Blog 2: ICT, Shiva and Miss Shiva.

In your opinion, why do you think it is important for MOE to develop the three Masterplans for ICT in education?

I think it is important only because the impact that ICT has on information, in being retrieved, consumed and disseminated, cannot be ignored. The impact is tremendous and a revolution in itself and, these Masterplans will be the only way to ensure that our education system keeps up with that revolution. Students now have to leave schools not only equipped with knowledge of long-standing subjects like English, Maths and Science but also research skills and the ability to use and create media.

Has any of the Masterplans impacted you as a student? Share your experience of how ICT had been used in the classes you attended as a student (if applicable).

I can actually say that I’ve been through it all because I was in primary school when Masterplan 1 began. I still remember how much the words “computer lab” got my entire class revved up. Just taking that walk to the lab and entering that (air-con) room stocked with brand new desktops gave us energy to do work- IT made producing work more fun. I had been a happy nerd because not only could I type out my English compos, I could add pictures and borders to frame it as well. I could play games during NE lessons and call it learning. Even Maths became less scary and more interesting, with CD-ROM games and their animations. When I look back, I think ICT students made students more active, be it in participation or their role in learning.

I have to mention that it was during secondary school Science when I really felt the impact of ICT. ICT made Science more visual for me. I could read the content from the textbook then supplement that knowledge with visuals from ICT used in lessons. It solidified a topic learnt and I remembered things better because those moving images shown were imprinted in my memory.

I think ICT had made me feel capable as a student but more importantly, it had revealed my own interests to me. I realized then itself that I enjoyed doing research. I still remember researching for a Literature project in Sec 2, on Oscar Wilde. Finding out more about him and sorting out the information gathered to write a report on my own had given me a sense of achievement.

Based on your enhanced school experience, how do you think the current Masterplan 3 may affect your role(s) as a beginning teacher ?

Masterplan 3, which aims to see greater integration of ICT into curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, may, no, will affect the way teachers plan their lessons and schools plan their assessment modes. For a student, ICT is fun and a break in monotony. But for schools and teachers, beginning or not, I think ICT has both its pros and cons. After all, there is essentially, a new component to factor in when planning out the scheme of work. While I can off the bat see how ICT can improve pedagogy, I have concerns about measuring a child’s understanding of the subjects I teach with ICT. How am I going to put a grade on it, especially when I teach subjects like English and Literature? At university level, ICT assessment was in the form of blogs but it only formed a small percentage of the final grade and the whole process was made easier thanks to module chatrooms. Participation in class and essays then, determined the final grade. So question is, do we bring secondary school students up to university level assessment modes or not?