IdEas@Work in Nanyang

Contributed by LUIS TIRTASANJAYA LIOE, TEE AI LEE, LIM AI WAH Current Situation: Prior to 2018, Professional Development (PD) session was conducted bi-weekly (every Wed morning) and most of the time the format followed a presentation style. It means that there was a speaker who gave talk and the rest was mainly listening. While this format is informative and allowed learning to take place by listening to what the speaker (who are our teachers as well) shared, there was very little time to have the staff engage in the conversation to deliberate how what they learned can be applied in their classrooms and if the staff had different ways of achieving the same objectives. We felt that the richness of our staff's strategies and experience need to be tapped on through platform for conversation. Improvement: In 2018, the PD format is changed to provide opportunities for group conversation. The PD team worked with the Senior Teachers Guild (STG) to use this group conversation format

Contributed by LUIS TIRTASANJAYA LIOE, LIM AI WAH, NG CHUEN-YIN Current Situation: As part of staff learning and development, it is important to have a platform where the teachers can learn from one another. In particular, we need a platform where teachers can share the good practices that they have been doing and made it accessible to staff who are interested to know and learn more about it. This exchange will promote collaborative learning among staff. Presently, we have HCI-NYGH IP Conference where teachers, individual or group, share their best practices and/or research that they did in school. However, as the main intent of the conference is to enable learning among two institutions (HCI and NYGH), usually the time spent on attending and learning from our partner's presentation rather than from our own staff. We need an internal platform where learning can be celebrated in less formal way, yet promote effective sharing and interaction among the staff. Improvement: The Pr

Contributed by LIM MEI HONG Current Situation: The cover page for the Question and Answer booklet are very similar looking. As a result we have students handing in the wrong booklet and the invigilator not detecting the error. So far 1 Sec 2 case and a near miss for the Sec 3 Chemistry (both booklets were collected so it was possible to recover). Improvement: Keep the question booklet cover page template but design a new cover page for the answer booklet to be totally different looking and have a space where the words Answer Booklet are very obvious.

Contributed by LIM MEI HONG Current Situation: Hall is used as venue for Sec 4 papers except for some subjects. Improvement: To further reduce hall use for small groups. For this EOY, Advanced science groups can be put in small venues - 23 Adv Phy, 28 Adv Bio, 35 Adv Chem. As they are the last papers for the day, the hall light and air con can be shut down earlier. Adv Lit P2 (22 students) and Lit in CL (8 students) can also be moved. At one point there were only 8 students in the hall. To explore some mid sized venues e.g. 2 special rooms for enrolment btw 1 to 2 classes. Assuming savings based on 2 exams per year x 4h reduction x 5 yrs = 40 h less of air con @ $100/h as currently charged by school.

Contributed SAW PEI LIN Current Situation: Every year, I will create a Project Passport poster with new criteria and theme of the year. In the first 2 years when we started, we printed the posters and send them to our SAGE schools for publicities. After that we had stopped printing and only email both high resolution and screen version of the poster so it can be printed by our SAGE schools. Improvement: Create a HTML email to send out to all SAGE schools so they are able to forward to their students and reach more in publicity. In addition to that, I will included the poster as a post on the SAGE website. In case some email account was not able to display HTML email properly, there will be a link to the SAGE website on the competition details. Using HTML to display text is easier to read across different mobile devices than reading the text on a softcopy poster. It is not necessary for hard copy poster anymore.

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN, SERENE SNG MIN TZE Current Situation: NYGBS has never has a updated and detailed site map with facilities and directory. It is most inconvenient when there is visitors and for new boarders. Improvement: Created a few version of NYGBS site map for different use of purposes. There is a overview site map for a more general information, a Level 1 facilities map and Rooms location map. These maps are done in vector for unlimited resizing and easier customisation to suit different events and purposes.

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN, NG MIEN MIEN AGNES, YAO LING YUN Current Situation: Ever since 2017, the school has tried to reconnect with our alumna outside. But it is mostly through teachers who has still in contact with them. Improvement:  Last year, I had created a google form to send out to all Sec 4 graduands of their contact details before they leave. Starting with this year, I have created a birthday e-cards so that Ling Yun will send out to the alumni who are having their birthday monthly. It is a way to continue keeping a connection with the alumni.

