Tuesday, 30 July 2013
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
When you sit at a computer and want to control the cursor you might use a mouse; a human interface device that is designed to allow you to activate icons and other features of the software running on your machine. An interactive whiteboard is exactly the same thing. It is simply a giant mouse that allows you to control the computer connected to it through a large image projected from the front of the classroom. The board itself is not a computer, it does not have a CDRom slot on the side (no matter how hard you look) it relies completely on having a computer or laptop and a data projector working with it. This means that whatever you would normally run from your computer can work with the interactive whiteboard. All of the software that you might run from the comfort of your desk can now be run from the front of the classroom. The left mouse button becomes your finger on the SMART or other touch sensitive/camera based boards or the nib of the digital pen on the Promethean board.
Instructional video in teaching and learning
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching makes acquisition of knowledge and skills possible through systematic interaction between teachers and learners. It happens everyday and involves teacher, learner, methodology and materials interaction. Part of these materials are known as instructional resources.
The use of instructional materials in teaching process provide the basis for improved teaching and learning of a subject. They are designed, produced and use to achieve specific instructional goal. Ayinde (1997) opined that an intelligent use of audio-visual aids will save time and stimulate students’ interest. It increase the retention of knowledge and stimulate understanding and attitude.
They help students to recognize a problem. Provide solution and summarize discussion. Moreso, they facilitate independent study, aid communication, create a variety of sensory and makes instruction more powerful and immediate.
Alaku (1998) stated that teachers’ effectiveness depends on his use of appropriate instructional strategies and audiovisual aids. Appropriate instructional strategies portray good teaching techniques and successful learning. They assist students to enjoy and understand lessons easily especially when they are attached with appropriate methodology.
Video is a very important example of instructional materials. Oguntuase (2008) defined it as a record on any medium through which a moving image may by any means be produced. They are derivative works which are usually based on original literacy, dramatic, musical and artistic works.
Teachers are now expected to make use of video for mass media teaching or learning. A good instrument towards achieving this is television which possess seeing and hearing qualities that makes more effective teaching and learning. According to Alaku (1998) video play vital role in teaching and learning. When used effectively, it stimulates interest among the pupils and induces longer retention of factual ideas as the children come into contact with what is being taught.
Kindler (2006) as quoted by Fakunle (2008) declared that people generally remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say and 90% of what they say as they do a thing. Also, National Teacher Institute (2006) stated that Chinese concluded that: I hear; I forget, I see; I remember, I do; I understand. Hence from the illustration above, since video has to do with hearing and seeing it could be suggested that it is a vital tool of learning and teaching.
However, for video to be effective, it must be available, easy to use, well maintained, adequately funded and experts must be available. It is alarming to note that virtually all r teacher do not make use of instructional materials to deliver lessons.
Reflection of learning 2
MY SECOND REFLECTION
It had been 3 weeks, since we started the class. Dr.Siti had been very helpful to me in terms of providing help when i didn't understand certain parts in the lecture that she gave.
Although i am the only student, she kept on the spirit to give me the input that i needed on the learning content. Every Wednesday and Thursday there will be a 3 hours class per day with her at her office. Those 3 hours will be fully utilized to provide the input that i need and she makes sure that i had questions at the end of the session.
One of the lesson that she taught me is about the interactive whiteboard skills. Although i had learnt about the skills earlier, Dr.Siti insist on teaching me again just to make sure that i had not forgotten it.
Although the interactive whiteboard in the faculty is out of order, we learnt the lesson through the simulations in it's software and through online resources. I enjoyed the session very much as i am able to practice something that is very innovative.
Reflection Of Learning
The class had been going on since the 1st of July 2013 and this was the first class that i attended in this semester after my long break from studies. At first, i was afraid to attend the class because i had no idea who the lecturer was and how the course will be conducted as i am the only student taking the course!!!
