ST Forum
Dec 3, 2010
Kindergarten teacher's caring ways
MY HEARTFELT thanks to Miss Serena Tan for her genuine interest in and love for the teaching profession.
Miss Tan was the form teacher of my daughter Megan Chew during her kindergarten 2 programme in Bethesda Kindergarten (Ang Mo Kio) this year.
Miss Tan displayed a high level of dedication and consistency in getting pupils to listen, see, think and do more, while instilling confidence and reinforcing concepts she taught during lessons and outside the classroom.
Earlier this year, when I raised concerns about Megan's academic and social development, Miss Tan listened to them with an open mind and was fervent in resolving the concerns through a positive and constructive approach.
She has left a positive impression on my daughter to an extent where Megan would constantly talk about activities and lessons that have enriched her learning experience.
Sarene Seet (Madam)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Target kids : "Speaking Good English"
ST Forum
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Sep 10, 2010
SPEAKING GOOD ENGLISH
Target kids and service sector
I READ with much interest about the Speak Good English Movement's effort to improve the use of the language ('Getting it right - from the start'; Sept1). The campaign this year has chosen the most appropriate tagline - 'Get It Right' - to motivate Singaporeans to use good English at all times.
For one to speak good English with proper diction and grammar, one has to be trained from a young age, like from preschool. I urge the authorities to employ good English-speaking teachers for the young, so they can hear good spoken English from the start.
During my primary school days, oral English was part of our English lessons. It was during this period that we put into practice our reading and conversation skills. Sad to say, I do not see this being done in many primary schools today. That may be one reason why some of our children grow up speaking 'broken English'.
People in the service sector should be the ones to be targeted next - be it a small retail shop or a large outlet in one of the shopping centres. Many a time, we come across sales personnel who do not understand what their customers want. It is most frustrating having to repeat your request more than once.
Parents, too, should play a part in correcting their children and helping to speak the language well so that it is understood by all. In a family where one or both parents do not speak English, the older siblings could help correct the younger ones.
I was heartened to note that the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central will be helping the movement by creating a guidebook for those working with preschoolers. Preschool is where the wrong usage starts, so once we get it right there, more than half the job is done.
I remember passing by a preschool in an HDB housing estate one day - I was shocked to hear a teacher giving instructions in improper English at the top of her voice. Preschool teachers should be trained well so they can properly nurture our young ones.
Fatmah Haji Mohamed Salim (Ms)
Home > ST Forum > Story
Sep 10, 2010
SPEAKING GOOD ENGLISH
Target kids and service sector
I READ with much interest about the Speak Good English Movement's effort to improve the use of the language ('Getting it right - from the start'; Sept1). The campaign this year has chosen the most appropriate tagline - 'Get It Right' - to motivate Singaporeans to use good English at all times.
For one to speak good English with proper diction and grammar, one has to be trained from a young age, like from preschool. I urge the authorities to employ good English-speaking teachers for the young, so they can hear good spoken English from the start.
During my primary school days, oral English was part of our English lessons. It was during this period that we put into practice our reading and conversation skills. Sad to say, I do not see this being done in many primary schools today. That may be one reason why some of our children grow up speaking 'broken English'.
People in the service sector should be the ones to be targeted next - be it a small retail shop or a large outlet in one of the shopping centres. Many a time, we come across sales personnel who do not understand what their customers want. It is most frustrating having to repeat your request more than once.
Parents, too, should play a part in correcting their children and helping to speak the language well so that it is understood by all. In a family where one or both parents do not speak English, the older siblings could help correct the younger ones.
I was heartened to note that the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central will be helping the movement by creating a guidebook for those working with preschoolers. Preschool is where the wrong usage starts, so once we get it right there, more than half the job is done.
I remember passing by a preschool in an HDB housing estate one day - I was shocked to hear a teacher giving instructions in improper English at the top of her voice. Preschool teachers should be trained well so they can properly nurture our young ones.
Fatmah Haji Mohamed Salim (Ms)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Keep Teachers from Harm's Way..
ST Forum
Home > ST Forum > Story
Aug 3, 2010
Take stern action to keep teachers from harm's way
I READ last Friday's report ('Girl, 14, allegedly kicks her teacher') with a mixture of anguish and anger.
The secondary student in question allegedly harmed her English language teacher three times in one day - stomping on her foot, kicking her twice in the abdomen and then hitting her on the head. However, the punishment she received was surprising for an alleged offence as serious as assault - after she apologised to her teacher, she was 'given time off from school to reflect on her actions and assigned schoolwork to be completed at home'.
I write this letter to express my deep concern for today's teachers. The abused teacher suffered physical and emotional pain, and humiliation before an entire class. Obviously, teachers are not sufficiently protected from harm at the hands of students.
An employee who attacks his employer or colleague could be punished with dismissal from work. One might argue that the girl should be forgiven on account of her age; but to condone is not to forgive. What values are we imparting to students if we signal that the severity of the punishment does not match that of the offence?
If the penalty is too light, more students would be emboldened to commit similar acts. The accused already had a record of being rude to teachers and violent in school. No teacher should be exposed to such danger.
Teachers are made to take on many roles today, but being an outlet for a student's anger should never be one of them.
In a culture which expects teachers to devote themselves to caring for their students, guiding them and helping them to do well academically, let us also ensure that measures are in place to protect the teachers.
Wong Heng Tong
Home > ST Forum > Story
Aug 3, 2010
Take stern action to keep teachers from harm's way
I READ last Friday's report ('Girl, 14, allegedly kicks her teacher') with a mixture of anguish and anger.
The secondary student in question allegedly harmed her English language teacher three times in one day - stomping on her foot, kicking her twice in the abdomen and then hitting her on the head. However, the punishment she received was surprising for an alleged offence as serious as assault - after she apologised to her teacher, she was 'given time off from school to reflect on her actions and assigned schoolwork to be completed at home'.
I write this letter to express my deep concern for today's teachers. The abused teacher suffered physical and emotional pain, and humiliation before an entire class. Obviously, teachers are not sufficiently protected from harm at the hands of students.
An employee who attacks his employer or colleague could be punished with dismissal from work. One might argue that the girl should be forgiven on account of her age; but to condone is not to forgive. What values are we imparting to students if we signal that the severity of the punishment does not match that of the offence?
If the penalty is too light, more students would be emboldened to commit similar acts. The accused already had a record of being rude to teachers and violent in school. No teacher should be exposed to such danger.
Teachers are made to take on many roles today, but being an outlet for a student's anger should never be one of them.
In a culture which expects teachers to devote themselves to caring for their students, guiding them and helping them to do well academically, let us also ensure that measures are in place to protect the teachers.
Wong Heng Tong
Monday, May 17, 2010
ST Forum : Life of a Teacher..
May 15, 2010
Work-life balance? Here's one day in the life of a teacher
I AM often told how the Ministry of Education is easing teachers' workload, but I see little evidence of it.
My husband has been teaching in a neighbourhood school for several years. Despite the mantra of work-life balance, I see little of it in the lives of teachers. Here is a typical weekday routine for my husband:
•5am: Wake up and prepare for school.
•6am: Leave for school.
•7am: Arrive at school and perform morning duty (in a sense, 'guard duty').
•7.30am to 1pm: Regular teaching duties (including extra games for students who need more exercise during recess, which is part of the Holistic Health Framework that replaced the Trim and Fit scheme).
•1 pm to 1.30pm: Prepare for remedial lessons.
•1.30pm to 3.30pm: Conduct remedial lessons (my husband's school believes that to improve students' results, remedial lessons must be conducted daily).
•3.30pm to 5.30pm: Be present for the co-curricular activities he is in charge of.
•5.30pm to 6.30pm: Administrative work like keying in remarks on students for the mid-term report book).
•6.30pm to 6.45pm: Pack 36 books and piles of worksheets to take home and mark.
•6.45pm to 7.45pm: Travel home.
•7.45pm to 8.30pm: Eat dinner and rest.
•8.30pm to 1am: Continue with administrative work, such as marking books and worksheets, reviewing examination papers, and preparing programmes for the June school camp and Youth Olympic Games activities.
Weekends are hardly restful. I often ask him if the endless work is because he is singled out. That is not so, he tells me. His colleagues face the same punishing workload.
As I am writing this letter at 10am, my husband has developed a fever. But he is unable to seek medical attention as there is an oral examination in the afternoon.
I understand there is a need to be accountable to students' parents. But in this case, who is answerable to a teacher's family if anything happens to the teacher?
Aishah Quek (Ms)
Work-life balance? Here's one day in the life of a teacher
I AM often told how the Ministry of Education is easing teachers' workload, but I see little evidence of it.
My husband has been teaching in a neighbourhood school for several years. Despite the mantra of work-life balance, I see little of it in the lives of teachers. Here is a typical weekday routine for my husband:
•5am: Wake up and prepare for school.
•6am: Leave for school.
•7am: Arrive at school and perform morning duty (in a sense, 'guard duty').
•7.30am to 1pm: Regular teaching duties (including extra games for students who need more exercise during recess, which is part of the Holistic Health Framework that replaced the Trim and Fit scheme).
