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WEEK 14: Today I Learn, Today I Question

 

Last lecture was a very special lecture, which I didn’t expected. We were given a task early December, where each of us have to choose from any web 2.0 applications given during class to create a learning material for a subtopic/class, and week 14 is our show time. Having opportunity to enjoy the wonderful and well-design learning material accompanied with how it can be used to aid teaching and learning really open my eyes and made me realize that a good teacher is a teacher who can make good use of any resources in hand according to he/her design. We admit that technology is such an important tools in today’s classroom, but worship the power of technology is such a superstitious behavior. “it it essential to place pedagogy above technology because students do not learn from computer, but they learn from competent instructors”  (Keengewe, Arone, Anyarwa & Whittaker, 2006). Therefore, as a contemporary teacher, fully equip with latest technology device is necessary, but able to utilize all the latest technology in our teaching to enhance students’ learning even more important.     

This task looks simple, but to have a good design learning material actually wasn’t that easy. This a very good training, training us how to use technology meet the need of pedagogy. The same technology have 1001 ways to use, and can serve the different needs. Thanks Pn Ng for this thoughtful arrangement.

14 weeks blink in the busy life, TXGT6110 grant me opportunity to have latest information and able to access to latest technology, this precious knowledge and skills not only improve my teaching qualities, it also benefit to my research. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Pn Ng for her generous sharing, patient and guidance. Really hope that there still opportunity to follow her lecture in future, 14 weeks is not enough, I still have a lot to learn from her. 

WEEK 13: Today I Learn, Today I Question

 

This week we discuss about future education. I’m a bit late today, when I step in MK2, Monica already start her presentation. She presented the future education trend in front of us successfully. From her presentation, I have clear whole image about the future education. 

People are always looking forward to the future. As an educator, we also should looking forward to the future of education, I really can feel the challenges in us after the presentation. Our clients are digital native who are totally learn differently from how we learn. What are their needs? How do they learn best? These are questions Monica ask at the beginning of presentation and definitely are important questions we should ask ourselves.

Besides that, I think we must change our mindset, it is much more difficult than we can imagine. Malaysian Smart School Project is a vision, looks wonderful & perfect, but just like other government project, lack of effectively implementation. In my opinion, this may be because the people still not aware of that due to lacking publicity. Frankly speaking, from what I can see in my own school, I deeply felt that to become a smart school  more like a slogan, it seems still very far away. As to make this project success, government have to invest a lot of money but all the efforts will just wasted if appropriate mechanism still not implement. Therefore, educate the people before invest the money.

WEEK 12：Today I Learn, Today I Question

 

This week we explore to blended learning, which I think is quite practical to our education system today. blending involves providing the end-user with the appropriate learning delivery mode (ILT classroom, virtual classroom, web-based tutorial, CD-ROM, mentoring, team collaboration, and print) to support the learning objectives. The advantages of blended learning is quite impressive. The power of the blend is in sequencing the activities, engaging the learner in different ways, and then optimizing the combined learning effect. In a blended course, truly "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." The design challenge is to create the most effective synergy of activities and learning style engagements. Blended Learning incorporates all the options and benefits of synchronous, asynchronous, and traditional delivery modes. It is believe will effectively engage the learning preferences of the students. But, just like other learning approaches, an instructor needs to plan carefully according so that it will really bring positive effect to the students. And I believe, the blended learning will play an important role leads our education from tradisioanl approach to e-learning in future.

We explore to Bloom Tax and Technology Integration Matrix resource. These two resource really useful in helping teacher design activity according to students technology level. I found that the TIM is really useful guide to teachers who like to integrate technology in their classroom. It gave me some inspiration how to design my lesson with some technology tools. I believe it will also help others who wish to improve their teaching instruction with technology.

 

 

      

 

WEEK 11: TODAY I LEARN, TODAY I QUESTION

 

This week, our class turn up side down by Shakieerah with her Flipped Classroom. We have “heated discussion” during her presentation. If we use positive thinking, that’s really amazing idea! Especially students won’t feel bored with the lesson. For Chinese language lessons, maybe it is good idea because teachers can maximal the use of class time to conduct some meaningful activities, provided teacher can manage this situation well and student engage fully.

On the other hand, this new idea may also cause the T&L process “upside down”. In my previous experience, this idea is too ideal, although it might useful for good students, but for lazy students, they probably will respond for the first few times because it is still “fresh” for them, but after the “enthusiasm” cooled, they will just ignore even teacher send the video to them.

And for those don’t have internet service at home, they will be left out. I have an experience. I let them watch the same video in class due to half of the class didn’t watch the video before class. As a result, more and more students give up to watch the video at home. If wants them to stay back for video watching, that’s another problem. Teacher must have a multimedia room ready for them to walk in any time. For me, frankly speaking it is not possible. What if ask them to stay after school? We have to ensure they return home safely, if not, that will be a big problem for the teacher.

Even they have internet, they would rather play games online and not learning. Then the next question will be “Will teacher be able to produce a good video which can engage them and  at the same time successfully support T&L in classroom? Frankly speaking, we are not ICT people who professional in produce high quality stuff. Additional, if the teacher have more than 9 classes from 4-5 different form have to take care? If they don’t browse the material before class? Teacher has to prepare a plan B, that will double the work.

