Before the trip to taiwan, i honestly wasn't thinking of the educational component, it was mostly about having fun as a class together there. But as time passed by, i unknowingly learnt a lot, this trip was indeed a meaningful and enriching one. Going to museums, a school, night markets, it was both fun and interesting learning about Taiwan culture and history. Even though the class misbehaved a lot and the teachers scolded us many times too but i believe this is to enable us to learn even more. I would not hesitate to go to Taiwan again as it would be a good chance to build up on the knowledge we learnt from this trip, it was a pity that we had so little time in Taiwan but this makes the trip even more meaningful and unforgettable. Even though it has been a week ever since OELP ended but almost everyday i would look through the photos we took all together, reminiscing about the memories we had, our class bonded alot during this trip and I'm really happy that we did. The trip has increased my knowledge of Taiwan as i went to many museums and yet even though i have been living in Singapore for so long but i have never been to a museum to learn about the history of my own country on my own accord, this made me realize that i should go to the museums in Singapore and enjoy learning about the cultures and history instead of only going when there are excursion trips. I'm now more aware of the values and beliefs of the people from Taiwan, how they try to educate the younger generations on what happen in the past by preserving artifacts and buildings and you can tell that they are proud being taiwanese, that they take pride in what happen in the past. This too made me realize that we should be proud of our own country no matter what happens and i am proud to be a Singaporean. Even though the standard of living is high but Singapore is unique in its own way and it is a very safe country compared to others, this shows that every country has its own good and bad. Overall i learnt alot and enjoyed myself on this OELP trip and i hope that there will also be trips like this in the future
Jean:
After these 7 days at Taiwan for OELP, I feel that I have really benefited in many ways from the trip. By going to the sites that all have different learning points, I gained lots of knowledge! Firstly, being able to go overseas to learn and experience is something that cannot be done in the classroom and at the same time I can learn more about the places in other countries.
When I went to the Taiwanese school, I got to compare the differences in the education system with Singapore. I used to think that there will be much stricter rules at the school but that was not really the case. It is actually up to the teacher. Some teachers allow the students to eat and drink (sweet drinks) during their lesson and the students don't actually have to greet the teacher if the teacher does not request for it. I always thought that the Taiwanese schools will be even stricter than our school but after visiting their school, maybe not. There were many differences, but instead of just thinking of their good points, I got to appreciate Singapore's education system even more!
Going to the museums, memorial halls and other historic sites (National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai Shek and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, 921 Earthquake Park, Lugang Old Town) also helped to increase my knowledge of Taiwan, its culture, and I learnt a lot more about the history of the revolutionaries. Such places got me into thinking the importance of remembering and learning about our leaders and also preserving the artifacts from the past, to educate the younger generation.
At the Aboriginal Cultural Village, I got to learn more about the aborigines and visiting the cultural village cum amusement park, I had fun while learning at the same time too. I also thought of how important it was to preserve the culture of the aborigines as they are a minority in population already with numbers decreasing. It is very saddening to know that the amusement park was there in order to better attract young people. I think that the younger generation goes to the aboriginal cultural village-amusement park just thinking about playing at the rides, but instead forgetting the main purpose of the cultural village, which is to educate people and spread about the culture of the aborigines. It is a very saddening fact. I stayed to watch the performances put up by the aborigines even though some of my classmates persuaded me to just take the cable car down to the amusement park to play at the rides. The performance was actually very entertaining. Before we left the place, we also got to learn the cultural dance of the aborigines and it was a really fruitful experience at the aboriginal cultural village.
The experience of taking the subway and high speed rail in Taiwan allowed me to observe the way of life of the Taiwan people. I also got to know how it was like at Fengjia night market and Ximending shopping district, there were many stores that sold trendy clothes and items, which could attract the young people to go the place. Of course, the food there was also cheap and tasty at the same time and it was a really good experience there.
