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.

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"!

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?

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.

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? 

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. 

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?

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!