Essay Draft 1

Introduction

There is an increasing awareness to successfully rehabilitate and  reintegrate ex-offenders into Singapore’s society. For example, the Yellow Ribbon Project aims to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes through the combined efforts of community and government organizations, such as Singapore Prison Service. However, these programmes are insufficient to help ex-offenders overcome what is known as the digital divide. Digital divide is defined as “ the differing amount of information between those who have access to the Internet…and those who do not have access” (Internet World Stats, 2014). Digital divide, in the context of ex-offenders, refer to their access to the internet, especially social media. According to Vogel (2008) prison settings restrain the inmates’ access to a myriad of Information and communications technology (ICTs), such as smart phones or internet access, for both security and safety reasons. As a result, prison inmates, after being released, often suffer from digital illiteracy, which refers to “the inability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills” (Visser, 2012). For example, an ex-offender may not know how to use google search or Facebook after being release from prison due to long term incarceration. Ex-offenders in Singapore face poor assimilation in our technologically-driven society upon release due to their lack of internet access and social media during incarceration. Therefore the idea of a virtual campus, as adopted from the Ministry of Justice, United Kingdom, is proposed to teach offenders to use social media effectively as well as provide advanced training courses and employability skills.

Identification and description of the problem

Limited access to the internet, especially social media, will contribute to a host of problems that would impede reintegration of ex-offenders into society.

One problem resulting from this limited access to the internet reduces employment opportunities for ex-offenders. Firstly, this lack of access as a result of long-term incarceration might impede ex-offenders from utilizing online technologies, such as social networking sites, effectively to connect with potential employers. From the business firm American Technology Research Inc, an expert on business postulated that an increasing number of entrepeneurs use Skype as one of their primary means to conduct interviews and facilitate business communication (Lin, 2006). One might foresee the ex-offenders’ challenge of seeking employment through the use social networking sites. For example, an ex-offender may find it perplexing to attend a job interview via Skype in Singapore.

Secondly, ex-offenders may find difficulty in working for corporations that place great emphasis on the use of modern technologies. Various companies and organizations are increasingly adopting modern technologies for organizational purposes, such as staff employment or company management. In an article by eLearning industry, corporations report that elearning is one of the top training methods used to train both employers and employees in managing corporations (eLearning Industry, 2014). Ex-offenders, upon release from long-term incarceration, might find it difficult to cope with the concept of eLearning as they have not learnt about it during imprisonment.

Finally, technology can evolve significantly during the period when offenders are serving their sentence prior to release. As technology becomes more sophisticated, ex-offenders may not be sufficiently proficient to acquire the necessary skills needed to master certain ICTs. In the past, we could only communicate with others over long distances through mobile phones. Presently, our computers are equipped with the technology to make calls or even host conference video calls with many people at once. The nature of technology may increasingly become complex and ex-offenders find difficulty in learning these technologies upon release. As a result, ex-offenders may experience further inequality upon release. This inequality may result in feelings of isolation accompanied by feelings of low self-worth and frustration which lead to poor reintegration into society and thus, increase the likelihood of re-offending (Willis & Grace, 2009). As such, this poor reintegration into society may increase the likelihood of recidivism amongst ex-offenders.

Solution

A solution to bridge the digital divide between ex-offenders and society is the implementation of a Virtual Campus (VC) within correctional settings. The VC is a “safe, web-based IT platform that aims to provide education, training and employment opportunities” (Kendall & Hughes, 2011) for offenders under incarceration, so that they can better reintegrate into our technologically-driven society upon release. To apply the idea of VC in Singapore, one approach is the provision of employment skills training to current offenders. For example, the VC can provide offenders opportunities to attend various courses taught by an online tutor, such as data entry workshops. Upon completion of these courses, offenders can be taught to create online resumes to document these milestones. Upon release, this resume will continue to follow these offenders through prison into the local community. To improve on the VC, the idea of a secured social media and networking outlet should be implemented. Social networking tools, such as Facebook or Skype, can be taught to offenders so as to improve their ease of reintegration into society upon release. The VC helps promote active interaction amongst offenders. For example, offenders would have to write out workings while completing the workshops. Also, the VC promotes continuing support to offenders through community organizations. To elaborate, the workshops attended by offenders within VC are facilitated by external organizations. Upon release from incarceration, these offenders can then continue their learning or even acquire employment opportunities with these organizations (Kendall & Hughes, 2011).

In conclusion, the suggestion of a VC to help facilitate ease of reintegration of ex-offenders into the local community is important. Ex-offenders face a myriad of challenges upon release, such as stigmatization from the community as well as the lack of employment opportunities which may impede their reintegration into society. Therefore, providing the necessary skills to ex-offenders serves as an essential safeguard for helping them integrate into society as well as reduces the likelihood of these ex-offenders reoffending.

