Session 9 (10/3) E-learning

You watched the video on iN2015, read the resources on Second Life and experienced it, and visited the COTF*. What sort of impressions, fears, or possibilities crossed your mind?

I am totally amazed by what I see on the video. Is that really going to happen? I mean, can technology expand so fast that by 2015, everything is so automatic and free-and-easy? The high technology and superb efficiency in almost every aspects of life come as a shock to me. Everything can be accomplished in just a few seconds' time, and things like health care, studies and work are made so much easier and reachable. The new inventions are going to make things so fast-paced and reachable, that I supposed the value of time and space in the next 5 years is going to shoot very high.

In this already-fast-paced-society, a lot of people are already not able to keep up with all the technologies. There are still a lot of people around who do not have the technical knowledge on how to use IT gadgets like computers and handphones. This is particularly true for the elderly (Of course not all, but the number is still high enough.) Should things progress that much within the next few years, what exactly is going to happen to those who are technology-illiterate? How are they going to handle the massive technology when they are not even showing signs of adapting to the existing technologies in the current society. Another concern is, where technology is, is where convenience and efficiency is. This is good of cours, but only to a certain extent. When it is more convenient to chat with friends, send season greetings, or even to care for someone online, then what's going to happen to everyone's "REAL" social life? Time may be saved, but what about values and relationships? I see that these two aspects are already suffering in this current situation and state of technology. Is it going to mean that things are going to be so much worse off as compared to now? Of course I can't deny that these future technologies are going to bring in so much convenience, efficiency, wealth and prosperity (for the country.. hmm?), but in Singapore's context, can we really handle this major change in our lives? Well, perhaps yes, there are more than 5 years for things to expand, our people can slowly adat to it. But what happens if this is no? What will happen then?

Oh well anyway, putting aside what I mention above, these technologies sure bring in the possibility of better education for students in the future, in terms of pedagogy, resources and environment. Oh, are kids going to start using tablet pcs in nursery? Or are tablet pcs already disqualified. Accompanying this rise in technology, I'm sure the Ministry of Education would set up more ICT-based schools (or turn all schools to ICT-based teaching and learning). Learning and teaching can also be anywhere and everywhere. Students can clear their doubts with their tutors anytime, and isn't that great? Furthurmore, from the video, learning is made so much interesting and less taxing as it seems. Students in future are definitely going to love learning, it's just like exploring different stages of a game. However, competition in education or any other stuff is also going to get more tense than now, I suppose. Another possibility is that people no longer need 999 and 995 in future. Everything can be done in a click or a touch on a digital handheld platform. Criminals need to be tech-savvy as well should they want to escape the law (?)(!)

How is NIE preparing you for such environments? How might you prepare yourself as a teacher?

I would say that currently NIE is already doing its part in trying to get us to be familiar to the different technologies that could be influential in the present as well as the future. There are modules dedicated to show us how different technologies can be applied and used effectively for teaching. We are also exposed to things that we haven't seen before. I think it gives us a rough idea on what to expect in future when it comes to teaching. Also, the Media eXperential Studio (MXL) and the Classroom of the future (COTF) is set up for this purpose as well. I have not been to the COTF yet, I guess it'll be an eye-opener when I visit it next Monday.(?) As a teacher, I would check out the internet for new softwares, programs or technologies that are coming up, and get more information about them. It's because I think, in this current situation, most programs can already (and definitely) be used as a tool for teaching and scaffolding purposes (if palnned properly of course.) In future, ICT is sure to be a major focus of more schools, and by equipping and updating myself of latest technologies, I can then keep up with all the changes, and slowly understand and apply them in my teaching.