Linking the ICT Masterplans to my ESE

Bartley Secondary School (BSS) has implemented various ICT platforms for both teachers and students. To start off with the basics, every classroom is equipped with a projector as well as audio speakers, so that teachers are able to connect their mobile devices easily, and conduct lessons through these mediums. In my case, I have found it extremely useful since I teach Music, and need to make use of music videos from Youtube and the like.

There are 4 computer labs as well as an iMac lab in the library. While the computer labs are used mainly for subjects such as CPA and EBS, the mainstream subject teachers sometimes use the lab for content learning, although perhaps not so often. Subjects such as Science, Mathematics and even English are no longer restricted to the classroom. As mentioned in an earlier post, Science teachers sometimes use PhET applications to introduce concepts via java applications. Math teachers teach their students sometimes using Heymath as a platform, so as to spice up the lessons. Students studying English get a chance to hone their vocal skills through podcasts in the iMac lab, making varied uses of ICT platforms in the school.

From the observations above, I would conclude that BSS has definitely achieved the baseline ICT standards. Both teacher and student are generally proficient in the use of basic ICT tools. A huge number would make use of Microsoft Powerpoint in order to conduct lessons, so as to create a greater visual impact with the students. Likewise, students sometimes make use of the lab in order to finish assignments on word processing software, or perhaps do research making use of online sources such as Wikipedia or Youtube. Even the ICT infrastructure is getting a major upgrade, as the school is setting up a campus wireless network this August, thus making it more convenient for everyone to be able to connect to the internet.

Students in the iMac lab

Music lesson conducted in PC lab

The appointment of ICT champions in the school proved to be also valuable in spearheading the use of ICT in the various departments. A teacher representative from each department is identified, and tries to push for ICT implementation within the department. He or she monitors the implementation of these lessons amongst their colleagues.

Pair work at the PC lab

Everyone in BSS has a role to play, and the students also play a part by taking up a leadership role known as student ICT ambassadors. These appointments are created mainly to help better serve the teachers in the classroom, and to help troubleshoot any problems encountered during the lesson. They are trained by the TAs in the school, and even go through sessions in areas such as cyberwellness, thus promoting the safe and responsible usage of the computer and internet.

Definitely, there are some manifestations of Masterplan 3 as well within the school. There are E-learning days set aside during the school semester, where students are to access a portal known as MCOnline (Marshall Cavendish Online) and access their lessons from there. Likewise, teachers undergo training sessions on the use of the portal, so that they are able to set up ICT infused lessons for the students to undergo. Currently, the use of this platform is still not prevalent amongst the teachers but I believe that its use would become more common in the future. Other training sessions include courses such as the use of Junglebyte, so as to help facilitate the teachers in conducting ICT infused lessons. This program allows teachers to monitor the students online activity easily, as well as collate and send out assignments via the program. 

With all these platforms available, however, the biggest obstacle BSS faces is to open up the idea of implementing more ICT infused lessons to the teachers. The baseline standards already exist, but it would take a change in mindset amongst some of the teachers in order to fully utilize ICT. There will be those who still believe firmly in the chalk and board method, and there were even debates amongst themselves (in forums) whether or not we have become too dependent on technology to teach. After all, our forefathers did perfectly fine without them. Are we so different that we need to change our methods drastically to suit the needs of the current generation? It is something that is still up for discussion.

In my humble opinion, BSS still has quite a ways to go before it fully harnesses the power of ICT. The HOD-ICT and the ICT champions however, are striving towards empowering the staff with the knowledge and mindset, that ICT can be a very powerful tool in educating our students, and perhaps in the years to come, it may become reality after all.

MOE Masterplans for ICT

Masterplan 1

The introduction of ICT Masterplan 1 into the curriculum seemed like a massive task for MOE. It would not be an easy feat as people generally liked to feel safe in their comfort zones, and some would not be so adaptable to change. I remember how it was like to be a student from 1985 – 1994. PC labs were almost non-existent, and teachers were already comfortable using the chalk and board method to conduct lessons.

However, change is the only thing that is constant. Like it or not, we are living in a world where technology is easily made available to the masses. For Singapore not to embrace such change, she would have fallen behind her peers in terms of progress and development. MOE recognized the need for schools to harness ICT into pedagogy, so as to enhance the learning experience of the students. As educators, we should also realize that we should adapt our methods to fit the current mentality of students. As a parent, I would want my children to be well-versed in the use of ICT, so that they are equipped with the proper skills in order to do well in the future.



