department, engaged an independent body to experts called Eduwealth to training her accounting students on financial literacy. Eduwealth is an organization that conducts financial literacy training for schools and corporations.  This half-day event teaches students on importance of personal financial management, importance of saving and provides a glimpse on the stock market as well as insurance and retirement planning. These traits of knowledge are imparted to the students through a board game (similar to that of monopoly) whereby they learn to save, invest and manage their cash through team-play. Mrs Liau feels that such interactive activities would enable the students to appreciate the value of money as well as increase their love for the subject.