Imagine the future....IMAGINE!!!!!

My future classroom is based on the principle that I will try to foster an environment in which all my students will always feel comfortable, be active participants in learning, and be contributors to everyone else’s learning process. In designing my classroom I have utilized all that I have learned this semester and from my experiences.

My classroom will have five “stations” which will be located in our website that I wish to build for them. These stations will be called “Pens in Motion,” the “Class Library,” “Math Magic,” the “Science Center,” and the “Communication Station."

“Pens in Motion” will be the blogs to write something of their refelection for each class and they can ask whatever they not clear from the teacher. This called pen in motion because they can let all children all over the world to read their writing.

"Class Library” is the most important corner for a teacher to upload his/her teaching resources. This provide oppurtunity for the children to access the information anytime and anywhere. The children also can upload any resources that seems related to the lesson but have to be approve by the teacher first.

“Math Magic" is a corner of mathematical questions and any applets that contain mathematical concept. 

“Science Center”is a corner of any resources related to science and any new explorations made by the scientist all over the world. 

"Communication Station." is the conference room between teacher-students and student-student. This is where they share ideas, discussions even their houses are far apart from each other. 

This may sound simple, but the practicality and user friendly are my criteria that determine my future classroom.

Can the "Web" promote and improve learning?

There is promising indication that the Web is a viable means to increase access to education. Evidence on how it can promote and improve learning is as forthcoming.The Web is used as a tool for learning. By a learning tool, I mean use of the Web simply as a vehicle to search for and retrieve information. Clearly, a tool can make a task easier to do--and we likely can do it much more quickly with the tool. But the central question is when we no longer have the tool to use, have we taken away with us some unique skill or ability that could have been acquired only with that tool.

My purpose in raising this issue is to highlight that we cannot simply ask "Do students learn better with the Web as compared to traditional classroom instruction?" We have to realize that no medium, in and of itself, will likely improve learning in a significant way when it is used to deliver instruction. Nor is it realistic to expect the Web, when used as a tool or to develop our students' any unique skills. The key to promoting improved learning with the Web appears to lie within how effectively the medium is exploited in the teaching-learning situation.For example, employs a "conferences" of conversation technique to record and classify student and instructor on-line communication. Unlike in a live classroom where conversations disappear, this medium allows every thought to be captured for future examination, elaboration, and extension. The result is richer, more thoughtful discussions, not because of the medium, but because of the way the instructor stimulated and created the environment that can be made possible by the medium. From this perspective, the Web appears to offer some advantages that can be exploited by the instructor to promote and  improve learning.

How do children think about technology?

Today, children growing up cannot imagine a world without mobile phones. They use high-tech gadgets without thinking much about them. We call them ‘power users of technology’.

The first thing we tend to think about is computers, but to be a “power user” involves much more than that. Let’s take Game Boy, for example. If you are a child good at Game Boy, it comes with a certain social status. Children call their friends to discuss Game Boy. They have a completely different field of activities than adults and it is a challenge for us to understand how these skills influence their studies, their circle of friends and even thier thought.

We wish to find out how they think about their own use of technology, and it is important to look at it from many different points of view such their personal development, learning and cognition. I believe, it can be observed that children who are granted access to communications technology develop the same skills regardless whether they live in developing countries or industrialised countries. 

However, many adults watch the children’s mass consumption of technology with scepticism. In newspaper parents are constantly encouraged to pay attention and to limit the time kids spend in front of the computer. “But if the child was sitting on the couch with a book or a board game, the parents would be happy as we have an idea of what is good and what is bad for our children.Truthfully, the technology changes society and the pattern how they interact with one another. If you ask a young person how many friends he has, the answer may be one hundred. 

To sum up, there are too many aspects we have to look at for this "power users", the most effective one is check and balance method to maintain their usage to stick in track and free from technology abuses. 

24/09/2008 REFLECTION

The final progress of smartboard is almost done at 2 a.m. It gives me an insight about the idea how technology really affect today's learning environment. However, somehow I feel what we learn in teaching trainning centre is becoming traditional method, but still the basic concepts and some thoeries of learning can be applied when it comes to technology as a means to deliver the content of our teasching. For example, humanistic approach can still be sustained through tools and mode to duplicate some element of human touch such as hand writing and voice and video recording.

These elements might seems non-aunthentic but it can creates new era of technology that we all human can even imagine. If you watch the "walle" . it really inspired human to achieve a level of profiency in technology and how technology can pay back to mankind.

That's why we as teacher can be the one who drive the new generation to use the technology for a good and make an effort for the pupils to be comfortable with the technology. This vision is possible if we believe in human evolution which suggests man can adapt with any change and now is the time! Get ready my friend! 

26/08/08 REFLECTION

Today’s lesson is about how technology influences the degree of effectiveness in teaching and learning process. As a first step, we have to comprehend ICT, its roles and some relevant applications. I finally realized that ICT has a big impact in enriching teaching and learning experience. For example, through ICT we can produce a lot of interactive teaching aids which communicate to the learners. This dynamic interaction between teacher, students and teaching resources will ensure more effective learning environment. Moreover, in term of assessment, it helps the teacher to see students’ feedback and assess their understanding throughout a lesson.

Despite the excitement of ICT, to promote them in the classroom, we should abide and adhere by the principles and ethics in bringing technology resources to class. For example, teacher should take into consideration about sensitivity, culture and background of the target group. This will ensure that students will not misinterpret the message and at the end the teacher are the one to be blamed.

In the nutshell, we clearly aware about the importance about ICT and its role, but we have still have to abide by ethics as a teacher in order to promote high quality teaching and learning experience.

20/08/08 REFLECTION

Today’s lesson is mostly concerning our post-mortem about video producing assignment. This process is guided by our lecturer what we have learned in terms of new skills and knowledge acquired. Moreover, we should be critical in evaluating our strength and weaknesses and what problems we face in making that video.

Obviously, my skills in applications related to video editing are improved such as photo editing, converting to the suitable format, and video editing. Furthermore, in this assignment there some values and soft skills we learned such as our communication skills, teamwork spirit, creative and critical thinking and entrepreneurship. For example, our communication skills not just focus on face to face relationship, but through internet applications such as ‘yahoo messenger’ and forum, they test our skill in using smileys and related icons to express our thought and feeling. Some may cause miscommunication but we always learn from mistake to become a better person.

To sum up, let us admit that this assignment provide us a lot of opportunities to explore what technology can teach us and how we should use it for the benefit and development of human development. Thus, in providing feedback we can improve and resolve anything for the future use.

18/08/08 REFLECTION

smartboard

Today's lesson is about smartboard. Previously, we have attend a course about smartboard at um last year. We always being updated about smartboard by its distributer "Airset". However, today's class reveal a new features that already being upgraded and is more friendly user than ever before. These features being developed constantly and we even can import some features being used in united kingdom, canada and many countries. Thus, the capital to be share is ample to fulfill today's requirement of teaching and learning purposes. Moreover, it can be used for many subjects such as Math in drawing some geometrical shapes.

Along the ways, the distributer will provide and develops many website to enrich and maximise the usage of smartboard. Finally, I agree that this training is essential for us to get an idea and believe that smartboard will be as important as chalk and talk in delivering a lesson. Thus, interactive and dynamic interaction between teacher and student can be achieved through the usage of smartboard.