Our Story

Student Outcomes

A student's primary school teacher's response after receiving the letter of gratitude (authentic task).

In line with the outcomes of the 21st century competencies framework (self-directed learner & confident person), the SLS thinking routines is used to empower students to confidently generate and develop ideas for writing with awareness of Purpose, Audience, Context and Culture (PACC). Students independently complete an authentic writing task using the blended approach of writing heuristics (Listing, Quickwrite & Question Flood) and SLS thinking routines as well as AfL strategy (Feedback).

CONTEXTS

Cycle 1: Continuous writing on the theme of ASPIRATIONS

Cycle 2: Situational writing (informal letter) on the theme of GRATITUDE

The Problem

The Team recognises that when students are given any writing tasks, they sometimes:

  • Lack the confidence to generate ideas related to the given topic
  • Lack the strategies to generate ideas
  • Demonstrate a low level of proficiency in thinking dispositions (e.g. thinking flexibly, seeing different perspectives, communicate with clarity and precision)
  • Display a low level of engagement due to short attention span

The Team hopes to develop:

Confident student writers who are able to express ideas coherently, cohesively and creatively and critically for a variety of purposes, audiences, contexts and cultures.

An authentic situational writing task created by the Team.

Our Challenges

Challenges

1. Non-familiarity with the use of the SLS.

2. Not knowing how the SLS platform will value-add teaching and learning.

3. How the SLS can address the needs for differentiated instructions.

4. At times, the students can be extremely immersed in their lessons that it may run counter to the objective of promoting robust interaction during the lesson.

Mrs Toh is a re-employed experienced teacher who embraces the SLS lesson delivery with gusto and gumption.

The team went through two design cycles. In the first cycle, every English teacher created an SLS lesson to familiarise ourselves with the SLS functions and its interface.

We went through a series of critique sessions on the lesson that we created, discussing aspects such as the efficacy of lessons, how the learning outcomes can be achieved and how formative assessment of the students' learning could be carried out.

WhatsApp Video 2019-10-16 at 4.05.59 PM.mp4

SLS lesson conducted in the classroom using an iPad (because all the computer labs are booked). Some points:

  • Before the lesson, students were told to bring their headset to school.
  • The network may disappoint. In such a circumstance, the students are asked to use their mobile phone.
  • Conscious effort must be made to remind the student, verbally, on the link between the ICT based lesson and the pen-paper tasks.

Changed Practices

Impact of harnessing technology in teaching and learning

Shifts in Teachers' Practice

Previously whenever I attempted to craft an ICT based lesson, I will try to cramp my lessons into the apps/platform that I have chosen. I also thought that those ICT based lesson should be self-run and I did not factor in teacher talk-time until post lesson.

The planning of the lesson always felt forced. The actual lesson felt mechanical and students were fighting for control with each other when they were supposed to collaborate in their learning. When going through the lesson with students, there always seemed to be gaps in their learning that needed to be filled in and many misunderstandings to be corrected.

Now, I understand the SLS platform a little better. I can see how the tools on SLS are available to aid my students' learning. They are supplements, not replacements. I am now able to provide immediate feedback and get the class to do collaborative work even though they are not sharing the same screen using certain functions.

Gabriel

Teachers' Practice

Teachers are using the SLS as both a learning resource and a repository. Students are consciously directed to revisit the SLS lessons in the preparation for their End of Year Examinations.

Students explore SLS lessons via individual and group work.

Teacher's Reflection

There are many benefits that can be gained from combining practitioners' knowledge with expert knowledge. New knowledge created sheds a greater understanding on the SLS functions and how it can be used to mitigate the tension between students' short attention span and the need to engage them for constructive learning moments. For example, creating a 'self-help' tab to park resources for students' reference at times convenient to them.

Samuie

I have learnt that in the design of quality lesson with technology, it is imperative that the use of technology value-adds students' learning in areas where teaching using paper and pen cannot.

Shakirrah

The SLS platform has a far wider reach than Nearpod and Mentimetre which allows students to respond to a given task. The SLS allows for students to work on a range of tasks or activities.

The monitoring function is not just about viewing students' work but it allows teachers to give immediate feedback and arrest on the spot where the students have gone wrong or are deviating from the task at hand.

The design of the lesson allows students to proceed from one activity to another seamlessly and they can work on the task at their own pace.

Mrs Toh

Mrs Toh discussing the Open Classroom lesson plans with Sheryl.

Shifts in Students' Learning

Students' Practice

There are strong elements in terms of blended learning. While the students learn the skills and thinking routines by means of technology (i.e. typing their responses and answers), their final work involves the use of pen and paper in which they are still expected to produce an acceptable standard of penmanship with clarity in articulating their thoughts and perspectives.

