Some important matters to have the smooth running projects.
Micro-Management:
With regards to the teams, especially the researchers and writer/editor team of four, Alvin, Irene, Tan and Chen Mei Hui. Please nominate a leader amongst yourself fast and annouce to all.
This individual chosen will decide on the timeline that would be inline with the disucssions and report progress to HQ. Further more, on completion, will put in the ANNOUNCMENTS so that everyone will have an idea on what is going on. Any troubles faced by the team, the designated group leader pls approach the group for assistance or HQ. All leaders, do keep HQ informed on what's going on and announce to all when completed.
The media team, similarly, will do the same and inform the group on what is going on. Tentatively, there's myself as well Yi Eng on this team. Dependent on how we could be reach the kids outside of sessions, e.g. blogs and such, we will handle this area.
Matters of IMPORTANCE that need to be addressed!
At the moment there needs to be a team for the writing group.
This is week 1 for the getting of schools.
Next week is week2 (Seot 3rd) where we hopefully have presentations to school. THis can drag to week 3 (Sept 10th) and hence start there after where we will have exactly 5 sessions to do what we need to do.
We need to have the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for principle's to keep. This will also kick of the actual report that we need to compile. Writing team, do complete these 2 before our first session, for after each session, there will be more and more chapters coming in.
Some heads up, after the first session with the school, the PROPOSAL will have to be written soon. That is as soon as we find what the children's problem.
PROGRAMME BOOKLET:
Audrey, could you keep minutes and the programme that we discussed the previous day for now. Since there isn't an outfield team yet, we got to keep a record, as we buid this programme week after week.
Leadership issues:
As mentioned to some, but for the benefit of all will mention it here. If there is a problem or misconduct on my part, feel free to let me know directly, or just let known to Audrey and she can relay it to me. I greatly appreciate constructive critcism. Physical attacks.. .not so much, but if it will help you will gladly oblige : )
Thanks all!
Shaun
Friday, August 31, 2007
Nan Hua visit report...
Dearest health team,
This is a short report about today’s short meeting with Nan Hua High School. This school did cyber wellness with the last group. The teacher was impressed by the results and enquired if we would be interested to take over and make things happen again.
Objectives:
Ascertain if previous batch + new batch of students could keep their pledges made before that they are able to resist / reduce gaming + Internet addiction / long PC usage hours.
Finding participants:
These students are from the school’s Infocom club. There are 39-40 of them. this batch volunteer for the club since sec 1, as this club emphasizes e-learning for all teaching subjects. Miss Liew wanted us to consider this school as it has that “ICT and Communications” element, so we can study indepth the impact of ICTs (PC tablets) on students, and then propose a social change.
Some areas of concern:
Timeline: Year-end exams from Sept 28 to Oct 8. (Our weeks 5-6). This is very early, and I am unsure if this is the standard in SG for sec schools. There will be post-exams activities for 2 weeks after that. (Our weeks 10 – 11). In short, one has 6-7 weeks from planning, research to execution starting from week 4.
Students: We were told to ask for students to volunteer if we took Nan Hua. Well, we reckon most would rather study than do this seeing “disruptive” activity.
Learning points:
Concerning both timeline and student participants, I am afraid that we also have a short span of time to execute this. Not to mention we already lost one week to the upcoming September holidays. If we are free, they may be occupied with revision and exams and vice-versa. Perhaps, a group doing this module from Jan to Apr-May would stand better in terms of time and student commitment.
Miss Liew had a chat with me and she brought up this already discussed point that for any continual research and events to take place in a school with tight schedules, both students AND teachers may be resistant to this change and find this “disruptive”. Some would just wan to be left alone, even if this module would allow them to gain. Hence, Miss Liew said that because of this, we must endeavor to pitch and sell our ideas that we are assisting and guiding the school for their own health benefit, and not present ourselves as “free labour” crashing in. We have to be tactful.
Miss Liew also asked us how come and why did we not contact the schools from the previous teams. I cited the Northlight example that the school is planning to sustain their own health activities, and would run the show themselves. This goes to show that while some schools may not even sustain the programmes from the pioneer batch. Others may want to sustain by themselves. This could easily translates to” Hey, you have done us some work already. Now we will take over and call the shots. Don’t bother to call us.”
This also shows that even if a school wanted to sustain a health program, circumstances may take another turn. In this case, we may not want to take their offer.
On another note, we could focus a bit more on present student leaders and counsellers as more solid form of control and sustainability when we “depart” in the end. This is from feedback from Nan Hua that initially 10 student leaders were trained to practice / sustain / pass down cyberwellness to new Infocom students. Only 5 remained in the club as active leaders there. Even so, these 5 were very dedicated.
