It has given our group an energy booster for this project, and we certainly hope that the new touching events of this project can continue to be shared in the later rounds of the RE Congress...
Here are our reflections:
Eugene Gan
Today, was well, a session which has really made an impact on me. It has stunned me, or to phrase it more appropriately, surprised me pleasantly.
We reached the school with a vague plan in mind to teach the students the use of google and drawing using the paint application in the computer. I initially assumed it was just going to be another lesson of interaction.
However, when I stepped in to the café, it was buzzing with life! Just like a real café! It then occurred to me and I remembered that we had successfully secured sponsorship by Prima Deli for pastries to be delivered to Chaoyang School’s internet café! The students were seated at tables, wolfing down tasty chicken pies and tuna puffs, it was certainly something wonderful. I looked over at the counter, and first saw the pastries placed so neatly and professionally in the glass display at the counter. Wow, Chaoyang School internet café looks so much like a real café now! I looked around; teachers were busy making sure students were behaving in a proper manner. But what I saw next was what left the greatest impact on me.
Serving at the counter, faces beaming with joy, were the students that we taught during our lessons earlier at Chaoyang School! Finally they got to serve like waiters and waitresses, and I could tell from their faces that they were immensely happy and proud. I was happy too. They finally got to serve real food and apply the lessons we taught them! They were polite to their friends ordering food at the counter, and they did practice what we taught them. To me it was such a joy.
I took a step back and observed the café. 5 months ago, it was a mere empty space, I still could remember my group taking pictures and surveying the area to design our floor plan for the café. Now, this café was beautiful! The chairs and tables were all neatly set up, the computers looked spanking clean, and lights which emitted orange hue were hanging down from the ceiling at the counter. Behind the counter, there was the display case full of tasty pastries, and a sink, a milo tin, and hot water dispenser. WOW that’s how far we have come.
My group subsequently taught the students the use of google, to which they were amazed they could find their favourite butterflies and power rangers on Image Search. They were so happy to see that using paint, they could draw the colours of a rainbow on a document. To add on, this internet café rocks because it has a projector screen, where for today, Keng Chee taught them using visuals from the screen while I did the work on the computer linking the screen. Interesting!
I enjoyed this success my group has brought about, and Im sure the Chaoyang children will enjoy it and it will benefit them so much more! Then again, in my eyes, these students deserve nothing less than the best.
Today, was well, a session which has really made an impact on me. It has stunned me, or to phrase it more appropriately, surprised me pleasantly.
We reached the school with a vague plan in mind to teach the students the use of google and drawing using the paint application in the computer. I initially assumed it was just going to be another lesson of interaction.
However, when I stepped in to the café, it was buzzing with life! Just like a real café! It then occurred to me and I remembered that we had successfully secured sponsorship by Prima Deli for pastries to be delivered to Chaoyang School’s internet café! The students were seated at tables, wolfing down tasty chicken pies and tuna puffs, it was certainly something wonderful. I looked over at the counter, and first saw the pastries placed so neatly and professionally in the glass display at the counter. Wow, Chaoyang School internet café looks so much like a real café now! I looked around; teachers were busy making sure students were behaving in a proper manner. But what I saw next was what left the greatest impact on me.
Serving at the counter, faces beaming with joy, were the students that we taught during our lessons earlier at Chaoyang School! Finally they got to serve like waiters and waitresses, and I could tell from their faces that they were immensely happy and proud. I was happy too. They finally got to serve real food and apply the lessons we taught them! They were polite to their friends ordering food at the counter, and they did practice what we taught them. To me it was such a joy.
I took a step back and observed the café. 5 months ago, it was a mere empty space, I still could remember my group taking pictures and surveying the area to design our floor plan for the café. Now, this café was beautiful! The chairs and tables were all neatly set up, the computers looked spanking clean, and lights which emitted orange hue were hanging down from the ceiling at the counter. Behind the counter, there was the display case full of tasty pastries, and a sink, a milo tin, and hot water dispenser. WOW that’s how far we have come.
My group subsequently taught the students the use of google, to which they were amazed they could find their favourite butterflies and power rangers on Image Search. They were so happy to see that using paint, they could draw the colours of a rainbow on a document. To add on, this internet café rocks because it has a projector screen, where for today, Keng Chee taught them using visuals from the screen while I did the work on the computer linking the screen. Interesting!
I enjoyed this success my group has brought about, and Im sure the Chaoyang children will enjoy it and it will benefit them so much more! Then again, in my eyes, these students deserve nothing less than the best.
