soft skills

Entering this technology class has eventually increased my soft skills as I learnt to communicate better with others. I learnt this skill (communication skill) through workgroup and also the presentation that be carried out during the lecture hour. Through group work, I have the chances to work with my friends that I have not work with before thus it is a good exposure to me in term of: I can learn communication skill from them-how they carry themselves in the group work- how they approach others when they want to ask or ask for any help. I observed this kind of attitude thus take any good communication skills that my friends have and I practiced it to myself. As a result, my communication skill improved. 

Besides that, I have also developed my critical thinking and the ability to solve problem directly and indirectly through assignments and the activities that be carried out during classes. As a future teacher, I need to have this crucial skill so that I can be a good quality teacher…

A part from that, this technology class has developed my leadership and the spirit of teamwork. From my point of view, our leadership skills are important in the school (when we become a teacher someday) and other situations. It can take years to become a great leader, but there are ways to improve our abilities. To me, we can improved our leadership by remain honest when speaking with our friends. There will be a higher level of respect for us if we do not try to lie and deceive our friends. Moreover, we should always give unbiased feedback and keep our personal feelings aside when it comes to feedback and responses in the group. Let say if we practiced this kind of attitudes, we will become a great leader. Erm, teamwork??? I can say that teamwork is very good because we can share lots of thing such as ideas, sharing notes (most common things I do!!!!) hehe. 

In addition, ethics and professional also developed through this course. Group work and assignment, even thought its two different things, had thought me on how to be professional in communicating with group members and processional in adjusting my time doing the assignment.

"It's never too soon or too late for learning". Each and every skill that I have learnt in this class are practical for me, as it functions as lifelong learning whereby I can use it in my future teaching. 

be realistic...

Be Realistic

Have you ever thought about what you could do, if you really decided to? I'm not merely talking about what your skills, education and talents are capable of. I'm talking about what is really possible for you. There is a very real possibility that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not with out new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp. Now many people would say to me, "Syahrul, be realistic. Some things are just not possible." To them I say, a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn't want to admit it . I've never heard a "realist" take an optimistic posture on any topic. They always say, "Let's be realistic." and then go on to explain why your idea can't be done.

In teaching context, we as teacher should be realistic and be realistic here mean that we take into account factors like the content of the lesson-whether it suitable or not to the target audience (pupils), the activities to be carry out- it is interactive enough? Or it is to difficult to the pupils to the activity?, the environment- it is appropriate to do particular activity in that particular place?, teaching aids use- it is big and colourful enough to be used in the classroom? or do I need to modified it?. Thus, we as teacher need to be realistic and always ask ourselves with these kind of questions when we creating a lesson or activity in the classroom so that we can create an effective, interesting and enjoyable lesson or activity to the pupils.

So guys, as teacher-to-be, I encourage you to be realistic, there is no limit to what you can do...

My FuTuRe CLAssRooM

“We are going to work hard; we are going to have fun doing it; and we are going to do it together.  I am very good at what I do, and since you are going to be working in partnership with me, you are going to be good, too”. 

These words resonate deeply with me, as I view my own future language classrooms to be a place of community and collaboration. Language learning is the process, and one that depends on others to maximize the communicative aspects of the process. Fostering a feeling of community in the classroom is very important to me, thus the above quote will most certainly be part of my future classroom, if not verbatim as a poster in the class, then in my introduction to students at the beginning of the year. 

In order for pupils to feel confident and comfortable in my classroom, an environment must be created that fosters support and respect for all pupils.  Language learning involves taking risks, and pupils cannot do this if they feel threatened physically or emotionally.  It is here that I assert my goal to prevent bullying in my classroom and to the extent that I am able, outside my classroom as well.  Bullying of any nature, physical, relational or other has no place in any classroom, or any school. I will do everything in my power, by pursuing in-services, workshops and additional adolescent psychology classes to make myself more aware and powerful when it comes to preventing bullying.  Conveying this stance to my pupils will be extremely important, in words and actions.  I will require pupils to be respectful in their interactions with each other and with me from the beginning.

