"nOw LOaDiNg......."

Seconds tickling away, minutes become hours, days gone by, week in and week out, what??!!!! !! I’m getting older and fatter, aaargghh!!! I didn’t realize it till today that I’m halfway through the semester. It’s the 7th week of the semester and I’m still a day dreamer, huhu!

MAMA Maznah reminded us...
‘Make sure that you have at least 5 academic entries in your blog, I will do the ongoing assessment eh...’
‘Do visit your friends’ blogs and don’t forget to leave your comments as well, ok?’
‘Keep on participating in the forum and share your ideas with others’
‘IWB? Work on it...remember’

So...I guess I will not enjoy the class as usual because today I realized that so many things were left undone by me:
1) I only have TWO entries in my blog, and neither is academic enough
2) I have never comments on other’s blogs even though I visited few blogs before
3) Forum in Moodle...I love to read it but has never participate in any topics
4) IWB? I almost forget it...

So...now, even simple work like blogging seems like rocket science for me, arghh!! Wise man said, PROCRASTINATON IS THE THIEF OF TIME...now I understand it clearly, very clear I should say *wink*

Let’s go back to the class stuff...

Prof reminded us on the IWB assignment. She said that product from each group must consist of English lessons, mathematics lesson and science lesson. Minimum of 5 slides per lesson and it must include topic, target group, student’s prior knowledge, lesson objective, user guidelines and rationales.

Next, some demonstrations and examples of what we can do with the IWB. Here goes:

- Young learners love stories especially those which are famous in children’s literature. So, by manipulating stories/ fables, it will help to capture students’ interest. We were shown a modified version of the ‘Red Riding Hood’ and how it can be used more than just a mere story-telling session. With colourful and attractive display that IWB can offer, the story was manipulated for a science class. Instead of focusing on the story line, the story can be used to attempt more of teaching students about the periphery part of the story. In example, teaching about plants that can be seen around Red Riding Hood on her way to her grandmother’s house.

- The matching activity also shown to the class and personally, I found it quite useful to teach meanings to students. With IWB, students can forget about plain straight line to match one box to another. It has lines with colourful and variety of patterns. In addition, some of the lines are filled with smileys and stars to prevent boredom among students.

- Classifying or grouping is another example of activity that can be done by the IWB. Students can group items/ things/ words according to it’s’ groups. For example, grouping things living things with non-living things. This can help students to see the idea. Concept more clearly as it provides graphics presentation and colours variation.

- We can add video clip(s) to our slides by adding hyperlink to the page. It is as easy as ABC. I never thought that being a teacher can be this easy. Using video clip is a very interactive and effective method to teach students about new topics. It can also be used to help students to revisit ideas and knowledge that they have been acquired before

- GAME!!!Some of the examples shown by Prof include game in it. Kids love game, it is as simple as that. As much as stories, game can also be used to teach students especially young learners. One of the principles in learning is to use students’ interest as based for learning. Thus, using game in learning obviously activate student’s interest in the lesson. The use of IWB can support children as it offers opportunities to revise concepts and skills embedded in game-like situations.


After that, Prof showed us on how to check students work using interactive features of IWB. It is like instant feedbacks and results for students and also teacher. From students’ point of view, it is ‘magic’, believe me (I was once thought that it is ‘magic’ *blush*)

· Drag –We drag the box to each answer column and the answer will emerge from the background. The colour of the box is different with the background and the answers.

· Drag/ move – move the answer across the two columns of different colours
· Erase – erase the answer with the duster and the hidden answer will be revealed
· Drag in – drag the answers into a box and if it is correct, it can be placed in the box but if it is wrong, the word cannot be inside the box and will go through behind the box.

Basically, dragging is the most common way to check answers using IWB. It is just playing with colours and thus, deceives students. That is one of the mystery of IWB, unique one I shall say. You’ll never know about this until you develop an activity using IWB.

Before the class ended, we were asked to register in a website containing useful contents and space for us to optimize. The web is http://www.airset.com/. We are registering ourselves in a SMART group so that we can get some information and ideas on how to implement and maximize ICT in classroom context and education as general.

YEYYY! à No class for next week
OUCH!à 50 of us have marching for Independence Day celebration
YESS!à We will get FREE t-shirts and track bottoms for the marching
ALA.... à I cannot see Prof ,Ms Chin, Ms Ng la next week *wink*

Got to go, cheers!