Key Page

These 2 weeks have been busy for me... attending workshop, trainings.. so much new things, information, theories etc. But, humanly speaking, just not possible to absorb everything.

So, I thought of a method for my own self to take away key point. (trainers always ask: what are some of the key take away?) I have decided I shall record things that hits me into a Key page, those that doesn't hit me, I shan't overload myself by writing inside.

So in the Facilitation workshop booklet, I put a flag on 1 page and I tag it as 'Key'. I have recorded all my key learning points. It has been a helpful quick guide for me to recall key learning points for that workshop.

Also, I thought also that I'm also not so a paper and pen person, I had better record these things and toss it 'into the sky' before I lose them... I shall make it a point to reflect them in the blog.

I shall input toss things in here soon.

Card Board Engineering Projects...Craft or DnT?

The Sec 3 DnT pupils did this project.

1st look... some may think "this is kids stuff" or "is it DnT or is it art and craft?!"

It was not as easy as I thought it would be.. I tried it out by myself and realised there can be alot of engineering points that DnT teachers should bring across even in this Card Board 'Craft' stuff.

Engineering Learning points from card board:
- the holes must be cut first first (as it is easier to hold rather than when it has been cut smaller)
- for straight cutting: when do we use a scissors and when do we use pen knife
- how to cut of circles/ curve, cutting out a recess
- the sequence of cutting every line and curve: a wrong sequence and there will be many inconvenience to other cuts.
- folding:sequence of folding, difficulty in folding
- this 'engineering' is very similar to sheet metalwork but without without the hazard getting cut by thin zinc plate and development network of sheetmetal is similar to card board engineering.
- thinkness affects the way of cutting.

In the case of school closure, this 'engineering' is definitely easy to execute at home with simple scissors and pen knife.

Guilt Post...AI

Had wanted to share this...but somehow other things had pushed reflection down the priority list.

Nevertheless, here it is.

It's AI!

Auxiliary Instructor.

We have now 5 AEDs, Allied Educators who had recently joined the school to assist classroom teachers to coach as well as to help in classroom management.

On the D&T side, we do have workshop instructors to help out. But there are only 2 workshop instructors (before last June, there was only one), meaning that there will be many times some teachers will have to do without the help of Workshop instructors. So how do teachers cope with many pupils who would different skills level, pace, level of confidence, with pupils calling out "cher... how to put the drill bits", "cher.. I a bit scared to use the 'jumping' scroll saw...", "Mr Ong, Mr Ong...I forgot how to nail this part.." For those who are faster: "Cher.. now what? I finished already".

In my lesson, I will have to pace the pupils in such a way that the faster ones do not go too far ahead, at the most 2 steps ahead. Generally, when I see 70% to 80% of the class have completed step 5, I will call all to gather to demonstrate step 6 and sometimes step 7. I will then personally coach the 20% who are still on step 5 so as to accelerate their catching up so as to narrow their gaps from the leading groups.

However, there will be 1 or 2 super fast pupils, what do I do with them when they always 3 steps ahead?


I make them AI: Auxiliary Instructors.
These would those who are clear and confident in handling tools and machines, and I will ask them to help their friends to bridge their gaps. What they do is to show a simple demonstration and then stand by to watch their friends do that step. Or they would be at that particular machine to wait for the friends to come by and watch if they are doing that step correctly.

With one teacher handling 20 students doing work with tools and machines at different paces, with some storming to you asking for help for different processes, the AIs do comes in for a purpose of bridging gaps.

And I do call them by the title 'Auxiliary Instructors'. This has given them a sense of pride and they also sharpen their skills by teaching others too. : )

That's what I have been AfLing about for my past few weeks of lesson with 1T1 D&T.

Passing 4NA passenger back to the new (old) train driver

Hi, it's been a good 10 weeks for me as a relief train driver for 4NA. The old (new) train driver, Mr Simon Sin the designated driver (teacher), who had also guided these pupils last year, is back to guide them in the rest of their design exploration and learning journey.

Handing over, a bitter sweet feeling :{ :}

sad...as it was a mutually exciting journey that I travelled wth them, many being happy riders, seeing them starting right, with some bearing colourful fruits of learning from and with me.
On the other hand, it is also good for the off-loading so that I can put the efforts onto tackling pertinent issues of PM and PD, my primary portfolio as well as discovering new things with my other D&T classes.

Having said, I guess I will still engage off-line, as in not in class, with those who still need extra help and guidance, esp those who have taken on some of my design challenges I have posed for them to solve.

All the best, Simon! and 4NA! I will still travel in the same journey. Probably on another train.. may do some stunt-jumping onto your train to help to provide some life-lines. too..toooooooo...

Chua Chu Kang Station

Next Stop...Chua Chu Kang:

Here the D&T pupils arrived at Critical ChecKup list (aka Design Specifications). This is the follow up of UTE station which guides the pupils to investigate/ research the problem so as to solve the right problem.

To get them to figure out for themselves to appreciate Design Specifications and focussing on design consideration, I got my 4NA class to do Product Analysis.

The light canteen table that had replaced the heavy workshop table 2 years ago allowed us to have flexibility to re-configure the usual lesson set-up into a "Design Studio" style.Each group of 3 pupils were given different products: umbrella, document file, hardware box, utensil brush, note holder and a D&T project that was used to display reading cardboard. They were then asked to commend on what kind of requirements/ criterion/ design specification each product would have been based upon. This exercise have helped them to think from a Designer and a User point of views.

They were also asked to present the Design Specifications of the product that they have anaylised. The others as well as myself will commend on the approriateness and soundness of each specification. Comments have been based on the specification listed "measureability" and "qualifiable)
The 'CCK' stations has helped pupils to be clearer in writing Design Specification and has created enthusiasm for Design Studio setting. This CriticalCheckUp will also be helping the pupils to be mindful of this list when next station arrive... the Idea Exploration Station whereby the list of specs need to be included.