A part from that, classes of the future will be more fun and socially interactive. Discovery learning techniques such as games, maps and small team problem-solving will be used in more and more content areas. Engagement of learners will be increasingly critical to the classroom learning environment - that means higher levels of visual and auditory stimulation, tactile involvement of learners in their learning process, gaming techniques to keep energy and focus high, and peer-to-peer interactivity and shared learning. Done well, this learning methodology will not only engage learners, but will accelerate the learning and increase retention of information and skills. 

The classroom becomes high-tech and is equipped with a combination portable music player and television. The design and decor of the classroom will address the complete learning experience accenting comfort and conditions conducive to learning. This welcoming atmosphere will need to be translated to the virtual environment in order to create a pupils community of interest.
moreover, pupils will have their own personal computers. All their work will be project-oriented. Research, exercises, libraries, help and support, personal guidance, assessments and achievements will be accomplished virtually. This will allow each pupil to establish goals, determine the gap and work toward those goals at a pace and commitment in keeping with their needs.

The ever growing computer power will allow the emergence of a new generation of simulators. Using these simulators, any type of activity can be computer simulated (and thus trained). The simulators existing today (e.g. the very expensive professional flight sims) will be reinvented as very affordable, consumer-targeted, personal sims. Schools and universities will be the first to accommodate advanced versions of these simulators, where fundamental research as well as on-the-job learning, will get new meaning.

Basically, that is how my future classroom looks like so that the pupils can have an optimum condition for learning.

Why we need blog?

 Isn’t it interesting that some of the most significant ‘revolutions’ of the last twenty years have all had to do with writing? How retro is that? First we had email, then web pages, then mobile phone texting, and now blogs. All this reflects a trend whereby the world is becoming more formal in how it communicates. Instead of body language and endless conversations, communication has shifted towards endless words on a screen.

 Bloggers are people with attitude. They say there’s a book inside everybody. Well, the Web and blogs have let the book out! There has literally been an explosion of opinion. Traditionally, public relations were about honing a silvery message that communicated exactly what the organization wanted us to hear. Now, we can hear all sorts of voices on the subject. It’s true democracy at work. The advantages of blogs that I can see are we can share knowledge within organization and with the outside world. Besides, blogs can be a positive way of getting feedback regarding one particular thing that we post or discuss in our blog…Thus, here I am, writing in my blog to share and seek for knowledge particularly knowledge about the use of technology in ESL classroom…

10th class reflection...

Creativity requires a challenge to start a flow of new ideas, then a way to capture them.

It all about creativity…Being creative…The tenth class continues on the presentation of SMART board activity. From the presentation, I can say that we need to make a creative activity to be used in the classroom so that can attract pupils to learn. The activity that we create is not necessary complicated. It can be simple as ABC yet it creative and interactive… 

9th class reflection...

The ninth class was about the presentation of SMART board assignment by one representative from each group. We need to choose the best SMART board activity in the group thus present it to the class. I leant a lot from this presentation. I now become aware that any activity that be carried out with pupils need to have pictures or concrete object so that they can understand batter. Another point that I learnt was things that we think good and look nice may become very irritating for children. This because the children seeing world in different perspective. For example, the use of abstract picture and stylish font (that I think look good and nice) is not suitable for the pupils. What they need is a colourful, big and clear picture and simple font in order to attract them towards the activity or lesson in the class. Therefore, we as teacher-to-be need to consider the factor mentioned when constructing any activity to be used in the classroom so that the teaching and learning process ran smoothly.

From all the comments given, I learnt that producing a good SMARTBOARD presentation is not an easy work to do. I will use the comment and suggestion that I got from the lecturer and friends to improve my SMART board activity. 

8th class reflection...

Thank you…

Thanks to the lecturer and tutors for giving us more time in doing SMART board application assignment. The extension time was definitely a relief and brings joy to me as I am not good at technology.