Last Saturday morning, my husband and I took the train down to the Promenade Station and from there, made our way to the Helix Bridge and the floating platform. We could see the Youth Olympic Flame burning brightly and participants were taking part in a bicycle race then. We wandered through the Olympic Park and then across the Helix Bridge, pausing to admire the buildings and the view across the bay. From the Helix Bridge, we ambled past the grounds of the Marina Bay Sands, watching busy workers working at the remaining structures of that complex. Within the hotel, life was already stirring especially in the shopping mall, which was screaming out the names of well- known luxury brands. Outside, a wide deck leads one towards the waters of the bay where once again, the majestic buildings around the bay beckoned.
On we walked and we found ourselves in the Marina Bay Park where we stopped to admire the sculptural like tubes of the misting system designed to spray mists of water into the air to cool the park. That’s a good and necessary idea since the trees there are still young and there isn’t much shelter either. Then it was back along the road again as the rest of the bay front walk was cordoned off for some reason or other that Saturday. We stared up and into some of the fancy, glass enclosed condominium units and wondered about people who live in the middle of the financial district where everyone can look into their apartments. A frumpily dressed woman looked down at us while her active young child pressed his nose against the glass. We could also see stuff that people have tried to hide behind their curtains but are unfortunately completely visible to the outside world. We had some coffee and breakfast later in one of the many food courts in the financial district and then took the train back home after that. The Marina Bay Park is another place on our list of places to visit and to share with friends and visitors.
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I just got home from a play at the Arts House and while we were there, we had dinner at Boat Quay and took a stroll down the river side. Again, there was a nice buzz there although Boat Quay isn’t as happening as it used to be. When my husband first started Pacific Internet, their office was at Boat Quay and the first Internet café was also located there. Boat Quay was the hottest place in town then and all the beautiful people wanted to be seen there. That was more than a dozen years ago though. Nowadays, it’s full forlorn-looking restaurants and the street is lined with foreign waiters waving seafood menus at passers-by and promising them a good deal. From the other side of the river though, Boat Quay looks prettily lit up. We sat for a while on the benches outside Timbre, the restaurant, feeling the waves of heat rising from the concrete below our feet. If we had waited longer, there would have been free music and already a queue had formed, waiting to go in. I must confess we don’t often linger around after a play but this one ended early and we were so close to the river. I am glad we took that walk because I am reminded of how pleasant the river side can be despite the concrete.
A few days ago, my husband and I also acted as tour guides to my brother and sister in law who have never been to Geylang Serai market. After a good meal of nasi bryani, we showed them around the stalls and the market. My sister in law was so amazed at the range of goods sold that she swore to go back soon for a serious shopping trip. Then she shamefacedly confessed that she was a typical Singaporean who doesn’t visit other parts of Singapore much. Well, that’s a shame really and I was very glad to be able to show her another part of Singapore.
My fondness for Singapore is no secret. I think there are so many things I like about living here and being a part of the country. Sure, there are some not-so-good stuff but then there is no good without the bad. I like to count the good things. So on days when you aren’t too busy, take a walk around places you don’t go to very often. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll see. And you’ll see for yourself the beauty that is a part of our everyday life.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
My aha moment
I don’t know if I have had many big aha moments in life but the one I most readily recall took place when I was thirteen and in Form 1 or Sec 1 as we know it here. When I was in Sec 1, I had some difficulty adjusting to the tests because we had to write essay-type answers for the first time. We also had to deal with subjects like history and geography where such essay questions were the main assessment mode. Needless to say, almost everyone failed the first few tests.
History was a big challenge then. It was not difficult; I understood the history of British India well but yet my answers to the questions were never adequate enough to get a passing mark. I remember answering a question on the Indian Mutiny one day and not getting a good mark after that. When the teacher reviewed the answers, it dawned on me that I have missed out some of the reasons she deemed important. I decided to take note of these reasons and the next time round, I made it a point to remember the exact number of reasons given for the Indian mutiny and committed them to memory. When the question appeared again, I wrote everything down, making sure not to forget a single cause. Well, guess what? I did well and my answer was held up as a model for all.
