Teach Less, Learn More
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buds:
:congrats: on reaching 9k GrandMaster Promotion!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:
For A Moment, While I Scroll Down the Page, I Thought U Gonna Post a 9000 Word Write-up to Celebrate ....
Hee-Hee ....
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ppnqq:
Dun flame me here.
:!: Scoring 90 over for all subjects still need to have tuition? I do not call this kiasu.. there is no word that fits this perfectly, not even super kiasu. The poor child. :heartbroken:tamarind:
In addition to what you have mentioned, a very important point is parents who are willing to send their kids to tuition centers, even though the kids are already scoring 90+ marks for every subject. I always see the photo of the girl from my kids' primary school, who scored above 275, hanging prominently outside a tuition center in Jurong Point. She obviously had additional help outside of school.
Marks are but a single dimensional measure. A single exam doesnt necessarily test the knowledge. While it is generally indicative of level, it can be misleading . Knowing a childs understandings and weakness is what is important
I am just talking about my experience.
DD had no tutions/enrichment till P5. She was in the best class and doing well there too. Being a diligent child, i had to help out only when she had problems and gave her guidance. Working full tiome also meant i could only monitor so much. Like many parents I didnt believe in enrichment for academics. Its time taken for travel, centres covering a different topic while school covers different topics, home work from enrichment centers - all this leaves less time for self study, which is ofcourse the most important part.
In the 1st semester (P5), i felt when she answered the top school papers , her answers were not in line with the expected answers. Not so much as wrong as not framed with the questions objective.The tehnique was missing. She had a 91 in P4 - and i should be relaxed. But her performance was telling me otherwise. I considered myself a science and maths buff and my gut was telling me something.
I raised the topic of enrichment in Science around May since the preparation of SA1 was telling me help was needed. But DD brushed it off saying\" I know, just that i am tired after school when i do the papers, sometimes i am just lax not seroius etc. etc. so lets see after SA1 results. \"
SA1 result 97. DD was very happy , she had a \"I told ya\" written all over her face. While i was happy , I still had a niggling feeling that she needed help that i could not provide. She had hit a ceiling and needed help to go across. There were signs that things were not going in the right direction even when her marks showed she was.
Had a tough time convincing DH who thought I was paranoid and DD who thought I was being a typical mother . Told her that we just try and if i get a Saturday slot (Sunday was rest day). And then decide. Of course there were no Saturday slots available at TLL. So we waited. While preparing for SA2 , DD herself started to see what I meant . After SA2, We agreed to a weekday slot (even before we saw the SA2 marks) and try for one term and then decide whether to stick on or not. For P5 SA2 she got around 85 I think. It was not the marks that made her or me decide, it was the realisation that that she could do better. And she wanted to.
After one term she realised that it helped her. Though all that travelling and increased load in P6 was taking a toll, she wanted to continue. Her P6 SA1 marks fell to a new low (her lowest mark for any subject in all 6 yrs of primary). But I had seen the improvement in her style. While her SA1 marks, with just 4 months before PSLE did make me uneasy, I felt she had progressed to better levels and mastered some answering techniques. While the low marks said another story , I saw a different picture - a positive one. I was confidant that she would get an A*.
And thankfully we were right. In fact, I think her PSLE score was boosted by her science score. As maths being an easy paper didnt do many a favour.
PS-1 Its not just TLL that helped. The school did a lot too - but 43 kids and so much to cover teachers are really stretched. And one important part of PSLe prep is consolidating what all that was done.
PS2- dont pity DD, she is a strong willed strubbon girl. Trying to make her do something she doesnt want to is like banking my head on a brick wall :stupid: . -
ksi:
Well said.Teach Less is true....Learn More is false for the majority so the effect of this scheme is currently Teach Less Learn Less but More is still expected in exam questions.
Teach Less Learn less but More is required in exams.
To share with you something interesting, dd said there was a math question most of her classmate cannot solve lah. Only a few can solve and the teacher gets one of them to write at the white board and surprisingly the method similar to Mr. Tianzhu’s one of the colourful solution. As such, dd suspects their mummies inclusive her mummy must be the regular visitors to this Q&A- PSLE forum. :lol: -
cantbearit2:
:goodpost: u have captured the essence of the teach less, learn more concept.
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php Aaaaww.. thank you cantbearit2..
