In general, the school has used ICT to engage the students and to equip teachers to have a variety of teaching strategies and methods.
Wireless internet is provided through 10 access points in various parts of the school in April 2009 to enable lessons to be carried out beyond the classroom. There is also an IT literacy programme for lower secondary students to ensure that they are familiar with IT resources.
However, based upon the views of the HOD and ICT coordinator, it depends very much on the department and individual teachers as to whether ICT is preferred. The Mathematics Department recently procured a new software to carry out quizzes and lessons for students. This shows a willingness to engage ICT to boost learning opportunities and platforms for the students. However, other departments still use ICT only to a limited extent such as the English department, which may still prefer traditional methods such as teacher centered pedagogies.
One must also note that their schedule of work for the year was planned without infusing ICT in mind but more of the students’ learning capabilities and level of knowledge. There is however a general shift towards using ICT as more and more teachers are not only encouraged but exposed to more ICT resources to help in their work. The various HODs plan to infuse more ICT resources into their schedule of work for the next academic year. In addition, the school plans to have a day of E-learning for the school on 1 August 2011.
Many teachers also acknowledged that ICT does aid to a large extent in engaging students. They also displayed a willingness to utilize it as long as they themselves are able to master it and able to translate it into lesson plans.
While Northbrooks Secondary School does not utilize ICT as widely as compared to other schools, the transition towards a more varied and holistic usage of ICT is very much salient. With teachers being open to the plans and resources, departments encouraging the use of ICT and students wanting to be engaged based on a variety of teaching methods, one will be able to see more positive results from Northbrooks Secondary School’s engagement of ICT in the next year and beyond.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Blogpost 2: Opinion on MOE ICT Masterplans
After experiencing my school attachment at Yishun Secondary School back in 2009 and the recent ESE at Northbrooks Secondary School, I duly conclude that MOE is moving in the right direction for ICT.
The plans are crucial in taking the education sector towards an age where technology is going to be very pervasive, permeating through almost every area of daily life. In today's world where social media is easily accessible through gadgets such as laptops, notebooks, Ipads and smart phones, learning and education is going through its own evolution.
In order to engage students these days, we have to change and evolve accordingly. It was certainly not easy getting to where we are today but thanks to the MOE master plans and the continuous provision of resources and funding, schools today are more adequately equipped to take on the technological progressions around the globe. As the world around children these days evolve, teachers must too as do the education system if we were to continue to engage students and help them to adapt to a world of technology.
When I was a student, ICT was not as pervasive as today. However, I did witness the beginnings of the process as teachers began using projectors and power point slides. Students began using power point slides in their presentations as well. Lessons on the internet and computers were only starting out but the progress and pace were good. They probably set the foundations for further improvements to be built upon, which eventually led to today's stage of ICT. It was something relatively new then and students were more than interested in the way lessons were carried out then. However, while ICT was a new thing back then, it isn't as novel as before today. As such, constant variations and improvements must be implemented in accordance to the pace and direction technology is shifting around the globe these days. Our education system must move along simultaneously.
However, I do believe that the focus on honing and shaping the character of each individual student is still vital from an educational viewpoint. Even as a beginning teacher, I do believe that this is something which the ICT can greatly facilitate and contribute but not necessarily achieve. At the end of the day, ICT does make progress in leaps and bounds when it comes to teaching content mastery and skills or tackling the examinations. Yet values, character traits and principles must still be translated in traditional platforms such as personal interaction, teacher-centred lessons and outdoor activities such as co-curricular activities.
It is easy to keep up at the beginning. This is especially so when I am still able to be technologically savvy with the 'ins' and the 'outs' of the technological industry and market. Yet one would have to make more effort as technology and ICT moves along. I believe as a beginning teacher, I will certainly infuse more ICT in the way I teach so as to engage the students of this generation and beyond. As the world around the students change, teachers must adapt accordingly to continuously guide and steer our students in the right direction.
While the focus on ICT is good, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. ICT encourages students to use modern technology to learn and interact. However, too much of it, while it makes students and teachers technologically savvy, may result in a subconscious negligence in inter personal skills which are indispensable. As such, while using ICT to facilitate and boost the variety of teaching media, it is vital that we remain grounded on certain traditional platforms that help us in shaping the character development of students.
All in all, the progress made by ICT by the master plans thus far have been phenomenal. While keeping up with this progress, it is still crucial to stay grounded on character development for students.
The plans are crucial in taking the education sector towards an age where technology is going to be very pervasive, permeating through almost every area of daily life. In today's world where social media is easily accessible through gadgets such as laptops, notebooks, Ipads and smart phones, learning and education is going through its own evolution.
In order to engage students these days, we have to change and evolve accordingly. It was certainly not easy getting to where we are today but thanks to the MOE master plans and the continuous provision of resources and funding, schools today are more adequately equipped to take on the technological progressions around the globe. As the world around children these days evolve, teachers must too as do the education system if we were to continue to engage students and help them to adapt to a world of technology.
When I was a student, ICT was not as pervasive as today. However, I did witness the beginnings of the process as teachers began using projectors and power point slides. Students began using power point slides in their presentations as well. Lessons on the internet and computers were only starting out but the progress and pace were good. They probably set the foundations for further improvements to be built upon, which eventually led to today's stage of ICT. It was something relatively new then and students were more than interested in the way lessons were carried out then. However, while ICT was a new thing back then, it isn't as novel as before today. As such, constant variations and improvements must be implemented in accordance to the pace and direction technology is shifting around the globe these days. Our education system must move along simultaneously.
