Teaching Goes High School

The humble pen and paper might soon give way completely to a laptop and mouse. PEARLYN KOH speaks to teachers and parents on how technology is changing the way our children learn.

At Microsoft’s annual Innovative Education Forum held in Brazil on November 4th, its vice-president for worldwide education programmes, Antony Salcito told The Straits Times that many countries are looking at how Singapore has effectively used technology in schools. 


Salcito called for a more holistic approach to the role of technology instead of using it superficially. He cited BackPack.NET, a $20 million project started in 2003 by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Microsoft Singapore. In this project, students are supplied tablet PCs, enabling them to learn in and out of the classroom.


Students at Beacon Primary School for instance, write compositions on their tablet PCs with their styluses, and upload images they have taken themselves to eventually churn out a digital story.
Over at Tampines Primary School, teachers use interactive white boards with touch-sensitive screens and relevant software to illustrate mathematics and science concepts in 3D glory. 


Even those who are not completely wired up have done away with traditional white or blackboard teaching and have turned to lessons projected via the computer. All schools have put in place e-learning days where children stay home and take instructions online, do their tasks and chat with friends and teachers. Kids who do not have computers or internet access are expected to come to school and work in the school’s computer lab.

And indeed, Singapore will take one step closer to embracing technology completely come January 2010 when the School of Science and Technology will open its doors to the first batch of students, all of whom are expected to own a MacBook.

So ready or not, technology is now part and parcel of education in Singapore, and along with it the boon and bane, for teachers and parents.

Benefits

Mathematics Teacher at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), Tan Chee Wee feels technology makes it easy for both fast and slower learners. Lesson materials are available 24/7 online and students are able to pick up concepts at their own pace and timing. 


“Students can decide if they like to go slower (for those who wish to explore in greater depth) or faster (for the fast-learners). At the end of the day, we teachers will try to remind them to complete certain tasks or lessons based on these online activities,” said Tan.  Online learning activities also take away the need for teachers to manage noise in a physical classroom. 


“Teachers can now interact with every single individual at their own time without neglecting others. Students ask more in-depth questions when they have more time with the teachers on the online learning platform,” said Tan.
Education consultant, Janice Chuah adds that with technology, teachers become guides and facilitators. 
“Students take more responsibility of their own learning. In the past a teacher had to explain the human digestive system using charts and diagram via the ‘chalk-and-talk’ method.’’

“These days, students watch videos and 3D animation that illustrate the processes clearly and at the same time encourages interactivity through numerous hyperlinks,” said Chuah, who used to head the IT department in a primary school.Agreeing with Chuah on how e-learning has helped students is working mother of three, Chan Miu Yin.

“When lessons are presented in an interactive manner, my son who is in primary five is often motivated to complete the work by himself as compared to the traditional homework.  As feedback is almost instantaneous, it allows him to learn a concept fully,” said Chan. 

For housewife Celine Tan, technology, specifically the Internet, has helped in her daughter’s homework as she entered secondary school this year.


“When she asked me about the nutritional values of food, I have no idea how to help her. So I told her to surf the Internet,” she said. 

She is quick to add about how this benefit can sometimes be a drawback too.

Negative Consequences

A common complaint parents have is how easily distracted their children are when they are on the computer and this seems par for the course.

“My daughter tells me she’s doing her homework. But when I enter the room, she quickly toggles to another screen. She’s probably watching You Tube or is on Facebook.  I do allow her to go on such sites, but only under my supervision and limited to one hour a day,” says Tan.

Chan has also observed that her son is now more distracted with MSN messages and online gaming as he spends more time on the Internet due to online assignments.

“As he gets exposed to e-learning, he has also learnt about computer gaming from his classmates – something he had no interest in previously.


“The biggest worry I have is this virtual world built round him with facebooking and gaming, and he sometimes forgets to return to the real world. There are codes and languages that we parents do not understand and as a result, they close the virtual world to us.  


“The control of his time on computers has also led to tension between us as he doesn’t fully appreciate the rationale of our control,” said Chan.


Wong highlighted another challenge brought about by the use of technology in schools: that all families have the necessary tech tools to deliver homework requirements.


“Sometimes, the homework involves getting photos, scanning images, etc, for projects like ‘My Family Tree. It is presumptuous to think that all families have the equipment and/or know-how to help kids with such homework. It's tough even for relatively tech-savvy parents like us, and there's no way to let the kids ‘do it themselves’ as it often involves scanning photos or trawling through digital family photo albums,” said Wong.


But that seems a mere logistical issue – if Singapore is serious about using technology to teach it will ensure all children have access to hardware and software, regardless of whether they can afford it. And the time will arrive when all classrooms will be completely wired up which means the sooner parents get onto the broadband bandwagon, the better for their children.

You can visit www.teacher.janicechuah.com for useful information.