Teach Less, Learn More
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Please dun :nunchuk: :rant: me..... perhaps I have not seen the REAL world cos' kids in neighborhood school.
While I have heard about results dropping, how bad will it go? Perhaps I dun expect that much so not overly concerned with some drop.
At P5, what is the kind of results acceptable to you? How much of a drop will you accept? When you talk about dropping, does that happen to the whole class? Just want to understand more so that I dun happy happy then cry later. Guess sometimes, hard to discuss with the classmates parents' cos seems a little sensitive?? -
janet_lee88:
Janet - gentle reminder. P5 is measured using P6 yardsticks, no longer Band1/2 etc
For this SA1, I HOPE Eng/CL/Science can be in High end of Band 2 at least. As for Maths, please don't fail. -
http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html Errr... hello? Issit safe for buds to come out and play now?
Whatever it is, i surrender first hor.. http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html
I was spoilt for choice on where to mark my 9000th post but since now
the coast here a bit clear, i ehekhemm.. decided that after weighing the
pros and cons... http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/facebook-smileys.html, i will mark it in this post with an extensive sharing, so pleeeze bear with me. :oops:
Honestly, i thought discussing General Election issues were already heated
enough, but phew... it was kinda hot in here when it started so i kinda errr..
chickened out for awhile... well, knowing the low profile me...
... and
will now get my chicken in. :lol: I'm on the fence with this never-ending issue
with our ministry proposed style of teaching... http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html but am going to offer some of my personal sharings
based on how our education system fared for my children & I since its implementation... with my not so powderful England.
TEACH LESS, LEARN MORE
\"TLLM would mean less dependence on rote learning, repetitive tests
and a ‘one size fits all’ type of instruction, and more on experiential
discovery, engaged learning, differentiated teaching, the learning of life-
long skills, and the building of character through innovative and effective
teaching approaches and strategies.\"
The above is taken from the official website marking the http://www.moe.gov.sg/about/yearbooks/2005/teach.html.
For as long as i could remember, parents here have been complaining of
the many assessments and tests and more tests on top the rote styled
learning of yesteryears.. Hence upon the many feedbacks and research
done by MOE, it finally chop to endorse the Teach Less, Learn More method
in schools. When it was first piloted however, not all schools started this
method at the same time... good in a way cause the method can be refined
further as it went along. As with any new programmes, new teachers, new
baby (etc)... it takes time for the new idea to sink in with the children, their
parents (us) and definitely even with the teaching personnel. It's akin to an
instance where the Teach Less part was married off with the Learn More.
As with any marriage, again, it takes time to reach the stage where things
hit off & slowly move into auto pilot mode. The method was cynically viewed
as we all know how teaching in schools have always been rote learning =
sit-down-face-whiteboard-listen-to-teacher kinda learning... so how in the
world would a teacher even begin to fathom the idea of teaching less of the
required curriculum within the same time frame?
Teaching Less
As per what the website indicated... Teach Less, Learn More is about teaching
better, to engage our learners and prepare them for life, rather than teaching more,
for tests and examinations.
Now, how do teachers go around teaching less to begin with and yet complete
the curriculum proper? How to ensure there's quality teaching as opposed to the
then quantity teaching which equates to long draggy periods of lecture mode?
The answer is, the teachers themselves gotta learn more... for
that is the only way to approach the method imposed on them as
constructive as possible.
In view of this change, teachers supposedly go for training to facilitate this
new idea of teaching the syllabus. I like to add that i see this idea pumped
more into the lower primary in the beginning.. Teaching less to engage our
new learners at P1/P2 levels does offer a holistic dimension that aimed to
benefit children of all the different types of learning abilities, pre-taught
knowledge, family backgrounds (etc). The modes of assessment go beyond
pen and paper based exams, which in reality bodes well for majority of the
average learners within our communities who can afford only basic
kindergarten education, which at this juncture is still not compulsory but...
definitely highly encouraged.
What's different for learners at this stage? My DD2 came into this method
the moment she entered her little feet to formal primary education and i
for one tried to look at this new idea positively & was drawn into this new
idea with teachers who must've ploughed thru' sleepless nites preparing
their lessons... for teaching less only means they have waaaayy more to
prepare to ensure that the young learners are indeed engaged.
