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1. Description of Our Community
Singapore, a tropical sunny island in south-east Asia. It has a world-class public service, an award-winning airline, and lots of green spaces for an urban city.
Singapore officially gained sovereignty on 9 August 1965. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as President, and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of the Republic of Singapore.
Since independence, Singapore's standard of living has risen dramatically.
In 2009, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Singapore the tenth most expensive city in the world in which to live—the third in Asia, after Tokyo and Osaka.
The population of Singapore including non-residents is approximately 4.99 million. Singapore is highly cosmopolitan and diverse with Chinese people forming an ethnic majority with large populations of Malay, Indian and other people.
2. Summary of Our Project
Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore to independence and served as its first prime minister. He was prime minister from 1959 until he stepped down in 1990. He ruled with the up most authority, and he had zeal for law and order. He battled against colonists and communists and his efforts led to Singapore’s independence. While trying to be self-sufficient, the fledging nation faced problems like mass unemployment, housing shortages, and a dearth of land and natural resources.
During Lee Kuan Yew's term as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration tackled the problem of widespread unemployment, raised the standard of living, and implemented a large-scale public housing programme. It was during this time that the foundation of the country's economic infrastructure was developed and the threat of racial tension was curbed.
He was one to get things done well and never gave up on what he believed in. He was in one word, a “legend”. Therefore, our project would glorify his efforts in the independence of Singapore.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%
B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6
C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection
D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
The first problem we encountered was time constraint. Having the bulk of students from the upper secondary, it was hard to compromise on a time to meet because of our varying timetables as the subjects taken all ended at different timings. Hence, it was hard to settle on a date that suited all. This also caused us to work at night till the wee hours and also our weekends and school holidays were sacrificed. On top of that all students had other commitments such as academics and other school projects, so it was quite a hectic schedule for everyone in addition to completing this project. Hence, we utilized web tools such as Google Docs; everyone was given a topic to research separately we then used Google Docs to compile our individual research to overcome the difficulty of meeting up. We also used online conferencing to brainstorm and express ideas and opinions. The second problem was the amount of research we had to do. It was indeed a lot of research to do and when information about Lee Kuan Yew was researched, the sources needed much paraphrasing. Hence, we each took charge of a topic and read up on Lee Kuan Yew's too.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
This project has helped me gained knowledge about Lee Kuan Yew, the man and his ideas that has shaped the nation to what it has become today, which is present day Singapore. It has also enriched us on Singapore's rich culture and history which has made us develop a true passion for our homeland and appreciate the roots of the nation.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
The History of Singapore is a required subject in Singapore for all 14-year-olds, it enables us to appreciate Singapore's early history and aid in the coursework that was needed for this project itself. It also helped us understand the constraints and vulnerabilities faced by Singapore after separation and the strategies used to overcome them. The main skills we learnt throughout the project were the ability to research relevantly and be very organized in our work style so as to ensure it is easier to collaborate the ideas and facilitate teamwork between the team members. It also ensured that the research was comprehendible. Comparing to conventional teaching methods, the use of internet sustained the interest of the members in learning about Lee Kuan Yew and his quest to build Singapore. This project enables members to understand the problems of Singapore in reference to what happened in the past. The quote, 'We can take lessons from the past but we cannot live in it' is a good example of this. It also helped learned about our founding father, Lee Kuan Yew in greater depth. The education system in Singapore emphasizes raising awareness among the young so they can understand the obstacles faced to lead Singapore to what it is today. History is an inquiry into the past. The study of History helps students to see their place in time, where they come from, and their relationship to other communities, societies and the world at large. It enables students to appreciate human endeavours and achievements of the past. It helps to build national identity and strengthen citizenship values. In this era of globalization, the study of History enables students to adopt a global perspective and understand the complexity of the world we live in.
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