Lisa Toh

when we first began this ICT course, I was overwhelmed with the workload.. tiny updates on Pbwiki, weekly blogging, etc. but we gradually got used to it, and upon looking back, I'm actually thankful for all of that cos it helped me learn alot! there's truth in the saying that one must do before one can learn, I guess? :)

it's been a great term with ICT! the games we played, the various collaboration softwares we were exposed to, the critical thinking we were pushed to explore, etc. the most useful tool will probably be Pbwiki -- I'm using it for soooo many of my other projects! strangely, other trainees (not in our ICT class) are not the least bit familiar with Pbwiki at all. hmmmm.

Dr Ashley has been actively engaging us in the course by involving us in the lessons through the use of games, Mindmeister, Pbwiki, etc. exposure to these and Second Life, as an educational tool has allowed us to explore and 'experience' what our students will be involved in in future. such experential learning on our part allows us to better know the benefits and limitations of each tool. at the end of every lesson, reflection takes place is various forms... blogs, concept maps, critiquing others' Pbwiki. all these pushes us to engage in critical thinking! I guess if all these weren't instructed, I wouldn't think critically by myself. it seems to me like it's a 'skill' that must be slowly built up?

amazing, eye-catching presentations such as that done by Prezi.com were used to grasp our attention during a lecture-style lesson last friday. that's something I found really refreshing; away from microsoft ppt. which we're all so bored with. I feel such innovations will be important to grab students' attention in future, and once we've gotten them "on the hook", it'll be easier to facilitate their learning and promote reflective ideas.

the strategy that I'd use for my students will probably to actively engage them in doing reflections. by assessing what they've personally obtained from the lesson, it can always lead to further queries and expansion of ideas.... which is good, cos if they actually went one step further to research for answers, such independent learning will enable them to retain information which they found were meaningful. we should try to move away from the usual "spoon-feeding" cirriculum in schools as I find that one will learn more effectively by self-exploration. I will also introduce online collaboration tools such as google docs and Cmap as I believe in teaching them "soft" skills like social interaction skills, and what better way than to get them to cooperate together? peer-teaching as a result, will also be beneficial.

we're nearing the end of the course and I really would like to thank Dr Ashley for all his efforts in coming up with such creative and engaging lessons each time! :) the exposure to the various tools has really been useful, and this course has been a fantastic training ground for us to be IT-savvy teachers. now I'm more confident of entering into the school and suggesting ways on how to "use ICT for engaged learning"! :)

the visit to COTF was a very cool experience! but i found it to be very futuristic and will be uncomfortable if all the classrooms were to be like that in future -- everything so high-tech and digitalized.

it's useful and convenient for the exchange of data just by tapping one's personal device onto a platform, as well as communications with overseas expertise. the iN2015 video revealed the significant integration of technology into daily lives... and particularly useful and handy for educational fieldtrips.

my concern about having such high-tech environment is the loss of teacher-student interactions, which i feel is important to promote rapport and understanding of the students so as to effectively help them. another issue will be the high usage of electronic products which is contrary to the "Green movement". with such convenient tools to access huge amounts of resources, will our students of the future be made 'lazy' through the usage of these? with minimal need to even hold a pen during learning or practice.

another issue i'm concerned with is the cost of such classrooms. unless the government is paying for all these technologies, how will all students be entitled to a personal device each? will the lower-income students be left out? i personally don't see any justification to put an additional financial burden on their parents.

i appreciate the novelty of the iN2015 idea but think it should only be integrated in only certain parts of education. maybe i'm "traditional"... but i still believe in paper, pen and ICT tools to enable/ enhance. NIE is preparing us by having the ICT course to create awareness of the technologies available for teaching, and its benefits. this, i feel, is a step towards preparing us to embrace the iN2015 movement. well, that's less than 10 yrs from now! if all classrooms of the future were to be really like that.... i'd better start changing my mindset to keep up with times! afterall, change is inevitable for continual improvement right? ;)

The last lesson was filled with tummy-aching laughter as we played Second Life. The game provided opportunities to experience situations and abilities that would otherwise be impossible or too expensive to carry out in real-life. For example, avatars could fly or teleport from place to place; and physical looks could be customized to suit oneself. I feel that Second Life would benefit low self-esteem individuals as they're able to build their self-confidence in the virtual world and provide opportunities that would seem 'intimidating' for them in reality.

Places could be created in Second Life and this would be a viable resource for virtual fieldtrips as it is inexpensive and not subjected to safety or unpredictable weather conditions. This would help tremendously in teaching as students (in the form of their avatars) could interact with the environment in Second Life and engage in active learning. It'll also be a platform for students to learn 'soft' skills such as interpersonal relationships.



