Stories for you by you!

Okay this is it... stories I found interesting from the "Fundamentals of Assessment"Online Course. The first story is from Mark from DMIT.

"When I was teaching back in Ngee Ann (again teaching programming). We came up with an interesting idea.What we did for one module, was to write a workbook, full of programming questions. Students would have to work though the book in practicals, during their classes and them show the tutors, their working programs. I seem to remeber that they have also had to submit source code hard copy for us to look at. It was a good idea, but generally flawed in its execution. Imagine having to spent your practical classes just going from student to student to see their work. And then having to look at all the students code as well (this was ~20 programs per student, ~40 pages each). It just ate all our time.We also were looking at a lot of suspisiously similar code all the time.For my current programming module we are running weekly tests from weeks 2-6. They are conducted during a session when the students all have practicals at the same time (thats easy as its only two classes). Its done on blackboard, 5 MCQ's, one 'write a program' (usually <10>

This is from Dioni from CASS... Captains from SMA, can verify that the test is FIXED?!!!!

"I took my PPCDL licence some years back at SMA at SP. It was a computer-based test. The PC generates some 30 MCQ questions randomly from a database of 500 (thts wht i was told, though i very much suspect its much much more) of that one has to answer. Your result is instantly printed once you hit the final submit button and shows only a 'Pass' or 'Fail' indicating the total points scored. But it does not tell you which are the questions you got wrong (or right). Most people who took the test can't help but think that the test is devised as such for unscrupulous commercial purposes. I later found out that many other tests offered by training centres often linked to stat boards adpoted the same practice. tsk tsk tsk... "

And for the last story....

This is from Althea and this is what I am talking about when I say we need to design good rubrics but then again....

"This is not a personal story. However, being a ex-facilitator from Republic Poly, I used to get alot of feedback from the students on the method of assessment there. As the method of instruction is PBL, students are graded on each lesson based on the facilitator's obesrvation of the students throughout the day. In this respect, grading can be rather subjective. It is entirely possible that a student can do exactly the same thing during a lesson but be given 2 different grades if he were to be oberved by 2 different facilitators. It is also hard on the facilitators because you have to make a mental note of what each of the 25 students does during the day. "

Class This Week

Hi Folks, Yes, I know. I am supposed to share the info on the Fundamentals of Assessment. Will do that for the next post. Anyway, just to update you, there is CLASS this week. This week, we will be looking at "Designing Closed and Open Assessments". My colleague, Robin Mak will be covering the course.

So see you guys either on Wednesday or Thursday! Don't forget to complete Gerald's course on the eActivities and don't forget to register for the course on Easys and sign the register! See you then!

CT Training Schedule

Hello Folks,

This is the CT training schedule. You will have realised that there is NO CT training for June. This is to allow you to recover, recharge and reflect on your journey so far. We will recommence on the 2nd / 3rd July 2008. Also, I wont be around for the whole of June as yours truly will be in Japan and the U S of A. Japan is for a family holiday and I have been sent by SP to the States for a work attachment at MontClair State University and also to learn about the Best Teacher's Institute. Keep a look out for the stuff I will be posting from the States for all of us.

I will be available via email so feel free to contact me any time you wish. You can also add me via MSN and my address is mark_nivan@hotmail.com that is an underscore. Take care and see you guys soon at the July Party!

This Week Workshop is ONLINE

Hi Gang,

This week workshop for Wednesday and Thursday is ONLINE. This means you are not required to be physically present for Wednesday and Thursday. This week's course is "Developing eActivities for Collaboration". The course administrator is Gerald Ng and you can email him at geraldng@sp.edu.sg should you need clarification. You have one week till Thursday 29th May to complete this online course.

To access the course:

1) Log into Blackboard at http://esp.sp.edu.sg *YOU MUST DO THIS FIRST!

2) Copy and paste the link below into your browser and you are on your way!

http://esp.sp.edu.sg/courses/1/ESD026/content/_1020753_1/dir_developing_e-activities_for_collaboration.zip/player.html

I know you are all extremely busy especially so close to the holidays and I appreciate you guys taking part in these workshops!

I also hope that you guys have been tracking your courses. Click HERE to download the tracking form if you have lost it.

I have also added some useful links for you to download stuff that you may need. Check it out.

CT Online Updates

Hi New CT folks,

The "Fundamentals of Assessment" online course is about to close. You have 2 more days before the course is closed and a new one "Developing eActivities for Collaboration" is launched. You will be hearing from me via email regarding your status on the course. Do try and finish it asap so I can take your attendance! Cheers!

John Dewey's Pedagogic Creed Part 2

Hi there, today we will look at John Dewey's Pedagogic Creed again especially with regard to what he thinks the school is.

