Last Entry: Reflection on blogging and this PBEY3102 course

I have been blogging for almost two years and until now I still continue blogging. What make me fall in love with blogging are the the platform it provides to pour my thoughts and declaration and the connection it provides among the bloggers. Through blogging I can share whatever information, daily happenings and events which I think interesting and contains of 'infotainment' element to be put forward. I can also join and follow other bloggers' blogs and gain some more information and update my knowledge about certain things. Moreover, I can also give my feedbacks and comments to the entries that I read. So, we (bloggers) can learn from each other. As in this course, blogs are used to reflect on our learning. This is superior to alert what we have learnt from week to week and at the same time revising and critically examining what we have learned from these weeks.

However, apart from that, this kind of web 2.o medium gives no privacy to the bloggers. Once a particular person noted a particular blogger's URL, then that person can serve to the web whenever he/she likes. This will give hesitation to bloggers to write whatever they like in thier spaces (blogs) as all people can serve the web. Moreover, it will also cause harm in terms of the content portrayed in certain blogs. For example, nowadays teenagers or even children are getting used with this technology. Sometimes, they get influenced with the harmful and explicit content embedded in the blogs.

Apart form the harmfulness of blogging, I have added up my language skills and critical thinking skills. This is through posting the each entry whereby I need to write comprehensibly and impresively to attract bloggers to read my blog. Then, in the mean of doing that, I have to critically think of the appropriate content and things to be portrayed in the blogs in order to make it interesting. Other, I also sharpen my thinking skills through reading and giving comments to others' blogs.

What do I like about this course is the opportunity that it provides for me to experience and prepare varieties of technology teaching aids which is really useful for us as teachers-to-be. Moreover, it also provides us with skills and knowledge to edit and make some teaching aids interesting and suits with a particular topic. For example, audio editing and photo editing has enlightened us a lot in preparing teaching aids. The same credit should be given to other modules like internet skills, video editing, software for ELT and E-book.

However, what I do not like about this course is the redundancy of tasks. For example, sometimes, we have done this task in this module, then for another module, we have to do the same task as in the previous module. However, i belief that there must be reasons behind this.

Like I said before, via this course, I have expanded my skills and knowledge. There are loads of new things that I have learned for example editing audios, videos and photos. Apart from that I also learned on the consideration to make a good quality of e-book and preparing teaching aids using Microsoft Publisher. All of these modules learned, made me mature in this line of using and developing resources in primary ESL classrooms as suited with the name of this course itself.

I never expected that I would learn how to make videos and thick portfolio as part of our assignments. Apart from that, I expected that in this course I will use the teaching aids that we made for microteachings/simulated teachings. However, there were none have been planned for this.

Like I said before, one thing that I would like to change in this course is to integrate simulated teaching/microteaching as we can use the teaching aids and lesson plan prepared for the assignments so that we can improve our skills as teachers-to-be. This would add up to our holistic development as teachers.

Last but not least, On a scale of 1 – 10 , I would rate my computing and technological skills from 4 (before undergoing this course) to 9 (after undergoing this course). Thank you to Puan Foziah for guiding and helping me improve in terms of my computing and technological skills which would enrich me in this line of teaching and learning in primary schools.

The submission of assignment 3 and THANK YOU MA'AM

This was the last week of this particular semester. This week was the time for us to submit assignment 3 which was the compilation of one week English lesson plans.

Thank God, ma'am gave us time one hour to 'wrap up' all things which was undone. So, we used the time perfectly to combine all the works form each and every group members and we went to bind the assignment neatly.

We felt so glad that at last we submitted this piece of work form us as a group as we poured quite an endeavor to make certain that this assignment is a success. In this assignment, there were loads of discussions and hardwork integrated. There were loads of interesting activities, games and teaching material embedded in this package of one week lesson plan.

We also provide some comments and justification about the lesson plan done so that it will be clearer to be used. So, in this assignment, i can see the link of the previous assignment as we need to integrate the skills and knowledge that we gained in order to prepare teaching aids to suit with lesson plans.