Samson Cheung
The joy on the children faces tells it all. Today, we saw the fruits of our labor as the internet café finally came into operation with Prima Deli as its sponsor. To me, this was a very proud moment as we had been trying to get it running since the start of the year. Also, looking at the smiles on the children’s faces as they enjoy the food in the internet café was also very touching.
I must admit, I was very impressed with the way the students that we taught in previous lessons were running the internet café. They were very enthusiastic and I could tell that they remembered what we had taught them. In fact, I would say they went a step further by improving on what we taught them by having a very positive attitude. It was great to see students such as Veera run the café as a waitress. They were very polite towards the customers. One of them even wanted to serve us food! The moment where they smiled and waved to us is something I would remember for a long time. These students have certainly taught me that we can make a difference if we want to. If an outsider was to walk into the internet café, they would not be able to tell that these children are children with special needs. I guess seeing them having fun and living like normal children was very cool to me and I have come the realize the kind of difference I can make in these children’s lives if I put in the effort.
As for the lessons today, we taught paint and the use of google to the students. Being already quite experienced in teaching and handling the students, the lesson went smoother than I thought. At the start, we taught the students in pairs how to use paint and google as there were only 3 computers available in the internet café. I was very impressed with the students as they are not afraid to express themselves through their art. I feel that making them feel confident is very important in teaching and I have done well in that by being friendly and praising them. You could tell that some students were really into art as they kept asking if it is their turn to try yet. At the same time, we combined the google lesson with the paint lesson by teaching them how to google for pictures so that they can edit them in paint. This certainly increased the efficiency of the lesson.
Soon after, we decided that using the projector to teach would be more efficient as there were just too many students to teach them 1 by 1. This indeed proved to be much more effective as the students were very enthusiastic about their learning and were very willing to speak up. Keng Chee did a really good job in teaching all the students at the same time while were using the paint and google functions in the computer. I feel that this lesson really shows how effective visuals are in teaching these students. Many of the students in Chaoyang are visual learners and they would naturally be attentive if they feel attracted to the visuals. Hence, while teaching paint, we got their opinion on what they wanted us to draw so that the lesson would be more interesting as it would involve more than just us teaching. A 2 way communication between the students and the teachers is always effective.
Overall, this lesson has certainly been the most meaningful lesson to me so far. The joy on the children’s faces just brings a smile to your face and makes your day.
I must admit, I was very impressed with the way the students that we taught in previous lessons were running the internet café. They were very enthusiastic and I could tell that they remembered what we had taught them. In fact, I would say they went a step further by improving on what we taught them by having a very positive attitude. It was great to see students such as Veera run the café as a waitress. They were very polite towards the customers. One of them even wanted to serve us food! The moment where they smiled and waved to us is something I would remember for a long time. These students have certainly taught me that we can make a difference if we want to. If an outsider was to walk into the internet café, they would not be able to tell that these children are children with special needs. I guess seeing them having fun and living like normal children was very cool to me and I have come the realize the kind of difference I can make in these children’s lives if I put in the effort.
As for the lessons today, we taught paint and the use of google to the students. Being already quite experienced in teaching and handling the students, the lesson went smoother than I thought. At the start, we taught the students in pairs how to use paint and google as there were only 3 computers available in the internet café. I was very impressed with the students as they are not afraid to express themselves through their art. I feel that making them feel confident is very important in teaching and I have done well in that by being friendly and praising them. You could tell that some students were really into art as they kept asking if it is their turn to try yet. At the same time, we combined the google lesson with the paint lesson by teaching them how to google for pictures so that they can edit them in paint. This certainly increased the efficiency of the lesson.
Soon after, we decided that using the projector to teach would be more efficient as there were just too many students to teach them 1 by 1. This indeed proved to be much more effective as the students were very enthusiastic about their learning and were very willing to speak up. Keng Chee did a really good job in teaching all the students at the same time while were using the paint and google functions in the computer. I feel that this lesson really shows how effective visuals are in teaching these students. Many of the students in Chaoyang are visual learners and they would naturally be attentive if they feel attracted to the visuals. Hence, while teaching paint, we got their opinion on what they wanted us to draw so that the lesson would be more interesting as it would involve more than just us teaching. A 2 way communication between the students and the teachers is always effective.
Overall, this lesson has certainly been the most meaningful lesson to me so far. The joy on the children’s faces just brings a smile to your face and makes your day.
Ng Zhuo Yang
The visit to Chaoyang yesterday was the most impactful for me which we have had so far. I remember vividly how I joked about going down to Chaoyang "no matter rain or shine" while we were walking down the road leading to Chaoyang as the rain poured on us mercilessly. Well, the rain certainly failed to dampen our spirits in any sense once we stepped into the internet cafe, the warmth and the hype were too good to be true.