My fear was gone after i met the lecturer; Dr. Siti, she had been very supportive and a very good guide for me in this course. She handled the class professionally and i had enjoyed my learning sessions with her.
The first week was about topic that we need to cover, the assignments and also the class dates and timetables. I had an insight of the course and although it seems to be a lot of topic to be covered within a short period of time but my lecturer gave me an assurance that i can do it if i am hardworking enough.
The first thing that i had to do was to start blogging as it will be my first ongoing assessment. i started to blog about the topics that she taught me such as integration of technology in the primary classroom, classroom management, instructional design, personalized learning and so on.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE
There are many instruction design principle or models that can be discussed and debated. Many of them are linear model and provide substantial guide for the teacher. To name a few, you might want to take a look at Robert Mager, Benjamin Bloom (Bloom Taxonomy), Ruth Clark, Dick & Carey and David Merrill.
Although the instructional design principles created and authenticated by the above names are as good as any other but i had decided to discuss on one instructional design principles that are different from the stated above.
The instructional design that we are going to focus is Gagne's Nine Events by Robert Gagne.
There are nine events or steps you might say in this principle and let me explain one after another.
1. Gain Attention- this step is important as it will make the learners excited to learn and it will help to calm down the normal jitters in the class and prepare the students for the lesson.
2. Inform Learner Of Objective- this step will ensure that the students will have the knowledge about what they are going to learn and what is important in the subject matter.
3.Stimulate Recall Of Prior Learning- Prior knowledge is essential in any learning topic as the students should be able to relate the lesson with their experience and the knowledge they already had so that they can build and fossilize the new input.
4.Present Information- this is a step in which the teacher will play a pivotal role in providing new information and new knowledge to the students about the learning area.
5.Provide Guidance- The teacher should facilitate the learning session whereby he or she should be able to guide the students to make sure that every single student in the class is able to grasp the knowledge.
6.Elicit Performance- Once the students are able to understand and digest the knowledge, the teacher should test them with asking random questions and let the students explain what they had learned to make sure they really knew what they had got from the teacher today.
7.Provide Feedback- the teacher should provide feedback to the students either as encouragement or as correction to make sure that the students get the concept right.
8.Assess Performance- Worksheet or any other assessment is needed to assess the students understanding towards the topic and to test their ability to relate and respond to the new input given.
9.Enhance Retention and Transfer- This step is about making sure the students are able to put their learnt knowledge on a performance or on a piece of paper such as essay.
Friday, 12 July 2013
INTEGRATION OF ICT IN THE
PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Over the past 30 years, many governments had been emphasizing in integration of ICT in schools, few of the prominent and successful ones are countries like Ireland and United Kingdom. In the local context, Malaysian government had also started to emphasize on it through various initiatives such as the smart school system, technology classes and most recently in terengganu, the state government provided E-book for it's students.
So looking at the informations above, we can say that integration of ICT had started decades ago. The major ambition behind this moves are that to enhance the quality of teaching and learning and to better prepare the students for participation in the emerging knowledge economy and information based society. Where a famous quote says that in the 20th century the difference between illiterate and literate is the ability to recognize and read words but in the 21st century the difference between illiterate and literate is the ability to use ICT.
So, what are the key ideas behind integration of ICT in primary school curriculum?
- The integration of ICT in the Primary School Curriculum should be directed toward enhancing teaching and learning
- The development of ICT skills should be embedded in learning objectives in the Primary School Curriculum
- Planning for ICT use should be at school level and should address key issues including the use of ICT for children with special needs, equality of ICT access for all children, and health and safety when using ICT
- The role of the teacher in planning, supporting, and assessing children’s learning with ICT is central to the effective integration of ICT across the Primary School Curriculum
- Co-operation between home and school can facilitate the development of a common understanding about the use of ICT as a tool for lifelong learning.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
TEACHERS' BELIEF AND READINESS IN DEALING WITH DIGITAL CITIZENS
The world has radically changed, and technology is driving much of the change that we see. When many of today’s teachers were still in school as schoolchildren, the primary sources of information for them were encyclopedias and libraries. Today the Internet is the major source of information. With the Internet and other new technologies,many questions can be answered in just a matter of seconds. Today’s students visit Google more often than the library. Just as modern technology has already altered our world drastically, it is certain that there are many more changes to come in the future. These changes have major implications for the teaching profession. Current educational practices and strategies must keep up with our evolving world.