The teachers in the school (neighbourhood sch by the way)... :love: lovingly
prepared a whole semester of events and activities for the children and
guess what...? Also for the parents! Yes, you didn't hear me or rather
read me wrongly... parents are given more opportunities to learn together
with our children on the different areas of learning and assessments and
were advised on the rubrics at the beginning of the first term. Parents were
given more opportunities to work hand in hand with the children, the school
and the teachers with alternative teaching modes. Children got to work in
groups, in pairs and also individually which in a nutshell allowed children
to work on leadership skills, interaction skills, public speaking skills and
also skills that enable them to think out of the box... which many parents
have emphasized our local children lack due to the then labeled as the
stifling-textbook-manner of teaching children. Cookie cutter mode some
said. This opening up to parents was definitely a new thing for us and a
big hit with most parents as schools are usually seen as a closed-door
instituition. With Teach Less parents also get to learn more about what's
being carried out in our children's classes & how they are being assessed.
Show & Tell... Project Work... Charity Work... Exhibitions... IT Learning...
Field Trips/Learning Journeys... Class Presentations... Stage Performances..
The above were a few of the new ideas my child and i have enjoyed with
this Teach Less method in place. Did it meet our expectations? In our
opinion, YES! My child loved school... looked forward going to school and
absorbed all the fun ideas without so much as having to study for testing..
but study to really learn... and not just classroom textbook based lessons
but also out of classroom experiences that they truly enjoyed. Children got
to work in the garden for early science exposure, went to the Science Ctr
for follow-up and submitted a group project for class presentation and
finally showcased their ideas with a mini exhibition. Yes... my little girl
actually did all that. And learnt so much from the experiences... This
would not have been possible if the education system kept to its old
school whiteboard-based learning where the teachers are always rushing
to finish the curriculum and pile children with endless homeworks that they
in turn have to mark, which adds to their list of to-dos as well.
For Language, children got to visit the library more often as classes take
turns to sit down and watch drama skits... participate in drama classes...
listen to story-tellers... exposed to more books and yes get opportunities
to tell about the books they read (the teachers introduce books appropriate
for their level) and also get to rate how interesting the books are based on
their genre of interest. Funny books and retold stories got the most thumbs
up, so i've heard. Parents enjoyed Reading Night where all of us
came with our books and picnic mats and snacks... crowded the school
hall to listen to engaging story-tellers from the National Library... be
awestruck by children performances and choral reading based on the
Stellar books covered for the term... a lotta work i tell you, but... our
children learn. Grammar contents were covered by the given Stellar
worksheets and more from teacher-prepared materials that encompassed
the specific grammar rules that was to be covered in the curriculum plan
handed out to parents during the first term.
Children were assessed based on classroom participation, how they behave,
how they helped peers and teachers alike, how they understood what was
delivered in and outside of the classroom, topical papers based on monthly
theme/book (etc... etc...) too many to name but in short everyone gets to
shine and excel in the attributes-variant where it isn't just paper based..
But yes... Teachers are still expected to cover the curriculum proper ie.
textbooks & activity/workbooks on top of all those fun activities.
Gotta end this sharing here for now for i gotta fetch my DD1 from supp
class which is another fun extra the sch is providing... will share more
if my sharings can provide the different perspective to what TLLM has
to offer.
To end this sharing, my girls and i evaluated the method... and the end
result? Did they really learn more?
.
.
.
.
.
Happy to note, i got a resounding YESSSS!
PS : As with any human-reliant industry... it is with profound knowledge
that we all know \"the teacher\" plays a huuuuge part in ensuring this
TLLM method to be a successful one. While there are still way too
many teachers who do indeed go bo-chap on us and the children
(yes, i have experience and can really shame the teacher if i
really want to.. :x) it's only fair that we give due credit to the
ones who truly truly truly and relentlessly make it work... and
in my case... it worked big time! :celebrate: -
Buds, that was a beautifully written post. It really captures Teach Less Learn More in all that it was meant to be. You pulled out all the stops for the 9000th eh dearie? This is impressive writing indeed.