•1 pm to 1.30pm: Prepare for remedial lessons.
•1.30pm to 3.30pm: Conduct remedial lessons (my husband's school believes that to improve students' results, remedial lessons must be conducted daily).
•3.30pm to 5.30pm: Be present for the co-curricular activities he is in charge of.
•5.30pm to 6.30pm: Administrative work like keying in remarks on students for the mid-term report book).
•6.30pm to 6.45pm: Pack 36 books and piles of worksheets to take home and mark.
•6.45pm to 7.45pm: Travel home.
•7.45pm to 8.30pm: Eat dinner and rest.
•8.30pm to 1am: Continue with administrative work, such as marking books and worksheets, reviewing examination papers, and preparing programmes for the June school camp and Youth Olympic Games activities.
Weekends are hardly restful. I often ask him if the endless work is because he is singled out. That is not so, he tells me. His colleagues face the same punishing workload.
As I am writing this letter at 10am, my husband has developed a fever. But he is unable to seek medical attention as there is an oral examination in the afternoon.
I understand there is a need to be accountable to students' parents. But in this case, who is answerable to a teacher's family if anything happens to the teacher?
Aishah Quek (Ms)
ST Forum: Burning at will by preschool staff
May 14, 2010
Burning at will by preschool staff
I LIVE at Block 241, Jurong East Street 24. On the ground floor is a day-care centre and preschool. And just nearby are recycling bins as well as a pit to burn paper.
Yet, on Wednesday, I saw two staff members of the preschool burning what looked like old textbooks, handbooks and reams of paper.
I suggested to them that it would be better to recycle. But one of them replied that the papers were confidential in nature.
I approached the school and suggested the same to a teacher who was there. She promised that she would inform her colleagues to 'keep it in mind the next time'.
These teachers are supposed to be educating the young. Is it not hypocritical for them to teach the children about recycling when they don't practise what they preach?
Narrizan Khalil (Ms)
Burning at will by preschool staff
I LIVE at Block 241, Jurong East Street 24. On the ground floor is a day-care centre and preschool. And just nearby are recycling bins as well as a pit to burn paper.
Yet, on Wednesday, I saw two staff members of the preschool burning what looked like old textbooks, handbooks and reams of paper.
I suggested to them that it would be better to recycle. But one of them replied that the papers were confidential in nature.
I approached the school and suggested the same to a teacher who was there. She promised that she would inform her colleagues to 'keep it in mind the next time'.
These teachers are supposed to be educating the young. Is it not hypocritical for them to teach the children about recycling when they don't practise what they preach?
Narrizan Khalil (Ms)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Children with Autism - A Path to Work Life
Apr 28, 2010
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
A Path to work life
Pathlight School's $34m campus has a store, cafe and industrial kitchen to expose them to work
By Leow Si Wan, ST
FROM 41 students just six years ago, enrolment at Pathlight School has jumped to more than 500.
A child may need to wait up to two years for a place, depending on his needs and the availability of a suitable class.
With demand for places growing, the school has turned its attention towards better preparing students for employment. Yesterday, it unveiled several initiatives at the official opening of its new $34 million campus in Ang Mo Kio.
One of these is a retail store that will showcase students' products, provide them with a source of income and expose them to a work culture.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
A Path to work life
Pathlight School's $34m campus has a store, cafe and industrial kitchen to expose them to work
By Leow Si Wan, ST
FROM 41 students just six years ago, enrolment at Pathlight School has jumped to more than 500.
The school, which caters to children with autism, a developmental disorder, has a waiting list, and receives more than 200 applications a year.
A child may need to wait up to two years for a place, depending on his needs and the availability of a suitable class.
With demand for places growing, the school has turned its attention towards better preparing students for employment. Yesterday, it unveiled several initiatives at the official opening of its new $34 million campus in Ang Mo Kio.
One of these is a retail store that will showcase students' products, provide them with a source of income and expose them to a work culture.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
Note: Refer to earlier posting on Autism and Q&A with Pathlight President, Denise Phua:
Monday, April 12, 2010
Preschool Math lessons..
Can your children learn from these online-youtube math lessons?
I think they are pretty cool, especially if your preschool has access to the Net. I can easily see the children fronting these lessons with their headphones on, all lessons being bite-size versions.
Also, they can be quite useful for us to frame our own lesson plans for your class children. Check out these "Addition" and "Subtraction" lessons, and you will see what I mean:
Basic Addition lesson:
Basic Subtraction lesson:
Friday, March 26, 2010
The $26,000 mistake.. (and replies from Ministry, SEED)
This experience by an early childhood education aspirant shows the need to take on a course (any course) with your eyes open, and ask all questions, even silly ones, until you are satisfied that the course and the institute delivering it are exactly what you seek, in building your career. But as can be seen from the replies, all's not lost..
Mar 20, 2010
NO PRESCHOOL JOB AFTER MASTER'S
The $26,000 mistake
NO PRESCHOOL JOB AFTER MASTER'S
The $26,000 mistake
When I asked about career prospects, I was told by RTRC that graduates of this master's programme were qualified to be curriculum specialists and the programme was popular among preschools here. The cost of the programme was $26,000 without GST. With this information, and the notion of a possible career in early childhood education, I applied for the programme and was admitted.
However, after paying $26,000 and completing the two-year part-time master's programme with distinction, I was told by all preschools that I am not qualified to be a preschool teacher, let alone a curriculum specialist, or hold any management role in a preschool setting. This is because I do not have the basic teaching qualifications such as a certificate or diploma in early childhood education.
On further check, I found out from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports' (MCYS) childcare division that it would recognise the Master of Science (Early Childhood) qualification conferred by Wheelock College only at the diploma level and only after I fulfilled supervised practical modules of diploma programmes run by approved training agencies.
I also found out from MCYS that it does not recognise the Master of Science (Early Childhood) conferred by Wheelock College as a qualification to teach or supervise in preschools here. To work as a preschool teacher, I must pay additional fees and complete the diploma course.
I hope Seed Institute and MCYS can address the following:
•Why did RTRC offer a master's programme that is not even recognised at diploma level by MCYS?
•During my registration, why did RTRC lead prospective students like me - and especially those seeking a career change to early childhood education - into an expensive master's programme instead of introducing the fundamental certificate and diploma courses accredited for the preschool teaching profession?
•Why did MCYS and other government agencies not intervene to prevent such costly mistakes?
•Why are the additional requirements for graduates with a master's in early childhood education not highlighted in the training route for preschool teaching?
Madeleine Chang (Ms)
**********************************************
Mar 26, 2010
Preschool teachers need practical training
I REFER to the letter by Ms Madeleine Chang last Saturday, 'The $26,000 mistake'.
Early childhood teachers require a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education-Teaching (DECCE-T) and at least five GCE O-level credits including a B4 grade (or better) in English Language.
Tertiary-level early childhood qualifications which demonstrate that a candidate has undergone relevant practical training and acquired appropriate academic content are also acceptable. Teaching children requires both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. This information is available at www.childcarelink.gov.sg.
The Master of Science (Early Childhood Education) conferred jointly by Wheelock College and Seed Institute provides important academic grounding for those wishing to further their career in the early childhood sector as trainers and curriculum specialists. This course, however, does not provide a 300-hour practicum module, as most candidates already have basic qualifications in early childhood education. The practicum module ensures that would-be teachers are able to translate academic knowledge into practice in an early childhood setting.
To be a qualified preschool teacher, Ms Chang need not undergo the full DECCE-T course. She would only need to pass the practicum module.
We thank Ms Chang for her feedback and wish her well in her career in early childhood education.
Eugene Leong
Director, Child Care Division
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
===========================================
Mar 26, 2010
Seed Institute helping aspiring educator
I THANK Ms Madeleine Chang ('The $26,000 mistake'; last Saturday) for the opportunity to clarify on the value and intent of our master's programme.
The Wheelock College-Seed Institute Master of Science (Early Childhood Education) is an academic qualification that equips professionals, including those from other fields, with a strategic understanding of the industry.
To date, the course is into its sixth intake. We have seen a mix of students with prior early childhood education experience and qualifications, as well as those who do not have that but meet the academic entry requirements.
Our graduates have since been employed as curriculum specialists, trainers, business managers and franchise owners.
Our master's programme enables educators, industry professionals and mid-career professionals to better understand and develop young children and industry requirements.
Graduates who are keen to practise as a preschool teacher after the course can take an additional practicum module to be recognised as a qualified teacher. Briefing sessions are held before the start of our courses to help students understand the programme and how it can support their career aspirations in the industry.
We have contacted Ms Chang and are discussing with her how best we can support her in a career as an early childhood education professional.
Ho Yin Fong (Ms)
Academic Director
Seed Institute
Seed Institute helping aspiring educator
I THANK Ms Madeleine Chang ('The $26,000 mistake'; last Saturday) for the opportunity to clarify on the value and intent of our master's programme.
The Wheelock College-Seed Institute Master of Science (Early Childhood Education) is an academic qualification that equips professionals, including those from other fields, with a strategic understanding of the industry.
