Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Session 10 of ICT
Session 10 of ICT saw us further developing and elaborating on our group assignment. My group touched up on our lesson plan, added the lesson assessment tools and drafted out our PowerPoint slides. Dr. Quek came over to each group to offer her suggestions and advice on how we could further improve our lesson plans and ideas. We also posted our critique of one other group's work and went over and took a look at the others' projects. It was interesting seeing so many different styles of presentation using such a wide array of ICT tools such as podcasts, blogs, wikis, videos and so on. Indeed all these has broadened my mind and exposed me to how multimedia and interactive digital technologies can help us teach and convey our message to our students far more effectively than traditional teaching methods. For example, our group filmed a video of ourselves showing how idioms can be applied and related to everyday life. Imagine if teachers showed a video of themselves to their own students to demonstate the use of idioms or other teaching concepts. That would immediately capture the students' attention and elicit a great deal more interest and excitement than a mere oral presentation of lesson content. Students, seeing how idioms are put into practice in real life, as shown in a full colour, three-dimensional environment like a video clip will have a far deeper and long-lasting impression of the whole lesson compared to just a dry and routine writing and explaining of the idioms on the whiteboard. Naturally all this requires intensive work and preparation on the part of the teacher but in the end, if the students benefit, we should definitely consider it all worthwhile, right?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Session 9 of ICT
Last Wednesday's session brought us one week closer to our group ICT presentation which we would have to showcase on the week of 19 Ocober. Dr. Quek further elaborated on what we needed to incorporate in our lesson plan and classroom presentation, as well as touching briefly on each group's chosen mode of teaching - varying from podcasts to blogs and wikis. My group is including a video in our PowerPoint presentation so we headed to the next door laboratory to download the video from the camera to our thumbdrive. We also discussed and made significant progress on the completion of our lesson plan, which is to teach students the meanings and uses of different Chinese idioms. It's great to see that everyone in the group is cooperating so well with one another and that our group assignment is coming on so nicely... indeed five heads are better than one when it comes to many things, not least of them being educational pedagogy!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Session 8 of ICT
In this week, Dr. Quek brought us to the Media and Experiential Lab to learn more about how game-based technology can be incorporated into our teaching. We watched the IT technican give us a very good and fluid demonstration on how the interactive 3D game Second Life is played and how we can use it to demonstate and explain to students concepts and ideas related to our curriculum subjects. Although I'm an avid fan of computer games, I have never ventured into games like Second Life, which has gained a welcome reputation as an educational platform that many universities and other institutions of higher learning are increasingly turning to as a complement to traditional classroom teaching. There are even specialised regions in Second Life used for educational purposes covering subjects as diverse as chemistry, English, geography etc.
However, I have to admit that I found the game to be a bit boring when I watched the demonstration. There was basically this one avatar moving around by himself in the virtual environment, interacting with the objects around him and only occasionally coming into contact with other people. I haven't really delved into the game that much though so there are definitely a lot of areas which I haven't explored. And the demonstration of how a tsunami occurs was definitely interesting...
On whether I would really use Second Life or similar games in my future teaching career, I think the jury is still out on the question. No doubt it is useful in some ways, as evidenced by the fact that many institutions use it, however I would have to do a practical and thorough comparison of its effectiveness compared to F2F teaching before drawing any definitive conclusions. There is something to be said about face to face interaction with the teacher, that personal touch, the warm smile and the immediate presence of another person that is impossible to replicate in a virtual machine. Second Life as a form of e-learning though - I think its usefulness would definitely be manifest there.
However, I have to admit that I found the game to be a bit boring when I watched the demonstration. There was basically this one avatar moving around by himself in the virtual environment, interacting with the objects around him and only occasionally coming into contact with other people. I haven't really delved into the game that much though so there are definitely a lot of areas which I haven't explored. And the demonstration of how a tsunami occurs was definitely interesting...
On whether I would really use Second Life or similar games in my future teaching career, I think the jury is still out on the question. No doubt it is useful in some ways, as evidenced by the fact that many institutions use it, however I would have to do a practical and thorough comparison of its effectiveness compared to F2F teaching before drawing any definitive conclusions. There is something to be said about face to face interaction with the teacher, that personal touch, the warm smile and the immediate presence of another person that is impossible to replicate in a virtual machine. Second Life as a form of e-learning though - I think its usefulness would definitely be manifest there.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Session 4 of ICT
I enjoyed this session of ICT very much as we had the opportunity of listening to two teachers share their experience of and expertise in using game-based teaching and information technology in education. I found the game-based talk by Mr. Daryl Koh especially interesting as I have to admit that I'm not very technically up-to-date myself so it was wonderful that I could learn about this new-fangled device called the Wii, which I had never encountered before.
