Learning Fest 2019 Programme Booklet

Dare to Create

Deepening and Sharpening our Practices

Learning Fest 2019

22nd November

Programme Booklet

Brought to you by L & D Committee

Table of Content

Content Page Number

1. Introduction 2

2. Objectives of Learning Fest 3

3. Programme Flow 4

4. Concurrent Sessions 5

5. Main Session Synopsis 6

6. Concurrent Sessions Synopses 7 - 11

1

1. Introduction

Learning Fest 2019 is a learning symposium organised by Dazhong teachers,
for Dazhong teachers. With the introduction of Subject Literacy (WSA-EC),
Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) and Singapore Teaching Practice
(STP), new teaching pedagogies, strategies and resources were shared in
Dazhong’s Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) through their process of
collaborative lesson design. Learning Fest 2019 aims to inspire an innovative
curriculum environment and deepen teachers’ knowledge through collaborative
learning and sharing of good practices by various PLTs.
The theme of Learning Fest 2019 is ‘Dare to Create – Deepening and
Sharpening our Practices’. It aims to encourage teachers to continuously
enhance their practice and ‘sharpen their saw’ by leveraging technology,
embracing the pedagogies and strategies shared and adopting them in their
classroom teaching to further enrich and deepen students’ learning.

2

2. Objectives of Learning Fest

 To provide opportunities to facilitate collaborative learning for growth
through the sharing and discussion of effective pedagogical approaches,
strategies and resources (Collaboration).
[ST2 STG 2.1.2]

 To foster a culture of reflective practice and staff-led excellence and
innovation by affirming and sharing effective pedagogical approaches,
strategies and resources (Excellence & Leadership). [ST2 STG 2.1.3]

3

3. Programme Flow

Time Event

8.15 a.m. Opening Address by Mrs Liang
8.30 a.m. and
9.30 a.m.
10.00 a.m. Presentation of Certificates
11.00 a.m. Main Session
12.00 p.m.
12.30 p.m. Opening Up Talk for Learning in Subject Classrooms

Tea-break

Concurrent Session 1

Concurrent Session 2

Department Huddle

Lunch

4

4. Concurrent Sessions

Concurrent Session 1 Concurrent Session 2
10 a.m. – 10.50 a.m. 11 a.m. – 11.50 a.m.

P3 English Language P5 English Language

Presenters: Presenters:
Miss Vino & Mdm Raywathi Mdm Suriatie & Ms Siow Pei Ling

Venue: Venue:
Computer Lab 2 Staff Lounge

P2 Mathematics P3 Mathematics

Presenters: Presenters:
Mr Jeffrey Tan & Ms Tan Jue Ying Mr Zainal & Miss Manea

Venue: Venue:
Computer Lab 3 Computer Lab 1

Upper Block Science Middle Block Science

Presenters: Presenters:
Mr Benny Saik & Miss Ananthy Mr Kenneth Wong & Ms Celestine Kok

Venue: Venue:
Computer Lab 1 Science Lab 1

Mother Tongue Languages Mother Tongue Languages

(Oral and Composition) (Comprehension)

Presenters: Presenters:
Mdm Xie Shuang & Ms Sheirin Mdm Sun I-Feng & Mdm Nuraishah

Venue: Venue:
Lounge Meeting Room Computer Lab 3

Physical Education Music & Art

Presenters: Presenters:
Mr Syahriel & Mr Haziq Mr Herman & Mr Samuel Tan

Venue: Venue:
Hall Art Room 2

5

5. Main Session Synopsis

Why Talk?

In 2019, teachers in Dazhong Primary School explored subject literacy
and language scaffolding strategies to support student learning and
mastery of concepts. In the next step to support and deepen student
learning, EC Champions will lead teachers to examine what talk is
currently like in their classrooms. Teachers will explore how opening up
talk for learning in their subject classrooms can lead to productive
academic discussions that make students' thinking visible and strengthen
their critical thinking and skills of communication and collaboration.

6

6. Concurrent Session Synopses

P3 English Language PLT
PLT Leader: Ms Salma
Title of Project: Uplifting Students’ Writing

The Primary 3 PLT equips teachers with techniques at all stages of writing
(pre-writing, writing & post-writing) that bring about deep learning through
assessment.
The pre-writing* stage consisted of a baseline containing Frayer model. The
writing* stage included differentiated writing resources and in the post-
writing* stage, a post-mortem/Composition review was done up based on
the error analysis done on one to two paragraphs of the students’ writing.

P5 English Language PLT
PLT Leader: Ms Uma
Title of Project: Use of Mnemonics and Inductive Reasoning to teach Reported Speech

This report details the pedagogical strategies used in the teaching of reported speech at the
Primary Five level and the efficacy of these strategies as demonstrated by evidence of student
learning. The lesson design incorporated subject literacy support strategies and revisited
concepts that had already been taught with an aim to improve student retention and application
of these concepts. The pre- and post- test results supported the team’s belief in the
effectiveness of the selected pedagogical strategies.

