MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ESE AND THE MASTERPLANS FOR ICT IN EDUCATION

I was posted to Bedok South Secondary School for my ESE. As a student teacher with English Literature as CS1 and English Language as CS2, I was assigned two mentors – one who teaches upper secondary classes and another, who teaches lower secondary classes. In the classes that I observed, both mentors mainly engage the use of Microsoft Word documents and, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The purpose of using Microsoft Word documents was mainly to document answers that students supply immediately, so that the entire class gets access to these answers and, show the answers that the teacher suggests to class assignments. On the other hand, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are used to impart comprehension skills to the upper secondary students. However, with the lower secondary Literature classes, PowerPoint presentations are used to flash the pictures of a picture book that they are learning, scanned by the teacher, so that students do not have to purchase the book and still be able to benefit from it in class.

However, in lessons conducted after school, such as the Grammar Boot Camp program that was mentioned in blog post 1, ICT such as games and online quizzes are utilized. Instead of using pen-and-paper to teach students at the Boot Camp, computer learning is chosen to engage them. On the contrary to the concerns I raised in blog post 2 regarding students being distracted by the mode of technology being used, this lesson was not affected by those concerns. This is because, this particular lesson was conducted in the computer lab, with each student assigned to his/her individual terminal, peer distraction was kept to a minimum. Furthermore, the school’s computer lab has a monitoring system where the teachers can choose to disable certain functions on the student’s terminal. For example, when the teacher is explaining an important concept, they can lock all the student’s terminals and therefore, prevent students from logging into Facebook and get distracted as a consequence.

Although I did not personally encounter much advanced uses of ICT in the school’s teaching of English Literature and English Language, I understand that they do attempt to use it in certain classes. In one instance, I attended all the meetings on a plan to use ICT to teach expository writing but did not get to observe the lessons conducted because my ESE had come to an end. However, based on the plans discussed, it is clear that the English department is trying its best to harness the strengths of ICT in their lesson planning. This lesson was planned to teach students expository writing based on the topic “Singapore Icons”. According to the plans discussed, the teacher will first use YouTube videos to show students various local icons that may be used to represent Singapore such as, Phua Chu Kang (Singlish), the Merlion, chicken rice (local delicacy) and Singapore Girl. After watching these videos, students are required to study for a vocabulary test that is conducted in the computer lab, where their answers are graded and reviewed immediately. After learning their mistakes, students are required to use their knowledge of new vocabulary words and apply it to an online unguided vocabulary cloze. Finally, a PowerPoint presentation is used to summarize what they have learnt thus far before delving into expository composition skills. By teaching comprehension skills by using ICT such as YouTube videos and computer tests, students are kept interested because, they enjoy the audio-visual and hands on learning that is different from the usual passive auditory style of learning.

Although Bedok South Secondary School is not as advanced as other schools in the vicinity in their use of ICT, it is observable that the teachers are trying hard to keep up with the use of ICT and incorporate it in as many aspects of teaching as they can. While it is clear that they are not embarking on Masterplan 3 as of yet, there are plans in the department to purchase ipads to enhance interactive classroom learning. Therefore, though the school is still executing Masterplan 2, the culture is slowly but surely moving into Masterplan 3.

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.

Enhanced School Experience: Classroom Observations of ICT Use

I was posted to Bedok South Secondary School to teach English Literature and English and, have been assigned to teach and observe secondary 1, 3, 4 and 5 classes under the supervision of two cooperative-teachers.

Both of the cooperative-teachers that I have been assigned to rely heavily on the usage of Microsoft Word documents and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations to aid their teaching in class. And, this goes the same for many other English Language and English Literature teachers. As such, instead of citing a formal in-class lesson as an example, I will base my sharing on an extra after-school lesson that I helped to facilitate.

This lesson – Grammar Boot Camp – was held over a duration of five days. It is a class catered for the students in Secondary One who are hand-picked by their English teachers as being the weakest in their grammar. Although the class consists of a mix of Secondary One students of differing abilities (the class consists of students from Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical streams), their proficiency in grammar was mostly homogeneous. During Grammar Boot Camp, grammar is taught explicitly to students, where this is achieved by returning to the basic application of grammatical terms.