I feel that this trip also made me understand my classmates more and I guess we bonded a lot as a class, especially on the last night. I also could compare the differences in Taiwan with Singapore, and be more aware of the beliefs and values of the people in Taiwan. Overall, I have gained a lot from this trip such as life skills, values, knowledge that I could apply in my life. I had a little bit of fun at the same time and I got to appreciate the life in Singapore much more, and I can say that I am proud as a Singaporean! I am also happy to know that Taiwan and Singapore have an extensive relationship in trade too. I really benefited from this experiential learning in Taiwan and I hope to have more of such trips in the future!
Petra:
Jean:
After these 7 days at Taiwan for OELP, I feel that I have really benefited in many ways from the trip. By going to the sites that all have different learning points, I gained lots of knowledge! Firstly, being able to go overseas to learn and experience is something that cannot be done in the classroom and at the same time I can learn more about the places in other countries.
When I went to the Taiwanese school, I got to compare the differences in the education system with Singapore. I used to think that there will be much stricter rules at the school but that was not really the case. It is actually up to the teacher. Some teachers allow the students to eat and drink (sweet drinks) during their lesson and the students don't actually have to greet the teacher if the teacher does not request for it. I always thought that the Taiwanese schools will be even stricter than our school but after visiting their school, maybe not. There were many differences, but instead of just thinking of their good points, I got to appreciate Singapore's education system even more!
Going to the museums, memorial halls and other historic sites (National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai Shek and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, 921 Earthquake Park, Lugang Old Town) also helped to increase my knowledge of Taiwan, its culture, and I learnt a lot more about the history of the revolutionaries. Such places got me into thinking the importance of remembering and learning about our leaders and also preserving the artifacts from the past, to educate the younger generation.
At the Aboriginal Cultural Village, I got to learn more about the aborigines and visiting the cultural village cum amusement park, I had fun while learning at the same time too. I also thought of how important it was to preserve the culture of the aborigines as they are a minority in population already with numbers decreasing. It is very saddening to know that the amusement park was there in order to better attract young people. I think that the younger generation goes to the aboriginal cultural village-amusement park just thinking about playing at the rides, but instead forgetting the main purpose of the cultural village, which is to educate people and spread about the culture of the aborigines. It is a very saddening fact. I stayed to watch the performances put up by the aborigines even though some of my classmates persuaded me to just take the cable car down to the amusement park to play at the rides. The performance was actually very entertaining. Before we left the place, we also got to learn the cultural dance of the aborigines and it was a really fruitful experience at the aboriginal cultural village.
The experience of taking the subway and high speed rail in Taiwan allowed me to observe the way of life of the Taiwan people. I also got to know how it was like at Fengjia night market and Ximending shopping district, there were many stores that sold trendy clothes and items, which could attract the young people to go the place. Of course, the food there was also cheap and tasty at the same time and it was a really good experience there.
I feel that this trip also made me understand my classmates more and I guess we bonded a lot as a class, especially on the last night. I also could compare the differences in Taiwan with Singapore, and be more aware of the beliefs and values of the people in Taiwan. Overall, I have gained a lot from this trip such as life skills, values, knowledge that I could apply in my life. I had a little bit of fun at the same time and I got to appreciate the life in Singapore much more, and I can say that I am proud as a Singaporean! I am also happy to know that Taiwan and Singapore have an extensive relationship in trade too. I really benefited from this experiential learning in Taiwan and I hope to have more of such trips in the future!
This OELP trip enriched me in many ways as i had the chance
to learn about the Taiwanese culture. their practices, and their way of life!