However, I do believe that the focus on honing and shaping the character of each individual student is still vital from an educational viewpoint. Even as a beginning teacher, I do believe that this is something which the ICT can greatly facilitate and contribute but not necessarily achieve. At the end of the day, ICT does make progress in leaps and bounds when it comes to teaching content mastery and skills or tackling the examinations. Yet values, character traits and principles must still be translated in traditional platforms such as personal interaction, teacher-centred lessons and outdoor activities such as co-curricular activities.
It is easy to keep up at the beginning. This is especially so when I am still able to be technologically savvy with the 'ins' and the 'outs' of the technological industry and market. Yet one would have to make more effort as technology and ICT moves along. I believe as a beginning teacher, I will certainly infuse more ICT in the way I teach so as to engage the students of this generation and beyond. As the world around the students change, teachers must adapt accordingly to continuously guide and steer our students in the right direction.
While the focus on ICT is good, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. ICT encourages students to use modern technology to learn and interact. However, too much of it, while it makes students and teachers technologically savvy, may result in a subconscious negligence in inter personal skills which are indispensable. As such, while using ICT to facilitate and boost the variety of teaching media, it is vital that we remain grounded on certain traditional platforms that help us in shaping the character development of students.
All in all, the progress made by ICT by the master plans thus far have been phenomenal. While keeping up with this progress, it is still crucial to stay grounded on character development for students.
Blogpost 1: How ICT is infused in a lesson in Northbrooks Secondary School
I had the opportunity to plan and carry out a lesson using ICT. Prior to this ICT lesson, students were instructed to go home and read up on the chapter. During the lesson, the students were also encouraged not to use the textbook as far as possible. Even when they did, copying was not allowed. They were often required to use their own words to explain the points that they raised.
The lesson was planned using the pedagogy of collaborative learning. The objective of the lesson was to enable students to understand and explain the factors how Stalin’s 5- year plans affected the people in the USSR. As such, the lesson was divided into four questions in four forums.
Prior to lesson, students were first divided into groups, with my mentor and I doing the arrangements. Stronger students in the subject were placed together with the weaker ones. There were four groups. Each group was to discuss one particular question in one forum for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, they were to move to the next forum and carry out a discussion on the forum regarding the new question given. These instructions were given out to the class for about 10 minutes before they began their work.
Students were required to ask questions of the opinions and points raised by their own group members. This was to stimulate further discussion and debates on the forum. Each student was also required to post at least 3 posts to prevent laziness and idle chatter. This also allowed them to clarify any queries with their peers and learn from each other based upon the points they raised up.
My mentor and I observed their discussions and intervened when we felt that the topic was going off tangent. That way, with two teachers, the discussion remained focused and did not veer out of point.
By the end of the lesson, each group could explain the reasons and answers to the questions in the 2 forums that they have discussed in the hour. The next lesson will be conducted in the same way and the groups will be rotated through the questions that they have not addressed. Following these two lessons, the students will be given a worksheet to work on to assess their understanding of the topic.
Students displayed a more enthusiastic attitude towards learning online. It brought a very different environment and approach to the conventional setting of a classroom. Though they engaged in idle chatter at times, they were given a lot more time to discuss with one another on the forum and also prepare the questions they wish to ask in proper English. They also displayed more confidence in typing out their queries and asking their peers on their own opinion as compared to a classroom setting. On the whole, the students enjoyed this self-learning process and displayed a stronger willingness to learn about the topic. Students largely understood what their peers were referring and what they were explaining on the forum. Their questioning of their own peers displayed such understanding.
The lesson was planned using the pedagogy of collaborative learning. The objective of the lesson was to enable students to understand and explain the factors how Stalin’s 5- year plans affected the people in the USSR. As such, the lesson was divided into four questions in four forums.
Prior to lesson, students were first divided into groups, with my mentor and I doing the arrangements. Stronger students in the subject were placed together with the weaker ones. There were four groups. Each group was to discuss one particular question in one forum for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, they were to move to the next forum and carry out a discussion on the forum regarding the new question given. These instructions were given out to the class for about 10 minutes before they began their work.
Students were required to ask questions of the opinions and points raised by their own group members. This was to stimulate further discussion and debates on the forum. Each student was also required to post at least 3 posts to prevent laziness and idle chatter. This also allowed them to clarify any queries with their peers and learn from each other based upon the points they raised up.
My mentor and I observed their discussions and intervened when we felt that the topic was going off tangent. That way, with two teachers, the discussion remained focused and did not veer out of point.
By the end of the lesson, each group could explain the reasons and answers to the questions in the 2 forums that they have discussed in the hour. The next lesson will be conducted in the same way and the groups will be rotated through the questions that they have not addressed. Following these two lessons, the students will be given a worksheet to work on to assess their understanding of the topic.
Students displayed a more enthusiastic attitude towards learning online. It brought a very different environment and approach to the conventional setting of a classroom. Though they engaged in idle chatter at times, they were given a lot more time to discuss with one another on the forum and also prepare the questions they wish to ask in proper English. They also displayed more confidence in typing out their queries and asking their peers on their own opinion as compared to a classroom setting. On the whole, the students enjoyed this self-learning process and displayed a stronger willingness to learn about the topic. Students largely understood what their peers were referring and what they were explaining on the forum. Their questioning of their own peers displayed such understanding.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)