Reflection 3 - Learning Journey

1. What did you enjoy about it?

I think you cannot enjoy literature alone, without talking and sharing it with others. What made the learning journey enjoyable was the fact that we did it with our friends. Being able to share our experiences and knowledge about Singapore allowed us to see different perspectives. One example is the photo sharing activity. While sharing our photographs, we not only get to see Singapore in its different stages over the years, but we also understand its significance. Furthermore, the various activities encourages teamwork and communication. So, that aspect of working with friends alone made this learning journey very meaningful.

Being able to visit the various location of which each poem portrays proved to be a refreshing break from the monotony of the classroom. Getting to see the different places as the poems describe allowed us to connect with the poem on some level. You get to somewhat feel what the poets are trying to convey in their poem. For example, reading the poem "Urban Jungle"in the middle of raffles place makes you feel like an "ant", similar to how the poem describes us living in this modern city.


2. What interdisciplinary possibilities are there?

We can definitely link this literature learning journey with art or drama. For example, we could get students to draw out how Singapore River was like in the past as described in the poem, "Singapore River". Or perhaps we could get students to role play how tourists might react when they see Singapore River in the past. I think all these are dependent on our lesson objectives and what we want students to take away from this learning journey.


3. What did I learn from it?

From this learning journey, I learned the problematic nature of managing between development and conservation. In a small country like Singapore, we cannot afford stop development, knowing that we are a tiny nation, devoid of any natural resources. Without development, we cannot remain competitive - financially, in the aspect of tourism etc. At the same time, with development comes erosion of our past. History remains but the physical landmarks are gone. Even through restoration and conservation, they do not guarantee success. This is a key problem that Singapore faces and will continue to face as our nation develops.