week 8: Assignment 3

For this week (week 8), all of us didn’t learn any theory related to this course but to make full use of the time given to finish the assignment 3: designing activities using smart board. Sincerely, I haven’t started to do the assignment yet except for exploring the Smart Board and gathering pictures and materials for my assignment. The assignment looks quite ok to me but as I tried to list down what I should put in every slide, I begin to realize that it wasn’t that easy actually. Yes, I may say that to finish the assignment is not that difficult but to produce a high quality product become an issue. Everyone can produce activities or task using the smart Board. I guess the toughest part is to compete to produce the best product among the entire cohort. I guarantee that all of us want to the best mark for this assignment. So, everybody is struggling to do the best for this =) Though this is a fasting month, it doesn’t mean that it can be used as an excuse for us not be active in the classroom --à I mean actively engage in things related to the course =) Still, there are lots of questions and things to learn from the lecturer and tutors while finishing the assignment. One thing I realized most was as a university student, I have to learn a lot on my own---- > self discovery. Yes, we cannot depend too much on the lecturer and tutors but to discover on our own. Hopefully this is enough for this week. Check out for the next 0_o!

week 7: integration of technology + smart board

For this week, Ms Chin has taught us on the topic integrating technology in the teaching and learning process. I learnt a lot from lectures today as there are many things I find very useful and practical for me as a future teacher. Before this, I wasn’t know that there are differences between
“Learning through technology” and “Learning with technology”. Obviously, they are 2 different things. The first one refers to process of learning that uses technologies as the medium of learning and the second one refers to the process of learning that aid or facilitate by technologies. Another interesting thing would be “Learning about technology”. This refers to the process of learning about the skills related to the technology itself. As a future teacher, it is important for me to know how to transform the traditional T&L process to more advances where technology becomes a matter. As for examples, we can use Smart Board, PowerPoint presentation and e-book. However, in making this realistic, teachers need not to be rushed but to get the students learn slowly, steps by steps. This is important as not all of the pupils know how to use the technology especially computers. Perhaps, what teacher can do is to give them ICT skills needed but at the same time give some contents to them as well. In doing this, teachers must not forget to develop their understanding on the safe practise in using technology. When pupils are comfortable with all of this and can move a step forward, a teacher can give problem solving activities or task for them to complete. For instance, project, brochure or a PowerPoint presentation. It is possible if a teacher can publish the pupils’ work as one way of appreciating it. Maybe, the teacher can upload it in Teacher Tube, You tube and 4Shared. A step forward may be taken after this by engaging them in Collaborative learning like video conferencing, chatting, blogging and messaging. Perhaps, all of these can make teaching and learning process more interesting and fun.

To put in a nutshell, there are lots of things that a teacher can do for the pupils in helping them to be technology literate but most importantly, “Teacher shouldn’t transfer all the knowledge themselves, but let the pupils discover on their own”. 0_o!