1. Innovation and Adaptability

   • 3M’s success is built on continuous innovation and adaptability to changing times.

   • In education, we should also focus on evolving our teaching methods to meet students’ changing needs.

2. Practical and Innovative Learning

   • 3M emphasizes practical and innovative solutions in its products.

   • Similarly, educators should ensure that the knowledge imparted to students is both practical and encourages innovation.

3. Attention to Student Needs

   • Just as 3M adapts its products based on market demands, teachers should pay close attention to students’ progress and adapt teaching strategies accordingly.

4. Unexpected Applications of Technology

   • The use of 3M adhesive tape in Jewel Changi Airport’s glass structure demonstrates how technology can be applied in unexpected ways.

   • This highlights the importance of fostering curiosity and out-of-the-box thinking in students.

-to be innovative and knowing how to adapt is important. There is nothing that is not useful, but a matter of being creative and thinking how it can be put to use one day. An example is how the post it note was discovered by how the founder ended up making not so sticky adhebsive yet a use was found and it became one of 3N most famous product.

-i am also amazed at how 3M has ventured into different areas like manufacturing, commercial, hotel areas and home. I learn that it is important to diversify and this taught me the importance of learning new things and improving myself in different areas, to always seek knowledge.

-i learn the importance of team work, collaborative efforts and how people is the core. The founders of 3M treasured its people, giving them freedom to be creative and to work outside their area. This is from the quote by its founder, 'to choose good people and leave them alone', as well as giving employees 15 percent of time to work on projects outside their direct work scoop.

One of the most inspiring aspects I discovered is 3M's commitment to fostering creativity among its employees. The company allows workers to dedicate 15% of their time to develop new products based on existing materials and processes, which has led to remarkable innovations like Post-it Notes. This policy not only encourages staff to think outside the box but also shows how valuable in-house ideas can be. I find this approach empowering, as it highlights the importance of nurturing creativity within a company and how it can lead to groundbreaking products that benefit us all.

By embracing experimentation and viewing failures as valuable learning experiences, 3M has masterfully transformed several setbacks into successes.

This approach has impressed upon me the importance of providing individuals with the autonomy to grow, experiment, and learn from their mistakes.

Granting staff the space and time for growth is essential for unlocking one's full potential.

Chuen Hing

There is still long way to go in the education for people donating (some donating half eaten, opened stuff etc.), but good that awareness and willingness to donate has increased.

I also got to see the dark side of ai and how bad things can get without guardrails.

Have to be aware of the implicit biases in ai but at the same time, it’s a learning opportunity to open conversations about the biases.

Jaskirath

We also explored Poe GPT and AI dungeon where they helped us explore how to use the tools.

They also covered how we have to be mindful of ethics of usage and how we can cascade it down to students.

The educator is a facilitator by using AI and it is a tool to support in the classroom and not replace the teacher.

They also diversify their processes via various programmes. One that interests me is the bank card for tertiary students (identified by institutions to be under FAS previously). They designed the card such that it looks like a normal credit/debit card to remove the stigma of being a needy person. Very commendable effort to also look into the emotional well being of their beneficiaries. 🤩

We can do corporate and student-initiated volunteering here too! 👍🏻

They have their regular volunteers and corporate volunteers.

Today we had a chance to sort 2 crates of corporate donations and 1 crate of Individuals.

It is important to check the items for expiration, and condition.

Understanding the ways excess food can be redistributed shows how we can help each other more productively.

More awareness should be done on what kind of food should be donated. The process of sorting the donated food is not easy. A lot of thoughts are being put to it to ensure the system works.

One of the key takeaways was learning how AI can be leveraged to create more engaging and interactive learning experiences. For instance, using class chatbots enables students to access virtual tutoring 24/7, offering them the opportunity to ask questions and receive timely feedback. Additionally, exploring AI-driven platforms like AI Dungeon showed how immersive learning environments, such as gamified experiences, can be used to teach essential soft skills, including creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence (e21cc). These technologies are powerful tools to support teachers in fostering a more dynamic personalised learning environment.

One struggle I would potentially face is currently our students dislike content with many words. Alot of the AI tools produce chunks of words. How do we cater to other learning styles?

I was thinking about how I could use it for SIM Meranti, and I thought it would be good for students to ask any insensitive questions that they have through an AI chatbot first. This can help to clear up any misunderstandings, teach them empathy, all the while not hurting anyone's feelings. I believe that students cannot fully learn how to empathise without being able to ask honest, albeit insensitive, questions; and this is an aspect that AI can do, but humans cannot.

To supplement this, then we can organise for human interactions, so that students can solidify their understanding and listen to real-life experiences and emotions. Another way is that we can also create a character-based choice game for students to make decisions based on the physical disabilities, and therefore understand how people with disabilities are inconvenienced.

One very interesting quote that I want to take away: "AI will not replace teachers, but it teachers who use AI will be the replacement for teachers who don't."

There are also many opportunities for our staff and students to volunteer at the Association, either by spending time with the visually impaired, or teaching skills like using technology to the seniors.

It is also important for us to learn braille so that we are better equipped with skills to help those in need!

The resilience of the visually impaired is inspirational and serves as a valuable reminder that we are privileged and with that comes responsibility, to do better and be kinder. In one of her sharing, a staff reminded us that sometimes what is important is to take time to ask someone if he/she is okay. A little heart can go a long way.

