The emotional, social and spiritual(relation with something greater than yourself) dimensions are often not as strongly emphasized in Singapore, even tough we have some very good programs. It is particularly critical in an environment where both parents are working, and there is little interaction time between parent (or other caregivers) and child. Their maturity in these areas are a little behind. What is pertinent for us to note that some studies in USA have shown that focus on SEL has a direct correlation with improvement in academic grades of between 11 to 17%, based on a study of more than 900 schools. This is significant. Often those with little guidance have a low adversity quotient and tend to manifest their coping mechanisms in very negative behavior. Three foundational principles that our teaching needs to get across are:
1. Everyone experiences adversity
2. Everyone experiences multiple influences
3. Humans have free will - the internal locus of behavior lies with us as we choose our behavior
4. Every choice has a consequence
I particularly like the behavior car metaphor with the analogy of all of us traveling on the road of life and that we are constantly faced with choices. Roads can be rough, there may be inclement weather, there may be engine trouble or flat tires - these situations are opportunities for us to exercise choice. There may also be external influences such as other drivers on the roadnthat impact our choice, back seat drivers that can be an irritation - Good drivers however, wil be able to control their vehicles despite rough conditions - external Influences to these drivers are not limitations, as they act and think in a manner that is in their best interest.
Total behavior concept involves 4 elements: Acting, thinking, feelings and physiology. Acting and thinking are akin to the front wheels of a car that determine the direction we take. We must regulate our emotions by thinking about our feelings so that we act in an appropriate way.
We need to infuse some ofnthese ideas in our CCAs but also weave these in to our academic lessons where possible to teach students' life lessons. In particular the humanities and languages along with ethical issues of science are ideal for several analogies to be shared and explored. We must see the process as just important as the product when teaching. Our school children do need a lot of guidance to manage their raging emotions to help build stability in their lives...we must not take these for granted and avoid labeling children as they come with different influences and will need a safe and nurturing environment to help guide them out of the turmoil they are in.
Teachers need time to plan and teach effectively. They are also being evaluated For several other competencies. Are we e expecting too much of teachers and how then do we reconcile the work to be done such teachers have enough time to think, rest, eat, reflect and enrich the lives of all the stakeholders of school...
Aziz
Saturday, April 9, 2011
What do teachers really need in the 21st century to educate a child?
One thing that has struck a resonant chord with me is that teachers need in-depth knowledge of how to plan lessons. While NIE gives us templates and highlights the need for stirring activities and gives us a sense of progression in our lesson, teachers have never been trained to teach for understanding - the focus and structures shared are always with a content bias. This served us well in the past but will no longer hold credence in a world where we are inundated with information and the need to make sense and meaning of it has become critical - it is now about teaching for understanding. No amount of education in the different pedagogical approaches will sufficiently equip our teachers with the ability to teach for understanding.
One would think it natural for teachers to teach for understanding, but even our CRPP studies have highlighted the high focus on content dissemination. Wiggins and McTighe noted that there was a Worldwide trend among educators who struggled to come up with essential questions that would lead to students attaining enduring understanding. Often educators get caught up in the operations of things and focus on the minutae. We need to spend more time to think through what exactly we want students to learn and why, so that we can design approaches, questions and assessments that will help students achieve a depth of understanding and teachers are able to track their level of progress. Understanding by design is an ideal curriculum design framework that can be paired with all sorts of pedagogies to fulfill our goals for 21st century education! The planning and questions crafted will help teachers be more adept facilitators of information to bring students into a discussion on a variety of issues. In order for thought to be activated in the classroom Wiggins and McTighe advocate 5 ways to do this:
1. Posing problems
2. Share discrepancies and get students to reconcile them
3. Have puzzles for students to solve
4. Ask open ended questions from different perspectives
5. Provide a variety of challenges to students in the classroom such that they need to think of solutions
This would need planning in scaffolding, in ensuring wait time as teachers often are impatient for quick answers. It is noted by many of the speakers in the conference that teaching for understanding is almost the opposite of teaching for acquisition (content).
In the past, schools could focus on drilling and achieve results. This will slowly fade away as exam formats change. The predictability of the questions and the type of answers required will vary from year to year, so the emphasis of mastery of content will be reduced and a greater emphasis on teaching for understanding will be required. We need to take a quick leaflet from Marzano's research on how people learn, and note that while we are good with the stage 1 of acquisition, there is lots of room for improvement in the areas of making meaning and transfer of learning. All 3 elements will make for a comprehensive 21st century approach to T&L.
