Day and
all the rest of the Primary 6 kids went to the Future of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, which ends soon. So did
I.
* The class girls having their snacks
* Class boys, in another corner
Even
though some of the screened shows are a bit OTT in the feel-good way, I enjoyed
some of the ideas in the exhibition on future homes. Floor boards which
transform the kinetic energy from footsteps to power the home, sky gardens which
offer fresh produce to all of a building’s occupants, intelligent clothes which
can diagnose medical issues like heart attacks or fractures.
* Shows screened on a Dome, IMAX style
* Future homes
But this
is what I hear the kids say:
Goodness,
learning journeys are getting more and more boring. This is so boring.
I don’t think
any of these ideas can work (this courtesy of Day).
On the
way back on the bus, Day’s teacher grabs the mike (the sort which tour operators
use) and rips into the kids.
“I saw
you all taking selfies with the iPad. Selfies! The iPad belongs to the school
and is meant for you to take photos of the exhibition! Instead I saw you all
taking photos of yourself! What is this?
I also
said, you are not allowed to take out your mobile devices but I saw many of you
taking out your phones! I have confiscated three phones and I am NOT going to return
the phones until our supplementary class is over!
I also saw some of you writing inappropriate things when you were supposed to write down your future wishes for Singapore!
Please
remember you are in school uniform, you represent the school! I had to shout at
you all so many times to behave!
I am very
concerned, I can tell you all. This exhibition is called the Future of Us. My
future is in your hands! If this is what you are, I am afraid for my future!"
Honestly,
learning journeys for little kids take a lot more work and are a lot more tiring,
but I think they’re more satisfying. The bigger they grow the more cynical and unenthused
they become.
* Probably one of the funnest parts of the exhibition, the 3D photo sticker on the ground, which looks nothing like this in real life, and which apparently cost the organisers a lot of money to put up (Evan and Day)