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I found Piaget's theory on cognitive development very nuanced in it's own way as it incoporated both neurological concepts and multisensory needs of individuals that need to be helmed from young. I also truly appreciated the lesson planning practice as links could be drawn from theory to practice in our actual classrooms. It was thought provoking to process that at each step of the lesson plan there needs to be alot more insight into the goals and objectives as well as carrying out each step in the interest of the child, and accounting for the stage of development they are at. By doing so it felt much more targeted and tailored to the child's development and understanding, and it pushed me to think harder on how I can tailor intervention and interactions with any student, and what I should think about as I begin to plan my sessions.

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I found the article had a very refreshing take compared to what felt like our usual thoughts on mistakes as an oh-no moment, the title itself was a very welcoming takeaway already setting us up to change our mindset on mistakes and that they should be reframed in our minds for us to note the value instead of berating ourselves. I feel that as we grew up, it was very black and white - successes were celebrated and mistakes were frowned upon. However as I entered into my area of study I found my mind expanded to consider the grey areas and the reality that mistakes are necessary for us to reflect and learn and without them it is harder for real lessons to be had; of course within reason and with a clear conscience. I found that the article encouraged positive reframing and a sense of awareness to look out for how to search for value in errors I make in any aspect of my life and grow through them.

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Growing up, I was quite the perfectionist and I hated the thought of making mistakes. Over the years, however, I've come to realise that mistakes are actually a vital part of life—and, as in the words of Alexander Pope, 'to err is human'.

What really stood out to me in Rasulova and Abbasov's (2024) piece is the assertion that ''errors can serve as catalysts for [...] the acquisition of wisdom' (p. 151, emphasis own). That made me think more deeply about what wisdom really is and how we recognise it. Often, we attribute wisdom to older, sage-like individuals or those revered for their sound judgment. But is wisdom synonymous with mere knowledge or experience? Following Rasulova and Abbasov’s (2024) argument that 'wisdom is not merely the absence of mistakes but rather the presence of insight gained through them' (ibid.), it becomes clear that wisdom is less an inherent attribute bestowed by age and more a cultivated quality—one forged in the crucible of reflection and growth following our missteps. Being wise, then, doesn’t shield one from making mistakes—it means one knows how to grow from them.

Another point that I found interesting is that 'the ability to grow from mistakes is not a linear process but one that is deeply influenced by individual perception and the willingness to learn' (Rasulova and Abbasov, 2024, p. 151). In other words, the mere fact of having made a mistake does not guarantee transformation. In fact, learning often unfolds recursively—requiring unlearning, relearning, and sometimes a delayed "aha" moment that only emerges in hindsight many months/years later. This kind of learning requires a capacity for introspection, which isn’t always easy in our fast-paced society that often values speed and results over thinking things through. To cultivating wisdom space needs to be made for quiet reflection and self-examination amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Ultimately, I have come to believe that mistakes can be some of life’s best teachers. As the saying goes, the "school of hard knocks" often provides the richest education. Though painful in the moment, I think these struggles make the highs in life all the more beautiful. The difficult paths we walk only add meaning to the view from the top.

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I enjoyed Session 2—it was a valuable refresher on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. One big "aha" moment for me was realising how Piaget’s ideas actually connect to some of the pedagogical practices we use in the Singapore Teaching Practice! For example, teachers often start their lessons by activating students’ prior knowledge. In doing so, we’re really building on—and sometimes even challenging—our student's existing schemas to help them learn and grow. As Rabindran and Madanagopal (2020) point out, 'development is a qualitative change', where learners take in new information and adjust their understanding over time (p. 2156).

Further, I appreciated the reminder that hands-on, authentic learning and peer collaboration are key parts of effective learning, and that these ideas are grounded in Piaget’s belief that social interaction plays a big role in development. It made me see simple classroom routines, like “Think-Pair-Share", in a new light: that they’re not just quick activities, but opportunities for students to co-construct knowledge and learn from one another.

All in all, the session really helped me see how the different teaching strategies and pedagogical practices I’ve learnt all fit together—and why they’re so important for effective instruction. Moving forward, I’m keen to explore how Piaget’s ideas can be applied in smaller settings, like 1:1 withdrawal sessions. I think Piaget's theory has a lot to offer when working with students with SEN, especially since many of them will arguably benefit from concrete, hands-on, and interactive learning experiences.

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Building machines hasn’t been an easy task. It requires years of practice to attain a certain level of acumen. More importantly, it relates to social engineering where it involves risks to anyone who operates them. Secondly, there are Profits and Losses tagged to each input and output.

Freshly out of school, I was building machines (and robots). There are many gaps between knowledge and practice. Often, I would spend days in iterating and testing a model and evaluate what does not work to specifications and improve them. In this process, it cost time and money.

However, there was experienced engineers whom often constructively guide and stare best practices to encompass a more holistic design and testing process — hence learning by other experience. This honed my ability in a profession capacity to be more competent and effective engineer.

Environment also played a role in sculpting the opportunity to admit that mistake and learn from it.

Plew-Ogan et al (2019) highlighted that high-stakes profession like medicine can make errors and this contribute to the practitioner’s growth. I find that growth mindset, tenacity and opportunity is important to grow inward and outward from the mistakes done.

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Takeaway 1: Schema.
Learned a new word and a concept which follows. In my lay term, I feel that an extension to schema is the process of unlearning and relearning. It creates an uncomfortable feeling of not knowing and then tries to adapt by making associations to a known object, which is assimilation as used during lecture.

In order to create learning, this schema has to be disrupted and that forces us to adjust and adapt existing schemas to new one.
This concept is similar to Thinking. Thinking is difficult - it forces the mind to get into higher process (cognitive) which drives it to focus solely on the task. Unlike associative tasks which allows you to concurrently perform 2 or more tasks.