As I sat & listened to the stories, I began to feel more grateful for the things that I have been taking granted for. The stories of them wanting to have “fair employment” really made me think about what the government can do to help them. We have become a more inclusive society but even with a Degree, Master or a PHD, they cannot get a decent job. We also heard stories where a staff, Serene, whose children (one of them) was not able to pursue her education in NFS because the school refused to offer that subject to her, citing that it is dangerous.

This trip really made me question a few things, on how I as an educator, can get students, who are able-bodied to be the best version of themselves - because they don’t have anything to hold them back.

I left feeling so blessed for all the things that I have in my life & will continue to spread awareness on such organisations & be a helping hand because like what the staff, Lynn said, “With your help, we can get home a little bit faster.”

This reminds me of the importance of intentionally creating a culture that encourages innovation within the school. Like 3M, we can consider how to create safe spaces for staff and students to experiment with new ideas, embrace learning from failure, and collaborate beyond their immediate roles. By doing so, we can foster a mindset of continuous improvement and creative problem-solving, which are essential for preparing our students to thrive in an ever-changing world.

1. Use of Poe AI (chatbot) and AI Dungeon (gamification) to promote a platform to allow our students to take ownership of the learning in a more engaging and interactive manner.

2. The prompt cheat sheet is helpful when teachers prepare a lesson using GenAI, especially we could create content in table or code block format based on the nature of the task.

3. AI is not going to replace educators. It actually creates the opportunity for teachers to become facilitators in the classroom while AI customizes the learning and engages with the learners. Therefore, educators need to equip ourselves with all the necessary AI technology skills in order to deliver more effective and student-centered learning.

What impressed me most is that the guard rails that must accompany our use of AI. And that we can set these guard rails.

From creating Chatbot and using it to reply to the students questions, it was really cool. We just need to equip with the necessary information and then our Chatbot takes care of it.

Now I am more keen to learn more AI tools and use them in my lessons so that I can be a good facilitator. Thus to encourage the students to own their learning by being a self-directed learner.

I also explored Poe AI, which simplifies chatbot creation. I see potential in using this to create interactive oral practice scenarios or revision companions for my students. However, I am also reminded of the importance of ethical considerations and the need to guide students in using these tools responsibly.

What stood out most for me is the idea that AI should not replace teachers, but rather support and enhance our role. As I build my confidence in the classroom, I am excited by how AI can personalise learning and help me meet my students’ diverse needs more effectively.

Today, sitting there listening to the 5 speakers share their experiences as members of the visually-impaired community, I was brought back to my secondary school days. I was Elia, the 15 year-old who realised she didn't know much about the people co-living with her. All this while I thought I had known a lot, but today's learning journey reminded me that we Singaporeans truly have got to start getting out of our comfort zones and look at the people around us.

This LJ renewed a sense of duty! We must light the fire for volunteering in our students! There are so many sectors in our society that need help. Yes, at timesheet our students may feel like they are in need of help and they would in fact be categorised as beneficiaries in some contexts- however the act of volunteering is so empowering and humbling at the same time. When students see that there are others out there who NEED them, I sincerely hope they will develop a newfound sense of purpose in their lives.

Another highlight for me is they taught us how to guide the visually handicapped and also made us experience how it was like to walk around a foreign place without sight. The experience made me feel vulnerable and I felt my other senses heightened. Also Jovin was a great guide!:)

The visit reminds me not to take anything for granted and to be sensitive to the needs of others, thank you PD comm for organising this very meaningful LJ!:)

We learnt to use many different ai platforms to curate exciting lesson packages for ur students. I personally might try to use dungeon ai to create an escape room game.

We also get to experience Samsung knox which was pretty cool. Teachers can control students device usages which can be effective in removing distractions

I was especially inspired by Dungeon AI as gamification for writing classes. I could think of multiple ways it can be used for descriptive writing in terms of idea generation, 'showing and not telling' etc.

One of the activities involved being blindfolded while a friend guided me, which gave me a small glimpse into the difficulties they might encounter when commuting. It really helped me develop a sense of empathy and made me more aware of how to assist them if I see someone in need on the road.

We also visited the Braille production area, and I was genuinely surprised by the sheer thickness and weight of their textbooks. It made me appreciate how much effort goes into their learning process.

I’m looking forward to sharing these stories with my students to encourage them to appreciate their eyesight and be more inclusive and understanding of people with different needs.

Despite the challenges the visually impaired people face, the individuals at SAVH maintain a positive outlook, smiling and radiating warmth throughout our visit. It was heart-wrenching to realize that, despite their efforts to adapt to the Ministry of Education's curriculum, many still struggle to find meaningful employment. I believe the government could play a crucial role by offering incentives to companies that hire visually impaired individuals, thereby creating more opportunities for them to contribute to society. Currently, their employment options are limited, with many finding work only at SAVH. Enhancing these opportunities would significantly improve their quality of life and integration into the community.

I would also like to share with my students the experience I had at SAVH. Hopefully they will realise how fortunate they are and there are other people out there leading a more difficult life than them.

The Braille Production Unit was very cool! Even though I've seen most of the devices before when working with SgEnable, I haven't seen actual finished resources. Much less the analog versions of them!

We were also introduced to different AI platforms that I, personally, have not heard of, such POE AI, which we were informed, is a less bias GPT platform. It was also interesting to see how lessons can be easily gamified through the use of tools such as AI Dungeon.