So how a teacher carries out his or her teaching and learning session must adapt to the current generation. The teacher could not rely on teacher centred sessions such as 'chalk and talk' or by preparing various teaching aids which is used to assist the process. A teacher should believe in the power of technology, the teacher should integrate technology in his or her classroom. Many teachers' across the world are not familiar with the process of integrating technology in their teaching and learning. This is due to the following reasons:
1. Didn't know how to integrate technology
2. Doesn't believe that it is useful
3. Limited teaching time
4. Does not have the infrastructure or access to do so
5. Students are hard to control
6. Does not suit the topic of teaching
Although some of the reasons given makes sense such as limited teaching time and access but the others are lame excuses. There are many softwares, websites and video's that can be used in the classroom and i am sure the teachers' can find those e-learning tools for any topics that they teach as long as they make a effort to search for it.
Today’s learners are often referred to as “digital citizens.” Digital citizens process and deal with information differently from how previous generations do. Rather than having a linear thought process, they tend to piece information together from different sources in a “hypertext” fashion, jumping around between multiple sources. Digital citizens also tend to be more visual and interpret and develop images with ease. Their visual–spatial skills seem to be well developed because of experience with video and virtual games. Digital citizens learn better through discovery than simply being told information. Other key characteristics of digital citizens are their ability to shift their attention rapidly from one task to another and how they often choose not to pay attention to things that don’t interest them.
In order to deal with today's digital citizens, a teacher should have the following characteristics;
1. The Adaptor
2. The Communicator
3. The Learner
4. The Visionary
5. The Leader
6. The Model
7. The Collaborater
8. The Risk taker
1. The Adaptor
The teacher is an adaptor. Harnessed as we are to an assessment focused
education model, the teacher must be able to adapt the curriculum and the
requirements to teach to the curriculum in imaginative ways. They must also
be able to adapt software and hardware designed for a business mode into
tools utilizable by a variety of age groups and abilities.They must also be
able to adapt to a dynamic teaching experience. When it all goes wrong in
the middle of a class, when the technologies fail, the show must go on.
As an educator, they must understand and apply different learning styles.
They must have the ability to adapt their teaching style to be inclusive of
different modes of learning
education model, the teacher must be able to adapt the curriculum and the
requirements to teach to the curriculum in imaginative ways. They must also
be able to adapt software and hardware designed for a business mode into
tools utilizable by a variety of age groups and abilities.They must also be
able to adapt to a dynamic teaching experience. When it all goes wrong in
the middle of a class, when the technologies fail, the show must go on.
As an educator, they must understand and apply different learning styles.
They must have the ability to adapt their teaching style to be inclusive of
different modes of learning
2. The Communicator
“Anywhere, anytime” learning is a catchphrase we hear often. Usually it is
paired with“life learner”. To have anywhere anytime learning, the teacher to
must be anywhere and anytime. It does not have to be the same teacher,
but the teacher is a communicator. They are fluent in tools and technologies
that enable communication and collaboration. They go beyond learning just
how to do it, they also know how to facilitate it, stimulate and control it,
moderate and manage it
3. The Learner
Teachers expect their students to be lifelong learners. How many schools
have the phrase “lifelong learners” in their mission statements and
objectives? Teachers must continue to absorb experiences and
knowledge. Teachers must endeavor to stay current. How many people
are still using their lesson and unit plans from 5 years ago?