Therefore, this course has given me a complete learning and strong grasp of knowledge from designing, planning and preparing technologically teaching aids for ELT classroom. Apart from that, we also learned the reason underneath the making of each and every teaching aids and this has added to my journey and development of being an English teacher.

THANK SO MUCH TO MA'AM FOZIAH FOR TEACHING AND GUIDING ME IN THIS COURSE. I HAVE BENEFITED SO MUCH AND I HOPE TO UTILIZE AND MANIPULATE AS MUCH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE LEARNED AS I COULD TO MAKE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF A PARTICULAR PERIOD OF ENGLISH LESSON EFFECTIVE AND INTERESTING.

The submission of Assignment 2 (the collection of teaching aids)

This week was also the week that i waited because this was the week that we needed to submit our assignment 2.

After so much of hardwork and sacrifice poured for the accomplishment of this assignment 2, we felt so relieve and glad that at last we manage to submit the thick assignment which combines all sorts of technology teaching aids like, edited photos, gif and animations, videos, sounds, e-book, powerpoint presentations as well as microsoft publisher.

This was a very good assignment as for the reason that in the process of completing this assignment, we leraned loads of things and skills that enriches our holistic development of a teacher especially in terms of preparing teaching aids and materials. Not only that, we also provided justification of each teaching aids produced in terms of the audience (year six for example), how to use it as well as the advantages of the software used to make that particular teaching aids.

Therefore, form the skills and knowledge learned, i hope that i can manipilate them and use them well in to make a particular lesson effective and memorable for the pupils so that they will be motivated to learn English more.

Microsoft Publisher

This week, ma'am taught us one more way to enroll with resources in primary schools. This was about Microsoft publisher.

Ma'am taught us about Microsoft publisher, the use of it, how it can be utilized to make loads of resources for teaching and learning in the primary schools. There are loads of things that we can do using microsoft publisher. From postcard, to advertisement, greeting cards, banner and so many more. From here, we can utilize these templates to make many sorts of teaching aids, for example teaching materials in terms of reading skill whereby we can produce advertisements and broucher for comprehension questions.

Then, ma'am assigned us to integrate Microsoft Publisher under the module of Software for ELT as to be submitted together in the portfolio. So, i felt that, by knowing to use Microsoft publisher well, it will somehow or rather help me in preparing matrieals for teaching and learning sessions especially in primary schools. So, it is quite significant for teachers to know to use this software as it would help a lot in terms of planning and preparing teaching aids for the pupils.

The submission of the video

This was the week that i have been waiting. This is for the reason that i was eager to watch the videos produced by my friends.

First and foremost, in this class we were uploading our videos to ma'am's main computer first as that is the only computer connected to the LCD projector and to the smart board in front of the class. It is for the purpose to show the videos to the rest of the class members.

That was the time that i waited which was the showing of the videos. All that i could say after watching the videos was thumbs up to all of my friends. We have created variety of videos with variety of ideas and storyline. I was happy to watch those videos with some funny faces of our friends, Malaysians festivals and so on. Apart form that there were also videos that gave messages to the viewers and made us alert and learned something from the videos.

All that i can say, congratulations to the all of us. The comments that we received were meant for our improvement but all in all i could say all the videos produced were good and interesting. Therefore, i learned that from the hardwork and pure endeavor that we put to a particular, we will find success and wisdom as the payment for the hardwork that we had performed.

The Presentation of the Article

After raya, we did not have class on Tuesday (for those who are in Tuesday class), this was due to ma'am's state of health which was not quite well. So, we had to replace the class and join the Thursday class.

In this class, we heard the presentations about the article of the using of technology in teaching by Thursday group members. I gained loads of information regarding the use of technology in teaching and learning. This had alerted me that technology is important and pertinent especially in this 21st century world whereby children are exposed to so much kinds of technology equipments and gadgets. This is a good sign for teachers to employ technology as much as they can depending on circumstances so that the teaching and learning will be more effective.