Apart from my then small moment of public glory, that was also my aha moment. I realised then that studying did not mean reading and rereading my notes. I should also make it a point to remember the number of reasons, causes, whatever, for the topic and be able to reproduce them accurately. That was what my teachers wanted and they had a mark for every relevant point I gave. I soon began to associate numbers with each topic; for example there were 5 causes ( or so I think) for the Indian Mutiny and perhaps 4 reasons why Birch was murdered. Eventually, I learnt to develop acronyms to help me remember the reasons or causes. I must tell you that my system worked very well for me and I was a straight A student for most of my subjects (except Maths but that’s another story). Let me add that while this system of mine worked for me way back then, I don’t know if it would work as well now although I suspect that some parts of it still does as many subjects require some element of recall.
But my point here is not how smart I was but how important it is for students to figure out what is needed for them to do well in any examination. I say this because I often find that students going into exams have little awareness of what an examiner wants from them and I say this from years of experience working with and marking the scripts of school students as well as undergraduates. It surprises me though since we are such an exam savvy nation.
Knowing about the criteria for doing well in any exam is part of what we would call the knowing how to or the procedural knowledge as opposed to the content or declarative knowledge. Knowing what to do or what not to do is a significant part of doing well in any kind of assessment or evaluation. As teachers, it is important for us to make clear the criteria for any assessment task that students will undertake. When the criteria are clear, students can work towards achieving the grade they aspire to.
Unfortunately, marking and grading remain a mystery in many instances except for the more exact subjects like Maths. Think of essay marking for instance. Do students know what the criteria are for a good essay? They can’t possibly know if they routinely get a numerical mark only. Ditto with comprehension. Teachers argue that this has to be the case because there is always subjectivity in marking. Well the truth is there is always subjectivity in everything we assess. We humans are not that objective and we can’t be. We need to acknowledge the subjectivity in us but we should also work hard at being consistent in our subjectivity. It’s consistency that is important, not subjectivity.
So what does this mean for all of our students going into the exams? Now that they have all revised their work umpteen times, it’s time to review the criteria for success. Work with your pupils and help them identify what these criteria are for each subject. Be as explicit as possible and show clear examples of what you mean by a good introduction or good content. What is even better is to do what Anne Davis, author of Making Classroom Assessment Work, said at a recent seminar here: co-construct the criteria with students. What this means is to have your students work with you, using many samples of essays, for instance, to discover what makes an essay worth reading. Co-constructing the criteria will, I am sure, lead to many aha moments for your students and perhaps even one for yourself.
Jay McTighe and Ken O’Connor, writing in a 2005 article (Seven practices for effective learning, Educational Leadership, Nov 2005, Vol 63, No. 3) discussed the importance of self assessment and goal setting as one of the effective practices for learning. They wrote:
The most effective learners set personal goals, employ proven strategies, and self –assess their work. Teachers help cultivate such habits of mind by modelling self-assessment and goal setting and by expecting students to apply these habits regularly. (p. 16)
I often lament that students don’t have good habits of mind (HOM) and this can be seen in a simple thing like checking and rereading their essay before turning it in. If students can be taught to do this, I am very certain that at least 50% of the surface errors will be taken care of well before the teacher sets eye on the essay. I am disappointed that teachers don’t emphasise this simple and effective HOM.
So in this last leg of the exam race, I would say it’s not too late to have students reflect on their personal goals and their strategies and assess their personal progress. This perhaps will be more effective than pushing another 5 assessment papers. But more importantly, teachers have to make sure students are clear on what matters. What are the criteria for success? What are good habits of mind to practise? What are our personal goals? How would I assess my work?
Our students are often dependent on teachers to tell them how well they are doing. We can’t blame them. But we should also work towards having them think about how well they have done. They should know how many marks they deserve. I used to ask my students to talk to me if they think they deserve a higher mark than what I have given. If they can show me they deserve a better grade, they will get it. Unfortunately, no one has ever taken up my offer. Maybe you can do the same with your students. It may give them incentive to think through the strengths and weaknesses in their work.
History was a big challenge then. It was not difficult; I understood the history of British India well but yet my answers to the questions were never adequate enough to get a passing mark. I remember answering a question on the Indian Mutiny one day and not getting a good mark after that. When the teacher reviewed the answers, it dawned on me that I have missed out some of the reasons she deemed important. I decided to take note of these reasons and the next time round, I made it a point to remember the exact number of reasons given for the Indian mutiny and committed them to memory. When the question appeared again, I wrote everything down, making sure not to forget a single cause. Well, guess what? I did well and my answer was held up as a model for all.