Information technology and certainly in many of the sciences, especially
the life sciences; knowledge, understanding and technology are fluid and
dynamic, they are evolving and changing. To be a teacher here you must
change and learn as the horizons and landscape changes.
The 21st Century teacher or educator must learn and adapt.
4. The Visionary
Imagination, a key component of adaptability, is a crucial component
of the educator of today and tomorrow. They must see the potential
in the emerging tools and web technologies, grasp these and
manipulate them to serve their needs. If we look at the technologies
we currently see emerging, how many are developed for education?
The visionary teacher can look at other ideas and envisage how they
would use these in their class. The visionary also looks across the
disciplines and through the curricula. They can make links that reinforce
and value learning in other areas, and leverage other fields to reinforce
their own teaching and the learning of their students.
5. The Leader
Whether they are a champion of the process of ICT integration or
the quiet technology coach, the ICT Trainer and a teacher leading
by example; a maverick or early adopter, the 21st Century
Educator is a leader. Leadership, like clear goals and objectives
crucial to the success or failure of any project.
6. The Model
Teachers must model the behaviors that we expect from their students.
Today and tomorrow more so, there is an expectation that teachers
will teach values. Teachers are often the most consistent part of their
students’ life. Teachers will see the students more often, for longer and
more reliably than their parents. This is not a criticism of the parents rather
a reflection. The 21st Century educator also models reflective practice,
whether it is the quiet, personal inspection of their teaching and learning,
or through reflective practice via blogs, twitter and other medium, these
educators look both inwards and outwards. These teachers also model a
number of other characteristics. These are not necessarily associated with
ICT or the curriculum, but are of equal importance
7. The Collaborater
Educators must have the ability to lever age these collaborative tools
to enhance and captivate their students. They must be collaborators;
sharing, contributing, adapting and inventing.
8. The Risk taker
How can teachers know all these things? How can you teach
them how to use them? There are so many, so much to learn.
You must take risks and sometimes surrender yourself to the
students’ knowledge. Have a vision of what you want and what
the technology can achieve, identify the goals and facilitate the
learning. Use the strengths of the digital students to understand
and navigate new products, have the students teach each other.
The learning pyramid shows that the highest retention of knowledge
comes from teaching others. Trust your students.
Bibliography:
1. Article 'The future teacher' retrieved from
http://www.tncdsb.on.ca/new/resources/
2. PDF file 21st Century Learner by schools of hope www.ntca.ie
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
This blog post will be a continuum of the previous post, where in this post, i will post about the learning principles in the primary school curriculum. I had browsed through many learning principles from the web, but i choose to post about the learning principles of Ireland's primary school curriculum as their education is more focused in integrating ICT in the primary school curriculum.
"A positive learning climate in a
school for young children is a composite of many things. It is an
attitude that respects children
.
It is a place where children receive guidance and encouragement from
the responsible adults around them. It is an environment where children
can experiment and try out new ideas without fear of failure. It is an
atmosphere that builds children's self-confidence so they dare to take
risks. It is an environment that nurtures a love of learning."
