Interdisciplinary learning and multi-modal learning beyond the classroom

 

From 30th May to 1st June, I will be attending the Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference (Transforming Education, Strengthening Society) organised by NIE. Most of the sessions will be online and some workshops will be held face to face on the final day. The opening remarks by Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing was quite insightful as Min Chan unpacked 7 shifts (he normally sticks to 3 main points for non-academic audiences) for Teaching and Learning (see screenshot below).

The shifts are quite simply phrased and self-explanatory and I personally like the parts about leveraging the strengths of the team and the community. I also find it vital for us to think about the opportunities of learning beyond schools (be it with hybrid learning or through other multi-modal ways). Later on, I will share my own experience going beyond my comfort zone to wear the learning hat in unconventional settings.

The first keynote sharing was done by Diana Hess, the dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Education. She shared about the need for education to help develop robust societies through classroom talk in the forms of discussions and deliberations. Her speech was followed by a keynote speech by Prof john Loughran from Monash University on reimagining teacher education in a post-pandemic world.

Robust, Inclusive, Dynamic, Sustainable (4 lessons for Sg, from Crisis to Opportunity)

The online 'lobby' felt a lot like the TCEF 2021 experience and the site was relatively easy to navigate too.

There was an appropriate use of videos, pdf posters and infographics which were easily downloadable as well (only the pdf). I particularly liked the  Science of Learning in Education Centre (SoLEC) booth and the Multi-centric Education, Research and Industry STEM centre or meriSTEM@NIE's booth. I attended an engagement in the former sometime earlier this year and had a look at their research lab as well. Personally, I would like to do some research in the space where technology intersects with educational neuroscience. Below are some other screenshots from the STEM side.

Sample of STEM approach with the connections

I also saw some familiar faces whom I worked with on some new workstream (collaboration with an NIE design-based research team's prototype). I am quite proud to see friends' work too in the space of AI and the use of technology for teaching and learning.

A friend reached out to me about the sharing I did with NIE student teachers last year.
"Omg the kids (trainee teachers leading the student chapter) were presenting about the AI in EL masterclass and the previous DGE (Mr Wong) was grilling them whether they would use it in the classroom or not."

linked to APPLETREE's Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation for T&L: A design-based research

So, as I mentioned at the top, I spent the past weekend quite meaningfully with several back-to-back events. My Mendaki Club Future Leaders initiative volunteer team organised a human library event with youth community leaders from the region as speakers. 

I then attended the launch of 

"ArtScience Museum's newest VR experience, We Live in an Ocean of Air with Conversations: In the Company of Trees, a mini-symposium that brings together artists, ecologists and conservationists to contemplate how we have looked to trees to make meaning and understand the world around us.

 

The programme features talks by Ersin Han Ersin (artist and Creative Director of Marshmallow Laser Feast), Robert Zhao Renhui (artist), Dr Ngo Kang Min (forest ecologist and Chief Executive at GreenSG COLLAB), Dr Adrian Loo (Group Director for Wildlife Management and Senior Director for Community Projects at NParks), and Dr Shawn Kaihekulani Yamauchi Lum (tropical rainforest ecologist and President of Nature Society Singapore) held at their brand new Cinema."

At the 4th floor of Art Science Museum

Although the subject matter was not exactly 'my cup of tea', I was enticed by the notion that arts and science are interwoven and that technology was used to help facilitate the artwork and discussions. I took away this beautiful idea of the 'wood wide web' and how trees and fungi interact and 'communicate'.

the VR exhibition by Ersin
which was sold out in London

Quote by Henry David Thoreau: 

“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has. been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed. there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”

Robert whose wife was in media was thinking of what to do for Sg50 and decided to look into old tree after seeing an old tree postcard from 1903

Adrian from NParks shared about Singapore's journey from City in a Garden to City in Nature and  the OneMillionTrees movement

Side note: I also learnt about EIA. 
Environmental Impact Assessment according to Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) - 
Singapore adopts a systematic framework to determine and mitigate the potential impact of any new development on the environment. 

I met a colleague of mine who was a student of Dr Shawn and his part was really strong and emotive as he skillfully weaved the arts and sciences in his sharing

A participant asked about the pain of seeing trees being cut down and another asked if planting more trees or planting more quality (old - more than 80 years store more carbon) trees was ideal

I then went to watch a show at Esplanade as part of Pesta Raya and saw a friend perform a Malay poem together with musicians and singers. There was quite a crowd and I felt that exposure and interweaving of such classical arts into something more modern was great. 

After that free segment, I went to the Dikir Barat inspired performance. There were drama snippets, singing, music and also some smart wordplay weaved into the programme which I truly enjoyed. The use of lighting and sound effects were also well-planned and I think that is something that really helped make the show more appealing and aesthetically pleasing. I shall keep that in mind when helping or contributing to school performances in the future.

As a whole, these past few days and the conference has been rich learning for me and I hope to share more about what I have learnt from the conference in a later update.