As former Minister of Education RAdm (NS) Teo Chee Hean has aptly said, the world has changed. In fact, it is still changing, and at a very fast pace. With the increasing abundance of computers and technology in the world, the education system cannot remain stagnant. Not only would be failing to fulfill our sacred duty if we do not equip our students with the skills to use new technology, but we would also be missing out on wonderful opportunities to broaden our students' education experience with ICT.
The Ministry of Education's (MOE) three masterplans for ICT are essential to introduce technology into teaching in a step-by-step process. Some teachers I spoke to are strong supporters of the traditional whiteboard teaching style. There is no denying that in teaching some subjects like Mathematics and Physics, the whiteboard is extremely useful. It is far easier to draw out diagrams and show detailed workings this way. However, one should not let this kind of thinking deter us from exploring the possibilities of using computers and other equipment. A simple visualizer could replace the whiteboard as it also enables a teacher to draw diagrams and write detailed workings. Having a laptop also gives the teacher access to using Youtube videos to illustrate some formulas or concepts. I personally experienced being able to use the laptop to flash pictures of real-life examples of pyramids and cones to the Secondary 2 class I was honoured to teach Mathematics to. I also frequently used Youtube videos to help my Secondary 3 English class understand comprehension passages or situational writing questions better. The visual impact the videos left behind also motivated them to complete their comprehensions and gave them some content to include in their situational writing assignments.
I was little aware of the ICT masterplans as a student, though I vividly remember going to the AV theatre every Chemistry lesson to view the Powerpoint slides that my teacher had prepared. I suppose that laptops were cumbersome back then, and setting the projector up was tedious, and so our teacher decided to bring the class to the AV theatre, where the computer was already hooked up to the projector and ready to use. Of course, we students also enjoyed the added benefit of the air-conditioning in the theatre. I also remember with fondness the educational games that we were allowed access to as a primary school student.
MOE's Masterplan Three is all about encouraging self-directed learning in the student. The task of motivating the student to take an active interest in his own learning then falls on the teacher. This is even more difficult than merely imparting knowledge, since students have to take an active role now, as opposed to the usual passive role they play. My ESE experience in a neighbourhood secondary school has led me to believe that many students lack the motivation to learn. As a beginning teacher, I think that my greatest challenge is to instill the love of my subject in the students. Changing mindsets is no mean task, but if I have the ability to create fun and yet challenging ICT lessons for my students, I believe they might grow to like my subject. This includes creating online quizzes and elearning lessons, like my ESE school has done. Online quizzes are a good way for students to monitor their own learning as they can reflect on the score they obtain and find out their own weaknesses. On elearning day, the onus is on the students to access the online materials for their lesson. By taking elearning seriously, students will be taking a step towards self-directed learning.
