Jingyi: Reflection on Session 1 (13092010)

First, I have to confess that I did not know what the acronym ICT stands for. I mean, obviously I know what IT stands for, but with a ‘C’ in between them, I was not able to infer what ICT could mean. So, after learning about ICT, I got a bit curious and read up a bit on the differences between ICT and IT. Basically, ICT was introduced around 1992, when email started to became available to the general public (Pelgrum, W.J., Law, N., 2003). So, the term ICT has been coined since 1992, and I only realized it exists after 8 years :/

Anyway, throughout my student life, I would not say that IT/ICT played a big part in my life. When I was in primary school, the only form of IT used would be the projectors and computers. It was also then that I got my first email, which stuck with me all the way till now. Similarly in secondary school, we were brought to the computer labs occasionally. In addition to that, our school had an online sharing board where e-learning resources would be uploaded and where students can share their thoughts via a discussion board. However, it was rarely used and teachers would rather have assignments handed up in hard copy than soft copy. Then, when I went into Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), we had this similar online board called Ilearn. The big difference is that, it was used very frequently. Assignments were uploaded there, sometimes resources too. In addition, some of the tests take place online too. Certain teachers preferred hard copies of assignments while some others would rather we submit it through Ilearn.

So to summarize, I would say that IT did not play a huge role in my life, but it definitely did in my social, personal life. I personally online shop quite a fair bit, and well, there are quite a number of email accounts connected to my Blackberry. I am also very very very reliant on the google maps app on my Blackberry and basically, I don’t think I can survive without my phone. Also, Google search is my best friend (not literally). I rely on Google a lot when I need quick answers to questions.

That said, IT is something that is always evolving. For one, teenagers are particularly concerned about being up-to-date when it comes to having the new handphones, the new laptops etc. As some may say it, IT is not only useful to us, it is also a form of lifestyle to some. So, I am definitely looking forward to learning more ways to incorporate ICT in my teaching to ensure that students enjoy the lessons more.

What I already know..
Schools are trying to integrate technology with communication into lessons to make lessons more engaging and efficient. Also, wikis are something that can be edited by others and that information may or may not be reliable.

What I want to learn..
How to incorporate ICT correctly into classrooms, and how to ensure that students do not fall prey to the ‘evil’ sides of IT such as being addicted to gaming etc.

What I learned this week..
The meaning of ICT and the efforts that the government is putting to incorporate ICT into classrooms. Also, I learnt how to use Mindmeister, which is really cool and great for open online discussions with students.

What questions I still have..
What kind of software will be useful for me to teach my music students?