Final post

Summing up what I have learn for the whole course and practical and also my life in BECH!

For the past 5 semester it has been a big and huge learning experience for me. I have actually benefited a lot from the program. I came to understand children better day by day, a better view and understanding of how they learn and how they act. Each professional practice that I gone through, gives new experiences that are beyond expectation. The previous EDC3100 professional experience was rather a good exposure to use ICT in classroom, a preview of how futuristic education might be.

ICT and pedagogy has opened up my eyes to see the wonders technology can do in the classroom and yet not replacing the main role of the teacher. This little pieces of machines could evolve and be a better machine for better learning process. Children now and the future will benefit more from this. For example, 20 books cramped in an Ipad is such a convenience!

ICT for Sports

One thing to ponder about this week will be the using ICT for sports. Nintendo Wii is an interesting platform for children to move around in the classroom virtually. This kind of technology is awesome for the use in school especially when the students are unable to go out from the school compound due to rain and probably due to the limited space. This is interactive and fun however there are limitations that not all children can carry out this activity all at the same time. However, Nintendo Wii is a wonderful device that we can use to encourage children who are lazy and not keen with the traditional sports. What would you do with this device? would you bring it into your classroom? I would for sure!

What's ICT from today onwards?

The successful integration of ICT in lesson indeed made the lesson interesting and improve the quality of learning for the children, and of course there are failure times as well with the ICT. However what is it from here on-wards. As practical comes to an end quickly, and tomorrow being the last day in school. I was wondering what will I be doing with ICT, how will I use it to the max to integrate learning in the future. Along side with Neeno, we had implemented a few combined ICT lesson. She strikes out one important point of how ICT can be used in capturing attention before the class. With the guidance from the mentor, I come to see that ICT can indeed be used for

Capturing Attention

Retaining attention

Recap learning

Reinforce learning

Learn better things

and the list goes on......

Take a look from Miss Tan's blog reflection on how she carries ICT in class.

Toodles!!

My Pad Your Pad Our Pad

Those little monsters are awesome, they are able to use Ipads for their lessons. I am quite sure back when I was six years old I am no where near to knowing to use technology as good as they are now. No doubt time has change and children are now more tech-savvy and literacy is expanded beyond reading and writing.

As the days go by, I find it fascinating how much more attentive children becomes when we are using ICT in their lesson, how much more they want to participate and pay attention in class. They are basically wanting to try out the activities done on the Ipad, smart-boards and computers. These types of active interaction in learning allows the children to construct their own knowledge as they explore. One interesting part that Mandy actually conducted for her ICT integration during station games was the simple touch game that allows the children to think before passing to the next stage was rather awesome!

The E-Reader

Libraries are less likely visited nowadays, rows and rows of books are starting to disappear and everyone is carrying an unknown device that contains more than hundred shelves of books. It is rather interesting to see how people used to carry books around and today one out of ten would still actually carries a book around to read. The introduction of virtual reader, or perhaps known as an e-book has taken over the world of books. 

Image Source: Google Image

The early introduction of ebooks on the computer allows people to read using Adobe Reader on the computer only but later on ebook readers are created to allow portability. The early ebook readers allow user to bring up to few hundreds of books depending on their size, however that has turned reading into a whole new dimension. The load of bringing books around has been eased and reading has been virtual since then. 

Image Source: Google Image

However, Apple brings reading to a whole new level when they created iBooks. iBooks is a reading platform that allows users to virtually flip the pages allowing for the real feel of reading the book and the capacity of the Ipad to store up to thousands of books made reading to a whole new level. That is when the term library no longer exist but now known as virtual library as Joe would state in his blog. What would reading be in the future? Perhaps a projector into the air to read in motion?

However, with the rapid development in reading technology, making it at ease to bring around the reading materials, does the number of people reading increase? Has this technology helped with increasing the habit of reading among students? What is your verdict on this issue in education? Would the future generation lose the feeling of flipping a real book when all the books are gone?

The Age of Multidimensional World

Image Source: Google Image

The world is no longer limited to a single dimension, or perhaps the 2D. Coming across 3D for the first time in the cinemas was rather fascinating for me. As fascinated as I am, I purchased my first 3D glass to watch some videos on youtube after they launch their 3D mode.

My coursemate Joe recently wrote about 3D printing, a futuristic concept in that we never thought would exist 20 years ago. I wonder how many more years to go before we are able to get that in the Malaysian market but then again, another interesting thing would be the 3Doodler, drawing in air. That seems rather possible to get it out to the market soon. I would definitely buy them for the use of drawing in classroom.

How awesome is that? I wouldn't mind this in my classroom. I think that kids will actually enjoy the use of this device. However the combination between drawing on paper and using the 3Doodler has to be balanced. A typical art lesson would be presenting their concept or drawing on a paper (2D) then proceed on using the 3Doodler to make their 3D model drawing. What is your verdict on this? can or cannot? or both also can larr....