Takeaway2: Gallery Walk

I find that the gallery walk is putting up a lesson of what you think you know and superimposing Piaget concepts onto it. It enhances the lesson, secondary. Primarily, it allowed me to reconstruct thoughts during creating a lesson plan. I also find that this exercise is made easier as a group, ie collective thinking, as it allows helping the initial stage of grapsing Piaget’s theory.

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Throughout my career, I’ve often been thrown into the deep end. My leaders would give me vague instructions and expect me to figure things out. I made plenty of mistakes early on, but those mistakes taught me a lot of how-tos. How to be creative, resilient, and adaptable, and how to navigate people in leadership and authority.

The article states that making mistakes is a natural part of life that builds resilience, self-awareness, and emotional depth. The part that struck me the most is in the Double-Edged Nature of Mistakes section, where the authors used Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment as a case study and mentioned that mistakes can harm others and not just the one who made them. While guilt and reflection can lead to personal growth, the damage done to others often can’t be undone.

With that in mind, we need to think more carefully before making decisions when we reach a crossroad.

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One of the takeaways for me is that it takes time to build the schema and that new learning and growth is built on top of disrupting or challenging existing schemas. Translating this to classroom setting — did we give the student enough time to build the schema? Did we present them with new challenges and information? Are these done in a ICE^3  manner?

As someone who is new to Piaget and has no experience with lesson planning, the social interaction aspect (like Paiget's role of experiences in learning - social experiences, opportunities to test schemas) helped me understand more on the thinking process when it comes to planning out a lesson plan and reinforce my understanding on concepts like explicit teaching, and the importance of listing out student’s profile and prior knowledge etc.

The gallery walk which consist of identifying and enhancing our peer’s and our own lesson plan not only helped to reinforced our class learning, it also helped us understand (the what and how) and better leverage Piaget’s 7 principles — to bridge the gaps that we might have missed to better enhance our students learning.

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1) Reflecting on the previous class, we didn’t just create a lesson plan—we also identified and labeled Piaget’s cognitive development principles within it. The objective was clear: in every plan each group created, we were able to pinpoint the developmental stages relevant to the students. This was important, as we needed to narrow down achievable goals while also predicting the potential future growth for each student. At first, I wasn’t entirely confident in identifying the seven levels of cognitive development within our lesson plans. But with help from my peers, things became clearer. I now have a stronger grasp of how a well-structured lesson plan aligns with Piaget’s learning principles.

2) Another key takeaway was understanding the different stages of learning that occur throughout life, as Piaget theorized. From birth to adulthood, our brains are always evolving. We learn in many ways, such as visually, through touch, sound, and more. The brain builds schemas to take in and hold information. Learning never stops.

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a) During my school stint, I conducted my first withdrawal session with a student with learning needs. I was nervous as it was my first time leading a learning session. I realized I had not given clear instructions, had not been firm enough, and was not mindful of my posture, which made me appear uninterested and affected the student’s engagement. However, with my mentor’s constructive feedback, I was able to recognize these mistakes, improve in the following lesson, and make it more engaging for the student.

b) When I was studying, I feared making mistakes because of the culture I was brought up in, where mistakes were seen as failures. This made me very cautious and anxious about errors. However, when I joined the workforce, I encountered different environments—one where I was closely micromanaged to avoid mistakes, and another where I was given independence to learn, make mistakes, and grow from them. I found that I was much happier and able to develop better in the environment that encouraged learning from mistakes.

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a) It happened when I was working as a procurement officer in a new working environment. I over-ordered our garlic supply by so much so that it could last for months (instead of the usual weeks).

The mistake was luckily resolved with my manager’s help. However this mistake was one that triggered a lot of discomfort -anxiety due to the amount of money involved, frustration with myself, and embarrassment that I made such a “novice” mistake. Of course, as the article shared this discomfort that I experienced, did prompt a deeper level of reassessment - of myself and my actions.

Since then, I always try to plan ahead and find ways to reduce errors (e.g. using templates, automation etc). Most important of all is that I learned that while making mistakes is part and parcel of life, we must remember we cannot keep wallow in the mistake we make. We need to “learn from them” and “adapt”.

b) Yes. I think in most environments and settings, we do view mistakes as opportunities to grow and learn. However, in case where a mistake can be detrimental, for instance, affecting a company’s bottom line or safety, it will most probably be less accommodating when it comes to mistakes.

Likewise, I think our society and upbringing also shapes how we view “mistakes”. I feel like in Singapore we value efficiency and avoiding inconvenience for others and oneself. So even though people do view mistakes as a means to grow and learn, we do not necessarily “encourage” mistake.

Like the article stated, mistakes are part of the learning process but we must still approach mistake with care and responsibility, as our actions can negatively affect others. For instance, though my mistake was eventually resolved, it resulted in the retail outlets needing to push for garlic sales, and the supplier had to scour for containers to accommodate the staggering of the next few shipments. These extra “efforts” required of them were the results of my mistakes.

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1. Lessons/activities that motivates you / was difficult for you

I enjoyed how the process of having all of us walk up to write our inputs on the board allowed me to understand everyone’s perspectives of what makes lessons/activities motivating / difficult, and demonstrated how we are in active process of learning with our involvement. I considered how the inputs expanded throughout our younger days and till now, how we continue to enjoy “ICE3” activities/lessons and find content-rich/dry activities/lessons difficult. I recalled how my mentor commented that the student appeared confused, when I tried to engage him in different literacy aspects (segmenting words, spelling) in a 30mins withdrawal when he may only be able to follow 1-step instruction. It reminded me of the importance of reviewing how I design my withdrawal plan in a developmentally appropriate manner to maximise my students’ learning.

