Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Blog Entry 3 - Achievements of the 3 Masterplans of ICT evident in my Contract School

Through the teaching of Project Work, it was quite evident that that the 3MPs were in effect.

I think the project work is a good platform for the use of ICT.  It requires students to collaborate for problem-solving.

The school had the infrastructure in place, and students could access the computers and internet.  They were also responsible users.  There were sufficient IT specialists who could troubleshoot any problems(unable to log in to the terminal, for instance).  Students were receptive to being taught.  For instance they had to learn how to plot graphs to represent data, they did not have the skills yet, so I had to teach them and they acquired those skills just in time to achieve their objectives.  Students used search engines to find information, they were taught to collect pertinent information and discard pointless data.

I did find classroom management a chore during ICT lessons (almost all the project work lessons were carried out in the computer labs).  Teachers(or maybe its just me) could not control what the students were viewing on their computer.  I think the sitting arrangement should be such that the teachers can view what each student is doing(perhaps installing mirrors?)

ICT Masterplan 1, 2 and 3 - Blog Entry 2

Masterplan 1 :

To create infrastructure for schools and to train teachers in the use of ICT
The 4 goals are as listed:

1.  Enhance the connections between the school and external surroundings, in a bid to enrich and widen the learning environment
2.  Foster original thinking, lifelong learning and social responsibility
3.  Generate innovation in education
4.  Promote admin and management excellence in the education system

Masterplan 2:

To shift from teacher centered, didactic teaching to a more student centered constructivist pedagogy

The six outcomes that the plan hoped to achieve are as follows
1.  Student are able use ICT effectively for active learning
2.  Teachers are able to use ICT effectively for professional and personal growth
3.  Connections between curriculum, instruction and assessment are supposed to be enhanced using ICT
4.  Schools should have the capacity and capability to use ICT for school improvement
5.  There is active research in ICT education
6.  There is an infrastructure that supports widespread effective use of ICT

Masterplan 3:

To harness ICT and transforming learners

1.  Students develop competencies for SDL and CoL through effective ICT use + becoming discerning and responsible ICT users
2.  School leaders provide directions & create conditions to harness ICT for learning and teaching
3.  Teachers gain capacity ro plan & deliver ICT enriched learning experiences for students to become self-directed learners(SDL) and collaborative learners(CoL)
4.  ICT infrastructure supports learning anytime and anywhere

It is important for MOE to develop these 3 Masterplans so as to prepare future Singaporeans with 21st century skills and competencies
Although I am a lifelong learner :) my schooling ended in 2003, before the beginning of MP2 hence, I had not much opportunity to experience the ICT masterplans
As a beginning teacher, I think MP3, will allow me to include more PBL so that students can collaborate to create solutions.  It will allow me to give students opportunity to learn from anyplace and anytime.  I think that BTs should have some form of mentorship in the planning of ICT lessons, so that they may receive feedback and can reflect on their teaching practices.

Monday, 1 August 2011

ESE Prep Task: Post 1

Enhanced School Experience

Preparatory Task For ICT For Meaningful Learning

Specific Observations

My observation was at Greenridge Secondary School, From Each His Best.  The class observed was Secondary 3E4. The students were doing an experiment involving the use of data loggers.  There was a trained external facilitator to demonstrate the use of the data logger.

Class profile

(a)   Demographics

Class 3E4 – Express Stream

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Size
Male
Female
43
27
16

Malay Pupils
Chinese Pupils
Indian Pupils
11
27
4

b)  Academics

(i)     Subject Combination offered

English, Elementary Mathematics, Mother Tongue, Higher Mother Tongue, Sc(Phy/Chem), Hist/SS, Lit/SS, Geog/SS, Art, Design and Technology and Food and Nutrition.

(ii)    Academic ability

Most students pass their English and mathematics.  However the class is more inclined towards the humanities rather then the sciences.

Subject

The data-logger instrument was used to teach reaction kinetics in chemistry and to calculate the value of acceleration due to gravity in physics.

How ICT was used for Teaching and Learning in the lesson

Venue: Chemistry Lab 2
Date:  24th & 25th May 2011
Duration: 1h 45mins

Introduction ~ 15 to 20 mins

The instructor demonstrated the use of the data-logger in a step-by-step fashion.
He taught the students how to switch on the data-logger, where to remove the stylus and how to configure the data-logger for the sensors and to record and save their results.  Power point slides, together with videos were used to instruct the students

Experiment ~ 2 x 35 mins

The students followed the instructions as given in the worksheet to set-up the apparatus and carried out the experiments.  The teachers were walking around to facilitate and to ensure that the students were following procedure.

Students connected the data loggers to the different sensors for each experiment, they had to interpret the data on the data logger and draw the experimental conclusion from it.  They were keen on using the device, it reminded them of an “iPhone”.   

Conclusion ~ 10 mins

Students were to told to clear up their benches

To view the worksheets please click on the following links:

  1. http://pragzicteducation.blogspot.com/2011/08/spa-worksheet-chemistry-using-data.html
  2. http://pragzicteducation.blogspot.com/2011/08/spa-worksheet-physics-using-data-logger.html

(II) General Observation

Teachers feel that the usage of computers during lessons breaks the monotony of the whiteboard/powerpoint slides method of teaching.  Students are naturally excited and develop interest in the topic whilst learning on the computer.  They believe that it promotes self-directed learning in the disciplined student.

SPA Worksheet Physics - using Data Logger - ICT




SPA Worksheet Chemistry - using Data Logger - ICT