Carol B. Hillman
ICT AND THE PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING |
DEFINITION OF THE PRINCIPLES |
The child’s sense of wonderand natural curiosity is a primary motivating factor in learning |
The child’s sense of wonder at the complexity of the world, the desire to understand it, and the spontaneous curiosity to explore it through play is the heart of the learning process and provides the purest and most valuable motivating factor in the child’s learning. It is in cultivating the sense of wonder that the curriculum can provide the most fulfilling learning experience for the child and foster an appreciation of the value of learning. |
The child is an active agent in his or her learning |
The child should be an active agent in his or her own learning. The structure and content of the curriculum are designed to provide opportunities for active engagement in a wide range of learning experiences and to encourage children to respond in a variety of ways to particular content and teaching strategies. |
Learning is developmental in nature |
Conceptual development is not necessarily a linear process. Having dealt with particular knowledge, ideas and skills at a simple level, the child should have the opportunity to return to them at regular intervals in order to deepen his or her understanding. In this way the curriculum allows for the complexity of the learning process and for a coherent expansion of the child’s conceptual framework |
The child's existing knowledge and experience form the base for learning |
It is a fundamental principle of the curriculum that the child’s existing knowledge and experience should be the starting point for acquiring new understanding. The curriculum enables the child to move from the known to the unknown, from the simple to the more complex, from the concrete to the abstract, benefiting from a learning experience that is effective,coherent, and relevant. |
The child’s immediate environment provides the context for learning |
The child’s environment is an important context for his or her development. First-hand experience that actively engages the child with the immediate environment and with those who live in it is the most effective basis for learning. |
Learning should involve guided activity and discovery methods |
The principle of guided activity and discovery and the importance of the teacher in providing the most effective learning experiences for the child are central to the curriculum. In order to ensure that learning is fully productive, the teacher needs to identify particular stages of development in the child’s understanding and then choose the sequence of activities that will be most effective in advancing the child’s learning. |
Language is central in the learning process |
Language has a vital role to play in children’s development. Much learning takes place through the interaction of language and experience. Language helps the child to clarify and interpret experience, to acquire new concepts, and to add depth to concepts already grasped. |
The child should perceive the aesthetic dimension in learning |
The curriculum enables the child to perceive the aesthetic dimension in every area. This enriches the learning experiences for the child and the different aspects of conceptual development. The uniqueness of the child is perhaps most apparent in the innate creativity of each individual, while valuing the child’s creative response and expression of perceptions, insights, interpretations and knowledge is an important principle of the curriculum |
Social and emotional dimensions are important factors in learning |
It is widely recognised that the child’s social and emotional development significantly influences his or her success in learning. This is addressed most effectively through a school ethos that is characterised by a caring, interactive relationship between teachers and pupils. It is also a central concern of learning in every curriculum area. |
Learning is most effective when it is integrated |
For the young child, the distinctions between subjects are not relevant: what is more important is that he or she experiences a coherent learning process that accommodates a variety of elements. It is important, therefore, to make connections between learning in different subjects. As they mature, integration gives children’s learning a broader and richer perspective, emphasises the interconnectedness of knowledge and ideas and reinforces the learning process. |
Skills that facilitate the transfer of learning should be fostered |
One way to judge the effectiveness of learning is to look at the child’s ability to apply what he or she has learned in dealing with problems, choices, situations and experiences that are unfamiliar. The acquisition of this ability to transfer learning is a central feature of the curriculum. |
Higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills should be developed |
In the curriculum the child is encouraged to observe, collate and evaluate evidence, to ask relevant questions, to identify essential information, to recognise the essence of a problem, to suggest solutions, and to make informed judgements. These activities help to foster the higher-order thinking skills, such as summarising, analysing, making inferences and deductions, and interpreting figurative language and imagery |
Collaborative learning should feature in the learning process |
While it is important that children experience a variety of classroom organisational frameworks, working collaboratively provides learning opportunities that have particular advantages. Children are stimulated by hearing the ideas and opinions of others, and by having the opportunity to react to them. Collaborative work exposes children to the individual perceptions that others may have of a problem or a situation. These will reflect the different personalities and particular abilities of other members of the group and make for an interactive exchange that will help to broaden and deepen individual children’s understanding. |
The range of individual difference should be taken into account in the learning process |
The curriculum allows for differences in capacity and in the range of individual intelligence. It also takes account of many other factors of difference, such as urban and rural environments, single-class and multi-class school organisation, variations in socio-economic background, and family and community expectations. The breadth and flexibility of the curriculum, the choices it offers in the selection and sequencing of content and its focus on the developmental needs of children ensures its adaptability to the diversity of children’s circumstances and experiences. |
Assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning |
Assessment assists communication about children’s progress and development between teacher and child, between teacher and parent, and between teacher and teacher. It helps the child to become more self-aware as a learner and to develop powers of self-assessment. It also helps to ensure quality in education. |
ICT and the learning principles of the
Primary School Curriculum
The Primary School Curriculum presents a vision of education, which is expressed in three general aims:
- to enable the child to live a full life as a child, and to realise his or her potential as unique individual
- to enable the child to develop as a social being through living and cooperating with others and so contribute to the good of society
- to prepare the child for further education and lifelong learning.