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN Current Situation: I am teaching Minimalist design and Adobe Illustrator skill for EAP. During my first semester, I created and print out step by step notes on the Adobe Illustrator lesson for every students. But I find that most students did not refer to the hang out notes. Improvement: During my second semester with a new class, I stopped printing out notes to them. I saved all the notes in PDF format and shared with them on Google drive, so the students are able to go in to refer if they need. Besides, it will save paper and printing cost. In addition to that, I screen capture as a video the whole demo of Adobe Illustrator during my lesson with my voice. Each lesson's video demo is then uploaded and shared with the students on the Google Drive immediately. This will give the students another option to view back my video and play it as many times to learn the skill in their own pace. Moreover, it will also lessen my burden during the limited time

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN Current Situation: For the past few years the Funfair directory are only printed in a few pieces of papers and not detailed in the services/game and food provided by students, as well as their actual locations. Improvement: This year, I have included the detailed service/game and food provided by students on every level of classroom block directory and school compound. To save on printing, I had created a QR code and paste it around the school. So visitors are able to download the full directory in their phone including all the services/games and food available during the funfair.

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN Current Situation: Since 2016, I started to create html email to give a nice look and design for the graduation ceremony invitation, and have the google form linked to the button on the HTML email. But there are still concerns on some parents are not able to get in Google form to submit their response. Improvement: Since 2017, I created a PDF form as another option for parents to submit their registration by emailing the response back. The PDF form matches the design of the theme for the year, and it can be open and fill up the questions with acrobat readers before email it back to the school. Moreover, it also served as another option for email accounts which does not display the images of HTML email properly due to a very strict firewall. This year, I will create both HTML email with google form link and PDF form for the 58th Graduation Ceremony Invitation.

Contributed by SAW PEI LIN Current Situation: Limited hard copy of Research Journal is printed every year. Improvement: Create a interactive and visual friendly PDF soft copy, so it can be reach out to almost everyone and saving cost at the same time. The interactive part of this PDF is on the content page, all the title are hyperlinked to the individual page number. Besides, all the inside pages will have a small menu button to go back to the content page. Visual friendly is that the PDF is vector based, so it can be enlarged unlimitedly to view and the total file size is still maintained below 5MB. Besides that, it can be open on any devices.

Contributed by TEO ZHIYE, SEAN YEOH CHAI KEONG, TOH LIN SIN Current Situation: Staff Workshop starts immediately after everyone gathers. Everyone is not settled down and ready to start the meeting. The level of energy is low. Improvement: Dance-Dance Revolution as Workshop's Energizer to up the level of energy before work gets done during workshops prove to be an effective one.

Contributed by TEO ZHIYE, LIM TING FANG, TOH LIN SIN Current Situation: 1) Combined CSM/Cross-country with HCI 2) Same old route within school compound over the years 3) Most of the runners walk away with nothing. Improvement: 1) Breaking away from HCI to hold our own NYGH Cross-Country 2) 1st in Singapore to hold a School Cross-Country at Fort-Canning, 1st in NYGH History too 3) The Finisher's Collar Pin is part of a set of 4 that the staff/students can collect over 4 different years of cross-countries at 4 different venues.

Contributed by SABRINA BTE EMIL, LI XIAOHUI, LIM MEI HONG Current Situation: Only NY Star awards are given out to each class. Improvement:  We wish to award more classes awards as part of affirming their strengths and as part of establishing a positive culture. Thus, at the Secondary 4 year end level closure, all classes will be given an award each as recognition of their personalities and contribution to the cohort. For example, 401 will receive the "Most Driven" award while class 402 will be presented with the "Most Enthusiastic" award.

Contributed by ANG JOO LIAK Current Situation: There is ongoing effort to ensure personal particulars of Staff and Students are not captured and shared unnecessarily via Google drive or other platforms. There may still be private data in the intranet drives accessible by Staff. E.g. 1. past year Life Skills Camp data of students on their medical conditions and NOK contact details E.g. 2. All levels class registers containing students particulars, parents/guardians particulars, occupation & contact details. Improvement: Such private personal information needs to be protected (not withstanding data of some VIP parents). Best practices or policies from the private sector could be a basis for our data management policies & practices. Relevant data could be collected and made accessible to specific staff on a need-to-know basis only. A clear policy with good staff communication would be helpful.

Contributed by TAN KAH KEOW, TANG WEE HOON, TAN YIN PHENG CHERYL Current Situation: GO rear door opens from inside-out. Sometimes, students walk very close to the rear door and risk being hit if a staff opens the door in GO. Improvement:  To draw a demarcation ‘Caution – Door Swing Area. Keep Area Clear’ on the floor (outside GO rear door) to alert passing by students.