Lessons are conducted in the school’s computer lab, with each student being assigned a computer terminal. In one of the lessons I attended, the use of “adverbs” was made explicit. The ICT tools used in this particular lesson includes the usage of a YouTube video on “adverbs”, a BBC website (Skillswise) that explains how adverbs can be used, a 3-part online test from the same website that tests students progressively on their understanding of the lesson conducted and, an interactive adverb game that requires students to follow the instructions given to help a given character complete their errands.

The lesson began with the screening of a YouTube video on the use of “adverbs”, to engage students in a fun and accessible manner, to give them a basic understanding of how “adverbs” can be used. The teacher then conducted a formal lesson on the usage of these grammatical terms, with the teacher revising when, where and how these terms are used. Instead of the usual means of testing for understanding through the use of pen and paper, teachers engage the use of resources available online to test students. Students are expected to complete three progressive check tests on the topic “adverbs”. As the test questions are varied and no explanations are provided for mistakes, teachers are required to manually explain mistakes to each individual student, thus ensuring that students fully understand the lesson. While this may require the assistance of more teachers, it is especially useful for students from the Normal streams who are found to learn better through interpersonal interaction. Despite the need for manual explanation of mistakes, this method of instruction is useful nonetheless because it allows for immediate learning. This means that the issues and difficulties that students face are managed at each level of testing and, corrected before they move on to the next level. Finally, to allow students to understand the use of grammar and adverbs, an instruction game is played online. For this test, students get to choose a character that they wish to help and, follow the instructions given to help the character complete his/her errand in town. Although this activity is conducted as a game, students are also tested for their understanding at the same time because a score is given at each stage and, mistakes are corrected by the website immediately. This allows for students to realize their mistake and corrected it instantly, allowing them to personally find out how and why the mistake was made.

The usage of YouTube is advantageous because, it is better able to engage students through its use of sound, image and music. As such, such a style of teaching accommodates students who learn better by listening, viewing and reading. I consider this method of teaching to be better than a mere oral delivery of the lesson as this might render the lesson dry. Furthermore, teaching the conventional way (oral instruction) caters mostly to the Express students who are better able to learn by listening. The use of online test and game materials are especially beneficial to students who require more hands-on activities to aid their learning. As such, I find the usage of online quizzes and games especially useful for the students from Normal streams because they tend to be kinesthetic learners who learn better when they have an interactive activity to complete on the spot. Online quizzes and games like those used in the lesson are beneficial as well because it provides instant feedback for students. As such, many students are observed to enjoy this method of teaching, learning and testing better because, the instant feedback that is provided turns the test into a competitive game, where they can immediately compare their scores with their friends and strive to understand their mistakes to do better at the next level. Furthermore, this allows for a small degree of peer-learning because, as students compare answers, it is observable that they will first consult each other on their mistakes, before approaching the teacher for a solution. This method of learning-by-doing, allows students to learn at their own pace while being engaged in a stimulating activity. By integrating ICT tools into a lesson, it makes the lesson accessible to students from across the three streams.

The use of ICT in this class is on the whole beneficial because its lesson objectives of teaching the use of “adverbs” to students of differing learning styles and abilities has been achieved. Through the use of available online resources, the use of varied ICT tools such as YouTube videos, online quizzes and games ensure that lessons are kept fun, stimulating and interactive and, students of various learning styles are taken into consideration and helped.

Although ICT is used as a tool of instruction in English Language and English Literature classrooms in the school, the general consensus among teachers is that the potential of ICT has yet to be fully maxed out. However, it is agreed that the little ICT that is used, is thoroughly beneficial to students because, simple ICT like using Microsoft PowerPoint slides to teach comprehension skills can simplify the entire process of learning for students. Not only does PowerPoint presentations allow for animations that can help teachers reveal the steps of answering comprehension questions one step at a time, it can simultaneously enable students to visualize the individual steps of answering questions. Furthermore, though the technology used as of now is simple, it nonetheless allows for real-time interaction between teachers and students. This mean that even as students answer questions, their teachers can make use of such ICT technology to flash their answers 

on the screens to enable the remaining students to visualize the lesson.

The school is currently looking into possible new ways of engaging students using ICT. One recent suggestion is the implementation of oral through their “ask and learn” portal. This allows for teachers to post oral questions and passages online, for students to access and record their own answers before sending it back to the teacher for grading. However, this task will also involve online self-directed learning where, each student must complete a few tutorials on oral skills before they can proceed to record their answers. In these tutorials, trial oral questions and passages will be provided along with tips such as pronunciation help, suggested vocabulary, words that students should emphasize in their recitation and, when and how to pause correctly.

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