Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know. ~ Jim Rohn

QLK520 - Communications Skills for Teachers

1. I felt that this module has allowed me to understand more about my own form of communication, and the quirks which are tied to them.

2. I also felt that the module has given me some methods to improve on my communication skills, and they would serve as a good experience/way to practice such improvements as I continue on my path of teaching.

3. I also felt that the module has given me an overview of what to expect in a classroom, the kind of replies that students will give during lessons, as well as how to reply to students in an efficient manner to ensure that lessons are able to carry on as planned.

4. Finally, I felt that the module has sufficiently prepared me for office life, mostly through teaching us the right way to use emails to communicate our ideas to others in a proper way to prevent misunderstandings from happening, as well as how to elicit requests in a polite manner as to facilitate the process of asking for a favour in a positive way.

Overall, though the module is a little dry, the benfits of having this module still outweighs not having it at all, to prepare all of us for our practicum/BT stages.

QCL520 Final Reflection

Final Reflections:

• How do you make difficult concepts accessible to your students?

Making difficult concepts accessible to my students can be done in many ways.
Firstly, huge concepts should be broken down into smaller ones which could be easily digested before linking them back together to form the big picture.
Secondly, scaffolds play a big role in doing so as it slowly shapes the student's perspectives and mental processes towards what we are trying to teach them. Hooks are especially useful because they are not directly linked to the concepts in the textbook but instead draws students closer into the "frame of mind" which makes concepts accessible. Discussions within class are also good because they allow students to verbalise their perspectives of concepts and to clarify their thoughts with their classmates as well as allowing the teacher to understand the level of thought taking place in the student's minds.
Thirdly, there should always be a rationale behind each difficult concept, as students would not feel compelled to understand such concepts if the teacher him/herself does not even know why they are teaching such concepts for. The teacher's attitude would also play a part in making such concepts accessible.

In relation to Theme 6, big concepts like Challenges, Adaptability and Leadership should be broken down into smaller examples before attributing them to the larger concepts, and finally linking all back to the big picture of Rise and Fall of Nations being linked to such concepts. The teacher should also emphasize that the lessons learnt from Venice are important, but it is up to the students themselves to see the true relevance of the lessons in relation to Singapore, and that it is not dictated by the teacher.

• How do you plan to teach so that students are able to organize and structure the massive loads of information that they will encounter? 

Whenever possible, students should always have a chance to relate concepts to themselves in a personal way. In doing so, students would be able to see the relevance these concepts have in their lives, or through some experiences of their own.
Also, a fair amount of charts/graphs/pictorial notes would be very good tools for students. By sifting out the relevant information and concepts from the textbook, it would ensure that essential lessons and takeaways that students would have to learn isn't too wordy and are very clear and focused.
It would also be good for students themselves to create their own mind maps for every chapter, with guidance from the teacher,

With relation to Theme 6, the topic of the Rise and Fall of nations may be very text-focused and unclear to students due to the different time periods/contexts, thus there has to be a bigger concept which can tie all of these together for the student to remember as the key takeaway of the lesson. One way for them to organize what they have learnt would be through the Cycle of Nations framework (http://patrioticprinciples.com/the-cycle-of-great-nations/), which provides a clear view of what the lesson is trying to bring across to students.

QLK520 Group 2 E-Learning

I felt that I had some knowledge of vocal health as well as voice projection, as I had spent months in school but I didn't have any issues cropping up with regards to vocal problems.

The e-learning site showed me many problems and ways to cope with such problems should they arise. I realised that I should always be in the know of how to tackle these issues even though they have not happened to me.

The checklists seemed a little too long to properly maintain and look at point by point, but the videos were very informative and were nicely split into the different techniques which were easy enough to remember and practice.

Techniques like body posture seemed to be very relevant as I tend to have bad body posture, and thus the video highlighted to me how that could affect the air flow in my body and the inability to use my diaphragm to speak loudly.

Knowing how to identify and manage vocal problems would be useful in the long run as it is impossible to escape vocal problems, and I can only be prepared and pre-emptive in my strategies. 

Theme Presentation - Looking back.

Based on the textbook and intended curriculum, many different parts based upon the three different perspectives can be seen, but the perspective which seems to be dominant is that of the Personally Responsible Citizen.

The core assumptions of this perspective are,

“To solve social problems and improve society, citizens must have good character; they must be honest, responsible, and law-abiding members of the community” (Westheimer and Kahne, 2004)

The textbook seems to tell us that citizens have to do their part to ensure that problems do not arise, and that many issues can be prevented/corrected once a correct behaviour has been established.

