oh..song of technology takes its toll on me

Blog dearie

We began the class by accessing to a website containing our seniors’ blog in order to provide us clearer view about blogging and help us understand more about the concept of blogging. I really feel fortunate because we have some place to refer on (seniors’) compare to the seniors. As the first batch of this programme, they are kind of ‘experiment’ and they are lacking in real examples and references for their work and my heart really goes to them.

Here goes the address-- http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/pkey3101/blogspot?wpid:571027.

Credit to them for doing very well despite of all the disadvantages they are having compare to us, hail the seniors!

Someone has just got back from Penang, but no ‘buah pala’,’ rojak pasembor’ or keychains, instead, she brought the class something that way more expensive than those things, experience.

Prof Maznah has just got back from Penang after attended a program called ‘Teach to the World’ in SMJK Datuk Ahmad Badawi in Kepala Batas, PUlau Pinang. She told us her experience there and I am really impressed with the 1:1 computer lab, in which there are 40 CMPC (my classmate PC) in there, equipped with one smartboard and a teacher console. It is awesome and impressive since it offers almost everything technology can offer in Malaysian school.

Students in that school must be overwhelmed with gratitude for they were blessed with some of the best gadgets ICT can offers. But according to Prof, this attempt of fully using technology in lesson has brought so many unforeseen problems from teachers nationwide. Prof also said that problems here were caused by teachers. Because they did not actively involve and stand out in ICT programme that contribute to a major stir in this programme. I believe that even if the Minister of Education (MoE) provides one laptop per student, the teacher’s mentality, perception, knowledge and skills regarding technology should be the major concern first before proceedings to the next level.

Let’s talk about teacher’s mentality towards technology supports. During my SEP, I’ve encountered with an experience with a teacher who uses a computer lab just for the air conditioner only! He brought his students into the lab, let them do their work on the floor and he merely sit in front doing his work. This is a very sick situation and to make thing worse, it happens in one of the best school in Kuala Lumpur! What is the computer there for? For me, it’s very shocking and I just can’t imagine how teachers in rural schools use their computer lab if even elite schools are like this? I don’t want to generalize or stereotyping, it’s just my humble assumption.

Next thing we did was discussing about PPSMI/ETEMS, e-Bahan and MyCD. These are 3 examples of integration of ICT in education. So many questions have been raised regarding those things and it doesn’t stop there in the class, it continues into the Muced website and the forum in the web is flooded with inquiries and questions.

For the later session, we were brainstorming about e-portfolio. Frank words, this is a new term to me, I’ve never heard about it before, not even once,huhu! So, I paid extra attention and focus in this session even though my affective filter is very high (its lunch time, I can hardly think a thing).

What is e-portfolio? Answers from lecturers and rest of the floors are it is electronic way of doing portfolio (‘e’ stands for electronic), it is a collection of students’ work, to show their progress and to reflect their ability to organize.

Why use e-portfolio? Variations of answers were collected from every angle of the class. To promote yourself, to show creativity, to record progress, to share information and knowledge, easily retrieved and to let other comments about you. I guess I have not much to say about this e-portfolio since I am new in it but fortunate enough, I have gained precious knowledge about yet another branch of ICT in learning that will surely help me in my pursue of becoming a future teacher.

We also go through the Chapter 1 of Brennan ‘The ICT and learning principles of the Primary School Curriculum’ with Ms serene Chin. We have discussed about the 14 principles of learning that can use ICT in learning process. Basically, they are three ways in which ICT can be used in approached of teaching and learning in class. They are learning about ICT, learning through ICT and learning with ICT

There were many principles discussed such as learning is an active process, hands-on experience, integration and transfer of learning. I would like to relate the importance of hands-on experience among young learners. It gives young learners more room to explore and it is helps them to gain more knowledge rather than visual and audio support. Lev Vygotsky, a famous interactionist also a firm believer that child learn best when they communicate with what they hold, what they can feel.

In the end of the class, Ms Chin gave us few websites that we can use in order to find more information about ETEMS, e-Bahan and MyCD.

http://myschoolnet.ppk.kpm.my/indexi.htm
http://www.tutor.com.my/tutor.etems
www.on-sl.edu.my/e-bahan/

We were also assigned to prepare power point presentations regarding the topics for the next class.

In brief, so far this is the most cognitive-demanding class out of four lectures. I shall say it was not as interesting as the previous classes but certainly the most academic one. The sunny afternoon get me sweating even though I sat in an air-conditioner lab (one of the aircond is not functioning!). With so much input taken and mind-pushing session, I am weary and forced to skip my lunch and took a nap at the Surau before my next class at 4pm. That’s all, so long and cheers!