BLOG POST 2

It is important for MOE to develop the 3 Masterplans in Education as like what has been constantly iterated we need out citizens to be equipped with the necessary skills in ICT so as to survive in the knowledge based economy that the world has moved into.  I believe that this economic reason is not the only reason why the Masterplans are important. The internet revolution has immensely changed the platform via which we learn, interact and even live. With the introduction of smart phones and other technology, the students we teach are tech-savy citizens and students. As such, we cannot rely on traditional methods of teaching as students are often not as interested and engaged. In order to ensure that they are engaged in our lessons and to ensure that learning has taken place, it is important for MOE to develop the Masterplans so that our education system does not fall back in the ever changing world of ICT. I believe it is not just the end product of producing students who can compete in the knowledge based economy but about creating a process of education where they are engaged and in turn, becoming fun and memorable.

The ICT Masterplan 1 and 2 have impacted me as a student. When the ICT Masterplan 1 was introduced, I was in primary school. I still remember the software that was used during English lesson for us to create animated stories. Using the software, we could type out a simple story and we could create accompanying animation. The software would put the sentences and the accompanying animation together to create a storybook of sorts. ICT was also used in Tamil class where we had to learn to type in Tamil using a particular software. We were also encouraged to write outstanding compositions in class as that would mean we could go to the computer lab to type out our compositions and put them up on the class board with all the graphics.

ICT also impacted me in secondary school and junior college as we were expected to make presentations as a group or individually. To do so, we had to firstly learn to access the Internet in finding the necessary information. Upon finding the necessary information, we had to sieve through and select important information. These information had to be presented in interesting ways. Sometimes, we had to use these information to write essays. These presentations and essays eventually prepared me for the presentations and essays that I had to do in University.

The current Masterplan 3 would change the way in which I would have to incorporate ICT in my lessons as a teacher. It is not just about using PowerPoint to present a lesson. It would be about using other software such as Podcast, Voicethread, blogs and so on to encourage self directed learning and collaborative learning to occur. Students these days are experts in ICT themselves, hence, they have an inevitable expectation on the use of ICT in their lessons. Teachers are also more aware of students being different types of learners such as auditory, visual and tactile learners. To cater to these different students, ICT can help me as a teacher in delivering information in easily accessible ways. With greater use of ICT in class, I would also have to be aware of teaching them the softer skills such as responsibility. It would not just be about about using ICT to teach and ensuring that learning has taken place but also making sure the students are responsible when using ICT.