Professional Practice School

Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

As we prepare for the assignment of the course of planning unit plan as well as preparing ourselves for professional practice. Many things come to mind. How do I teach? what do I teach?Why do I use ICT? How much of ICT to use? and so on. As I recall the video from module 5, it reminds me that I should be planning lesson that doesn't bore child, lessons that are useful for the and to prepare them for the future. As teachers of the 21st century, our task is no longer to construct their knowledge only, but to prepare them for the world and jobs that doesn't exist just yet. This thoughts were playing in my head over and over again as I tour around the school this morning.

Image source: TSC

The 10 of us from BECH had been called in for a briefing and to check on the ICT facilities that the school has. I think that was indeed a good move of the principal in getting us prepared earlier in order for us to prepare our lessons based on the facilities they have or perhaps what we can add on to that. Let's take a look at the equipment well prepared for our use in this coming practicum.

Image Source: Google Image

Smart-board is definitely used. It was my first personal encounter with it. Well being quite amazed by the works can be done with the smart-board, I am at the point of thinking how lessons can be carried out using this amazing tool. 

Image Source: Google Image

I am pretty amaze with their audio system. Pictures are not allowed of anything that is associated with the kindergarten due to copyright. However, with 10 output to one source, the children can share and listen to the same thing. Furthermore this could be used in class to encourage harmonious learning that the children will not feel biased out discriminate teachers for being not fair. 

Image Source: Google Image & Skype

Wifi is available for the teaching and learning use. Now now, I was thinking of organizing Skype call at the end of each week so that the students can discuss with the other school what they had learn. Since it's part of their language development too. 

Image Source: Google Image

Or perhaps when the internet line is down, the alternative for communication is there. Well it is one of the ICT device, did you not know?

LeapPad - IPad's Cousin

With all the buzz going on with learning through Ipads and all, I came across an interesting gadget as I was strolling along Toys R Us yesterday. This device by LeapFrog called LeapPad2 an improvised version of LeapPad is one of the hot selling gadget for children. Apparently this device is a very academic one as compared to Ipads. This is in contrast a response post to Vicki's post on How young is too young for an ipad.

This is how it looks like. pretty awesome device for young learners. Lets take a look at what the device special features are.

• Learning games - not just any angry bird games but lots of games for learning (numeracy, language etc)
• Download apps - the special part of this device is that you can download lots of other learning apps
• Digital reading and Ebooks - this device serves as an ebook reader too, promoting paperless
• Flash cards
• Videos - for watching vausla youtube videos online or learning videos
• Music players - relaxation is equally important too isn't it
• Front and back camera recorder - one feature for the child to make it feels like an ipad.
• Online play

Will you provide one of this for your child? I say yes to that. This device has 325 and more learning games and apps that provide an educational and interactive experience for each child. It has an automatically progress detector and changes accordingly making the level harder for the child. This device seem to be a working device to the child like an Ipad rather than a toy.

The device cost RM500-RM799, depending on their features and specification. What is your verdict on replacing the use of Ipads with this one? and only teachers to use Ipad. Sounds like a good idea isn't it? As compared to Ipad, this will suit the children more, probably as a start up device for the child to be responsible with before using the ipad. Nonetheless, it is still cost a bomb to some parents too. There you go, every technology seems to have a pro and con towards that. 

The '+' & '-' Effects of ICT

With all the encouragement and positive post from all the students of EDC3100 regarding on the benefits of integrating ICT within the classroom setting. I now present to you the negative effects of implementation. As I was reading this article in someone's blog, I began to see some of the reality that is happening to me as well. Lets take a stroll down the list of negativity. This is rather too negative to start of Easter with but yeah I guess it will do no more justice than sharing the ugly truth. 

Nonetheless, all great things will definitely have a flaw. In contrast to the benefits of ICT such as an easy access to information and learning, increased interactivity and multiple opportunities and resources for learning, ICT can be a bad influence to a child if not well controlled. Let's take a look at the first ugly truth of ICT.

Jobless in future

• Machine replacement of manual labor taking over 
• those who are not technology savvy will probably lose their job or won't get a job placement.

Reduced Personal interaction

• Individuals losing touch in interacting face to face as they are growing more dependant on social networking site for interaction
• Individuals lose out sense of emotions and communication skills.

Reduced Physical activity

• High danger of ICT, people start to become lazy. Everything is just a click away.
• Increase risk of healthy diseases

High Cost

• in terms of education, some families could not afford to purchase high tech and expensive gadget for th child and hence the child is not able to experience those gadgets that might be used for learning or working
• inbalance in society as some are tech savvy and some are not, and in a large picture resulting in a unharmonious development for the nation

Exposure

• The wrong use of the internet resulting in the destruction of morality in individual
• Personal security and etc

How bad can things be with ICT? So what do you educators think we should do about this? or probably would like to add on to the list of horror? However, there is always a bright side, I believe that if we as educators use them well and teach them well and with boundaries, ICT would be utilize in the right way without the need to be that disastrous. 

