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Guiding Students Towards Their Definitions of Success

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Guiding Students Towards Their Definitions of Success

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Jake Ong
The picture below was obtained from MOE's CEG engagement materials as part of 2017's WPS.

- The educational landscape has evolved over the years, aligned with national needs, direction and aspirations. Such constant evolution is crucial to the survival and prosperity of a small nation like ours, which depends a lot on human capital as our main resource. It is an intricate balance between preparing our next generation of the future and the workforce, and guiding them towards their own definitions of success and dreams. Over the years, with the introduction of SkillsFuture, SBB & FSBB (Pilot), ALP and LLP, there is more diversity and opportunities for different profiles of students to be exposed to various experiences, to find and explore their strengths and interests. This is a change which is very heartening to see!

- As a MM, it is important to keep the national backdrop in mind, and align our own envisioning, processes and structures with that of national movements and policies. Our role is to continuously engage our staff to change mindsets, engender buy-in and co-create the environment and structures required to materialise the aspirations for our nation and our students.

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Lin Yuling Eileen

- This is a picture of the Super Mario I played as a primary one. It was the school's effort in introducing computer into our life, so we were playing touch-typing game with Super Mario as the trigger.

- Nowadays, students are introduced to several types of digital devices even before they set foot in school, and the emphasis is now on cyber wellness, rather than learning how to operate the device.

- My role as an mm is so stay current with the digital native, encourage and lead the department in tapping on the devices to create engaging and effective lessons.

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Our education system has increasing focus on developing the child holistically and also providing different pathways for each child to achieve their educational goals. We as teachers need to recognise and sharpen our skills in pedagogy differentiation to cater to the diverse needs of the learners. We need to recognise that each child has different strengths and see beyond the narrow-minded definition of success (via academic). There is also more emphasis placed on CCE to strengthen the child’s moral compass and decision-making in order to build their foundation in navigating the complexities of the real-world.

As a MM, we need to periodically pause and align our school’s/ department’s vision and mission to the desired outcomes at the national level. On the ground, we need to support and encourage the teachers and walk the talk.

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Student-Centric, Values Driven Education System

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Student-Centric, Values Driven Education System

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How the situation depicted has evolved and its new emphasis today.
The education system has revisited its roots in educating the child vs notions of educating based on subjects. The shift towards a values driven education has become more pronounced especially in seeking coherence across the curricula.

What is your role as a MM in this new emphasis?
My role is to provide clarity on the outcomes, strategies and timeline. It is also to engage and empower my colleagues to achieve a coherent and student-centric school curriculum.

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Education climate evolved into more student-centric where greater emphasis are placed on the individual’s growth map and developmental progress. Evident in the move into differentiated classroom, SBB (Secondary) and outdoor adventure education etc. There are multiple pathways to success and not a fixed formula or model for growth. My role as MM is to deepen my understanding and sharpening my craft on implementing differentiated instructions in learning within a diverse classroom. Also importantly, to be in tuned with the latest shift in the education landscape in Singapore and globally. 

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Education climate evolved into more student-centric where greater emphasis are placed on the individual’s growth map and developmental progress. Evident in the move into differentiated classroom, SBB (Secondary) and outdoor adventure education etc. There are multiple pathways to success and not a fixed formula or model for growth. My role as MM is to deepen my understanding and sharpening my craft on implementing differentiated instructions in learning within a diverse classroom. Also importantly, to be in tuned with the latest shift in the education landscape in Singapore and globally. 

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_ Leow Hui Mei

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Student-Centric, Values Driven Education System

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Student-Centric, Values Driven Education System

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Since late 2011-2012, our education system has shifted towards student-centricity, and there was more emphasis placed on developing the whole child. This picture of the CCE toolkit totally reminds me of the initial stage when the whole new CCE curriuclum was implemented by phases. I had been privileged to be in 2 pioneering schools the past few years after the CCE curriculum was fully implemented. It had been a neater process coming out with the framework and structures that are fully in-line with the revised and refreshed CCE curriculum, since we started from ground zero. The buying-in from staff was also much easier than in an established school where we had to relook into aligning what the school already has, and work towards revamping old practices that were no longer relevant. In my role as MM in the Student Leadership area, besides the inculcation of values and competencies in our students in the the form of head knowledge, I place much emphasis on creating opportunities and platforms for students to apply the knowledge they have learnt into actions.

