Blog 3: Masterplan 3 Connection

Blog Post 3:

Has any of the Masterplan impacted you as a student/teacher (if any)?

As a teacher, I strongly feel that the 3 Masterplans are very effective for me and also for teaching my students. As a home economics teacher I feel that by integrating ICT into the teaching of my subject the students became independent learners and were able to learn new skills and problem solve. I now have the ability to take this forward and integrate ICT to teaching of the subject. There are so many ICT tools out there that I am very keen to learn and impart those skills to my students. I constantly feel the need to update myself with the world of technology to keep myself abreast with the times. I can also share these practices with other teachers as well.

How do you think the current Masterplan 3 may affect your role(s) as a beginning teacher?

First of all we need to understand the goals of Masterplan 3. Masterplan 3 focuses on both the students and teachers as learners.  As a beginning teacher this will be a stepping stone for me to integrate ICT in my teaching practice as not only would be interesting for me to teach out of the book, but also create a nurturing environment for my students to have a better grasp of the subject. As a beginning teacher I would like to adopt this pedagogy and if possible have an opportunity to work alongside colleagues whom I can collaborate and learn from them as well. Masterplan 3 builds on a foundation of challenging students to be creative deepen their learning as a beginning teacher I think by adopting this approach my students will be able to perform better by understanding first and then doing. I would like my students to be self-directed learners whereby as a beginning teacher I am there to guide them but would want them to take their own initiative and be independent learners. In turn they can monitor their own progress along the way. As a beginning teacher, I can ensure that my students can communicate effectively. They can have easy access to information and can make learning fun and engaging. Lastly as beginning teachers there are so many ICT tools I can explore and share with my students which will help them for the future.

Developing of 3 Masterplans for ICT in education

Blog 2 Post: Why do you think it is important for MOE to develop the 3 Masterplans for ICT in education?

I think it is vital for MOE to develop the 3 Masterplans as I believe that this has transformed the learning environment for students. MOE has invested in this area as it wants the students to be well equipped for the future and not only the students but equipping teachers with ICT skills so they can impart these new skills to the students. By harnessing these skills, students can relate to their subject better as they go beyond the classroom environment. MOE believes that each student has the potential to learn and wants to equip students with these skills for the 21^st century challenge.

Why the 3 Masterplans? This is because it is a step by step approach by properly integrating ICT in the curriculum structure in schools. Starting first with the setting up of infrastructure in school, followed by building in on that foundation and lastly strengthening and enriching ICT into the curriculum.

The initiative is to enhance linkage between schools and the outside world so that students have a broad perspective and to encourage creative thinking and apply these skills for the future. By developing these 3 Masterplans a very clear message is sent out to all schools that ICT is not just word-processing and PowerPoint, but ICT is about communicating effectively and using the resources productively. The 3 Masterplans developed by MOE are important as they develop infrastructure for effective learning to take place beyond the classroom thereby widening the horizons of student’s minds so that they have a better understanding of the subject.

Blog 1: How ICT tools are used in our School

Blog 1 Post: Reflection on how ICT was used by the teachers in your school.

School Name: Kent Ridge Secondary School

Profile of Class: Sec 2 Level (All Streams – Express/ Normal Academic/ Normal Technical).

Subject: Home Economics

ICT Tools used: Microsoft Word/ Power Point, Claymation Studio and Logitech Camera

Kent Ridge Secondary School is using ICT to create a new learning environment for students and equip them with the required skills that they will need for the future. Using these 21^st century skills, I was able to use ICT tools effectively in the subject of Home Economics. I created PowerPoint presentations to teach students the various topics in Home Economics and also showed relevant You Tube videos for visual understanding of topics taught. This gave students a better insight into the subject and objectives were covered clearly. Students were able to understand and appreciate the subject better. Our school implemented ICT tools whereby Sec 2 students were engaged in the study of home economics through new media where they produced a 2-D animated story that promotes healthy living. It also served as a platform for students to express their ideas creatively through script writing, storyboarding and cut-out animation. Students not only learned ICT skills i.e. how to use the new software but also team bonding and learnt how to communicate with other team members within their class. Post Course evaluation showed 74% of the students enjoyed the lessons and 75% felt that they have gained new skills and knowledge. Cut out shapes from each scene were moved in small steps and using a Logitech digital camera at each step a picture was taken. The pictures were then launched on Claymation Studio software. Students also used relevant mp3 music to create background music. Windows movie maker was a software that was used simultaneously. Use of animation as an ICT tool served as an interesting platform that allowed students to engage in co-operative learning and also to be self-directed and independent learners in exploring their creativity and pick up ICT skills. These ICT skills were taught to our students who were guided by external vendors. I feel that equipping Normal Technical students with ICT tools keeps them active to explore more as it goes beyond the classroom environment and keeps them proactive as well.

The Upper secondary students use ICT skills in creating their Food and Nutrition coursework. ICT tools such Microsoft office is used to create their individual coursework. This enables students to be self–directed by using relevant references from the internet such as google search engine, Wikipedia and yahoo to name a few for their research.

In other subjects, the PE department will sometimes showcase their work with the use of digital media for an interactive session. With visual effect students were better able to understand the topic and participated effectively while lessons were ongoing.

During the teaching of Social Studies, various relevant you tube videos were showcased to the student and they were then asked to do a reflection. By showing them video clips which were visual gave them a better insight into the topic rather than simply reading from the book. Some students use ICT tools such as e-mail and Facebook for social networking with other students and teachers respectively.

For Science project work, in order for students to present their data, the Sec 1 Express makes use of machines called dataloggers to take scientific measurements of environmental parameters like temperature, pH of water, electrical conductivity e.t.c. Of course when they are presenting their information, students need to use powerpoint presentation which the teachers have already taught them to do before giving them the project work scenario. They will also have to do background literature research on the Internet. Once again students are taught in a very structured manner how to determine if website content is reliable and to do proper search engine searches. The Sec 2 NA have to process data they get from surveys and convert them into charts and graphs to present the information. 

Some teachers use mconline.sg to create some holiday homework and assignments for students which the students have found this user friendly and they carry out the tasks effectively and understand better. To summarise, although ICT tools have been implemented in my school, it is putting its best foot forward to create a new learning environment for all students in order to equip them with skills for the 21^st century.