Examples:

In Theme 3 on Multi-Ethnic Conflict, it seems to tell readers that if citizens practiced tolerance and understanding/acceptance towards each other, many problems could have been avoided. It seeks to tell that although there were historical issues brought forward, the citizens had the power to choose their decisions in pressing situations. As the group which presented this theme had shown, their key takeaway messages seemed to be focusing heavily upon character development, and thus the personal responsibility of citizens to maintain racial harmony.

In Theme 6 of Venice, the key concepts of adaptability and challenges could also be seen as being directed to that of the citizens, as the rise of rich merchants led to a great disparity between social classes and other problems which eventually involved the ruling of Venice. If personally, citizens are unable to understand their individual roles in maintaining responsibility, problems could arise.

I do not see many links to that of community-service, community-oriented activities that might help Singapore progress. This would fall under the Participatory Citizen perspective.

I also do not see the “seeking out and addressing areas of injustice” portion of the Justice-oriented citizen. It seems like the intended curriculum seems to treat readers/students very passively, and their sole purpose is to just ingest the information and not repeat mistakes/toe the line.

With reference to Theme 6, it seems there could possibly be too much emphasis on Singapore being the second Venice should we follow certain strategies which Venice followed at their peak. There seemed to be a 1 to 1 (Venice to Singapore) kind of lesson which the syllabus seems to want us to impart to students. I felt that instead of framing the lesson as such, we could raise the students’ awareness on why certain strategies failed with Venice, and if Singapore had followed certain paths, what would be the possible outcomes. Whether or not the outcomes would be beneficial for Singapore, I would leave that for my students to decide and ponder upon it. It would allow them to understand the ramifications of problems associated with Venice’s decline independently.

The idea here for the students to take home is that, following the footsteps of Venice need not necessarily means that Singapore will decline in the exact same way. The world is now different, but it does not mean that we are immune to the key takeaways like Challenges, Adaptation and Leadership. Following in Venice’s footsteps brings us at a greater risk of decline rather than making it a certainty.

Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

As the title suggests, this post will be about Rules/Regulations that I intend to implement during my practicum.
I firmly believe in not having hard and fast rules, but instead teaching students principles which will have a lasting impact upon them.
But, this might not only apply to students who have the ability to reflect upon their own actions, thus a set of guidelines would still have to be created as a baseline to be adhered to. 

 

My 5 Rules of the Classroom.

1. Showing Respect to one another. 

- This will help to ensure that the class learns correct social behaviour, and mutual respect between each other.

-Not speaking when someone is presenting, paying attention to the Teacher, respect everyone's right to their needs, do not impose your will upon others, do not distract one another, do not stand up and walk about etc.

 This is always important.

2. Be kind.

- To allow students to learn how to treat each other genuinely, and to start them off on a lifelong process of caring for others/less fortunate/each other.

- Helping someone when they are in need (can be teachers as well), Not judging someone before understanding their situation, trying your best to make the class/school a better for everyone.

 This is a moral value that is essential.

3. To be accountable.

- To learn that every decision is a conscious one and that they have the ability to make the most appropriate decision. To know that everyone has the same amount of time, and that what they do with it is up is their responsibility

- .Examples could be, knowing how to manage their own workload, knowing when and what homework is due and when, knowing when exams are nearing and preparing for it, knowing when to tell their peers that they are ill, knowing when to tell their teachers when they have problems regarding school/family that clashes with their workload, knowing when to ask for extensions/help with proper reasons etc.

 Good as it helps students to keep tabs on themselves 

Bad as they might not have developed the necessary planning skills to plan so far ahead.

4. Keep the classroom neat and tidy.

- A clean and tidy environment makes students and teachers feel good, and when they do, there are fewer roadblocks to teaching as compared to an untidy classroom. A cleaner classroom also decreases the chances of students falling ill.

- Duty Roster for cleaning the classroom, everyone has their own roles and carries it out responsibly. If everyone exercises personal responsibility, it will make it a lot easier to maintain classroom cleanliness.

 Good. This gives them ownership of their home class.

5. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Social Studies: At first glance.

What are your beliefs about citizenship?

Citizenship denotes the link between a person and his country, and I believe that it details our own self-belief of being proud to be part of the country. This link helps us to understand the direction that the country is undertaking, as well as putting faith in each other to pave a path for future generations in the country. I believe that although citizenship is interchangeable, we will always relate back to our country of birth in some way.

What was the impact of reading Westheimer & Kahne (2004) on these beliefs?

The reading has shown me that my idea of Citizenship has no real democratic value, something which the article mentions over and over again. My beliefs that as long every citizen is helpful towards one another, society might progress, but I had not emphasized on the collective decision making which makes the bulk of what democracy is about.