After the presentation, we requested for postponement of the video editing pair work assignment. After considering some factors, ma'am gave us the one more week before we could submit our pair work video editing project. Here, i learned that it is good to be considerable and what ma'am did was great as it would us more time to search for more good materials in order to produce good piece of work.

Video Editing assignment (pair work)

This week, ma'am assigned us to find our pairs to do the video editing assignment. For boys, the pairs should be girls and vice versa. Therefore, i chose one of my best friends Ryna to be my pair for the pair work of video editing.

In this class, we discussed the storyline of our video, the story board, the software to be used as well as how the collection of materials should be done. Then, we chose to do a video about Malaysian Bad Habits. The video will portray Malaysian habits especially littering, vandalisme and dirty toilets.

After the discussion, we showed our storyboards and ideas to ma'am. Thank God she accepted the idea but we need to do some improvement and editing to the storyline of the video. We divided works for the video and it was the time we sat together and watch videos on Youtube to find ideas and ways to produce the videos.

Here, i learned that making video will need quite a good planning and preparation especially to produce a storyboard. This is because by doing this, we can have a reference and guidance of each scene of the video so that we will not be off the track and everything will run smoothly. So, in terms of making a video for kids later after we master the skills for this assignment, loads of considerations need to be concerned. Foe example, in terms of the storyline which needs to be simple and comprehensible, the pictures, sounds and songs as portrayed in the video. So, this video editing skills will help me a lot in preparing resources especially video for the teaching and learning of English for primary school children.

Let's make a video...

Videos can portray loads of things.
Through video, our hearts will be touched, our feelings will be spurred and our emotions will be triggered.
So, can we imagine the usefulness of it for teaching and learning purposes.
Videos will be a good teaching materials and stimulus to attract pupils.
In fact, this week, we learned about video editing.
From producing a video to cut, split, convert the format, add sound clips to adding pictures and video clips to videos.
We were showed variety of seniors' videos which gives us insights and ideas on how to produce our own video.
The videos shown also made us want to do something better and high quality video.
They really awakened us that there are loads of things that we can do using windows movie maker and other softwares.
Other than that, it also gave us new skills on video which we can use to produce, edit or adapt videos in order to suit the teaching and learning sessions well.
This is for the reason that videos will be the interesting and momentous aids and stimulus for children,
They will really help to enhance teaching and learning.
Thus, i am glad that we got the opportunities and chance to learn about video editing as one the new skills that we learned in this course. In fact, as future teachers that will face the cyber and technology world, we will be quite knowledgeable in this line and we will be ready to apply and use the skill as well we can to upgrade the teavhing and learning sessions.

How to sound creative?

Again, let's ponder on the title...
Yes, this week's lecture was about audio editing...
In this lecture, i was enlightened with the purpose of audio editing, the history behind it, how to do it, how to implement it in our 'field' which is education.

As for me, this is a very interesting lecture as i like music. Music is like a must for me. It's like a book and its cover. Without the cover, it wont be nice and interesting. Therefore, i really looked forward for this week's lecture as i expected loads of attractive activities and applications i con do when i know how to edit sounds effectively.

Yes, this lecture me my expectations. I learned how to cut and paste sound, how to change song to minus one file, how to blend sounds and so on. I see this as a very useful and beneficial skills to be ventured as it will help me a lot in preparing materials and stimulus for teaching and learning sessions especially for young learners.

For example, in order to do activities that involve animals, i would know how to use animal sounds creatively and manipulate the sound for pupils' tasks and activities. Therefore, with this kind of helps available, i will be able to make my classroom happening and alive.

So, just grasp this chance and enhance myself in 'audio editing'...

Story Time!!!

Story? Story Book? E-book?
Ponder on the questions...
What can we derive from it?
Hahahaha, as for me, it is the transition from the previous way of telling stories to the new-updated-technologically savvy kind of way to tell story...

Actually, i was waiting for this week's lecture. One absolute reason was because i love stories, i love telling stories and i love writing and reading stories. So, ma'am's approach and effort for introducing us the E-book in this week was so useful and up to the need of nowadays way of implementing and integrating technology in teaching and learning.