End of short report…
Alvin
This is a short report about today’s short meeting with Nan Hua High School. This school did cyber wellness with the last group. The teacher was impressed by the results and enquired if we would be interested to take over and make things happen again.
Objectives:
Ascertain if previous batch + new batch of students could keep their pledges made before that they are able to resist / reduce gaming + Internet addiction / long PC usage hours.
Finding participants:
These students are from the school’s Infocom club. There are 39-40 of them. this batch volunteer for the club since sec 1, as this club emphasizes e-learning for all teaching subjects. Miss Liew wanted us to consider this school as it has that “ICT and Communications” element, so we can study indepth the impact of ICTs (PC tablets) on students, and then propose a social change.
Some areas of concern:
Timeline: Year-end exams from Sept 28 to Oct 8. (Our weeks 5-6). This is very early, and I am unsure if this is the standard in SG for sec schools. There will be post-exams activities for 2 weeks after that. (Our weeks 10 – 11). In short, one has 6-7 weeks from planning, research to execution starting from week 4.
Students: We were told to ask for students to volunteer if we took Nan Hua. Well, we reckon most would rather study than do this seeing “disruptive” activity.
Learning points:
Concerning both timeline and student participants, I am afraid that we also have a short span of time to execute this. Not to mention we already lost one week to the upcoming September holidays. If we are free, they may be occupied with revision and exams and vice-versa. Perhaps, a group doing this module from Jan to Apr-May would stand better in terms of time and student commitment.
Miss Liew had a chat with me and she brought up this already discussed point that for any continual research and events to take place in a school with tight schedules, both students AND teachers may be resistant to this change and find this “disruptive”. Some would just wan to be left alone, even if this module would allow them to gain. Hence, Miss Liew said that because of this, we must endeavor to pitch and sell our ideas that we are assisting and guiding the school for their own health benefit, and not present ourselves as “free labour” crashing in. We have to be tactful.
Miss Liew also asked us how come and why did we not contact the schools from the previous teams. I cited the Northlight example that the school is planning to sustain their own health activities, and would run the show themselves. This goes to show that while some schools may not even sustain the programmes from the pioneer batch. Others may want to sustain by themselves. This could easily translates to” Hey, you have done us some work already. Now we will take over and call the shots. Don’t bother to call us.”
This also shows that even if a school wanted to sustain a health program, circumstances may take another turn. In this case, we may not want to take their offer.
On another note, we could focus a bit more on present student leaders and counsellers as more solid form of control and sustainability when we “depart” in the end. This is from feedback from Nan Hua that initially 10 student leaders were trained to practice / sustain / pass down cyberwellness to new Infocom students. Only 5 remained in the club as active leaders there. Even so, these 5 were very dedicated.
End of short report…
Alvin
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Alvin has two big blows dealt to him on 280807...
Dear group,
I am still recovering from the first blow from Northlight that they can only do events in November, when another blow came to me from my brother's primary school...They are organising a full health fair 2007 at Farrer Park Primary School. Just when I was about to call the principal.
Nevertheless, I typed out the info as shown on the school's information sheet (My brother gave me this with a smile...)
Start-----------------------------
Notification 075/P/07
28 August 2007
Dear Parents / Guardian
Launch of Health Fair 2007 during Healthy Lifestyle Week
Our school will be implementing a “Healthy Lifestyle Week” from 10th September to 13th September 2007. As pat of the activities, we will conduct a 2 Day Health Fair from Monday 10th Sept to Tuesday 11 Sept 2007. The theme of the Health Fair is “Healthy Students are Better learners”.
Key learning points:
Prevention of Smoking
Healthy Nutrition
Importance of Physical Activity
Importance of Mental Health
Myopia Prevention
Importance of Oral Health
The Healthy Lifestyle Week is a collaborative effort between the school and Health Promotion Board. Some of the activities lined up for the day are:
Mass Workout (P1-P6)
Sandwich Making Competition (P5)
Water RAP Competition (P3 and P4)
Viewing of exhibition panels (P1 – P6)
Parents are cordially invited to take part in the launch of the health fair.
HE Coordinator
Farrer Park Primary School
End-----------------------------
I am undaunted....I still can make out some points from this:
1) The theme is a good one...We can modify it for our pitch.
2) We need not just identify one health issue to touch upon. The school shows they are addressing many at the same time, and these key learning points seem to be the same as those stated by HPB. Prehaps the school is using this wholesale without doing proper research.
3) Some of our events can be targeted at all primary levels. We may do that eventually too. This is for ALL to benefit.