By the way, where did you get that emoticon with the wall and you peeking from behind? -
Wow Buds
If ur England not powerful, I dunno what kind of England Im writing…hee.
I can’t help it, but thought that your gals are in lower primary? I’m not sure in other sch, but in my boy’s school, in p1 at least, the teachers engage the children in fun learning way too. Similar to what Buds’ gals school is doing. They even have mother tongue languages week which embark the children in many activities such as sampling food of different ethnic group during recess time, and the children MUST converse in their mother tongue so as to ‘order’ what they want to have/eat, etc.
I was wondering if these kind of learning happens only in neighborhood schools or those not so academically inclined schools (my boy school is not academically inclined) Or maybe the schools have so much time on hand that they organize such activities? Haha…
Or maybe it happens only in lower primary, and when it comes to upper primary, then its drilling all the way to PSLE?? -
smurf:
I'm not sure but I rather suspect that the current batch of P5 & P6 are a group caught in uncomfortable transition. They were taught using traditional methods in lower primary BUT they are tested in Upper Primary according to the newer Learn More standards. Could it be?Wow Buds
If ur England not powerful, I dunno what kind of England Im writing...hee.
I can't help it, but thought that your gals are in lower primary? I'm not sure in other sch, but in my boy's school, in p1 at least, the teachers engage the children in fun learning way too. Similar to what Buds' gals school is doing. They even have mother tongue languages week which embark the children in many activities such as sampling food of different ethnic group during recess time, and the children MUST converse in their mother tongue so as to 'order' what they want to have/eat, etc.
I was wondering if these kind of learning happens only in neighborhood schools or those not so academically inclined schools (my boy school is not academically inclined) Or maybe the schools have so much time on hand that they organize such activities? Haha...
Or maybe it happens only in lower primary, and when it comes to upper primary, then its drilling all the way to PSLE??
I am pretty sure that the Teach Less Learn More methods are highly effective in skills building if properly done... and if Buds' kids are in Lower Primary and this has been her experience, our nation has hope yet!! Yay!! Unfortunately though, for the current batches of P5 & P6 parents we're in transition?
I reckon I am not feeling the stress for Science and English because we've been doing many of these Teach Less Learn More activities for fun at home (without knowing that it would help for exams). We've been doing experiments for fun since he was in Pampers and when he saw how the red dyed hot water immersed in a pail of cold water exploded like an underwater volcano, he was hooked. As for English, we've also been doing stuff for fun. He reads the Straits Times Insight and we talk about it.
The result is that he can handle the practice papers for Science and English easily enough even this year, even without doing assessments.
Unfortunately, for Math, I held him back by refusing to teach him beyond the syllabus. Math isn't fun for me so we didn't do Math for fun. Math was work and it never occurred to me that he would fail P5 SA1 if I held him back. As for Chinese, I'm hopeless and I didn't know how to have fun with him... And now, we have to resort to drastic measures so that he can tackle PSLE and get into a good school. Sob!! -
buds:
buds, you should come out and play more often :nunchuk:Errr... hello? Issit safe for buds to come out and play now?
remember - All work and no play ,
Thanks for that informative write up.
the point is while TLLM is an excellent methodology, the point is it is only as good as its teacher. after all Tool is only as good as the skills of the craftman using it.
So lets cross our fingers and pray.
So far DS seems to be enjoying, but we are not sure what is happenning at school... , only info is there will be a show n tell, they is a learning Journey, spelling etc.
DS does on his own, while i butt in at times and try to help him out - sometimes i realise i am being a Nuisance and a times i wish I had intervened earlier. The problems is when i intervene I expect some standards :oops:
That makes me wish that teacher would let us know when and where parents could help and what are the ones the children are left alone to do by themselves. What is really expected of the children.