Planning the Lesson

Now that it has been a month since we started EDC3100, and another month to go before we head out for Professional practices. I am beginning to think what should I be teaching? Sometimes there are so many limitation in the workplace that hinders you from carrying out lessons. Therefore before even starting my practical, I am gonna make a critical analysis and proper planning to avoid the unwanted and to be prepared to use ICT in teaching the children. 

Image from GoogleImage

I gotta start thinking how the class is gonna be. Should I allow ICT usage to be 100%, 70% or what. What pedagogical approach should I be underlying my practice to. How many children are there, how many are ICT users for the first time or perhaps not so keen or new to ICT. How well would the lesson go,would it bore the child if they are not able to use the ICT.

Image from GoogleImage

Then it comes to the second part of it, I just realize my school has a standardized curriculum and I am not able to cut through much but implementations can be done. Apparently there is good internet connection, a smart board in each classroom and nonetheless a computer lab. Awesome! that is all the basics I would need to carry out lessons. Now what should I do to make things more spiced up or perhaps better. 

Image source: google

Images source: google

Image source: google

Image source: google

Well well well, some of the equipment that I will be bringing to the school yet I myself am not quite sure what to teach just yet. Well I am gonna plan early and compare with my coursemates to seek feedback from one another. What do you guys think I should do for my lesson? Since it would centered around Science as well as language. I know I have rich ICT sources but are lessons gonna be ICT worthwhile and beneficial to the child's learning? or perhaps I might have rich ICT but I can't even use it well. What say you?

Post Artifact

Wow, wow, wow. Have you checked out my artifact for EDC3100? it looks easy when I was planning out the whole process. I was planning to get it done within an hour, but turns out more than that. It was due to wrong pronunciation, forgetting to mention certain things and some minor technical problems and etc that made it a long procedure. 

The kids that are printed and cut and outlined cause I can't draw like Joe. But nonetheless it's all worthwhile.

More troubles come the way when all the smaller papers need to be sorted out accordingly and making sure that it is in the right order so that the flow of the recording can be done without any disturbance.

I had to bring in table lamps and such to allow proper lighting so that I can record the artifact. Natural lighting was good, reflection was there and here. That took up most of my time again and again. 

My actual set up for the first try. The whole process was truly a new experience for me. I really enjoyed doing this though rather than doing artifact of essay. This I truly believe could be a form of assessment submission in the future. Now with all the artifacts submitted, I guess might as well make another video of reflection using the same method =)

ICT Artifact Preparation

Oh my goodness! its just few hours more to go to submit my assignment and I have to say that my digital artifact is in a deep mess. Worst than before I started. It seems easy at the beginning of the whole thing. As I was working through it, it would be either time management, props are not in tune with speaking and papers flying about due to the wind.

Now using the built in microphone was horrible at times, and so get out all sound effects of wind blowing, dogs barking, cats meowing and whatever sound there is, I had to use my microphone headset to record good quality sound, and hence no fart can be heard.

Now preparing the paper cut out was one of a time consuming task. Some more with a lot of papers lying around, I must make sure that not one piece disappear right before I need it to get into the scene for recording. It happens a lot that it flew off or stick with another paper and hence spoil the recording and needs to be re-recorded.

Alright, lighting set, audio set, dogs locked up, no one is around and the situation under control. Time to start off with artifact recording. Be sure to check out my artifact tomorrow and do post yours to share =) Toodles!

ICT in assisting Special Education

I came across this video as I was going through some materials I received from a forum I attended 2 weeks ago regarding special needs education. We tend to focus too much on how to integrate ICT within a classroom, but if we do look at the special needs classroom, we could see how much ICT has benefited the learners.

Image from GoogleImage

For example, the most profound one would be students with hearing impairment are now able to hear better with the use of assistive device. I would really categorize this as one of the device used in education. well partly because if it is not used the child won't be able to hear clearly.

Image from GoogleImage

Reading Pen is not something new to most educators. Children facing difficulty in reading could actually use the aid of reading pen in reading. It does help the child in the absence of the teacher. More and more children are using this, those who are facing difficulty as well as those who is not. Reading pen is good start for reading for children, when they come across some word they don't know, all they need to do is just swipe the pen and voila!

Image from GoogleImage

Another device or rather application that seem to be helpful would be the voice to text application. This is especially useful for children with physical disability or children who can't write just yet. Applications and devices like this would allow children to go through assessment in a different way. 

What other devices are there out there for aiding special needs learning? or perhaps just to use for aiding day to day lesson to make it easier for the child to learn? I await your replies peep!