4) We may consider inviting parents and guardians to our events, as they too can be an avenue to SUSTAIN our health messages. School teachers can only sustain during school hours...But parents face their children at home, hence more feasible.
5) Some of us (well, me at least) can attend the school's health fair launch on Monday, Sept 10 to have a good idea of what is going on on the ground, in terms of conduct and activities. We can also ask the teachers / coordinators there for feedback ad advice on such activities...Who's with me?!
My apologies for not doing my best....
Alvinz
I am still recovering from the first blow from Northlight that they can only do events in November, when another blow came to me from my brother's primary school...They are organising a full health fair 2007 at Farrer Park Primary School. Just when I was about to call the principal.
Nevertheless, I typed out the info as shown on the school's information sheet (My brother gave me this with a smile...)
Start-----------------------------
Notification 075/P/07
28 August 2007
Dear Parents / Guardian
Launch of Health Fair 2007 during Healthy Lifestyle Week
Our school will be implementing a “Healthy Lifestyle Week” from 10th September to 13th September 2007. As pat of the activities, we will conduct a 2 Day Health Fair from Monday 10th Sept to Tuesday 11 Sept 2007. The theme of the Health Fair is “Healthy Students are Better learners”.
Key learning points:
Prevention of Smoking
Healthy Nutrition
Importance of Physical Activity
Importance of Mental Health
Myopia Prevention
Importance of Oral Health
The Healthy Lifestyle Week is a collaborative effort between the school and Health Promotion Board. Some of the activities lined up for the day are:
Mass Workout (P1-P6)
Sandwich Making Competition (P5)
Water RAP Competition (P3 and P4)
Viewing of exhibition panels (P1 – P6)
Parents are cordially invited to take part in the launch of the health fair.
HE Coordinator
Farrer Park Primary School
End-----------------------------
I am undaunted....I still can make out some points from this:
1) The theme is a good one...We can modify it for our pitch.
2) We need not just identify one health issue to touch upon. The school shows they are addressing many at the same time, and these key learning points seem to be the same as those stated by HPB. Prehaps the school is using this wholesale without doing proper research.
3) Some of our events can be targeted at all primary levels. We may do that eventually too. This is for ALL to benefit.
4) We may consider inviting parents and guardians to our events, as they too can be an avenue to SUSTAIN our health messages. School teachers can only sustain during school hours...But parents face their children at home, hence more feasible.
5) Some of us (well, me at least) can attend the school's health fair launch on Monday, Sept 10 to have a good idea of what is going on on the ground, in terms of conduct and activities. We can also ask the teachers / coordinators there for feedback ad advice on such activities...Who's with me?!
My apologies for not doing my best....
Alvinz
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Awaiting reply: Bukit Timah Pri Sch
I've contacted the Bukit Timah Pri School today (http://www.bukittimahpri.moe.edu.sg/index.htm) and will call them up again for followup if i dont hear from them by Wednesday evening. From what i've gathered from the website and a few other people, this school appears to be receptive towards such initiatives, so let's keep our fingers and toes crossed :P
(p.s. Will also be contacting CHIJ Primary. And another one or two schools which are apparently quite enthu about such stuff)
On another note, the other group is planning to do their project with Qifa Primary. they are also approaching a new school in case Qifa Primary isnt too keen.
Regards,
IreneY
(p.s. Will also be contacting CHIJ Primary. And another one or two schools which are apparently quite enthu about such stuff)
On another note, the other group is planning to do their project with Qifa Primary. they are also approaching a new school in case Qifa Primary isnt too keen.
Regards,
IreneY
Tag Board
After much struggling... Yes! I finally found the right spot to stick the tag board's code... *sweat* so yep this will be more convenient than having to look at comments which is not on the same page. Tag board's a little fat... but thought that looked more proportional to the fat sidebar we have =)
Update RMPS & Zhangde
Just to update process of getting a school...
I emailed Radin Mas Primary School (RMPS) - my alma mater, but different from Shaun I didn't feel good pulling strings though I saw some "old teachers" from my generation still teaching there as a senior staff/HOD (I can hear people screaming: stupid!). But cuz those teachers are not the relevant people we will be working with... the PE HOD is a new teacher I've never seen before. Same goes to the Principal, a new lady I've never seen before. Nonetheless, the principal has responded to express interest and commented that our project sounds very meaningful and challenging. So I'll be arranging appointment times with her to go down to the school for a detailed presentation. Shall share here the content of the email:
Dear XXX
My name is XYZ, an Honors year undergraduate at NUS Faculty of Arts
and Social Sciences majoring in Communications and New Media. I am
currently working on this project for a module "Communications for Social
Change", supported and funded by Health Promotion Board. The aim of the
project is to establish a good communication program with the student
community to help them identify a social change that they think is most
important to them at this age.
