Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Blog 3
Clearly, the goals of Mastplan 1 & 2 have been achieved. Students and teachers are able to conduct lessons infused with ICT tools effectively, in a school environment where ICT is easily available. Excuses such as "I don't have a computer" are no longer heard. Laptops,projectors/speakers, webcam, and various Vernier technological hardware and software are used in PE lessons. ICT was used to aid physical education by making physical activity more interesting. The lesson was aimed at reducing the frequency of sedentary behaviours by allowing the student and teachers to assess students’ physical fitness and monitor their progress towards personal goals, help them refine motor skills, comprehend new concepts and increase enjoyment of physical activities. This also goes in line with the goals and aims of Masterplan 3.
Blog 2
The emergence of ICT in the world as an unstoppable force has lead to the MOE creating the ICT Masterplans to help our country deal with the issue both in the present and for the future.
The Masterplans are geared towards equipping all citizens of Singapore with the skill and knowledge to utilist ICT tools, which is essential in maintaining our workforce competitiveness, as then our workforce will be more efficient and productive.
Although it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, such ICT skills should be taught in schools as soon as possible to naturalise the students with ICT. Through this, the students are able to feel extremely comfortable and explore ICT tools, allowing them to be creative and find better ways to utilise ICT, rather than just learning how to use it.
Many years ago, while I was a student, the impact of ICT hit me somewhere in secondary schools. I remembered computer lab lessons that nobody seems to cared about, because we didn't think it was important and the teachers failed to emphasis that enough. Or rather, maybe they did but being rebellious teenagers, we ignored them, or couldn't grasp the concept of anything serious. Anyhow, computer lab lessons were of us sneaking a game here and there. Looking back, I am unable to recall the exact time, or how I learned to use a computer. Perhaps, introducting ICT to people when they are of adoloscence age is good as they will automatically learn from their surroundings. Just look around at how many 3-5 year old toddlers are already using Ipads!
Unlike people like me, students have been naturalised already. THey were born into ICT. Thus, ICT Masterplan 3 is geared towards connecting students and learning, through the ICT medium. The Masterplan aims to change the classroom setting to something the students have been brought up in - a ICT-filled environment. How does this affect me as a beginning teacher?
Firstly, I am different from the students of today. ICT was a small part of my own education. Powerpoint was a 1 hour workshop that even the teachers were not sure of themselves. Now, the use of ICT is widespread and has developed tremendously, providing many different softwares to illustrate different ideas and concepts. For example, animated drawings are better able to explain the meandering river than any chalk-blackboard drawing will ever be able to. A clip from "Dante's Peak" will also be able to capture interest of the students. They may be interested to go online and learn about geography themselves.
Secondly, as a PE teacher, it is important for me to understand that the lifestyles of students are more sedentary than before. It is important to ensure Physcial Education is not alien to the students, by using ICT tools to capture their interest (see Blog 1).
Thirdly, in a ICT-filled environment, where ICT improves productivity, and can be products themselves, it is important to expose students to more ICT tools. This will arm them with a wider arsenal of skills and knowledge, which they can use to create new products, and exercise greater level of creativity, initiative and efficiency in their work. It will also give them a more holistic education, to prepare them for the ICT-filled economy in the future. As a beginning teacher, it is important to understand this and incorporate this into lessons.
The Masterplans are geared towards equipping all citizens of Singapore with the skill and knowledge to utilist ICT tools, which is essential in maintaining our workforce competitiveness, as then our workforce will be more efficient and productive.
Although it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, such ICT skills should be taught in schools as soon as possible to naturalise the students with ICT. Through this, the students are able to feel extremely comfortable and explore ICT tools, allowing them to be creative and find better ways to utilise ICT, rather than just learning how to use it.
Many years ago, while I was a student, the impact of ICT hit me somewhere in secondary schools. I remembered computer lab lessons that nobody seems to cared about, because we didn't think it was important and the teachers failed to emphasis that enough. Or rather, maybe they did but being rebellious teenagers, we ignored them, or couldn't grasp the concept of anything serious. Anyhow, computer lab lessons were of us sneaking a game here and there. Looking back, I am unable to recall the exact time, or how I learned to use a computer. Perhaps, introducting ICT to people when they are of adoloscence age is good as they will automatically learn from their surroundings. Just look around at how many 3-5 year old toddlers are already using Ipads!
Unlike people like me, students have been naturalised already. THey were born into ICT. Thus, ICT Masterplan 3 is geared towards connecting students and learning, through the ICT medium. The Masterplan aims to change the classroom setting to something the students have been brought up in - a ICT-filled environment. How does this affect me as a beginning teacher?
Firstly, I am different from the students of today. ICT was a small part of my own education. Powerpoint was a 1 hour workshop that even the teachers were not sure of themselves. Now, the use of ICT is widespread and has developed tremendously, providing many different softwares to illustrate different ideas and concepts. For example, animated drawings are better able to explain the meandering river than any chalk-blackboard drawing will ever be able to. A clip from "Dante's Peak" will also be able to capture interest of the students. They may be interested to go online and learn about geography themselves.
Secondly, as a PE teacher, it is important for me to understand that the lifestyles of students are more sedentary than before. It is important to ensure Physcial Education is not alien to the students, by using ICT tools to capture their interest (see Blog 1).