Therefore the questions we need to ask are:
1. What must NIE do to their present teachers' education programme to prepare us for the 21st century?
2. How can school's have structures that better incentivize desired teaching behavior?
3. What will the roles of the STS,MTS,HODS,SHS and even CPDD officers be in education such that there is an integrated approach, that removes "turf wars" and ensures that maximum learning and benefit is derived for anyone seeking help?
Aziz
One would think it natural for teachers to teach for understanding, but even our CRPP studies have highlighted the high focus on content dissemination. Wiggins and McTighe noted that there was a Worldwide trend among educators who struggled to come up with essential questions that would lead to students attaining enduring understanding. Often educators get caught up in the operations of things and focus on the minutae. We need to spend more time to think through what exactly we want students to learn and why, so that we can design approaches, questions and assessments that will help students achieve a depth of understanding and teachers are able to track their level of progress. Understanding by design is an ideal curriculum design framework that can be paired with all sorts of pedagogies to fulfill our goals for 21st century education! The planning and questions crafted will help teachers be more adept facilitators of information to bring students into a discussion on a variety of issues. In order for thought to be activated in the classroom Wiggins and McTighe advocate 5 ways to do this:
1. Posing problems
2. Share discrepancies and get students to reconcile them
3. Have puzzles for students to solve
4. Ask open ended questions from different perspectives
5. Provide a variety of challenges to students in the classroom such that they need to think of solutions
This would need planning in scaffolding, in ensuring wait time as teachers often are impatient for quick answers. It is noted by many of the speakers in the conference that teaching for understanding is almost the opposite of teaching for acquisition (content).
In the past, schools could focus on drilling and achieve results. This will slowly fade away as exam formats change. The predictability of the questions and the type of answers required will vary from year to year, so the emphasis of mastery of content will be reduced and a greater emphasis on teaching for understanding will be required. We need to take a quick leaflet from Marzano's research on how people learn, and note that while we are good with the stage 1 of acquisition, there is lots of room for improvement in the areas of making meaning and transfer of learning. All 3 elements will make for a comprehensive 21st century approach to T&L.
Therefore the questions we need to ask are:
1. What must NIE do to their present teachers' education programme to prepare us for the 21st century?
2. How can school's have structures that better incentivize desired teaching behavior?
3. What will the roles of the STS,MTS,HODS,SHS and even CPDD officers be in education such that there is an integrated approach, that removes "turf wars" and ensures that maximum learning and benefit is derived for anyone seeking help?
Aziz
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My Reflections
How time flies! I could almost still smell the morning air of Singapore when the group reported at Changi Airport on the 21st March. Now, I find myself typing away in the hotel room with mixed feelings. The conference has come to an end and I will be homeward bound soon.
The Annual Conference has given me insights and new perspectives to what education is about and where it is heading. With the congregation of educators from other parts of the world, it facilitated exchange of ideas and riched conversations. Truly, the global education claimed its vision and direction of preparing the young generation for the future. It is about equipping the next generation with the essential skills to deal with the unknown and dynamic future. The ASCD President emphasized the importance of the 21st century skills and its a calling for all educators to recognise the paradigm shift in the way we teach our students.
In light of modern technology, it has certainly made the 21st century skills indeniably profound. Through the many presentations at the conference, the amount of webtools out there simply blew my mind away! I learnt that 21st century skills is not just simply a set of 'survival skills' for the future. It cannot be taught! It is a habit to acquire; it is a mindset to inculcate; it is an attitude to develop. Hence, the acquisition of the 21st century skills must cut across curriculum and forms the basis of teaching methodology. It is a culture!
It would be a challenge to challenge the teachers in school to embrace the 21st century skills and infuse teaching methods into their lesson delivery which would bring about deeper understanding and ownership of learning on the part of the students. It would also be a challenge to infuse 21st century skills into the formal curriculum through pedagogies like Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Inquiry Based Learning by harnessing modern technology.
Through some of the sessions I attended which discussed about uniting formative assessment with reflective practice, it gave me some insights to organise assessments and testing in the area of physical education. In addition the Presidio Middle School visit also provided some sample and reference model of measuring student outcomes in physical education. I believe I would be able to bring this information and learning back to my fellow PE teachers and start a discourse about formulating assessment criteria.
Amidst the rich learning, the trip has been most smooth and enjoyable. My fellow participants were most accommodating, fun loving and made the trip memorable and fruitful. I have also learnt a lot from the daily debriefs in the evenings. The rich conversations that sparked during the discourse has been very enlightening as we related our experience in the day. I enjoyed the sessions of debriefs.