Children's lifestyles these days require more attention from us to keep
them on a healthy track. For example, children with both parents working
eat out more often and fast food restaurants are often the usual hangouts
after school hours, resulting in poor nutrition problems. Also, with the
proliferation of PC and Internet access, we're seeing children with more
serious myopia at a younger age or even cyber addiction.
Yet these are just some generalizations. My team will interact with the
students to help them discover their immediate health concern and come up
with a health program dedicated to them. The project is estimated to last
for 6 weeks with 1 contact session per week. My group aims to help the
students establish a health program that is easily sustainable in the long
term by the school with continuous funding from Health Promotion Board and
eventually spread the program to benefit the whole school population.
If you're interested, we will gladly conduct a short and concise
presentation for you to find out more about our project and how it will
benefit both the students and school. If you have any queries regarding
this project, feel free to contact me at email/hp#.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and I look forward to working
with you.
Yours Sincerely,
XYZ
I wrote the initial draft n improved upon by Tan Meihui. Ok so the Principal knows these basic information for now.
Something to note: RMPS has very few programs lined up for the students in Sept and Oct =) so that's probably one reason why they welcome us. And probably easier to work with the students cuz there's nothing much they have to do/take part in anyway! ^_^ http://www.radinmasps.moe.edu.sg/events.php
I couldn't locate Zhangde Pri's staff email contacts on their school website so I've emailed to the school's general email address. Pending reply.
I emailed Radin Mas Primary School (RMPS) - my alma mater, but different from Shaun I didn't feel good pulling strings though I saw some "old teachers" from my generation still teaching there as a senior staff/HOD (I can hear people screaming: stupid!). But cuz those teachers are not the relevant people we will be working with... the PE HOD is a new teacher I've never seen before. Same goes to the Principal, a new lady I've never seen before. Nonetheless, the principal has responded to express interest and commented that our project sounds very meaningful and challenging. So I'll be arranging appointment times with her to go down to the school for a detailed presentation. Shall share here the content of the email:
Dear XXX
My name is XYZ, an Honors year undergraduate at NUS Faculty of Arts
and Social Sciences majoring in Communications and New Media. I am
currently working on this project for a module "Communications for Social
Change", supported and funded by Health Promotion Board. The aim of the
project is to establish a good communication program with the student
community to help them identify a social change that they think is most
important to them at this age.
Children's lifestyles these days require more attention from us to keep
them on a healthy track. For example, children with both parents working
eat out more often and fast food restaurants are often the usual hangouts
after school hours, resulting in poor nutrition problems. Also, with the
proliferation of PC and Internet access, we're seeing children with more
serious myopia at a younger age or even cyber addiction.
Yet these are just some generalizations. My team will interact with the
students to help them discover their immediate health concern and come up
with a health program dedicated to them. The project is estimated to last
for 6 weeks with 1 contact session per week. My group aims to help the
students establish a health program that is easily sustainable in the long
term by the school with continuous funding from Health Promotion Board and
eventually spread the program to benefit the whole school population.
If you're interested, we will gladly conduct a short and concise
presentation for you to find out more about our project and how it will
benefit both the students and school. If you have any queries regarding
this project, feel free to contact me at email/hp#.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and I look forward to working
with you.
Yours Sincerely,
XYZ
I wrote the initial draft n improved upon by Tan Meihui. Ok so the Principal knows these basic information for now.
Something to note: RMPS has very few programs lined up for the students in Sept and Oct =) so that's probably one reason why they welcome us. And probably easier to work with the students cuz there's nothing much they have to do/take part in anyway! ^_^ http://www.radinmasps.moe.edu.sg/events.php
I couldn't locate Zhangde Pri's staff email contacts on their school website so I've emailed to the school's general email address. Pending reply.
Monday, August 27, 2007
*Yashamash* Road to Success!
Big Success!
Today I just tried my luck with my alma mata, and things worked out well. Although I only studied in the secondary school, Montfort primary was forth coming and friendly in their phone reception toward me.
Hot pick up line used:
"Hi my name is Shaun and am an old boy of Montfort. Well the secondary school section anyways. Currently I am in NUS in my forth year and doing a module on Communications For Social Change as was interested in..."
First irritation was having to repeat my whole pitch as it were to another party. Talked a long while to the admin office's Brenda before I got transfered to the one in charge of healthy lifestyle. Stuff like that. Miss Koh listened and was pretty receptive. We have an appointment next week on Wed 5th September.
