One aspect of my Fulbright experience was our weekly Tech Workshop. As part of the workshop, we were tasked with creating a short presentation to share about the use of technology in our own countries or schools. Most shared about the lack of technology in their classrooms and how they hoped to have more resources so that they could take advantage of the affordances of technology. Even a projector was considered a luxury in most schools.
This got me thinking about how we, as educators in Singapore, are truly blessed to have access to a wealth of resources and advanced learning devices at our fingertips! This abundance of resources brings with it the responsibility to effectively create deep and meaningful learning experiences for our students.
One instructional model that takes advantage of our tech resources is Station Rotation, which has been my go-to pedagogy this year because it really creates an active learning environment for my students. Station Rotation also allows us to divide our content into "chunks" which makes it easier to remember and recall that information (Nickelsen & Dickson, 2019). Another advantage of using this model is that you only need a few devices, making it viable for schools with limited resources. Check out the video below to learn how I implemented it in my class!
As Singapore educators, we must recognize the privileged position we are in compared to so many around the world lacking basic teaching tools. This advantage brings with it a duty to innovate and find new ways to stimulate our students. Approaches like station rotation exemplify how we can tap into our tech resources to build active, blended learning experiences for our students. All students deserve learning experiences that will equip them for the future. Let us continue seeking creative ways, whether we have abundant resources or not, to prepare our students for their futures.
Great Article and Video Enoch.