Reference

eLearning Industry. (2014). Top 10 e-learning statistics that you need to know. Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/top-10-e-learning-statistics-for-2014-you-need-to-know

Grace, R. C., & Willis, G. M. (2009). Assessment of community reintegration planning for sex offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36(5), 494-512. 

Internet World Stats. (2014). The digital divide, ICT and the 50 x 15 initiative. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm

Kendall, A., & Hughes, J. (2011). The Alliance for digital incluson. In Working with the virtual campus action research  ‘champions’ programme. Retrieved from https://www.wlv.ac.uk/pdf/sed-res-hughes-workingwithvirtualcampus.pdf

Lin, A. (2006). Business technology statistics. Entrepreneur. Retrieved fromhttp://www.entrepreneur.com/article/81966.

Visser, M. (2012). What is digital literacy. In Digital Literacy Definition. Retrieved from http://connect.ala.org/node/181197  

Yellow Ribbon Project Singapore. (2014). Who we are. In About Us. Retrieved from http://www.yellowribbon.org.sg/about-us/yellow-ribbon-singapore.html

Essay outline

Prompt

Discuss a "divide" that exists due to the lack of ICT or other digital technology in a particular country/academic discipline, and propose measures that could be implemented to address the problem. 

Main topic area

The digital divide between ex-offenders and the community within our technologically-driven society.

Main problem identified (Where? Who is impacted? What causes the problem?)

Poor assimilation of ex-offenders into our technologically-driven society

Proposed solution (Who has the means of solving the problem? Who is impacted?)

A virtual campus - A web based IT platform that provides education, training and employment opportunities for offenders in correctional facilities. 

Proposed thesis (a complex sentence with both an independent and dependent clause)

The concept of a virtual campus, as adapted by the Ministry of Justice, United Kingdom, is proposed to provide education, training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders in Singapore as they face poor assimilation in our technologically- driven society upon release due to them having limited internet access during incarceration. 

Reader Response Draft 3

In Picardo’s article “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures”,  he advocates the development of a deeper global awareness and understanding of diverse cultures amongst school students. Hence, students can uncover new ideas and perspectives that help them grow into mature, well-informed individuals (Picardo, 2012). To facilitate the development of global awareness, Picardo asserts the importance of “contextualized learning” to complement the experience of character building amongst students. Furthermore the article highlights the idea of introducing modern technology and social media, such as Twitter and Skype, within classrooms to encourage learning. Finally, international partnerships across schools is encouraged so as to build an enriching education for students and teachers alike.

Contextualized learning serves as an impetus for further learning opportunities and personal development. As a staunch advocate of contextualized learning, growth is evident only when education is provided not only within classrooms, but within a myriad of settings such as internships or overseas school trips.

Firstly, deriving contextualized education through overseas expeditions deepens our understanding of world issues. Through continuous engagement with the global community, new perspectives and divergent world-views can emerge.  Several examples were highlighted in this article, including cultural trips to Andalusia and a history trip to Berlin. I recall, in particular, a 10-day study trip in 2010 in which I embarked on to understand the differences in social issues faced by people with disabilities in Singapore and Cambodia respectively. After I learnt about the social issues faced by the people with disabilities, I became motivated to engage these individuals once again through a Youth Expedition Project to meet their basic, social needs. Through the overseas trip I embarked on in which contextualized learning occurred, my knowledge of global social issues expanded. In particular, I also learnt about the differences in social needs between Singapore and Cambodia.

Contextualized learning also provides interest and insights into academic topics that cannot be derived from textbook learning alone. In the past, I detested political science as I found it too abstract to comprehend. However, my recent class trip to Cambodia as part of FASSTrack Asia’s summer school changed my perspective on politics. I learnt about Human Trafficking as well as its underlying political issues. My theoretical knowledge of Human Trafficking would not have sufficed, if not for the field trip to complement my understanding of human trafficking. Not only did the trip increased my knowledge of human trafficking, my classmates, mostly whom were honours students, also played a role in facilitating my understanding of political science as a whole. In retrospect, I was genuinely ignorant of issues pertaining to the political issues in the world as I could not relate to politics explained within textbooks. As a relatively nescient, apathetic student the field trip has, coupled with my peers’ teaching, transformed me into a  concerned, learned individual. In fact, the field trip has motivated me to pursue political science as a exposure module in my university education. 