Things that really needed to be driven home that Miss Koh didn't seem to get were that>>
- We come in with no intent (i.e. health, eye care, etc) but whatever happens will be entirely on the students feedback and we shall build from there.
- That the school needn't come up with any money at all for the program.
- We are very flexible with the program and that we hope that we can walk away with this program running on its own in the school.
Her worries as of now are that when we leave, how is the money going to come about. Other than that, we shall wait as meetings progress.
Further more, some things that I got to find out more in the later future that whilst conducting the courses, there are certain restrictions that we can or cannot do whilst having misbehaving children. Times sure have change.
P.S
It helps to talk about old teachers and old times to be on friend terms with your point of contact. Luckly she saw my name somewhere before in the sec sch side for some art work i did like hmmmz ten years back.
Umm.
Just be honest and truthful, think that helped a lot. Told her it needs to be done by such and such a time cause of the module. Also mentioned that this was only the 3rd week of school and things were hectic, stuff like that.
Hope there are some useful pointers here.
Warmly,
Shaun
Today I just tried my luck with my alma mata, and things worked out well. Although I only studied in the secondary school, Montfort primary was forth coming and friendly in their phone reception toward me.
Hot pick up line used:
"Hi my name is Shaun and am an old boy of Montfort. Well the secondary school section anyways. Currently I am in NUS in my forth year and doing a module on Communications For Social Change as was interested in..."
First irritation was having to repeat my whole pitch as it were to another party. Talked a long while to the admin office's Brenda before I got transfered to the one in charge of healthy lifestyle. Stuff like that. Miss Koh listened and was pretty receptive. We have an appointment next week on Wed 5th September.
Things that really needed to be driven home that Miss Koh didn't seem to get were that>>
- We come in with no intent (i.e. health, eye care, etc) but whatever happens will be entirely on the students feedback and we shall build from there.
- That the school needn't come up with any money at all for the program.
- We are very flexible with the program and that we hope that we can walk away with this program running on its own in the school.
Her worries as of now are that when we leave, how is the money going to come about. Other than that, we shall wait as meetings progress.
Further more, some things that I got to find out more in the later future that whilst conducting the courses, there are certain restrictions that we can or cannot do whilst having misbehaving children. Times sure have change.
P.S
It helps to talk about old teachers and old times to be on friend terms with your point of contact. Luckly she saw my name somewhere before in the sec sch side for some art work i did like hmmmz ten years back.
Umm.
Just be honest and truthful, think that helped a lot. Told her it needs to be done by such and such a time cause of the module. Also mentioned that this was only the 3rd week of school and things were hectic, stuff like that.
Hope there are some useful pointers here.
Warmly,
Shaun
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Premiere Blog *Personal*
Hey people!
Just to start of things and be proactive in the blogging which acts both as our 'learning report' as we go through the process of learning and sharing. Also this blog acts as a communication tool reflects the communication problems that we have with external (i.e schools, HPB and bureaucracy) as well for entertainment sake and real life problems at work. (internal conflicts) That's where our conflict manager needs ta work!
EXAMPLE
So here's the problem. Number ONE! There's this girl... she got citizenship in Singapore but we have no clue where she's from. Can speak many languages, but Chi c.m.i. Very difficult and very *teh*to deal with. Constantly 'attack my man hood' and makes a high pitch noise. Conflict manager, pls, how do I deal with this mystery for the sake of great group dynamics!
Hopefully we have a resident conflict manager that can give sound advice for all : )
Anyway for ease of the writer and the editor, only personal blogs like these that are for our own reflection and entertainment that shouldn't go into the report, we should categorize something like *personal* entry in the titling.
Happy Blogging!
Shaun
Just to start of things and be proactive in the blogging which acts both as our 'learning report' as we go through the process of learning and sharing. Also this blog acts as a communication tool reflects the communication problems that we have with external (i.e schools, HPB and bureaucracy) as well for entertainment sake and real life problems at work. (internal conflicts) That's where our conflict manager needs ta work!
EXAMPLE
So here's the problem. Number ONE! There's this girl... she got citizenship in Singapore but we have no clue where she's from. Can speak many languages, but Chi c.m.i. Very difficult and very *teh*to deal with. Constantly 'attack my man hood' and makes a high pitch noise. Conflict manager, pls, how do I deal with this mystery for the sake of great group dynamics!
Hopefully we have a resident conflict manager that can give sound advice for all : )
Anyway for ease of the writer and the editor, only personal blogs like these that are for our own reflection and entertainment that shouldn't go into the report, we should categorize something like *personal* entry in the titling.
Happy Blogging!
Shaun
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