A "Challenge"

Yesterday I went to visit my Critical Inquiry (CI) advisor, Dr Towndrow (CRPP/NIE), to go through my research proposal for my last module in Masters in Education (English Language). During the discussion, he asked if I kept a blog and my immediate answer at that point in time was, no. He then gave me a challenge - Keep one and use it. And that's why the renewed efforts to blog but of course seeing why I should do so too.

In some sense, it was true I do not keep a blog. Yet, while I was serving my three-year stint in Educational Technology Division (MOEHQ), I did dabble with blogs (Blogger, Multiply and even LiveJournal), mostly to try them out to know what they could do (so as to facilitate my work in ETD) and also more for conduct of workshops on the use of blogs, but as to whether I KEPT one, in the strictest sense, no.

Technically speaking, I know what blogs could do, but personally, it never took off as a platform for me to share about my life. I suppose I am just not comfortable to do so but mostly I am not the introspective and reflective kind of person. In Gardner's terms, I am more likely not very intrapersonal-intelligent. Then again, putting things on a blog (like a personal diary) is not my kind of thing too. This is really not surprising, considering the fact that Prensky would call me a Digital Immigrant (I acquired the digital language, perhaps fairly quickly, and am not adverse to it but might not speak it like our younger generation now) with an accent of not putting things on line. I mean, I have accounts with many cyber platforms (e.g. Wetpaint, Google, Facebook) but I would still much prefer to read things in hardcopies and printing them out so that the print would not be harsh on my eyes ;p

Anyway, I shall continue to pen down my thoughts as I do my many readings for the module, and as I journey as the Subject Head for English Language in my new posting, School of Science and Technology, Singapore. It is perhaps discordant if I do not start using Web 2.0 tools more pervasively in my own life, because essentially the kind of students coming to my school would be very comfortable doing so.

The question then is, what can my school do differently from other schools when it comes to providing the kind of education geared to the interests and abilities of the prospective students?

This blog shall attempt to uncover my discoveries :)