All About GEP

[TwaTau]

vlim:

Hi twatou,

IDP stand for interest driven project and it is under the science subject. It also has a dateline for submission..if I did not remember wrongly it is abt end this month. It is different from the ISO project. Anyway my son is doing ivp. For the English erp list assignement which they have to write something related to a chosen 'detective' story, the submission dateline is 29/3 (if I am not wrong). But my ds also said cannot start doing it yet as teacher still has not finished briefing them ....

Oh, was not aware of this one, MOE is very fond of abbreviation, and they really lost me, :shock: Will need to go back home and dig it out from my DS. He was checking with me on chemical equation for photosynthesis the other day, maybe that is part of this. Science and Maths is my least worry for my DS, it is the languages that put me on edge with my DS. He only read fictional books to complete his assignment and I believe the detective story was one of the assignment. I think he has already did a draft of this, again I say think, sometimes I felt guilty that I am not paying more attention to him. :oops: They are at this stage of their life where they need you sometimes and in other times when they want you to give them more room, :faint:

[syshi]

vlim:

syshi:

For my personal opinion, I feel that homework should be to enhance their learning. To revise what they learn in school so that it will be in their memory better. Not the other way which do homework first before explaining. It will defeat the purpose of studying.

.

hi syshi,
I think the gep Maths teacher has their method of teaching this group of 'higher ability' kids..In my ds school, they also has to do a lot of maths worksheets..almost everyday they has a maths worksheet to do at home..initially I was also very anxious to help him in those sum which he was unable to do but he 'refuse' to let me help as he said the Maths teacher will teach them how to do the sums in class ... While it is hard to say which class is better even if they were to be splitted according to the gep screening test result that doesn't imply that the better results gepers will perform better in the p4 to p6 ge programs. So if you (and or other parents of your ds classmates) are so concern about progress of the kids, probably have a good talk with the hod ( no fight no fight)...ultimately all of you would want your kids to benefit from the ge programmes and now most of the kids are still in the 'adapting' period of the programme..so just guide them along so that they can get use to it soon.... otherwise the 'victims' would be the kids...

Based on the feedback here, seems like that's the GEP approach. But what I worried is that not all practicing the reviewing of those materials not all understand. Don't really want to raise with HOD cause not sure whether they will take it 'sportively'. If not, later my DS will suffer...
So tried coaching him for those he did not understand..

[syshi]

Way2GO:

syshi:

The previous GEP HOD step down to become Senior Teacher. Highlighted the non-explaining during the first briefing. Later part found out that the TR quite 'siong', so worried about my DS's performance. Found out till now nothing change...

So either the coordinator did not inform TR or the TR bochap...

syshi:

..Quite strange that the Math teacher use same approach. ..If this is the approach, I wonder whether the children can understand those maths? ....Can anyone clarify whether is this the approach for GEP curiculum teaching? ...

keroppi:

DS said that the maths teacher usually will not teach first and let the kids attempt the questions ... those who can will share their knowledge with other who can't. And those who still cannot understand their peers will approach the teacher for help. The teacher will then teach this small group who \"don't get it\". My DS finds this approach fun and refreshing....

syshi, my ds's maths tr has the same approach as mentioned by keroppi.
Just the other day, I found out only in the morning before he left for school that he had only completed one out of five questions in his Maths worksheet. Scolded him for leaving his work late; he replied he have some idea but didn't know how to do it :roll: :? .
I checked back with him when he returned from school. He said he completed all and handed up the worksheet already.
I asked how?
He said checked with his classmates and they shared knowledge.
The only question that the Maths tr explained in class was Q5 that many of them don't know how to tackle. That was it!
Did it worry me?
It would if I think the teachers don't know what they are doing.
But I would like to think there is a method to this approach - to encourage self learning and discovery amongst students,
which is not a bad thing.

I understand that the GEP HODs from all nine centres meet regularly in MOE.
If keroppi's kid is not from my ds's school,
then it is very plausible this is a common teaching method for Maths in all GEP centres.
Perhaps parents from GEP centres other than CH, NYPS can confirm?
That could help ease your anxiety somewhat, yeah :lol:

Yup.. thanks...
Agree on the self learning and discovery amongst students. Worried that they use shortcut by copying instead of finding out or understanding...

[cluelessmama]

Way2GO:

syshi:

The previous GEP HOD step down to become Senior Teacher. Highlighted the non-explaining during the first briefing. Later part found out that the TR quite 'siong', so worried about my DS's performance. Found out till now nothing change...

So either the coordinator did not inform TR or the TR bochap...

syshi:

..Quite strange that the Math teacher use same approach. ..If this is the approach, I wonder whether the children can understand those maths? ....Can anyone clarify whether is this the approach for GEP curiculum teaching? ...

keroppi:

DS said that the maths teacher usually will not teach first and let the kids attempt the questions ... those who can will share their knowledge with other who can't. And those who still cannot understand their peers will approach the teacher for help. The teacher will then teach this small group who \"don't get it\". My DS finds this approach fun and refreshing....

syshi, my ds's maths tr has the same approach as mentioned by keroppi.
Just the other day, I found out only in the morning before he left for school that he had only completed one out of five questions in his Maths worksheet. Scolded him for leaving his work late; he replied he have some idea but didn't know how to do it :roll: :? .
I checked back with him when he returned from school. He said he completed all and handed up the worksheet already.
I asked how?
He said checked with his classmates and they shared knowledge.
The only question that the Maths tr explained in class was Q5 that many of them don't know how to tackle. That was it!
Did it worry me?
It would if I think the teachers don't know what they are doing.
But I would like to think there is a method to this approach - to encourage self learning and discovery amongst students,
which is not a bad thing.