To date, the course is into its sixth intake. We have seen a mix of students with prior early childhood education experience and qualifications, as well as those who do not have that but meet the academic entry requirements.
Our graduates have since been employed as curriculum specialists, trainers, business managers and franchise owners.
Our master's programme enables educators, industry professionals and mid-career professionals to better understand and develop young children and industry requirements.
Graduates who are keen to practise as a preschool teacher after the course can take an additional practicum module to be recognised as a qualified teacher. Briefing sessions are held before the start of our courses to help students understand the programme and how it can support their career aspirations in the industry.
We have contacted Ms Chang and are discussing with her how best we can support her in a career as an early childhood education professional.
Ho Yin Fong (Ms)
Academic Director
Seed Institute
Monday, March 8, 2010
My ECE Assignments : Tracking my ECE Course Grades - Part 2..
To round off this topic of grades from my ECE course assignments, here's the final modules grades, which will again give you a good sense of the results you can expect for these assignments:ECE Course: Specialist Diploma in Preschool Education (SDPE)
Results : DPT modules
11. Language Arts for Young Children : B+
12. Science for Young Children : B+
13. Math for Young Children : B+
14. Creative Arts : Arts B+
and Music : A
15. Children’s Play : B
16. Educational Psychology : A
17. Integrated DAP : A
18. Practicum #2 : A+
12. Science for Young Children : B+
13. Math for Young Children : B+
14. Creative Arts : Arts B+
and Music : A
15. Children’s Play : B
16. Educational Psychology : A
17. Integrated DAP : A
18. Practicum #2 : A+
Results : DPL Modules
4. Supervision in the Use and Organisation of EC Resources : A
5. Leadership Studies : B
6. Practicum #3 : A
5. Leadership Studies : B
6. Practicum #3 : A
Refer to earlier posting for Part1 of the ECE modules grades (click below):
Saturday, February 6, 2010
GLEE -yes, that TV series..
Watching this new TV series, "Glee", one cannot help but be reminded by the "Creative Arts" module that was delivered by our erstwhile lecturer during our ECE course. 
Which lecturer was this?
Well, let's see if you can relate to this and figure out who we mean (from the first 2 episodes)..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoRarLC2298&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_mZiV69a3w&feature=related
This TV series brings memories of not just our ECE lessons from the past but also the children's concerts of the more recent. Try to catch one episode (StarWorld, CH18), and see if it rubs off on you in a similar manner? Who knows? You may end up with some new ideas for your next music&movement lesson, or even your next year-end concert for your own preschool..
Which lecturer was this?
Well, let's see if you can relate to this and figure out who we mean (from the first 2 episodes)..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoRarLC2298&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_mZiV69a3w&feature=related
This TV series brings memories of not just our ECE lessons from the past but also the children's concerts of the more recent. Try to catch one episode (StarWorld, CH18), and see if it rubs off on you in a similar manner? Who knows? You may end up with some new ideas for your next music&movement lesson, or even your next year-end concert for your own preschool..
Monday, January 25, 2010
Education Ministry resists calls to nationalise preschool education
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia 11 January 2010 2220 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education said it has no plans to nationalise preschool education. Responding to MP Josephine Teo in Parliament on Monday, Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said such a move could lead to conformity and thus be counter-productive to the child's development.
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education said it has no plans to nationalise preschool education. Responding to MP Josephine Teo in Parliament on Monday, Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said such a move could lead to conformity and thus be counter-productive to the child's development.
During a child's preschool years, teachers and parents agree that building social skills and confidence should get priority. But opinions differ on how this should be done.
Some parents said preschools should be brought into the public education system. Genevieve Loke, a parent said: "I think so. So that parents are guaranteed of the minimum standards offered by kindergartens and childcare." But opponents said this may not work in the best interests of the child, especially if this means having standardised assessments.
Patricia Koh, founder-director, Pat’s Schoolhouse, said: "If you start very early to teach children what the answers are in order for them to pass the exams or to be assessed, that's going to be very sad."
Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said: "A nationalised pre-school sector would tend towards conformity which is not ideal. It would deprive parents the ability to choose from a variety of early childhood care and education models and operators that best fit the needs of their child."
The debate over nationalising the preschool sector is a long-standing one. Supporters feel that doing so will lower fees for parents and ensure some form of continuity when the child enters Primary One.
However, the Education Ministry said that such a move may lead to an over-emphasis on academic results and could in the long-run, dampen the child's interest in learning. So the ministry's position is to set broad guidelines and support the diverse options currently available. Dr Ng said: "Once you nationalise it, there is always a tendency to compare one kindergarten with the other, go to the extreme of asking us to rank kindergartens and how they perform and to then compare what teachers are, and that's that tendency."
“Our focus is one, to raise the teacher quality and to set general guidelines, broad parameters on the desired outcomes of education to avoid this issue of trying to make children ready."
Preschool fees can range from S$100 to S$1,500 a month. And asked by Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Josephine Teo on whether fees could be made as affordable as primary school fees, Dr Ng said his ministry provides grants to low- and middle-income families to help them pay for preschool education. Financial assistance is also given out by MCYS to help families with their children's childcare fees. - CNA/vm
See previous postings on same topic:
Thursday, January 7, 2010
ChildAid 2009 Rocks!
With a cast of over 200 talented kids starting at 8 years of age, this ChildAid 2009 brought the house down with their performances!
Angelic voices, worldclass piano recitals, excellent renditions of Fame,
the list continues..
But when the 7 drummers started "chatting" amongst themselves, everyone was fingers-snapping and feet-stomping, bringing the new Resorts World Festive Theatre roof down..they were pure magic!
With such talents amongst our young, you get that warm sensation of "Yeah, our Singapore youth is in fine shape!" And all this, to support a worthy charitable cause, to boot. Outstanding.
I would gladly recommend all early childhood professionals to witness these mightily talented kids in our midst. You will not be disappointed, charitable cause aside.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
My ECE Assignments : Practicum #3, Vocational Placement
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Practicum Task : Evaluate Leadership Roles
(1) Record a personal statement (based on literature) about your understanding of leadership. What, to you, is leadership? What, if any, are the differences between leadership and management? What, based on your readings, are the characteristics of modern leaders?
My personal statement on leadership:
Leadership is an attribute of a person who shows the ability to lead others into change. People with leadership skills are therefore essentially change-agents. They are able to directly or indirectly influence others into accepting or following a new direction.
Practicum Task : Evaluate Leadership Roles
(1) Record a personal statement (based on literature) about your understanding of leadership. What, to you, is leadership? What, if any, are the differences between leadership and management? What, based on your readings, are the characteristics of modern leaders?
My personal statement on leadership:
Leadership is an attribute of a person who shows the ability to lead others into change. People with leadership skills are therefore essentially change-agents. They are able to directly or indirectly influence others into accepting or following a new direction.
Anyone can thus be in a leadership position, not just people who are appointed and entrusted with specific organizational responsibilities.
The leading management guru, Tom Peters, best describes leadership (Winston Churchill Leadership Website, 2009) when he said,
The leading management guru, Tom Peters, best describes leadership (Winston Churchill Leadership Website, 2009) when he said,
“Leadership is a confidence game. Act the part”.
He also has this to say of leaders,
“Be a dealer in hope - keep an eye out for Grand Possibilities. Inspire others by throwing down a Great Challenge”.
Modern leaders therefore inspire confidence in people, and engender belief within oneself. One can see this vividly in our local context, where Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, continues to inspire confidence in his constituents and the general public. He is the embodiment of all the characteristics of what a modern leader should hold : charismatic, influential and a pillar of integrity.
Differences in leadership and management can best be contrasted in the following 5 ways by viewing what managers and leader do (Sciarra & Dorsey 2002):
i) Managers accept responsibility, while leaders seek responsibility.
ii) Managers minimize risks, while leaders take calculated risks.
iii) Managers delegate cautiously, while leaders delegate enthusiastically.
iv) Managers view workers as employees, while leaders view workers as potential followers.
v) Managers administer, while leaders innovate.
Looking at management and leadership from the viewpoints above, the differences between them are therefore quite evident.