This Youtube video addresses the 'science' aspect of Second Life. I find it particularly useful as 3D images and animations are incorporated, which would aid students in learning. The ability to zoom into details (eg: going into a cell and exploring intracellular components) will raise students' excitement and motivation to learn. Lab and clinical sessions are also useful for hands-on experiences, which would otherwise be impossible in real life due to security and professional reasons (eg: access to surgery room only available to medical personnels). Besides engaging in activities, theory details can be embedded in boards that are located around the island. The presence of an auditorium simulates classroom conditions online, but with the added benefit that collaboration between students of different countries around the world is possible. This will facilitate exchange of ideas and learning strategies that are being taught differently in the various countries; students will be able to gain insights as they interact.

In my free time, I will embark to explore Second Life as I see the potential of it in classroom teaching and learning. It is and innovative way to incorporate the syllabus and I'm sure the tech-savvy students will appreciate it! In addition, they may even be encouraged and motivated to explore Second Life in their homes, and in the process, pick up new information and unconsciously internalize them!

From the James Gee video, I've learnt several things:

1. Gaming allows players to solve problems, collaboratively.
2. Gaming assesses the player throughout, and this form of assessment is "fun" - students won't dread it!
3. Games don't separate learning and assessment.
4. Allows players to experience situations/ places that would otherwise be too expensive to go to in real life.
5. Provides "language just in time" whereby information is given that the player will need the very next moment.
6. Textbooks and curriculum actually "deprofessionalize" teachers, taking away their creativity in creating what and how students learn in classrooms
7. Learning is best when one models and learn together.
   
   

The benefits of gaming are plenty, and people are slowly coming to realize it. However, I think it may take a very long while before we see gaming actively integrated into Sg's education system. Teachers must first be convinced that gaming will drive their students to better performance compared to the traditional drill-and-practise methods. This is an intrinsic attribute; a personal belief that will take years to change before one can embark on using gaming for teaching. Another hindrance will be the need to search for appropriate games that'll address what skills/knowledge teachers want to impart to their students. These are serious deterrents.

It is true. In order to compete with China and India, we'll need to learn creatively. With China and India having such bombastic populations, and if they can thrive with the drill-and-practise style of "learning", how then can we maintain our competitive edge? Just like we must constantly upgrade ourselves to be relevant in the working society, we must also constantly review our methods of learning and teaching to remain relevant in the world today. I do hope to see games being integrated into the system soon, I do believe students will better enjoy learning this way and learn more effectively!

This week, my group chose to research on the "Self knowledge Principle". Basically, it means that through gaming, one is able to learn about their strengths and abilities hence is able to discern their potential. To read up on it was really interesting; I feel many a times, we just play games for the 'fun' of it, which is just a superficial value. But knowing about the various principles, I was able to see the relevance of it all and how everything pieced nicely together. For example, for Self-knowledge Principle...

Trauma Centre is a good game to create self-awareness of stability of hand movements and how sympathetic one feels for the patient. These 2 characteristics may be useful for career decisions based on knowing one's strengths, and also creates awareness for further development of one's potential.

While playing Wii-sports, the balancing game required some form of estimation of weight shifting and I feel this skill will be useful in life; to be aware of one's surroundings and adjust accordingly.

The article on 'what types of games are appropriate for classrooms' opened my eyes to the vast genre of games available in the market nowadays. Indeed, it will be essential to evaluate what we'll be giving our students to play in future. Games under the genre of 'real time strategy' are useful to promote critical thinking while in my opinion, fighting games serve very little value in classroom context. I feel it's always good to collaborate with other teachers in assessing the type of game to be introduced, especially as a department. However, my concern is: will we actually have sufficient time to let students play and learn at the same time? Recalling my life as a student, I can only remember teachers rushing through the syllabus to complete it on time.. even though theirs was the traditional chalk-and-talk method! So if we, as the "new generation" of teachers were to introduce gaming.. will it be possible? I guess this is also in conjunction with the "Teach less, Learn more" movement, but I feel more flexibility should be incorporated first to make it successful.

I chanced upon this interesting term called Edutainment (education + entertainment) and found it rather apt for what I've experienced in class last week. We played games and in the process of having fun, learnt certain things.

In Ed Psych, we were asked to give our views on whether learning needed to always be 'fun' in order to engage the unmotivated students. I guess to a certain extent, there's an overlap with that question and what we've learnt in ICT. Gaming is a classic example of 'fun' learning.. students will be more than happy to chuck their papers and pens aside to learn in a new way!

