Under the Microscope - Lessons from Microbiology

Being a student and teacher of the biological sciences has affected the way that I see the things around me. Microbiology - the study of micro-organisms - has done so in an especially large way.

Aside from the fact that I am now acutely aware of the omnipresence of micro-organisms, microbiology has taught me to take time to appreciate the little things in life, to analyse them carefully and to see the importance of the unseen.

Perhaps I will expand on each of these points in the next few posts. In the meantime, let's get back to this.

I learned to use a microscope in Primary School. It was a simple one that used a mirror to direct light through the sample. It worked reasonably well. I viewed bits of dust, bugs and hairs that I found on the ground. I saw things that I never knew existed and this got me interested in the little things that make up the greater whole.

This interest now extends beyond living creatures into situations, people interactions and even macro photography. It may be a stretch to say so, but I am starting to believe that my ability to notice little things started from that first experience.

I believe our traits and abilities have been honed over the years by practice and experience. Many of these traits must have started somewhere. Where would you say yours started?

A Tribute to Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, it is with a great sense of gratitude that I paid my final respects to you in the wee hours of 26 March 2015. 

The beauty, orderliness and cleanliness of modern Singapore owe their beginnings to you and the capable team that you assembled in our early years. 

Empowered with vision, you saw the potential of modern Singapore and worked tirelessly towards building a nation that we are now proud to call our own.

Your strength as a leader has not gone unnoticed by our neighbours or the international community. It was this strength that galvanised a people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. It is this strength that won you the respect of your people and those around you.

Leadership is, indeed, no easy task. Despite much opposition, you made difficult decisions, many of which you believed were for the good of our island nation. Many of these decisions turned out to be the correct ones. Of course, being as human as the rest of us, there is no doubt that mistakes were made. Some policies were unpopular and some actions were controversial. Nevertheless, it is my belief that these were outcomes that were already weighed and discussed. It is inconceivable that a man blessed with such foresight would not imagine the results of his words, actions and decisions.

Mr. Lee, I believe that you did the best you could with what you had and I am immensely appreciative that we had a leader who was as courageous as you even in the toughest of times. Thank you, Sir, for trailblazing us to where we are today.

Though I have not known you in person, I know that your heart and soul were devoted to the rise of modern Singapore. Though I have not seen you in person, I see the vision you had all those years ago in the fruit of your labour all around me. Though I have not heard you speak in person, I have witnessed the gravitas and power of the words that you have spoken. 

In your passing, we are deeply grieved at the loss of one of our great founding fathers. Thank you, Mr. Lee, for all that you have done for us. You have served this nation with your life - a life that will be forever inscribed in the annals of history, never replaced, never forgotten.

#rememberingLKY

Motivation for Education

Having recently been busy with a number of different projects in different schools - all of which happen to be "higher-level" schools where parents fight for a place for their children there - I got to thinking about an observation that I made a long time ago that was recently refreshed for me.

Why are some students so keen and eager to learn while others are not?

I think part of this boils down to the first post I made, especially two of the questions: "What am I doing here?" and "How will this benefit me?"

There is the question of motivation. A student who is uninterested or unmotivated will not display eagerness to learn.

It got me to thinking about why there is such a disparity in attitudes. After all, these are supposed to be bright students (they were specifically selected for the program) who have done well academically.

One of my trains of thought went to their families. Could it be that they are not disciplined at home to focus on the work they need to do, be it homework from school or household chores? Could it be that the parents did not have much of an education and thus cannot help them with questions they have? Could it be that the parents are too busy to satisfy their curiosity and questions?

Every person has a streak of curiosity. However, I have learnt that if, at an early stage, I am constantly unable to get answers, I lose interest and thus lose motivation.

Could it be that we need to educate parents on how to engage their children so they can nurture a learning environment at home? Perhaps we there are larger societal changes that are needed for this to take place. After all, a busy parent has hardly enough energy to handle the incessant questioning of a curious child.

This is no small problem. A lack of motivation in a few members of a class often leads to a general lack of motivation in many more. It also affects the teacher and lowers the overall education experience. In time, if not handled well, it can affect the entire school.

Is this over-presumptuous? Perhaps it can be seen that way. Nevertheless, this is a big question with no simple answers. I hope to come up with a better solution in the near future and hope to revisit this again.

A Word on Examinations

Professor Freddy Boey very generously gave me 15 minutes off his busy schedule to answer a few of my questions and one of the things that struck me was a word on examinations:

"Don't let examinations get in the way of real learning."

We have become excellent examiners but not necessarily better teachers. The learners are the ones who suffer as a result. 

Personally, I have seen individuals who are fascinated by a non-examination subject but are forced to drop it or postpone its study in favour of one that will be assessed by an major examination.

In no way am I suggesting that examinations should be abolished. They have their place and it is an important one.

However, education goes far beyond examinations, written tests and grades. Education is the lifeblood of innovation, ideas and interest. It should be embraced as such.