2nd Week Summary

Self-Directed & Collaborative Learning with ICT

In this 2nd lesson of ICT, the focus was on self directed & collaborative learning. Self directed learning is seen by Knowles (1975) as a process in which 'individuals take the initiative, with or without help from others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating their learning goals; identifying resources and implementing appropriate learning strategies and evaluating their learning outcomes.' I feel that this is a vital component in the classroom as learning in this manner inspires a child to not only acquire knowledge but it will help produce a desire to obtain knowledge by oneself. This is useful as students develop within their own comfort zone where previously you had a standard lesson plan for all the various students.

Collaborative learning is similar but this is done in groups where students, through interaction, are able to learn and acquire new skills. This can be seen in various forms such as . ICT is also seen as a vital component of collaborative learning where it provides a useful platform where lively discussion can take place. A teacher in this case becomes the mediator too whereby he/she provides the student information which they can collectively analyze.

I think the videos highlighted a very ideal and perfect use of the two different learning methods. These case studies show how students are thoroughly engaged throughout the learning process and the use of ICT is also vital to this. It is also interesting how they used ICT as a way of tying the projects to reality where students were required to create a glasshouse where plants can be grown.

These two different learning methods is important in the classroom of today and the future as we move away from the monologic teaching to a dialogic style of communication. Students in this era should not be spoonfed and instead have a desire to not only learn by themselves but also through the constant communication with one's peers.

There are certainly some obstacles that I envision makes self-directed and collaborative learning an issue in the classroom environment of Singapore. Resources will be one such issue where there is simply not enough to go around. This is why the masterplan 3 is vital as MOE keeps itself constantly updated with the latest education tools that are evenly distributed amongst the different schools. Technology also cannot replace human interaction and the teacher/student relationship may be in danger if the student relies more often on wikipedia than the teacher.

In conclusion, self-directed and collaborative learning is indeed a new way of teaching the students and hopefully this raises students who are independent learners in their lives

1st lesson reflections

Dear lecturer/classmates/whomever that is reading this blog for reflection,

This is my first post regarding the ICT class that we just sat through in the previous week. It really looks like the school system has changed so much in the few years since I have left. From black to white (boards), from desk to laptops, the changes are quite innovative and this has enhanced the learning experience for the students of today. I am sure that there will be greater innovations such as the smartboard (which is to me a wonderful learning tool) that will be implemented by schools in the future.

As an future educator, I thus find it essential to keep myself completely up to date with the latest technological advances so I can seek to incorporate this into my classes. Applications such as twitter can be a wonderful learning tool where the students post short notes regarding their feelings regarding the class and help create meaningful dialogue amongst the students and the teacher.

But all this technology can also be a hindrance too as students may become too focused on what is on the screen and ignore the importance of human interaction. This digital age has brought about certain problems such as gaming and internet addiction where children forsake their daily activities in lieu of using their computer. We thus should adopt technology with careful steps as it can become a roadblock in the path of learning.

I thus hope that this ICT class will be a good stepping stone that will aid me in becoming a better teacher