Java applet showing motion of electrons

With the wide range of ICT resources now available in most schools due to the basic infrastructure being provided, it has been made easier for teachers to introduce concepts to the students. The use of 3-D technology in showing students the structure of a nucleus for example, would enable students to have a better visual image, rather than a 2-D image from a textbook. The use of java application (another example) would allow students to “see” the flow of electrons in a closed electric circuit.

Teachers would also have an easier time with other aspects of teaching and assessment. For example, a teacher can use portals such as mconline, to conduct an online MCQ, and the system would be able to grade students immediately upon submission of the assignment. Even essays can be marked within seconds according to a ST report, (14 February 2011) although it still had its limitations.

In my humble opinion,  I feel that MOE has taken the right steps towards equipping our students and teachers with the proper skills set, so as to prepare us for a world that is constantly shrinking, due to technological advances. The journey however, has only just begun!

Masterplan 2

In Masterplan 1, MOE had already set a strong foundation for schools to harness ICT, provide the basic infrastructure in schools, as well as equipping teachers with the basic ICT skill sets. Masterplan 2 would see that ICT become part of the pedagogy, and that its use would be strengthened amongst the schools in Singapore.

I remember sometime back in year 2005/6, I was doing some free-lance work with an educational service provider known as Edublitz Pte Ltd. They had provided enrichment courses for the schools in Singapore and I was part of a team that conducted music enrichment courses for the students.

Amongst one of the courses however, there was a course which taught Primary One students on the usage of Microsoft Word. Some of the students were from poorer backgrounds and thus, would not have the opportunity to even touch a computer back home. Back then, schools were then already willing to spend extra money on such courses which I believe was part of Masterplan 2 to integrate competency in the use of basic ICT tools. Fast forward to the present, and I feel that no longer is there need for schools to outsource trainers for such courses. It is a major step in which MOE can now use funds for other purposes, instead of something trivial such as learning how to use Word. This shows that schools are now better equipped with resources to teach students basic ICT skills.

I would like to share also, why I too believe it is important that ICT become more pervasive in our school education system. Many of us have children, who even before they turn one, have fiddled or played with a smart phone. Parents these days are now more savvy about the type of educational tools that are prevalent in the market, and made available on devices such as the iPad or iPhone. I would like to share one video in particular:

My son enjoys the educational apps that are available on the iPad and I believe it has enhanced his learning to some degree. Some might argue that such devices limit a child’s imagination, but that is an argument not for today. The point is, the children of today are very much exposed to different types of technologies and media, unlike days of old where books were the medium of choice. Even today, some children’s books are more technologically advanced than others as they come with codes that can be scanned by devices, which play music or give out different animal sounds.

Our children will thus be brought up in a technologically advanced environment. To not embrace this change, would mean that our children would also lose out to their peers. ICT can increase productivity and learning, and the students of today are more often than not, more interested in ICT infused lessons rather than the normal chalk and board ones. I recall also, one particular assembly where the speaker was giving a talk about food hygiene and cleanliness. During her power point presentation, the students got a little restless but during the video presentation (which essentially made the same points, albeit more visually appealing), the students were more focused.

Masterplan 3

With the implementation of Masterplan 3, MOE's goal is that students would become self-directed learners, as well as develop skills for collaborative learning through the use of ICT tools. So what does this mean for us as an educator and a teacher?

Parent practicing together
with her children

It is often been said that aside from parents, teachers are often looked upon as a role model for the students. If we expect our students to become self-directed learners, we too, must embrace the fact that learning is a life-long process, and strive to acquire new knowledge not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of others as well. A similar pedagogy exists in the Suzuki method of learning an instrument. In this school of thought, if parents are to expect that their young children are to learn an instrument, then they must first show support by taking up the instrument as well. Children learn from example, and hence will be more receptive towards learning a new skill, or adopt a certain behaviour.

We then, as teachers, must enter the system with an open mindset. In order for us to plan meaningful ICT infused lessons for our students, we must first be familiar with the tools used for the lesson first. It is not enough to just throw a website link at our students and then expect them to follow through by themselves. We need to be able to cater to different students of various academic abilities, and guide them through the process accordingly. For this to be true, we need to be intimately familiar with the tools that we are going to be using.

 There is also a need however, in disciplining our students towards the safe use of ICT to enhance learning. Cyber space can be an extremely intriguing limbo, and there are often serious repercussions if a student's use of ICT tools are left unmoderated. I feel that the inclusion of charting the cyber wellness of students are hence, a very important part of Masterplan 3. The role of a teacher as a moderator, becomes apparent in any lesson plan which includes the use of ICT tools. Even in collaborative learning, where students make use of forums to discuss project work, a teacher should be participate actively, so as to act as a guiding hand cum chaperone for the students.

