Seeing Italy through Art
November 26, 2007
The "Saints" mark Vatican City with their stripes.
November 2007 Archives
Environmental Education at the Forefront
November 23, 2007
Marsiling Secondary School's Environment Education Hub provides a platform for discussing global issues.
“Environmental issues should not be neglected by schools. These issues inform us of what is happening to the earth, what causes the earth to be the way it is and what we can do to handle the situation.”
A thoughtful observation and an important one, these were the words of a Marsiling Secondary School student who went through a 15-week Environment Education Module (EEM). Based on the Teach Less, Learn More movement, EEM integrates Science and Geography in a module that brings a fresh perspective to learning about the environment and its related issues.
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CCA Choices - A Parent’s Perspective
November 21, 2007
Mr Faezal Ibrahim spends time discussing with his children about their CCA.
“I like CCA because we study very hard and after school, it helps me get away from my studies,” says Mohamad Farezal Fadli Bin Faezal Ibrahim, who took up silat, a form of Malay martial arts, as his co-curricular activity (CCA).
His father concurs. “It’s an outlet for him to relieve stress,” says Mr Faezal Ibrahim.
As the 12 year-old boy is entering secondary school next year, both father and son have been discussing what CCAs Mohamad Farezal should take up. Some of the options they’ve explored: Silat, Air Rifle Club and uniformed groups. How did they narrow down their selection to these CCAs?
Who Wants to be a Zero Hero?
November 19, 2007
The colourful Zero Hero game cards developed by Serangoon Secondary School.
Students aren't usually allowed to play card games in school, but Zero Heroes is the exception at Serangoon Secondary School. We designed this card game to improve our students' ability to do mental calculations - and, of course, to make learning Mathematics more interesting!
Zero Heroes uses a deck of 75 cards, each with a number from 1 to 10 on it, or a special instruction (e.g. "Double the Score", "Square Root", "Skip", "Reverse"). Students play their cards to deduct numbers from 100, perform special calculations or affect the direction of play. Their objective: to avoid hitting a result of zero during their turn, or else they'll be eliminated. And no calculators allowed!
A Pot of Love and Learning
November 16, 2007
Every pupil was given a plant to take care of, in school and out of it.
Chemistry Podcasts
November 14, 2007
Chemistry comes alive at Beatty with a podcast site for learning anytime, anywhere.
"The podcast provides us with content that cannot be found in the textbook!" "It's much easier to learn the topics at our own pace and in the comfort of our own homes!" "With podcasts, I can learn and study by myself at any time."
These remarks and more come from our Sec 3 and 4 students at Beatty Secondary School. They have about 20 podcasts at their fingertips to help them with various Chemistry topics. After all, why limit their learning to classroom time, when through podcasting, they can bring the lessons home with them?
OYEA 2007: The Influence A Teacher Can Have
November 12, 2007
Ms Esther Ong Chin Chin endears herself to the little ones with her affable nature and caring ways
An interview with OYEA 2007 winner, Miss Esther Ong Chin Chin
Mother Tongue language teachers at the primary level may not get to spend as much classroom time with their pupils as form teachers, but that hasn’t stopped Miss Esther Ong Chin Chin at Woodlands Primary School from having an impact on her pupils and making Chinese Language lessons come alive for them. Recalling a batch of pupils whom she taught during their Pri 5 and Pri 6 years, she describes them as being “as close as family”.
In fact, teaching that batch held some of the happiest moments in her teaching career so far (yes, even more so than winning the 2007 OYEA, though that was a memorable event in its own right).
Continue reading “OYEA 2007: The Influence A Teacher Can Have”»
OYEA 2007: Inspiring by Example
November 9, 2007
Ms Sukhjeet Kaur is always looking at ways to draw out the best in her students and spur them to scale greater heights.
An interview with OYEA 2007 winner, Miss Sukhjeet Kaur
When Miss Sukhjeet Kaur taught English Language to a Normal (Technical) class at Swiss Cottage Secondary School, she developed such a rapport with the students that by the end of her two years with them, they were correcting her English if she ever slipped up. "It was initially a challenge to win them over, but after some time, they amazed everyone - and themselves, I think - with what they could achieve," she reflects.
As for them playing teacher to her language skills, Miss Sukhjeet took it all in her stride. "I didn't mind them correcting my English. After all, they were getting better at the language and were using more sophisticated vocabulary - what more could I ask for?"
OYEA 2007: Lessons about Life, through Sports
November 7, 2007
Mdm Huang Yiyan injects elements of fun into her P.E. lessons and hopes to inculcate good values through P.E. classes.
An interview with OYEA 2007 winner, Mdm Huang Yiyan
Teaching PE isn’t only about ball games and having a good time in the sun. For Mdm Huang Yiyan at CHIJ Katong Convent, the challenge was to motivate her students to take an interest in healthy living. So even for something as potentially mundane as training for the 2.4 km NAPFA run, she jazzed up PE lessons with an improvised orienteering run, Amazing Race-style.
The students had fun - and ran well! But the more important lesson Mdm Huang hopes they will remember are the lessons in life and values that PE can teach them. “Sports teach us life lessons, like learning to persevere and focus on the
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Lessons in Leadership from History via E-Learning
November 2, 2007
Using an e-learning platform makes students more motivated and independent learners.
Continue reading “Lessons in Leadership from History via E-Learning”»
Tamil Learning Comes Alive with ICT
November 1, 2007
Tamil language pupils at Meridian Primary record each other’s learning experiences.