Reflections on QED 528 (Educational Psychology)'s Problem-Based Learning project work

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is not new to me, as two most impactful PBL experiences I had were during my Junior College and University days, where I did Inter-disciplinary Project Work and wrote a thesis. Both experiences framed my mind about what to expect for PBL as I embarked on the journey with my three group mates. That said, the experience this time round is one that is particularly useful to me as a beginning teacher in several ways.

I have seen and experienced for myself the benefits of PBL, in relation to its learner-centricness. PBL is self-directed learning, where learners actually assume much ownership in the process of problem inquiry, critical thinking and eventually problem-solving. With the guidance of my teacher, I feel that the PBL project taught me how to ask good inquiry questions, what points to consider while doing critical thinking, and the importance of designing specific solutions instead of general solutions to make problem-solving more effective. Going beyond that, I have also learnt to apply curricula knowledge to real-life problems that I may face as a beginning teacher, and I have gained useful insights out of it.

In addition, PBL provided me with the opportunity to learn how to translate independent learning into peer teaching. During this process, I need to summarise the theories such that I highlight the salient points, and thereafter teach the theories to my group mates and lead the discussion on the application of the theories. This is beneficial to me as a beginning teacher, as I will need to learn how to break down huge quantities of information and sieve out the salient points for students to understand the content more easily.

In conclusion, the PBL experience and even the exposure to the theories in Educational Psychology shaped my beliefs about helping students to learn and gave me a better understanding of the reasons for students' behaviour. I am certain that a teacher's role in motivating students to learn and creating a safe and supportive classroom environment and culture are crucial in helping students to learn well. I will also bear in mind that there is a complex relationship between how students behave with their environment, so I will use deal with students' misbehaviour sensitively and appropriately.

Reflections on QLK 520 (Communication Skills For Teachers)

This module is useful and practical as I have picked up skills that will equip me to become a more effective teacher.

Firstly, I learnt about the importance of Purpose, Audience and Context (PAC) for both oral and written communication. A well-crafted speech or E-mail is one that fulfils all three criteria of PAC. Through this module, I had the opportunity to practise writing both of them with timely feedback given by my tutor. I realised that being aware of PAC will make me a better communicator, and there is a higher chance that my message will get across more successfully. Thus, this is definitely something I would bear in mind from now on when I need to make a speech or send an E-mail.

Next, I am more particular about my articulation and pronunciation of words, and in using appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication in an oral presentation. After I was introduced to the online Cambridge Dictionary, I made it a point to check up on the pronunciation of words that I was unfamiliar with. I believe having proper pronunciation helps me to be a better speaker. Additionally, I learnt that having appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication in an oral presentation will help in its delivery and engage the audience better. My body posture used to be stiffer whenever I had to do an oral presentation, but now I learnt to accompany my speech with hand gestures that would reinforce my message for the audience. That said, I will also take note not to use excessive hand gestures to avoid distracting my audience.

Lastly, I realised that vocal health is something that a teacher must not neglect. As I embark on my teaching career, I should have the discipline to intentionally protect my voice as much as I can. Some ways to do so would be cutting down on my intake of fried and spicy food, and to use other approaches besides raising my voice during classroom management, such as non-verbal intervention. Through this module, I also learnt how to project my voice better and to pair voice projection with appropriate breathing techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing so that I will not strain my vocal cords when I project my voice.