Reflection #3: Three Perspectives of what we've gained and lost in Singapore's Development

Perspective 1: As a Literature undergraduate

Along with Punitha and Jeannette, I ventured into a shophouse along Ann Siang Hill and crept up its old wooden staircase, sitting on the dark lacquered steps to read the poem, "Old House at Ann Siang Hill" (by Arthur Yap) aloud. According to Hillock's 7 levels of comprehension, this Learning Journey allowed our class to reach the 5th level of "complex implied relationships" in our understanding of the poems in their distinctly situated contexts. We had the rare opportunity to physically interact with the spaces which Arthur Yap conveys in his poem. Often, due to time constraints, close-reading of poems limit the envisionment of a text to the reader's existing cultural schema and knowledge of the poem's subject matter. New Criticism (Brooks, 1979) rejects old historicism's attention to biographical and sociological matters, with a focus of pure close-reading of the text. I am grateful that through the Learning Journey, I was able to visit the actual location (Ann Siang Hill) that the poem is situated in. The trip was tremendously experiential and immersive, allowing us to touch, smell and interact intimately with elements of the poem in their authentic contexts. In my journey as a Literature student, this was my first ever Learning Journey, beyond the confines of a classroom. 

Perspective 2: As a facilitator during the Learning Journey 

As a facilitator for Station 3: Change Alley, the experience was enriching. Working with fellow facilitators and under Dr Loh's guidance, we were able to take ownership of each station and create meaningful tasks for our classmates. I never imagined that our class would do a chorale reading in the middle of Change Alley, as bemused faces whizzed by or paused with an affirmative nod at our class' antics. This is an experience I treasure because our class will be graduating soon and the Learning Journey was the final time we would travel as a cohort for a school activity. Huddling under the umbrella with Geraldine and navigating our way around unfamiliar territory, the experience of team dynamics as a Literature class reminded me of our 4 years together, navigating through pedagogical potholes and literary labyrinths in our time in NIE. (I'll miss you guys :')) This experience gave me the confidence of leading future classes (and even colleagues) for potential Learning Journeys. In addition, I am now equipped with a model of how to conduct a learning journey for Literature.

Perspective 3: As a trainee teacher  

I have gained both explicit and implicit lessons from this learning journey. Implicitly, I feel a greater sense of gratitude for the various engines of growth that drive our society into the 21st century. Despite the occasional complaints and grumbles among Singaporeans, I felt a debt of gratitude to the people who work tirelessly to keep Singapore globally competitive. Being cloistered in "Pulau NTU", divorced from the realities and hustle and bustle of urban Singapore, I was deeply affected when confronted with the various challenges highlighted in the URA exhibition. Before the trip, I was mildly ambivalent about the socio-political issues that Singapore has to tackle. However, watching a video of Jurong Fishery alive with activity at 2am and bus captains doggedly serving the masses through long shifts, I felt a sense of shame for being complacent and taking many of our essential services for granted. As much as we like to grumble, the trip to the URA exhibition was a startling wake up call that Singapore is indeed a small island with unique challenges that cannot be compared to other countries. As a trainee teacher, I hope to bring my students to the URA exhibition, Change Alley, Maxwell Market, Ann Siang Hill and the Singapore River for a similar trip. Such a trip will be primarily focused on experiencing the "setting and atmosphere" of a text that students will engage with.

Figure 1. Areas of Study (MOE, 2013)

Pedagogical lessons from the journey:

1. Personal Engagement 

I hope to replicate a similar learning journey for my students. Perhaps taking students to real-world contexts in which a text (play, poem, prose, etc.) was set in, for an enjoyable and valuable experiential lesson. 

2. Bloom's Taxonomy: "Creating" as the highest level of learning. 

Writing a poem by the Singapore River was a powerful experience of assimilating the collective bulk of knowledge and experiences from the day and distilling it into an actual product. I felt it was tremendously enriching, to be co-constructing experiences and memories with my classmates.

For your reading pleasure ~
Here's the poem I wrote :) 

"Steps"

I sit on steps of marble
A symbol of progress
These strong and sturdy
Rungs on which men and women
Ascend and descend
Climb and clamber
Fall and falter

We tumble on the rat race
While running in our heels
We pause when feet grow weary
And skin begins to peel

The harbingers of fortitude
A quiet irony
They whimper in their cubicles
And sigh, a silent symphony

Above me,
Swirls of paper
And shifting weights of power
Rise and fall
Curl and uncurl
Gripping and loosing
Chains which bind and free
At 5pm daily

I sit on these cool steps
And breathe

An old woman scuttles by with bags laden with
Beer cans of last night's dreams
Emptied into bellies
Of unquenchable thirst for "progress"

A curtain of glass rises tall above the sea of faces

An old man sneezes
And no one hears
The old woman coughs
And no one stirs

Written on the steps of UOB Building, Singapore.
19 Feb 2013.