Based on my Enhanced School Experience (ESE), I think that the three Masterplans for ICT in Education are rather successful. This is because with the Masterplans, it has facilitated the use of relevant Internet resources for teaching and learning. During my ESE attachment to West Spring Secondary School, I observed that an English teacher had used MOE's We-Learn English Portal to conduct his lessons. Prior to the lessons with his students, he had already pre-uploaded some assignments into the portal. During the English lesson, students were brought to the IT lab to complete the assignments that in the We-Learn portal. The students enjoyed having English lessons in the IT lab as the activities were fun and engaging and moreover, prompt feedback would be given to them once they had submitted their answers. This helped to provide the students with access to ICT in all learning areas in the school.
Another teacher in the school incorporated the use of ICT in conducting Literature lessons. The teacher played a song (Taylor Swift's "Love Story") and asked the students to analyse the lyrics of the song. Thereafter, she made the connection that the lyrics in some songs are also considered as forms of poetry. She also explained the rationale of analysing a song and emphasised to her students that poems are not difficult. In fact, they can be as interesting as analysing the lyrics in songs. With the use of ICT in lessons, this promotes meaningful learning amongst the students. ICT engages the students' learning and motivates them to be attentive during lessons. It also allows them to follow the lesson closely because with visuals and audios, it is easier for the students to retain and register the information that they have learnt in class.
Therefore, I think that the three Masterplans for ICT in Education are rather successful and have met most of its goals.
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Blog Entry 2: Opinions on MOE Masterplans for ICT in Education
In my opinion, i think it is important for MOE to develop the three Masterplans for ICT in education. This is because with the advancement in technology, it is important for our students to be equipped with the necessary IT skills so as to compete with their counterparts in other nations. With IT knowledge, the future generation would help ensure Singapore's economic prosperity. As students these days are more 'visual' learners, infusing ICT into their lessons would make learning more effective and engaging for them. At the same time, teachers would acquire competencies in integrating ICT in the classrooms.
MOE's Masterplan 1 has successfully laid a firm foundation in enabling schools to integrate ICT into their curriculum. Students are taught the necessary IT skills that would help them to complete ICT-related assignments. Similarly, MOE's Masterplan 2 hopes to motivate thinking and independent learning among students. This is successful as both teachers and students are proficient in the use of basic ICT tools.
The 3rd Masterplan for ICT in Education continues the vision of the first and second Masterplans to enrich and transform the learning environments of students and equip them with the critical competencies and dispostions to succeed in a knowledge economy. I think the current Masterplan 3 may affect my role as a beginning teacher because based on my Enhanced School Experience, i notice that students these days are very 'visual' learners and the lessons conducted need to be interesting and engaging in order for them to stay focused and attentive in class. As such, ICT needs to be infused into the curriculum so as to motivate the students to think critically and independently, as well as to create a conducive learning environment for the young learners. Hence, as a beginning teacher, I would need to be competent in the ICT tools so as to integrate ICT into my lessons and make learning fun and interesting for my students.
MOE's Masterplan 1 has successfully laid a firm foundation in enabling schools to integrate ICT into their curriculum. Students are taught the necessary IT skills that would help them to complete ICT-related assignments. Similarly, MOE's Masterplan 2 hopes to motivate thinking and independent learning among students. This is successful as both teachers and students are proficient in the use of basic ICT tools.
The 3rd Masterplan for ICT in Education continues the vision of the first and second Masterplans to enrich and transform the learning environments of students and equip them with the critical competencies and dispostions to succeed in a knowledge economy. I think the current Masterplan 3 may affect my role as a beginning teacher because based on my Enhanced School Experience, i notice that students these days are very 'visual' learners and the lessons conducted need to be interesting and engaging in order for them to stay focused and attentive in class. As such, ICT needs to be infused into the curriculum so as to motivate the students to think critically and independently, as well as to create a conducive learning environment for the young learners. Hence, as a beginning teacher, I would need to be competent in the ICT tools so as to integrate ICT into my lessons and make learning fun and interesting for my students.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Blog Entry 1: My ESE
ENHANCED SCHOOL EXPERIENCE:
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS OF ICT USE
(I) Specific Observations
School Name: West Spring Secondary School
Class: Secondary 2G
Profile of the class:
The students in Secondary 2G are in the Normal Technical stream. There are more male students than female students in the class and the class has a higher proportion of Malay students. Most of the students are rather hyperactive and 'loud' and therefore, they tend to have shorter attention span. They get lethargic easily and would tend to talk to their classmates once they feel tired and listless.
In my opinion, I think that most of the students in Secondary 2G are lively individuals who are not afraid to voice out their opinions or to ask questions when they are in doubt. This allows the teacher to interact easily with the students. In addition, the students are also very straightforward and frank children who will not hide their emotions away from you.
In terms of their academic abilities, most of the students communicate and converse in their Mother Tongue language and therefore, they tend to be weaker in the English Language. Hence, it would be a challenge to get them engaged and interested during English lessons. Therefore, injecting the use of ICT during their lessons would be of vital importance as this helps them to be participative and engaged learners.