In order to achieve the aims above it is vital for the primary school teacher to incorporate a range of teaching and learning resources into his or her teaching methods. With reference to the needs of each and every child, the philosophy and content of the curriculum, and the use of tools and resources that can enhance the child’s learning. The teacher can design learning experiences that support the broadly stated aims of the Primary School Curriculum.
Context for ICT in the Primary School Curriculum
With the advancement of technology. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) offer teachers and children various educational tools and resources which enhanced their learning environment. When used to support and enhance the teaching and learning session in the classroom, it helps to achieve the aims, principles and objectives of the Primary School Curriculum. ICT tools such as videos, websites, blogs and other things that have to do with technology surely transforms the teaching and learning session from a mere chalk and talk or teacher centred sessions to a student oriented and independent learning environment.
The image below will illustrate how ICT can be used in teaching and learning:
Learning about ICT: teachers and children develop skills and knowledge in the potential uses of ICT to support learning.
Learning with ICT: teachers and children use ICT resources to support the classroom curriculum.
Learning through ICT: teachers and children use ICT to transform the process of teaching and learning, learning in new ways.
At the same time, it is acknowledged that learning about ICT will be necessary in order to successfully use ICT tools to support the curricular objectives, and to learn in new ways.
Learning through ICT, which supports the general aim of ICT use in the Primary School Curriculum, places a greater emphasis on the recognition of individual difference, and the use of varied approaches and methodologies in teaching.
Specific aims for ICT use in the primary school include:
• to enable the child to use a range of ICT tools in a relevant curriculum context• to enable the child to develop and use ICT skills in the attainment of curriculum learning objectives
• to foster the child’s confidence in his or her use of ICT, through enjoyable learning experiences
• to develop the child’s understanding and practice of the safe use of ICT
• to enable the child to overcome barriers of access to learning resources caused by geographic location, culture, or language
• to enable the child to use ICT to support his or her learning effectively and creatively
• to inform the child’s attitudes regarding the role of ICT in society, including the benefits and challenges of ICT use
• to support the development of the child’s social skills through cooperative learning and problem-solving.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Abigail M. "THE ROLE OF ICT IN LEARNING SUPPORT" 2002 Ewelyn Publications.2. Article "Digital schools" retrieved from www.digitalschools.ie
3. PDF File " ICT IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM" retrieved from: www.ncca.ie
Monday, 8 July 2013
About Me.....
ABOUT MYSELF
Well, let me introduce about myself to all of you;
 |
| Myself |
Name: Arvind Raj
Age: 26 years old
Education: Undergraduate B.Ed TESL University Malaya
Hometown: Balik Pulau, Penang
Hobbies: Reading and playing computer games
Personality: I am a very jovial person, i try to stay humble and calm always. Quiet friendly as well, like to meet new people and explore new things.
Happy Moments: Those old days back in secondary school and the time i spend with my course mates in university.
| My Course mates |
 |
| Those happy moments in S.M.K Sultan Yussuf 5sc2 |
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Introduction
This blog will be focusing on technology in classroom. This blog will also be a reflection on what i had learned from the course that i undertake in this field which is: PKEY 3101: Technology in Primary Education.
So what can you, readers expect from this blog are things like:
1. websites to enhance learning
2. software that can be incorporated in teaching and
learning
3. videos, musics and even games that can be used to
make your teaching and learning session interesting.
4. Animation webpages that can be used to create our
own animation that can be suited with our teaching
topics.
I really hope that all the things that i share here will be beneficial to all the readers.
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