Learning Sciences and Technology Academic Group
National Institute of Education, Singapore
Assignment cover sheet
Course code and title: DED 107 TUT GP12: ICT for Meaningful Learning
Assignment title: Pre-Session 1 Blog Activity
Student’s (official) name: Ho Ruo Lin Doreen
Student’s matriculation number: (Reg no) D1100086A
Tutorial group number and/or day/time: TUT GP 02
Tutor’s name: DR QYWANG
Declaration
I/We have read and understood the LST/NIE guidelines on academic dishonesty, and declare that this assignment is my/our own work and does not involve any form of academic dishonesty. The sources of other people’s work have been appropriately referenced. I/We have not submitted any part of this assignment for another module (unless this assignment specifically requires it).
Student’s signature(s): HoRuoLinDoreen Date: 7 August 2011
The assignment will not be marked unless all the above sections have been completed, with a signature.
Your lecturer is entitled to require you also to submit a soft copy of the assignment.
Name: Ho Ruo Lin DoreenCourse: Dip Ed
Subject: DED 107 Tut Gp12: ICT for meaningful learning
Date: 7 August 2011
1. What are the main goals of each Masterplan for ICT in education and why do you think it is important for MOE to develop them?
There are a total of 3 Master plans for ICT in education and a set of goals planned accordingly.
The first Master plan for ICT in education dated from 1997 -2002 has these 4 goals below:
1) Increase and improve on the connections between the school and the world around it.
2) Create creative and original ideas and execute them in our Education
3) Promote innovation, lifelong learning and social responsibility in learners.
4) Promote administrative and management excellence in the education system.[1]
Why is it important for MOE to develop the goals of MP1?
Information Technologies have created many opportunities for effective communications and shortening distances of people living in different parts of the world. With such, educators can fully utilise the power of ICT in education to bring the world into the classroom so that students are gaining knowledges beyond textbooks.
With effective communications, students are encouraged to exchange views that are beneficial during project work and project execution. It is crucial for students to express their opinions that can be innovative and original that is worth developing. It is important for us to create original and creative ideas that are executed in education. Similarly, promoting innovation, lifelong learning and social responsibility in learners are equality important as MOE seek new inspirations from our young local talents and support local innovations that encourages breeding of our very own local talents.
It is also necessary for MOE to attain the goal of promoting administrative and management excellence in the education system. School managements benefitted from the convenience of ICT when managing of school and administrative matters are concerned. Most schools created their private Teachers sharing folder where teachers are able to share teaching resources and disseminate important notices to their fellow colleagues, enhancing effective communication, minimising time spent and promoting effective work in teachers. The school cockpit is a system that allowed teachers to constantly update on student’s holistic assessments and insert comments and appraisals for their e- portfolios. In this way, the school is able to keep track on each and every student’s performance on an annual basis.
As a whole, Master plan 1 is important is laying the basic foundation of Singapore’s aim to move towards IT. The Government has to educate its people and equip them with basic skills so that they are capable of using IT as tools to aid them in both aspects of learning and working. Education is important so that new users of IT realise the advantages brought to them by ICT before it gains acceptance. Thus, it is important for MOE to develop the set of goals that targeted to harnessing ICT in Education.
The second Master plan for ICT in education dated from 2003-2008 has these 6 goals below:
1) Students use ICT effectively for active learning.
2) Connections between curriculum, instruction and assessment are enhanced using ICT.
3) Teachers use ICT effectively for professional and personal growth.
4) Schools have the capacity and capability in using ICT for school improvement
5) There is active research in ICT in education.
6) There is an infrastructure that supports widespread and effective use of ICT.[2]
By 2003-2008, most schools should have provided students with Microsoft Office workshops and Internet workshops whereby students are equipped with computing skills like Microsoft Words, PowerPoint and Excel sheets and Emailing that support their learning. In 2003, MOE strived towards achieving the “Teach Less Learn More” strategic plan whereby the focus was shifted from “quantity” to “quality “education.[3] Presentations of innovative ideas, active class participations and interactions among teachers and students were the core of the plan. ICT in education stimulated students to prepare presentation slides and make use of IT for researches as well as class sharing.
Similarly, Connections between curriculum, instruction and assessment are enhanced using ICT. This is an important goal as teachers have to be trained on how to give instructions when manipulating computers. Technical problems may surface and hinder classroom lessons if teachers are not fully equipped with skills to solve the problem. In addition, Teachers can better conduct sharing of best practices and deliver presentations with ICT. It is important for schools to have the capacity and capability in using ICT for school improvement and I do agree that the launching of awards can encourage teachers to make use of ICT in education. However, it would be better if MOE could constantly disseminate a group of IT Savy instructors to schools to conduct workshops for teachers in ICT.
Active research in ICT in education helps us to advance with the fast changing technologies. Research can steer clear of our direction when executing ICT in education, helping us to rationalise the problems faced when using ICT in education and also discover the wonders of ICT in education so that we do not be slaves of IT.
Lastly, providing an infrastructure that supports widespread and effective use of ICT is to allow teachers and students to put their IT skills into good use. Learning requires practice and by providing an updated infrastructure that supports widespread and effective use of ICT, these ICT skills will be polished and refined through hands on practices.
The third Master plan for ICT in education dated from 2009-2014 has these 4 main goals below:
1) Students acquire skills and are competent in self-directed and collaborative learning through the effective use of ICT as well as become brilliant and responsible ICT users.
2) School leaders provide the direction and create the conditions to harness- ICT for learning and teaching.