What is Social Studies?

To me, as I have been teaching (an attempt to) SS for about 9 months, it feels like a blend of History, Geography and Politics. It allows students to understand certain key events that carry important lessons, and also teaches them certain hard skills (for SBQ and SEQ) which are beneficial for their future as it opens their mindset to concepts like irony, sarcasm etc.

Who controls the Social Studies Curriculum?

Though the materials for the curriculum comes from MOE, teachers are also afforded the freedom to explore more examples in relation to the topics if they are relevant and can bring more perspectives to students. There is probably more control in the hands of schools and teachers.

What is your role in relation to the Social Studies Curriculum?

My role is to bring the hard skills, as well as to content knowledge across to students in a way which will not bore them. My role is to at least ensure that they leave my lessons knowing a little more about the world and how to look critically at sources.

Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day. ~ Anonymous.

•Why is it important for a teacher to understand the issue of student diversity?

There will not be a blanket effect when teaching carried out. Every student has a different way of learning/attitude towards learning. A teacher has to know that there will be students at the tail ends which require special attention (bell-curve).

•How could student diversity impact upon a teacher’s ability to manage his/her classroom and student learning?

A teacher will have to ensure that most of the students are able to fall within the “net” of what they are trying to teach, and also making sure that additional resources/time are available to help with the tail-ends. A teacher would also have to utilise several methods of classroom management and know that some students can simply be unresponsive no matter what he/she does.

•What is the concept of ‘unconditional teaching’?

Unconditional teaching entails that we look at the child as a “whole”, and that we have to be those who encourages them even in the face of failure/misdemeanour. The child must be able to understand that a teacher’s care/concern is not related to their academics but is a genuine action towards treating students as human beings too.

"I do, therefore I am" - A look at authority bases and issues of misbehaviour.

My own Authority Base(s):

I believe that with my current experience, I am using much more of a Referent Form of authority.

In these present times, it is very difficult to use a Legitimate form of authority, as they will not conform if you pressure them with a position of power.

I prefer to relate to my students personally, and even if that fails, I will respect their wishes to the best that I can, but also explaining how certain things have to be done in a way for their own good.

I use warmth, a very patient listening ear, and lots of personal relations to control the class. They know that I am trying my best to reach out, and that my objectives are planned in consideration for them as well.

I will continue to keep this form of authority as my main form of class control, and only reverting to Legitimate or Expert Authority at times when the class needs an extra form of convincing/or to change wrong behaviours which are not encouraged.


Why do Students Misbehave?:

In my opinion, there are too many reasons that could lead to a student misbehaving, but from a teacher's responsibility kind of view, there are things that we can do in class which can lead to a less likely chance of misbehaviour.
We may not be able to control what happens outside, or at home, but within the class, we are the pillars which we believe the child may rely on.
Thus, no matter how difficult their lives may be, if we can offer some respite for them in class, I believe that misbehaviours will be kept to a minimum/not so disruptive.

Things that we should NOT be doing.

What I Should and Will Be:

Our hopes, our dreams, our aims are one.

If you agreed with the idea of the picture below, raise your hands!

My expectations of being a teacher

- To always have the interests of the students as my topmost priority.

- To garner the best resources available and to present it in a manner which will make students look forward to learning more during my lessons. 

And not like --------------------------------------->

- To behave both in and outside of curriculum time in a respectable manner which does not convey any negative values that my students might possibly learn.

- To have good relations with colleagues and solving issues within ourselves like adults.

- To believe in myself that I will give my best efforts for my students, but also not forgetting that educators also have their own lives, albeit in a much smaller scale than other professions.

and another picture here to illustrate more examples:

The most important thing here which will affect ALL other aspects, being a REAL person to my students.

Educational Psychology: The analysis of students and educators alike.

Lect + Tut 1

Educational Psychology kicked off with a lengthy introduction of various snippets of each other's lives.

Here are mine. Finding out a person's likes can reveal a part of a person's character.

Favourite Color: RED

Here are some other colors for contemplation:

Food:  Pizza

A place to go: Smithsonian Museum

My Teaching Philosophy at a glance:

I believe that every student has the propensity to excel, and that it is my duty as a teacher/educator to support and see it through for each and every one of them.


Can't wait for PBL to start!!! Always heard of it in my contract teaching times but I never really had the chance to look at it in detail.

The ICT-enhanced classroom.

Lect 1

After today’s brief lecture, the take home message about ICT sank in deep, and allowed me to reflect upon my own practices during my contract teaching where I attempted to use some form of ICT.

