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-Less Day!

The other day the whole school that we had practical with had this field trip to the farm. It was one of the time whereby the teacher and students are not using any ICT to implement any lesson. Surprisingly lessons and activities without ICT can also be fun for the children. I come to see that ICT can indeed enhance learning for the young ones but at the same time, children are social beings that can learn with their peers and not only technology. We have to keep in mind why we have ICT integrated within the learning classroom that is so that we can improve and enhance learning better and not replace the role of the teacher. As I was watching this video last weekend about a family that all their 3 kids have ipad and iphones to use at all times, then one day they took it off for a month, their kids began to learn useful things like sewing and etc.

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!

Futuristic Classroom

"Could ICT replaces the role of teachers in the future"

That one simple statement got me thinking how much ICT has been involved in the classroom from the start of over head projector to computer and now smart-boards. I find it easier for teachers to teach their contents as they are able to visualize what they want to teach and children are able to see it and engage into learning much better. The interactivity of learning has increased with the multiple sensory learning, allowing the children to participate actively in their own learning, leaving the teacher behind to guide and to prompt them.

It came to mind how and what would happen when the teacher's role are taken over my machines. You going to see machines talking to students and teaching them, each child having an individual teaching robot or perhaps children learn from home from the comfort of their bed entering into the virtual classroom with avatars. How cool is that?

Put fantasies aside, actually that would not be a good idea and indeed will not happen as human intereaction is seemly important and must not be removed from education!

Classroom Management

Throughout the whole professional experience, I was facing difficulty in controlling the class. I have never been able to manage the class well or perhaps due to the short duration I am not able to get the kids to understand my expectation for them. Upon reflecting on it I came across Class Dojo on Lindy's blog which is a behavior management software. The software allows us to create an avatar for each of the child and earn rewards of points upon their completion of a task or perhaps their behavior in class. This is another type of ICT that can be integrated without the use of direct teaching. Sad thing is that I did not manage to try this software with the kids in my class.

Perhaps the next session when I am working with kids, I could use this software for managing the classroom, as compared to the traditional use of stickers or any physical rewards. 

Have anyone tried using the listening center as part of teaching children. Recently I had the privilege to actually try out integrating this into the lesson of Science. It captures the interest of the child to have their headphones on their ears and the teacher speaks through the microphone softly, the children pays attention in listening to what the teacher says and watches attentively o the video as they watch it. I find this interesting, it is basically the same method as teacher speaking and the children listens however with the use of this listening tool, the children tend to be more excited and intrigued by the device. What I would say is that this device actually managed to capture the interest and attention of the child, more to helping the lesson to run smoothly. 

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 Success of ICT integration

Back in the first week of practical, I was given the task to teach nutrition based on the school's lesson plan. It was not easy at first looking at how to teach that in a short period of 30 minutes with 15 children however it all turns out well when 2 were absent and was assisted by another peer. Thank goodness for the many resources available online for me to check out suc as from the Smart Board Resources and Smart Exchange that I could adapt and modify in aligning to the school's goal and lesson objective. The lesson was pretty much interesting with the children fascinated with the use of smart-board and nonetheless their reflection was done using twitter where they write a one sentence reflection on what is their favorite fruit that is healthy.

Tomorrow marks the second week of practicum, with all the blooming ideas that I can find online, lesson planning is now hassle free, it is just the integration to make it meaningful, sometimes I think that as educator we too do deviate from the real purpose for example introducing twitter taking a longer time and in the end it becomes teaching them to use that software rather than using the software for their learning benefits. 

First ICT integration

Somehow when it comes to creativity, I think that I am not at par with most teachers. I am trying my best to integrate ICT in the most creative manner but somehow the first week has ended and here is some reflection to be done. I think that most of my lessons at the moment was rather at its basic and has't been more interesting. As I was reading Megan's post, I was challenged to be more creative for the weeks to come. In doing so, do check out this particular site on Creative Classroom that offers many creative ideas to be read. 

With the first week of practical over, I came to realize that there can be hundreds of ideas out there but then again, it really depends on how the teacher carries it out and what they believe in, and at the same time we should rather be conscious that the real object should not be removed and be replaced fully with ICT. 

My Professional Portfolio

Looking at my peers beginning preparing for their teaching practice just gets me anxious regarding my own preparation. I had been thinking through what to teach for the past 2 weeks for the next 3 weeks. There and then I was reminded by both Jess and Vicky on the need to prepare a professional portfolio within the 3 weeks professional practice. 

Looking at the amount of workload that is in the next assignment 3 as well as the professional practice, I began to think how am I supposed to organize the teaching and preparation process, to start things early and to get everything into the portfolio on daily basis or probably weekly basis. I thank David for preparing sufficient materials for us on the study desk that we could prepare based on what he wants us to. 

Being with USQ and studying online, we are highly dependent on the study desk, and it was delightful that there is tons of information online that we can just extract at any time of the day. 

Now the big question, where do I find more information regarding ICT rich teaching and lessons. I was thinking of implementing some simple ICT and thinking of it over again, that would actually limit the children's learning and I am sure that they are more capable that the simple use of ICT. So for this weekend and next week, it's gotta be "thinking days"!