I think that it simply wonderful today, that I can whip out my smart phone, and Google up an answer to any questions or doubts I might have. I think it is fantastic, that in the future, all schools in Singapore will have access to wireless networks, and that all students may even have access to iPads and can look up anything they want, when they want it. As teachers then, we would need to guide our students into using these ICT tools for the right purposes, and to teach them to differentiate what is right and wrong. The web, for all its infinite wealth of information, can also lead students to get the wrong answers as well. Have you ever had a student tell you,

"'Cher.. the textbook cannot be wrong lah..."?

This only tells us that, our knowledge of the subject needs to be strong, and hence again, the need for constant learning and upgrading.

Finally, there is a need to cultivate in our students the habit of learning outside the classroom. As I mentioned earlier, the pervasiveness of ICT tools in our current society, leaves us with a tremendous amount of options when it comes to learning. The existence of Wikipedia, iTunes University and even Youtube, are just but a few platforms in which students can learn from. Even Facebook can be a source of learning when used correctly. I had experience with a group of students who created a Facebook group, and they invited their teachers into the group. Teachers were then able to communicate with the students, as well as even teach occasionally, when students posed questions online. These are good learning habits, that I believe we as teachers, must first set examples.

Overall, it is exciting to see what the future has in store for us. There are infinite possibilities in which ICT tools can enhance learning. My son will be Primary One in 5 years time, and I look forward to see how ICT can continue to enhance his learning. The world is a classroom, and I for one, am looking forward to being part of it.

My Enhanced School Experience in Bartley Secondary School

Specific Observations

I have been a contract teacher at Bartley Secondary School (BSS) since Jan 2011. Hence, I was to return to BSS for my enhanced school experience (ESE). During this period of time, I have had the opportunity to witness a few ICT infused lessons and I chose to blog about the lesson I had observed with 3E1 during their Physics class.

The 3E1 students are generally of higher academic capability, as compared to even the students from 3E2/3. They are part of the small cohort which take pure sciences at "O" level, as compared to the others which take combined sciences instead. That being said, they are however, quite an unresponsive group and oft more than not, need a little pushing and prodding before they respond to questions put forward to them. They are rather well-behaved, perhaps, a little too well-behaved for their own good.

This lesson on kinematics would be an interesting one for 3E1. Before I had observed this class during the ESE period, I had opportunity to also observe an N(A) class during Semester 1, doing the exact same topic. Being a new teacher back then, I was less aware of ICT and the tools that were available to teachers. While the teacher was able to teach the subject content well, the analysis of kinematic graphs proved to be a little too dry for some of the N(A) students.

But I digress. Let us take a look at the application which students had the opportunity to fiddle around with:

Moving Man Applet from PhET

As you can see from the screen capture of the applet, the user is allowed to adjust various parameters of the application. We are able to control the initial position, velocity and acceleration of the man in the applet. There is also a record and playback function, so that the user can easily playback the motion of the man, without having to input all the parameters again. For ease of use, there is even a "reset all" button to set all parameters back to zero.

For the students, I felt it was the visual impact which allowed them to engrain the basic concepts of kinematics in their brain. There is only so much a textbook is able to achieve by means of still pictures, and it would not be feasible to set up instruments to measure all the parameters as mentioned above. Hence, the concept of acceleration for example, becomes clearer to a student when they are able to see the man move faster. The concept of vectors and scalars also are made clearer as students now see, that a negative value would cause the man to move in the opposite direction.

What is even more impressive about the applet however, is its function to plot various kinematic graphs according to the parameters given. Let us take a look at the following image:

Kinematics Graphs Charted by Applet

The above image shows the man at time = 0, at the initial settings of the applet. Students are then encouraged to put in various parameters and observe the charting of the graphs. As an example, let us investigate the relationship between displacement and velocity using the applet. The following results were achieved:

Relationship between Displacement & Velocity

From the applet, the student would be able to see a real time charting of both the displacement and velocity graphs. The teacher would then be able to explain how a constant velocity would result in a straight line the displacement-time graph. Similarly, an object at rest (as denoted by the zero velocity portion of the graph) would result in a horizontal straight line. Other variables could also be investigated, such as how acceleration would affect a velocity-time graph etc.

