Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Youth Olympics Games (YOG) Learning Centre

Made a trip to the YOG Learning Centre 'cos was running out of ideas for lesson design - to integrate the YOG theme into ICT-enabled learning activities to learn Maths. What a tall order for someone who know little about games! Ah! Maybe except Volleyball? Saw a couple of lessons in the package produced by CPDD. Though could enhance them with ICT use, it's still not as good as understanding the spirit behind the event before penning down any ideas (to be 'sold' to teachers!). The website provides a pretty good overview... still, think nothing beats seeing the real exhibition.

The YOG Learning Centre is located at 1 Kay Siang Road, just beside the old MOE building. It comes with 2 stories... was told more exhibits coming in... (ok... there's always continuous enhancement?!). Was lucky to have Eric, one of the personnel overseeing the area to brief me on the exhibits. Very helpful guide... giving backgrounds of some of the displays, etc... Ah! Could sense the pride from this ex-SAF officer! Yes, the pride of every Singaporean! When the island country is entrusted to host this privileged international event!

The Beijing Olympics Torch

The Olympic torch from Beijing (which, I was told, it weighs more than 1 kg) that was handed to Singapore when announced that Singapore is hosting the very 1st YOG!







Something interesting about the fitting... if you hold the torch for a short while, the sensor will activate an audioclip which was the noise one heard at Beijing Birdnest when the flame was litted up.


The Friendship Mural




The Games
Here are the games that Singapore is hosting... one that's uniquely of YOG is Basketball - the game has been modified to become 3-3 Basketball. In order words, there'll be 3 players from each team and the size of the court will be halved.

About some of the games...



Locations of the various Games (tentative)




Values of Olympics: Respect, Friendship, Excellence

Here are the 3 values - in the spirit of YOG. Not sure if it's purposely ordered in this manner... 友谊第一,比赛第二。



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YOG website: http://www.singapore2010.sg/night/index.htm

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Emphasis...

Just wonder... how many people had actually taken a good look at this mural? Recall seeing it somewhere? It's no other than the main reception area in MOE HQ building. Had not taken a good look at it (from this perspective) till got the chance to sit on the sofa facing it while waiting for someone. There's a brief about this... think it said, was jointly completed by representatives of 308 or 309 schools then...

Just wondering... are what's reflected on the mural representative of MOE's directions and emphasis in education?
Some catchy words... the one with the biggest font - INNOVATION and pH value!!! Other words... Creativity, Sports, Discipline, Sports, Pride, Courtesy, Maths, Vision,... and a recognisable computer system... Ah! Where's language? where's Humanities? where's Aesthetics and Arts? Hm... is this reflective of our all-rounded education?

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

It's Celebration Time!

Transformation...
from our familiar i-Corner

to
a place of Celebration!!!

& pleasant surprises...


snapshots... when "lesson critique" turn "food critique"




Saturday, December 06, 2008

It's Makan Time... It's Farewell Time...

Experience, is the best gift... and the biggest takeaway in the 3 years @ ETD. 2 things that I refer to... Experience - the process; Experience - the end-product.

Experience, the process... everyone contributed to it, every entity around me, including myself. It's the everyday experience (it's environmental) - big or small: The nod acknowledging good work, the reassuring smile that relieves anxiety, the little notes that warm the heart, a casual Hi... to the draining and (sometimes) heated discussion, those footsteps that tell the change of weather, and even those "killer looks", etc... Some of them sound funny :D but all these made up the colourful experience I have @ Level 14. Yes, without them, it would be a boring 3-year stay! Hahaha....

It's an intensive 3-year 'course' - like a roller coaster ride. There are smooth and rocky times; there are ups and downs; not forgetting the happy times and turbulence too! (hahaha) Yes, it's the contrasts that made life more interesting and (sometimes) unpredictable here. That's part of growing up! All these made up the memorable chapter in my learning journey.


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Baseline ICT Standards accompanied me since Day 1 when I joined ETD... I was privileged to be involved in the project in its early stage - From piloting the standards in Primary schools till today, when it's eventually roll-out to all secondary schools & implemented the Support Package in schools this year. Indeed, I'm one of those few 'archives' who knew that the name evolved from "Minimum Standards"... Hahaha...

Oh yes!!! I am sure I'll miss the times when I could rattle off the BSL codes so confidently before my workshop participants! Hahaha...
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Behind the scene... oh yes, because of the way the photo were taken, I have to apply my Baseline ICT skills to do some touching up before uploading them in the blog (hahaha!!!)
PK1: Navigate in a GUI
PK2: Use application software & work with files
PH1: Use digital resources from specific sources
PT1: Type short sentences or paragraphs
PT2: Edit & format short sentences
PM1: Combine text with drawings or pictures in a presentation

PC1: Send a message
PC2: Send an attachment
PD1: Record pictures, sound, video or data using ICT tools
SC1: Communicate online
SD1: Export data collected

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Critique sessions: One's experience @ PD section would be incomplete if he/she has not gone through any critique session. It's the highlight here! Hahaha... Sometimes, it could be traumatic, too! when ideas were tore into pieces! Sometimes, it really tested our patience... when there are so many revisions! But, this was also when we learnt and grew! Guess the Chinese saying 置之于死地而后生applies here - if we were to compare what we produced now with our very first piece of work here. Sometimes the experience could be painful (at that point of time or during that particular period) but it could be blessing in disguise, sometimes. It's also through some of these critique sessions that we learnt things that we didn't know that we didn't know! This is really, one of the biggest takeaway from here - Don't assume, never presume - even though we might bring with us a wealth of experiences. Be humble, be open and listen.
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Our "Bread & Butter": That is, building capacity of teachers through professional development programmes. This capacity refers to the ability to use ICT and integrate the use of ICT in teaching and learning meaningfully.

While it seemed like we value-add others through PD, I guess, we, being the trainer, gained the most out of the whole exercise. It's through the hard work and countless hours of preparation - that we equipped ourselves with enough substance to deliver confidently before the participants. It's the thought processes that shape our beliefs before we could speak with conviction and sell our ideas to the participants. Indeed, the knowledge and skills acquired through this process is one of the best experiences that I could pack and bring with me.

Though it's a taboo @ PD section to talk about learning/teaching technical skills... (hahaha!!! someone would flip when we talk about technical skills!), I found my other new passion here - Blogging! Hahaha... and the wonderful Blog Queen title, thanks to my peers here :D Of course, also thanks to my peers who introduced me to other wonders like wiki, facebook, googleapps, chat and Geometer's Sketchpad. I was inspired by your enthusiasms! Well, I hope my enthusiasm has done like-wise to you! (though sometimes I might have driven you up the walls! Hahaha...) :D

The little joy derived from PD sessions that were well carried out, the excitement in the participants' voices when they described the implementation experiences, their taste of successes! The feeling is as good as hearing students scoring distinctions for your subjects when the national exam results released!
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Something Unforgetable: August 2006 - once, with another colleague, "lost" in work, lost track of time - stayed up to 2 am to work on a presentation and report at the office.
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People around: Thanks to everyone around... be it you came and went, be it you came and are still around, be it you were there before I came and still there when I go... be it I worked closely with or not... be it just a "Hi"-and-"Bye"... It's been great working with all of you... Thanks for making me feel at (my second) home here... Heartfelt thanks to all of you...
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十四楼之旅,不枉此行 Lazhimbe jon... Tashi Delek...
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...See, 1 minute is certainly not enough for my 肺腑之言... ^.^