AED201 – The Social Context of Teaching and Learning

1. AED201 – The Social Context of Teaching and Learning National Education And the Social Functions of Schools in the Singapore System

2. Your facilitators today… • Kai Ting • Elfy • Jun Yuan • Terence

3. What are we doing today? AGENDA • Introduction to objectives of today’s seminar • Time to play! – Round 1! • Discussion on current national issues in Singapore • Activity – National Education’s key initiatives • Time to play! – Round 2! • Activity – Analysis of students’ behaviours in NE lessons and teaching strategies for various social contexts • Conclusion

4. Seminar Objectives At the end of this seminar, we hope you will be able to: • Have the opportunities to reflect and express your personal thoughts and assumptions about National Education programme in Singapore schools. • Identify and understand the National Education initiatives practiced in Singapore schools today. • Formulate strategies to overcome challenges in teaching National Education for several social contexts so as to make learning NE meaningful both for yourselves and your students.

5. Food for thought • What is it that makes us uniquely Singaporean? • Video 1: Singapore – A mixture of Hearts

6. Activity 1.1 Key Facilitator: Kai Ting

7. Coming up next… • How well do you know one another?

8. Activity 1.2 Key Facilitator: Kai Ting

9. Activity instructions? No instructions!We only have a riddle for you… All is not as it seems, Stay and you shall perish, Seek and you shall find. For alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.

10. Activity 2 Key Facilitator: Kai Ting

11. Let’s watch… • Video 2: Curry Curry Night

12. KT, what articles to insert?

13. Class Discussion • What is your opinion on these issues?

14. Thinking Point Reflect on your own experience as a student in Singapore. • What are your personal thoughts about the value and meaning of NE?

15. Activity 3 Key Facilitator: Junyuan

16. Ever wonder exactly what are schools for?

17. Social Functions of Schools Knowledge • Transmission of K _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • Promotion of Social C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ • Streamlining of Talents for _ _ _ _ • Fostering of change and innovation Cohesion Jobs

18. National Education So why the need for National Education?

19. Profile of Singapore • Young Nation • Consists on people from many different races and cultures • Therefore, it is essential for us to develop national cohesion in students through understanding Singapore’s unique developmental challenges, constraints and vulnerabilities.

20. Objectives of National Education • To develop National Cohesion • To cultivate Instincts foriravvlus • To instil in our Students fnonidcece in our Future Survival Confidence

21. Head Hearts HandsFramework CHARADES! ? ? ? ? ? ? Invite 1 representative from each group

22. You were awesome! • Now, let us look into some of the details of the Head, Hearts, Hands framework… >>>

23. 3 Key Thrusts of H3 approach • Enabling and Equipping Educators • Deepen the conviction and commitment of educators to nurture Singaporean citizens with a strong sense of belonging for Singapore • Examples?

24. 3 Key Thrusts of H3 approach • Enabling and Equipping Educators • Enhance the knowledge, skills and interest of educators in delivering NE through professional development • Examples?

25. 3 Key Thrusts of H3 approach B. Engaging and Empowering Students • Provide a more effective guide for the customisation of NE programmes for students of different age groups and inclinations • How?

26. 3 Key Thrusts of H3 approach C. Enhancing NE through Strengthening School‐Community Linkages • In many ways, NE is not taught but caught. It is through encounters and interactions with people from different backgrounds, young and old, at home and abroad, that students learn about life and themselves as Singaporeans. • Examples?

27. Activity 4 Key Facilitator: Elfy

28. Let’s play…

29. Activity 5 Key Facilitator: Terence

30. Class discussion • What did you observe from the short skit? • Was there anything that surprised you? • Why do you think the students responded that way?

31. Coming up next... • Divide yourselves into 4 groups • Each group will be given a scenario of different social context • Discuss and formulate strategies which you will adopt as a teacher to teach National Education in that particular social context

32. 4 different social contexts Sec 3 Branded “ACES High Sch” GEP class High ability Sec 3 Neighbourhood “Chinatown Sec Sch” Normal Academic class Sec 1 Neighbourhood “Deepavali High Sch” Express class Mixed abilities Sec 2 Neighbourhood “PulauUbin Sec Sch” Express class with 30% foreign students

33. Thinking Points • Identify the possible attitudes of students and teachers towards the NE programme in each social context. What are its implications? • Formulate NE teaching strategies in a way that is meaningful for both themselves as teachers, and for their students in the particular social context.

34. As we proceed towards the end of today’s seminar…

35. What are your key takeaways? ACTIVITY 1.1 and 1.2 • Ice Breaker game • Puzzle activities • Values and learning points – Implicitly and metaphorically ACTIVITY 2 • Singapore’s current national issues • Opinions towards these contentious issues • Personal thoughts towards the value and meaning of NE programmes in school ACTIVITY 3 • Introduction to National Education initiatives and the Head, Hearts, Hands framework

36. What are your key takeaways? ACTIVITY 4 • “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” ACTIVITY 5 • Evaluate reactions of students’ responses as observed in skit • Group collaboration and discussion to formulate strategies to make NE more meaningful for both yourselves as teachers and students.

37. On a final note… • Handout booklets • Wikispaces: Follow-up discussion http://national-education.wikispaces.com/ • Some treats for you! :)

38. References Adapted from Are you smarter than a 5th grader? [Television programme]. (2011). Los Angeles: Fox Broadcasting Company. Lee, H. L. (1997, May 17). Speech by BG Lee HsienLoong , Deputy Prime Minister at the Launch of National Education. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/ media/speeches/1997/170597.htm Liu, T.Y. (2007). Speech by Minister of State Liu Tuck Yew on NE: StrengtheningHeartwareand Rootedness. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/speeches/ 2007/sp20070307c.htm Ministry of Education. (2007). Executive Summary of the Committee on NE Report 2007. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2007/files/ pr20070307a-executive-summary.pdf Adapted from MONOPOLY DEAL Card game.[Game]. (2011). Pawtucket, RI: Media Materials. Ng, E. H. (2008, Aug 14). Speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, at the 4th anniversary public lecture at the LeeKuanYew School of Public Policy. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/ speeches/2008/08/14/speech-by-dr-ng-eng-hen-at-the-10.php Tan, J. (2008). Whither national education? In J. Tan & P. T. Ng (Eds.), Thinking schools, learning nation: Contemporary issues and challenges (pp. 72-86). Singapore: Pearson Prentice Hall.

39. THANK YOU! We hope you have enjoyed our seminar!