Learning Journey @ Comex

Task
What (marketing technique, gadget etc) did I notice at the exhibition that could be applied in (i) my work in ETD, (ii) teaching and learning?

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(i) Something 'caught' my eyes...
A gadget: The Multifunctional Camera System (5-in-1) ~ Casio YC-400 (cost at Comex was $2,288)

• This gadget comes with a digital camera and a stand.
• It has been in the market for 2 years.
• Indeed, the 5-in-1 gadget can act as a visualiser, scanner, digital camera, voice recorder and whiteboard capture function.
• The digital camera - detachable piece that takes picture (when used as 'just' a digital camera), records voice, and captures 'live' what's on the whiteboard, which can be captured in the PC/notebook computer the gadget is attached to... and of course, this already explains a 'sub-feature', ie. as a visualiser.
• However, to link up to the computer, the camera has to be connected to a stand with a connector. This connector is specially customised for this model of digital camera. As a result, the gadget does not offer that much flexibility as we would expect it to be.

What do I learn from this...

• For any design/plan: It is good to be comprehensive - it's just like when I was amazed by the many features that gadget comes with... the all-in-one concept... however, we need to offer flexibility, too... too rigid a structure may backfire, or overshadow the benefits the original intent (it's just like the gadget that works with only ONE type (one brand and one model only) of camera). This also explains why it has yet been popular in the market.

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(ii)... in Teaching and Learning...

Ironically, I was more attracted to the exhibition organised by the "Singapore Photographic Society" as compared to the many many gadgets around in Comex. However, there's certainly a reason why such an exhibition in an IT-related event... What's the thing that constantly we come across as we walked pass the booths? Digital Cameras!!! A very very wide range... saw an interesting one - ie. by Olympus - one that survives in water!!! OK, without any 'coat' to protect it! Digital cameras have become so cheap! With a couple of hundreds we can get one! Of course, there are very sophisticated and costly ones, too... OK, that's beside the point.

Indeed, it has become so affordable that schools can afford enough of such equipment for teaching and learning nowadays. Have been trying to promote the use of blogs in Maths learning... and images and blog can marry to work out interesting areas for pupils to explore indeed... This brings to one activity we did earlier this year - IBL in Maths teaching and learning - the activity provides pupils with opportunities to learn Maths beyond the classroom (at different phases of learning):

• As a trigger, pupils can go round in groups to capture pictures of objects - as far as they present 4-sided figures. Pupils can post them in the blogs and ask questions or comment on the 'findings' of each other.
• Alternatively, after exploring and having learnt the properties of specific 4-sided figures such as parallelogram and trapeziums, pupils capture pictures that illustrates these shapes and discuss how to check the properties of these shapes they took with the properties them listed out earlier. This activity not only consolidates the learning, it also helps to surface any misconception that needs to be addressed to, in a timely manner.