• What is the subject or theme of the photo-essay?

• What is happening in the photographs?

• What are the key details captured in each photo?

• What is the setting or environment of these images?

• What emotions or actions are visible in the photos?

2. So What? (Analyse)

• Why did you choose these particular subjects or moments?

• What is the story or message you want to convey through the photos?

• What do these images reveal about the broader context or theme?

• So what does each photo say about the people or place being documented?

• What impact or message are you trying to communicate to the viewer?

• How do the photos evoke emotional responses or invite reflection?

3. Now What? (Action)

• Now that you've captured and reflected on the story, what conclusions can be drawn?

• How can your photo-essay inspire action, change or awareness?

• What do you want the viewer to do or think after seeing the photo-essay?

• How will this experience influence your future work or perspectives?

• What questions remain unanswered or what deeper layers need exploration?

1. Post 1 photo that provokes your thoughts for that day.

2. Include a suitable title for your post.

3. Include some brief description for your photo. You may use the suggested prompts below to help you.

Feel free to post or edit your post through out the day. (:

Subsequently, please leave a like/comment on another person’s post that resonated with you.

The link to what we do is that in every school experience that we want to create for students, there needs to be a conncetion between the intent of the implementation, the means/mode by which the experinece is actualised and stakeholders involement to provide a connection to real life application.

The public private and people framework for the STEM talent development is prominent in different centres so that synergies can be reaped with a common goal.

It is heartening to hear that the Penang State government is rolling out such initiatives to spark interest not only in Math, but in STEM as well. This then translates into manpower for the country’s economy. This is what struck me the most for our learning today.

help

Up north in Hebei China, a passionate teacher continues to drill his students. With the strong sense of purpose but deploys the following punitive strategies which gives me quite a different vibe.

1) Remedial after poor performance in the written assessment. Class was 7pm to 10pm but the lesson was extended to 11pm.

2) The "Ruler" of the class. Student were give spanks ranging from 3 - 5 strokes. A girl who showed tiredness was given 3 strokes after she was sent to was her face. As many of them made one mistake in the question, the teacher threatens them with 5 strokes for repeated error.

3) The lesson consists of target setting. They were to set numbers and also a student in a class that they must identify to beat. This information is collected by the teacher and he will track the progress in the next assessment in 10 days time.

4) Direct shaming of students. Students who made a mistake in their work will be named and publicly lectured in class. There was a student who did not upload, the assistant teacher was ask to immediately go down to her and take a picture so that they can critique her mistake in class openly.

In both cases, the teachers were very passionate, however they chose different approaches. Can that one size fit all methodology work? Can fear really improve performance? Is Mental wellness a myth in that culture?

I see parallels to this in school, where we have a multi-generational ecosystem—teachers in their 50s and 60s alongside students in their teens. The differences in lived experiences and expectations create challenges for everyone, and I believe that in this era, the most valuable qualities are empathy and adaptability. So, as leaders in this ecosystem, the challenge for us is how could we cultivate a nurturing environment for our young and old?

Firstly, the importance of a name that can create endlesss possibilities. COEX stands for Community Experiment. But it could also mean co-exist and other permuatations with the letters co- and ex-.

A visionary leader should be one that enables multiple possibilties and encourage the 'dare' to dream. In leading, rather than building a strcture, we can curate and experiment to build an experience. A meaningful and impactful experinece will help staff to grow amd structures can then be built arpund these positive experiences. So it is people first, then structure.

Whwn experimenting, be prepared to accept failure and setbacks. It is with these that we can sharpen our vision and be able to bring others along. In leadership, we must alao look for a sustainable way to lead.

Benjamin Franklin

Today we had the chance to be a teacher for one SEN student at Oak Tree Learning Centre. it is really difficult to engage the student despite the one to one ratio. At the end of 2 hours, I had a sense of fulfilment but I was mentally drained. I couldn’t imagine how could the teachers there survive with 6 students practically half the day.

As Prof. Ng Pak Tee says, “1 Principal, 12 Teachers”—but in this case, it’s “1 Principal, 9 Teachers.”

Through PSCs many provisions, what intrigued me most is the trust given to the students/community to utilise the space and equipment provided at the Garage. With on-site engineers available, students are invited to try out these equipment to aid or supplement their learning in STEM.

These equipment are costly, yet students are given the autonomy to experiment and try their hands at operating them. Such trust was established to guarantee that no mischief or mishandling could potentially lead to equipment malfunction.

This trust is something that we could build on in SG schools/setting for our students, to encourage them to be respectful towards properties and the environment, responsible and appreciative users, and meaningful sharing of resources.

During the stone-painting activity, W, a student I was paired with, expressed that he would like to draw a yellow flower. 🌻🌼 came to mind and I tried to guide W to copy a yellow flower I painted on a piece of tissue. W did and was contented with his effort.

I had to prevent myself from offering to correct his version of "perfection" to match mine. His yellow flower is his to feel and keep.

I realised that as a teacher, I should be able to keep supporting my students while they are perfecting their perfection, as I am also perfecting mine.

Can we encourage more community-led conservation instead of top-down regulation? Can we also encourage more creative spaces or co-sharing work spaces instead of retail businesses when we work on adaptive reuse? Can we make the heritage interactive and come alive for our younger generation by leveraging on the technology we have so far such as the use of AR?

I truly salute our colleagues and friends who have been able to engage our students with special needs meaningfully everyday in their own school. It’s the heart of our colleagues that matters most!

In schools, we can be courageous in creating purpose-driven spaces that encourage collaboration and creativity among student and teacher community. Thoughtful naming of projects and environments can also help to build a stronger identity too. Mr Mei’s management style reminds us that flexibility and community engagement are key to fostering meaningful learning experiences.

Although the school has a small student population, Mdm Thor continuously seeks ways to broaden her students’ experiences by encouraging participation in competitions, ensuring they have the same opportunities as those in larger schools. Her unwavering passion and determination to elevate her school despite its limitations made me reflect on how we can apply similar principles in our own school context.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that school size or resources should never be barriers to providing quality education. We can adopt similar mindset by fostering a strong school identity, promoting inclusivity, and creating diverse learning opportunities for all students. We can learn to embrace innovation and perseverance and ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the chance to excel and reach their fullest potential. Mdm Thor’s perseverance is an inspiration for us to continually seek ways to uplift and empower our own students, making education not just accessible but importantly, meaningful for all.