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.

 

 

7th class reflection...

The seventh class highlighted the importance of ICT roles in the classroom. From the presentation that be made by Miss Chin, I can say that ICT in education is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital tool to help students develop the skills necessary to live and work successfully in today's world. A part from that, it is also seen as a medium to help teachers improve the learning experience for students via interactive tools and help provide a stimulating and richer learning environment. Thus, as a teacher-to-be, I have to acquire and master the knowledge and skill so that I can integrate the use of ICT in my teaching process.

Then, the lecture was continued by Prof Maznah particularly regarding our third assignment which was about SMART board assignment. In this assignment 3, we need to apply all the skills and knowledge that we got during the SMART board course in order to produce an interactive and interesting activity to be used in the classroom. Prof suggested that it will be good if we adopt teaching and learning model such as ADDIE model and Dick Carey model in the assignment so that we can produce an interactive plus interesting activities and most important thing is the activities be made can cater pupils’ needs.

6th class reflection...

Basically the 6^th class was about reflection on the previous assignment that we have submitted last week. The lecturer asked whether we had any difficulty in completing the assignment. She also asked us about what are the soft skills that we had acquired after completing the assignment. A part from that, Prof also commented about the way we make storyboard. Well, it is good to have a reflection session so that we can identify the weaknesses and strengthen our positive side.

The use of SMART board in the classroom???

Everyday technology is growing and changing. Currently, we can see the growing of the technology in the classrooms. It started with a simple computer. Now there are interactive whiteboards in more and more schools. An interactive whiteboard is a whiteboard that is connected to a computer. This way, the interactive whiteboard can be viewed and also written on. This interactive whiteboard is called SMART board.

There are many things that can be done with SMARTboard. For example, the Internet can be accessed and displayed to the class. Another feature is the sensors in the board that allow the user to electronically write on the whiteboard with the use of a stylus. A part from that, SMARTboard allowed the notes that were written to be saved unlike the chalkboard which had to be erased. All in all, it is necessary to introduced SMART board in the classroom so that the process of teaching and learning become more interesting and interactive.

5th class reflection...

SMART board courses.

The fifth class was about the SMART board training conducted by Miss Fenny. In this short course, we have been introduced to the latest version of SMART board software. There were presentation be done by students using the latest version of the software.

Throughout this training, I have gained new input, particularly about the new features and function of the latest smart board. I realized that by using the SMART board software, the teaching and learning process can become more interesting and more interactive because the SMART board software is mean for interactive approaches. Instead of using traditional way of paper and pencil method, teacher can ask pupils to come to the front and do the activity on the SMART board.

here's the useful link for using SMARTboard in teaching and learning process. (Please click at the hyperlink to preceed to the site) SMART Board

Interactive Websites PreMade Notebook Activity Downloads Resources Training and Tutorials

The SMART Board is a interactive, electronic whiteboard which can enhance instruction and learning.  The SMART Notebook software makes it possible for teachers to create content rich, dynamic lessons which address specific student skills.

 

 