From the lecture also, i was apt to know that, E-book is not meant only for stories but also for other things that are suitable to be portrayed via E-book. So, this kind of new-medium for me is beneficial in terms of preparing attractive and moment-capturing stimulus for children.

Let me focus on the use of E-book in storytelling as this was the task that we need to venture. I love this part because as i told earlier, i 'hug' stories. After brainstorming with my cheeky yet helpful group members, i came out with an idea and it was first rejected from ma'am because i just wanted to adapt and combine popular fairytale stories to become 'Cinderella and seven dwarfs'. Somehow, i realized that yes i indeed need something original from my own idea. From here i can improve my thoughts and propositions in order to publish something originally creative and attractive which is the idea of mine. Of course, it will be closer to me and thus it will make me easier to manipulate the story for teaching and learning sessions.

Therefore, i am working for my first e-book. I am using my best level of cognitive ability to spur on bright ideas and make my e-book as interesting as i can. So, let me squeeze the brain and splash the ideas to my e-book. Wish me luck!!! =D

Photo Editing VS Picture Editing

Wonder on the title...
Are they the same?
I think so.
Whatever it is, this is another skill that i am venturing now.

Ma'am showed us loads of edited pictures, and i was impressed with the changes and the difference of the edited versions as compared to the original ones. Actually, we can do loads of things things to make pictures look attractive and interesting.
I used to edit pictures before this, but the skills were like the surface of the deep ocean. There are many more of this skill that i need to explore and dig until i find the core and usefulness of it. Then what should i do?

What a question!. Of course, i need to apply what i have explored into my courses of life. This is especially regarding my future beloved and 'dream-mission' career which is teacher. I found that photo editing will really help me in transforming dull or so called lame pictures to be childish, colourful and children-oriented kind of pictures. So, the skills like putting effect, changing the background of the photos, adding lights and so on should be applied in order to prepare the best quality of teaching and learning aids and material as regards to pictures.

I am learning, venturing, experiencing and exploring picture editing and i hope to grasp the skills as tight as i could in order to benefit my now and my future. =D

The Continuation of Progress

This is the fourth week of PBEDY3102...
Today, ma'am had a course to attend and we had to complete our procrastinations. haha
So, that day we were guided by Miss Fafa who 'warned' TO FINISH UP OUR WORKS because ma'am will be coming to inspect us.
Yes, she's true, ma'am did come to inspect and reminded us about things to be done.
Moreover, ma'am also added some more works...

That day i was just recovered from my fever...and plus the headache still ruining my head...then i couldn't really 'catch' what ma'am explained and assigned us to do...After consulting one or two of my friends,i understood the tasks given even better.

After knowing that we have to do that 'bunch' of workload, i was like Oh My God...
loads of works to do in just few times... After consulting ma'am, i came to know that the time line was just for ma'am to remind herself before moving to next week's matters. I was quite relieve when i knew it's gonna be for ma'am and of course for us also to start moving and finish off our works.

After the ceremony of giving reminding and giving works and chit chatting with ma'am about 20 minutes ++, ma'am went out for the continuation of the course...So, it's now the time to gear up our speed...

Then, almost all of started to view the 'Skydrive' and look at the list of internet skills tutorials to be finished. I was so glad that we helped each other in completing the tutorial and we did not play around eventhough ma'am was not around.
haha..that really showed our maturity had been improved. Maybe, almost all of us desired to finish off the work as much as we can in the time line given.

So, the morale of this week is that i need to boost up my energy and my motivation to complete the works. Looking at the lists, i realized that the skills are so much useful for us again as teachers-to-be (then, what else, we are teachers, yeah). Whatever it is, this is the life as a student, just put our endeavor as much as we can to grasp the flying colours. These are all the road that we need to face and along the journey there are still loads of knowledge to attain along the journey and the knowledge will guide me following the right path. So, let;s enjoy studying and doing works...

Internet Skills...

This is the third week i attend PBEY3102 class and this week is the start for our compilation of portfolio. It started with internet skills. Before this, i did not know that there are loads of internet skills. Some of them, i already know, but i do not know the right terms used.