(2) Throughout your practicum reflect on the 14 leadership roles and record examples of how you and your senior teacher demonstrate your leadership roles.
i) Role Model
Teacher M, as the centre supervisor, takes punctuality seriously. She always made sure that she is in the centre 10 minutes before her expected starting time. Such role-modelling on her part demonstrates to her staff that this service we provide to parents is very important and punctuality should not be taken for granted.
ii) Influencer
I made it point to converse with the children in my class, during this practicum, in grammatically proper English. This reinforces the importance of proper conversational English to the children, and being highly impressionable themselves, I know this will rub off on them, over time.
iii) Mentor
Teacher M had taken upon herself to be my mentor during this practicum. She ensured that a routine of having a 20-minute meeting before the day begins, and before the day ends, with me was in place. This gave me precious time alone with her to share my views with her, and more importantly, for her to share her experience as a supervisor with me.
iv) Coach
Teacher M provided excellent coaching to me when she showed how she utilized the various IT systems to administer her day-to-day role as a supervisor of a childcare centre. She took particular care in helping me understand the need to update the CCLS system regularly, as required by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
v) Manager
The centre director showed her managerial skill and demonstrated leadership when she spoke directly to the parent of one of the students in my class who was showing signs of succumbing to the HFMD disease. I was in her office when she confidently spoke to the mother of the child over the telephone that even though this incident was disruptive to her work schedule but that HFMD was a serious disease and that she should come down to fetch and give relief to her child, by seeking immediate medical advice. The mother came within 30 minutes. The following day, the child was confirmed as having HFMD. It showed the importance of managing the centre with speed and with patience.
vi) Collaborator
I acted in my role as a collaborator when I worked with Teacher M to prepare for a new nature corner involving a new rabbit, for the children. We had to bring the rabbit for proper medical treatment at a local clinic, before purchasing a pet cage for it. After preparing some common information about rabbits for other teachers to use, the children in the centre took turns over the next 2 days to view, hold and play with the rabbit, thus initiating a new experience of nature for the children.
vii) Networker
The centre took the step of engaging with the Town Council, at the suggestion of Teacher M, to utilize the neighbourhood spice and vegetable garden for the benefit of the children. Permission was granted for the children to visit the garden monthly, with the added bonus of having a Town Council member present to personally show the children the various highlights of the garden. Such networking was valuable to the centre.
viii) Challenger
I took the initiative to bring my observation to Teacher M that the front door of the centre seemed to be left unlocked for most of a typical day. I shared my view that this might pose a potential safety issue for the children, especially if due to various reasons, unwanted visitors enter the centre and abducted a child. My view on this matter was acknowledged as a good one by the management.
ix) Team builder / Team player / Team leader
As a team player, I participated with the whole team when we were required to clean and sanitized all the classrooms, learning materials and mattresses, when we learnt that HFMD had infected one of the students in our class. This was done during the nap time of the children, and we stayed over at the centre till 7.30pm that day to ensure that the job was properly executed.
x) Decision maker
When it came to light that the venue of a field trip had to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances, Teacher M exhibited her leadership skill as a decision-maker when she took the decision to divert the field trip to a new venue, even though there was less than 3 days left to the actual field trip day. She could have cancelled the field trip, as recommended by a few teachers, but she decided to continue with it but to another venue, in the interest of the children. I appreciated her leadership skill in this instance.
(3) Conclude with a paragraph as to what you see as being the challenges that exist in the provision of effective leadership in the Singaporean early childhood settings.
The main challenge that exist in the provision of effective leadership in early childhood settings here is tied to the perception held by many parents and the public at large about what childcare centres really mean to them.
Modern leaders therefore inspire confidence in people, and engender belief within oneself. One can see this vividly in our local context, where Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, continues to inspire confidence in his constituents and the general public. He is the embodiment of all the characteristics of what a modern leader should hold : charismatic, influential and a pillar of integrity.
Differences in leadership and management can best be contrasted in the following 5 ways by viewing what managers and leader do (Sciarra & Dorsey 2002):
i) Managers accept responsibility, while leaders seek responsibility.
ii) Managers minimize risks, while leaders take calculated risks.
iii) Managers delegate cautiously, while leaders delegate enthusiastically.
iv) Managers view workers as employees, while leaders view workers as potential followers.
v) Managers administer, while leaders innovate.
Looking at management and leadership from the viewpoints above, the differences between them are therefore quite evident.
(2) Throughout your practicum reflect on the 14 leadership roles and record examples of how you and your senior teacher demonstrate your leadership roles.
i) Role Model
Teacher M, as the centre supervisor, takes punctuality seriously. She always made sure that she is in the centre 10 minutes before her expected starting time. Such role-modelling on her part demonstrates to her staff that this service we provide to parents is very important and punctuality should not be taken for granted.
ii) Influencer
I made it point to converse with the children in my class, during this practicum, in grammatically proper English. This reinforces the importance of proper conversational English to the children, and being highly impressionable themselves, I know this will rub off on them, over time.
iii) Mentor
Teacher M had taken upon herself to be my mentor during this practicum. She ensured that a routine of having a 20-minute meeting before the day begins, and before the day ends, with me was in place. This gave me precious time alone with her to share my views with her, and more importantly, for her to share her experience as a supervisor with me.
iv) Coach
Teacher M provided excellent coaching to me when she showed how she utilized the various IT systems to administer her day-to-day role as a supervisor of a childcare centre. She took particular care in helping me understand the need to update the CCLS system regularly, as required by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
v) Manager
The centre director showed her managerial skill and demonstrated leadership when she spoke directly to the parent of one of the students in my class who was showing signs of succumbing to the HFMD disease. I was in her office when she confidently spoke to the mother of the child over the telephone that even though this incident was disruptive to her work schedule but that HFMD was a serious disease and that she should come down to fetch and give relief to her child, by seeking immediate medical advice. The mother came within 30 minutes. The following day, the child was confirmed as having HFMD. It showed the importance of managing the centre with speed and with patience.
vi) Collaborator
I acted in my role as a collaborator when I worked with Teacher M to prepare for a new nature corner involving a new rabbit, for the children. We had to bring the rabbit for proper medical treatment at a local clinic, before purchasing a pet cage for it. After preparing some common information about rabbits for other teachers to use, the children in the centre took turns over the next 2 days to view, hold and play with the rabbit, thus initiating a new experience of nature for the children.
vii) Networker
The centre took the step of engaging with the Town Council, at the suggestion of Teacher M, to utilize the neighbourhood spice and vegetable garden for the benefit of the children. Permission was granted for the children to visit the garden monthly, with the added bonus of having a Town Council member present to personally show the children the various highlights of the garden. Such networking was valuable to the centre.
viii) Challenger
I took the initiative to bring my observation to Teacher M that the front door of the centre seemed to be left unlocked for most of a typical day. I shared my view that this might pose a potential safety issue for the children, especially if due to various reasons, unwanted visitors enter the centre and abducted a child. My view on this matter was acknowledged as a good one by the management.
ix) Team builder / Team player / Team leader
As a team player, I participated with the whole team when we were required to clean and sanitized all the classrooms, learning materials and mattresses, when we learnt that HFMD had infected one of the students in our class. This was done during the nap time of the children, and we stayed over at the centre till 7.30pm that day to ensure that the job was properly executed.
x) Decision maker
When it came to light that the venue of a field trip had to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances, Teacher M exhibited her leadership skill as a decision-maker when she took the decision to divert the field trip to a new venue, even though there was less than 3 days left to the actual field trip day. She could have cancelled the field trip, as recommended by a few teachers, but she decided to continue with it but to another venue, in the interest of the children. I appreciated her leadership skill in this instance.
(3) Conclude with a paragraph as to what you see as being the challenges that exist in the provision of effective leadership in the Singaporean early childhood settings.
The main challenge that exist in the provision of effective leadership in early childhood settings here is tied to the perception held by many parents and the public at large about what childcare centres really mean to them.
Childcare centres still carry the connotation of child-minding to many. As such, early childhood education as a professional field on its own, suffers from a lack of understanding and more importantly, lack of respect by the general public.
As a consequence, leadership in the field of early childhood education here holds little traction and currency within the corridors of power, which in turn leads to this cycle of disinterest, apathy and lack of leadership, in that order.
The other challenge stems from the heavy workload of preschool teachers today, especially in childcare centres. All childcare centre educators are literally swamped with the day-to-day needs of running their classes well that they simply have no extra leeway, in terms of time and resources, to innovate, be creative and to initiate new teaching methodologies in class.
The other challenge stems from the heavy workload of preschool teachers today, especially in childcare centres. All childcare centre educators are literally swamped with the day-to-day needs of running their classes well that they simply have no extra leeway, in terms of time and resources, to innovate, be creative and to initiate new teaching methodologies in class.
Leadership within their own classroom context thus takes second stage, while daily needs take centre stage.
References:
1. Sciarra, D.J. & Dorsey, A.G. (2002). Leaders and supervisors in childcare programs. Albany, N.Y. : Delmar Thomson Learning.
2. Winston Churchill Leadership Website [Online database]. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from World Wide Web : http://www.winston-churchill-leadership.com/peters-definition.html
References:
1. Sciarra, D.J. & Dorsey, A.G. (2002). Leaders and supervisors in childcare programs. Albany, N.Y. : Delmar Thomson Learning.
2. Winston Churchill Leadership Website [Online database]. Retrieved April 22, 2009 from World Wide Web : http://www.winston-churchill-leadership.com/peters-definition.html
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Autism and Vaccines : No link, says MOH
No link between vaccines and autism: MOH
ST Forum: 26Oct 2009
MR TAN Soon Kiam ('Dispel concerns about complications after vaccinating kids', Forum Online last Thursday) was concerned about complications from childhood vaccines.
We would like to assure Mr Tan that the vaccines used here have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority and are deemed safe for the intended use by the general population. Side effects are usually mild, like a sore arm or a slight fever. Serious allergic reactions are very rare.
As for Mr Tan's concerns about autism and vaccination, there is strong scientific evidence to show that there is no link between vaccines and autism. This view is shared by the health authorities in the United States, Britain and the World Health Organisation. Independent reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration and the US Institute of Medicine have also come to the same conclusion.