First, our sponsorship appeal over the past many months finally came to fruition when we saw the pastries from Prima Deli laid out nicely in the display shelves, going at 60 cents each. Personally, I saw that as a major achievement coming to life, all the emails, phone calls & SMSes with so many people from the various depts of the company flashed quickly across my mind, and there it was, the final outcome we've always wanted. We were so near rejection, yet we perservered and persuaded our way to get this sponsorship which will last till the end of the year.
Second, our management set of lessons had been so effective that our little disciples were already running the cafe when we arrived, selling the pastries to the P4 class. Furthermore, they went the extra mile with things which we did not teach them, asking their customers to wait in an extremely polite manner, and serving the orders subsequently to their tables. This worked only on our fundamental lesson that serving is all about courtesy and the smile which melts the heart. That feeling was simply outstanding.
Third, the enthusiasm of the kids while we taught them Google + Paint was as high as a rock concert... Screams flew across the cafe, things they wanted to search on Google, things which they wanted to paint, recollecting the colours of the rainbow while we coloured it on Paint, and the motivation to try it out for themselves on the computers. That was simply amazing as well. The smile of the boy whom I was teaching while we decorated a 'racing car' he found off the net... Hey it was beautiful...
I'm still feeling high from yesterday now, despite the CCTs and all, thus my slightly elated tone for this reflection. I feel that we still have much to build upon, the finishing touches to what should be a wonderful project which has met the objectives which we set out to achieve.
Firstly in terms of the sponsorship, we'll now have to try and extend the sponsorship till at least the end of 2009, such that it would be fair to Chaoyang to show recognition for Prima Deli by installing the signboard in the internet cafe. Also, we have to do our part now to show recognition of this sponsorship as well. We all know the best way would be to openly acknowledge the sponsorship in the RE Congress, thus I really hope we did well enough to be able to share our contributions again.
Secondly in terms of the lessons on computer applications in the internet cafe, though we have already done up the lesson plans, we have to now review them weekly based on the classes scheduled such that they will not be too bored. We have to ensure that the content is challenging enough for them so that they will be able to enjoy it more. Furthermore, we have to work towards lessons for all the classes such that the operation of this internet cafe every recess will become a reality soon enough.
Thirdly, I think we have to start thinking of ways to showcase the works and learning points of the Chaoyang students through this project. Though this is something not required, I think it would be useful in charting the school's progress in this 1st year, and it will serve as an inspiration to the future generations of the school as well.
This project just keeps us going... It is just so enjoyable for me. I feel like a car, with a whole load of drive. But somehow it requires no effort at all, no manual changing of gears needed, but rather I'm willingly on Auto gear, cruising at this high speed to achieve our dreams for this project, and enjoying every moment of this ride.
Well it's a weird analogy but I think it describes what I'm feeling currently really well...
Tam Chun Yin
When we stepped into the Café on Wednesday, we immediately took back the words that we said less than an hour ago. Less than an hour ago, we told judges at a presentation that the Internet Café is not yet in operation. But to our pleasant surprise, when we stepped into the Internet Café, there were students serving at the counter, there were golden coloured pastries behind the glass cupboards, and students seemed to be enjoying the food and drinks that were being served. The lighting was in place, the furniture was set up; everything was up and ready.
It was heartwarming to see the students take turns to serve and to enjoy the pastries provided, and using the “six-phrase rule” that we taught the students to follow whenever serving customers. At that very instant, the hard work and effort that we put in the planning and preparation of the lessons seemed to pay off. The ultimate objective that we set out to accomplish seemed to have been achieved. Seeing the smiles on their faces touched me for a while, for a moment I felt that I have indeed made a difference in the lives of these children.
Nevertheless, our group carried out with our lesson plans. The students were made to face the projector screen where we taught the students the basic operations of a computer and some basic programs that could be used. For this lesson, we focused on the “paint” application, and demonstrated how to use the tools in the toolbox provided to paint pictures that they wanted. With a wonderful student-teacher who could relate to the students well, we can dare say that the lesson was a very successful one, and could tell that the students really enjoyed themselves.
The success of this lesson once again demonstrated the excellent group dynamics that we have as a RE group. Everybody took the initiative to interact with the students, thus we could maximize the human resources that we have for a most beneficial lesson for the students.
Some areas of improvement for the lesson that we had include the use of visual aid for the lesson so that they could understand the lesson better.
Also, if possible, we could split the class up into smaller sections and conduct the teaching separately instead of teaching them as an entire class so that the children could ask more questions about what was being taught instead of just merely listening. This way, students also get to try-out the program from themselves that would help in their learning.