Interactive Websites
Ambleside Primary	Interactive links on the left side of this web page include:  Literacy Hour, Numeracy Hour, Quizzes and more
Crickweb	Interactive resources for primary students
e-Learning for Kids	More than 80 interactive whiteboard activities; click on For Kids on the left
East Carter School	Interactive resources, templates, and ideas
Interactive Websites	Internet sites suited for SMART Board use
Johnny's Math Page	Interactive Math sites
K-3 SMART Board Sites	Interactive sites for K-3 language arts and math
Kent NGfL	Literacy and Numeracy whiteboard activities
NGFL	Online teaching and learning resources for the SMART Board
Sheppard Software	Free interactive activities in a variety of subjects
Shine + Write	Collection of Maths teaching resources
SmartBoard in the Classroom	Adapt existing Notebook projects and integrate resources for subject areas
The Play Ground	Interactive samples from the SUMS Master Set of activities
Top Marks Interactive Whiteboard	Lessons for all grade levels and subjects
Vector Kids	Strengthen basic math and other skills with interactive educational tools
Whiteboard Resources	Interactive lessons suited for SMART Board use
Wichita Public Schools	Elementary SMART Board resources
Woodlands Interactive Activities	Teachers created activities to improve learning skills while using an interactive whiteboard
Pre-Made Notebook Activity Downloads
ACCE Notebook Resources	Notebook lessons for version 8 of the SMART Board software; organized by curricular area
Bedfordshire School	Wide variety of Notebook activities to download
Building Smarter Ways to Use the Smart Board	Downloadable activities and online resources for math core content
Center School District	Great selection of templates organized primary, intermediate, middle school, high school, and special courses
Downs CE Primary School	French lessons created in SMART Notebook
East Riding of Yorkshire	Downloadable English/Literacy Notebook lessons
Gasconade County  R-2	Pre-made science, math & social Studies Notebook lessons for grades K-12
Greenwich Grid for Learning	Wide variety of pre-made Notebook lessons for grades K-12
Lakeland Central School District	Teacher created Notebook lessons to download for grades K-12
Oxford lessons	Ready to download Notebook lessons
Scholastic Interactive Lessons	Lesson activities and resources powered by Smart Notebook collaborative learning software
Smart  Education Resources	Notebook lessons to download; site requires free registration
Smart and Getting Smarter	Notebook lessons to download
SMART Board Lessons	Notebook lessons to download
SMART Board Lesson Plans EDCompass	Lesson plans by curricular area or grade level
Think Bank	Elementary and Secondary pre-made Notebook lessons
Wichita Public Schools	Zipped lessons sorted by grade level and target area
Resources
Interactive Whiteboard Resources	Rapidly growing bank of free to use tools and resources for the SmartBoard
National Whiteboard Network	Whiteboard ideas and Notebook lessons to download focusing on literacy and math
NorthumerlandTeaching and Learning	Interactive whiteboard activities in a wide range of topics
Online Whiteboard Resources	List of online interactive sites for all grade levels
Primary Resources	Lesson plans, pintables, interactive flash activities, Smart Notebook activities and PowerPoints
Sly's Smartroom Hints, Tips, and Ideas	Suggestions for activities
Teaching Ideas	Primary SMART Notebook and other lessons to download (be sure to look for the correct icon)
Teacher Resource Exchange	Database of resources and activities created by teachers
Using Electronic Whiteboards in Your Classroom	Profiles, ideas, lesson plans, websites
Whiteboard Tools	Useful tools from the National Numeracy Strategy
Training and Tutorials
USB Connection	Connecting to the SMART Board and projector
Serial Connection	Connecting to the SMART Board and projector
600i Series	Connecting to the SMART Board
Quick Reference Guides	Printable training materials
SMART Board Training Center	Two-minute Flash tutorials with or without voiceover
SMARTer Kids Foundation	Get rebates for SMART Boards and NEC projectors
Tips and Tricks	Product support page by Smart Technologies Inc. that answers FAQ's concerning the SMART Board
Two-Minute Tutorials	Various Flash movie tutorials

here's the link on demostration on the use of SMARboard..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ceN2kmOq0

Horayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

Alhamdulillah, video assignment successesfully handed in. Well, producing video was not easy at all!!! Need a tone of passion and very time consuming…Now I’m realized that it’s difficult to produce a video. Even though it just in 3minutes but then lots of things needs to be consider.

Here, i have found one video which is about a video on how to recording videos: making videos

enjoys...

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=55736&topic=10522

fourth class reflection...

The fourth class was about educational website particularly in teaching profession. We were introduced of website like

 http://eduwebtv.com/

 http://cikgu.net/

Personally, I think that the creation of this kind of website is good because it can give and share the current information regarding education field. A part from that, this useful educational website act as a self improvement to the teacher whereby teacher can suggest and reflect their own teaching skill in the forum provided. Indirectly, by log in to the education website particularly under forum or discussion board, teacher can improve themselves in their teaching style in order to be a great teacher in all aspect!!!

3rd class reflection...

For this class, the lecture was about ASSURE Model and ADDIE Model. Basically, ASSURE Model is about:

Analyze learners 

State objectives 

Select instructional methods, media, and materials 

Utilize media and materials 

Require learner participation 

Evaluate and revise

I found out that this model is important in developing the right teaching and learning materials to be used in the classroom.

 Heinich, Molenda, Russell, Smaldino (2002) state, “All effective instruction require careful planning (p.54).” Incorporating the ASSURE Learning Model into the planning and delivery of instruction will ascertain successful delivery as well as learner outcomes.

 Another model which has been introduced to us was ADDIE model. The ADDIE instructional design model provides a step-by-step process that helps teacher plan and creates teaching and learning lesson. The ADDIE design model revolves around the following five components:

Analysis

Design

Development

Implementation

Evaluation

These five stages of the ADDIE model encompass the entire training development process, from the time someone first asks, "What do people need to learn?" all the way to the point where someone actually measures, "Did people learn what they needed?"

To me, The ADDIE model is a one of the systematic approach to the instructional design process, which provides teacher with a framework in order to make sure that the process of teaching and learning become more effective.