What did you enjoy about it?
I liked the use of poems to get us to reflect on the specific places that we went to such as the Ang Siang Hill and the Singapore River. I think what makes this learning journey different from the history field trips that I have been too would be how feelings are evoked through the poems which has always been the reason why poems are very personal and a excellent form of expression for those who love them. I loved reading, reflecting and putting myself in the shoes of the personas and interpreting the meaning of the poems. I also like how all the places that we went to links back to our specific focus given to the learning journey which is to look at what we have gained and lost in the process modernization and development
What did you learn from it?
What I learnt can be summed up in the last stanza of the poem on the Singapore River which ends of by saying " We have become so health-conscious the heart can sometimes be troublesome". What I got out of the line is that we have become so fixed into being a clean and green city and sanitizing places such as the Singapore river that we have disregarded the sentimental values that our heart holds dear to which is why it becomes "troublesome". Thus although being "health- conscious" is good but at the expense of of the heart's attachments, emotions and feelings to the places it held meaning to not only erases the history of the place but the sentiments as well.
Thus I learned that
Sceneries,
buildings,
activities(living heritage),
places,
All of which are not the Same.
However looking back, We realize
that the yearning of the heart remains the Same.
What interdisciplinary possibilities are there?
When learning is taken out of the classroom students get to see how all the other subjects are interconnected and aids in the understanding of any place, Through this learning journey we can see how history is essential in understanding the present as we need to know the history of the place in order to reflect on how much of the place has changed today and what aspects remain the same. Thus the historical concept of change and continuity and historical evidence can be used to further learn about a place. Geography is also essential in learning about the landscaped and the urban and modern development of the places as can be seen through the URA exhibition and the other places that we went to as well. Science and technology also plays apart as can be seen from the high-tec used in showcasing Singapore's Urban development at the URA exhibition. Art is also useful in appreciating the design and structures of the places we went to and comparing it to the past. Literature comes in handy in appreciating, feeling and voicing out the sentiments through poems and writing. Thus we can see how all the subjects that we learn work together to develop and instill a deeper understanding and appreciation of the places we have been to.
How can you design and use learning journeys for effective learning in and out of classroom?
We can design learning journeys effectively when there is a specific area or concept that the teacher wants to explore and to make sure that the chosen sites tie in to address the inquiry question for the learning journey. Also having a pre lesson to prepare students for the learning journey is essential in giving students the focus and to get them to think about what the learning journey is planning to achieve so that students have a clear objective and focus on the purpose of the leaning journey. Also learning journeys should be followed up with a post learning journey activity whereby students display what they learn through presentations or any other forms of assessments so as to check on their understanding and the success of the learning journey. Also fun scenarios and activities for the students to explore and find out information at the chosen sites would aid in getting students interested in inquiry based learning journeys whereby the students take ownership for their own learning.
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