A Meeting Which Mr Anxiety Took Over! (1 Oct 2010)

We finally met up again after the last meet-up at NIE.

Today's agenda was to compile everything and decide on the mode of presenting the E-package.

Perhaps due to the ridiculous workload in schools, everyone was actually rather lost in how the E-package should be presented. Hence, most of the time spent was on synthesizing our individual's part to form a comprehensive whole. But progress was going slow.

...can feel the anxiety in the air...

Finally, the group decided to use the Upd approach, backward engineering. Within another short round of brainstorming, we decided to create a blog to present the E-package.

Work was splitted and progress was starting to pick up again. In less than an hour, the group came out with a template for everyone to use, everyone was taught on the usage of Cmap, a blog was created, and several testings on the uploading of picture files were also done.

Finally, we ended the day with the allocation of work for every one of us. If nothing goes wrong, the blog will be completed on Sunday. :)

The Fruitful First Online Meeting - 18 Sep 2010

Joe's anxiety grew as it was approaching 10.30am.
It was the group's first cyber meeting.

At last, every member of the group, Yuan, Bobo, Lydia, Nurul started to be online, one by one. The first item on the agenda was to establish effective available communication platforms via the internet. The number one choice, of course, went to PBwork due to the stringent requirement.

To the group shocking horror, many of the members were not able to access to it. They needed to request for the access to be given.

Not wasting time, the group proceeded to source for another platform. Someone in the group suggested using goggle docs instead. Luckily for them, google docs worked.

They managed to work collaboratively on the spreadsheet created using google docs. Everyone was given the access and was able to edit the document at the same time.

Everyone was EXCITED over this new find!

Using it, together with the MSN's group chat, the group quickly tabulated most of the initiatives from 1997 to 2010 before dividing the workload; adopting the strategy "Jigjaw" under Cooperative Learning. This was decided in the earlier brief meeting at NIE of course.

The interesting brainstorming session lasted 2 hours, and the group managed to come up with a workload distribution list at the PBwork. Everyone contributed in their own unique way; Bobo, being the coordinating person, Yue Yuan, the wise advisor, Joe, the know-very-little technical assistant and Lydia and Nurul, the very committed members.

Much was being accomplished and learnt within the short 2 hours, everyone was clear on their tasks. Joe knows that this group would definitely make it in time for the coming project's due date. He has full confidence in them.

With everyone in the group so actively committed, Joe also has to do his part. As a matter of fact, he has already completed part of his tasks, writing this reflection. He is happy with the progress and is all ready to proceed to his share of reading up. :)

Reflection of Lesson 1, 8 Sep 2010

Gosh, here I am again, doing reflection.
It seems like Singaporeans are insanely obsessed with reflections. Haha...

Anyway, back to the reflection. It was the first day of school after a long while for many of us and I guess most of us really look forward to the lesson. After knowing that Dr Yeap is going to be my tutor, it sort of brightens me up a little - lessons won't be that boring. Yay!

Matching to my anticipation, the lesson was very interesting and insightful. For many years, though I am pretty strong and competent in teaching Math, I am not exactly clear on what and why we are doing in school with all those initiatives from MOE. The usual heavy workload sort of also prevented me from checking it up.

Hence, I must say I am pretty excited about what we will be learning in weeks to come. Through this module, I would want to tie up most of the loose ends I have and better applied what I will be leanring to my daily design of the lesson.

Cheers...Joe Ang