Day 2 of I&E workshop. Lots of new ideas about the ideal learning environment. To sum: students create their own time-tables, pick subjects of their own choosing (not necessarily academic either), no more learning from textbooks (analogy I came up with: Learning about life from textbooks alone is like reading the rulebook but not playing the game -- you don't lose, but it's boring), students talk, teacher shuts up, work and play are indistinguishable, students' only work is solving real-world problems and meet real needs, putting their theoretical learning immediately to practical real-world application. Wonder what my students will think of this?
Will it really happen? Lots of things will have to change, most importantly teachers' relationships with their students. We have to see each other as equals. There has to be mutual trust that the work is worth doing, and therefore the work is done. Teachers will not go down to the students' level, but the students must have the confidence to come up to the teacher's level. We really are not that much different. The greater the perception of the distance, the harder the learning and teaching will be. In the end, regardless of the constraints that they keep reminding us about, this attitude or mindset will make the difference in the success or failure of I&E.

Went to Plaza Bowl today to try out the lanes before the Tournament next Wedesday. The lanes absolutely suck! We suspect the whole bowling alley slopes slightly to the right! It's not Yishun SAFRA so I'm afraid we're a little spoilt. What? No cute animations on the display scoreboard? Dang!
Nevertheless, I'm proud to say I still posted my personal best average in 4 games (abt. 143 -- it's not computerized so I'm not 100% sure), but I'm still nowhere in the league of Anthony or Yee. We started bowling better after Cara and John left, but I doubt it's any reflection on them. It took us that long to find the 'line'. Yee and John are our toughest opponents as far as we know, but Anthony and I are confident. Team Pegasus rules!