Waiting for the PTM... -
smurf:
I scared to write oso at first especially in the company of my favouriteWow Buds
If ur England not powerful, I dunno what kind of England Im writing...hee.
resident writer whom i now know is top 2% u noe.. *gulp* .. but phew..
just hoping no strawberries thrown at me, k?http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/facebook-smileys.html
Just thought to help bring us aaaallll back to the original gist of this thread
nia. http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html
It is indeed a debatable issue for no two teachers are alike in a sense but
not to say that all's bad lar. There are pros and there are cons and there
are those bo-chaps that do get on my nerves sometimes. Positively put,
it is not entirely the fault of the idea of Teach Less, Learn More but rather
subjective to the individuals who are actually carrying out this idea.. for if
they embrace it and learn to deliver it well, our children benefit more than
we know rather than if they bo-chap and don't bother even trying it out &
making parents go frantic with outsourcing everything which takes up like
sooo much time outside the home. Where is the time to rest then? Where
is the time to be the children that they are?
Discussion is healthy. Hopefully we can all learn from our different
experiences.. and be more prepared needless of the outcomes of
the differing schools of thought. These sharings also help me to
appreciate my girls' teachers more than i already do.. for there
are indeed exemplary and extraordinary teachers out there. I
for one am proud to say, i've shook the hands of many... & still
in contact with some.
If in eventuality reality does bite, at least from these constructive
discussions we & other new parents to formal education are more
prepped and less :!:...smurf:
That's good to know, smurf. :hugs:I can't help it, but thought that your gals are in lower primary? I'm not sure in other sch, but in my boy's school, in p1 at least, the teachers engage the children in fun learning way too. Similar to what Buds' gals school is doing. They even have mother tongue languages week which embark the children in many activities such as sampling food of different ethnic group during recess time, and the children MUST converse in their mother tongue so as to 'order' what they want to have/eat, etc.
smurf:
Don't liddat say lar dahling.. definitely not. Neighbourhood schools haveI was wondering if these kind of learning happens only in neighborhood schools or those not so academically inclined schools (my boy school is not academically inclined) Or maybe the schools have so much time on hand that they organize such activities? Haha...
been the underdog performers of late and my girls' old school produced
top ten psle scorers a coupla times too. :love: The teachers in their sch
in my honest opinion makes the school a banded one. Reason being....
every teacher bands together with a hands-on principal to ensure that
no child is left behind wherever they can help it.
Mostly done within school curriculum time except for learning journeys,
probably mass exhibitions and also extra workshops or supplementary
lessons. Again, subjective to the individual school.smurf:
P3 onwards more content. While there may still be fun activities organisedOr maybe it happens only in lower primary, and when it comes to upper primary, then its drilling all the way to PSLE??
on and off... it definitely will not be as much as during the first two years..
but again, with a dedicated teacher who finds it in herself to shake each
and every one of her children to wake up their idea, even the impossible
is possible. I believe with good foundation, our children's education can
pave itself in the right direction. PSLE is not entirely about P6 work but
really encompassing work done from P1 to P6 if we look at it.
While i may not totally advocate pre-teaching as necessary for different
folks call for different strokes, it may be required when parents are
forced upon themselves to deal with those uhmmm bo-chaps and the
heck-its. Very angry if i start talking about those patterns... so better
stick to thread topic, aye? :lol: -
[quote]
Neighbourhood schools have been the underdog performers of late and my girls' old school produced top ten psle scorers a coupla times too.[/quote]buds,
That school is definitely not just any neighbourhood school, it is a \"premium\" neighbourhood school. Most neighbourhood schools do not have any top 10 PSLE scorers.
My kids' neighbourhood school only produced 1 top 10 PSLE scorer in 10 years. It is the top choice in my area, because none of the other primary schools have produced any top scorer in their entire history.
My kids' school do have some activities that you mentioned. However, recently I heard one parent complaining that her girl was made to do Grammar workbook from page 20+ to 90+ in one day
Quite sad. My girl also encountered teachers who made the whole class write the exact same set of words for a few days just before SA1. I think it really depends on the teacher.
Whatever methodology it is that MOE is trying to implement, if they don't have proper control over how teachers teach, it is still quite useless. -
I remembered when dd was in P1 (year 2006), the system was : Project SEED (Strategies for Effective Engagement and Development of pupils in primary schools).
There was also not formal exam in P1 and they gave out "Progressing Report". Formal Exam like SA1, SA2 only started from P2 onward.
Not sure what is the different between SEED and TLLM ?
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