by Iain Ong (S4 2022)

Mrs Irene Jean

Principal, Green Corridor Secondary School

2A Tampines Avenue

Singapore 290865

21 March 2022

Subject: Proposal for Beyond Borders Programme

Dear Mrs Jean,

 

              I am Susan Soh, President of the Student Council. Thank you for the opportunity to shortlist two locations for a day-long culture and orientation programme called “Beyond Borders”. The group of visiting student delegates from South Africa who we are hosting will be in Singapore to learn more about how Singapore harnesses technology for educational purposes. I have discussed the options with members of the Student Council and decided that the Enriching Digital Journey and National Gallery are the best options.

              The first option I have decided on is the Enriching Digital Journey. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has recently announced that all students will have their own Personal Learning Device (PLD) by 2028. This falls under a new digital literacy programme and is already being rolled out in many secondary schools. Our school has already implemented the programme. This will allow the visiting students to better experience our education system as every student has a PLD and brings it to school every day. Intended for learning and education, the MOE plans to teach students how to use devices and programmes productively for both learning and daily living. It offers them ready access to the Student Learning System where students can voice their opinions and learn more collaboratively. Online resources can be easily shared and accessed by students easily. In class, we can form groups using Google Classrooms to complete English assignments. We can do this and engage the visiting students as they can be a part of the groups and participate in class group activities. Therefore, the Enriching Digital Journey is a great choice to showcase how Singapore harnesses technology for educational purposes.

              The next option I think that will be the most beneficial is the National Gallery. As the global pandemic has posed several challenges for institutions around the world, the National Gallery has responded by shifting from physical to phygital. In the gallery, the Gallery Explorer application is available on two of the most used digital platforms. Since almost every student has a personal mobile phone, they will be able to take part in the experience. The application functions as a personal guide where students can scan the QR code and unlock insights to artworks and hear an audio description by holding their phones to their ears. Students can bookmark their favourite artworks with the application. There is detailed information about the artworks which is suitable for audio learners and you can even save your favourite pieces to view later. The exhibitions are available virtually, allowing visitors to feel as though they are walking through the exhibition, viewing every piece and reading every write up without being physically present. Remote viewing allows the students to visit the museum from the classroom itself and visiting students will still have access to the exhibitions once they return to their country. Therefore, the National Gallery showcases how Singapore harnesses technology for educational purposes.

              There are some resources that the Student Council requires the school to prepare in advance to accommodate the visiting students. Firstly, we need to ensure that every visiting student has a PLD and a mobile phone. The mobile phone must be able to scan QR codes. The student must have applications such as Microsoft Word and Google Classroom installed on the PLD. Next, we will require the school to charter a school bus to ferry our school’s students and the visiting students to the National Gallery. Finally, the school must ensure that there are enough tables and chairs for the visiting students in each classroom.

              Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and consider my suggestions. I truly believe that these are the locations that will best showcase how Singapore harnesses technology for the purpose of education. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the information presented here. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Susan Soh

 

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