Punitha's Reflections on the Learning Journey

Reflections about the Learning Journey

·         What did you enjoy about the learning journey and what did you learn from it?

I enjoyed the first stop of the Learning Journey immensely; as I never knew such an exhibit that details the extensive planning of land use ever existed. I believe that it set the right tone to the whole learning journey experience, where we are being exposed to the context and background information to the concept of land use and planning. We were also acutely made aware of whose perspective is being showcased in this exhibit and to question the given narrative where necessary.

The subsequent activities and designated poems were then driven by the central themes of place, identity, change and its consequences as it becomes apparent that our Singaporean identity and rootedness is very much affected due to the changing landscape and design of Singapore. All of the activities made us ponder about the progress that Singapore has made, which manifests itself in the changing landscape that we were able to witness before us in both China town and Raffles Place. However, our attention was also drawn to what was being omitted, transformed and has disappeared completely as a result of this change as well.

·         What interdisciplinary possibilities are there?

Through this literary learning journey, we were made to confront other disciplines such as history, social studies, geography as well. The first poem, Old House at Ang Siang Hill made us question the concept of heritage and how authentic is the restoration efforts by the URA to preserve these ethnic enclaves that has so much history. Though the functions of these old shop houses have been completely revitalised, it made us wonder if the heritage preservation is driven by its aesthetic value alone, and if it truly aims to capture the lost essence of the. The extensive urban city planning that we were revealed through the exhibit at the URA is resonant of aspects of Human Geography and will also aid in our understanding of social studies as we study the impact of the Government’s land use policies upon the environment and the psyche of Singaporeans. This only serves to reinforce that Literature besides being heralded as a linguistic based discipline it also belongs to the category of humanities as it serves as medium to reveal truths about the human condition.

·         How can you design and use learning journeys for effective learning in and out of classroom?  

As we move towards a 21^st century classroom in our schools, the idea that our learning has to go beyond the walls of our classroom is being embraced by educators. I strongly believe in the potential of learning journeys and field trips as it emphasises the idea of experiential learning, which allows students to embark on a process of evidence gathering, inference making and making new discoveries with what they come in contact with. With scaffolded instruction and engaging activities, teachers can truly bring alive the Literature Syllabus objectives to closely engage with texts whilst boosting their understanding of it as well. However, for such learning journeys to be a true success, the activities introduced must enable them to communicate their ideas and opinions so that it can be a true test of their understanding. Also, logistics with regards to the safety and movement of such field trips have to be taken into consideration during the planning.  Teachers should also be prepared for unexpected weather occurrences or obstacles that might crop up during the learning journey. Since we are dealing with adolescents, clear instructions have to be issued in the previous lesson regarding the learning journey. Hand held signs and appointing buddy systems will help with herding students along and to monitor the safety of students. Use of whistles can also help with grabbing attention of students and doing regular head counts can also ensure that everyone is accounted for during the trip.

Selected students also might be given additional responsibilities that allow them to exhibit their leadership skills and ability to address their peers confidently when they are roped in with the organisation or execution of the activity. A pre- learning journey activity could also serve as an appropriate build up to the learning journey that could leave them engaged.