7

P2 Mathematics PLT
PLT Leader: Mdm Mary Ang
Title of Project: Holmes’ Investigation of Mass

Students were exposed to a variety of learning experiences to develop a deep understanding
of mathematical concepts. They developed their thinking, reasoning and communication skills
through a mathematical approach to problem solving.
The P2 Math teachers used the CPA approach together with group activity-based learning to
engage students in hands-on and ICT-based activities so that they could make connections
between the abstract and mathematical concepts of comparing mass and concrete
experiences and applications.

P3 Mathematics PLT
PLT Leader: Mr Patrick Lee
Title of Project: Thinking Routine for Problem Solving

The team identified the need to inculcate in students a certain routine when it
comes to problem solving, which is an area in Mathematics that many students
find challenging. Believing that routines and good habits must start from young,
the team embarked on a series of in-house workshops tailored for P3 students.
The series of three workshop sessions of 1.5 h each supported students’
learning and ability to tackle problem solving in Mathematics.

8

Upper Block Science PLT
PLT Leader: Mr Choy Yu Wai
Title of Project: Sentence Framing on Water and Changes of State (Condensation)

For the topic on Water and Changes of State, students are required to recognise that a
change in state can occur when water gains or loses heat and to investigate the factors that
affect the rate of evaporation. Since these are important concepts for students to master,
teachers came up with their own authentic questions that students could relate to in their
daily lives in order to facilitate student understanding. Teachers created a sentence frame
in the Student Learning Space (SLS) and use the department’s thinking routine (CER) to
support student learning and reinforce the subject vocabulary and literacy needed for this
concept.

Middle Block Science PLT
PLT Leader: Mr Kenneth Wong
Title of Project: Applying Knowledge on Materials and their Properties to a Real

World Scenario

To support student learning on the topic ‘Diversity of Materials’, the team built on the
workbook activity "Making a Sailboat” by supplementing it with a video and self-created SLS
lesson. These additions facilitated students’ brainstorming processes and served as
checkpoints for students to carry out their task thoughtfully. A thinking-routine frame on SLS
was also used to guide students’ thought processes on selecting their materials based on
their material properties. This helped to reinforce subject literacy since students needed to
articulate the different important material properties essential for each sailboat part and to
match it with the possible recyclable materials they could gather. The lesson also
incorporated collaborative learning and student reflection to enhance student ownership and
self-directedness.

9

Mother Tongue Languages PLT (Oral & Composition)
PLT Leader: Ms Jessie Ting
Title of Project: Leveraging ICT for E-Oral and Composition Writing Skills

The lesson design is based on the key features of Singapore ICT Masterplan 4, which
emphasises on new media literacies with a focus on how students learn through
curating digital content and information, connecting and communicating with peers
through a digital environment, and creating digital products. The digital tools utilised in
this lesson included the iMTL portal, SLS, Padlet and Ezhishi, which enriched the online
learning experience for students to curate information, connect with one another during
the lesson, and publish their thoughts at the end of the lesson.

Mother Tongue Languages PLT (Comprehension)
PLT Leader: Mr Bahari
Title of Project: Integrating Chalk Talk & Word Bank Strategies to Facilitate the

Teaching of Comprehension

The team integrated the strategies of Chalk Talk and Word Bank by using them in different
ways to facilitate the learning of Comprehension passages, questions and vocabulary.
The strategies of Chalk Talk and Word Bank were selected as they helped to leverage and
activate pupils’ prior knowledge when attempting the comprehension component in Mother
Tongue Languages.

10

Physical Education PLT
PLT Leader: Mr Wee Boon Nee & Ms Angie Lim
Title of Project: Gymnastics Sequence

In this practical sharing session, participants will experience a concise version of a Gymnastics
PE lesson with the focus on fundamental movement skills to form a sequence. During PE lessons,
visual learning through the use of WALT, WILF and Success Criteria are employed to help
students understand and know what is expected of them during the lesson. It also teaches them
to be self-directed by constantly referring to the success criteria on the whiteboard. Thinking
routines and STP teaching actions are also utilised to better engage the students in deeper
thinking. To support students’ learning, differentiated worksheets and technology (iPads &
videos) are used. Students are engaged in peer teaching as they record one another’s sequence
and provide feedback with reference to the success criteria.

Music & Art PLT
PLT Leader: Mrs Dawn Kuah
Title of Project: Mood Creation with Art and Music

Music and Art teachers have combined their learning from PLT into a common theme—mood creation
expressed through Art and Music. They explored ways to link moods and emotions to music elements such as
tempo and dynamics and visual arts elements such as colour. Subject language scaffolding strategies such as
concept circles were used to support students’ understanding of these concepts.
Participants will be able to create various moods with a range of interesting Art and Music vocabulary words.
They will also explore how the skills mastered by students in the arts can be integrated with other curriculum
areas to make learning more visible, joyful and memorable.

11