Teaching Today

I’ve always had a thing for technology. Loved it since I first started using the PC many years back. Back then, it was games, games and more games. Then I started playing around with the PC’s files, started movings things around and seeing what a PC could do.

That progressed to using the PC as a tool or means to an end, mostly in communication (e-mail, icq etc.). This was followed by my milestone of building my first PC…I loved PCs, they were my pride and joy! Then I started formal lessons on PCs when I entered Temasek Polytechnic (TP). Suddenly my bed of roses turned to thorns; and pricked me, hard. Ouch!

Lessons were horrible (for reasons I have forgotten, I only remember boredom, the rest were mostly intangible reasons). I loved computers. I really did. After this I hated them. I hated all to do with the IT school. I didn’t like the style of teaching at all. Business subjects were not really different. The amount of facts and jargon one has to memorise is incredible! I liked the subjects, but not the way it was taught and presented. Soon the motivation was lost.

My God! Give me a break already! There’s something about the teaching styles which really, really turns me off. I think it’s really the lack of enthusiasm by these lecturers.

I remember back in Secondary school, there was an English Literature teacher who really presented herself as enthusiastic about the subject, and that enthusiasm rubbed off on most of us.

Here at TP it seems like they don’t really enjoy it, that they would most rather be doing something else.

There are those who do enjoy teaching, and sharing their ideas, but unfortunately they do not prepare us for the exam very well…that’s the thing! Catch-22! Make me understand! not study, please! An ex-friend (now simply living in memory, wonderful girl though) who was studying in Australia, Rachel:

dun think i’m studyin much.understandin,probably.that’s what i love bout the system here.

After that I could never look at a PC the same way again. Everytime I look at them I am reminded of facts. Horrible facts that I would rather put out of my mind. And to think I used to love fixing computers…now I would rather pay someone else to do it. By the way, I have just switched to an Apple Mac.

I much prefer informal education (experience, books, talking/discussions with people) than formal education…formal education is a turn-off most of the time.

Or is it just me?