In addition, the Secondary 1 Oral Examination Formal Assessment incorporates the use of ICT. Students are given an iPad and given 10 minutes to read and record their reading (after going through a series of lessons on Intonation skills etc). They are given the autonomy to choose their best reading for assessment by the teacher.


Students' final work in pen and paper. They are introduced to the concept of 'snail mail' and writing addresses on an envelope. It (writing the address on the envelope) was an entirely NEW EXPERIENCE for the majority of the students!

Students going through ICT based reading aloud assessment.

Students going through ICT based reading aloud assessment.

Writing Heuristic: Listing and Quickwrite (Students sample)

  • Students type using short forms
  • Students tend to lose control on the perspective they have to take when engaging in Quickwrite
  • Elaboration, for majority of the students, remain to be the main hurdle when writing.

Shifts in HOD IP's Practice

HOD IP's Reflection

  • <Through this partnership journey, what are some practices you are doing differently as HOD IP? Describe what you are doing in leading your department to design active learning with technology.>
  1. Working Vocabulary - We are DESIGNERS of English Language lessons (e.g. Designers of SOW etc): The school's twin engine (i.e. Assessment for Learning and Habits of Mind) that undergirds all curriculum can be intentionally and purposefully infused into the teaching and learning of writing, for example. They form part of the design principles vis-a-vis the department Writing Heuristic initiative (as of 2019) and ICT lesson design principles. This was done in cognizance of the EL syllabus learning outcomes.
  2. Mileage on teacher's growth: Critique of SLS Lesson & Feedback for teachers to self-realise learning points. For example, in Cycle 1, I gave out a task for every teacher in the level to create a lesson based on the SOW, in order to capitalise on the critique sessions. This allowed us to understand how we can make our role as English language teachers more dynamic, in the light of using ICT (i.e. SLS) in the classrooms. We had sufficient space and time to comprehend the nuances of the SLS platform in order to develop an intuitive understanding of the technology.
  3. Equity - Level everyone up, not leaving anyone behind. I emphasise on two key aspects of team dynamic: (1) It is about every teacher, (2) not the ICT savvy ones only.
  4. Mileage of students learning outcome: How the highest return on investment can be achieved when an aspect of ICT is infused into the teaching and learning of English language?

Having said the above, my effort to lead the department to design active learning with technology is still a work-in-progress.


  • <What are some department processes you would like to build on to achieve student outcomes with technology? You may draw from the review during Session 10.>

Building on the Department Processes

1. In the area of Effective Communication (we are in partnership with the English Language Institute of Singapore (ELIS) on Whole School Effective Communication), I would like to build on our existing programmes to incorporate students' creation with ICT (e.g. video recording and uploading into the SLS platform) in the teaching of reading, writing and speaking.

2. The Level Coordinator for Sec 1 completed a Writing Course with ELIS in 2018. In 2019, we embarked on process writing (using writing heuristics) for the secondary one level. Writing heuristic has been incorporated with learning via SLS platform (i.e. thinking routines). I believe that this amalgamation of many aspects of writing and thinking tools can be further explored and stretched for the purpose of creating greater joy of learning for the students.

WhatsApp Video 2019-10-17 at 10.02.41 AM (2).mp4

Sustaining Changed Practices

Making changed practices pervasive

<How can these changed practices be more pervasive in your department? How can these changed practices be integrated into existing department processes?>

1. Empowerment of all level coordinators in the pursuit of developing holistic educators (who can develop holistic learners).

2. Development of Design principles which includes on-going sharing by team members in the department. E.g. Promoting Open Classroom.

3. Access to information on all aspects of EL Syllabus, sharing opportunities & learning opportunities.


Post Open Classroom Discussion

WhatsApp Video 2019-10-17 at 10.02.41 AM (1).mp4
WhatsApp Video 2019-10-17 at 10.02.42 AM.mp4

Scheme of Work (SOW)

The SOW has been simplified into notes to facilitate the ease in keeping track on the number of lessons needed for each unit and to identify the flow of the lessons.

<In one paragraph, explain the role of technology in supporting curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to achieve student outcomes. Annotate the relevant part of the SOW.>

Based on the SOW, technology is incorporated in the learning of Writing through the use of the SLS thinking routines to infuse the following:

  • Writing heuristics - brainstorming, listing, elaboration
  • Self-help tab - for sentence starters, list of emotive words, video clips of expressing gratitude

Below is a brief sample of the Simplified SOW: The inclusion of the SLS lesson did not come at the drafting stage of the SOW. Based on this SOW, a match is done to compare the suitability of the functions and thinking routines to the planned scheme. There was a lot of tweaking and adjustment made in the process of creating the SLS. LEARNING POINT: For 2020 onwards, the inclusion of the SLS components into the lesson plans will be clearer than 2019.