I understand that the GEP HODs from all nine centres meet regularly in MOE.
If keroppi's kid is not from my ds's school,
then it is very plausible this is a common teaching method for Maths in all GEP centres.
Perhaps parents from GEP centres other than CH, NYPS can confirm?
That could help ease your anxiety somewhat, yeah :lol:

According to kid, the teacher will cover basic concepts of a new topic. However, students will be left alone to do their worksheets. They will exchange their worksheets with classmates for marking (use purple pen to mark). Green for correction.

I understand that they go thro answers and not solutions. (This is what my kid say, not sure if kid is mistaken in any way.)

Usually, the teacher will ask the students if they have any questions or problems relating to the worksheet. If nobody raise any problem, case will be closed.

[syshi]

cluelessmama:

According to kid, the teacher will cover basic concepts of a new topic. However, students will be left alone to do their worksheets. They will exchange their worksheets with classmates for marking (use purple pen to mark). Green for correction.

I understand that they go thro answers and not solutions. (This is what my kid say, not sure if kid is mistaken in any way.)

Usually, the teacher will ask the students if they have any questions or problems relating to the worksheet. If nobody raise any problem, case will be closed.

Hhmmm... seems like quite dangerous if the kids don't dare to ask question. They won't know the working flow / solutions. Only the answer....

[syshi]

vlim:

anyway my ds did not mention to me that their maths lessons are carried out in this way..what I heard from him is that the teacher will go through with them the answer in class.. so for those qns that he done wrongly or doesn't know how to do, I always saw him wrote down the working in green pen which I supposed the working and answer were given by the teacher.

I think this is the right approach from GE Branch... but not sure that all the GEP schools / Teachers follow this method... I think most of them use shortcut instead... just give the answer without working...

[cluelessmama]

syshi:

cluelessmama:

According to kid, the teacher will cover basic concepts of a new topic. However, students will be left alone to do their worksheets. They will exchange their worksheets with classmates for marking (use purple pen to mark). Green for correction.

I understand that they go thro answers and not solutions. (This is what my kid say, not sure if kid is mistaken in any way.)

Usually, the teacher will ask the students if they have any questions or problems relating to the worksheet. If nobody raise any problem, case will be closed.

Hhmmm... seems like quite dangerous if the kids don't dare to ask question. They won't know the working flow / solutions. Only the answer....

Just to add... They have to submit their \"marked\" worksheets to the teacher. So, am not too sure if teacher will identify those with problems and coach them individually.

My kid shared with me that sometimes my kid would \"teach\" her friend the difficult sums. I'm not sure if it's before submitting the worksheet or after marking it. - I think through peer teaching, kids learn faster and become more independent.

[syshi]

cluelessmama:

syshi:

Hhmmm... seems like quite dangerous if the kids don't dare to ask question. They won't know the working flow / solutions. Only the answer....

Just to add... They have to submit their \"marked\" worksheets to the teacher. So, am not too sure if teacher will identify those with problems and coach them individually.

My kid shared with me that sometimes my kid would \"teach\" her friend the difficult sums. I'm not sure if it's before submitting the worksheet or after marking it. - I think through peer teaching, kids learn faster and become more independent.

How confidence we are on peer teaching?
My DS last time in previous school always teach his friends if they don't understand. But heard from him that some other previous classmate very selfish. Don't want to share.
Like this also difficult...

[cluelessmama]

syshi:

How confidence we are on peer teaching?
My DS last time in previous school always teach his friends if they don't understand. But heard from him that some other previous classmate very selfish. Don't want to share.
Like this also difficult...

Actually, I don't believe this is the only method. I think this is just one of the methods.

For myself, I've always stressed to my kid that as long as she doesn't understand, she will have to ask - don't assume. I believe till now, she has been doing that.

For tricky or difficult questions, kid will usually work on it till she get a solution. Usually, she will check with me if that's the best way to solve a problem.

[syshi]

cluelessmama:

syshi:

How confidence we are on peer teaching?
My DS last time in previous school always teach his friends if they don't understand. But heard from him that some other previous classmate very selfish. Don't want to share.
Like this also difficult...

Actually, I don't believe this is the only method. I think this is just one of the methods.

For myself, I've always stressed to my kid that as long as she doesn't understand, she will have to ask - don't assume. I believe till now, she has been doing that.

For tricky or difficult questions, kid will usually work on it till she get a solution. Usually, she will check with me if that's the best way to solve a problem.

Yup... I'm pretty much involve if it's tricky or difficult question.. that's why sometimes concern when my DS frustratingly told me that the teacher has not teach, but were told to do the worksheet... :?