'UTE' Station

What is 'UTE'= "station before Chua Chu Kang MRT". That is how I tried this year to get my D&T Sec 3NA group and Sec 4NA group to remember about areas of consideration for "Investigating the Problem" or some may call this section "Research/ Research into the Problem". The pupils has shortlisted a few from their many problem situations and selected the problem they each wants to solve.

The usual step that last time which we used to do after selecting the problem is zoom into Design Brief and quickly list out Design Specifications. The result from this is a list of cursory Design Specification eg. It must not have sharp edges; It should be corrosion resistanct; It should not be heavy; It must be strong.

I had tried this "Investigating the Problem" section several years already so as to get the pupils to come up with more meaningful Design Specifications. But for this year, after some thoughts and reorg, the idea of giving easy way of remembering What to investigate? give rise to UTE!

U: Users , T: Things, E: Environment

U: Users > The pupils need to investigate about who is using the product, collect relevant anthropometric data, consider the number of users: these will affect the size, the colours of the product etc.

T: Things > The pupils need to consider the size, weight, quantity of things/ items that is stored, used together with the porposed product. This will affect the size of the product or overall spacing required etc.

E: Environement > The pupils need to consider the place that it is placed or used. This may affect the materials that is to be used (eg if place outdoor, it needs to be corrosion resistant), the overall size and its design depending on where it is to be placed.

If the investigation of the problem is done properly, it will help the designer to come up with clear and comprehensive design specifications, which in turn will give rise to artefact that SOLVE the problem than merely realised along the way.

So, after UTE station is......... Chua Chu Kang MRT Station: Critical ChecKup list. The list of Design Specifications.

Motivation to work in D&T

I have been enjoying the teaching and I believe the students in 4NA D&T class which I am covering for Simon has been enjoying the lesson too. So far their progress has been smooth. They have progressed from brainstorming the theme "Movement" and organising the brainstormed items into a mindmap. Although we do not advocate a certain number to the quantity of problem situations they should find out from the mindmap, it has still been easier for me to put a minimum of 15 problem situations revolving around the theme. Out of the 15, the pupils has been instructed to search out 5 real authentic problems and snapshot those problem situations, print out and paste into the journal in place of the problem sketch. This was meant to train them to be think 'designerly', ie like a designer/ engineer snapping problems whenever problem crop up.

All the 15 pupils have been up to task and enjoying the lessons motivated by going out on short Learning Journeys and also simple project like this. This is a simple Aluminium Key Tag that can be completed in 1.5 hours. If polished properly, it can look like stainless steel.

Here you see some pupils starting to do the key tags because they have finished their assigned tasks at home while some are still catching up in their journal homework so as to be able to start with this interesting practical projects.
As D&T pupils, their motivation are to be able to do practical hands on work, so the design journal tasks can be slow at times. So I have told them that if they complete design journal homework, they can have opportunity to do up the hands on practical task. What's more, they have not manage this material before, hence, it will also give them additional options in terms of materials when they come to choosing materials for their artefact.

And this is motivation... motivating pupils to do what they may not naturally like by carrot of what they do like.. as a result motivating to teacher too.

3T1

Definitely not prep-planned, but I must say that I have been blest to have only 4 pupils for my 3NT D&T group. (Heard that there might be 2 more joining and I am gladly welcoming them; will like to pass on my skill and passion to more pupils, and also the 2 potential ones are challenging kids who I need to monitor too as a discipline master). Anyway, for the current 4 musketeers, they have been learning alot and so have I; been able to try out many new stuff in short span of 5 weeks.

This week, I tried out what my D&T co-ordinator has suggested:
starting with sketching Isometric grid lines. Then what I added on was- on the gridlines drawn, draw over with crates of different sizes. The self constructed grids has slowly conditioned the pupils to the 30 deg angles of the isometric lines, and then drawing over that with crates gives them an understanding of why those grids were for.

In the picture you can also see that we went through a round of peer grading: AAABA to feedback, and they want to do better than B all the time.

In the 2nd picture, we can see may Isometric Grid corners. To train the pupils also to be familiar with the grid corners grid's angles.

I was able to personally coach each of them and will be trying new methods especially AFL methods with this class.

How is the 4NA D&T 'Moving' so far...

The class has finished the following stages of the Analysis of theme "Movement":
1. brainstorming on the theme of 'Movement', by writing down words or things related to 'Movement'

2. done up their mind mapping the theme from all the splash of words in the brainstorm (still encouraging them to keep on to explore by mapping out using different triggering topics like- "when things move is a nusiance" versus "when things DON'T move is a nuisance")

3. have completed surveying on some 10 (gave a guide number but not limiting though) Problem Situations: give them this format to state their problem. Background, The problems, Need Statement.

4. After having gone out on 2 Learning Journeys through Chong Pang City as well as through the School Compound, the pupils have collected several snapshots of situation that looks like a 'Movement' problem situation. I have required them to come up with 5 'Snapshot' problem, whereby they need to print out, paste and comment on these snapshots to come up with an alternate way of crafting Problem Situations.

Moving on well so far... new things that was tried:
- Linking brainstorming splashes of words to mindmapping,
- Aha! putting my new iPhone to good use to take picture of things written on the whiteboard where many times things created are not within the lesson plan, can be recorded and then shared.. like this blog post..,
- Design Learning Journey is not new but the term 'Design Learning Journey' itself is now Formalised for me, and
- 'Snapshot' Problem Situation.

That's where we are..so far..'Moving'..