Thirdly, in a ICT-filled environment, where ICT improves productivity, and can be products themselves, it is important to expose students to more ICT tools. This will arm them with a wider arsenal of skills and knowledge, which they can use to create new products, and exercise greater level of creativity, initiative and efficiency in their work. It will also give them a more holistic education, to prepare them for the ICT-filled economy in the future. As a beginning teacher, it is important to understand this and incorporate this into lessons.
Blog 1
School Name: Ngee Ann Secondary School
Class: Secondary 3 cohort
Subject: Physical Education
Profile of the class: Well-behaved express class with good mix of males and females student, and also good mix of sporty and non-sporty students.
What ICT tools are used in the lesson?
Laptops,projectors/speakers, webcam, and various Vernier technological hardware and software were used to conduct the lessons.
Describe how ICT was used for teaching and learning?
ICT was used to aid physical education by making physical activity more interesting. The lesson was aimed at reducing the frequency of sedentary behaviours by allowing the student and teachers to assess students’ physical fitness and monitor their progress towards personal goals, help them refine motor skills, comprehend new concepts and increase enjoyment of physical activities. To help this, ICT was integrated into the Physical Education lessons to aid both the teacher in teaching and the student in learning.
One method used during the lesson was by introducing the lesson with a relevant short video or movie clip. For example, a short clip from the movie “Ip Man 2” was shown before a martial arts module. The clip depicted character and values such as resilience and integrity, which was in line with the aim and objectives of the lesson. By using a medium and object familiar with the students, the teacher was better able to bring across his lesson. Thus, ICT has equipped the teacher with another weapon in his arsenal of teaching tools. By using audio-visual technology, the lesson also provided the option of visual learning for the students, thus providing them with greater learning abilities.
In a lesson that focused on learning and creating school cheers to infuse team and school spirit, a video clip on the New Zealand Rugby “All Blacks” traditional Hakka dance was shown to pip interest and motivate the students. Through this video, students were able to visualize better the levels that can be attained and aim towards that. The teacher, through the video clip, also had an additional tool to motivate the students. The above two examples, by using ICT, provided both teachers and students a new and added dimension of motivation. Such methods of ICT also allow students to better understand the human body and importance of keeping it healthy.
In addition to the above, ICT was also used as a measure of physical activity. One example was the use of computerized recording and timing in the ‘Beep test’ to assess student’s physical fitness. This was preceded by a lesson on Heart-rate monitoring, as well as healthy heart-rates during exercise. After the ‘Beep test’, students were provided Vernier Heart-Rate monitor technologies to calculate their heart-rates, allowing them to effectively measure their level of exercise. Vernier technologies such as accelerometer and pro logger software were also used to calculate effective velocity of activities such as sprints and jumps in the x, y and z axis. Such ICT tools allowed the students to better understand the human physiology, as well as sports science.
Therefore, for the subject of Physical Education, ICT provided a new dimension for both teachers and students. It allowed the teachers new means of piping interest, motivating students, explaining concepts and also gives the lesson a new and effective way of learning for the students.
Class: Secondary 3 cohort
Subject: Physical Education
Profile of the class: Well-behaved express class with good mix of males and females student, and also good mix of sporty and non-sporty students.
What ICT tools are used in the lesson?
Laptops,projectors/speakers, webcam, and various Vernier technological hardware and software were used to conduct the lessons.
Describe how ICT was used for teaching and learning?
ICT was used to aid physical education by making physical activity more interesting. The lesson was aimed at reducing the frequency of sedentary behaviours by allowing the student and teachers to assess students’ physical fitness and monitor their progress towards personal goals, help them refine motor skills, comprehend new concepts and increase enjoyment of physical activities. To help this, ICT was integrated into the Physical Education lessons to aid both the teacher in teaching and the student in learning.
One method used during the lesson was by introducing the lesson with a relevant short video or movie clip. For example, a short clip from the movie “Ip Man 2” was shown before a martial arts module. The clip depicted character and values such as resilience and integrity, which was in line with the aim and objectives of the lesson. By using a medium and object familiar with the students, the teacher was better able to bring across his lesson. Thus, ICT has equipped the teacher with another weapon in his arsenal of teaching tools. By using audio-visual technology, the lesson also provided the option of visual learning for the students, thus providing them with greater learning abilities.
In a lesson that focused on learning and creating school cheers to infuse team and school spirit, a video clip on the New Zealand Rugby “All Blacks” traditional Hakka dance was shown to pip interest and motivate the students. Through this video, students were able to visualize better the levels that can be attained and aim towards that. The teacher, through the video clip, also had an additional tool to motivate the students. The above two examples, by using ICT, provided both teachers and students a new and added dimension of motivation. Such methods of ICT also allow students to better understand the human body and importance of keeping it healthy.
In addition to the above, ICT was also used as a measure of physical activity. One example was the use of computerized recording and timing in the ‘Beep test’ to assess student’s physical fitness. This was preceded by a lesson on Heart-rate monitoring, as well as healthy heart-rates during exercise. After the ‘Beep test’, students were provided Vernier Heart-Rate monitor technologies to calculate their heart-rates, allowing them to effectively measure their level of exercise. Vernier technologies such as accelerometer and pro logger software were also used to calculate effective velocity of activities such as sprints and jumps in the x, y and z axis. Such ICT tools allowed the students to better understand the human physiology, as well as sports science.
Therefore, for the subject of Physical Education, ICT provided a new dimension for both teachers and students. It allowed the teachers new means of piping interest, motivating students, explaining concepts and also gives the lesson a new and effective way of learning for the students.
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