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The SLS PS will guide the teachers in the design of lessons, both synchronous and asynchronous. The PS provides a clear structure of lesson design with will translate to better T&L in the classroom.

As a MM, I have been conducting a series of training sessions to ensure that the teachers understands the PS and are able to apply the design principles in their lesson design and enactment.

Wesley Syn

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-How the situation depicted has evolved and its new emphasis today?: Students are digital natives and learning has evolved to more technological-based. The use of technology aids teaching and learning in class and makes students learn beyond the books. Students are now also required to develop their ICT skills with the guidance of the ICT baselines through their years of education in a school.

-What is your role as a MM in this new emphasis?: Promote the pervasiveness of technology in my curriculum T&L.

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Education system has evolved to becoming more student centric through the different initiatives such as joy of learning, subject-based banding to ensure that it is a more inclusive system where no child is left behind. With the new educational landscape, students will be able to learn better especially through differentiated instructions and blended learning where students are able to learn best based on their level of readiness with the support of ICT.

As MM, I will need to equip myself with the relevant skill sets so that I will be able to guide and lead my team of teachers so that they will be able to understand the purpose behind what we are doing and better guide our students in their learning with the shift in the educational landscape.

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Changes in the education system include the shift away from emphasis on assessments and to encourage focus on the learning process and thus the joy of learning. That serves to deepen students’ understanding and provide the authentic settings for application to real world context. With the recent full HBL introduced due to Circuit Breaker, it further emphasise how we should continue to look at the different ways to engage students.
As MMs, we will need to work together with the teachers to understand the educational shifts so as to better engage students in their learning.

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I believe that the teachers' voice is important. Teachers learn best when they share, when they talk about their concerns and when they problem-solve together.
As an MM, I need to understand my staff profile, staff needs and abilities, staff strengths and AFGs, and deploy/group them effectively and set meaningful work. In this way, the sharing/learning will be richer, everyone will br able to contribute purposefully, thus, building a supportive network.
Parvin

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So what is a student-centric,values-driven education system? And how successfully are we implementing measures and initiatives to achieve such innovation-driven education system?
<Values-driven> CCE and CW should not taught and implemented as isolated modules. Not only through weekly FTGPs, termly assembly programmes. If we view the vast importance and impact of values education, we should integrate into IP curriculum for more relevant, sound and holistic student development.
<Student-centric> As we are moving into blending learning, we have to relook, modify and adapt our teaching pedagogy accordingly. Of course, we need to empower our teachers to be innovative in their teaching approaches in designing appropriate learning experiences based on their student profiles (DI).
As MMs, we communicate our department's VM (aligned to school's VM), walk the talk and maintain open communication with our staff.

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Over the last few decades, we have transited from a "one size fits all" approach to one that is more customised to the diverse needs of our students. Rather than moulding each and every student to fit into the same narrow definition of success, we now recognise that our students have different strengths and that there are multiple pathways to success.

As MM, we need to always keep in mind the larger educational goals - our Desired Outcomes of Education, and ensure alignment between school's efforts in implementing national curriculum with these larger educational goals. While quality teaching and learning and academic excellence remain important, students need to be equipped with skills, values and dispositions which are not easily measurable through tests and examinations but essential for students to thrive and succeed in life.

The cartoon below reminds me of the efficiency driven phase where we started ability based streaming. While attrition was reduced greatly, students with different strengths were not developed to reach their full potential.

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In the past, we grew up with unstructured play. Now the emphasis is on Structured Play and Engaged Learning for our students. As an MM, I have to work towards infusing Play and Fun into the curriculum to afford our students to be Lifelong, Engaged Learners.

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The new emphasis on innovation-driven, institutes like ITE and polytechnics have enhanced its education and training structure to meet the demands of global economy through programmes that address latest innovations in high technology.

With the emphasis on innovation, the role of MM is to empower teachers to be innovative in their teaching approaches in order to improve students’ learning experience by designing student-centric, values driven lessons;  apart from professional sharings, MMs could provide a platform and resources for teachers to embark on projects/research to develop innovative pedagogy.

Haslina

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(ii) Gone were the days where you can claim an 'iron rice bowl', even as a civil servant. When growing up, I recall that there is always the mention that there are many jobs that are secured and by studying and getting into those jobs, your future will more or less be settled.

