Charting my GESL Journey - Together We Enrich

The phrase, Group Endeavours in Service Learning (GESL, pronounced 'guess-sel') ought to ring a bell in most NIE trainees' heads. Perhaps it does more than just that, as I believe that the experiences of this powerful programme would have been etched in the hearts and minds of every student teacher who has passed through the gates of NIE since 2005. 

For Service Learning Day on 10th Feb 2012, I was greatly inspired to create this GESL movie presentation not just to showcase our successful endeavour, but also to allow all of us in the group to relive those fond memories and also give others an eye-opener to the possibilities of community service. Since the presentation would be shared with other MOE staff, teachers and current NIE trainees, this can enable them to learn from our project that has rendered us with much holistic enrichment. 

My GESL group (LINK-Love Integrity Novelty Kindness) has collaborated with Ananias Centre to help the primary school children there to learn and develop skills and values from a series of activities. Drawing, making of felt-based ornaments and clay moulding would fall under the umbrella of technical skills, while desirable soft skills would include creativity, communication and  entrepreneurship. The kids are to make Christmas-themed cards, clay and felt ornaments which will be marketed to raise funds for their dream excursion to Science Centre and Snow City. It is hoped that they would gain the invaluable experience of learning to work hard and strive towards personal success through this project. 

My group’s dynamics was evident from day one when we underwent our orientation games. We are a quiet yet resilient bunch of people, open-minded towards diverse ideas yet focused on the task at hand. This unique characteristic stuck on with us throughout the project.

The two days of Merandi had helped us to step out of our comfort zones as we shared insights about our life stories sprinkled with the many ups and downs. From then on, our group interaction evolved from being just cordial to more spontaneous. Even though all 17 of us are very different in terms of subject expertise, age and backgrounds and thus naturally explored vastly different ideas during brainstorming, we are one when the issues boil down to efficiency and effectiveness. My group members also never failed to come to a consensus whenever there was any conflict of ideas or interests. This working style put us in good stead as we made rapid progress from the very beginning, often meeting the designated deadlines much ahead of time.

On a personal note, this GESL project has set the stage for more school community involvement projects (CIP) to come, as I ready myself to embark on them as a JC teacher. I strongly believe that GESL is not just about mere endeavouring; it is the act of doing, getting our hands ‘dirty’ as we learn to serve the community, so as to achieve maximal and meaningful learning through this service.

In fact, GESL has provided me with a golden opportunity to contribute and give back to the society that has molded me into a teacher. One of my greatest takeaways is the realisation that as a teacher, my capacity to help is not just restricted to the JC students that I am teaching, but also students from lower age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. Although at times effort (i.e manpower) and money (e.g sponsorship) are perceived to be the keys to make a community service project a resounding success, I feel that the crux is still the genuine heart to serve. 

Overall, I must say it was a precious experience which had left an indelible mark on me, one that cannot be bought. For me, GESL definitely does not end here. That gratification gained can and should be relived through the continued spirit of selfless giving.

Hybridisation (sp, sp2, sp3) e-learning package

Subject: 9647 H2 Chemistry
Unit: Organic Chemistry 
Topic: Introductory Topics_Hybridisation

Pre-requisite Knowledge
Students should already possess the content knowledge of
- the shapes of s and p orbitals (Atomic Structure)
- covalent bonding in terms of orbital overlap, giving sigma and pi bonds (Chemical Bonding)
- the limitations of VSEPR theory and hence the need for the hybridization theory (Chemical Bonding)

Learning Objectives
At the end of this learning package, students should be able to
(i) describe the 3 forms of hybridisation (sp3, sp2, sp) in methane, benzene and beryllium chloride using hybridisation theory.
(ii) apply the hybridization theory to explain the shapes and bond angles of molecules.

VoiceThread web link (4 individual segments: Intro, sp, sp2, sp3, Summary)
http://voicethread.com/share/2247440/

This marks my maiden effort at creating a video using iMovie on my MacBook. iMovie is simply amazing due to its user-friendliness and elegant effects. I guess that is the magical aspect of Apple; the essence of complexity wrapped in plain simplicity.  The e-learning package is made by merging multiple edited videos from various online sources and incorporating slides with scaffolding 'Pause and Ponder' questions, so as to customise it for the specific learning objectives above. 

