The Last Reflection

My understanding of blogging is estimated in both ways: i.e. Blogging could be a way for people to express their individual thoughts and experiences, starting from sharing and communicating from different points of view. Meanwhile, it could also have a negative impart to the blogger in the sense that people could read and make wrong decision based on their individual perspectives.

What I have gained from blogging is numerous to count on. But in this course, blogging has been a medium for us to reflect on what we learn every week by analysing one’s strength and weaknesses. It is also a key tool for one to practise writing, and has be the window for me to know more about other people’s objectives and thoughts i.e. get to read blog from others and share thoughts (etc post comment)

What I really like about this course is I get the opportunity to learn how to be creative by using the latest software to develop resources for teaching English. Unlike before, now I can edit the materials that I found from the internet using the appropriate software on my own. Group work and self-discovery is the best way to acquire the skills. In the beginning, I wished the lecturer would guide us step by step on how to use all the software but I later begin to understand that we will be able to comprehend better by learning it on our own…no more spoon-feedingJ.

However, I wish this course could have been exposed us to non-tech materials that we can find around us. Since that there is another course which focuses on integrating technology in ESL classroom, it would be better if we have the chance to learn how to be creative using ‘fresh’ materials like recyclable products. With this, the course will be more interesting and innovative as pupils can express their creativity through their ‘DIY’ product. The books can only guide us but they cannot give the precious experience.

Indirectly, the opportunity to work with others and the experience in self-discovery enable me to capture unexpected experience throughout this course. I learn about team-work, time-management, creativity and patients.

Hopefully, I would keep on improving my skills in producing effective teaching aids….I would miss everything about this course, for sure…:)

It's exams time...

Oh my God! Can I cope with the assignments and exams at the same time? Do I have the time to revise all the notes? These questions kept on playing in my mind as the fear of not being able to complete the assignment and study for the test aroused. Anyhow, no matter how hard it is, I should not give up but to give the best I can. Immediate actions must be taken!!
As what I expected, I only managed to revise the day before the test. No one likes to sit for exams, but I still have to go through this final task.
Thank God, the questions focused on practicality and logical thinking. The questions summarise what we have learnt throughout the semester.
Soon as the exams over, everyone showed smile on their faces, refleting how relief they are after sitting for 2 long hours answering the exams paper.. It also means that it was the end of this course. ,
Even though it's over, the skills that I acquire from this course enable me to stand up and tell others that we English teachers are versatile. I believe that all the knowledge are useful as I enter to the real teaching world soon :)

Software for children

A computer at home is great. Computers in schools are fantastic. But a computer alone is nothing more than a machine. When children use a computer they should have adult interaction, particularly when using a software program for the first time. The adult should be available to help the child get all the benefits the program has to offer. The adult should also be ready to assist a child when he or she is having a problem and becoming frustrated. The type of help an adult should offer the child varies with every situation, but the important thing is that the adult is there!
Using computer software is a great way to enhance a child's learning experience, but it is not the "end all" solution. Computers are tools, nothing more. Children still need a parent's time and attention. Children also need caring, enthusiastic teachers at school. And above all, they need to be in an environment that encourages a quest for knowledge.
A quality program does not mean it is a "state of the art" program with lots of "bells and whistles". In fact, many times just the opposite is true! Fancy colors, lots of music and talking characters are nice, but we should look for substance. We look for programs that will stimulate, entertain, challenge and teach a child. With the emphasis on "teach"!
Studies have found that children do not need the "latest and greatest" software. They want software which challenges their skills and abilities. Children are proud when they play educational games and win but they don't want to win too easily. If they do, they get bored. We look for software which won't bore a child, yet not be so difficult that it will frustrate the average child.
In addition, as teachers, we should seek for programs which are stable, which are able to be loaded run without problem. Many programs require us to free up all memory, use special configurations or boot from a systems disk. Afterall, the purpose of children's software is for a child to be able to use it. The child should be able to start up the program independently. If the software is not "kid friendly" then we should think twice before using the particular software.

Yeah!!

YIPPIE HURRAY!! Finally, i get to finish up my third assignment for this course. It is a relief for me as these few weeks were quite hectic for me and my friends. It is not easy to come out with my own activities designed using the programes and software that have been exposed to me throughout this course. Thank God I get to learn how to use the basic functions of these software. It took some time for me to think about the approptiate and creative interactive activities that I can create for all the four skills. I admit that not much creativity I put into this assignment... anyway, I'm quite happy with the final results as I was stuck from the beginning and only managed to come out with the lesson plans a week before the submission date. Phew...