In fact, the unfounded belief that vaccines can cause autism has caused much harm. It had led to declines in immunisation coverage in some countries in Europe, to the point where measles had been declared endemic in Britain, and epidemics had occurred in Switzerland, Austria and Italy last year.
Karen Tan (Ms)Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
Thursday, October 29, 2009
PCF adjusts salary ranges
Sep 13, 2009 
PCF aims to recruit talent 10 min-->
Biggest kindergarten operator adjusts salary ranges to match market rates, By Mavis Toh, ST
Teachers with a basic degree start off with at least $2,100, while the monthly pay of diploma holders will range from $1,300 to $2,720. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM
SINGAPORE'S largest kindergarten operator has come up with a package to align its staff's pay with market rates. This will help recruit and retain talent as the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) expands in the next five years.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said this on Saturday at the official opening of PCF Punggol East Sparkletots Infant & Child Care Centre.
PCF, which now runs 250 kindergartens and 33 childcare centres islandwide, recently completed a salary harmonisation exercise to ensure that salary ranges are in line with the market's.
A kindergarten principal with an early childhood education degree will get a monthly salary of between $2,300 and $4,375, depending on experience, ability and performance.
Teachers with a basic degree start off with at least $2,100, while the monthly pay of diploma holders will range from $1,300 to $2,720. Childcare teaching staff too will receive up to $300 more, to reflect the more demanding work.
Mr Teo said: 'There are many childcare centres. We want to make sure we follow the market, so that we can attract good quality teachers and childcare minders to provide good quality education.'
The industry has been plagued by low pay, making it difficult to retain staff.Mr Teo has assured parents that fees for PCF centres will remain affordable. For instance, its childcare centres - which cater to children aged two months to six years old - now charge a median fee of about $450 monthly.
In the next five years, PCF will open another 40 childcare centres. All new centres will be in the heartland to provide services from infant care to childcare and even student care. This is in line with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports' plan to add 200 new childcare centres in the next five years to meet the rising demand.
Besides boosting numbers, PCF will review its curriculum to provide substantial content and innovative teaching methods. Some kindergartens will even implement innovations like integrating the use of Lego toys into the curriculum.
Ms Teng Siew King, 29, quit her accounting job last month to work in a childcare centre. She took a 40 per cent pay cut. 'I really want to work with children. I'm glad that the childcare industry is getting more recognition,' she said.
Read the full story in Sunday's edition of The Straits Times
(Thanks to Pragash for bringing this info to us)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Legislate Preschools..Are You Kidding?
Email from George Lee 
Happy weekend!
to Josephine Teo - Centric/YDU/SISEU
cc Vivian Balakrishnan, Ng Eng Hen
date Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 6:34 AM
cc Vivian Balakrishnan, Ng Eng Hen
date Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 6:34 AM
subject Legislate preschooling..Are you kidding?
Dear Mrs Teo,
A quick note to thank you for putting some sense into the argument of legislating preschooling, in the recent article in The Straits Times (dtd 10 Oct '09).
If every community issue which shows a 2.5% deviation from the population (in this case, 1 child out of 40 not receiving preschooling) is met with a solution that involves legislation, our Parliament will be rife with issues of all and sundry.
The so-called expert group may have confused the need to sharpen the arrowhead, ie 1 unified body for preschools, with the wood, and thus dragged in the lowering of compulsory school age and putting preschools under the government as the cure-all prescription for some of the preschool ills.
Together with Mrs Ng Gim Choo of EtonHouse espousing the need for children to be children (at 2 to 6 years of age) before the rigours of formal education kicks in, you have shown the need to not get caught up with the symptoms but to get to the "root cause".
I therefore thank you for lending your wisdom in that important article on preschooling, as the Chairman of the Education GPC.
regards,
George Lee (early childhood educator and parent)
Reply from Josephine Teo - Centric/YDU/SISEU
to George Lee
cc Vivian Balakrishnan, Ng Eng Hen
date Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 7:31 AM
cc Vivian Balakrishnan, Ng Eng Hen
date Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 7:31 AM
subject Re: Legislate preschooling..Are you kidding?
Thank you, George, for sharing your views.
It is healthy in a debate on important issues to have a diversity of views.
Whichever part of the spectrum we stand, I'm glad to see so many taking a very strong interest in early childhood education and caring to give their views on ways forward.
Thank you, George, for sharing your views.
It is healthy in a debate on important issues to have a diversity of views.
Whichever part of the spectrum we stand, I'm glad to see so many taking a very strong interest in early childhood education and caring to give their views on ways forward.
Happy weekend!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Preschool Education should be MOE's baby : ST Forum
Preschool education should be MOE's baby (ST: 16Oct09) 
I REFER to last Saturday's report, "Should preschools be 'nationalised'?".
With the Ministry of Education overseeing the preschool education sector, continuity from early childhood education to primary school level will be guaranteed.
I REFER to last Saturday's report, "Should preschools be 'nationalised'?".
With the Ministry of Education overseeing the preschool education sector, continuity from early childhood education to primary school level will be guaranteed.
Research has shown that education should start at a preschool level as children are most receptive at a young age. Preschool education will then serve as the foundation to primary education.
In addition, if preschool education were to come under the MOE, it would raise public awareness on the importance of early childhood education. Consequently, more research would be dedicated to it and more focus placed on it.
This would lead to a rise in the quality of preschool education, meaning better teacher qualifications and better curriculum development. It could also lead to a moderation in the cost of preschool education, and this would make it more accessible to more families, especially those from the lower income strata.
Preschool education should be nationalised and made compulsory.
Its curriculum units would have to be structured around the existing kindergarten curriculum framework as developed by the MOE. At the same time, it would give all children coming from diverse economic backgrounds equal opportunities to quality preschool education.
Its curriculum units would have to be structured around the existing kindergarten curriculum framework as developed by the MOE. At the same time, it would give all children coming from diverse economic backgrounds equal opportunities to quality preschool education.
In time, Singapore could be the leading educational pioneer in preschool education in the region. If Singapore's ultimate goal is to cultivate an industry of critical thinkers for the fast changing economy, our nation will need to recognise the development of our young and start their education early.
Samantha See (Ms)
Comments:
NYJC4
-->
Yesterday, 11:08 AM
Please, give the kids a break. I can imagine tuition for tots, already.Leading educational pioneer in preschool ed? Kids learn best by play! Don't stick them in a school, given them some elbow room, some breathing space! Ms See sounds a bit confused. 'industry of critical thinkers'? For whatever that means.
Stormrider65
-->
Yesterday, 01:20 PM
Our entire world, in particular developing and developed countries, are in population decline.Think China is 'booming' with children? That is because it has exceeded its 'critical population'; any couple giving birth to one child on any day in any hospital of any province propels the country's populatin by leaps and bounds. India is facing that problem.However, as a whole, humans are fast becoming comfortable to the notion of 'fewer children' and 'lesser burden. Why? Because as technology speeds up, things get heated up faster, with larger amount of elements being squeezed into a smaller time and space unit. Pressure goes up and mental stress keeps humans away from procreating.Singapore is one 'fine' example of such a '21st-century' illness. From day one of our 'ten years education' - Primary 1, we are fed and instilled and imparted with knowledge and informaton, round after round. On top of it, we are told to aim high and imrpove and excel and achieve. Things got worse when we step into our small, limited labour market and working force, where we have to fight with foreign talents from all over the world. And these do not include setting up families and buying a house and securing finances for generating the next generation, as well as maintaining a critical amount in our CPF for our retiring and post-productive lives.Please, spare our children the lifeless and meaningless lives we Singaporean adults are living. Give them some empty space, a couple of toys, several colours around them, abundance of sunshine and breeze, and let them PLAY with all their might, for the moment they step into a concrete building called 'school', and a brightly-lit room called 'classroom;, they may forever NOT have the chance to play and laugh and run anymore, for the rest of their lives.P.S.: if the entire above chunk of words don't enlighten you, my bottomline statement is - don't even *think* that adults know what children should have and need. In all truthful sense, children are in fact here to teach these adults how to *think*.
suakusuaku
-->
Yesterday, 08:02 PM
Let preschool kids spend as few hours as possible in a formal learning environment. They should associate learning/reading to something pleasurable like in the company of their parents. Once they like learning, the battle is won. The rest depends on nature
NYJC4
-->
Yesterday, 11:08 AM
Please, give the kids a break. I can imagine tuition for tots, already.Leading educational pioneer in preschool ed? Kids learn best by play! Don't stick them in a school, given them some elbow room, some breathing space! Ms See sounds a bit confused. 'industry of critical thinkers'? For whatever that means.