2. Gallery walk

The gallery walk on applying Piaget in our withdrawal sessions helped me relate to how it was an active process in getting us to apply the concepts learnt, and discover how it could be implemented as a I-do, We-do, You-do process. While social skills may seem abstract, the exercise allowed me to see how we could break it down into concrete experiences which the students could relate to (build on current understanding) through our interactions.

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a) The process of recalling a mistake made felt somewhat discomforting for me, for I tend to lean towards forgetting and avoiding it, brush over and move on. I recalled an incident where my senior was very angry with me and I was ignored the week before we went on a break, for I had broken a promise which she had made in passing, or so I thought. The rest of the team were agreeable for my senior to return home and forgo a meeting due to unclear instructions from the upper level whether we were to attend the meeting, and she had instructed the rest and glanced at me, not to attend the meeting as well. The rest reassured that they were going to do their administrative task instead of attending the meeting. However, I made the decision to join the meeting as part of my learning, when my fellow team mates decided to attend the meeting as part of their roles. My senior felt very betrayed by me in particular, for she perceived that myself as her junior did not inform her about my involvement first-hand, and she had to hear it from others first the next morning. I felt confused, for I felt I was simply taking the opportunity to learn, and was not expecting such a reaction. I apologised. The experience made me reflect on my actions as I pondered on how my behaviour had affected her trust in me which resulted in a temporal strain and subsequent distancing and cautiousness towards each other, albeit subtly. Trust is easier built than repaired, and it made me grow through realising the value of communication and perspective-taking through the experience. To understand possible underlying reasons for her anger and disappointment, to be accountable for the decisions I had made. It also made me reflect on how it helped me to learn to be more self-aware of myself and my boundaries, to know how such discomfort may boil down to what I value, to know that it is part of being human and we are imperfect, to learn and guides us to contemplate and work on our areas for improvement.

b) I sensed that in our environment, the society has been generally open about making mistakes, perhaps when it does not affect others much and when mistakes can be addressed i.e. recovery work. We consider mistakes as “FAIL (First Attempt In Learning)” particularly in educational settings, for teachers to encourage productive failure in students during TCEF 2025, for students to simply try. Teachers track where students tend to have mistakes and follow up accordingly. We encourage reconciliation whenever possible be it in school, workplace, private settings. We learn and guide each other on how to better manage more tricky situations at work.

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Takeaway 1

In the session, I learned the significance of Piaget’s cognitive development theory, which highlights how learning drives development. Both physical and social experiences are essential for growth. This gave me a clearer understanding of how such experiences benefit my own learning as well as that of students.

Takeaway 2

As educators, we can support students by offering real-world, hands-on experiences that make abstract concepts easier to grasp and help them form effective schemas. Social interactions, such as group activities, are equally important. In our discussion, many agreed that lessons with visuals and interactive elements left a stronger impact than long or monotone lectures. We also applied this by engaging in hands-on tasks, designing a lesson plan, and developing strategies based on Piaget’s principles for classroom practice.

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a) During my internship at a hamper company, I once handled a call from a customer and provided him with the latest product information, thinking I was offering the best service. He thanked me and even praised me for my service. Naturally, I told him I would be happy to process his order if he needed help. Later, I learned that the company had a commission-based system, and I had unintentionally created tension with a colleague. This taught me the importance of understanding team structures and internal policies before acting, and how vital communication is in ensuring fairness and teamwork. Since then, I have been careful to clarify processes and align with colleagues before taking action.

b) It often depends on the environment we are in. In some settings, mistakes are equated to dollars and cents, and even a small error can have serious consequences—sometimes even costing someone their job. In such high-stakes environments, precision and accountability are important. This was what I saw from my experience working at the Singapore International Monetary Exchange in the 90's. However, as Plews-Ogan (2022) suggests, mistakes in high-pressure contexts can still lead to significant personal and professional growth if they are approached with humility and a willingness to adapt.

By contrast, in the school I did my stint, educators openly share the mistakes they make with one another. Instead of being penalized, these experiences are viewed as opportunities for growth. Lessons are drawn from past errors, improvements are made, and everyone benefits from the collective learning. This culture not only helps educators refine their craft but also ensures that students gain from ever-improving curricula, teaching methods, and discipline.

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Takeaways from session 2

1. Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development sheds light on my friend's (J) experience with her son (N), who has autism. Her experience, I believe, is related to the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

J shared with me that she had to show N many pictures of different types of fish in order for him to understand that they were all fish.

Assimilation- in this case, N had a schema that all fish look like the first fish he saw (e.g., guppy). J tried to expand or modify the schema of fish in N's experience. So that N would not resist calling salmon a fish because it does not fit into his original schema (guppy).

Accommodation- by expanding or modifying N's schema of fish, he will be able to accommodate and name salmon as fish.

N spent a long time in the preoperational stage.

2. Piaget also mentioned that development is continuous and relatively orderly, but individuals develop at different rates, and this is influenced by maturation. This should be made known to parents who compare their children and become concerned about their progress. Their children, after all, may be late bloomer.

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Mistakes

Many years ago, I made a mistake, thinking that every strategy that worked for my child with special needs would work for every other child. I realised this mistake when I decided to step in to help a mother whose autistic child had a major meltdown in a mall. I tried using the same strategy that works for my own child, but it didn’t go as I expected. The meltdown continued and got intense. Luckily, his father managed to calm him with his favourite blanket and waffle. I think I suffered a few bruises on my hands that day.

That experience made me realise that every child with special needs is unique, and there is no one strategy that fits all, no matter how effective this strategy has been in the past. During my school stint, I learn from my Mentor that a good strategy is considered effective only if it fits the student’s needs. Hence, building rapport and trust between the student and SEN officer is a crucial first step in finding which strategy fits the student's needs. I also learned that SENO should review the strategies every school term, make necessary adjustments to the strategies if they are found no longer suitable or effective to support the students.

