Learning & Reflections @ 4th ICET (21-22 Nov 2007)

Official website: Home Page, Programme
Conference Blog: http://icet-2007-blog.blogspot.com/

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Into the Learning...

1. Keynote Address 1: Preparing Students for the Digital Age (by RADM (NS) Ronnie Tay, IDA)

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2. Keynote Address 2: Immersive, Collaborative Simulations and Neomillenial Learning Styles: Implications for Education (by Prof Christopher Dede, Harvard's School of Graduate Education, USA)

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3. Keynote Address 3: 2020 Vision of Future Learning

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4. IDA Track 2A: Serious Games for Learning - Industry Sharing on Development of Games for Learning (Siddharth Jain, Playware Studios Asia, S'pore)

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5. Specialty Track 6A: 1-to1 computing - (i) Strategies in Adopting 1-to-1 computing: Our Experience in Crescent Girls' School (ii) Case Examples of Lessons Taught in a 1-to-1 Computing Environment (by Crescent Girls' School)

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6. Specialty Track 6A: 1-to1 computing - (iii) Collaboration and Management Tools to Support 1-to-1 Computing (by Lim Soon Jin, HeuLab Pte Ltd)

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7. Keynote Address 4: Emerging Trends in Interactive Digital Media and their Impact on Education (by AP Leong Mun Kew, Institute of Infocomm Research, S'pore)

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8. Gaming Session: Active Learning through Gaming (by AP Angelican Khoo, NIE S'pore)

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9. IDA Track 2C: iLAB2015 - Sharing by FutureLab's "Teachers as Innovators" Project

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10. IDA Track 2C: iLAB2015 - Sharing on iLAB2015 Initiative in Singapore

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11. Researcher Track 1D: The 3Cs in Educational Technology: Connect, Communicate and Collaborate (by Dr Manu Kapur, NIE S'pore)

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12. Researcher Track 1D: Wikis ,Blogs, Aggregrators and Office 2.0 - Democratizing the Student Learning Process (by Mike Leishman, Newsman College, Perth)

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Exhibition by Schools

• A total of 8 primary and 2 secondary Schools showcased their projects in the exhibition. Visited the booths of the following schools:
• St Anthony's Primary School showcased the use of the interactive and graphic tablets for learning activities. It makes bringing technology into the classroom so much easily done.
• What's used: Not tablet PCs, but tablet boards that are light and smooth, and no screen to get scratched! There are 2 types of tablets involved: one for teachers, which as similar to that of the tablet PC. The other one for pupils is just a scribbling pad, that pupils 'write' on it with a stylus. They can easily 'erase' what they wrote by 'rubbing' the screen with the other end of the stylus, just like they use the pencil.
• In groups, pupils discuss and input their responses, which will be immediately displayed on the projected screen. Other groups could respond by scribbling their inputs on the graphic tablet issued to the group.
• Teacher can also provide feedback from the interactive tablet.
• In Hougang Primary, a group of chinese teachers developed a software to help pupils to learn chinese idioms.
• How different it is compared to the normal learning? Shared by the pupils, idioms are usually illustrated with ancient stories (that they can't quite relate to). So, teachers get pupils to contribute their stories (based on their observations and encounters). These are translated into sentences where pupils attempt "fill in the blank" exercises.
• Another "innovative" idea is playing the "Hide-and-Match" game. The 4 characters in the idiom is broken into 2 parts and pupils are to match the 2 cards to form the correct idiom.
• Click HERE to see photos

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This year, ICET took place at Republic Polytechnic @ Woodlands.

• The organisers were pretty thoughtful, arranging the shuttle service to ferry participants from the MRT station to the polytechnic. AFI: It would certainly be better if there were signs at the pick-up station... though there were a few huge buses waiting there, could not see any sign indicating they were heading for RP. Also, there weren't any signage leading to the shuttle serivce pick-up point at RP.
• Food, food, food... AFI: It's the first time there's not enough food!
• Conference package: Except the few notes pages that come together with the programme, there wasn't any written papers! AFI: Paper not enough!
• Something new: Conference blog & sms service to send questions to keynote speakers. Have gone to the conference blog several times, does not seem popular with the participants. Hm... the intent is not clear, probably... as a platform for participants to ask further questions? to clarify further?
• Don't recall any feedback form issued together with the conference package... or seeing any links in the official website pertaining to feedback... Just wonder... no inputs implies no improvement needed? Then no channel for inputs implies the confidence in the execution of processes relating to the event?