Stormrider65
-->
Yesterday, 01:20 PM
Our entire world, in particular developing and developed countries, are in population decline.Think China is 'booming' with children? That is because it has exceeded its 'critical population'; any couple giving birth to one child on any day in any hospital of any province propels the country's populatin by leaps and bounds. India is facing that problem.However, as a whole, humans are fast becoming comfortable to the notion of 'fewer children' and 'lesser burden. Why? Because as technology speeds up, things get heated up faster, with larger amount of elements being squeezed into a smaller time and space unit. Pressure goes up and mental stress keeps humans away from procreating.Singapore is one 'fine' example of such a '21st-century' illness. From day one of our 'ten years education' - Primary 1, we are fed and instilled and imparted with knowledge and informaton, round after round. On top of it, we are told to aim high and imrpove and excel and achieve. Things got worse when we step into our small, limited labour market and working force, where we have to fight with foreign talents from all over the world. And these do not include setting up families and buying a house and securing finances for generating the next generation, as well as maintaining a critical amount in our CPF for our retiring and post-productive lives.Please, spare our children the lifeless and meaningless lives we Singaporean adults are living. Give them some empty space, a couple of toys, several colours around them, abundance of sunshine and breeze, and let them PLAY with all their might, for the moment they step into a concrete building called 'school', and a brightly-lit room called 'classroom;, they may forever NOT have the chance to play and laugh and run anymore, for the rest of their lives.P.S.: if the entire above chunk of words don't enlighten you, my bottomline statement is - don't even *think* that adults know what children should have and need. In all truthful sense, children are in fact here to teach these adults how to *think*.
suakusuaku
-->
Yesterday, 08:02 PM
Let preschool kids spend as few hours as possible in a formal learning environment. They should associate learning/reading to something pleasurable like in the company of their parents. Once they like learning, the battle is won. The rest depends on nature
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My ECE Assignments : Practicum #2, Vocational Placement
"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :
Lesson Plan #1 – Subject area : Language Development
(A) No. of children : 12
(B) Age Group : K2
(C) Date : 19 March Time: 10.30am Duration: 40 mins
(D) Theme : Stories and rhymes make learning come alive!
(E) Prior Knowledge :
The children have learnt to spell words up to 5 letters long before.
(F) Lesson Objectives:
1. Children will be able to listen and speak the opposite words (antonyms) of “young”, “old” and “asleep”, “awake”.
2. Children will be able to spell these 4 words.
(G) Materials :
1. Large canvass mat and portable whiteboard
2. “Jack and the Beanstalk” tall-book.
3. Walking stick and a baseball cap
4. Journal book, and pencils for each children
(H) Tune-in Activity (Steps):
1. The K2 children will be asked to put on their shoes, and prepare to be taken out of the Centre, in an orderly fashion of 2 rows.
2. The class teacher will be bringing along a large canvass mat for the children to sit on.
He will ask 2 children to volunteer to carry the canvass, the walking stick and baseball cap.
3. All the children will be seated in front of the Centre’s side-wall painting, under the shelter of a walkway, and will be asked by the teacher to imagine why they have been brought to this area to sit, instead of being in the centre. Their responses will be noted by the teacher and acknowledged.
(I) Main Lesson (Steps):
1. The class teacher will initiate the beginning of a story-telling session, the story being “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Both the writer and publisher of the story will be mentioned to the children.
2. The children will see the character of Jack ‘coming alive’ when the teacher points to the wall-painting.
3. As the teacher talks through the story, both the pictures in the book and on the wall painting will be used to stimulate and capture the interest of the children.
4. When the first run of the story-telling finishes, the teacher will now ask the children to listen and speak out the words “young”, “old”, “asleep” and “awake” from the second run of the story-telling.
5. This time, as the four words are told as part of the story (and emphasized by the teacher for each word), the teacher will also write these 4 words on the whiteboard by her side.
6. The teacher will then ask 2 boys to stand by his side at the front. The teacher will ask one boy to hold the walking-stick and ask him to walk like the old giant in the story, while the other boy puts on the baseball-cap to show that he is a boy.
7. Another 2 girls will be asked to volunteer to show the class what “asleep” and “awake” mean to them, and act it out.
8. The children will now be asked to take out their own journals and be prepared to spell the 4 words. The teacher will say the 4 words one by one, while the children writes them down on their journal. When they have finished, they will hand the journals to their teacher for marking.
(J) Closure :
1. To round out this learning experience, the children will be asked by the teacher if there are volunteers who wants to act as the four main characters of young Jack, his mother, the old giant and the beanstalk.
2. They will re-enact the scenes, as they see fit, for the next 7 to 8 minutes, before wrapping up and returning to their class.
(K) Follow-up :
1. At the end of the day, before the children finish their formal lessons, the children will be asked by the teacher if they remembered who fell asleep in the castle, and what happened to young Jack when the old giant was awake. This will reinforce the learning of these 4 words by the children.
2. They will be asked what is the opposite of “old”, and the opposite of “awake” to reinforce their learning.
Lesson Plan #1 : Reflection and Evaluation :
Q1 : What new learning has occurred for the children?
It was clear to me that the children were interested in the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, even though some of them have heard about it before. This allowed me to achieve my learning objectives of them listening, speaking and writing the 4 focus words.
Q2 : What part of the physical environment would need to be changed, and why?
The children took to the task of moving outside of the class to the side walkway of the centre with much delight. The walkway was a public area, and as such, there were some distractions when several people from the neighbourhood stopped briefly to watch the story-telling.
But by and large, the children were focused on their tasks at hand, including the period when they were required to write the words on their journal. So, space and materials supported the attainment of the lesson objectives well. What can be changed would be allocating more time to this lesson, from 40 minutes to 45 minutes to allow more time for the children to perform their play-acting, which they enjoyed.
Q3 : Which teaching strategies supported the children, and which need to be reconsidered?
The use of a story like “Jack and the Beanstalk” clearly supported the children’s learning. They were remained interested throughout the story itself. The use of props such as the walking stick, the baseball cap and the impromptu play-acting by the children added to their learning experience, as a whole.
Lesson Plan #1 : The Next Step
The children have learnt to spell 4 words as a result of this lesson plan. But I believe they learnt more than that. What stood out for me were 2 things:
1. the use of story-telling as the “vehicle” to reach out to the children was a successful endeavour. In this case, it helped me to bring the children to the point of achieving my lesson objectives with ease simply because they were interested in listening to the story.
2. that play-acting by the children drew out the usually silent children from their shells. I believe that because they were seeing their peers having so much fun with the play-acting, they too were drawn into this activity. They too were laughing side by side with their peers.
The next step for me would be to use this experience of story-telling and games to reach out to the children in what would be typically regarded by teachers as more “serious” subject areas such as science and math.
(A) No. of children : 12
(B) Age Group : K2
(C) Date : 19 March Time: 10.30am Duration: 40 mins
(D) Theme : Stories and rhymes make learning come alive!
(E) Prior Knowledge :
The children have learnt to spell words up to 5 letters long before.
(F) Lesson Objectives:
1. Children will be able to listen and speak the opposite words (antonyms) of “young”, “old” and “asleep”, “awake”.
2. Children will be able to spell these 4 words.
(G) Materials :
1. Large canvass mat and portable whiteboard
2. “Jack and the Beanstalk” tall-book.
3. Walking stick and a baseball cap
4. Journal book, and pencils for each children
(H) Tune-in Activity (Steps):
1. The K2 children will be asked to put on their shoes, and prepare to be taken out of the Centre, in an orderly fashion of 2 rows.
2. The class teacher will be bringing along a large canvass mat for the children to sit on.
He will ask 2 children to volunteer to carry the canvass, the walking stick and baseball cap.
3. All the children will be seated in front of the Centre’s side-wall painting, under the shelter of a walkway, and will be asked by the teacher to imagine why they have been brought to this area to sit, instead of being in the centre. Their responses will be noted by the teacher and acknowledged.
(I) Main Lesson (Steps):
1. The class teacher will initiate the beginning of a story-telling session, the story being “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Both the writer and publisher of the story will be mentioned to the children.
2. The children will see the character of Jack ‘coming alive’ when the teacher points to the wall-painting.
3. As the teacher talks through the story, both the pictures in the book and on the wall painting will be used to stimulate and capture the interest of the children.
4. When the first run of the story-telling finishes, the teacher will now ask the children to listen and speak out the words “young”, “old”, “asleep” and “awake” from the second run of the story-telling.
5. This time, as the four words are told as part of the story (and emphasized by the teacher for each word), the teacher will also write these 4 words on the whiteboard by her side.
6. The teacher will then ask 2 boys to stand by his side at the front. The teacher will ask one boy to hold the walking-stick and ask him to walk like the old giant in the story, while the other boy puts on the baseball-cap to show that he is a boy.
7. Another 2 girls will be asked to volunteer to show the class what “asleep” and “awake” mean to them, and act it out.
8. The children will now be asked to take out their own journals and be prepared to spell the 4 words. The teacher will say the 4 words one by one, while the children writes them down on their journal. When they have finished, they will hand the journals to their teacher for marking.
(J) Closure :
1. To round out this learning experience, the children will be asked by the teacher if there are volunteers who wants to act as the four main characters of young Jack, his mother, the old giant and the beanstalk.
2. They will re-enact the scenes, as they see fit, for the next 7 to 8 minutes, before wrapping up and returning to their class.
(K) Follow-up :
1. At the end of the day, before the children finish their formal lessons, the children will be asked by the teacher if they remembered who fell asleep in the castle, and what happened to young Jack when the old giant was awake. This will reinforce the learning of these 4 words by the children.