In my opinion, this idea may be more suitable for higher education or smart school. for those schools which only have one projector/ one multimedia room share with 100 teachers, this idea is too ideal to be achieved. Therefore, to be able to implement successfully, Ministry of Education has to prepare enough funds for infrastructure and also mentally prepare the teacher. The most important thing is train them how to apply this idea before invest. if not, the technology equipment will only be another big white board in classroom.  

 

Accidently found this research paper while searching for literature review:

Using podcasts to replace lecture: Effects on student achievement

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131511000820

This study examined achievement when podcasts were used in place of lecture in the core technology course required for all students seeking teacher licensure at a large research-intensive university in the Southeastern United States. Further, it examined the listening preferences of the podcast group and the barriers to podcast use. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in the achievement of preservice teachers who experienced podcast instruction versus those who received lecture instruction. Further, there was no significant difference in their study habits. Participants preferred to use a computer and Blackboard for downloading the podcasts, which they primarily listened to at home. They tended to like the podcasts as well as the length of the podcasts and felt that they were reasonably effective for learning. They agreed that the podcasts were easy to use but disagreed that they should be used to replace lecture. Barriers to podcast use include unfamiliarity with podcasts, technical problems in accessing and downloading podcasts, and not seeing the relevance of podcasts to their learning.

So, flipped or not?

Blogs, Wikis, Docs: Which is right for your lesson?

 

Hope this will be useful for you, friends.

https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddnzwcn8_15g3jrbpdf

Week 10: Today I Learn, Today I Question

 

This week we learn about using web 2.0 in classroom. Pn Ng introduce a cool tool for us, that’s Microsoft Mouse Mischief. Mouse Mischief can transform classroom teaching. By Mouse Mischief integrated into Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 and Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, teachers can create interactive presentations, so that every classroom in which students are integrated into and enjoy the fun. 5-25 or so students via their mouse, while sharing the screen to answer multiple-choice questions and drawing. You can free download Mouse Mischief.

According to Microsoft, Mouse Mischief in the classroom using three powerful reasons:                 1. Enable students to actively participate in classroom teaching and to support collaborative  learning

With Mouse Mischief, you can integrate interactive technology into the curriculum to stimulate students' curiosity. Use different colors of the mouse pointer (such as robots, snow, more guitars and other shapes), students can be visually marked their answer on a shared screen to truly appreciate the joy of learning the true meaning. In group mode Mouse Mischief, will enable collaborative learning; in group mode, the group all members must cooperate and agree on the answer, and then can be selected.

2. Improve the overall classroom management and student participation

With Mouse Mischief, you will no longer need to wait for students raised their hands to answer questions; now, you can immediately see on the screen gives students the answer. With Mouse Mischief, all students, even those usually very quiet class students, are able to easily engage a regular basis, without fear of the answer wrong. This can help you better understand the progress of the whole class and knowledge to grasp the situation, thus immediately making course adjustments.

3. Familiar interface easy to use, and affordable

As the Mouse Mischief is integrated into a common technique in PowerPoint, so you do not need to spend time to learn new skills to use. In addition, you do not need to purchase expensive hardware to set up the classroom to show Mouse Mischief courses; many schools itself has a lot of mouse, and many shops are selling computer accessories mouse and USB hub for sale.

I can’t wait and quickly download in my laptop. Although I still don’t have chance to try, but after watching the demo video, I get some idea on how to design group activities in class using Mouse Mischief, I can imagine how students enjoy the games/competitions using their own wireless mouse  answer questions. This really will increase the involvement of students and engage them effectively. We normally be informed that technology is not designed for education, so we have to repurpose the technology, but this technology definitely designed for the use of educator. Hopes that there will be more technology like this.

 

As for Tubechop, it is a convenient tools allows us to easily chop a funny or interesting section from any YouTube video and share it. From the introduction found that it is really user friendly, find the video you want to chop. select & cut interesting part of the video, then share it with friends. This is a tools which must store in my computer as it is useful to shorten long speeches for wideos where smaller segments are of importance. With TubeChop I will be able to omit unnecessary information from videos.

 

Besides that, Dee introduce schoology in her presentation. Schoology.com is a social networking service and virtual learning environment for K-12 school and higher education institutions that allows users to create, manage, and share academic content. Also known as a learning management system (LMS) or course management system (CMS), the cloud-based platform provides tools needed to manage an online classroom.

Visually and functionally similar to Facebook, the service includes attendance records, online gradebook, tests and quizzes, and homework dropboxes. The social media features facilitate collaboration among a class, a group, or a school. Schoology can be integrated with existing school reporting and information systems and also provides the added security, filters and support that school districts require.

Schoology is offered to individuals, schools and districts free of charge. Revenue is generated by fees charged for premium add-ons such as customized branding, support packages, increased storage, single sign on (SSO), and data integration with existing student information systems (SIS).

Try to set up my own schoology space, found that although it is user friendly and very poweful, but to familiar to the new tools really takes times.

 

This week, every group take turn to show e-learning environment we create for our assignment 3. Most impress me is web-based environment created by Monica, Dee, Shakirah and Ezlin’s group. I know how tricky Wikispaces is for a beginner, but they really do a good job. I still remember I spend few months to develop my first wiki, but they only take few weeks time and manage to produce website better than I did before, may be this is the power of collaborative work. I also notice that there are bundles of online tools for ESL learners which are really useful in develop web-based environment to engage the students, as for Chinese language, we really difficult getting similar tools. I really envy them.