Uhmmm well, i wanted us to get back on track with the Teach Less Learn
More thread topic really.. cos everyone's suddenly talking abt grades &
marks & these worries over grading are discussed in almost every other
thread pertaining to school and/or academic prepz.. :faint:
I wanted to sift the merits of when the methodology does work and truth
to be told if people really do care about the under-privileged group of
children... then the Teach Less Learn More allows for these children
to at least play catch up.cantbearit2:
True. True. But don't tell me in say 10 Primary 1 classes in a school, 9Unfortunately in tis human dependent industry, not all teachers (in fact, given the no. of warnings i got fr my frenz, rarely heard of teachers who can) R able to deliver it like your DD's.
of them are hopeless cases? :!:
I mean, we gotta also be fair to the teaching pool for we may not know
their side of the coin. We shouldn't generalise or stereotype ALL teachers
to be so, just cos we got one or two bad ones, while i do not deny that 1 or
2 is depressing enough and bad enough for it can spiral down a child's
motivation faster than a tunnel slide... and not to mention it will be hard
to build it back up once again.
This can be avoided if the teacher allows for effective communication, not
just open communication... it HAS to be effective.cantbearit2:
My England is by preschool standards when placed side by side with the(if you say your England not powderful, u may juz instill fear in parents like me leh wif geniune Singlish lor.....
Language giants here.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php... duo duo zi jiao.cantbearit2:
:please: Aaaww.. (again)... thank you, cantbearit2.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php(U inspire so many parents in KSP here leh)
cantbearit2:
:thankyou:(BTW, :congrats: buds on your promotion !!!! :lol:
Finally broke my fast with that loooooong sharing..
Hope it didn't bore anyone.. paiseh. :oops:
Just thought to throw in some balance.
:slapshead: Alamak! How to move this congratulatory note into my intro thread? :stupid: -
cantbearit2:
haha....tis thread has attracted 2 heavyweights. 1st there was Buds, then now come Tamarind. Hee.... :lol:
You guys.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php
Did she just call me heavy... weight...? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php
Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..
cantbearit2:
You're welcome. You're welcome. More to come. More to come.Thks ladies, for inspiring me wif presch teachings. :thankyou:
When time is finally enough. The key rule to building our
children's foundation is time. Start prepz gradually so no last
minute shock or work to deal with.. After all, the best gift of
love to our children is our time. :please:cantbearit2:
Yes yes.. back to topic.. with all these sharings hopefully parents canBack to our topic. My DD is still having her honeymoon period. I juz hope wif all tis info, we can better prepare her.
better know what the methodology is supposed to deliver and also to
remember that effective communication is a 2-way process... if they
do not start the ball rolling, it IS okay if we make the 1st move...
It is good to know who we are working with thru' out the year... it
can really help our children more than we know it. JMHO. -
buds:
Is that what cause the 2... ummm... the... ummm... those... ummmm... you know....Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..
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Hey buds, you're back to active posting again! Thot you went into hybernation after giving birth to the prince. Always :love: reading your posts. Forever so positive.
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buds:
I wanted to sift the merits of when the methodology does work and truth to be told if people really do care about the under-privileged group of children... then the Teach Less Learn More allows for these children to at least play catch up.
This is a very nice way to describe them.... more compassionate and less condescending...
Well done, Buds! :celebrate: You have gained my respect! :salute: -
buds:
Hah... and what if it turns out that you in the top 0.5% eh?My England is by preschool standards when placed side by side with the
Language giants here.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php... duo duo zi jiao.
Seriously though, what you wrote was a pleasure to read, and a comfort. My child has never experienced what yours experienced except at home... where I didn't consider it enrichment. I considered it family bonding... and fun activities that we all enjoyed. Interestingly, the 2 subjects that we mess around with at home for family bonding didn't look like work but has resulted in good grades even in P5, where he is tested BEYOND what is taught in class.buds:
Not boring... definitely not boring. Thanks (1) for bringing the discussion back to topic, (2) for bringing to the fore the many merits of Teach Less Learn More, (3) for outlining the conditions for success, and (4) for providing one shining example of success from your life.Finally broke my fast with that loooooong sharing..
Hope it didn't bore anyone.. paiseh. :oops:
Just thought to throw in some balance.
You've actually succeeded so well in bringing the discussion to a new level. :love: -
Chenonceau:
The wat... the whaat? :frustrated:
Is that what cause the 2... ummm... the... ummm... those... ummmm... you know....buds:
Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..
Oooh you mean... the.... :evil:
Naaah.. nuh-uh. :please:
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