Fun Learning Currently, the teaching of multiplication is confined
largely within the classrooms and pupils who are weak in grasping this mathematics
concept are identified for closer teacher supervision during remedial lessons.
With the Dancing Multiplier, pupils
can “dance” on the mat to answer multiplication questions which are posed
to them on the monitors attached to the mat. The Dancing Multiplier is designed to teach
pupils specific mathematical skills and concepts through a series of structured
lessons. With the element of fun, pupils will learn more effectively as it
appeals to the visual, auditory and psychomotor senses. More importantly,
pupils will also be encouraged to learn on their own initiative and independently,
out-of-the confines of the classroom. Holistic Learning Besides its user-friendly and attractive design, other
key features of the Dancing Multiplier
include the incorporation of exercise and the integration of learning across
subjects. The Dancing Multiplier
also provides an integrated tracking and immediate feedback feature to monitor
pupils’ progress in learning more efficiently. Effective Learning Indeed, the Dancing
Multiplier has not only addressed the learning needs of the pupils who
are weak in mathematics, but also the concerns of teachers in not having sufficient
time to effectively deliver the learning outcomes in the syllabus. The months of hard work in producing the Dancing Multiplier is well worth it when
the team sees pupils mastering their mathematics concepts, exercising and
most importantly, enjoying their learning. Contact Persons: Miss Tan Bee
Lian tan_bee_lian@moe.edu.sg Miss Cheang Wei Ling
A group of Hougang Primary teachers calling themselves
the “N-Gagers” were investigating factors contributing to
pupils’ disengagement during lessons. The team challenged the common assumption
that pupils who were disengaged were those who were not so academically
inclined and applied IP tools to re-perceive the problem. After going through a series of workshops on how to
motivate pupils to excel as well as ethnographic studies of pupils, the
team felt that addressing pupils’ needs and wants was the key to ensuring
effective pupil engagement and learning. N-Gagers went through the primary three and four syllabuses
and identified the English theme “Indian Folk Tales” to create a meaningful,
integrated and pupil-centred learning experience for the pupils. Houstafa was set up with a few stalls selling Indian foodstuffs
and accessories along the corridors outside the pupils’ classrooms. Pupils
were organised as customers, cashiers and salespersons, and they had to
apply mathematical concepts like the use of decimals in the shopping activity.
This not only exposed pupils to some indian culture but also taught
them how to budget and put their mathematics skills to real practice. Three days later, the pupils were invited to watch a
skit entitled “The Brahman, The Tiger
and The Jackal” staged by N-Gagers themselves, before attempting the
comprehension questions based on it. Feedback from the teachers was positive
and pupils also demonstrated a good understanding of the story. Indeed, creative integration and pupil-centred approaches
in teaching-learning are critical to capturing pupils’ interest in learning.
By making content relevant and meaningful to the pupils, teachers can make
a difference to pupils’ level of engagement during lessons. Contact Person:
Miss Cheang Wei Ling |