This is indeed a thing of the past. In the current pandemic situation, teachers are forced to adopt a new way of teaching, sales persons have to embrace a new way of selling things, many have to work from home. In the 'new normal' jobs are changing rapidly and we have to learn and relearn. That's the reason why the focus have evolved to be values-driven. Students need to develop growth mindset to be willing to change and upgrade themselves constantly while ensuring that they are able to work with others and know how others react.

As a MM in this new emphasis, it is important to first change the mindset that good results are enough to develop our students to be able to take on the future. It is important to ensure students take initiative of their own learning. In order to do this, it is important for MMs to lead their team to not rush through our syllabus and teach for the sake of teaching, or even to teach in order for students to learn to get good results. It is important to lead a team of teachers to facilitate students to develop their own knowledge such that we can prepare them for the future.

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[Bing Qin] At its core, education is responsible in shaping the future direction of a society. It is futile if we produce the best doctors who have no heart to heal and the most outstanding lawyer who has no heart for justice, and are profit driven. Hence the idea of values driven should cut across everything we deliver as educators.

As MM, our decision making, the way we communicate to our colleagues and students should anchor heavily on purpose and values as we walk the talk.

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(i) I think there is still a need for every teacher, parent and student to buy in to this concept that every school is a good school that can support the learning and development of the child. While this was announced years back, it has always been a challenge to get the buy-in from all stakeholders. Especially with the customisation of learning that is afforded by all schools and the moving into common curriculum, I strongly believe that every school can bring out the best in the child.
(ii) With the ever changing education landscape, now with the introduction of PDLP, common curriculum etc, my role as a MM really is to first buy-in, understand the pros and cons of each policy and why its being pushed out. There will always be resistance and the inertia to change,  but only when I'm convinced will I be able to convince colleagues that certain changes are necessary.
[Bryan Tan]

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During our efficiency-driven phase, streaming was the word that almost every school kid could relate to - EM1, EM2, EM3, NT, NA, EXP. Today, we have abolished the primary school streaming system, and are in the midst of moving towards a "One Secondary Education, Many Subject Bands". The term "Streaming" will soon be an obsolete word of the past, and hopefully, future generations will only know streaming as Netflix, Youtube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime etc. (Even the streaming choices are wide-ranging nowadays - just like how our education system has many pathways to choose from!)

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[Derek Ng] We are now trying to promote more autonomy, self-directed learning in the system while anchoring students on strong values. Rather than mass produce 'talents' we think the economy needs, we want to help each student be the best he and she can be, and be able to be the best versions of themselves. The world they will enter into values such creativity and gumption!

As an MM, we need to help our teachers adapt to the changes required of us to help our students develop this strong sense of personal accountable for their learning and joy of learning.

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Every school experience a CCE lesson. Every teacher a CCE teacher.

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Every school experience a CCE lesson. Every teacher a CCE teacher.

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Emphasis on contemporary issues such as race and religions, cyberwellness & bullying. And make learning values more intentional through the many progamme in school, like CCA and camps. Student also get to learn how to share and accept different perspectives in this very complicated and volatile environment. So CCE is no longer just about sitting in class and listen to teachers talk.

As a MM, I think is to model the way and help support the teachers. It does not come naturally to some teachers that CCE is part and parcel of all the activities in conducted in school.

(Sharon Goh)

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Through past measures like revised JC curriculum to include contrasting subject, to ALP/LLP, and now to SBB, the system has been evolving to allow for more customisation to suit students' strengths, and to build in interdisciplinary thinking skills which are increasingly important in a complex world. Much like economical rice, where you can choose which dishes, and you would eat a mix of dishes.

As MM, it means we should champion this belief of bringing out the strengths of each child, while promoting breadth in skills to equip students with the ability to handle complexity and uncertainty. We must see beyond our domain of responsibility (e.g. subject), and look at the overall student learning experience.

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(ii) EAE which allows students to receive a conditional offer for admission to a diploma course in Polytechnics has tasted its fruits and has therefore allocated a higher proportion of polytechnic places for students. This is a positive signal as our education system is showing greater flexibility and a willingness to recognise the diverse talents and strengths of our students, beyond just academic grades. And understandably, the spirit of EAE has trickled to the other higher education institutions as well.

