Jay McTighe suggested that when we teach students to use graphic organizers, we should do it a structured way. McTighe suggested that we first describe the concept of a graphic organizer. This must be discussed in the context of its importance in assisting to organize information, the benefits of using graphic organizers and the various ways that information can be organized through graphic organizers.

McTighe also proposed that we do a proper introduction to the students of the specific graphic organizer that we want the students to use. Graphic organizers can represent different thinking processes therefore we must make clear when we use a specific graphic organizer that the thinking process associated with it is explained. We need to explained to the students while the thinking process occurs in their minds, they can help to make it easier by putting it in a very visual form.

The next step is to explain and demonstrate the use of the selected graphic organizer. It is important that this is done with information that the students are already familiar with. In other words use the students’ prior knowledge. New information is used with the same graphic organizer only after they are comfortable using that specific graphic organizer with already familiar information. This bridging process is important to help the students move from what is already known to the new.

I thought we will have some fun here and hear what you think these two pictures together would infer about schooling today. Errr… for those who don’t know how, to infer you will need to do a comparison between the two pictures first. What are the similarities and the differences between the two. Then use your own prior knowledge about the subject of the two pictures to draw some of your own conclusions. That’s it! By the way, you won’t get any grade for this

Another well-known secret of Singapore’s education system is that schools tend to pack their best teachers to teach the best classes. This practice is so prevalent in Singapore because of one important reason. The Singapore education system is very examination focused. The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore has introduced project work for the Junior College level and alternative modes of assessment recently to reduce the emphasis on examinations.

One wonders where these alternative modes of assessment were placed before they “officially” introduced it. Still despite the introduction of alternative modes of assessment, all parents, teachers and principals know that at the end of the day to paraphrase a Clintonian era catch phrase, “It’s the exams, stupid!” It is the high stakes PSLE, GCE “O” and “A” levels examinations that really count in the Singapore system.

It is the examinations that drive the schools. All teaching is geared to the examinations. Anything else that is added is just pure lip balm. It is the examinations that has caused schools to start programs earlier than the official 7.30 “start” time of schools in Singapore. It is the examinations that has caused the schools to provide extra classes even though the teaching official hours has already been stretched till mid-afternoon. It is also the examinations that drive the lucrative private tuition industry in Singapore.

Is there time to teach for deep understanding in Singapore schools? Just listening to teachers in Singapore, one would know that there almost isn’t any. Teachers almost unanimously moan that they hardly have time to “prepare the students for the exams.” This is a refrain you will hear often from Singapore teachers. What they mean is that they don’t have enough time to “cover” the examinations syllabus, and to drill their students to answer the questions in the examinations. Everything else is secondary. There is no time for students to learn to think. “Just do it” (for the examinations), would be an accurate description of the teaching and learning processes in schools in Singapore. To be sure the government has talked many times about the need to produce workers who can work in teams, learn independently, think and problem-solve. But obviously, these messages have not sunk through into many bureaucrats in the MOE and also the principals and teachers in SIngapore schools. Those in MOE give mixed signals to the schools and the schools are quite happy to remain in their hard-earned area of expertise: preparing students for examinations.