What board you use?

Image Source: Google Image

What is a blackboard? or perhaps whiteboard? Many students nowadays are too familiar with their Smart Board. Blackboards are out, not many schools are using blackboard nowadays. However, white boards are declining as well. Come to think of it, most of us are from the black and white board generation. We had fun with the chalks and the markers however there are definitely constraint towards teaching using those.

How many have actually benefited from the use of LCD projector and white board learning. No doubt that learning has been rather interesting with the use of projector and computer. Well that is at least what I think of. Student tend to pay attention for the use of projection teacher as compared to the dull old use of blackboards.

What about young learners? I am not quite sure they would benefited a lot if this is used alone without the use of anything that encourages their senses. But then again, the use of smart board seems to bridge the use of technology as well as blackboard/whiteboard. Indeed, the generation this day are lucky to have a board that can be touched. Indeed this is the progressive era as termed by Mike.

Assignments Over, Practical In Line.

With assignment 2 completed, it is the final part of the course. The first two assessment that we have been doing had actually prepared me in teaching using ICT. The first assessment had actually given me a better view of the benefits of using ICT in the classroom in enhancing the learning experiences for the children and the second assessment actually gave me a chance to plan a unit plan on any key learning area of my interest to teach. I was rather fascinated how much ICT I put into the unit plan. which was not entirely many. Indeed a manage to come out with a balance lesson that uses ICT to enhance their learning from the introduction to the revision and thinking further stage. 

The next 2 weeks would be purely drafting out what to be done during the practical days while hoping that most the lesson planned out would be implemented successfully without defeating the purpose of enhancing learning and allow children to learn better things rather than to learn more ICT.

Its time for Hooray Hooray with the kids!

What to plan and what to teach?

Pressures on, submission for assignment 2 will be in 2 days and then another week for professional practice. At this point in time, I am given Science for the 6 years old to teach. It would be on Body Parts while the 5 years old will be on seasons. Despite the presence of a smart board in the center, I was thinking to head down a week earlier to familiarize my self with the environment as well as get the hang of the smart board. Now then when time is so near and short, I am thinking how much the children can adapt and participate in the learning sequence that I have provided for them. 

The only worries that I have now is that the children is unable to participate or perhaps they are more intriguing with the technology rather than the lesson. Another one would be I focus too much on the use of ICT and forgetting the purpose of the lesson. 

What are your lesson sequences educators? Mind sharing some? 

Well it is quite assuring that I am not the only one to be worrying about practical!

I Dont Know What to Reflect

There are times that when we are writing an assignment or perhaps blog post or even freelance writing online and we just ran out of inspirations or things to write. As I read on Tan's post regarding her last post randomly writing, I come to think about how I used to meet dead end when doing assignments and works, then I will be cracking my head over and over again. However with internet, and other search engine I am able to gather some ideas. Imagine people back in those days of non-internet era. They would sit down alone in any place to get inspiration or perhaps talk to their  friends to get some ideas and the famous one is to read books and more books to get inspirations.

www.google.com 

www.yahoo.com

Wikipedia - The new encyclopedia 

Life is much easier this days with the help of the 3 big players in the internet world. Google, Yahoo and Wikipedia can provide whatever you want to know and almost everything you need from education to business. I remember clearly those days when we dont have the internet at home and when we want to know more about certain things in the middle of the night, we would call up our friends and look up for books or perhaps we have to wait for the next day to seek our teachers or library to look for information. 

But then again, with all these search engines, it has made us a little more lazier than we used to be. We do not want to open up books to search for information and rely fully on the internet. What if one day, the future generation can't even search for information in the book or perhaps when all the books are gone, and if the internet is gone what would happen?

Just a little gratitude and appreciation for USQ, that I can look for more info on their elibrary and forums during wee hours to do my assignment. =D

Unit Planning

How much of ICT is too much and how little is too little. As I am planning my learning experience for the unit plan, I kept negotiating with myself whether the ICT included are too much or too little. As teachers, we should not fully rely on ICT and turning the focus of the lesson into teaching technology instead. Vicky in her recent post talks about quality integration, on how to integrate ICT to provide high quality teaching and learning experience for both teachers and students. 

I have decided to do a little modification on the almost completed series of unit plan. I am using 45% ICT in teaching Science. I was reminded again the purpose of integrating ICT as Kym would put it, that is to learn better things and to learn things better. Modifying the whole unit plan over again is not an easy tasks especially when you thought you are done with. However, it reminded me as an educator, we should constantly modify and change what is needed to best accommodate the learning needs of our students. In that way, ICT will be a positive reinforcer to learning rather than a negative one.

Interactive Drawing

While reading Kym's blogpost on drawing, I was fascinated to try out DrawAStickman. It was something interesting as compared to drawing with freehand and pencil. Being a person that loves figures more than art, I basically never actually passed art. 

Image Source: GoogleImage

Recalling back, when I had my magnetic drawing board, I was not able to draw properly as well, probably scribbling must of the time however, I can at least draw a stick-man. Drawing has evolved from using stones on wood to pencil on paper and to magnetic drawing and recently with the invention of tablets, drawing is now at a new level. It can be more fun than drawing on paper. In addition to that, paperless drawing is seen to save the environment in terms of conserving paper usage.

