Contributed by Quek Wen Qi, Teacher (Rulang Primary School), for SingTeach Virtual Staff Lounge

FOMO – fear of missing out. I learnt about this term from a friend last year.

In today’s world of technological advancements, it seems that we are constantly presented with new educational technology (edtech) tools. It excites me but at the same time it also confuses me. There are times when I feel lost along the journey, which makes me wonder: Am I missing out on anything?

After creating a home-based learning (HBL) lesson, these questions constantly flow through my mind: Is my lesson good enough? Will my pupils be engaged? How do I help the struggling learners?

HBL lessons allow me to experiment with new edtech tools that I might have in my mind for months but could not find the time and space to start previously. Reflecting on my HBL journey, things may seem overwhelming at times and here is my FOMO:

• • Focused
  • Open-minded
  • Manageable
  • Optimistic

Focus on the Basics

• • Focus on the lesson objectives.
  • Focus on one teaching video.
  • Focus on one activity.

Attend Courses with an Open Mind

There is always something new that I can take away from every course that I attend. It may be the topic that interests me, the way that the speaker presents or even the captivating PowerPoint slides! The key is to keep an open mind when attending courses.

Set Manageable Goals

• • Weekly Goal: Search for suitable Student Learning Space (SLS) lessons to assign to my class so that I can familiarize myself with the new SLS features too.
  • Monthly Goal: Read up on posts on SG Learning Designers Circle (SGLDC) and try out anything that interests me!
  • Termly Goal: Attend a course or sharing session such as SGLDC League Virtual Meet to keep abreast of the changes.

Stay Optimistic

More often than not, I worry about too many things and have too many what-ifs: What if the students are too young to toggle between the different platforms? What if the instructions are too difficult for the students to understand? What if the students are bored during my ZOOM lesson?

Sometimes, we just need a word of encouragement from a colleague to motivate us to take that first step to experiment with something new. If we never try, we will never know. I am very grateful for the help that I have received from my colleagues and teachers who shared generously on SGLDC.

A brand new day tomorrow, a new website, a new app, a new game… Lifelong learning is here for us to embrace. Keep calm and FOMO on – in our own way.

Special thanks to my colleagues, Chin May and Lee Ying, who are always inspiring me to have the courage to try!