It's great that more and more schools are keeping in tandem with technological advances that science is churning out everyday as society advances, as evidenced by the fact that now even classrooms are equipped with Wii devices to help students in their learning of different subjects. Game-based learning is indeed an area which deserves to be explored in greater depth and detail as to how it can help our students in the learning process and incite students' interest in what might appear as boring topics to them. It opens a whole new world of exploration and discovery to both the student and the teacher and gives the student a much more multifarious and varied way of learning about science subjects like chemistry and biology for example. No longer are lessons limited to the classroom and the traditional expounding of textbook concepts, now the lesson can actually come alive through say, a colourful 3-D rendering of the topic being taught. Arousing and engaging the students' kinaesthetic and sensory perceptions is a surefire way of getting students to pay attention in class and research has shown that such methods greatly aid in recall and recollection of subject matter. Pupils will also have a more solid understanding of the subject and be able to grasp concepts more effectively when it is presented interactively and through the use of motion and colour.
However, it remains to be seen whether such novel methods can be applied to the teaching of non-science subjects like mathematics and languages. For example, having a solid grasp of mathematics requires that a person spend much time doing repeated sets of mathematical exercises and practising his use of mathematical concepts on different problems. This entails hard and solid work on the part of the student and I don't know of any game-based programme that can substitute for that. The most appropriate approach would probably be to combine the best elements of both the traditional teaching method with the interactive nature of game-based learning to create a synergistic learning environment in which students would get to enjoy the use of both tools to aid their learning, each complementing the other's strengths and mitigating the other's weaknesses.
It's great that more and more schools are keeping in tandem with technological advances that science is churning out everyday as society advances, as evidenced by the fact that now even classrooms are equipped with Wii devices to help students in their learning of different subjects. Game-based learning is indeed an area which deserves to be explored in greater depth and detail as to how it can help our students in the learning process and incite students' interest in what might appear as boring topics to them. It opens a whole new world of exploration and discovery to both the student and the teacher and gives the student a much more multifarious and varied way of learning about science subjects like chemistry and biology for example. No longer are lessons limited to the classroom and the traditional expounding of textbook concepts, now the lesson can actually come alive through say, a colourful 3-D rendering of the topic being taught. Arousing and engaging the students' kinaesthetic and sensory perceptions is a surefire way of getting students to pay attention in class and research has shown that such methods greatly aid in recall and recollection of subject matter. Pupils will also have a more solid understanding of the subject and be able to grasp concepts more effectively when it is presented interactively and through the use of motion and colour.
However, it remains to be seen whether such novel methods can be applied to the teaching of non-science subjects like mathematics and languages. For example, having a solid grasp of mathematics requires that a person spend much time doing repeated sets of mathematical exercises and practising his use of mathematical concepts on different problems. This entails hard and solid work on the part of the student and I don't know of any game-based programme that can substitute for that. The most appropriate approach would probably be to combine the best elements of both the traditional teaching method with the interactive nature of game-based learning to create a synergistic learning environment in which students would get to enjoy the use of both tools to aid their learning, each complementing the other's strengths and mitigating the other's weaknesses.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Session 3 of ICT
The third session of our ICT module brought us into contact with the art and science of teaching - in other words, pedagogy. Dr Quek said that defining pedagogy this way doesn't actually mean anything however, so we attempted to use more specific terms to come to grips with what that word actually means. For myself, pedagogy means the educational techniques and strategies used to make oneself an effective teacher, for example how to actually convey knowledge to our students and how to conduct a lesson effectively.
To this end, we were introduced to four methods of teaching, all of which can be used independent of one another or combined for greater effectiveness. They are case-based learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning and resource-based learning. I think all four of these methods are very effective means of teaching and used appropriately can really motivate students to grasp the lesson content thoroughly and even give both the teacher and the pupils fresh insights into what is being taught.
Take project-based learning for example. Back in my schooling days, project work as a component in the overall assessment of a student's grade had not been introduced. Lessons were conducted solely in class and basically all work was done individually. Thus many students did not do well as they were uninterested in the subject and had no incentive to perform well. However, if project work were to be introduced, this might have changed the mindset of these students. As they are now forced to work in a team, they have to play an active role in the group and contribute to the discussion at hand. They can no longer afford to "slack" and remain on the sidelines, waiting until the exams for reality to set in and to know that they have flunked. Furthermore, apart from the fact that students in groups will be motivated to work harder, discussing the project with their group mates will also brush up their knowledge of the subject and refresh their memory on what the teacher has taught. In this way, everybody can learn from one another and content reinforcement has been achieved.
Having said that, traditional teaching methods like memorization and rote learning still play an important role. These cannot be neglected in the rush to implement innovative teaching strategies. Another consideration is that these four methods are still in their infancy and not many teachers are well-versed in them. Take the teaching of geography using case-based learning for example. Using a standard geography textbook, how are we to decide which parts of the text are suitable to be used for case-based learning? How are we to actually convince our students to employ case studies to grasp the concepts of say, population dispersion and migration in human geography? All of these requires that teachers know which parts of the curriculum are suitable for creative teaching and which parts should be taught in the traditional manner. Hopefully, with the increasing liberalization of the Singapore education system and the on-going reforms taking place within it (ICT being one example), we will soon see more teachers able and eager to use these new teachniques of teaching to complement the traditional classroom lesson.
