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.
I like the way the literature teacher taught poems in her class. Through the use of technology, she played a pop song that the students can relate to easily. This lesson has definitely engaged the students' interest, allowing them to see poems in a different way. Perhaps, even engaging their interest and passion in poems.
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering, did the teacher also include a real poem in the lesson for the students to analyze? If yes, did they find it easier after the practice with the song?
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI wish to ask you about the kind of instant feedback that was given to students during their lessons in the IT lab. Did the students answer multiple choice questions online, to which they received an instant grade? Were they also encouraged to submit essay-type questions online, in order to receive very detailed feedback on aspects of their writing, such as technique and style?
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI feel that this is a creative way to engage visual and auditory learners, and to put aside students' worries about the difficulties of poetry analysis.
Hi Jean,
ReplyDeleteThe teacher included a real poem in the next lesson for the students to analyse. Some of the students still had difficulty analysing the poems but however, the teacher had helped to change their perception that poems are not always boring and difficult to apprehend.
Hi Diya,
ReplyDeleteYes the students were given both multiple choice questions and open-handed questions. Once they have submitted their answers, instant feedback would be given to them and they would know how they have fared. As the students in class are of the Normal Technical stream, the teacher did not include essay-type questions for them to attempt.
Hey everybody! :D
ReplyDeleteI have said this before (in diya's blog) about how ICT could totally change the way Literature is perceived in classrooms. Qian Ling have shared her experience with me about how some students in her class had no interest whatsoever in the subject. This, I feel, is something that's going on a lot in classrooms around Singapore. Hopefully the Masterplan 3 could make teaching and learning Literature a more experiential and educational journey.
Just to add another point. While student motivation is important, I hope we don't see ICT as a means for motivating them. It is instead the design of our lessons and materials we choose that should have an impact on them.
ReplyDeleteMrs Tang