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 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 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!

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. 

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?

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?

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. 

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!