Lessons Learned

 

Singapore has a very structured educational system.  Many teachers believe it is a bit too structured.  However, there are many elements of the system, I believe districts in the United States can benefit from.  Below is a brief description of those structural elements.  

 

Head of Department for Information & Communication Technologies: 

Every school has a HOD for ICT.  This person is given release time to support teachers in all subject areas in infusing technology into their lessons.  The HOD has a small support team:  at least one Lead Teacher, one tech support person, and an administrator.  The HOD has a variety of responsibilities that include:  supporting teachers, on-site professional development, scheduling and tracking computer lab usage, developing and implementing the site technology plan and attending the cluster area HOD meetings.  

 

All HODs receive four months of professional development in leadership and mentoring skills at the start of each school year.  Experienced HODs many be excused from training.  HODs of ICT are mainly supported by the Educational Technology Division of the Ministry of Education.  The HODs are usually people who have an interest in technology and a strong pedagogical background.  The Ministry of Education (MOE) has contracted with an outside agency for all technology support.  Each school has at least one tech support person;  All of the schools I was assigned or visited had at least 3.  This allows the HOD to focus on integration of technology and not on trouble-shooting.  The HOD is still responsible for all technology on campus.  This includes the Wi-Fi which is supplied by the MOE.  Two of the four schools had added an additional private Wi-Fi system to increase accessibility.  Upkeep of this system since it is not supported by the MOE is the responsibility of the HOD.  All HODs I spoke with agreed unanimously that Wi-Fi is the number one problem on campus.  

 

HOD Cluster meetings: Although not a new concept, the HOD cluster meetings have an added element from those I have personally been a part of in my district.  All HOD cluster meetings are attended not only by the HOD of each school but several administrators.  It is a cooperative meeting where everyone has an equal say in the outcomes.  It also ensures administrative support of the decisions.  The joint nature allows the HODs to go back to their campus and share/support the teachers, while the administrator shares with the admin staff on their campus and those campus who did not have an admin at the meeting. Occasionally  the area Superintendent will attend the meetings to get first hand feedback from the HODs and the administration regarding needs, future ideas, and opinions on current initiatives    The collegiality at this meeting was impressive.  Often here in the United States, there is a separation between administration and teachers, even HODs.  

 

 

Computer Labs & Technology Instructional Time:  All schools have a minimum of three computer labs and several COWs (Computers on Wheels aka computer carts).  The HOD maintains the calendar for each computer lab.  Teachers are assigned based on their schedule and the specific program/application that is taught at their level.  Teachers may also request lab time.  The HODs I spoke with at the primary level were frustrated by the lack of lab space while at the secondary level, the labs were not fully utilized.  Note:  one secondary school was 1:1 with iPads.  Teachers sign up to use the COWs with the tech support person.  The tech will deliver the COW to the classroom if possible and be in the room for at least the first 10-15 minutes of the period to ensure all computers are working and students signed on.  When possible the tech is present in the computer labs to ensure the same thing.  Some of the school have COWs permanently residing on each level of the school (schools are multi-level buildings) while others have a lift which allows for movement.  One school I was assigned did not have a lift and all COWs were on the second floor.  This meant students had to go down to the second floor to get and return a computer.  This required time that most teachers on campus did not want to waste therefore they rarely used the computers.  

 

The HODs are required to track the amount of time each teacher uses the computer lab and COWs.  This goes to proving that all students are receiving a minimum of 30% of their instructional time in each subject via technology.  This is the current goal set by the MOE.  Most teachers do not reach that goal, but the numbers are improving.  

 

Designated programs/ applications by grade level: 

As a way to ensure all students are increasing their technology skills, the schools have developed implementation plans.  These include a specific list of programs/applications by grade level students will learn.  At the primary grade, all Level 1 students at Fuhua Primary will learn how to make a basic PowerPoint presentation.  These skills get built upon at Level 2 by adding animation, images including video and sound to their presentations.  At Level 3, students are introduced to Excel.  Each school determines the programs/applications.  At Rulang Primary, these skills are a core element of their project-based learning lessons.  As the students technological skills improve, so does the depth of their project-based assignment.  Rulang Primary is also a niche school for robotics.  This means all students learn basic programming to make their robot move.  This again is scaffolded by grade level.  All technology skills are then used in the later grades to try and ensure they skill is retained by students.  This systematic approach to teaching programs and applications lays a solid foundation for students as they progress through to university which is now requiring students to have a laptop.