Within a highly contextualized learning environment, cultural exchanges between people of different background and cultures can facilitate global awareness.When Picardo states “the awkward dinner conversation of foreign exchange students with their German host families…”, it reminded me of the conversations I had with exchange students from Canada, the U.S. as well as Australia during the field trip. However, the informational exchange of cultural practices and language through our daily meals has further enriched my knowledge and understanding of other cultures. For example, people in British Columbia, Canada use the term “pop” whereas people in the United Kingdom and Singapore prefer the term “soda”.  Consequently, these cultural exchanges has helped me to understand the different thought processes in which individuals from other cultures operate through as well as facilitate a greater global awareness.

Picardo’s “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures” has reinforced my belief in the importance of contextualized learning. Through experiential education, I became more resourceful and independent. Moreover, it has precipitated opportunities for my professional growth. For instance, I have obtained the contacts of several Non-governmental organizations within Cambodia which will aid in my educational route as a social work major. To conclude, contextualized learning will benefit students from all walks of life. Be it primary school children or an adult learner, everyone will learn, develop and grow as an individual under a highly contextualized learning environment.

Picardo, J. (2012, September 25).  Why students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures. The Guardian. Retrieved from The Guardian database at
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures

Reader Response Draft 2

In Picardo’s article “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures”,  he advocates the development of a deeper global awareness and understanding of diverse cultures amongst school students (Picardo, 2012). Hence, students can uncover new ideas and perspectives that help them grow into mature, well-informed individuals. To facilitate the development of global awareness, Picardo asserts the importance of “contextualized learning” to complement the experience of character building amongst students. Furthermore the article highlights the idea of introducing modern technology and social media, such as Twitter and Skype, within classrooms to encourage learning. Finally, international partnerships across schools are encouraged so as to build an enriching education for both students and teachers alike. 

As a staunch advocate of contextualized learning, I believe in constructing meaning from experiences derived from experiential learning. To aid the development of a well-learned, mature individual, education should take place not only within classrooms, but through a myriad of settings such as internships or overseas school trips. Personally, I find interacting with various personalities through experiential learning taught me to understand different thought processes in which people operate through. In addition, new perspectives and divergent worldviews can be revealed through continuous engagement with the global community via contextualized learning. Several examples of contextualized learning were highlighted in this article, including cultural trips to Andalusia and a history trip to Berlin.  I recall, in particular, a 10-day study trip in 2010 in which I embarked on to understand the differences in social issues faced by people with disabilities in Singapore and Cambodia respectively. After I learnt about the social issues faced by the people with disabilities, I became motivated to engage these individuals once again through a Youth Expedition Project to meet their basic, social needs. 

Through contextualized learning my cross-cultural knowledge of social issues expanded, in particular the difference in social needs within Singapore and within Cambodia.  I also believe that contextualized learning serves as a impetus for further learning and personal development. Recently, I travelled to Cambodia as part of FASSTrack Asia’s summer school. There, I learnt about Human Trafficking as well as the underlying social, economic and political issues. My theoretical knowledge of Human Trafficking would not have sufficed, if not for the field trip to complement my understanding of human trafficking. Not only did the trip increased my knowledge of human trafficking, my classmates, mostly whom were honours students, also played a role in facilitating my understanding of political science as a whole. In retrospect, I was genuinely ignorant of issues pertaining to the social, economic and political aspects of the world. As a relatively nescient, apathetic student the field trip has, coupled with my peers’ teaching, transformed me into a  concerned, learned individual. In fact, the field trip has motivated me to pursue political science as a exposure module in my university education. 

Within a highly contextualized learning environment, cultural exchanges through communication between people of different backgrounds are inevitable. Upon reading “the awkward dinner conversation of foreign exchange students with their German host families…” (Picardo, 2012), it reminded me of the awkward conversations I had with exchange students from Canada, the U.S. as well as Australia during the field trip. However, the informational exchange of cultural practices and language through our daily meals has further enriched my knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, people in British Columbia, Canada use the term “pop” whereas people in the United Kingdom and Singapore prefer the term “soda”.  These cultural exchanges has indeed enriched my learning process and facilitated a greater global awareness. 

Picardo’s “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures” has reinforced my belief in the importance of contextualized learning. Through experiential education, I became more resourceful and independent. Moreover, it has precipitated opportunities for my professional growth. For instance, I have obtained the contacts of several Non-governmental organization within Cambodia which will aid in my educational route as a social work major. To conclude, contextualized learning will benefit students from all walks of life. Be it primary school children or an adult learner, everyone will learn, develop and grow as an individual under a highly contextualized learning environment.

References

Picardo, J. (2012, September 25).  Why students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures. The Guardian. Retrieved from

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures

Assignment 2: Reflection [Edited]

It was the year 2011. I was in my final year of polytechnic education, during which I was allocated an internship position at Melrose Home. A residence providing care and protection for children and youth who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, Melrose Home inspired my belief in serving the community. As a mentor, I was assigned to Dave*. More often than not, people who came into contact with Dave described him as a “problematic child”. Dave rarely smiled, frequently threw tantrums, muttered obscenities as well as exhibited anti-social behaviors. As his mentor, I was frustrated. It was difficult working with a boy of such volatile temperament and it heavily affected my work performance.