I am not showing any of my horrible drawing but nonetheless the epic drawing was awesome. It is rather interactive and what ever is drawn contributes to a story line. This type of drawing games are good in stimulating the brain to draw something as instructed and it is interactive as you need to draw things that are usable by the character and if it is not drawn the story would not continue on.

Facebook or Face the books

Come to think of it, Facebook is not that bad a thing when it helps in connecting to peers in BECH. Facebook is now the number 1 social networking side on the net and 9/10 people will have facebook. Perhaps 7 out the 9 are super active and 2 out of 9 are a little passive with the usage. 

Our Online students peer learning/ support group

Another general open group for discussion and help

Our SEGi-USQ BECH for ICT group

Our little practicum group

With all these groups formed on facebook, learning has been more interactive and more helpful. Sometimes when we are stucked and unable to continue with our assignments or perhaps thought of something interesting in the lectures, we could discuss on facebook and instantly get feedback even in the wee hours. Aside from that, networking with students all over the world gives me a broader view of learning and new knowledge too. 

Teachers should really encourage the use of facebook for learning. It can be rather helpful instead of just socializing on facebook. Students can share pictures and information of learning instantly with a click. With facebook, information can be shared all over the world within seconds in just a few clicks. 

Wonders of Technology

How fascinating when you see Hello kitty up in space! I am sill thinking of it since week 1. Recalling on the lectures on week one learning path as well as the post by Sam, I was thinking of the day that we are going to be able to commute to space as how we commute to shopping malls. The human mind is capable of creating something that is so futuristic.

This particular video we saw from week one shows how capable students can be with technology if adults give them the chance and resources to work things out under guidance. What is in the mind of the teacher is that there must be limits and all to be placed on the usage on ICT. Teachers should not impose any limits to the children's use of technology as they could be innovative. 

With the advent of many new technology, as early as the age of two, children are able to utilize them without the guidance of adults. The question is that are we to nurture the use of ICT since the very young age? Would things go wrong if they start too early of an age. Something to ponder upon today!

How much ICT in Education?

"Teachers will not be replaced by technology, but teachers who don't use technology will be replaced by those who do" (Sheryl Nussbaum Beach)

I have never plan a lesson for the school. Usually I would  be given the lesson and carry it out as it is. That wasn't that fun nor interactive. As I am developing the unit plan for the second assignment. I begin to ponder about how much ICT should be used and how am I going to use it? It would have been much easier if it is for the higher level students from year 6 onward but as for year 1, they are young.

It is true that we all know how much benefit ICT brings to the classroom learning environment. We are all aware that children will things better as well learn better things with the use of ICT such as computer and the internet. However, we do not want to trade off the real life experiences for the child, and so here are some suggestion to use sufficient ICT in the classroom without making a trade off.

Image Source: Spanish Classroom

We should recognize that children are having so much fun using ICT whether in the classroom or at home. They probably spent half the time at home stuck to their gaming console, Ipads and computer. and hence if the teacher telling a story to the children is seem to be boring, then what could be done would be the teacher records herself telling the story in video and audio format and play it for the child during story telling time. In that way, the purpose of telling a story is still there yet the use of ICT enriched their learning experiences.

In addition to that, another learning experience that would be using ICT to enrich learning would be English. When the children are about to learn how to write letter 'S' and 'N' for the week. Teachers can begin the lesson with sand paper allowing them to feel how to write the letter before asking the children to trace on the Ipad. Then the teacher would remove the Ipad and bring out the paper and pencil for the child to trace the letter. This is one example to use ICT sufficiently to enrich learning rather than taking over the lesson completely.

With that thought aside, let's get started with planning the third stage of unit planning. What will your learning experiences be like?

A day without Technology

We are the generation that touch, with one touch.

Image Source: MSF Technology Team

We are getting more and more dependent on technologies in our daily living. From telecommunications to entertainment, we are highly dependent on a range of technology. What about one day when all these are taken away from us, how are we going to function? Humans have the tendency to be able to move forward but not backward. 

Image Source: What if Technology was gone

I myself is quite dependent on technology. Somethings too much that I think I could die. My daily dose of technology would be as follow;

1. smartphone
2. internet banking
3. studydesk
4. laptop
5. internet connection
6. printer
7. car
8. watch
9. elevator & lift
10. ordering machine
11. automated gates

These are the basic necessity in my life that I would be needing greatly to get through each day. As I was reading this site, I realize that indeed without the internet many of us are as good as doomed. Young people under the age of 40 are highly dependent on the internet in all aspects of work and study. I would not be able to continue my BECH if the internet was cut off. 

Image Source: Don't feed the geek

However, I think technology is suppose to be there to help us in learning and living better and not destroying us. There are people who are trying to live without being too dependent on the use of technology as well. Have you thought what would happen to you one day when all these are taken away from you? I was experiencing this when I entered the jungle for 2 days. However, life is still good! So can you carry out lessons without the use of technology in the classroom still?