From the module social context, I learnt that one of the 4 desired outcomes that MOE listed was to have students become self-directed learners so that they are able to adapt to new environments and the constant changes in many aspects of life. Hence, our job as teachers is to equip students with the necessary skills and abilities so that we can not only prepare them for the future but more importantly, ensure that they can self-prepare themselves even after leaving school.
However, this is not an easy task. For one, students rarely get the chance to reflect and experience. More often than not, they are spoon-fed by teachers who are either pressed for time, or can’t be bothered to teach beyond the textbooks. (Note: observations are based on a secondary-school context and purely personal) In addition, I think that motivation is a major key to getting students take ownership of their learning as if one is motivated, he/she will most likely desire to learn. So it is crucial to motivate students too.
Anyway to put it simply, we as teachers have to not only feed our students fish, but to also teach them how to fish.
Next, we learnt about the differences between collaborative and cooperative learning too. It was a little confusing at first, but the important idea that I got was that everyone is indispensable when it comes to collaborative learning. In collaborative learning, every individual's expertise is explored and used too.
What I already know..
Self-directed learning is promoted and encouraged by schools and the government. However, I don't think that the objective is achieved :s
What I want to learn..
How to create a collaborative learning environment for my students.
What I learned this week..
The different types of learning (collaborative, self-directed, cooperative).
What questions I still have..
There are both pros and cons to each types of learning right? So when do we use which? For instance, in remediation, I'm guessing that collaborative is more useful for the students?
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