To this end, we were introduced to four methods of teaching, all of which can be used independent of one another or combined for greater effectiveness. They are case-based learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning and resource-based learning. I think all four of these methods are very effective means of teaching and used appropriately can really motivate students to grasp the lesson content thoroughly and even give both the teacher and the pupils fresh insights into what is being taught.
Take project-based learning for example. Back in my schooling days, project work as a component in the overall assessment of a student's grade had not been introduced. Lessons were conducted solely in class and basically all work was done individually. Thus many students did not do well as they were uninterested in the subject and had no incentive to perform well. However, if project work were to be introduced, this might have changed the mindset of these students. As they are now forced to work in a team, they have to play an active role in the group and contribute to the discussion at hand. They can no longer afford to "slack" and remain on the sidelines, waiting until the exams for reality to set in and to know that they have flunked. Furthermore, apart from the fact that students in groups will be motivated to work harder, discussing the project with their group mates will also brush up their knowledge of the subject and refresh their memory on what the teacher has taught. In this way, everybody can learn from one another and content reinforcement has been achieved.
Having said that, traditional teaching methods like memorization and rote learning still play an important role. These cannot be neglected in the rush to implement innovative teaching strategies. Another consideration is that these four methods are still in their infancy and not many teachers are well-versed in them. Take the teaching of geography using case-based learning for example. Using a standard geography textbook, how are we to decide which parts of the text are suitable to be used for case-based learning? How are we to actually convince our students to employ case studies to grasp the concepts of say, population dispersion and migration in human geography? All of these requires that teachers know which parts of the curriculum are suitable for creative teaching and which parts should be taught in the traditional manner. Hopefully, with the increasing liberalization of the Singapore education system and the on-going reforms taking place within it (ICT being one example), we will soon see more teachers able and eager to use these new teachniques of teaching to complement the traditional classroom lesson.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Session 2 of ICT
In last week's lesson, we learnt about self-directed and collaborative learning and how implementing these teaching strategies in the classroom can maximize our effectiveness as a teacher. We were also shown 2 videos showing us examples of these strategies "live" and in action.
I found all this to be an interesting take on what it means to be a teacher in the classroom: no longer are we confined to being just educators with the sole purpose of transmitting knowledge to our students, our roles can and should be much more than that. In the words of an old adage, "Teach a man how to fish and you teach him for a lifetime", encouraging our pupils to actually have a go at solving real life problems through group work and coordinating with others makes the lesson much more real to them and gives them a first hand knowledge of the problems that require them to exercise their thinking skills and put them to practical use. These fresh ways of making a lesson come alive will also greatly stimulate students' interest and make them more motivated to pay attention in class. Thus the collaborative efforts of the pupils in solving these problems will hopefully lead to the self-directed part of the lesson, where they actually without any "pushing" on the part of the teacher, go back and read up on the topic and take the initiative to find out more about the subject at hand.
After seeing the videos, I was very impressed by what the 2 schools featured had done to encourage the students to be independent thinkers and learners both inside and outside the classroom. Both the EAST programme and the astronauts' simulation were very well thought out and implemented, they taught the students how to communicate and work with others, how to bring their best skills and talents to the table to solve practical, real-life problems and how to work as a team, all of which are indispensable skills that are essential for our students to master in this rapidly changing and developing world.
I found all this to be an interesting take on what it means to be a teacher in the classroom: no longer are we confined to being just educators with the sole purpose of transmitting knowledge to our students, our roles can and should be much more than that. In the words of an old adage, "Teach a man how to fish and you teach him for a lifetime", encouraging our pupils to actually have a go at solving real life problems through group work and coordinating with others makes the lesson much more real to them and gives them a first hand knowledge of the problems that require them to exercise their thinking skills and put them to practical use. These fresh ways of making a lesson come alive will also greatly stimulate students' interest and make them more motivated to pay attention in class. Thus the collaborative efforts of the pupils in solving these problems will hopefully lead to the self-directed part of the lesson, where they actually without any "pushing" on the part of the teacher, go back and read up on the topic and take the initiative to find out more about the subject at hand.
After seeing the videos, I was very impressed by what the 2 schools featured had done to encourage the students to be independent thinkers and learners both inside and outside the classroom. Both the EAST programme and the astronauts' simulation were very well thought out and implemented, they taught the students how to communicate and work with others, how to bring their best skills and talents to the table to solve practical, real-life problems and how to work as a team, all of which are indispensable skills that are essential for our students to master in this rapidly changing and developing world.
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