Subject: English
What ICT tools are used in the lesson?
The ICT tools used in the lesson would be the computers from the IT lab in school, Internet, as well as internet resources such as web-based activity for the students (the teacher uses the Ministry of Education's We-Learn English Portal).
Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning in the lesson.
In 2G's English lesson, the students are asked to log in to the We-Learn Portal. Before the students are asked to log in to the portal, the teacher has already pre-uploaded some activities (such as grammar editing and map-reading exercises) for the students. During the lesson, the students are asked to try the grammar editing exercise by filling in the correct answers. Once they are done, they have to submit their answers and prompt feedback would be given to them as the students would know immediately how they have fared. The correct answers would not be provided and hence, the students can attempt as many tries as they wish to perfect their score.
The incorporation of ICT in English lessons is important as a majority of these students find traditional English lessons boring. With the use of the We-Learn Portal, this encourages students to engage in more active and independent learning. In additonal, visuals and ICT can enrich the learning environment and better engage the students to be more enthusiastic during English lessons.
(II) General Observation
How do teachers in the school feel about the use of ICT for teaching and learning?
The teachers in West Spring Secondary School believe that the use of ICT for teaching and learning motivates the students to be participative and engaged learners. As the students in today's generation are more visual learners, infusing the use of ICT in lessons would be good as it helps attract the students' attention and allows them to be more interested and participative in class. Besides that, the use of ICT for teaching and learning provides students with access to ICT in all learning areas in the school.
However, some of the teachers feel that a substantial amount of time and commitment needs to be put in in order to infuse ICT in lessons. In order to efffectively incorporate ICT, teachers will need to be competent in the latest software and programme. Some teachers also expressed their views that they sometimes find it difficult to find a suitable occasion to infuse ICT in their lessons.
Perhaps, one limitation with regards to the use of ICT for teaching and learning is how well the school is equipped with the ICT tools and software as there may be times whereby the teacher wishes to use a particular software for his lessons but the school may not have it.
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS OF ICT USE
(I) Specific Observations
School Name: West Spring Secondary School
Class: Secondary 2G
Profile of the class:
The students in Secondary 2G are in the Normal Technical stream. There are more male students than female students in the class and the class has a higher proportion of Malay students. Most of the students are rather hyperactive and 'loud' and therefore, they tend to have shorter attention span. They get lethargic easily and would tend to talk to their classmates once they feel tired and listless.
In my opinion, I think that most of the students in Secondary 2G are lively individuals who are not afraid to voice out their opinions or to ask questions when they are in doubt. This allows the teacher to interact easily with the students. In addition, the students are also very straightforward and frank children who will not hide their emotions away from you.
In terms of their academic abilities, most of the students communicate and converse in their Mother Tongue language and therefore, they tend to be weaker in the English Language. Hence, it would be a challenge to get them engaged and interested during English lessons. Therefore, injecting the use of ICT during their lessons would be of vital importance as this helps them to be participative and engaged learners.
Subject: English
What ICT tools are used in the lesson?
The ICT tools used in the lesson would be the computers from the IT lab in school, Internet, as well as internet resources such as web-based activity for the students (the teacher uses the Ministry of Education's We-Learn English Portal).
Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning in the lesson.
In 2G's English lesson, the students are asked to log in to the We-Learn Portal. Before the students are asked to log in to the portal, the teacher has already pre-uploaded some activities (such as grammar editing and map-reading exercises) for the students. During the lesson, the students are asked to try the grammar editing exercise by filling in the correct answers. Once they are done, they have to submit their answers and prompt feedback would be given to them as the students would know immediately how they have fared. The correct answers would not be provided and hence, the students can attempt as many tries as they wish to perfect their score.
The incorporation of ICT in English lessons is important as a majority of these students find traditional English lessons boring. With the use of the We-Learn Portal, this encourages students to engage in more active and independent learning. In additonal, visuals and ICT can enrich the learning environment and better engage the students to be more enthusiastic during English lessons.
(II) General Observation
How do teachers in the school feel about the use of ICT for teaching and learning?
The teachers in West Spring Secondary School believe that the use of ICT for teaching and learning motivates the students to be participative and engaged learners. As the students in today's generation are more visual learners, infusing the use of ICT in lessons would be good as it helps attract the students' attention and allows them to be more interested and participative in class. Besides that, the use of ICT for teaching and learning provides students with access to ICT in all learning areas in the school.
However, some of the teachers feel that a substantial amount of time and commitment needs to be put in in order to infuse ICT in lessons. In order to efffectively incorporate ICT, teachers will need to be competent in the latest software and programme. Some teachers also expressed their views that they sometimes find it difficult to find a suitable occasion to infuse ICT in their lessons.
Perhaps, one limitation with regards to the use of ICT for teaching and learning is how well the school is equipped with the ICT tools and software as there may be times whereby the teacher wishes to use a particular software for his lessons but the school may not have it.
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