The structure of the Hybridisation video is as such:

1) Introduction of s and p atomic orbitals

2) sp hybridisation 
    - 2D
    - 3D (beryllium chloride as example)
    - Formative assessment questions
3) sp2 hybridisation
    - 2D
    - 3D (benzene as example)
    - Formative assessment questions
4) sp3 hybridisation
    - 2D
    - 3D (methane as example)
    - Formative assessment questions
5) Summary
6) Summative assessment questions
    - How does the degree of hybridisation (sp, sp2 and sp3) affect the bond angle?
    - What are the differences between atomic and hybrid orbitals?
7) Recommended sites for your exploration (Self-Directed Learning)

To bring this ICT endeavour one step further, the video is uploaded onto VoiceThread (http://voicethread.com/) which serves as an online platform for students to not only view but also comment on it. Very much like an audio forum, its unique feature lies in allowing students to share their thoughts and answers by recording their voice and/or doodling. Although it is an e-learning package for independent learning, elements of classroom discussion are infused as students can build on one another's pool of knowledge and also rectify the mistakes and misconceptions that inevitably develop along the way. This makes it more engaging and personal compared to it being shown on FaceBook or YouTube, where the discussion is only limited to writing. 

Hope this will prove to be useful to the JC Chemistry teachers out there. Please feel free to leave suggestions for improvements or even point out any mistakes. Your comments on this blog or my YouTube channel are most welcome! 


Stay tuned to more iCreaTions :)

References
www.mhhe.com/physsci/chemistry/essentialchemistry/flash/hybrv18.swf
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfngYhl7ZmI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1fGXDRxS6k&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XgamPXNYXw&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EFEfVDUp6M
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5gRGcguId8

Impact of ICT Masterplans

As a local student till 2005, my education journey had witnessed the implementation of Masterplans 1 and 2. I could still remember the fascination I had felt when I stepped into my primary school’s air-conditioned computer lab for the very first time. Back then, I was wishing how it would be perfect if every single lesson was conducted there so I could use those amazing machines all the time. Fast forwarding to my days as a university student, that wish seemed to have fulfilled when it dawned on me that all my lecture notes were presented on PowerPoint slides and every assignment was type-written. For that, I am thankful for the smooth transition facilitated by my solid foundation built upon the past decade of ICT training in MOE schools.

Skills aside, I have unknowingly become a technophile, always excited to read about the latest developments and tech toys in Straits Times’ Digital Life and other online news feeds. Unlike the older generation, I am not afraid to embrace new technology. A week before entering the National Institute of Education (NIE), I bought myself a Macbook Air to use as a portable laptop during lessons. Prior to this, I have been a Windows user all my life. Some schools, e.g. Maris Stella High are completely Mac converted and nowadays, more students are owning Macbooks. Thus as a teacher-to-be, I aim to spend my one year in NIE to familiarize myself with the Mac operating system (Mac OS) and pick up the many tips and tricks of the OS.

As a beginning teacher embarking on Masterplan 3, I am no longer a direct beneficiary of ICT curriculum, as now I play a more crucial role in endeavoring to integrate ICT into lesson delivery. ICT is no longer and should not be perceived as a separate entity from subject studies. Not only does ICT go in accordance with the Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM) approach, my efforts to advocate self-directed learning (SDL) and collaborative learning (CoL) via ICT-enriched lessons will go a long way in developing students’ competencies and preparing them for their future professions. With this end goal in mind, I should seek to consistently upgrade and update myself with the necessary ICT skills in this rapidly transforming computer age, so as to be a capable ICT facilitator and advocator in the school environment. 

