MOe announced Learning of English to Develop 21st Century
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I understand the concerns about quality of Teachers. But I cannot help but breathe a prayer of thanks at this news. I read this as a prayer come true. For 2 years I prayed that Teachers would be given materials to help them teach. Stellarizing Upper Primary English is already better than status quo. My son has one thin textbook and his teacher is too incompetent to develop her own materials. This is MOE’s way to improve textbooks. Textbooks alone can no longer hold everything kids need to learn. Doing it like this is ALMOST as good.
Issues with quality of teaching in Science in Upper Primary could be linked to the fact that there is no equivalent of Stellar to teach Science. Something is being done to help teachers teach English. Maybe MOE MIGHT move to stellarize Science and Math too?
Those with kids in lower primary, you already have it better than my son with his thin textbook, no other materials and a teacher who can’t spell. Yes… things can be better… so keep the feedback coming. Make suggestions. Push for improvement. If you don’t speak up, nothing will improve. If you do speak up, something might. My son is done with PSLE soon. I won’t be speaking much after. -
Melodies:
Below are the points that I think Stellar program will work if:
- Small class-size for interactive way of teaching. (about 20-25 students to Teacher). Else, we will end up with those talkative one dominating the whole conservation. If too large a class-size, teacher was not able to handle with so many students (40-45 students) and the whole class will be too noisy like a market and out of control. (I personally have observed that before)
- Teaching materials has to be really for the teacher and parents
- Provide teacher training for teaching stellar program not anyone can teach ( like Chinese teacher), WE need COMPETENT teacher!
- Detailed assessment format (give more examples) has to be ready and share with parents
- Detailed assessment scopes has to be ready and share with parents
- Detailed guidelines on markings as well
:oops: Pardon for my kiasuism, since my dd will be the first batch guinea pig, I definitely wanted to find out more about the detailed assessment formats and scopes (can't find these in MOE website) to get her really for 2015 PSLE!
Please feel free to add to the list...
Way to go Melodies! Keep going. Don't let those people who tell you that the system is fine and it's all a single teacher and a single school's fault discourage you. Continue to suggest systemic improvements that will help teachers and kids... Maybe not your own kids... But for others' kids, it is also worth the effort.
What goes around comes around. We need to care for other people's kids too. Thank you Melodies. I appreciate you. -
As we were discussing the revised examination format over dinner last night, I told my son (who is in P3 this year) that it looks like I have to coach him. He added that I am already his coach for Chinese and Science.
I have no complains over the revised MOE syllabus, however, I have my reservations over the implementation - I doubt whether teachers know what is required and whether are they competent enough to teach and assess. -
My DS is in p2 now and had been using Stellar since p1. Based on my experience, agree that it may be more suitable for pre-schoolers. I had to accelerate him to p3 work in order to keep him focus - everything had been taught since pre-school so he becomes extremely careless. My biggest challenge now is learning from all the parents in this website how to teach him write essays. They do not seem to teach it well in school. Am not sure if it is the curriculum or implementation which is causing the problem.
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MyBaby:
Yes.... Look after your own kids like I looked after mine. But yes... Speak up too. Exactly like this. Reasonably, wisely... Measuredly.As we were discussing the revised examination format over dinner last night, I told my son (who is in P3 this year) that it looks like I have to coach him. He added that I am already his coach for Chinese and Science.
I have no complains over the revised MOE syllabus, however, I have my reservations over the implementation - I doubt whether teachers know what is required and whether are they competent enough to teach and assess. -
Hi Chen,
Conceptually, I think it is good program provided comprehensive materials are given to teachers for teaching and the class-size is small.
Sigh..... my dd is with Stellar program for 3 years but I have NOT seen any teaching materials (eg. visual materials..etc.) so far and I have personally witnessed how they conduct the class, I can only find one word to describe it 'chaotic' for lower primary. For the last 3 years, my dd has not bought back much learning materials that can give me some kinds of assurance about the program....nothing concrete at all..
Good thing is my dd is having fun and good time in schools and looking forward to school everyday..
I have to supplement it with teaching grammar, subscribing reading programs and even sending her to TLL for more exposure to high thinking materials..Chenonceau:
I understand the concerns about quality of Teachers. But I cannot help but breathe a prayer of thanks at this news. I read this as a prayer come true. For 2 years I prayed that Teachers would be given materials to help them teach. Stellarizing Upper Primary English is already better than status quo. My son has one thin textbook and his teacher is too incompetent to develop her own materials. This is MOE's way to improve textbooks. Textbooks alone can no longer hold everything kids need to learn. Doing it like this is ALMOST as good.
Issues with quality of teaching in Science in Upper Primary could be linked to the fact that there is no equivalent of Stellar to teach Science. Something is being done to help teachers teach English. Maybe MOE MIGHT move to stellarize Science and Math too?
Those with kids in lower primary, you already have it better than my son with his thin textbook, no other materials and a teacher who can't spell. Yes... things can be better... so keep the feedback coming. Make suggestions. Push for improvement. If you don't speak up, nothing will improve. If you do speak up, something might. My son is done with PSLE soon. I won't be speaking much after. -
My 04 child will be affected
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Agree with Melodies that the good thing about Stellar is that my kid enjoys school but am not really sure if all kids have the ability for higher order thinking. Sometimes, I get the impression that some kids do not know what is going on in Language Art lesson. Hence, is it something that can be taught or is there a limit to such ability? Also, am concerned if it will benefit kids who comes from more priviledged background as it seems like parents need to help their kids develop the relevant skills if schools cannot implement it well.
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There is a 10-15 IQ points difference between my 2 children and am seeing a vast difference in analytical and information processing ability age on age, hence I really wonder if an average child without parental guidance similar to those given by some of the parents here can make it under the Stellar program.
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Scary:
Maths syllabus confirmed changed. This was announced just a few weeks ago.
SINGAPORE:
Primary 1 Maths syllabus to be tweaked from next year
Pupils entering primary school next year will be given more breathing room to grasp basic numeracy skills with the Ministry of Education (MOE) planning to drop part of the Primary 1 mathematics syllabus as part of its regular curriculum review.
A ministry spokesperson said that \"minor changes\" will kick in from next year's Primary 1 cohort.
For instance, Primary 1 students will no longer learn about measuring and comparing objects' physical mass through the use of non-standard units like paper clips and apples. They will also not be taught about 3D shapes.
They will instead learn about the orientation of objects such as whether they are facing left or right or pointing up or down.
\"These minor changes improve the sequence of the topics being taught without increase in content,\" added the spokesperson.
In tandem with these changes, the format of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) for mathematics will be adjusted for these students come 2018. No details on the format change are available yet, but the MOE said schools will be informed of the change two years in advance.
The syllabus adjustments come after the MOE's regular curriculum review - done every six years - and they are in line with the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) initiated by the MOE to provide a more all-rounded primary school education.
Primary school teachers welcomed the latest move, saying it bridges current gaps in students' understanding and allows more time for students to grasp the remaining topics.
A teacher who has been teaching for seven years agreed that teaching children left and right orientation is useful because \"not all know their left from their right and this knowledge is needed when it comes to heuristics problems\".
Another primary school teacher with more than 30 years of experience said: \"The syllabus is already very tight for Primary 1 and doing away with some topics will allow for more breathing space.\"
Noting that not all students enter primary school with a good knowledge of numeracy, she felt lightening the syllabus load will give teachers more time to impart basic numeracy skills.
\"It is important to have a strong foundation so that it will be easier for them to understand more difficult concepts later on,\" she said.
source:-
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200575/1/.html
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