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Takeaways from session 2

1. The 7 principals of applying Piaget theory in class. When planning lessons, it’s important to apply Piaget’s 7 principles to support student learning. Use concrete experiences and real-life examples to help students understand abstract ideas.

2. Another essential principle is to use social interaction as a tool to help pupils verbalise, test, and reinforce their understanding. Through discussion and collaboration with peers, students can deepen their thinking and refine their ideas. By designing developmentally appropriate lessons that follow these principles, we can guide our students through each stage of cognitive development and create a more engaging and effective learning environment.

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During my time as an untrained SEN officer, I encouraged a student with (ASD) to participate in a Kahoot quiz during class. My intention was to help the student engage socially and enjoy a fun learning activity alongside their peers. However, when the student didn’t win the game and lost to others, he became visibly upset and withdrew from the activity.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand how competitive situations might affect students with ASD differently. I assumed that the excitement of the game would motivate participation and build confidence. This was a mistake on my part, as I had overlooked the student’s need for a more supportive and low-pressure environment.

From this experience, I learned the importance of recognising the unique emotional responses and sensory sensitivities of students with ASD. I realised that encouraging participation needs to be balanced with understanding their comfort levels and providing alternative ways to engage that don’t cause distress.

Reflecting on the article “The Value of Mistakes: A Pathway to Experience and Wisdom”, I see how this situation was a valuable learning moment. Mistakes like this help me develop patience, empathy, and better strategies for supporting students with special needs. It also reinforced that growth as a SEN officer involves continuously adapting and learning from real experiences.

Now, I approach similar activities by preparing the student beforehand, offering choices on how they want to participate, and emphasizing effort over winning. This approach helps build a more positive and inclusive learning experience for all students.

The culture around mistakes is gradually becoming more open and supportive, although some hesitation still exists. Traditionally, mistakes were often viewed negatively, creating pressure to avoid errors at all costs. However, there is a positive shift as people increasingly encourage reflection on mistakes and the sharing of lessons learned to improve practices and approaches. This growing acceptance of mistakes as part of the learning process fosters a culture of continuous improvement and resilience, benefiting individuals and communities alike.

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Takeaways #1

This is my first time learning about Piaget’s Theory. As I was reading the articles. I realise that I have gained better insight into how children learn and develop cognitively at 4 different stages in life. It’s interesting to know that children are constantly adjusting their schemas through the process of assimilation and accommodation whenever they are learning new concepts and gaining new experiences.

Takeaways #2

During the gallery walk, I learned that having a quality and creative teacher can help students learn better. Learning is not a one-dimensional process; we as educators must learn how to engage students in more innovative ways.  Tapping into their interests and using real-life examples can help them generalise their knowledge to practical situations.

During my school stint, I noticed my student was more focused and actively participating in the discussion when I incorporated games or her favourite characters in the lesson. I failed to understand the rationale until I came across Piaget’s seven principles of effective teaching. Now I will constantly remind myself of the 7 principles when I teach and support students in the future.

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One mistake I made while I was studying at university was biting off more than I could chew. Back then, I was involved as an Executive Committee member in a student club which required me to lead the first Welfare Subcommittee, whose main task that semester was to put together an Exam Welfare Pack for the students. At the same time, I had “overloaded” courses in my academic semester, which meant that I was taking extra courses beyond the academic load recommended by my school. It did not take long for me to feel the intense pressure from both sides. With finite time on my hands and the pressure to excel, my subcommittee and I scrambled to source for brand sponsors who could contribute valuable items for the club’s first Exam Welfare Pack. Academically, I struggled to keep up with the pace at which my professors were going. Several of my courses had lengthy texts which students had to read prior to class, as the ideas would be discussed during lectures. I remember several lectures in which I sat there lost, struggling to understand the lecture material, as I had not read the readings, because I was too preoccupied with all that I had on my hands. Needless to say, I was unable to perform at my best that semester, and I burned out quickly. That semester, I got the lowest grades I ever scored throughout my academic career, and I berated myself because it affected the cumulative GPA score for my entire university education. The Exam Welfare Pack initiative was a success, but in ensuring others were taken care of, I had overlooked my personal welfare and exhausted myself in the process.

As mentioned in the article, “The Value of Mistakes,” mistakes are both a source of experience and an opportunity to develop wisdom. One concept that struck me most was the recognition that “the pain of making mistakes is often the very catalyst for growth” (Rasulova & Abbasov, 2024).

Reflecting on my experience following that semester, I vowed to never again let myself fall into that pit. The frustrations, exhaustion, burnout, and personal disappointment was not worth reliving. However, it was an invaluable experience that allowed me to learn about myself – my strengths, weaknesses, personal values, and the principles I hold dear.

Several lessons I learnt from my mistake were:

1. I learned to set personal boundaries on commitments. Instead of saying yes to everything, today, I will evaluate my responsibilities, energy, and time as a whole before committing to anything.

2. I learned to prioritise my commitments based on importance and impact. Following that semester, my studies always came first, and my co-curricular activities second.

3. I learned the importance of taking care of myself even through the hardest times. Today, I would take the time to practise mindfulness, even before I feel overwhelmed. Techniques such as mindful breathing, presence, and stretching my body helps me stay grounded and focused on what is important.

These learnings help me to live my life in congruence with my values and principles while still managing the different demands and responsibilities at the various stages of life I am at.

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Takeaways from Session 2

1. What not to do in a class: Generally, all of us agreed that dry content being delivered monotonously without any interaction was what made classes not enjoyable in our experience.

2. The 7 principles of applying Piaget's theory in class

The ones that I remember most are: relating to real life examples, building on existing understanding, and learning as an active process.