Hence, this week's class has helped me a lot in terms of learning the internet skills which are useful for us as teachers-to-be. It began with searching the MP3 song, and the song was Michael Jackson's last song, 'Give Thanks to Allah'... I was like, Oh My God, is it real? Then we learned how to download the song for free and after listening to the, i told myself 'Yes, it's him. It's his voice' and the lyrics of the song was superb. It touched me deeply and made me pondered on myself and my doings.

Then, i got to know there more others for me to venture in this course as well as for the betterment of myself. Then we moved to searching pictures. Eventhough, i know how to search it, but the formality of learning it made me search in a right a faster way as what i preferred to do before. Again, it has become a useful and beneficial knowledge for me as it made my process of preparing resources for the teaching and learning easier.

Therefore, i am looking forward to learn other skills and try to apply them for my development in this line of ICT as well as for future desired-career, teacher.

The overview of the course...

Haha....you must be wondering about the topic...
let me keep your wonders hanging around...
first of all in this second class of PBEY3102, we were divided into groups...
my group? hahaha, i am the rose among the thorns...ahaha because i am the only guy in the group. nevermind, i used to work with girl which i like so much because they are committed to works. Our group was assigned to elaborate and explain about children's most important way of learning which is 'talking'.

I am not saying this because i am talkative but as i read the article given, i apt to realize that we talk more than we write and of course we talk more than we read. so i think talking is the medium whereby children can apply and practice their knowledge of their target language efficiently. However, speaking activities are not being so emphasized in primary schools especially for primary level 2 pupils. This is for the reason of they are being exam oriented whereby writing and reading are more emphasized eventhough, talking is the most easiest and usable way to practice language.

Going back to the title, let me break your wonders. We, have to divide ourselves into groups and i am one of the leaders. The groups are based on different components; video editing, audio editing, photo editing, software for ELT and internet skills. Looking on seniors' portfolio, i was shocked because some of them were so thick but the marks given are parallel to the thickness (i mean, good marks of course). Thank God, the portfolio is the compilation of our learning and works from weeks to weeks. Hence, that's why i said it is the overview of the course which i am quite interested towards this course as it will equip me with technology which can help me in this line of education in this 21st century years.

It's the beginning...

Yesterday, finally i started my real college life at varsity...hooorayy...
and you know what...it is UNIVERSITI MALAYA ok...

i was so damn excited and happy because at last, i emphasize at last i got the chance to further my studies at this such prestige university in Malaysia as well as in this Asia region.

Actually, the start was a bit 'shaky' for the reason of before i reached UM, i was trapped in a very chaotic, hectic and 'predictable' traffic jam. I was thinking to ride motorcycle at first, but i did not why i chose to drive, then,hahaha served me right!!! yes the welcoming trafic jam of course with 'open hands' willingy encountered me. then i chose one alternative way, i can't remember which way because frankly i confess i am not so brilliant in terms of my spatial intelligence.=P then i just tried one of the ways and i entered a very bumpy road towards one area of schools (primary and secondary), i bet you can imagine how busy that road at the moment. i think i should consult Robert Frost and feel his poem 'The Road Not Taken', if am not mistaken, hehehe...so nevermind, at last I found my way to the beloved UM and tahnk you Allah, i reached right on time. fuh!!! sighed to my heart...

Just ignore about those hanky panky things which really 'stabbed' my anxiety becuase i want to tell you that i was happy, happy and happy when i saw my freinds' cheery faces and we entered the first class together. after that.......
the very first class we already got an ASSIGNMENT and we have to submit it TODAY...hmmm what to say, it is varsity life, so just deal with it...

Then, one more bad thing was that i LOST MY CAR KEY....i was very scared because i did not bring the spare key...Again thank you Allah, i manage to collect it back at the library office..fuh!!! sighed to my heart...

But after all,today i came here (UM) again with excitement and so far, the classes that i attended including the class at this moment (PBEY3102) are 'cool'...
one thing for sure i'll never be bored to see the UM's bagde becuase this is my now and it is my passion...