A reflection on the Singapore Teaching Practice (STP) on the teaching process of lesson enactment - facilitating collaborative learning.
Collaboration and interactivity directly support students’ engagement, and can be facilitated using different learning platforms.
The use of ICT tools to foster collaboration and interactivity provides for a meaningful and engaging learning experience. When well designed, the use of ICT gives students the opportunities to actively interpret and to construct their knowledge, and not just have it transmitted from the teacher to the student (Jonassen, Peck, & Wilson, 1999).
I have decided to reflect on the above teaching action in one of the recent PD.
1. Brief description of one deliberate action taken in class to support student learning:
Getting the students to familiarize themselves with the stages of fieldwork design, I conducted a bite-size fieldwork in school. Before the fieldwork, the students used the ITT in SLS to craft the research question and hypothesis for their fieldwork in the school. With the ITT, students' response can be analysed and misconception addressed. The new IT has a new AI feature filtering the responses according to the level of mastery.
The students investigated the chosen hypothesis that the greater the amount of shade and vegetated ground surface, the lower the air temperature. The students collaborated using Google spreadsheet to record and analyse their findings at 5 selected areas in the school.
2. Teaching action identified under one of the 24 Teaching Areas and why it applies:
The use of ICT tools to foster collaboration and interactivity provides for a meaningful and engaging learning experience. When well designed, the use of ICT gives students the opportunities to actively interpret and to construct their knowledge, and not just have it transmitted from the teacher to the student (Jonassen, Peck, & Wilson, 1999).
3. Does this teaching action work consistently in my classes? How can we assess the effectiveness of our teaching actions?
Looking at the Steps for collaborative learning in STP:
Before the lesson:
Step 1:
Decide on the purpose and utility of using an ICT tool to engage the students. Determine how this tool can facilitate the achievement of the intended student learning outcomes as spelt out in the syllabuses (which includes relevant 21st century competencies to be developed).
Step 2:
Check the accuracy of content and processes in the digital resources.
During the lesson:
Step 3:
Provide opportunities for interactivity, collaborative inquiry, peer feedback, and teacher–student interaction as students construct their understanding.
Step 4:
Provide time for consolidation through student reflection.
After looking at the 4 steps introduced for effective collaborative learning, I would need to provide time for them to consolidate their learning by reflecting on what they had learned.
4. Indicators that students may or may not be fully engaged or understanding:
The students collaborated in the analysis of the data they have collected. They were able to identify anomalies and form a conclusion on their hypothesis. They were fully engaged and also recorded photos of themselves collecting the data. By doing this bite-sized fieldwork, they could better understand the 5 stages in fieldwork design.
Pictures taken by the students to show the different locations which they had recorded the temperature. It definitely reflected a high level of engagement.