When we design a lesson plan for our students, we need to thoughtfully apply the 7 principles so that it helps their learning process

3. All new learning and growth depends on existing schemas being disrupted. Through this, we begin to adapt new information to existing schemas, via:

Assimilation - comparing to existing schema or previously learned information

Accommodation - build new schema if the new information does not fit with our current ones.

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A) Recently I’ve been missing the students I taught during my school stint, and the more I think about them the more I realised the mistakes I had made. One student in particular stands out - A primary 2 boy, recently diagnosed with ADHD. But when I first met him, he did not have a diagnosis yet. His teacher feedbacked that he was weak in English and often acts up during this class. Since he didn’t have a diagnosis yet, I assumed he was acting up only because he hated English. Hence during my withdrawals, I pushed him to learn English by giving worksheets. While I did play some games with him to make things easier, I realised it must have been very tough on him. Often times he would ignore me and refuse to do his work. I thought he was just being rebellious. When I think back on it, I realised that I should have noticed how his poor performance was affecting him mentally. It was a vicious cycle- Him being weak in English must have made him feel sad and helpless, which would then cause him to act out. The mistake was that instead of focusing so much on improving his scores, I should have started things easy and work on building his confidence and interest in learning.

B) Based on personal experiences, I’m inclined to disagree and say that our environment does not value mistakes as important lessons. I think naturally as humans, we constantly seek perfection. It is because of this need for perfection, many people develop a fear of being judged. Some people even place high expectations on themselves, so they avoid mistakes at all cost. In a country like Singapore where everything is so fast-paced, some view mistakes as something that will just slow us down. And based on what I observe, I find Singapore to be very competitive as well. It’s  all about getting good grades, getting a good job and earning lots of money. I’ve seen parents getting tuition for children as young as primary 1 just to get a “head start”. Hence, from what I notice, mistakes are seen more as a bad thing rather than important lessons.

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a) A mistake I made while working with one of my student was to overlook small behaviors which lead to the student pushing boundaries and not showing respect. I was conducting a withdrawal game session with my student as a reward for him showing on seat behaviors in class. It was a game of snake and ladders with the dice being rolled on my phone app. This student has behaviors to take other's things and not respect personal space and the expectation was for him to practice being safe (i.e. not take things) and maintain personal space. During my first session with the student, I failed to maintain my boundaries as he wanted to shake my phone to 'roll' the dice. On hindsight, I realised that this mistake of not establishing the expectations to be safe resulted in his subsequent behaviors of moving close to 'intimidate', calling nicknames and showing disrespect. I learned that when I plan for a lesson, the expectation I set should be a rule that I follow through. When I failed to stick to the rule, it would appear that I don't deserve to be respected and my instructions don't matter.

b) I think how the environment encourages us to learn from mistakes depend greatly on the people that we encounter. I know of some who are extremely strict an any misbehaviors would be immediately flagged up and consequences delivered. There are also some that lean more towards the nurturing side and are willing to give warning and chances for the student to learn. As a society, when you break a law, although there are opportunities for reform and learn from past mistakes, the label that you had previously been convicted would stick with you forever. Similarly in schools, there is a stigma that marks a student who had misbehaved. In a case where two students fought, teachers would be quick to assume that the student who had previous history of misbehaviors is the instigator of the fight.

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1) Educators are the drivers of learning. The energy that educators give during their lesson would help support the effort and quality of lesson planned for students. When educators are fun and engaging, it sparks interests in students in wanting to learn more about the subject.

2) Lesson materials have to be engaging (multisensorial activities/hands-on) and age appropriate. When we take the class out of their usual classroom routine of listening to the teacher and writing notes, a change in routine through games or reverse classroom activities would excite students and engage them during lesson. Having participated actively in classroom activities, it creates a more impactful learning experience which allows them to better link knowledge in their brain. Consider the age of students in class to create appropriate activities (e.g. games or reverse classroom activities). Age-appropriateness would also link to the use of praise/rewards in class to further motivate active learning and participation.

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Dabao 1

Even without formal SENO training, I was able to design a relatively effective plan that helped my student learn a valuable social skill while incorporating Piaget’s theory. While I already have some experience and understanding of developmental theories such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory. I recognise that my application is still developing. For instance, I was able to consider aspects of the microsystem and mesosystem when planning, but I recognise that there is room to further integrate these elements. Strengthening my grasp of Piaget’s theories, along with the others, will allow me to enhance my future lesson plans with more intentional and well-grounded use of theoretical knowledge.

Dabao 2

Equilibrium has always been a tricky concept for me. It’s uncomfortable, and like many of us, I’d often rather not “rock the boat” if nothing seems wrong. But Piaget constantly reminds me that learning itself isn’t meant to be comfortable. That discomfort is part of the process. It is where assimilation and accommodation reshape our schemas and push us to grow. Additionally, I’ve come to realise that the same applies in my work. One of my biggest challenges has been explaining to teachers what in-class support really means and why I sometimes do things differently. At first, this felt difficult and unsettling, but breaking it down through the seven principles has given me a clearer voice. Now, I feel more confident not just in defending my methods, but in seeing discomfort as a sign of growth for both myself and the people I work with.

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One of the biggest mistakes I made in my learning journey was trying to memorize Psychology and the theories of early childhood development. I thought that if I could just recall definitions and theorists’ names, I’d be ready for exams. I quickly learned that this strategy didn’t just fail. in fact, it backfired gloriously. Without understanding, I couldn’t connect ideas, and learning became shallow.

Here’s the twist: that mistake forced me to rethink how I learn. Instead of memorizing blindly, I discovered ways to remember facts and theories that actually made sense to me—sometimes only to me. Creative, practical methods that stuck. What started as a misstep became a breakthrough, teaching me that understanding always beats rote recall.

