Reflection 4

The ISTE standards are designed to encourage (carrot approach) and even require (stick approach) teachers to use IT in their teaching and in the learning of the students. How useful is this approach? How relevant is it to a Singapore context?

As we know that Singapore is now gearing towards Thinking School Learning Nation, TSLN, where in co-operate Information Technology (IT) into schools' curriculum is one of MOE's vision - Singapore 21. It is spending lots of money trying to equipping all schools from primary to tertiary level with basic computer devices. So far schools have been well equipped with computer labs and some schools have even installed computers in the school canteen.

Why the sudden interest in IT one, who is totally new to the IT world, may ask?

As teachers, we have the responsibility of building a nation of thinkers. We want our future generation of citizens to be thinkers and life long learners. This issue came to light when the Author of 'Can Asians Think', Kishore Mahbubani, published his regarding the creativity level of Asians, including Singaporeans. (There was no definite answer for those curious)

By looking into IT, we will come to understand that teaching using IT can benefit our lessons (making it more interactive and fun) as well as create our citizens of young innovators and young entrepreneur.

The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) is a national and international educational technology organisations. Its core goal are prepare students for the coming IT age and make computer related technology a tool that is a must for both teachers and students.

From the following website, we can see that to make IT integration a success as teachers we have to be equipped with the skills. (http://tiger.towson.edu/~jlittl5/iste.htm) to over come this, MOE is started to send all their teachers for computer courses.