I want to thank Ms Soh for being such a wonderful group leader in making this trip so rich in learning yet so enjoyable in experience. Apart from handling the administrative and logistics matters of the trip, Ms Soh set clear directions for all and created a safe environment for sharing of ideas during the debrief. Ms Soh has been very professional as the leader of the group and we have indeed benefited much from her leadership.
It has been a wonderful trip of learning and I am very glad to be given the opportunity to see the beauty San Francisco as a city by the bay.
Written by: Aubury Ong
The Annual Conference has given me insights and new perspectives to what education is about and where it is heading. With the congregation of educators from other parts of the world, it facilitated exchange of ideas and riched conversations. Truly, the global education claimed its vision and direction of preparing the young generation for the future. It is about equipping the next generation with the essential skills to deal with the unknown and dynamic future. The ASCD President emphasized the importance of the 21st century skills and its a calling for all educators to recognise the paradigm shift in the way we teach our students.
In light of modern technology, it has certainly made the 21st century skills indeniably profound. Through the many presentations at the conference, the amount of webtools out there simply blew my mind away! I learnt that 21st century skills is not just simply a set of 'survival skills' for the future. It cannot be taught! It is a habit to acquire; it is a mindset to inculcate; it is an attitude to develop. Hence, the acquisition of the 21st century skills must cut across curriculum and forms the basis of teaching methodology. It is a culture!
It would be a challenge to challenge the teachers in school to embrace the 21st century skills and infuse teaching methods into their lesson delivery which would bring about deeper understanding and ownership of learning on the part of the students. It would also be a challenge to infuse 21st century skills into the formal curriculum through pedagogies like Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Inquiry Based Learning by harnessing modern technology.
Through some of the sessions I attended which discussed about uniting formative assessment with reflective practice, it gave me some insights to organise assessments and testing in the area of physical education. In addition the Presidio Middle School visit also provided some sample and reference model of measuring student outcomes in physical education. I believe I would be able to bring this information and learning back to my fellow PE teachers and start a discourse about formulating assessment criteria.
Amidst the rich learning, the trip has been most smooth and enjoyable. My fellow participants were most accommodating, fun loving and made the trip memorable and fruitful. I have also learnt a lot from the daily debriefs in the evenings. The rich conversations that sparked during the discourse has been very enlightening as we related our experience in the day. I enjoyed the sessions of debriefs.
I want to thank Ms Soh for being such a wonderful group leader in making this trip so rich in learning yet so enjoyable in experience. Apart from handling the administrative and logistics matters of the trip, Ms Soh set clear directions for all and created a safe environment for sharing of ideas during the debrief. Ms Soh has been very professional as the leader of the group and we have indeed benefited much from her leadership.
It has been a wonderful trip of learning and I am very glad to be given the opportunity to see the beauty San Francisco as a city by the bay.
Written by: Aubury Ong
Monday, March 28, 2011
Differentiating Instruction and 21st Century Skills : Preparing All Learners for the World Ahead
Presenter : Carol Tomlinson, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Tomlinson highlighted that the power of 21st century learning is undeniable. While this is so, there are apparent gaps in the level of preparedness for crafting 21st century classrooms. Educators need to better understand the attributes of the 21st century skills, how to craft curriculum that authentically draws on those skills, methods of instruction that literally change students' mindset and how to support all students in becoming 21st centiry learners.
Tomlinson spelt out the attributes of 21st century educators as follows :
Tomlinson also emphasised that students need the following to learn :
Why Would We Do This?
Assessment? Varied routes to learn about students’ starting points
Key Questions :
Khalid Kudabar
Tomlinson highlighted that the power of 21st century learning is undeniable. While this is so, there are apparent gaps in the level of preparedness for crafting 21st century classrooms. Educators need to better understand the attributes of the 21st century skills, how to craft curriculum that authentically draws on those skills, methods of instruction that literally change students' mindset and how to support all students in becoming 21st centiry learners.
Tomlinson spelt out the attributes of 21st century educators as follows :
- One with a growth mindset. This is an educator who believes in the fact that success comes from effort. The educator with this mindset changes the profile of the students under her so that students are positive and not averse to chance and learning. The key role of such an educator is to make school work for students. This is different from an educator with a fixed mindset. Such an educator thinks that only smart students succeed, genetics and the environment determine what educators can do in the classrooms.
- One that provides rich content knowledge. This is an educator who allows earning to take place in a rich environment with ample opportunities for students to explore and make meaning out of a rich environment to learn.