Draft after draft, soon as I managed to come out with lesson plans for all the four skills, I started to work on the teaching aids. hmm..this is another tough part...looking for the raw sources took a lot of my time. Things became tougher when my laptop hung gradually, slowing my pace in completing the assignment. Again and again, I had to restart my laptop and this made me headache!! Technology is helpful but sometimes it can cause chaos as well..with patience, I finally completed all the teaching aids, and it's printing time...wait a minute! Another problem occured..OH NO!! my printer hanged too.. what a tough day for me. Meanwhile, patience kills the obstacles again. Phew... the lesson of the day: BE PATIENT!

Selamat Hari Raya

It's Hari Raya...all of my Muslim friends were busy preparing their new baju kurung and baju melayu for the celebration, not forgetting the traditional 'kuih-muih'...everyone, yes everyone, including the Chinese and Indians were celebrating Hari Raya as well.
I was thinking of spending the 1 week break to work on some of the assignments, including the 4 skills assignment for PBEY3102 course. However, since it was a long break, nothing much I can say about the progression of my work...as I browsed through the internet, I found an article that talked about using technology and multimedia in the classroom. I would love to comment on this article as it has something to do with technology and multimedia, the two things that we stress a lot in this course:

We find ourselves today, in a classroom full of students as diverse as the world in which we live. Research on the human brain has shown that not all students learn by one particular strategy. Some students do well with the tried and true method of direct instruction, but the majority of students do not. To reach the most number of students, the teacher needs to create a variety of learning experiences. The first and most simplistic way is to use technology to supplement classroom instruction. Technology will help meet these demands is by allowing students to interact with information within a different medium. There are numerous multimedia programs designed to meet the special needs of diverse learners. For example, a student learning English as a second language would benefit from a computer program where they could learn the language at their own pace. They could spend as much time as needed on the computer, without feeling pressured to keep up with 30 other students. Another type of learner may memorize facts and details better if the information is presented in musical form. One can not expect all teachers to teach in this fashion, but a computer program or multimedia application may have the capabilities of doing so without taking additional time away from other students. By utilizing such programs, a single teacher can employ many more resources and methods within one classrooms, rather than teaching the information in one manner to all students.

Technology and multimedia applications should be an integral part of the learning environment. Our students are immersed in a daily life full of computers and other technological advances. Integration of technology does not mean placing a computer in the corner of the classroom and leaving it un-touched throughout the semester. Technology must be incorporated in all aspects of the curriculum. To do anything less would be a disservice to our students.

Publisher

There is another program from the computer that we rarely use - the Publisher. We are so familiar to words and power point, but Publisher provides us with lots of functions where we can be creative as well! I did explore this program on my own before but it was just for fun...from what i could remember... there were a few times I used it to design greeting cards..but that was years ago. we can get authentic materials from the newspapers or magazines to be used as teaching aids, but why don't we try to design them ourselves sometimes because we can make it more personal to the pupils. Moreover, pupils may appreciate more on the things that the teacher prepares for them. At the same time, teachers can introduce this program to the pupils and teach them what they can do with it to come out with their own cards or brocheurs, which they may enjoy doing it. It is a good medium for teacher and pupils to be creative and at the same time able to acquire the language.
Back to the task assigned to us... we were required to get into groups of six and produce a newsletter.. wow! A newsletter!! Hmm.. a new thing to learn..with the help from other group members, I think we can come out with one.. now, we are still in the discussion to determine what we are going to do for the newsletter.

The Journey Begins

Find a pair and start to work on the second assignment!! Honestly, I could hardly breathe as loads of assignments from different courses are in my hands now, waiting for the datelines to come. well, this is what a university student has to face. As this assignment need to be done in pairs, I have to keep on the same pace with my partner and give out the best I can because I do not want my partner's marks to get affected because of my laziness and carelessness.
I watched the video several times to get a rough idea on what kind of English activity I can come out with. I found that the images of animals and polluted environment gave big impact, therefore, I decided to make use of these images as part of my teaching aids. At the same time, to make the lesson more comprehensive, I browse the internet and search some other images which are appropriate for the lesson. Anyway, the result of this assignment yet to be seen...hopefully I could finish it on time.:)