That all changed when I accompanied Dave to visit his mother and brother. I was taken aback by the fact that Dave’s mother and brother were both residents of MINDS, an organization that serves Persons with intellectual disabilities. For the first time, I witnessed Dave smile. It was as though Dave became the happiest boy on earth, struggling to see his family once again. A social worker then revealed to me that Dave, when he was still a young, happy boy, was seperated from both of them due to their intellectual disabilities. Since then, Dave was only allowed to visit them once every few months. Dave’s longing to be with his family fueled his anger and frustrations, and this transformed a young, decent boy into the “problem” child he is now.

Behind everyone person lies a story, and the one behind Dave’s truly inspired my beliefs in pursuing social work. In working with the vulnerable populations of Singapore, I want to help address underlying social issues that plague our local community so that people like Dave can become happy again.

(Edited as of 12 September 2014, 12.38am)

Reader Response (Assessed) Draft 1

In Picardo’s article “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures”,  he advocates the development of a deeper global awareness and understanding of diverse cultures amongst school students. Hence, students can uncover new ideas and perspectives that help them grow into mature, well-informed individuals (Picardo, 2012). To facilitate the development of global awareness, Picardo asserts the importance of “contextualized learning” to complement the experience of character building amongst students. Furthermore the article highlights the idea of introducing modern technology and social media, such as Twitter and Skype, within classrooms to encourage learning. Finally, international partnerships across schools is encouraged so as to build an enriching education for students and teachers alike. 

As a staunch advocate of contextualized learning, I believe in constructing meaning from experiences derived from experiential learning. To aid the development of a well-learned, mature individual, education should take place not only within classrooms, but through a myriad of settings such as internships or overseas school trips. Personally, I find interacting with various personalities through experiential learning taught me to understand different thought processes in which people operate through. In addition, new perspectives and divergent worldviews can be revealed through continuous engagement with the global community via contextualized learning. Several examples of contextualized learning were highlighted in this article, including cultural trips to Andalusia and a history trip to Berlin.  I recall, in particular, a 10-day study trip in 2010 in which I embarked on to understand the differences in social issues faced by people with disabilities in Singapore and Cambodia respectively. After I learnt about the social issues faced by the people with disabilities, I became motivated to engage these individuals once again through a Youth Expedition Project to meet their basic, social needs. 

Through contextualized learning my cross-cultural knowledge of social issues expanded, in particular the difference in social needs within Singapore and within Cambodia.  I also believe that contextualized learning serves as a impetus for further learning and personal development. Recently, I travelled to Cambodia as part of FASSTrack Asia’s summer school. There, I learnt about Human Trafficking as well as the underlying social, economic and political issues. My theoretical knowledge of Human Trafficking would not have sufficed, if not for the field trip to complement my understanding of human trafficking. Not only did the trip increased my knowledge of human trafficking, my classmates, mostly whom were honours students, also played a role in facilitating my understanding of political science as a whole. In retrospect, I was genuinely ignorant of issues pertaining to the social, economic and political aspects of the world. As a relatively nescient, apathetic student the field trip has, coupled with my peers’ teaching, transformed me into a  concerned, learned individual. In fact, the field trip has motivated me to pursue political science as a exposure module in my university education. 

Within a highly contextualized learning environment, cultural exchanges through communication between people of different backgrounds are inevitable. Upon reading “the awkward dinner conversation of foreign exchange students with their German host families…” (Picardo, 2012), it reminded me of the awkward conversations I had with exchange students from Canada, the U.S. as well as Australia during the field trip. However, the informational exchange of cultural practices and language through our daily meals has further enriched my knowledge and understanding of the world. For example, people in British Columbia, Canada use the term “pop” whereas people in the United Kingdom and Singapore prefer the term “soda”.  These cultural exchanges has indeed enriched my learning process and facilitated a greater global awareness. 

Picardo’s “Why Students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures” has reinforced my belief in the importance of contextualized learning. Through experiential education, I became more resourceful and independent. Moreover, it has precipitated opportunities for my professional growth. For instance, I have obtained the contacts of several Non-governmental organization within Cambodia which will aid in my educational route as a social work major. To conclude, contextualized learning will benefit students from all walks of life. Be it primary school children or an adult learner, everyone will learn, develop and grow as an individual under a highly contextualized learning environment.

Reference

Picardo, J. (2012, September 25).  Why students need a global awareness and understanding of other cultures. The Guardian. Retrieved from The Guardian database at
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures