Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Reflection 2

Prior to our meeting, I was reading the PERI report. It was conceptualized to meet the changing trends in the education landscape. And it got me thinking about the need to stay relevant in today’s ever changing world. And I’m so glad that I have decided to pursue this course of study or else by 2015, I would be obsolete. ( Walking Dinosaur). Finally we had our first meeting on the 16th of Sept to discuss the issues related to the current initiatives. We listed the various initiatives starting from 1997 to date and each of us decided to read up more about the assigned initiative. Using the “jigsaw” method of as part of CL strategies would definitely enhance our learning. Having done that, we would post our learning on a common platform which Kong ( our IT hero) had so graciously agreed to set up. I had to source out information pertaining to NE. Thanks to technology, I came across this website which seemed to have everything I was searching for. Here’s the tricky part; how does this impact the learning of Maths? Will need to see how NE can be infused in the teaching of Maths since NE is not a subject per se.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Reflection 1

Back to school after a very long while Actually, I was quite tensed about attending the first lesson on Current Initiatives in Maths because I haven’t been teaching Maths for a long while. But the approach that Dr Yeap adopted very quickly settled my nerves. Bravo to you, Dr.Yeap.
I found the lecture very engaging and insightful. The lesson started with a hands-on approach and through the use of effective questioning, many underlying concepts were surfaced. It is amazing how a relatively simple activity such as forming squares can lead one to discover other aspects of concepts such as area etc. I believe this approach of self-discovery will have a greater impact on the pupils’ learning as they have ownership of their learning.
This inductive approach to portray the overview of the initiatives and the framework of the Maths Curriculum was indeed an eye opener for me. I was introduced to the framework before but the manner in which it was presented was very didactic. But today’s lecture, tied in very neatly some of the learning theories, principles behind the initiatives based on national needs and international trends. This comprehensive package had got thinking about how Maths is taught in schools where the pre-occupation is just the completion of the syllabus. If we are to equip our pupils to become “intellectually competent” we must firstly reflect on our beliefs. Sorry, I meant to capture a short entry, but when I started I just could not stop. Ha!Ha! Am looking forward to the group presentation.