2. They will be asked what is the opposite of “old”, and the opposite of “awake” to reinforce their learning.
Lesson Plan #1 : Reflection and Evaluation :
Q1 : What new learning has occurred for the children?
It was clear to me that the children were interested in the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, even though some of them have heard about it before. This allowed me to achieve my learning objectives of them listening, speaking and writing the 4 focus words.
Q2 : What part of the physical environment would need to be changed, and why?
The children took to the task of moving outside of the class to the side walkway of the centre with much delight. The walkway was a public area, and as such, there were some distractions when several people from the neighbourhood stopped briefly to watch the story-telling.
But by and large, the children were focused on their tasks at hand, including the period when they were required to write the words on their journal. So, space and materials supported the attainment of the lesson objectives well. What can be changed would be allocating more time to this lesson, from 40 minutes to 45 minutes to allow more time for the children to perform their play-acting, which they enjoyed.
Q3 : Which teaching strategies supported the children, and which need to be reconsidered?
The use of a story like “Jack and the Beanstalk” clearly supported the children’s learning. They were remained interested throughout the story itself. The use of props such as the walking stick, the baseball cap and the impromptu play-acting by the children added to their learning experience, as a whole.
Lesson Plan #1 : The Next Step
The children have learnt to spell 4 words as a result of this lesson plan. But I believe they learnt more than that. What stood out for me were 2 things:
1. the use of story-telling as the “vehicle” to reach out to the children was a successful endeavour. In this case, it helped me to bring the children to the point of achieving my lesson objectives with ease simply because they were interested in listening to the story.
2. that play-acting by the children drew out the usually silent children from their shells. I believe that because they were seeing their peers having so much fun with the play-acting, they too were drawn into this activity. They too were laughing side by side with their peers.
The next step for me would be to use this experience of story-telling and games to reach out to the children in what would be typically regarded by teachers as more “serious” subject areas such as science and math.
Student Self Evaluation
(1) Professional Knowledge and Behaviour:
Q : Have you provided a positive role model for children? Provide a brief example.
I have provided a positive role model for the children by constantly using proper English words and sentences when conversing with them. I find that the children are easily swayed by the way English as a language is used by their peers and their parents at home. It is therefore not surprising to find them using localized English frequently, and in my view, excessively by most of them.
I am of the opinion that preschool teachers need to ensure that the children in their classes do not fall into the easy ‘trap’ of using colloquial English when in school, both in conversations or when words and sentences are being constructed by them. When the children get older, this form of colloquial English will become even more difficult to change in their conversations and in writings. It is therefore the role of the preschool teacher to ensure that English is properly used and spoken in school, and at all times to instill its proper usage by the children.
Q : How well am I applying my knowledge of the theories of child development in the classroom?
I believe I have applied my knowledge of the theories of child development well in the classroom during this practicum.
From the beginning, I had wanted to inject play into my lesson plans, realizing the significance of play in teaching our children, as noted by Parten (Dockett, Fleer, 2002). For example, I took the initiative to bring all the children out of their classroom environment in one of my lessons on the subject area of language, and asked them to role-play the story of Jack and the Beanstalk in front of a large painting of one of its scenes in this story. Clearly, the children enjoyed that role-play as one of them took the role of the “Giant” and spouted loudly, “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum”.
I was also able to scaffold the children’s understanding of the scientific concepts of sinking and floating, thus applying the theory espoused by Vygotsky (Mooney, 2000). The children were perplexed to find that a small grape actually sinks in water, while a larger orange floats. It was through my explanation of density that they were able to see why that was so, thus helping them to extend their own knowledge, through the guidance of an adult like me. The theory of ZPD, as stated by Vygotsky, was well on display then.
(2) Interactions with Children:
Q : How do I demonstrate appreciation of children’s effort?
I demonstrated appreciation of children’s effort by doing the following:
a) I acknowledged all their answers by writing them down on the whiteboard, when I asked them for answers to questions, or opinions on various matters.
b) I praise their role-playing efforts, regardless of how they actually performed their role-plays. Some of the children even extended the stories in their own ways. For example, one of them wanted to turn the axe into a laser gun to shoot down the Giant in the Jack and the Beanstalk story, instead of cutting down the beanstalk. I thought that that was indeed a creative display of the mind of that child.
c) I put up their drawings on the display areas within the class to acknowledge their individual efforts. I ensured that they are put up at their eye-level, and not at that of an adult’s, to allow them to see the fruits of their labour as well as their peers.
d) I openly praise any child that showed their efforts to help another peer of theirs, from the simple task of assisting another with putting away their toys, to bringing an eraser to the reach of another child.
e) I openly acknowledge the children whenever they displayed hygienic behaviours when performing their toileting needs, such as flushing the toilets immediately after use, or washing their hands with detergent and drying them carefully before returning to their classroom.
Q : How well do I interact with young children? Provide an example of your communication with young children in which you feel you interacted positively.
I believed that I interacted with the children very well. An example would be the day when a rabbit was brought into the Centre. Instead of getting them to gather round the rabbit to view it, I took the opportunity to turn it into a ‘teacheable moment’ by first asking them if they have pets at home, what they are and the names of their pets. I then asked them if a rabbit can be a pet, whether a rabbit is a mammal and the food that it eats. It was at this moment that I then brought the rabbit in, to show it to them, right in front of their very eyes, as they sat in a semi-circle. The delight on their faces clearly showed how much they enjoyed the occasion.
(3) Communication:
Q : How well do I interact with colleagues?
I interacted with my colleagues well. I had a healthy respect for all of them, not just the teachers but the cook and the cleaner, because I realized the difficult and challenging jobs that each of them had to discharge, every single day. I specifically interacted well with the class teacher, Teacher S because from the start of my practicum, she showed warmth in receiving me and more importantly, she showed a high level of care and concern for her class children, which I appreciate greatly and will try to replicate the same when I begin my own career in a preschool.
Q : How do I demonstrate positive working attitudes?
I demonstrated positive working attitudes by being 10 minutes early to work every day, which was an easy first step to make. That gave me the opportunity to meet some of the parents of my class children who drop their children off earlier than others. This was, in itself, a bonus for me. Having the chance to meet more of the parents gave me additional confidence in dealing with matters involving parents in the future.
I was always eager to learn, especially from Teacher S. I took the initiative to assist her in her lessons by asking her at the beginning of the day what were the things that I could do to help with her lessons. She was a willing partner in helping me understand all that I wanted to know to be a professional early childhood educator, like her. Whenever I was taking on her class with my own lesson plans, she took the initiative to provide feedback, both good and bad, on how I performed on that day with the children. I was therefore very appreciative of her personal efforts.
With the children, I was always mindful of the need to be respectful to them, and in return, I expected respect from them as well. I believe that this positive atmosphere would rub off to the children and in so doing, afford them the environment to learn optimally.
References
1. Dockett, S & Fleer, M. (2002), Play and pedagogy in early childhood : Bending the
rules. Harcourt, Australia.
2. Mooney, C. G. (2000), Theories of Childhood, p.93 . Readleaf Press, Division of
Resources of Child Caring, 450 N, Syndicate, Suite 5 St Paul, MN 55104.
(1) Professional Knowledge and Behaviour:
Q : Have you provided a positive role model for children? Provide a brief example.
I have provided a positive role model for the children by constantly using proper English words and sentences when conversing with them. I find that the children are easily swayed by the way English as a language is used by their peers and their parents at home. It is therefore not surprising to find them using localized English frequently, and in my view, excessively by most of them.
I am of the opinion that preschool teachers need to ensure that the children in their classes do not fall into the easy ‘trap’ of using colloquial English when in school, both in conversations or when words and sentences are being constructed by them. When the children get older, this form of colloquial English will become even more difficult to change in their conversations and in writings. It is therefore the role of the preschool teacher to ensure that English is properly used and spoken in school, and at all times to instill its proper usage by the children.
Q : How well am I applying my knowledge of the theories of child development in the classroom?
I believe I have applied my knowledge of the theories of child development well in the classroom during this practicum.
From the beginning, I had wanted to inject play into my lesson plans, realizing the significance of play in teaching our children, as noted by Parten (Dockett, Fleer, 2002). For example, I took the initiative to bring all the children out of their classroom environment in one of my lessons on the subject area of language, and asked them to role-play the story of Jack and the Beanstalk in front of a large painting of one of its scenes in this story. Clearly, the children enjoyed that role-play as one of them took the role of the “Giant” and spouted loudly, “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum”.
I was also able to scaffold the children’s understanding of the scientific concepts of sinking and floating, thus applying the theory espoused by Vygotsky (Mooney, 2000). The children were perplexed to find that a small grape actually sinks in water, while a larger orange floats. It was through my explanation of density that they were able to see why that was so, thus helping them to extend their own knowledge, through the guidance of an adult like me. The theory of ZPD, as stated by Vygotsky, was well on display then.
(2) Interactions with Children:
Q : How do I demonstrate appreciation of children’s effort?