"I believe that the school is primarily a social institution. Education being a social process, the school is simply that form of community life on which all those agencies are concentrated that will be most effective in bringing the child to share in the inherited resources of the race, and to use his own powers for social living. I believe that education, therefore is a process of living and preparation for future living."

"I believe that much of present education fails because it neglects this fundamental principle of the school as a form of community life. It conceives the school as a place where certain information is given, where certain lessons are to be learned, or where certain habits are to be formed. The value of these is conceived as lying largely in the remote future; the child must do these things for the sake of something else he is to do; they are mere preparation. As a result they do not become a part of the life experience of the child and so are not truly educative."

Is this really how we should be doing things in SP?

John Dewey's Pedagogic Creed

Hi there folks,

I thought we will begin with some of the things that John Dewey said in his article. In this particular post, we will look at his take on "What Education Is". I will be quoting you a paragraph that he mentioned that I think is thought provoking and would like for you to share your ideas and comments.

"Hence it is impossible to prepare a child for any precise set of conditions. To, prepare him for the future life means to give him command of himself; it means so to train him that he will have the fill and ready use of all his capacities; that his eye and ear and hand may be tools ready to command, that his judgement may be capable of grasping the conditions under which it has to work, and the executive forces be trained to act economically and efficiently."

So my question is, this was said some time in the late 1890s. Is it still relevant and if it is, what does this mean for us? Share your thoughts teachers!

PS - Dont forget to vote on the CT makan Day preference!!! Read the post here!

Certificate in Teaching Get Together

Hi Folks,

I hope the online course has been interesting and meaningful for you so far. Anyway, I intend to hold a CT tea for all the members to come together and to drink tea and have snacks for us to network and basically chill out and listen to some of your peers share some ideas that they are using in the classroom. I am proposing the following dates, let me know what you think by taking part in the poll! I will go with the majority. The dates are 23rd July 2008 (as this day is an online course day) or 27th August (no classes this day(. Please vote on the poll.

Also, I want to share with you something by John Dewey. Please read the article at the following link and the next post will be talking about his vision of education and what you guys think!

Click here to download the pedagogic creed!

Meanwhile stay sane, stay healthy and have fun!

The Bad Weather and Online Learning

What has the weather got to do with this post? Absolutely nothing. Am just grumbling about it cos I am down with the flu (AGAIN!) and lost my voice. Apologies to Shin, Mike, Sok Na, Surojit and Lincoln for putting up with me this week.

Okay folks, this week is ONLINE Learning. The topic of choice is "Fundamentals of Assessment". Now, this online learning means that it can take place anywhere and anytime. I do also know that some of you will be attending the HR course on PMP. Please do attend that as it is IMPORTANT as it involves understanding the performance sustem in SP.

Okay back to the online info. You will need to hook up your speakers and go through the material as well as complete 5 yes all 5 tasks so have deemed to have completed the session. You will be given 1 week to complete it and for me to update your attendance.

The online session will be on Blackboard (BB is on the Internet not Intranet so you can access this anywhere even while sitting in for the HR briefing!) and once you log on into Blackboard, do click the link here. *Remember! You must log into Blackboard!
Follow instructions and complete all activities. Once you are done and have completed the last activity, I will send you an email CONFIRMING that you have indeed completed the online work. Easy peasy stuff!

So, to access the course do this:

Step 1 - Log on to Blackboard. (http://esp.sp.edu.sg) You must do this step!

Step 2 - Click the link below, or copy and paste in your web browser and go through the course. Easy stuff!

http://esp.sp.edu.sg/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_43913_1&content_id=_952906_1

Also, please do not forget to do your own tracking for the CT course. If you have misplaced the tracking form, You can download one here.

Meanwhile, leave me a comment or feedback to see how this is doing or you can mail me at marknivan@sp.edu.sg.

Ciao folks!

Welcome CT Folks

Hi CT participants, this is the first and hopefully the start of many posts on the blog especially for all CT participants past and present. This will be where news, information, questions and good stuff to share will be made available.

One other reason why I have decided to create a blog is that our CT community is growing and I thought that this would be a very good way to connect all of us via a one stop portal. We may move when the ESD homepage becomes "Live" but for now, we'll just use this.

Also, information on the CT schedules will also be posted here for you to register etc. You need to register for these courses as I think sending out emails to a growing list may need to cease after a while. So the most updated stuff will be here.

If you find checking back every now and then tiresome, you might want to set up an RSS feed that will grab only updated articles on this blog and deliver them directly to you. A good place to set up one will be www.bloglines.com Do let me know if you need help to set up an account.

Okay folks, more updates in the next post!