ESE II

In your opinion, why do you think it is important for MOE to develop the three Masterplans for ICT in education?

Using ICT in educating the future generations of Singapore is vital in modern society. This is because, the world is changing and technology is rapidly expanding. If MOE is to neglect the use of Info-communication technology in the classrooms, the students will be short changed. This is not to say that in the absence of ICT, lessons cannot be conducted well and properly. Instead, this means that if MOE does not harness the strengths of ICT, students will not be ahead of times compared to their fellow counterparts in other places around the world who learn with the help of ICT. In turn, this will make students from Singapore less marketable and adaptable. Furthermore, ICT offers so many possibilities and opportunities. As the student profile evolves, it becomes increasingly important to harness the use of ICT to keep lessons interesting. Apart from increasing the speed at which knowledge can be imparted, the use of ICT itself keeps students more focused and interested than the mere use of pen and paper. For example, instead of using the whiteboard to teach algebra, teachers today can consider harnessing the power of electronic tablets such as the ipad. This is because, Apple offers numerous applications that teaches algebra interactively. In the game “Hot Potato”, it allows for students who have learnt the basic concepts of algebra to compete in a game where they have to quickly solve algebraic equations. Not only does this make learning fun, it also allows for peer learning and healthy competition.

Has any of the Masterplans impacted you as a student? Share your experience of how ICT had been used in the classes you attended as a student (if applicable).

As a primary school child in the year of 1997, it was an exciting time as Masterplan 1 was implemented because computer labs were built in my school. Because of this initiative, I had the chance to learn speed typing – a skill that I value and am thankful for up till now. Also, having the resource of computer labs meant that lessons could be held there. I clearly recall math lessons being held in the computer labs, where we learnt angles and shapes from computer software. Back then, when most of us had little access to technology, this was not only an innovative way of learning, it made learning enjoyable and interactive. Apart from this, in the year 1999, I enjoyed English Language lessons held in the computer labs as we were introduced to the program dream weaver. It is a program that helped students write stories and animate it. I recall enjoying the program so much that I even got my parents to purchase the same program for me to utilise at home. As a student, Masterplan 1 got me interested in learning and creating using software.

As a secondary school student, my school shifted away from the use of software and designed programs to teach lessons. Although we returned mostly to the pen-and-paper style of learning, workshops were conducted after school hours to teach us to create websites and design web-pages. From then, the use of blogs became more widespread and students began to use such online portals to air their views and opinions. While this may seem trivial, this was a brilliant initiative because it got students to begin to pen down their thoughts in an online journal, when students will usually groan at having to write it on paper, they could then do it online. 

In JC, the use of simple ICT such as PowerPoint slides sped up the progress of lessons. Rather than small tutorial group lessons, ICT allowed for mass lectures because teachers could then rely on a large screen to flash pointers, rather than rely on whiteboards and marker-pens.  Most definitely this moved lessons along at a faster speed and as a student, I was given access to more in-depth knowledge as compared to what I would have learnt if the teacher could only slowly pen down information on the board. As the pace of lessons sped up, the scope of our knowledge also increased dramatically as we are fed more information at an increased speed. As such, as a student who has experienced the implementation of the Masterplans, I am thankful of the opportunity and knowledge I have gained from the use of ICT.

Based on your enhanced school experience, how do you think the current Masterplan 3 may affect your role(s) as a beginning teacher?

Most definitely, the implementation of Masterplan 3 will allow for far more innovation in the way I conduct my lessons. This will change the way lessons are conducted entirely because, by shifting the communication style in the classrooms by allowing students to participate in the lesson as much as the teacher, consequently, it shifts the focus of the class from the teacher to the students. This means that instead of learning being teacher-centred, it can now become student-centred.

I find this difficult because, it is a total change from the way I was taught as a student. As such, it means that I have no role-models to learn from in a way, because the shift in focus of classroom learning is so new.

Nonetheless, despite the difficulties and challenges, I am excited for the changes taking place with Masterplan 3. This is because, I am highly supportive of student-centred learning because it allows for the students to discover more information on their own, that is, expand their learning on their own. I believe that such learning methods encourages independence, where they are put in-charge of how much knowledge they receive, in addition to what the teacher provides. By this, I mean that when students are introduced to using ICT themselves, it engages them in their learning and empowers them to use the same methods to enhance their knowledge on their own. Not only will this prepare students for tertiary education, I also find this a great opportunity to prepare them for work life.

However, the use of ICT in classrooms has it setbacks. This is because, students may take advantage of the use of ICT in the classrooms. For example, the school I attended in my ESE were considering the use of iPhones in class as a medium of instruction. This means to say that students can post their answers and solutions on Facebook in the classrooms or, text their questions and answers to a main phone. Unfortunately, this also means that students are tempted to use their phones for their personal agenda, such as texting their friends, rather than participate in the activity entirely. To a certain extent, such use of ICT allows for diversions in the classrooms that heightens the number of students who are distracted by external sources in the classrooms.