I demonstrated appreciation of children’s effort by doing the following:
a) I acknowledged all their answers by writing them down on the whiteboard, when I asked them for answers to questions, or opinions on various matters.
b) I praise their role-playing efforts, regardless of how they actually performed their role-plays. Some of the children even extended the stories in their own ways. For example, one of them wanted to turn the axe into a laser gun to shoot down the Giant in the Jack and the Beanstalk story, instead of cutting down the beanstalk. I thought that that was indeed a creative display of the mind of that child.
c) I put up their drawings on the display areas within the class to acknowledge their individual efforts. I ensured that they are put up at their eye-level, and not at that of an adult’s, to allow them to see the fruits of their labour as well as their peers.
d) I openly praise any child that showed their efforts to help another peer of theirs, from the simple task of assisting another with putting away their toys, to bringing an eraser to the reach of another child.
e) I openly acknowledge the children whenever they displayed hygienic behaviours when performing their toileting needs, such as flushing the toilets immediately after use, or washing their hands with detergent and drying them carefully before returning to their classroom.
Q : How well do I interact with young children? Provide an example of your communication with young children in which you feel you interacted positively.
I believed that I interacted with the children very well. An example would be the day when a rabbit was brought into the Centre. Instead of getting them to gather round the rabbit to view it, I took the opportunity to turn it into a ‘teacheable moment’ by first asking them if they have pets at home, what they are and the names of their pets. I then asked them if a rabbit can be a pet, whether a rabbit is a mammal and the food that it eats. It was at this moment that I then brought the rabbit in, to show it to them, right in front of their very eyes, as they sat in a semi-circle. The delight on their faces clearly showed how much they enjoyed the occasion.
(3) Communication:
Q : How well do I interact with colleagues?
I interacted with my colleagues well. I had a healthy respect for all of them, not just the teachers but the cook and the cleaner, because I realized the difficult and challenging jobs that each of them had to discharge, every single day. I specifically interacted well with the class teacher, Teacher S because from the start of my practicum, she showed warmth in receiving me and more importantly, she showed a high level of care and concern for her class children, which I appreciate greatly and will try to replicate the same when I begin my own career in a preschool.
Q : How do I demonstrate positive working attitudes?
I demonstrated positive working attitudes by being 10 minutes early to work every day, which was an easy first step to make. That gave me the opportunity to meet some of the parents of my class children who drop their children off earlier than others. This was, in itself, a bonus for me. Having the chance to meet more of the parents gave me additional confidence in dealing with matters involving parents in the future.
I was always eager to learn, especially from Teacher S. I took the initiative to assist her in her lessons by asking her at the beginning of the day what were the things that I could do to help with her lessons. She was a willing partner in helping me understand all that I wanted to know to be a professional early childhood educator, like her. Whenever I was taking on her class with my own lesson plans, she took the initiative to provide feedback, both good and bad, on how I performed on that day with the children. I was therefore very appreciative of her personal efforts.
With the children, I was always mindful of the need to be respectful to them, and in return, I expected respect from them as well. I believe that this positive atmosphere would rub off to the children and in so doing, afford them the environment to learn optimally.
References
1. Dockett, S & Fleer, M. (2002), Play and pedagogy in early childhood : Bending the
rules. Harcourt, Australia.
2. Mooney, C. G. (2000), Theories of Childhood, p.93 . Readleaf Press, Division of
Resources of Child Caring, 450 N, Syndicate, Suite 5 St Paul, MN 55104.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Falling English Standard in Schools : Education Minister
Raise standard of English: Ng Eng Hen
A language institute will pool resources at national level, could eventually cater to teachers in other countries
Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Sep 18, 2009, Today Online
IT HAS been a long-standing issue punctuated by periodic media reports of bad English usage and the Speak Good English Movement's efforts.
Yesterday, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen issued the challenge to all teachers for the year ahead: Raise the standard of English.
In his keynote address at the Ministry of Education Work Plan Seminar, the most important speech in the annual education calendar, Dr Ng not only stressed the need to speak better English, he said Singapore can aim to be an English teaching hub for Asia.Language ability is "an important skill that we must cultivate in our students for this globalised world", where those able to communicate their ideas and convince others will have a competitive edge, he said.
"While most teachers are proud of our standards in, say, Maths and Science, we are less enamoured of our standard of English. This is a sensitive subject and I'm not raising it to demoralise teachers and students, but to signal that we should begin concerted efforts to raise the standard of English."
One of the building blocks for teachers will be an English Language Institute of Singapore - a recommendation of the English Language Task Force, itself newly set up by MOE in June, with Senior Minister of State (Education) S Iswaran as adviser and director-general of education, Ms Ho Peng, as its head.Dr Ng said the institute will pool resources at the national level and could eventually cater to English language teachers "in the region and beyond".
Progress is starting to show, with programmes such as Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading (Stellar) introduced to all Primary One classes this year and to be phased in at all levels by 2014. It aims to develop better speakers through the use of show-and-tell, role-play and dramatisation, and schools attest that Stellar students speak with more confidence.
Grammar is also taught more explicitly now, said Ms Jeyalaxmy Ayaduray, a teacher of 29 years who guides a cluster of schools in Literature-driven English programmes. Through exposure to books such as Sing To The Dawn, she sees Secondary One Express students' writing "getting more descriptive, with less paucity of ideas when they write".
Another boost will come next year: A new English Language curriculum for Primary One and Two students, as well as at the Secondary One Express and Normal (Academic) levels. It will focus on developing oral confidence, grammar knowledge and a love for reading, said an MOE spokesperson.For more senior students, a new subject called English Language and Linguistics was launched at six junior colleges and schools this year.
But Singapore's bilingual policy has served it well, and curriculum time for mother tongue languages will not be cut, assured Dr Ng.In a landscape where the proportion of Primary One students from English-speaking households has spiked in the last 25 years, however, getting students to use and appreciate their mother tongues should garner as much emphasis as test results, he said.
Today, English is the dominant home language for the majority of Primary One pupils - and in Malay households, the figure has grown from 27.7 per cent in 2005 to 35 per cent.
"We need to face these challenges for mother tongue languages squarely," said Dr Ng, who advocated the use of innovative approaches such as podcasts."If our students are put off by their mother tongue languages when they leave schools, then I think we have failed in our efforts."
A language institute will pool resources at national level, could eventually cater to teachers in other countries
Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Sep 18, 2009, Today Online
IT HAS been a long-standing issue punctuated by periodic media reports of bad English usage and the Speak Good English Movement's efforts.
Yesterday, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen issued the challenge to all teachers for the year ahead: Raise the standard of English.
In his keynote address at the Ministry of Education Work Plan Seminar, the most important speech in the annual education calendar, Dr Ng not only stressed the need to speak better English, he said Singapore can aim to be an English teaching hub for Asia.Language ability is "an important skill that we must cultivate in our students for this globalised world", where those able to communicate their ideas and convince others will have a competitive edge, he said.
"While most teachers are proud of our standards in, say, Maths and Science, we are less enamoured of our standard of English. This is a sensitive subject and I'm not raising it to demoralise teachers and students, but to signal that we should begin concerted efforts to raise the standard of English."
One of the building blocks for teachers will be an English Language Institute of Singapore - a recommendation of the English Language Task Force, itself newly set up by MOE in June, with Senior Minister of State (Education) S Iswaran as adviser and director-general of education, Ms Ho Peng, as its head.Dr Ng said the institute will pool resources at the national level and could eventually cater to English language teachers "in the region and beyond".
Progress is starting to show, with programmes such as Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading (Stellar) introduced to all Primary One classes this year and to be phased in at all levels by 2014. It aims to develop better speakers through the use of show-and-tell, role-play and dramatisation, and schools attest that Stellar students speak with more confidence.
Grammar is also taught more explicitly now, said Ms Jeyalaxmy Ayaduray, a teacher of 29 years who guides a cluster of schools in Literature-driven English programmes. Through exposure to books such as Sing To The Dawn, she sees Secondary One Express students' writing "getting more descriptive, with less paucity of ideas when they write".
Another boost will come next year: A new English Language curriculum for Primary One and Two students, as well as at the Secondary One Express and Normal (Academic) levels. It will focus on developing oral confidence, grammar knowledge and a love for reading, said an MOE spokesperson.For more senior students, a new subject called English Language and Linguistics was launched at six junior colleges and schools this year.
But Singapore's bilingual policy has served it well, and curriculum time for mother tongue languages will not be cut, assured Dr Ng.In a landscape where the proportion of Primary One students from English-speaking households has spiked in the last 25 years, however, getting students to use and appreciate their mother tongues should garner as much emphasis as test results, he said.
Today, English is the dominant home language for the majority of Primary One pupils - and in Malay households, the figure has grown from 27.7 per cent in 2005 to 35 per cent.
"We need to face these challenges for mother tongue languages squarely," said Dr Ng, who advocated the use of innovative approaches such as podcasts."If our students are put off by their mother tongue languages when they leave schools, then I think we have failed in our efforts."
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Amazing Sand-painting - A Language in itself
When talent comes in the form of sand-painting like this, one gets blown away by the power that it holds as a language in itself.
Watch this beautiful (and touching) display of pure talent..
(thanks to Jennifer C of DPT class of 2008/09 for bringing this to us)
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