It was heartwarming to see the students take turns to serve and to enjoy the pastries provided, and using the “six-phrase rule” that we taught the students to follow whenever serving customers. At that very instant, the hard work and effort that we put in the planning and preparation of the lessons seemed to pay off. The ultimate objective that we set out to accomplish seemed to have been achieved. Seeing the smiles on their faces touched me for a while, for a moment I felt that I have indeed made a difference in the lives of these children.
Nevertheless, our group carried out with our lesson plans. The students were made to face the projector screen where we taught the students the basic operations of a computer and some basic programs that could be used. For this lesson, we focused on the “paint” application, and demonstrated how to use the tools in the toolbox provided to paint pictures that they wanted. With a wonderful student-teacher who could relate to the students well, we can dare say that the lesson was a very successful one, and could tell that the students really enjoyed themselves.
The success of this lesson once again demonstrated the excellent group dynamics that we have as a RE group. Everybody took the initiative to interact with the students, thus we could maximize the human resources that we have for a most beneficial lesson for the students.
Some areas of improvement for the lesson that we had include the use of visual aid for the lesson so that they could understand the lesson better.
Also, if possible, we could split the class up into smaller sections and conduct the teaching separately instead of teaching them as an entire class so that the children could ask more questions about what was being taught instead of just merely listening. This way, students also get to try-out the program from themselves that would help in their learning.
Chew Keng Chee
It was a wonderful and perfect moment when we set foot into the Internet Café today.
Once we stepped in, we could see students from two level 4 classes sitting down at the tables, enjoying their cup of Milo (with creamer and sugar!) and pastries like Chicken Pie and Vegetarian Pie with a wide smile on their faces. Not only that, the students whom we taught during lessons on how to be good waitresses actually were made waitresses, took their friends’ orders and served them food on trays! I was all smiles and felt a sense of pride to see all this, and I’m sure all 5 of us share the same sentiments – our project has borne fruits and joys on the faces of the children like what we said during our presentation earlier on.
Once we stepped in, we could see students from two level 4 classes sitting down at the tables, enjoying their cup of Milo (with creamer and sugar!) and pastries like Chicken Pie and Vegetarian Pie with a wide smile on their faces. Not only that, the students whom we taught during lessons on how to be good waitresses actually were made waitresses, took their friends’ orders and served them food on trays! I was all smiles and felt a sense of pride to see all this, and I’m sure all 5 of us share the same sentiments – our project has borne fruits and joys on the faces of the children like what we said during our presentation earlier on.
I’m very grateful to Prima Deli for actually agreeing to our appeal for sponsorship on pastries for Chaoyang, which made what we saw today possible. If only we had the chance to show our audience during presentation today what we’ve done, it would really be great. However, speaking about today, we also conducted our lesson on teaching the students how to use Google and the program Microsoft Paint. After some initial trying out with 3 students to one computer, we managed to get a laptop and projected the lesson to let all the students learn how to do stuff with Microsoft Paint.
I was given the opportunity to be the teacher for today, and it was a totally awesome experience. I was standing in front of all the students, and taught them step by step on how to use the computer while others operated the computer. It was really one of the greatest opportunities I gained to apply what I’ve learnt from my very own teachers and Mrs. Suwandi, from what we learnt over these past few months on how to best communicate and interact with these lively students. It was during the lesson when I saw all the excitement and joy in the students’ eyes that I felt all the work this year was worth it. Despite not being the best teacher around, or even a good teacher to speak, I know I’ve tried my best and this very experience would be one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Although Eugene believed that the children at Chaoyang managed to “receive a bit more” than what we learnt and received from them, I seek to disagree (although Mr. Wong agreed that it was a good answer). I will still firmly stick to my viewpoint that Service-Learning is about bringing these 2 aspects together to become one and not to see who “benefited more” from this journey.
The very fact of today’s lesson and interaction actually managed to let me bring joy to the children’s faces, allow them to bring home something new they learnt, while I learnt how to be better at interaction with others, how to grow to become a better person through these experiences, showed me that the results doesn’t matter, who benefited more doesn’t matter, but it was the journey that we took with everybody that matters.
Therefore, I’ll continue to look forward to the future interactions and lessons that we’re going to have with the students at Chaoyang School, as I learnt that every session just makes the journey of learning and serving even more enjoyable.
Here are some photos of the lesson:
The 50 pastries from Prima Deli...
Menu in the internet cafe..
Delivery express..
Practising the skills we taught...
Serving with a heart <3
The 2 classes which we had with us...
We conducted personalized lessons on Google & Paint...
Subsequently Keng Chee did his mass lecture on Google & Paint as well!
Okay it's 1am now... That's all for this week!
--
Zhuo Yang
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