Many of the students in my school have benefited from this renewed emphasis. My role is therefore to help our fellow teachers gradually shift their mindset not just by lip service, but concretely, for instance, not giving a grade / score for informal quizzes, emphasising the need to review and rebalance our assessment policies to strengthen focus on formative aspects rather than looking at definitive scores. Another area of focus would be the communication to parents – to constantly emphasise personal mastery of the respective subject disciplines and not compare scores with peers / relatives.

(Brandon Chin)

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Student Centricity with Joy of Learning 

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Student Centricity with Joy of Learning 

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(ii) In the past, the education system in Singapore was more of frontal-teaching by the teachers and exam-based as well. However, in the recent years, we have slowly moved away from the old school of thought, becoming more student-centric by infusing the joy of learning into our curriculum as students are provided with a holistic education and subject-based banding.
Our role as MM in this new emphasis is to lead and support our teachers when implementing these curriculum and policy changes in the school. We need to explain the rationale to the teachers so that they understand the underlying meaning behind all these curriculum changes and be more willing to carry out or try out in their classroom teaching.
--- Ng Yuting

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The educational landscape is shifting away from the streaming system towards subject-based banding in school. With this change, we will see a more diverse group of learners within our classrooms and thus, the need to be able to differentiate our teaching so that we can cater to the diverse needs. As a MM, my role is to 1) help our teachers see and understand this impending change; and 2) help to equip our teachers with the skills/abilities to provide for a differentiated curriculum with differentiated instructions confidently.
- Peishan -

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(i) There is a need to move students away from passive engagement in learning content in the form of memorising, drilling and rote learning. We want students to develop deeper conceptual understanding of the topics in order to strengthen cognitive flexibility. This enables the transference of learning to take place in non-routine problems and even in real-life context.
(ii) Share the rationale of the change with teachers. Bearing in mind the challenges that teachers face in terms of time constraints, put in place some systems to help teachers make the adjustments . As MM to led by example and create the learning experiences for students with opportunities to construct the knowledge through the use of ICT, classroom discussions and scaffolded activities.

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(i) There has been many changes that have happened in recent years in the education system and one of the more important move is that how we are now placing more focus on Holistic Education, Teachers are also encouraged to make a shift away from the familiar frontal teaching (teach less) and learn to adopt new teaching methods that better engaged students and prepare them for the real world. Students are encouraged to explore and speak up in class and better develop their 21th century competence. (Learn More) Education is not only about IP subjects but also about diversity and learning different skills.   Hence, today making holistic education a very important direction in nurturing a child as an individual.
(ii) As MMs, our role is to set the big picture, so that we will all lead towards a similar direction.  We will need to be able to integrate different learning experiences/ programmes align not only through academic subjects but also together with the non- IP subjects/ CCA and to be able to see the growth of the whole child and preparing the child for the real world.

(Melody)

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(i) There has been many changes in the education system journey over the years. It was once a teacher-frontal,  paper-and-pen and test driven environment. Now, we are moving away from the use of paper-and-pen only and exploring other meaningful ways to engaged learners through different modes. The focus is no longer stressed on the examinations only but the processes and the small achievements students achieve along the way to reach their end point. This process also includes the learning of values, 21st CC skills and CCE in their daily activities with relation to real life experiences. As all schools embark on these new processes, there should not be any distinguishable schools that are better than the other. At the end of the day, the students are the focus of education and achieving different forms of success with the support of all stakeholders.
(ii) Being a MM would allow me to lead the teachers in understanding the educational shift and also to ensure that the it is followed through without compromising on students' learning. As an MM of the school, one would also need to walk the talk as an example to the other teachers that the new system is manageable. Everything is a learning process and there will definitely be some failures before achieving success eventually.

Shabeena Begum

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(i) I see us shifting away from survival mode (and more of a one-size-fits-all approach for the greater good) and more towards understanding that education needs to cater to our range of learners. The shift does not mean that we are no longer concerned about academic success, but reminds us that there are other important aspects of education such as values that we need to consider too. The diversity in our learners also means a corresponding diversity in our schools - we are held to the same high standards but there are broader definitions of success and of what a good school means. Finally, the involvement of various stakeholders and the role they play in nurturing our young is highlighted too.
(ii) As MMs, our role could be to facilitate the educational shifts that happen and to lead the way as we look at emerging trends in economy and society too. How do we support teachers who have yet to understand the importance of character building? How can we support teachers' development so they are ready to teach in a changing classroom, with our changing profile of students?

(Kar Mun)