Apart from my then small moment of public glory, that was also my aha moment. I realised then that studying did not mean reading and rereading my notes. I should also make it a point to remember the number of reasons, causes, whatever, for the topic and be able to reproduce them accurately. That was what my teachers wanted and they had a mark for every relevant point I gave. I soon began to associate numbers with each topic; for example there were 5 causes ( or so I think) for the Indian Mutiny and perhaps 4 reasons why Birch was murdered. Eventually, I learnt to develop acronyms to help me remember the reasons or causes. I must tell you that my system worked very well for me and I was a straight A student for most of my subjects (except Maths but that’s another story). Let me add that while this system of mine worked for me way back then, I don’t know if it would work as well now although I suspect that some parts of it still does as many subjects require some element of recall.
But my point here is not how smart I was but how important it is for students to figure out what is needed for them to do well in any examination. I say this because I often find that students going into exams have little awareness of what an examiner wants from them and I say this from years of experience working with and marking the scripts of school students as well as undergraduates. It surprises me though since we are such an exam savvy nation.
Knowing about the criteria for doing well in any exam is part of what we would call the knowing how to or the procedural knowledge as opposed to the content or declarative knowledge. Knowing what to do or what not to do is a significant part of doing well in any kind of assessment or evaluation. As teachers, it is important for us to make clear the criteria for any assessment task that students will undertake. When the criteria are clear, students can work towards achieving the grade they aspire to.
Unfortunately, marking and grading remain a mystery in many instances except for the more exact subjects like Maths. Think of essay marking for instance. Do students know what the criteria are for a good essay? They can’t possibly know if they routinely get a numerical mark only. Ditto with comprehension. Teachers argue that this has to be the case because there is always subjectivity in marking. Well the truth is there is always subjectivity in everything we assess. We humans are not that objective and we can’t be. We need to acknowledge the subjectivity in us but we should also work hard at being consistent in our subjectivity. It’s consistency that is important, not subjectivity.
So what does this mean for all of our students going into the exams? Now that they have all revised their work umpteen times, it’s time to review the criteria for success. Work with your pupils and help them identify what these criteria are for each subject. Be as explicit as possible and show clear examples of what you mean by a good introduction or good content. What is even better is to do what Anne Davis, author of Making Classroom Assessment Work, said at a recent seminar here: co-construct the criteria with students. What this means is to have your students work with you, using many samples of essays, for instance, to discover what makes an essay worth reading. Co-constructing the criteria will, I am sure, lead to many aha moments for your students and perhaps even one for yourself.
Jay McTighe and Ken O’Connor, writing in a 2005 article (Seven practices for effective learning, Educational Leadership, Nov 2005, Vol 63, No. 3) discussed the importance of self assessment and goal setting as one of the effective practices for learning. They wrote:
The most effective learners set personal goals, employ proven strategies, and self –assess their work. Teachers help cultivate such habits of mind by modelling self-assessment and goal setting and by expecting students to apply these habits regularly. (p. 16)
I often lament that students don’t have good habits of mind (HOM) and this can be seen in a simple thing like checking and rereading their essay before turning it in. If students can be taught to do this, I am very certain that at least 50% of the surface errors will be taken care of well before the teacher sets eye on the essay. I am disappointed that teachers don’t emphasise this simple and effective HOM.
So in this last leg of the exam race, I would say it’s not too late to have students reflect on their personal goals and their strategies and assess their personal progress. This perhaps will be more effective than pushing another 5 assessment papers. But more importantly, teachers have to make sure students are clear on what matters. What are the criteria for success? What are good habits of mind to practise? What are our personal goals? How would I assess my work?
Our students are often dependent on teachers to tell them how well they are doing. We can’t blame them. But we should also work towards having them think about how well they have done. They should know how many marks they deserve. I used to ask my students to talk to me if they think they deserve a higher mark than what I have given. If they can show me they deserve a better grade, they will get it. Unfortunately, no one has ever taken up my offer. Maybe you can do the same with your students. It may give them incentive to think through the strengths and weaknesses in their work.
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