It has definitely increased my general knowledge of Taiwan through the tour
guide's explanation of the different places we went to visit. What i observed
from my stay in Taiwan is that Taiwanese are very eco friendly! They do not give
out plastic bags for the things we buy but instead we have to pay for it! At
the Taiwanese school we had to empty our rubbish in different sections such as
food, recyclables and non recyclables! In the Taiwanese school we had to empty
our left over food in a separate bin and throw the box and chopsticks in
another bin! I think that this will influence me to be more eco friendly in
Singapore so as to save our environment as well as to encourage me to influence
others to also practice being eco friendly! I also experienced their education
system in Taiwan. It is very much different from Singapore. In a sense in
Taiwan they train you to be an independent learner by giving you a more
carefree environment while in Singapore we have strict rules to follow in
school! I think both types of education systems have their pros and cons.
Through this I am able to compare both education systems and differentiate
them. I am also able to view matters with a broadened perspective having a
wider general knowledge having been to Taiwan! OELP also gave me a chance to
bond with my classmates and teachers! Forging memories that will stay with me
forever!
Yixiang:
After spending 7 days of my life in Taiwan, I have learnt many things from Taiwan and the citizens. Different places of attraction have different learning points. From the museums, I learnt about the culture and the artifacts that were preserved. I learnt about the aborigines in Taiwan and their culture at the Formosa aboriginal cultural village. The night markets taught me how shops attract customers to their shops. The students in the Taiwanese school taught me to be friendly and Eco-friendly. The most important thing I learnt in Taiwan is that they are very Eco-friendly. They do not give out plastic bags for free but instead get us to pay for each plastic bag. This helps with the disposal of plastic as plastic take many years to decompose. In schools, the students had to categorize their rubbish into recyclables and normal rubbish. I learnt to be more Eco-friendly and will practice the 3Rs in Singapore. For example, I will use Eco-friendly bags instead of plastic bags. I would also categorize my rubbish and throw them into the recycle bin. The education system of the Taiwanese schools are also very different from ours. They have a 10 minute break between lessons so that they can go to the restroom, take a short nap before the next teacher comes. This way the lesson would not be distrusted by a student asking to go to the toilet in the middle of the class. From what I notice in class, Taiwanese students don't really listen to their teacher in class, but when a teacher asks them a question they can answer it. From this, I assume that they do a lot of self studying at home and are very independent. Singapore students can learn from them as we depend too much on the teachers for help. There are lots of differences between Taiwan and Singapore. Even though there are flaws in the Singapore system, I am still proud to be a Singaporean. Steady ah!
Kai Ming :D :
This Taiwan trip was really enriching for all of us. We started anticipating for this trip since almost a year ago and once we heard we were going to Taiwan, we were even more excited for this trip. I, myself, was really worried about the Taiwanese school days because I through they would be really different and I, being the awkward and shy one, would not be able to fit in. The Taiwanese students took me and my classmates by surprise. They were very sociable and welcomed us. They treated us as if we have been their classmates for years and none of them were shy. They were active in lessons and active after lessons too. A lot of them came to talk to us and volunteered to be our buddies. My buddy started talking to me immediately and even showed me what they were learning. I had a great time with my buddy throughout the lessons. My buddy even asked me about Singapore. We became friends immediately and till now I still talk to him on Facebook. :D
We went to many fun and fulfilling places and learnt a lot about the people of Taiwan and their culture. We learnt that people of Taiwan are mostly kind hearted which gave us a good impression of Taiwan. I feel that this trip is a very memorable for the whole class and gave our class a chance to bond together. This OELP for the whole level of year twos is something all of the year twos will greatly appreciate and treaure. Moving back to Taiwan or the topic of Taiwan, I learnt about the differences and similarities of Taiwan as compared to Singapore, and feel like this trip has enhanced by know
ledge of things outside of Singapore and make me more aware of the values, beliefs, cultures, pop culture and lives of people from Taiwan. However, I feel that being in Singapore is better for me because I am used to being here and I like everything here, (most of the everything here) therefore, I am proud to be a Singaporean. I really want to have an OELP again and relive the seven days that I had with my classmates, teachers, tour guide,bus driver,the Taiwan people, students and everyone I met and everything I experienced.
