Project work in JC

last SG · 2004-08-13T22:31:57+00:00

You will face that everywhere...

gerrykoh SG

Very time consuming & adding to the stress of the students. The proposals get rejected many times & students told to rewrite without knowing the reasons why. Also if u have lazy co-workers u cannot change partners. Feedback is that all students hate project work. They have to spend weekends & holidays on it in addition to CCA (practicing 3 times a week) & numerous tests.

santayana SG

Regarding the part about getting rejected without reasons.... tht's hard 2 swallow... gota find a way to solve it... in a tactful way hopefully... tht's ur teacher.. unless he/she hit u... then u win.. heheh Mr. Green ... but pls dun try.. for ur own good...

Regarding projects... tht's e real world... sad to say... good to know... unless we'r talkin about a job tht doesn't require us to think too much... a job tht is simple... e.g. sweep e floor (sorry, no offence to e hardworkin cleaners out thr... Smile )... To me... CCA is like family commitment... hobbies... when u'r out in e working world... It's better to learn to handle them at a lower level now thn to panic or get into family conflicts (e.g. quarrel, complaining spouse isn't understanding/helpful enuff...).. all these link to ur future work handling skills and social problems in one way or another...

It's wiser to look far and wider... look at a bigger picture.. tht's wat they say... gerrykoh... my reply isn't negatively against u... but i hope it'll be useful to u.. u may c how it comes into picture in future.. Very Happy

p/s some ppl treat CCA as extra-marital affair!!! Avoid it man... haha!! Mr. Green

santayana SG

Oh ya.. regarding lazy co-workers... i guess u shld by now know how i'll relate it...

Can't ask my boss to sack my colleague rite? But u can have a lil' talk wif ur "boss"...

Maybe we should start a thread "How to handle/expose projectmates who loves free lunch?" Heheh... Maybe tht'll help in certain ways... I've heard this discussion on radio b4.. many listeners contributed..

OK... work hard n all e best!

proudsingaporean SG

Feedback is that most JC students feel that PW is contrived and fake, all they have to do to get good grades is to pretend to be enthusistic and active in discussions when supervising tutor is examining them.

Then again, how do you actually give a grade and examine intangible things like students' interpersonal skills and leadership skills? Is PW an effective tool?

[email protected]_arms SG

Wahaha! PW. Another desperate solution offered by the brains of MOE to shut up the policy makers who keep wanting COMPETITVENESS COMPETITIVENESS, INNOVATION INNOVATION, CREATIVITY CREATIVITY, PW PW! PW PW! HURRAH!

PW is the most ridiculous and over-rated thing this country has ever proposed. No offence Smile

Ole SG

some more now JC is cut short, u think got time to do so much meh, last time got 3 months try time leh, now no more already, so effectively they have 1 year to study, the rest of the time would be for revision already.

Parka SG

You learn and gain those things. The grades are extra accessories.

sgboy2004 SG

just an observation... project work has become the in-thing

even Primary schools are using it too... claiming with educational backings tat it stimulate learning ... true, it also bring problems and undue stress to students who are not taught how to handle it enough... like thrown into the deep-end of the pool and ask the student to swim...

And some schools are worst, almost all subjects has each a project, some has multiple too...

Schools should moderate and study the effectiveness of project work, not all subjects benefit from it... so dun follow blindly... not bcos some research studies showed it helps will mean will be effective across the board.... many research reports are "moderated" and reported with success; at the same time, many cases of failures are not reported either.

Very Happy

by Croco, the Crocodile Education Consultant

[ Neo ] SG

I agree in principle that projects as an alternate measure and assessment of Learning, should be used in moderation and for the appropriate context.

And in conjunction with the mechanism's growing introduction into the syllabus, the value of its importance should also be proportionally reflected in terms of higher assigned grade weightage to move ourselves away from the current myopic method of looking at student calibres based primary at single setting examinations i.e. the Mid year Exam and the End year exam.

sgboy2004 SG

Agree Very Happy

gerrykoh SG

Ya, I know P1 kids also have project work. Then older Primary got to do Young Scientist projects on zoology, ecology, astronomy etc. during the holidays Bet done by most parents. Sec. sch. every subject also have incl. Social Studies, home econs. I remember my kid has to plan for a party & do the invitation, menu, the food must be healthy, check the calories, look for decoration & cutlery for the table layout. My time we just learn to cook for home econs. Also another time, got to make a kite. Given materials, also must ensure it can fly. Then do research & write a report abt. history of kites & the kind of kites in diff. countries.

deathscythe99 SG

Well Well…

witness SG

As far as I understand it, project work is a mockery of the term. Students perform the motions of doing a project, but everything is confined to the theoretical level. There is research (mostly confined to net surfing), some discussion, writing up a report, do a presentation, but nothing tangible results.

For example, one group of students can suggest building a home for strays, but they do not actually build one. They just talk about doing it. Of what worth or usefulness is this? You are right if you conclude: absolutely none.

gerrykoh SG

There are too many restrictions regarding project work. Proposals get rejected because the teachers say certain topics like biotech is too common, cannot do same topic as other students etc. etc. Know of some people who have to rewrite 5-6 times b4 proposal can be accepted. Only when it is approved then u can proceed. U must write thick report, do interviews/ survey, charts/graphs, minutes of meeting, research etc all within a short period. I see the poor students struggling to complete it during their Jun hols & sundays. They cannot get any rest! I suspect the teachers also not well equipped to handle PW. The kids become unethusiastic & frustrated as a result. Why can’t the schs. allow them to just do it, why have so many restrictions!

tspg SG

I dont know how it is in JCs but I do enjoy my projects in poly. Its boring to study and work alone. By working together you throw up new ideas and perception which you may not see by studying alone. To me projects are a good break from the monotony of lectures and tutorials. .... Confused maybe the problem lies in the mentality of the students and teachers in JC because of the obsession with grades ?

greengoblin SG

I believe that should be the main reason. Some principals are overduly concerned over their rankings, while otherwise want to push their students to get as many As as possible. Project work is not totally without its merits... however it will require the student to have sufficient knowledge before he or she can attempt it. For example, if I ask a student to build a Van De Graff generator, they will have to know the principles behind this machine and then obtain the materials involved.

One reason why project work is so frustrating for JC students could be that they are facing time constraint and the members are not matured enough to handle such a task. Poly students have the advantage perhaps to slowly ponder and gelling ideas before coming out with the final product... JC students with their limited knowledge is hard.

It will not be fair to blame the teachers... teachers themselves are under alot of stress to perform and to ensure that the class works effectively. It is not easy to comprehend the psychology of an adolence mind. The onus is on them to motivate the students effectively.

tspg SG

For me I have gone through both systems. My A-level results not so good so I went to poly after my NS. I feel that the lecturers and tutors in poly are more nuturing and receptive to different ideas from students. They dun go for a model answer. There is also more room for discussion and different answers are accepted as long as you can prove your point. In JC the learning is more of a one way traffic. Situation may be different now. Not sure. Left school for quite a while liao.

Neanderthal SG

hohoho merry christmas.... i have personally done Project Work(PW) and i share this view..... utter waste of time.
RJC ppl..... majority 1's
SAJC monkeys.... majority 3's
and its not elitism.....
creates another pointless benchmark which marginalises ppl from the less "branded" schools even more

LazerLordz SG

My project during my days in JI was rejected based on the reason that it was not really encouraged.Till today, I have no idea why it was put down, apparently, it was quite unlike your average cliched social and family themed theses.Well, my title was " Bio-terrorism : Vulnerability of urban societies and emerging threats" Question

the.raven SG

JC is good preparation for working life.