Contributed by TAN KAH KEOW, TANG WEE HOON, TAN YIN PHENG CHERYL Current Situation: Water bottles that are found unattended around school premises are often returned to GO as Lost and Found items. Students will also look and report for their misplaced water bottles in GO. Improvement: To set up a self-help service stop for Lost and Found water bottles near canteen. And unattended water bottles will be deposited in the basket provided and students may claim their misplaced items from there. All water bottles not claimed after one term will be disposed of or donated to charity.

Contributed by LUIS TIRTASANJAYA LIOE Current Situation: During the last Exco meeting, it heartened me to hear that there was limited response and nomination to Lead, Care and Inspire Award. This should be a platform that is meaningful to create the culture of staff camaraderie as well as affirmation of the positive qualities that our teachers have, that will inspire others into action. I realise what is missing is not the system as processes (Junita has done a good job in implementing the nomination process and there is a review process by the management). The missing piece is the lack of such culture that probably because our teachers are too busy, they might not see the need to do this nomination. To create such culture that will impact on the increase of trust and collaborative nature among staff, I think we should start from something small as everyone of us definitely have a small team to work together (within Dept, committee, CCA, trip etc), and we can start the culture by cu

Contributed by WANG FANG, KATE Current Situation: Fewer PI SIA students were enrolled this year, and they were only able to make up 4 topic groups. However, in order to host Philo-Bytes @ NYGH: Inter-school Dialogues, we need at least 10 topic groups. Continuing with our collaboration with SOTA, they are able to send 3 groups of students, but we still need another 3 topic groups. Improvement: Temasek JC students have been enthusiastic participants in Philo-Bytes for the past 3 years. They have expressed great interest and have even started something similar in their own school. We invited them to be trained in facilitation and become guest student-facilitators in this year's Philo-Bytes. It served as an opportunity for more students to learn the skill of facilitation, as well as enabling us to achieve 10 topic groups.

Contributed by YAO LING YUN, SHANNI GURCHARAN KAUR, ONG SHU WEN Current Situation: Notice boards are becoming under-utilised in our school. Most information is disseminated via email. A few years ago, a study was conducted by Infrastructure team on whether we should remove the notice boards around the school, but the decision was made to have them remain. Many notice boards are used to display publicity materials from our external partners. Improvement: The English department has made our notice board one that is interactive and promotes reading and writing (literature) with the "Take 1 Leave 1" reading project where books are left for students to pick up and read (and also to leave one/return). There is a display (table or book shelf that is put up every term. In addition, the notice board is interactive. While students wait for the teachers they can pick up a writing prompt which is based on a famous literary quote. They can also share their writing. This not only mak

Contributed by ANGELINE SEET SIEW PENG Current situation: in the SDMS (results portal), the students are listed according to index number with their photograph. Their index number, however, is not listed at all. Improvement: Please include a column with their index number for easier reference as we are scrolling and putting in marks and remarks for each student. It will be easier to ensure we are looking at the correct student.

Contributed by HOE WEI QI Current Situation: As a CCA teacher for volleyball, there are numerous occasions where I have to bring the students out for competitions and as such, have to miss classes. Normal, non-banded classes can be swapped with other teachers with some effort, however, it is completely impossible to swap banded classes because they are banded. As such, I have had to ask my colleagues to cover my lesson, if possible. It's really difficult when the class is banded with four other classes (advanced sciences) because four other teachers within the level is already down during that same time. Otherwise, I just have to leave the students to do work on their own, which is not ideal. Improvement: The thing is that these competitions mostly happen in the afternoon. Therefore, if the banded classes happen in the morning, then I would not have missed them. This would make things fairer for the students in banded classes and also ease the workload on my colleagues, espec

Contributed by HOE WEI QI Current Situation: Currently, different CCAs have different ways of capturing attendance. At the end of the term, Priscillia has to manually tabulate all these different methods of attendance taking, which I imagine must be at least a little bit frustrating. Improvement: Since we can take class attendance via the portal on our phones, I'm wondering if we can do the same for our CCAs. I think it may be more convenient to take attendance on a singular platform, which makes it more consistent for the teachers and also makes it easier for Priscillia to extract attendance information from teachers without having to chase them.