This idea of learning through mistakes doesn’t just apply to school. Growing up in an Asian culture, I noticed how mistakes are often avoided at all costs. Kids are cushioned from falling off bikes, swimming is done with life jackets, and every risk is minimized. These are all under the banner of “safety.” I remember learning the hard way of falling, bruising myself, and figuring things out on my own. I learned to ride a bike by scraping my knees and picking myself up. I learned to swim by almost drowning. Those “failures” taught me resilience, independence, and real understanding in a way gentle protection never could.

Mistakes aren’t setbacks but rather they’re opportunities for learning. They force us to think, adapt, and grow. Through my academic missteps and life lessons, I’ve learned to approach challenges with curiosity and confidence. Ironically, it was the mistakes I made that taught me how to learn, how to grow, and ultimately, how to be wiser.

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a) One of the mistakes I made was during my first job as a research assistant. As someone new to the working world, I entered without clear expectations of what the role would entail. Starting out in the research field came with a steep learning curve. We had to quickly learn how to properly administer assessment tools, often under tight deadlines. Since we worked closely with schools, data collection could only take place during school days, which added further time pressure to complete tasks efficiently. There were instances where I took longer to respond to schools, which delayed the data collection process. For example, we could have completed data collection at a particular school within two weeks, but due to my delay in communication, the process took longer than expected. However, these experiences helped me improve my timeliness and develop a clearer understanding of what the role required. Over time, as I became more familiar with the responsibilities, I adapted to the demands of the job, and timeliness eventually became one of my strengths.

b) In my opinion, the environment I was part of gave me the space and flexibility to make mistakes, and more importantly, to learn from them. This was something I came to appreciate over time, as I realized how valuable that kind of support can be, especially when you're new to a role or navigating a steep learning curve. Not every environment is this forgiving. In some workplaces or settings, mistakes are viewed more negatively, which can create pressure and fear. When individuals are made to feel that errors are unacceptable, they may become hesitant to take the initiative or try new things out of fear of failure. This can ultimately limit personal and professional growth.

This idea extends to educational settings as well. I strongly believe that schools should be environments where students are encouraged to take risks, try, fail, and learn. As mentioned in the article, making mistakes is a crucial part of the learning process. Without the opportunity to get things wrong, students miss out on developing resilience or even problem-solving skills. If we don’t allow them to make mistakes in school, a place designed for learning, then when will they have the chance to do so safely?

Schools are the most ideal environment for this kind of growth because support systems are in place. Teachers, SENOs, and other staff are there to guide students and help them to keep improving. Creating a positive classroom culture that normalizes mistakes as part of learning not only builds confidence but also prepares students for real-life challenges where trial and error are often essential. In the long run, such an environment fosters independent, resilient learners who are more open to exploring new possibilities.

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Takeaway 1:

In this session, we revisited the article from last week, which focused on the concept of praise in educational settings. As part of the activity, each group was asked to reflect on and consolidate our individual thoughts about what praise means to us. This sparked meaningful discussion within my group, and it was genuinely interesting to hear the variety of perspectives and personal interpretations shared. While evryone agreed that praise plays a key role in motivating students and reinforcing positive behavior, we also recognized that not all praise is equally effective.

One of the most valuable insights that emerged from our conversation was the importance of giving specific praise. Rather than offering vague or general comments like “good job,” we discussed how targeted praise, such as acknowledging the effort a student put into solving a difficult problem, can be much more meaningful and impactful. We also talked about how the way praise is delivered should vary depending on the child’s age and developmental stage. For younger children, more immediate and enthusiastic praise might be appropriate, while older students may benefit more from praise that highlights their thought process or persistence. Praises might also work differently to those who are in the IHLs.

Takeaway 2:

Revisiting Piaget’s developmental stages after so many years felt surprisingly refreshing. It brought back the foundational knowledge I once studied, but this time, it carried a new depth and purpose. Back then, the focus was mainly on memorizing the theory and more of understanding the stages, their characteristics, and how children develop cognitively through each one. However, this lesson took it a step further. Instead of just knowing what Piaget proposed, I learned how to apply it when planning a lesson. It shifted my thinking from theory to practice, helping me consider what is developmentally appropriate for learners at different stages. This practical approach made the theory come alive and provided a clear framework for designing lessons that truly align with how students think, process, and engage with content at various ages. It was a valuable reminder of how essential it is to ground teaching strategies in sound developmental understanding.

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a) One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was when I first started as a preschool educator. Young and inexperienced, I was assigned a K2 class, the level everyone warns you about. The students were energetic, and parents had high expectations. My biggest mistake was not communicating effectively with parents. Being introverted and inexperienced, I didn’t think to keep them updated, and small incidents that seemed minor to me became big issues in their eyes, eventually leading to a complaint.

It was a harrowing experience that stayed with me for a year or two, but it taught me a lot. Reflective practice became key to my growth. I learned to be resilient and gradually improved how I connected with parents. Reading about the double-edged nature of mistakes made me think back on how my mistakes didn’t just affect me but also others around me, like my principal, who had to step in to manage the situation too.

Over time, that struggle became a turning point. I built strong relationships with parents and earned their trust and respect. What once cast a shadow became the foundation of my professional growth and long-term success.

b) In view of the many incidents of student mismanagement in preschool, I feel that society today is becoming more uptight about these issues. Parents’ expectations are higher than ever, and with social media, news travels fast. Society can be hard on teachers who make mistakes because we are handling real human lives. At the same time, a supportive workplace can make a huge difference. In my case, my mistake wasn’t student mismanagement but poor parent communication. My principal and colleagues understood I was new and gave me opportunities to learn, sending me for courses and letting me observe seniors build strong parent relationships.

In conclusion, when society and workplaces provide opportunities for reflection, guidance, and support after mistakes, individuals can turn errors into valuable lessons. Mistakes are inevitable, but they can foster both personal and professional growth.

