Relections on week 2 of QED 522: 9th August 2007

K: What I already KNOW about this week’s topic

As mentioned last week, many of the schools in Singapore already have some degree of ICT integration in their school system, be it using PowerPoint slides for lessons or bringing the class to the computer lab for graph plotting during Math lessons. I am also aware that some schools have converted the textbook into softcopy form, fully assessable by using a tablet laptop, which also enables the student to take down notes into the ‘textbook’ by directing writing on the tablet pc itself

W: What I WANT to learn

I wanted to see if there were any novel ways of integrating ICT into the classroom environment besides the few conventional ways that most schools use.

L: What I LEARNED this week

The visit to the COTF was an eye-opening experience: the high level of connectivity and interaction between the teacher and the students in that kind of environment really impressed me. Moreover, learning could be done in not just only the classroom, but even when the student is travelling or at home. The palmtops that the students use in the COTF are extremely mobile and makes learning on the go a reality. Apart from formal classroom teaching, the COTF can also aid in most scientific research projects as it is extremely convenient to link-up with other students or professors all around the world.

The videos also showed us some ways of managing the class when in the computer lab. However, I doubt that the students in most secondary schools will be as receptive to instruction as those kids in the videos.

Q: What QUESTIONS I still have

Firstly, how far are we from implementing the COTF in our classrooms? By the looks of it, even if we had the technology to do it, not many schools have the right environment and expertise to operate these gadgets. Moreover, classroom sizes right now are too big to implement COTF effectively. Secondly, would the implementation of technology marginalize the students who are not so well off financially? Some of the poorer students would have trouble buying a tablet pc or a palmtop and would probably feel too embarrassed by their financial situation to ask for help.