A Meaningful Use of ICT:

• Keeping students intrigued (focused).
• Affording students the chance/ability to participate (anonymously/on behalf of a group).
• Making lessons enjoyable.
• Practice of their own ICT abilities (Finding pictures, information, navigation of internet tools etc).

Also, my group has been assigned Learning By Doing as a reciprocal teaching activity, hope to have great fun teaching my fellow trainees on this!

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction ~ John F. Kennedy

1. Why did I come to NIE?

After doing some contract teaching at the secondary level, I realised that I did not have the necessary skills to fully engage my students, and I also lacked the background knowledge to add weight to my explanations. I have to be the role model and know what I am doing, before I can expect my students to listen to me. The students will look to me for help, and if the teacher feels inadequate, what is the student to do? I always admired my mentor for being able to command the class so well, and making them feel happy and excited in every single lesson, while delivering the necessary content required. I believed that by going to NIE, I would be able to fill in these gaps and add on to my current abilities, in order to be able to bring out the best in my students J

2. Do you think the reason will influence your behaviour?

I came here with a specific purpose, to learn how to be a better teacher through both my teaching techniques, as well as to improve my content knowledge.  I feel that I would be very focused and dedicated in my approach towards teacher studies here in NIE, and to give my utmost in all my projects and assignments, big and small. As someone who is teaching English but has no official training in the language, I feel that my determination to learn as much as I can to make up for my lack of knowledge will be my driving force for my stint in NIE and beyond.

I could come across as someone who is cold, calculative and only thinking about work, so while striving for academic excellence, I would also learn to treasure the relationships forged here in NIE, and gain a broader perspective on interpersonal relations which are invaluable when teaching in a class with so many different personalities.

3. What does it mean to be an autonomous thinking teacher?

My mentor once again appears in my recollection. My mentor was a quick thinker on his feet, and even though he was dogged by technical difficulties and a restless class, he was always able to figure out some activity that could give the students an interesting yet concise lesson about a certain concept. He was also sensitive to the demographic of the class, and knew how to shape the supposed lesson into something that would get the class moving and engaged. This is my core interpretation of the idea of an autonomous thinking teacher, in that, a teacher should be able to shape the concepts that have to be imparted in a way that matches the demographic of the class, as every class is different in their likes and dislikes of teaching methods. A teacher like this should also be able to understand their classes and be confident in their way of handling the class. 

Let's strive forward together and GESL ! :D

This is GESL group 21, comprising of 16 PGDE(Sec) trainee teachers.

We are known as OHANA, which means family, and that nobody gets left behind. It is a tall order to follow, but I believe that we will do just fine in our journey together as a GESL group.

Our first "competition", the Runway NIE and the Logo Presentation, yielded challenges which allowed us to bring out our personalities, to understand how each one of us had a different style of working.

Being a part of the Logo/Placard group, it was refreshing in the start to see everyone giving suggestions and actively participating. However, as time passed, it seemed like I was struggling all alone, and ideas upon ideas of mine were shot down and progress was never made. I admit that I was quite despondent at that time, not knowing how I was to complete the placard/logo in time for the judging.

We made our placard on 2 separate days, and the time in between those 2 days were rough. It was difficult to find a compromise between those who had wild ideas and those who were taking a laid-back approach to the placard, straddling ideas back and forth seemed fruitless and an exercise that threatened my own identity as an individual.

We managed to complete our placard, and although it was watered down from the initial complicated idea, and took slightly more effort than what we had imagined, we were satisfied with our creation. It felt good that everyone was able to compromise and create something that was so beautiful.

The costume group was also facing problems, in terms of manpower, resources and ideas. I attempted to help a little but it didn't feel significant to me. With Andrea's leadership and resourcefulness, she managed to get the group to pull through, and made a poster and costume that made everyone in the group proud.

All of this made me think about the time when I was contract teaching, where there are so many individuals with their opinions, that really makes a teacher's opinion waver. Sometimes it is okay to compromise and make the best of the situations, but at times you will have to believe that your decision works best for the class.

And, everything did work out fine in the end.

National Day 2013, our poster did not win anything, but our costume managed to garner a consolation prize of $50, which was no mean feat as being a finalist meant beating at least 20 other GESL groups in terms of costume design and meaning.

Our placard won a position in the Best 3 Placards/Logo designs, and we secured $100 more to add to our GESL fund. I wasn't expecting such a good result but it just shows how rewarding the experience is when there has a been a good amount of collaboration and the smelting of ideas/hard work together.

All the best for our future endeavours! Long live Ohana! :D