ICT Experience in Shanghai World Expo

The best thing about the whole learning journey is the time and space disconnection from school where I found myself being able to fully appreciate the new sights and information. With this, the focus of each day begins with an anticipation of visiting a new pavilion with the aim of acquiring new learning.

As much as it is a World Exposition with impressive pavilions from the participating countries - one can’t help but be consumed by the technologies and enormous scale of making by China. Similar to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the sheer scale of presentation by China leaves one in awe. Massive and impressive appears in almost all that is put up by China.

In terms of applications to Teaching and Learning, I shared with my Secondary Four classes on the topic of ‘Development’, where economic progress (brought about by improvements in China’s Gross Domestic Product) helps propel enhancement in the standard of living for the people. Large scale events such as Beijing Olympics (2008) and Shanghai World Exposition (2010) serve as good catalysts to drive developments in infrastructure for example transport and communications network, water supplies and cleaning up of waste when there is a nation-wide effort within the country to make improvements to existing structures before the staging of an international event where the country presents itself to the world.  

Another interesting observation is, similar to Beijing, Shanghai is a culturally-rich city with deep historical roots, I wished I had time to study how the city tries to balance the fast pace of development and change with the preservation of it’s very unique cultural heritage. It will be a challenging topic to discuss with students on the environmental, social and economic impacts of development.

I also shared with my classes the observations of locals whom we met in the World Exposition where we got reminders that China still has a very diverse population with huge disparity in the economic wealth of its people. Understandably so, after all, it’s a mammoth task to distribute wealth among 1.3 billion people.

The theme of the World Exposition is “Better City, Better Life,” which the participating countries and corporations shared environmentally-sustainable practices and technologies. In a way, the World Exposition represents an ideal city where there is zero carbon emission and proper waste management. From the solar-powered buses to the use of clean energy in most pavilions, these methods shows new possibilities in meeting the increasing demand for energy while maintaining the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

Personally, I am more intrigued by the concepts of environmentally-sustainable practices rather than the actual technologies as there can only be (positive) change in the world when its people are more accepting of practices which respects the environment. Since the majority of the visitors to the Shanghai Expositions are the locals, it will be interesting to observe the impacts it will have in the principles of cities management within China in years to come. Such learning should be shared with our students to prepare them for the (green) challenges of the world tomorrow.

Veronica Lam - Woodgrove Secondary School - Green Economy Group 

At the very onset of the trip, our group decided that one of the key areas we’d focus on would be the area of Clean and Sustainable Energy. As a Science teacher in Woodgrove Secondary School (WGS), this topic was of particular interest to me. Firstly, one of the niche areas in WGS is the ‘Green’ culture in the school. Secondly, I have a personal interest in the topic since I was part of a team of teachers that developed an Environmental Conservation Learning Corner within the school. Prior to the trip, we were a little unsure as to what to expect. However, with the information about the various pavillions obtained from the website, we were able to come up with a tentative plan for the trip.

The trip itself turned out to be a lot more than I could have hoped for. There were so many pavillions and so many rich learning opportunites! Entering each pavillion was like stepping through some kind of portal into the country itself. We were in Shnaghai, but we had Turkish kebab for lunch and Norwegian salmon for dinner. In terms of learning, it was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many pavillions showcased the technology they were using and some of their conservation efforts. In Switzerland, for example, extensive efforts are undertaken to recycle used water. (…and we thought we were the ONLY ones drinking NEWater!…) In, Norway, the government has put legislation in place to ensure that a certain percentage of the land remains ‘green’; completely natural and unspoilt by urbanisation. The pictures that we will be uploading soon will be able to show some of the amazing technology that we’ve seen.

One the key takeaways for me, is that the technological landscape is a rapidly changing one. In China alone, the pace of development over the past 40 years has been phenomenal. The average Chinese household today is unrecognisable from what it was 4 decades ago. As more and more countries become developed, there is an even more urgent need to push for global efforts in conservation and the search for viable alternative energy sources. As educators, we are in a prime position to engage the next generation in thinking about possible solutions for these concerns.

In WGS, this is what we are hoping to do via the Environmental Conservation Learning Corner. The corner comprises a variety of teaching and learning platforms such as poster displays, working models and an interactive touchscreen display. The corner will be used to showcase some of the conservation efforts in different parts of the world. It will also raise awareness within the school community about the need for concerted efforts by all nations to save the planet.

In addition, there are plans to set up a ‘Green’ trail in WGS in future. Such a trail would bring students through various ‘green’ spots around the school to increase their knowledge about green-related concerns. If successful, the trail will be further extended to cluster schools.

Finally, it leaves me to thank Mr Sam Wong, Mr James and Mr Wong K C for argnising the trip and taking such good care of us! We thoroughly enjoyed it nd were well-fed throughout our time in Shanghai. :) A truly fantastic learning experience for us all!!

Flavian Fernandez (Woodgrove Sec), Green Economy  Group

When I was offered the opportunity to visit World Expo in Shanghai, I grabbed it as it was not an everyday affair where I can ‘see’ the world within a short span of time. Well, it was really the world - from a different perspective - that I have seen, touched, tasted, smelled and experienced.

Looking from the cultural and innovation persepctive, it takes a special eye to see the link with all the use of technology and media by the different countries. What impressed me was China Pavillion.  The Chinese spared no expense to show the world who is and will be the next world economic leader.  The use of 4D technology to illustrate a renowed classical painting was impressive.  Maybe with this, we can get to appreciate a painting through interactions and make observations without feeling helpless.  There is now a link between the past and the present and maybe even the future.

It is not right to say that only those countries who spent the most amount will showcase the best of their countries’ strenghts and economic powers.  My teammates and I were very impressed when we visited the simple but yet classic Vietnam Pavillion.  Through the use of rattan, clay and other local materials, they were able to showcase their artistic works.  In fact this is one pavillion which was not trying too hard to impress. Within a small enclosed space, Vietnamese culture and its links with France were evident.

Of course, withina short visit to Shanghai, we got to experience Chinese culture first hand.  There was always a huge crowd or long queues of people everywhere. Peolple seemd to love to rush and run from one place to another.  They were always talking loudly and munching soemhting which looked like cucumber.  We never really understood why they need to rush and run.  As law-abidding Singaporeans, we were at a loss at first.  But we learnt and we relaised the importance to stand up and tell the Shanghainese that they had to follow the rules.

It was an enriching experience.  I regret that I did not get to visit all pavillions and indeed the World Expo is a must to visit for all - at least once in a lifetime.  As for me, I would want to visit it again - in Shanghai or any parts of the world!

Sooh Yee, Canberra Secondary School