The Alternative Story (TAS) - Discussion

[tinker_bel]

Hi TAS,


I’m looking for weekend P1 class in AMK for 2013. Please advise when your new schedule will be out and when registration will start for next year’s enrollment. Thanks!

[The Alternative Story]

Hi everyone,


Our 2013 schedule will be out by this week and registration for next year’s enrollment starts in October.

TAS

[tppsue]

Hi, do you have the schedule for your compo class for P5 for 2013? Are you going to hold more classes at the SingPost?

[phtthp]

hquek:

each week I see worksheets for grammar/vocab, synthesis, cloze, compre, compo....so that is a LOT to be covered.


Some parents had withdrawn their kids from TAS becos also the class moves on quite fast and the class size is big. But I am amazed that the teachers seem to know the kids well. And I have yet to hear of a child who dread their classes.

going forward :-
MOE want to raise a NEXT NEW generation of kids - ability to think MORE creatively.
MOE heading towards this futuristic direction.

Starting with kids born in /after 2003 -
MOE will groom the next generation of kids to be more creative, able to analyze & able to give critque - able to \"Think Out of the Box\" solution type. A Thinking Nation. A Creative Nation ! Next year pioneering cohort of 2013 P4 pupils (ie. born 2003) will start to learn how to prepare & tackle the EL PSLE paper, birth from 2015 onwards.

To tackle new English language PSLE paper requirements, a child now need to acquire 2 type of skills.
Language skills alone is insufficient, if the child doesn't know how to comment / air his views, with confidence.

i) Language skills

ii) Critical, Thinking skills

at the moment, most primary schools do not teach \"Critical, Thinking skills\".
This part of curriculum currently is lacking in most primary schools.

at Lower primary -
schools currently use English Stellar programme cum worksheets to teach Language skill.

=========================================================================
watch youtube :-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2EVD8Y1Pec
(on pc sound system)

SINGAPORE:

Primary Four students will face a revised English Language syllabus next year. It is part of the Education Ministry's efforts to equip pupils with critical thinking and communication skills.

As a result, the English Language paper for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be tweaked for the cohort taking the national examination in 2015.

During English lessons at Woodlands Primary School, students role-play as representatives from airline companies, nature societies and the media to discuss issues from different perspectives .

Eugene Lee, a Primary 6 student, said: \"The part I enjoy most is that I'm able to express my opinions... because in this kind of forum there's no right or wrong answer .\"

Ms Ang Hui Lee, head of department, English Language, Woodlands Primary School, said: \"They learn to say, 'I agree with you because...', 'I disagree with you because...', so they learn the language of discussion. Throughout, I also think they learn how to respect each other's opinions.\"

Such lessons could point towards how English lessons will soon be conducted.

Since the new syllabus was introduced two years ago, there have been no textbooks or workbooks. Instead, students are exposed to a wide variety of authentic texts, such as newspaper articles, websites and posters .

For those taking their PSLE in 2015, they may be asked to evaluate a text that comes with graphics.

Dr Elizabeth Pang, programme director, Literacy Development, Ministry of Education, said: \"Instead of just one picture or one situation, they can write based on a topic, and the stimulus comes in the form of three different pictures. They can write on one, two or three of the pictures. In our trials, the children were able to demonstrate quite a wide range of responses, and that's what we want to see.\"

The open-ended nature of the questions could make it harder for students to prepare for the PSLE.

However, one parent is glad her child now speaks more confidently thanks to the new teaching approach.

Mdm Nafisah Md Ma'mun, parent of a Primary 4 student at Tampines Primary School, said: \"The purpose for the learning becomes something different. If we view language learning as a process to just pass exams, then I think in the long term, a child, or even an individual may lose out in many areas.\"

source:-
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1223674/1/.html

[coolit]

I think a lot of schools and tuition centres are not prepared for this. It is easy to say you want the children to have critical thinking and to think out of the box but how to teach this.


That’s why I myself am interested to go for tas’s workshop that talks about the new syllabus although my kids are not affected by the change. I want to know if there are ways to teach this. Because it will also benefit my kids. I really wonder how the schools are going to do this…they could introduce passages based on websites etc but does that teach creativity? They could also do role-play and debates but how does that teach critical thinking? Role play in itself will not teach that. I remember doing all these in JC but I did not feel that I became a more critical thinker.

So very interested to hear about any school, centre that can teach this.

[t_mother of swc]

Happened to glance through the forum and saw this mention of workshop for new syllabus, coolit or any other parent in the know, can you provide details? Sorry I am rushing off and have no time to look through all the pages of the thread. Thanks!!

[N.029275Lo]

Hi t_mother of swc,


TAS recently talked about it here

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7586&start=1120

[The Alternative Story]

Hi parents,


For those of you who are interested to know our 2013 schedule, here is the link:
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7586&p=848035#p848035

It will be out on our website soon.

TAS

[Yuna]

Hi, what is the contact no to reach you.


I have been calling the tel no & hp no stated on the website but no one pick up the phone.

Thanks.

[windows]

Yuna:

Hi, what is the contact no to reach you.


I have been calling the tel no & hp no stated on the website but no one pick up the phone.

Thanks.

This is not news, hv seen similar post in this thread. Wonder what is the purpose of the contact nos, esp hp(gives pp impression that they r very contactable) but there is no way to to reach them. especially when it's urgent n the calls r just being ignored.