Our bulletin has evolved through the many years it has been around – first as an email attachment with just text to a pdf with photos and most recently, a change in name. In this issue, we venture to make this bulletin more interactive and involve multi-media to make it a richer experience for our readers. More importantly, the editorial board now includes both NIE faculty and practitioners like yourself (see below). Apart from giving valuable input to shape the direction of this bulletin, they also contribute articles. In this issue, we are delighted to have Shynn Lim and Michelle Foo (a teacher at Chua Chu Kang Pri) share their experiences on catering to the different needs in their classes during the 4 weeks of Home-Based Learning (HBL).
(from left to right)
Mrs Sheree Chong, Principal, Chua Chu Kang Primary
Mdm Linda Yeo, Vice-Principal, Riverside Secondary
Ms Shynn Lim, HOD Character & Citizenship Education,
Juying Secondary
Mdm Siti Asjamiah Binte Asmuri, Senior Educational Therapist, Dyslexia Association of Singapore
This issue features Differentiated Instruction (DI). Along with Assessment Literacy, it is an area prioritised for professional development in the next few years. As such, the topic is timely and we hope that the discussion here will help shed some light on the practical issues faced by teachers. More importantly, DI is an important area that has implications beyond just competency but our beliefs on educating all learners. We hope to prompt reflections not just on the “How” but the “Why” through the articles we have lined up:
-An exposition on DI (how it is linked to assessment)
-Sharing by teachers on their DI practices
This is in addition to our usual features (news of events, noteworthy assignments, recommended readings and coming conferences) that have been the staple of previous bulletins.
We hope this issue will be helpful and a provocative start to thinking about differentiation to serve all learners.
Tay Hui Yong