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First take away: Having first learned about Piaget’s theory more than 11 years ago, I had forgotten much of it until today’s lecture offered a good refresher. Back in my preschool teaching days, writing lesson plans became such a routine that I focused mainly on what needed to be included (almost like following a checklist). Over time, I forgot about the reasoning behind why those elements were necessary in the first place. This lesson reminded me that theories like Piaget’s provide the “why” behind the lesson plans, showing how each element in a lesson plan is meant to support children’s learning and development.

Second takeaway: Piaget also reminded me learning is not always comfortable. While we all want to reach equilibrium, we can only get there by going through the process of learning, assimilation, adjusting our schemas, and accommodation. This can be challenging, but it is also how we adapt and grow in our thinking. Similarly, for students, it is important to connect new lessons to their existing schemas so they have some familiarity. Without this, they may feel uncomfortable and lose interest in learning.

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While doing the activity for the gallery walk, my group related back to explicit teaching - I do, we do, you do. It was something that I have learnt while doing my certificate in Autism. Relating to Piaget's theory of learning development, explicit teaching (TEACCH) is just another method of teaching that also follows the 7 principles. When I was teaching younger children with special needs, the 7 principles were strictly followed. I am glad that it is also happening for children with SEN in mainstream schools. I am excited to bring this theory along for my practicuum and eventually my posting. I feel that this 7 principles broken down are easy for us to explain the idea behind our teaching and application of strategies in classrooms, and for teachers to also understand the rationale behind the things we do during in-class support.

Despite being exposed to Piaget while doing my degree, I threw my knowledge back to my lecturer. I am now retrieving all of them back because the stages of cognitive development is really important to create the lesson plan appropriate at the child's level. It also allow us to scaffold new concepts each time we check in and recap with the child on the previous lessons.

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Takeaway 1: Active Learning

During the activity where we wrote down factors that make a lesson interesting, many important points were made. Some factors include, short, bite-sized lessons and hands-on activities. All these can be linked back to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. For example, including hands-on and multi sensory activities link to Piaget’s idea that children learn best through concrete experiences and real life examples, especially for our students in the concrete operation stage.

Meanwhile, keeping lessons simple and short helps children assimilate their information. This way they can process new information easily and quickly.

Takeaway 2: The Interest to Learn

While it’s important to constantly teach and build up their knowledge, we also need to motivate our students to learn. Piaget’s theory assumes that by nature, children are motivated to learn due to their curiosity. Having this interest in learning helps them stay focused and motivated even when learning difficulties concepts.  Some of the factors we wrote down that make a lesson interesting was gamified lessons, engaging teachers and changes in environments. Using these, we can maintain or increase their interest for learning, which is what drives them to accommodate their schema and process new information

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a) This article has brought me back to my first full time job - EIPIC. I used to be very very very straightforward. I still am, but I have learnt over the years working in the social industry, to package my delivery in a much nicer way. There were no major mistakes made thankfully, but I had a very loving yet straightforward supervisor that not only pointed that out, but would also teach me how to re-phrase. I think because I am generally someone that often reflects upon what I did right and what I could have done better, I was able to reflect the feedback given to me, and overtime, I managed to find the balance with being myself out of work, and a more 'PR' version when speaking to my colleagues.

b) The environment is definitely something that changed me overtime as well. I was with colleagues that were soft spoken, demure and calm. I am someone entirely opposite. However, they never judged me and accepted that this is just 'Jerilyn'. However, I also decided to observe and learn from my colleagues on how to better represent myself while working in a sector. I used to think that changing myself = not being true to myself. However, the values and character building I have had from the mistakes I made (e.g. being too forward with my colleagues -> leading to unintentional hurt), have allowed me to grow my empathy and become a better version of myself today.

I have built different schemas through the conversing with different individuals, and accommodated to any scenarios I am placed in. I still have a lot of growing to do.

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Through life's experiences, I have started to view mistakes as ways of improvement and to be better. After reading this article and understanding it in depth, it has given me new insights on how mistakes can further be seen. Not only can mistakes turn into great opportunities to grow when handled with deep understanding within the self and resilience, it can also enable individuals to evolve further and succeed in most areas of their life. Another thing that I have learnt from this article is that wisdom can be gained as a result of mistakes beign made. Additionally, wisdom that can be used in the future is not just the absence of such mistakes but also the insight gained thorugh them. We need to have a good growth mindset when faced with the failure of our mistkaes and take it as an opportunity to learn, as stated before. However, when we do not face it properly and with a bad mindset, it may cause us to spiral and fall into bad habits leading to repeated suffering. We must find the strength to be able to pull ourselves out of that pit, as we have learned about in lesson 1 in NED109. In a way, that spiralling process that we are in may as well be a source of mistake that we are still learning from.

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Takeaway 1:

Being a SENO who was untrained, I was still able to come up with a good enough lesson plan but always felt that it was not enough or all-rounded. It was only after learning about Piaget's 7 principles in the classroom that I was able to fill in the gaps. While I was already using real-life experiences and linking it to the abtract ideas, adding factors such as providing students with developmentally appropriate practice has allowed me to take my lessons a step further and in turn, helped me to emphasis again on what I am teaching in a smooth manner.

Takeaway 2:

Sometimes, it is good to cause disequilibrium within the student so that they are able to expand and adjust their existing schemas as well as to accomodate it. Such adaptation is needed to have a balance equilibrium.

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Before Gallery Walk

With my group, I learned l it is to break learning into small, clear steps, especially when supporting students with social-emotional skills and lesson plan used role-play to help a student with ASD practice ordering food in the canteen. It followed the “I do, we do, you do” approach starting with modelling then practice together, and finally encouraging independent action. Progress doesn’t happen overnight. It grows with structure, patience, and consistency. When a student is motivated like being connected with the SENO Officer, that motivation can be a great way to build confidence and ease anxiety in real-life situations.