Upon summing up the lesson, I felt that even I had benefited a great deal from the class, as I had garnered more ideas on how I could introduce concepts to students in a clearer manner. I believed that the students enjoyed it as well, as opposed to the usual chalk and board method. The only concern was that the lesson was drawn out since more time would be needed for the students to learn and experiment with the application. Other than that, it was a well thought out lesson, and something that I would be able to use in the future.

General Observations

The teachers in BSS in general are welcome to the use of ICT tools to teach and conduct lessons. Even myself, during the contract teaching period, had made use of programs like Apple Garageband, to teach students about looping and creating music. The looping software in Garageband allowed students to create and mix music, even without knowledge of music notation or theory. Here is a sample image of the program as follows:

 Apple Garageband

With this program, I was able to introduce to students simple looping techniques, often used by DJs, in order to create dance music. The program was also versatile in the sense that you could add various digital instruments into the track, without a need of the actual instrument itself, allowing the creative juices of the student flow.

I had mentioned earlier about the Moving Man Applet which is from PhET simulations. Originally an acronym for Physics Education Technology, PhET is now a site which provides free online simulations for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. It is an indispensible tool for any science teacher, and I highly recommend the website, if you haven't already discovered it. It is accessible from the url: http://phet.colorado.edu/. A few members of the Science faculty of BSS sometimes would bring students to the computer lab, or make use of the java applications in class.

To further clarify other matters we had doubts on, a group of us doing the ESE in BSS decided to interview Mr Liu Kah Yang, HOD ICT of the school. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

(Please note that these responses were summarized, and represent his personal views of ICT.)

Interview Segment

Mr Liu Kah Yang

Head of Department - ICT

Bartley Secondary School

1. What is ICT? What are the ICT platforms available in Bartley?

ICT in education refers to its effective usage in developing students into thinking, self-directed, collaborative and discerning learners.

ICT platforms in Bartley are in a progressive stage. We are moving towards developing teachers’ competencies in their pedagogical approach in terms of ICT through PLCs (Professional Learning Circles) within respective departments. Teachers meet up on a weekly basis where we will come together to infuse and design a ICT lesson package.

Sharing will also be done within departments and across departments during PLCs and staff contact time so that ideas can be shared at school level for others to innovate for execution within one’s department. Well-designed ICT lessons plans will also be shared at national level through The ICT Connection in Edumall and at various sharing platforms.

2. How does the school select various ICT tools to enhance learning?

There may be five aspects to consider, namely content, order of thinking, level of self-directedness, level of collaboration and developing competencies in a particular software. We may not be able to meet so many targets at one go but often, there should be a mix of tools that meet the learning outcomes. In order to select the right ICT tools, teachers have to put aside some time every week in trying out different tools available free online so that we are able to know the affordances of these tools, i.e. what can be done and not be done with these tools in order to use them effectively in a subject area.

3. What is the adoption rate of ICT-based lessons in the school? How are teachers in the school encouraged to use ICT tools during lessons?

The adoption rate of ICT-based lessons is not prominent at this present moment since this is an area which our teachers have never been familiar with. The ICT journey in Bartley has a long way to go and it is only at the beginning stage where many areas need to be explored. There must be teachers who must be willing to role-model in delivering ICT-based lessons so as to encourage other teachers that this is one effective strategy to deliver content as well as to engage our students in learning.

Other ways of encouragement would be to include good infrastructure and technical support, so that teachers willing to experiment with ICT in their lessons will not end up frustrated should there be technical glitches. Financial resources may also be provided to departments willing to try out new ICT initiatives.

4. What are the challenges of implementing ICT in the school? Going forward, what are the plans for ICT in Bartley?

Implementing ICT will not be an easy process. It has to involve all staff in the school. There must be teachers out there who believe strongly in ICT, just like most teachers who presently believe strongly in conventional classroom teaching and learning. As their focus is more on content, they tend to develop stronger competencies in teaching content in the classroom. Teachers’ belief must first change. They must first realise that education is not simply about learning content. It is about learning how to get access to this content as independent learners and go about in creating new content as self-directed learners with the help of others as collaborative learners.

End Interview

Mr Liu had kindly given us many insights on how and what exactly is ICT. We thank him kindly for his gracious feedback on the issue.

In conclusion, while teachers are generally welcome to the use of ICT tools to teach, there is still a long journey ahead for BSS before ICT is fully adopted as part of its pedagogy. There seems to be still a continuing need to innovate, and come up with exciting new strategies towards planning ICT infused lessons.