Learning Journey Reflection
I really enjoyed
the learning journey despite the rain. I thought it was a fun and creative way
to learn more about the changing landscape of Singapore. I especially like the
stop at URA and the poetry reading and sharing at Ang Siang Hill. I believe
that this two stops and activity would be ideal for Secondary School students.
The trip to URA
allows students to get a rough idea of Singapore’s landscape, its limitations,
heritage and future possibility. The added interactive feature of the
exhibition allows students to get involved in the exhibition as oppose to
merely reading and viewing images. For example, there was an interactive game
that allows students to experience the difficulty in maximizing Singapore’s
limited land. Beyond providing the opportunity for hands on activities, the URA
exhibition also provides new information and knowledge to the students. I felt
that the information and knowledge provided was maximized through the worksheet
provided. The use of open ended
questions rather than specific questions allows students to explore and
investigate the exhibition on their own rather than look for specific answer to
“fill in the blank”. This would likely give them a better overall understanding
and would help in the facilitation of the other stations.
The other
activity carried out during the field trip which I thought was excellent and usable
for Secondary school students was the activity at Ang Siang Hill. I felt that
it was a good idea to let students discuss the poem, “Old House at Ang Siang
Hill” and share their stories about the old photograph they brought at Ang
Siang Hill. The ambience of the place allows students to truly immerse themselves
in the poem and encourage them to question the idea of heritage and nostalgia. This
activity would not have been as successful if it was conducted in class as
students may merely “dissect” the poem without truly “feeling” it. The added
quietness of the place highlights and emphasized the poem’s message. Allowing
students to explore on their own in small groups, ensure that everyone is
accounted for.
The other activities
were also interesting. While I may use them in a literature class, it is
unlikely that I would use them in a field trip based lesson. While I like the
coral reading and the creativity of it, I felt that it could actually be done
in class. Similarly, the topic of debate was very interesting but I felt that
that could also be done in class. Personally, I feel that both activities would
have been more successful if it was actually carried out in class. Students are rarely brought out for field trips;
I feel that as teachers, we should maximize the location/venue that we bring
them to and provide them with activities that needs and require them to be at
the venue.
Lastly, I
believe that pre-field trip and post-field trip activities are very important
as well. I like how we are given the worksheet with the poems earlier so that
we are able to read through and have a rough idea of what to expect. Should I
conduct a field trip, I would likely provide students with the copy of the
worksheet as well. Having the students write a reflection for the post-field
trip activity is an effective way to check for students’ learning and the
effectiveness of the field trip.
In conclusion, I
really believe that field trips should be encouraged in schools. Field trip based
lessons are more likely to bring about authentic and experiential learning as
students go beyond the classroom and experience things first-hand. Beyond
knowledge, field trips also allow teachers to build rapport with their students
and students to bond with each other.
Z
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