My group came out with the praise ICE Theory-Interest, Curiosity, Engaging, Experimental and Empowerment

Gallery Walk

At first, I wasn’t sure what was happening during the gallery walk on Piaget’s Theory and the Stages of Cognitive Development. I felt a bit lost, just trying to make sense of it all while my teammates were deep in discussion. Connecting the Dots, I moved from one station to the next and things slowly started to click. Watching my team connect ideas and reading other groups’ comments helped me piece everything together.

Aha Moment: By the end, I could see how Piaget’s theory applied across all the different examples. It took a bit of time, I got there how all the theory can relate to apply Piaget's Theory. Reading still in progress :)

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a.) When I was working as a trainer at SPD, I once had a trainee who was a stroke survivor. He was placed for an internship with the possibility of full-time employment at a company located in Tai Seng. As a powered wheelchair user, he faced challenges getting to the office, the route required a long U-turn that was tiring and inconvenient.

To support him, the company went above and beyond. They even worked with LTA to get approval for an overhead bridge to be built, which was expected to be completed within a few months. The company offered him a good salary and had a great working culture. From my perspective, it looked like an excellent opportunity.

But then, unexpectedly, my trainee stopped coming to work. Concerned, I visited him at his home. During our conversation, I realized my mistake: I assumed that because the company was supportive and the benefits were good, he would naturally want the job. I tried to persuade him for almost two hours, highlighting the salary and the stability it could bring for him and his young daughter. However, he explained that he didn’t see growth or progression in the role. It wasn’t the right fit for him.

How it Made me Grow

no matter how “ideal” something may seem on paper, if a person doesn’t feel connected to the job or believe it’s meaningful, they won’t want to stay. What matters most is listening to the individual’s perspective and respecting their choices, instead of pushing what I believe is best for them.

This mistake helped me grow as a person. I learned to listen more deeply, to understand others from their point of view, and to support them in finding opportunities that truly align with their goals.

b)Yes. I believe that our environment shapes how we see mistakes. If we are encouraged to treat mistakes as lessons, we become more open to growth and learning.

I experienced this first-hand as a trainer at SPD. I assumed a trainee would be happy in a job just because the company was supportive and offered good pay. I tried to persuade him without first understanding his perspective. This was my mistake. Reflecting on it, I realised that what truly matters is listening to the individual’s needs and goals.

According to Piaget, learning happens when we encounter challenges or mistakes that don’t fit our existing way of thinking and we adapt by creating new understanding. That was exactly what happened to me. This mistake helped me see things from another person’s point of view and reminded me not to impose my own beliefs.

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a) The Mistake

One of the key mistakes I made early on was assuming a "one-size-fits-all" approach in special education. I believed that strategies that worked for some students would naturally work for others. Over time, I realised that special education is not about applying standard methods universally—it’s about recognising and responding to individual needs and learning preferences.

This experience taught me the importance of observation before intervention. I learned to slow down, give students the space to express themselves in their own time, and to truly listen—not just to their words, but to their behaviours, patterns, and non-verbal cues.

How it Made Me Grow

This mistake helped me grow to become more patient, flexible, and reflective. I developed a deeper appreciation for the value of trial and error in understanding each student's unique learning journey. Through these experiences, I’ve learned to adapt my approach in real-time, based on what works best for each student. Mistakes, I now see, are not setbacks—they are stepping stones that shape professional wisdom and practice.

b) How the Mistake Shaped My Approach to Special Education

This experience reshaped my approach by reinforcing the importance of individualised support. I’ve come to understand that supporting students with special needs isn’t just about responding to behaviours—it’s about understanding the root causes and adapting the environment so that every child feels safe, valued, and empowered to learn at their own pace.

I’ve also observed a positive shift in the wider education landscape in Singapore. There is a growing embrace of the growth mindset among educators and schools—an increasing recognition that mistakes are essential to learning, innovation, and meaningful progress. In special education, especially, this mindset is critical. Growth is not linear; it’s a dynamic process shaped by the willingness of both educators and students to learn, adapt, and evolve together especially when mistakes are made.

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Takeaway #1: Understanding Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

I learned the foundational principles of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. A key idea is that humans have an innate drive to make sense of their world through order, structure, and predictability — referred to as the drive for equilibrium. Cognitive development occurs in distinct stages, with each marked by qualitative changes in thinking. Importantly, learning should be viewed as an active, constructive process, where learners build understanding through exploration and experience, rather than passively absorbing information or applying rules without comprehension.

Takeaway #2: Applying Piaget’s Theory to Lesson Design

We applied Piaget’s concepts through group discussion and lesson planning. Our group designed a lesson tailored to a Primary 3 (9-year-old) girl with attention deficit. We focused on how to support her cognitive development in line with Piagetian principles. This included making learning active, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. We also examined other groups' lesson plans and critically analyzed how Piaget’s theory could inform and improve those plans — particularly in terms of accommodating learners at different developmental stages.

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Takeaways after Session 2:

1. Praise should be specific, balanced, and action-based.

2. Trust and familiarity must exist in a teacher–student relationship for praise to hold meaning for both parties.

3. I appreciated Piaget’s ideas, especially the “Gallery Walk” exercise where we viewed different groups’ lesson plans. This experience gave me the chance to apply Piaget’s concepts in the classroom. It also helped me exercise my thinking by connecting what I learned to the lesson plans.

4. Gone are the days when teachers were the only learners. We now have to adopt a classroom teaching style where students take the lead in learning. More group work, discussions, reflections, and peer sharing allow students to process what they have been taught and retain lessons more effectively.

One thing I shared with my group:
I shared the social story I created during my school stint. To my surprise, it was well received by my group. I explained how I applied it with one of the SEN students, under the supervision of my SENO. After learning about Piaget’s theory, I can see how some lessons in the social story could be linked to his ideas.