- One who is flexible with instructions and management. Such an educator is not fixed on ways of dealing with students and sees various avenues and methods for educating students under her charge. This of course comes with good preparation which may include collaboration with other teachers. Tomlinson also highlighted the need for educators to know the students she is teaching, how to teach , lead students to contribute to the lesson's common vision and mission.
Tomlinson also emphasised that students need the following to learn :
- Acceptance
- Understanding
- Respect
- Belonging
- Contribution
- Challenge/Support
- Purpose
- A Balanced Success-to-Effort Ratio
Why Would We Do This?
- To grow
- Because we aren’t carbon copies of each other
- Because each of us has the need to develop our talents and shore up our weak points
- We like different things, learn in different ways and have different talents
- Sometimes different books, activities, homework, projects
- Different individuals and groups doing different things
- Different spans of time
- Need to focus on my task
- Be a colleague
- Starting class/group work
- Stopping class/group work
- Anchor activities
- Getting help
- Keeping records
- Setting goals
- Learning routines (books, furniture)
Assessment? Varied routes to learn about students’ starting points
- Interest surveys
- Writing samples
- Mini observations
- Skills inventories
- Small group dialogues
Key Questions :
- What are our perceptions of our students, especially so the weaker ones ?
- What are the beliefs that propel highly effective teaching? Highly effective differentiation?
- To what degree do our teachers see themselves as leaders vs. managers of students?
- How clearly does our school describe & support a learning environment?
Khalid Kudabar
Physical Education and Recess Environments: Keys to Success
It is most timely that this session is available at the Annual Conference and has generated significant attention in the physical education fraternity around the world. In line with the increasing emphasis of sports safety and providing a safe environment during formal and informal physical activities at home, it is the responsibility of the educator to create and ensure safety.
The speaker, Carrie Flint, shared that it is imperative to create a safe environment for students to engage in physical activities both in the physical playing area as well as the psychological realm. Using the concept of 'Peaceful Playgrounds', Carrie Flint urged all physical educators to set basic ground rules in all playing areas.
She established that in order to set basic expectations that work in schools, they have to be well communicated to all members, maintain consistency and demand commitment from all. It requires a common set of rules to be consistent.
Safety rules have to be devised thoroughly and communicated through multiple channels to both the staff and all students. The safety rules have to visible and clear even at the playing areas. It is important to teach the students the value of respect while engaged in physical activities. The need for respect for otheres as well as the equipment they use.
There are many ways in which the physical educator could adopt and reference from the website http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/
Aubury Ong
The speaker, Carrie Flint, shared that it is imperative to create a safe environment for students to engage in physical activities both in the physical playing area as well as the psychological realm. Using the concept of 'Peaceful Playgrounds', Carrie Flint urged all physical educators to set basic ground rules in all playing areas.
She established that in order to set basic expectations that work in schools, they have to be well communicated to all members, maintain consistency and demand commitment from all. It requires a common set of rules to be consistent.
Safety rules have to be devised thoroughly and communicated through multiple channels to both the staff and all students. The safety rules have to visible and clear even at the playing areas. It is important to teach the students the value of respect while engaged in physical activities. The need for respect for otheres as well as the equipment they use.
There are many ways in which the physical educator could adopt and reference from the website http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/
Aubury Ong
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Engaged Student = Better-performed Student, PBL as a tool
It is believed that when students are engaged in their learning, they perform better. This workshop focused on how to engage student via Project-based Learning (PBL). A project involves the whole spectrum: doing research, selecting the suitable information, analysing the data collected, presenting the findings etc. It does not just refer to the final product. The 3 factors which promote student engagement are: autonomy, mastery and purpose. It is challenging to both to design a project-based assignment and to assess one. However, the BBK template (Build Background Knowledge) can help teachers design such an assignment. To assess, teachers may follow the 8 strategies of learning.
 |
| Meaningful project: sale proceeds to help the community |
 |
| Another wonderful end-product |
Engaging the 21st century child : relevance and curiosity
Questioning is an approach advocated at many sessions over the past week, so perhaps I would raise a few questions for us all to think about. J
To engage children in learning, almost all presenters put RELEVANCE is a key tenet. Initially, I thought we all know what relevance means. But on second thoughts, I have 2 questions:
1. Is relevance to the real world necessarily mean relevance to the child? E.g., teaching Mathematics and Science through a problem on Soccer and World Cup would be considered relevant to the real world. However, there may be students in the class who have zero interest in soccer and do not care about why 23 men are running after 1 ball. So is relevance to the real world sufficient to engage our children?
2. Children are naturally curious. But they may not be curious about everything under the sky … and beyond. While we make learning relevant to them, how do we nurture their curiosity in a wider scheme of things?
Lai Leng
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)