3) Teachers have the capacity to plan and deliver ICT- enriched learning experiences for students to become self- directed and collaborative learners, as well as nurture students to become brilliant and responsible ICT users.
4) ICT infrastructure supports learning anytime, anywhere.[4]
Softwares like Intranet, Edublogs, Lead portals and Blogger provide discussion platforms for students to share opinions and knowledges of what they have learnt among their peers. Educators can fully utilise such softwares to encourage students to do reflective thinking and pen down reflections of their learning points after each lessons. In addition, the internet supports self-directed learning and social responsibility in students as they are taught how to do researches online and abstract relevant information to apply in problem solving and case studies. These encourage students to take ownership in learning and also monitor their learning in their own pace. Teachers have to keep constant updates with new software so that they can deliver lessons and manage online blogs.
It is important for teachers to nurture students to become brilliant and responsible ICT users when there is vast supply of information online. Teachers may recommend students on available educational websites and parents should also monitor the websites that they frequent. Teachers have the responsibility to educate students on copyrights issues especially when they abstract information online for their assignments.
Learning can take place anywhere anytime as long as there is support from ICT infrastructure. It is important for schools to be IT friendly so that we can access to more information in a shorter time and also stay connected with one another to produce efficient work and learn effectively.
[1] Education, M. O. (n.d.). The ICT Connection. Retrieved August 2, 2011, from Master Plan 1: http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ictconnection/pagetree&func=view&rid=715
[2] Education, M. O. (n.d.). The ICT Connection. Retrieved 02 August, 2011, from Master plan 2: http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ictconnection/pagetree&func=view&rid=721
[3] Education, M. O. (20 May, 2009). Ministry Of Educatiion Singapore Bluesky. Retrieved 03 August, 2011, from Teach less, Learn more: http://www3.moe.edu.sg/bluesky/tllm.htm
[4] Education, M. O. (n.d.). The ICT Connection. Retrieved 3 August, 2011, from Masterplan 3: http://ictconnection.edumall.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ictconnection/pagetree&func=view&rid=665
2. Has any of the Masterplans impacted you as a student? Share your experience on how ICT had been used in the classes you attended as a student (if applicable).
Masterplan 1 has impacted me greatly as a student. I could remember vividly as a student of Huamin Primary School, I had to attend Microsoft Office workshops, Multimedia Dreamweaver and Flash workshops to master basic web programming and computing skills when I was in Primary 5.
As I was a member of the computer club, our team participated in a N2 Cluster Digital media competition where we had to create a website and film videos of wildlife habitat conservation at Pulau Ubin. Our teacher in-charge, Mr Chew Mun Wai taught us basic video editing skills and that was when I first set my eyes on a new Apple IMAC in the computer lab.
Meanwhile, we had group projects whereby students have to create powerpoint slides and deliver presentations on certain science topics in class. My Science teacher, Ms Goh Seok Luan, made use of Microsoft Powerpoint to do charts and mind maps so that we can better understand the contents of what we have learnt. Mrs Siva, my English teacher, led my class to start a mini MOH( Ministry of Health) exhibition . It was a mini project on SARS, however, we gained recognition and a group of Australian students visited our school to view the exhibition on an exchange programme. We kept in touch with these students via email and they became our pen pal where we shared our learning experiences and forged friendships. Mrs Siva, kept us updated with the exhibition via Gmail and we developed the project, inviting ministers to our school to view our fruit of labour in year 2003. (Back then I was already Primary 6).
During my secondary years, our teacher made use of LEAD portal to follow up on our revision. We had to complete certain assignments during E- Learning period and it was a comprehensive IT resource that provided detailed explanations when we committed mistakes. My Humanities teacher, Mr Tan Meng Liang and Mdm Sue Chuay Hong made use of Youtube to play videos of the past, for instance, Bloody Sunday, Hitler’s Reign, and Separation of Singapore. Class blogs were a trend for us where we construct our little private website to leave messages and communicate with one another. The class leaders would constantly update a list of “Homework of the day” as a reminder for all students. The Secondary four O level students especially, uploaded notes online to share with their peers and learn together as a whole. It was a boost of morale in us and ICT in Education really brought us closer as a class.
3. How do you think the Masterplan 3 for ICT in Education may affect your role(s) as a beginning teacher?
The Masterplan 3 for ICT in Education sets higher requirements of a teacher. As a beginning teacher, I am certain that I have to keep myself updated with the abundant supply of web tools available online. Right now, there are many IT tools where we can adopt to better improve on the quality of our teaching. Take for example, Google Docs, Bubbplus and social networks like Facebook and twitter that links us with our students and our fellow colleagues. These are platforms in which we can share ideas on how to better improve on our pedagogies and methodogies in teaching.
Also, there are challenges posed to us when it comes to planning and delivering ICT-enriched learning experiences for students in order to develop them to become self-directed and collaborative learners. We have to come up with ideas on how to engage learners to monitor their learning even when they return home from school. This is a tedious issue as we have yet to progress to the extent of being able to control student’s access to websites when they are home. There are also a group of students who cannot afford a desktop at home, thus we have to create a friendly ICT infrastructure that support students of lower income families. This has yet to be solved till now.
I think as a teacher, I have to have an open mind and be passionate in learning new technological skills so that I can advance together with the fast changing technologies. ICT is a convenient way to better improve communications among colleagues. As a beginning teacher, I would very much be willing to help teachers who have difficulty learning certain skills on web computing so that we can all benefit from it in the long run.