Last friday, I played Trauma Centre (Wii) and some Flash games online. The first game was really interesting! It taught me collaboration (with my fellow 'surgeon'), time management and to care for the virtual patient. The flash game taught me to think and react quickly.. basically, we played some math game and it served to reinforce what we already know.

So in summary, contrary to what the general public thinks about gaming; that they're strictly "bad" cos it's addictive (steals time away from the books), I actually realize the "good" side of it! Through gaming, we can learn social skills like cooperation.. improve our pyschomotor skills, and trains the mind to react quickly to ever-changing situations. I feel the last point is very relevant to our daily life. It isn't anything academically beneficial, but is a lifeskill that we should pick up to survive in this fast-paced world! Well, of course, we have to choose wisely the games we play in order to reap its benefits! :)

Face-to-face Implementation Issues

1) Physical Settings in Schools

1. Insufficient number of computers

2. Students are blocked from teacher’s view by computer monitors. Hence, they are unable to keep up with the teacher’s demonstration on the projector screen and tend to do their own stuff online. E.g.: check e-mail, surf the web and play online games.

Possible Solutions

1. Students can form groups of 3-4 and share a computer. In order to ensure everyone is involved in the activity, various roles (e.g.: group leader, data recorder, time-keeper) can be assigned to each member.

2. During the instructional period, students can move their seats away from their computers to promote eye contact and listening. Teachers can place themselves at strategic positions so that they can monitor each student’s activities (with-it-ness), as well as, is aware of other events happening in the computer room (overlapping).

2) Nature of the Learning Activity
1. Learning is not progressive and students are left confused.
2. Transition from one activity to another and keeping the students on task.

Possible Solutions
1. Teachers can state clearly the objectives and tasks of the lesson before commencing. Students should be instructed to start off with the same activity so that they can follow the teacher’s demonstration for better understanding.
2. Before the lesson, students are briefed on the lesson activities and the movement from one station to another. Worksheets can be given to ensure that students are engaged in the station tasks and complete them.

3) Time Management
1. Teachers are unable to complete the lesson planned due to issues like classroom management or unexpected technical breakdowns.

Possible Solutions
1. To keep students task-orientated, teachers can provide constant time-checks at various points.
2. Teachers should plan a realistic number of activities to be completed within the stipulated lesson time.
3. A Technical Assistant can be present in the room at all times so as to solve any unanticipated technical problems.
4. Rules and procedures should be established and teachers can demonstrate “with-it-ness” and “overlapping” strategies to ensure students are kept on task and able to complete on time.

4) Student and Teacher ICT literacy
1. Students who are less efficient with computers may have problems following the lesson and this hinders their learning.
2. Teachers who are less familiar with technology may not be able to execute a lesson effectively and efficiently for optimal learning.

Possible Solutions
1. Teachers can model the process and create step-by-step instructional worksheets so that students are able to follow. A Q&A session can be held before students begin the activity; this allows them to clarify all doubts.
2. Teachers may undergo workshops or learn from colleagues the necessary ICT skills required for the lesson. The activities planned can be rehearsed once to promote smooth transition throughout the lesson.
3. A technical assistant can be present during lesson time to clear any technical doubt and this reduces time wastage. Peer-to-peer teaching of simple technical problems can be encouraged.

1) Cyberbullying
1. During online discussions, students may send offensive and rude messages in order to be ‘heard’ or communicate their point across.
2. A student being ‘excluded’ from collaborative work online.
3. In the process of information exchange, a negligent student may accidentally open e-mails, links or messages containing undesirable messages that are aimed at a personal attack.

Possible Solutions
1. Educate students on “Netiquette”- etiquette on the Internet. They should not do things to annoy or frustrate other internet users.
2. Educate students on safe and responsible internet use, as well as having respect for self and others.
3. Do not open any e-mails or messages from unknown senders and ignore online bullies.

2) Internet Pornography
1. While doing online research, students may come into contact with pornography through avenues such as forums, online advertisement/pop-ups, e-mails and file sharing.

Possible Solutions
1. Do not open e-mails from unknown senders or suspicious hyperlinks.
2. Switch web browser to “safe search” mode.
3. Install pop-up filters and blockers.
4. Educate students why pornography is wrong.
5. Keep computers in open, commonly used spaces so that parental monitoring is possible.

References
Lim, C. P., Pek, M. S. & Chai, S. C. (2005). Classroom management Issues on ICT mediated learning environments. Journal of Educational Multimedia & Hypermedia, 14(4), 391-414.

Websites:
http://www.cyberbullying.ca/
http://www3.moe.edu.sg/edumall/tl/cyberwellness.htm