BLOG 3 - MAKING CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR ESE AND THE MASTERPLANS FOR ICT IN EDUCATION

From the blog post about my ESE, the usage of java applet on geometry bisectors constructions has provided us positive outcome. About 85% of the students were able to construct angle bisector and perpendicular bisector on their own after practicing by following step by step with the applet. The option of making use of this ICT tool had definitely lightened up the classroom atmosphere. Therefore I think it is safe to say that the students enjoyed themselves during the lesson much more than learning the topic via conventional teaching method.

On top of that, knowing the fact that the construction of bisector consists of a few individual steps, the java applet allowed us to emphasize on certain step which the students were not clear again and again by simply clicking in the computer. In other words, the usage of java applet enabled us to cater to students’ needs efficiently as well as to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcome.

As a whole, educators as well as the learners can benefit very much from the usage of ICT tools by conducting lessons effectively and efficiently.

BLOG 2 - MASTERPLANS FOR ICT IN EDUCATION

In my opinion, it is crucial for MOE Singapore to implement the three masterplans for ICT in education as it further enhances the process of guiding our students to be a better person in the future. I believe the existence of the three masterplans prepares students as well as educators with the abilities to be able to blend into modern societies in which efficiency as well as self-independence are important. We as a teacher have been trying hard to make our students aware of the importance of being self-directed in their learning journeys. Through the implementation of ICT masterplans, we are able to heighten their technology literacy. They can then be more resourceful when they find themselves to have the urge of discovering knowledge. In addition, ICT usage allows the educators to be more creative when it comes to lesson planning. In modern societies we hope to do things efficiently. Different approaches may be used on a certain academic topic to cater for different students with various characteristics in order to achieve best outcomes. In the long run, students are expected to go deeper in their field of interest. Therefore early exposure to an environment that would spark their interest of learning is critical. Lastly, with the help of technology, we have easy access to knowledge pool which is the internet anytime, anywhere. Therefore we can be confident to say that ICT encourages our students to learn anywhere.

During my time as a student ICT usage was not popular. As a result, we spent a lot of time doing hand-written notes during lessons. It was time consuming. The lessons were a little bit dull as well. Once in a while we got the chance to watch some educational videos however the exposure was minimal due to time constraint. Nevertheless when I was doing my contract teaching in the past few months, I noticed the difference in the classroom atmosphere. With the help of PowerPoint slides, lessons are conducted in a more relaxed and yet informative way. Teachers have got more chances to interact with the kids. The students now are able to spend time understanding the content instead of copying notes throughout the entire lesson. In addition, as what I observed from my paired teaching class, useful video clips that are available online come in handy when complicated scientific concepts can be made easier to understand and visualize.

As mentioned, as a beginning teacher, concepts can be more clearly delivered to students with the help of audio & visual materials as they tend to pick up things better if they can visualize it. By using ICT, we can have more options on how we want the lessons to be. I believe the learning culture is different in every school. By modifying the way we conduct lesson, the needs of the students can be well addressed. After gaining understanding in MP3, I am now aware that it is important to trigger the desire to learn among our students as it is this desire that will drive them to go deeper and further.

Blog 1 - MY ENHANCED SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (ESE)

Enhanced School Experience: Classroom Observations of ICT Use

(I) Specific Observations

School Name: Nan Hua High School

Class: 103

Profile of the class: (For e.g., the students’ academic abilities, stream and other characteristics) The male to female ratio of this class is 25:11. Students from this class are all taking Higher Chinese Language. It is about half of them are foreigners (i.e. Malaysians and PRCs). They achieved a 95% passing percentage in their first mathematics common test which took place in term 2.

Subject: Mathematics

What ICT tools are used in the lesson? During one particular lesson on Angles and Parallel Lines, the teacher was supposed to show the steps of constructing angles bisectors to the students. Throughout the entire lesson on this topic, ICT tools such as projector, visualizer, and java applet are used to ensure the students picking up the skills correctly as according to experienced teachers, students always have difficulty in drawing the angle bisector and hence different approaches are used to illustrate the steps clearer to the students.

Describe how ICT is used for teaching and learning in the lesson. Projector is used to emphasize the points which the teacher wanted the student to take note. This is a more efficient way compared to writing the notes on the board by hand. After giving them a brief idea of how useful perpendicular and angle bisectors are and the properties of them, the lesson continued on construction of bisectors. Conventional teaching aid tools (i.e. whiteboard compasses, meter ruler, etc) may be useful in this part of lesson however due to the lack of accuracy, the teacher decided to use visualizer to show the constructions by drawing on a piece of paper step-by-step under the visualizer. This provides a clearer and more accurate diagram as the pivot of geometry compass is sharp as compared to the suction cup of whiteboard compass and therefore able to show the students at which point they should place the pivot exactly. After spending a few minutes for the students to practice on their own, java applets found on web were used to illustrate the key concepts of bisectors construction in a more interactive way. The java applets have a undo-redo function which allowed us to show the same step repeatedly in order to make sure that the students were on the right tract at each step. At the end of the lesson, the website in which they can find the java applet was given to them so that they are able to refer to it whenever necessary. Judging from the homework exercises they handed in, we observed that all the students were able to construct the perpendicular and angle bisectors on their own.

(II) General Observation:

How do teachers in the school feel about the use of ICT for teaching and learning? (For this question, you may want to speak to the HOD/ICT and other teachers you know in the school.)

By using ICT for teaching, the teachers now have more spare time in classroom as compared to conventional way of conducting lessons. Teachers are now possible to cater to students’ different needs by walking around in the classroom to check students’ progress and if they are facing any difficulties since clicking on the computer can be done remotely. The teachers may then emphasize on the topics that need further clarification. Different approaches to the same topic may now be possible due to the creativity and great potential of ICT. Students now don’t have to go through lengthy lectures by copying notes continuously therefore it is easier for them to maintain their interests as well as attentions throughout the lessons. Lessons can be made more interesting than the old days as usage of ICT promotes interactivity between the teacher and the students. Besides, they are able to pick up necessary skills faster and easier through the use of ICT as it provides clearer illustrations. Furthermore, with the increasingly popularized internet access from home, lesson materials such as lesson notes, extra exercises, lecture video clip can be put onto the internet which allow the student to access anytime anywhere. As a whole, usage of ICT promotes efficiency in conducting lesson and learning process. It also encourages the students to be more interested in the subjects and hence they are urged to explore deeper into the topics by their own learning desire.