Salam and hi,

Nowadays after smart school we have smart board. That’s means everything should be smart even a board. I wonder if we have smart pen, smart book or smart desk too. A big question to us is whether we can produce smart students or not. Apart from all the technology invented to make things easier that is a question mark on the effectiveness of the usage. For example, is the use of IT in school. It is undeniable that many interesting and useful things that a teacher can create using the net to teach the pupils. But, the activities are just for their cognitive development and not really on their physical and social development. The pupils are just glued to sit and watch and then respond. I think the activities for the pupils should involve lots of physical movement so that to help their development. We need to produce a holistic person in them where they can be both active academically, socially and physically. Besides, the widespread of technology especially in urban area have contributed to negative impacts rather than positive impacts. The technology has been misuse by the children because of lack attention by their parents. The same situation now has slowly move to the rural area which the internet connection can be reached. Today, i think there is no more ‘kampung boy’ like the old day. I use to be a ‘kampung girl’. I grown up with nature which i have the opportunity to explore by myself every inch of my village and be friend to every fish in the river (hehehehe). I think those experience help me to appreciate the nature more and learn many things with nature and started to learn who am i. But, I’m sad to see my little sister do not have the valuable moment as I did. She has no time for that because of the school demand. I can say that she tend not to be very independent. However, though we can explore all parts of the world just clicking on the mouse, still we just can’t experience it. What we can do is just dreaming and imagining. So, in my opinion, as a teacher we can’t be too dependent on technology to shape our pupils. We should give them opportunity to explore the world around them by themselves. I think the best things are to give them opportunity to deal with the real things such as visiting and experimenting. We also should expose them to the nature as much as we can so that technology will not give a negative impact to them. There should be more interaction with the real human being and thing to build their social skill. In addition, there are some negative impacts on health because of technology. Like I’m experiencing now.. Waiting hours in front of computer to download or upload file make me suffer from a bad backache..huhuhuhu.. Besides, i also become one of the Panda’s sibling...wuuu.. Anyone who is in the same boat as i am? If you do..Welcome to the club, friends...

Theories into practices..

Assalamualaikum and hi,
we were given some input on the theory part on how to design the material using different kinds of media. We can use ASSURE model, ADDIE model or DICK and CAREY model to help us to design the materials using many kinds of other media apart of lecture and books. However, as a teacher we should know our students first before deciding to design the activities. It is important so that it would match with our students' need and ability so that we can deliver the content successfully. In addition, we should aware that every student in our class is different in terms of their characteristics, learning styles and background. Therefore, we need to consider all the factors before designing the activities.
Then, we need to state the objectives explicitly so that we know what we expect from the students performance. Besides, it also keeps us always on the track during the activities to ensure the learning process happen. After that, we can start to select the materials, method and media to be used in the classroom. The material should reflect the objectives that we plan earlier. In selecting the materials we must make sure that it is suitable and have the teaching points on it. If we need the materials is too high or too low for students' proficiency, we can modify and produce the new material from the original one. We can design it according to our creativity to suit our learners.
Before we used the material we have design, we should preview it to make sure that it alright and we can make adjustment to meet the students' need. Then, during the presentation stage, we should make sure that the students can participate in the activity to maximize the learning process among them. It is because they will learn best while interacting with their peer as their language continue to develop. At this stage they will try hard to learn by creatively make their own language and guessing to deliver and understanding messages. Besides, according to a psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, he stated that students construct their learning by interacting with their surrounding such as peers, teachers, parents and environment. Lastly, we need to evaluate the material used, do they met our learning objectives and do they students benefit from the activities. We can evaluate it during and after the activities. We can assess them while they are doing the activity by observing their development. After that, we need to make a reflection on our design material so that we can improve it later.
These theories help me to know the requirement of the activity that I’m going to design so that I will always be on the right track. It is also to make sure that I will not be too ambitious which I can't meet their proficiency or underestimate my students which will make them learn nothing. I can fall back on a theory by Stephen Krashen that said we should give them comprehensible input which goes a step beyond their current knowledge or what he called it as i+1. (Lightbown and Spada, 2001).

A journey starts with a first step..

salam,
Thanks God for this course..i think i will learn lots of thing that of course will benefit me as future teacher..God Willing.
that day i've learn how to edit a video using window movie maker. before that i already know about the window but, i dont think i will use it..hehehe
but, now i think i will try to explore the very basic one that i had overlooked.thanks, everyone.
for me, this is important because some of the videos we download from any web are not match with our students' level and sometimes it is too long that will not enough for only half an hour class. so, we need to edit and suit it our students' level of ability and proficiency.
then, for our first assignment we need to design our own video using the window movie maker or any window to make an interesting 3 minute presentation. in our group of 5 we discussed about our project..everyone were trying their best to give ideas about the presentation until we can't think anymore. luckily, Ms Ng also helped us in designing the activity..thank you for the cooperation, Ms Ng..besides, the video presentation during the class also give us come ideas to design the activity. then, we had come out with an idea to do the puppets presentation and to reduce the cost we think we can make the props of the puppet show using something like the super impose thing. however we do not have the knowledge on how to make it..huhuhu..so, we have to work hard to learn the knowledge...until then..bye..

next generation learning.

salam,

how techno is going to affect our students? a lots.. like there will be less depending on manual stuffs where the students will be exposed widely in the learning which lead to enjoyable and interesting way of learning.

in the past, students having a small scope of finding friends where they can share their thoughts and learn other culture and country. but, now they just can click to be friend with any other people in another country which will enhance their language and expand their social life and knowledge.

there also lots of other things like student who love to draw can put his drawing alive using animation..that's cool!

so, there a lots of work for us as a future teacher to learn in order to cater their needs..besides, it also benefits us in many way as well. then, don't worry for the tiring work await.huh..think positive(rite,liza..hehehe)

one day....

I felt very nervous after the first class. Why? As you all know, I’m not into technology very much. So, most of the latest technology stuffs are alien to me..huhuhu...
Therefore, i hope this course will give some new input for me to use in my teaching profession in future.
But, i think this course would be fun because i will learn lots of new stuffs with my wonderful friends and a brilliant lecturer..i will need your help along the way and i hope that you will not get bored and fed up with me. .hehehe..
for me technology plays an important role in teaching and learning process as a tool to capture students' interest and to make the teaching and learning process meaningful. i know all of you'll agree with me,rite?hehehe
so, as a teacher we need to be well-equipped with this techno stuff. besides, it will make our live easier because it lot to be explored!

that's for that day..see you soon..adios