Importance of ICT Masterplans in Education

From 1997 to 2014, Singapore’s education system would have seen a transition through three Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Masterplans. In this globalized age, the importance of integrating ICT into our students’ syllabus has never been more recognized. Nowadays, the younger generation is adopting computers at a much earlier age and is able to access a whole lot more information than before. The Ministry of Education’s (MOE) crucial role in the ICT Masterplans ensures that our students are reminded and guided on how to be knowledgeable, discerning and more importantly, responsible IT users.

            Equipped with comprehensive ICT facilities, every school is the most conducive place for students to either begin their journey of IT literacy or hone their skills. Unlike conventional subjects, computer and IT skills are not what parents or private tutors can coach their children on at home. Furthermore, as highlighted before, our children are very likely to be more experienced IT users than their parents. Although all students are currently encouraged to have a personal computer at home, the reality is that there are still some financial strapped families who cannot afford such a ‘luxury item’. Thus the school becomes the ideal place for these students to keep up with the computer age

The role of the ICT teachers is to instill the much required passion and interest in students to keep up with ICT through continuous learning. As a result, students should be able recognize that these skills are not only essential at their current stage of studies and project work, but also later on in life when they embark on their professional career. It is usually in schools where students become aware about cybercrime and learn to be able to sieve out useful information for themselves, in so doing grow up to be proper users of the Internet. Teaching responsible usage of the World Wide Web facilitates students in going beyond the four walls of the classroom and gaining access to knowledge that teachers and textbooks cannot impart.

These fourteen years of implementing ICT in the curriculum have witnessed much progress. One notable achievement is that students from all schools can now embark on e-learning or i-learning in the comfort of their own homes. During the school holidays, this provides a lot of convenience for students and teachers alike in the dissemination of homework. Such a self-learning mode also teaches our students to take ownership for their own learning, thus encouraging them to be independent learners. In 2003, the SARS outbreak put e-learning in schools to test, as all lessons were disrupted indefinitely. At the end of the day, this daunting crisis proved not only the success of ICT integration but also the foresight of MOE in introducing ICT in the first place. 

Classroom Observations of ICT Use

School Name: Raffles Institution

Class: Sec 2 ICT lesson (2001)

Specific Observations

For this one hour long lesson, our class (Special stream) were to be instructed to create a mini animated presentation using two programs, namely Macromedia Flash and Fireworks. Despite being generally good in terms of academics, our abilities were rather divided when it came to IT proficiency. During the previous lessons when the class was taught the basics of using the programs, some including myself did struggle with even the simpler animation tasks.

The ICT lesson was conducted in the computer lab equipped with 4 rows of desktops arranged perpendicularly to the teacher’s projector screen. For this module, the learning outcome was to learn how to incorporate better visuals and animations into PowerPoint presentations and webpages used for project work.

During the lesson, we were given a theme to do our animations on. For those who were more IT-savvy, they could finish the task in the session itself. However, for many of us who did not hone our skills well enough during the previous lessons, we had to consult our friends every now and then. Looking back, it would be more ideal if the ICT lesson had two supervising teachers for more effective coaching. Back then, our sole teacher-in-charge had to handle the countless questions from the inquisitive class of thirty odd students. That resulted long waiting times, in turn leading either to the students’ task coming to a standstill or students surfing the internet randomly to idle their time away.

At the end of it all, most of us finished the module equipped with the fundamental skills of using Macromedia Flash and Fireworks. The classroom sharing of the animated presentations also gave everyone an eye-opener to some creative works that were done up so impressively and professionally. Currently these two programs have come under Adobe, which we are all familiar with. I am sure some of my passionate IT friends who continue to use these programs till now have become experts in web design.

General Observations

            In the school, the main subjects that teachers had used ICT for teaching were science and humanities. We were often shown videos in class depicting science experiment demonstrations, Singapore history or geographical phenomena. These never failed to refresh our attention whenever it had been expended by the numerous transparencies and PowerPoint slides.

            The compulsory ICT lessons were something that we all looked forward to every week, as every session was never boring. To us (Secondary 2 students) back then, there seemed to be endless possibilities to what we can do with the computer, only limited by how much the teacher could teach and how fast we could pick up.