Session 2: Engaging Learning Environment with IT? (Video Discussion)

Creativity in lessons depends very much on how teachers view what needs to be taught. In S'pore, most of us grew up in an environment that seeked to transmit knowledge as if it was static. I remember being asked to do project work and research meant going to the library and sourcing for the relevant books and/or encyclopedia and trying to analyse and synthesize the different viewpoints as written in them. Pictures to be added would generally be photostated black and white copies of the books and these were then touched up by adding borders using magic ink. Times have certainly changed and in over a decade, pictures are now printed in colour with information being obtained from google. But although the medium seems to have changed, the pedagogical aspect is lacking behind.

Authenticity in terms of learning hasn't quite seeped in yet probably due to the emphasis of completing the syllabus and the type of assessment structure that we have which require us to answer questions in piecemeal due to the separation of disciplines. Even Republic Poly's problem-based learning which was meant to overcome this dissection between education and reality has issues that it is not quite authentic learning and pupils feel being "spoon-fed" with information may make them more knowledgable. But this is actually where mindset change needs to come in.

Knowledge as seen in yesterday's world is no longer about who has access to the most information being declared the winner. For information is now accessible to all. It's more about interpretation of information. It's about understanding the big ideas and making use of current and authentic scenarios in pupils lives as a springboard to teach concepts so that they can connect better with the world around them. This is the essence of the constructivist theory of building on prior knowledge. And by helping them build connections now, concepts learnt can be transferred to other unknown scenarios in the uncertain future.

Where does IT come in? Computers in the classroom must move from just being terminals for word processing but making use of spreadsheets to calculate information that could have been gleaned from the net during the lesson. Teachers role is to prepare material that guides pupils in obtaining these information for themselves. They could make use of sms/video conferencing technology that require them to sms/video answers to their teachers or even someone on the other side of the country (or even globe) to find out what the weather is there right that moment and do an interview. The use of blogs and eportfolios can be used to document their journey in learning and comment on one another's thoughts to further grow ideas. It indirectly requires them to exercise more responsibility before expressing their ideas and writing is a medium of getting the mind to synthesize what their have learnt.

However in coming back to creating an engaging learning environment, it's about knowing what is the big idea expected in the curriculum. Teachers must be given the time and space to know what needs to be taught and experience counts. Those who are still grasping the content to be taught won't have the time to come up with new ways of teaching and combining different aspects of the curriculum into coherent parts. This is a real issue for teachers that need to teach different levels within the same calendar year and with frequent changes to the syllabus.

New technology can be used to improve teaching; this comes with knowing what needs to be taught first.