Classroom of the Future (COTF) Live!
COTF Live! is a showcase setup to display the possibilities of using technology to empower learning. The showcase hinges on our belief in creating a learning environment that engages all students in:
- Knowledge building
- Discovery learning
- Learning unlimited by the constraints of place and time
- Technology-empowered global communities
Sounds like I should get some of my fellow teachers to visit this amazing classroom together. Should be an eye opener.
Here’s how IT-savvy a Singapore school is
From TechXav:
Touted as “one of the most wired countries in the world“, Singaporeans second most tech savvy in the world as one of the most avid owners and consumers globally of entertainment technology. According to a survey conducted by Nielsen, Singapore also emerged as the country with the highest rate of mobile phone ownership in the world, with a penetration rate of 129.7%. The statistics mean that many Singaporeans own at least one or two mobile phones. Besides these, it’s a common sight to see teenagers interacting with their friends on Facebook, Twitter and MSN. Blogging is also a popular pastime by students.
As for today, I’ll narrow down my scope to how tech-savvy schools in Singapore are. In this post, I’ll share my personal experience as a 15-Year-Old student studying in Maris Stella.
From a Singapore student’s pespective. Although I must say Maris Stella is one of the more IT-savvy schools, it basically reflects the direction Singapore schools are moving.
“My first blog”
Recently I happened to pop by 2 lower primary classes (7 to 8 years old) to help out with E Learning lessons in the absence of the IT trainer. These kids already learnt touch typing and basic word processing using Microsoft Word the past few months. Little did I know they have never blog!
I demonstrated how to publish a blog using the school LMS blog module. It is a very basic one based on a supposedly outdated WordPress version. I taught the kids blogging is something like writing a diary online which can be read by everybody. Then I instructed the kids to blog on the topic “My first blog” . Before the end of the lesson, I showcased some nice blogs.
The kids were ecstatic! Frankly, it has been a long while I seen kids so enthusiastic about blogging.
Some thoughts:
1. Kids love to try new things, especially when it is IT-related.
2. As kids grow older, ‘tried technology’ failed to ignite their learning passion.
3. Teachers play an important role in engaging kids in IT-related activities. They must be constantly updated and get in touch with kids’ learning needs and behaviour.
Unboxing and first look at the new HansVision PX2051 e-Dictionary (White)
My unboxing and first look at the new HansVision PX2051 e-Dictionary (White). Commentary done in Mandarin.
Office 2010: The Movie
An amusing video on the upcoming Office 2010. Pretty cool stuff too. Anyway I am still using Office 2003 :p
We should cultivate students’ online learning habits
From Lianhe Zaobao 3 July 2009:
In view of the spreading of H1N1, I agree with the writer that we should cultivate students’ online learning habits. However that involves going beyond classroom teaching for teachers as well. Are educators here ready for it?
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