Monday, October 8, 2007

Thank You...

Words of appreciation …

Thank you to everyone who stood by me through the good and the bad. To everyone who has tried to help me.To everyone who has made me laugh.To everyone who refuses to give up.To everyone who loves and supports me.Thank you.Because without you I would never have been pushed to my limit.I would never have tested my boundaries.I would never have seen what a beautiful world this is.


By:Katherine Ruth Simpson

Thank you very much to Prof. Raja Maznah and the crew for being so nice to us. Dedicated to all of the teaching teams (Prof. Raja Maznah, Miss Chin, Miss Ng and etc) .You are amazing…

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Something to ponder...

I have to say this semester in University of Malaya mostly on ‘technology explosion’. It is wonderful experience to learn new things about computers. Since I have being as a ‘computer dummy’, I really feel that this new knowledge has indirectly changed the way I do things. In the pastime (which is during my time at IPIK), I have only known few things of computers such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point and little experiences to perform Microsoft Movie Maker. This array of software is commonly used for presentation and microteaching. Nevertheless, when I encounter UM, school of education, I know how to operate with interactive whiteboard (SMARTBOARD), participate in on-line forum, express my feelings and share some thoughts at blogspot.com etc.When I seat back and listened attentively to the lectures on ‘digital citizens’, it’s remind me to my schooling experiences. When I was at primary school, the word ‘computer’ is still bizarre to me as a young kid. Since I was schooling in rural area which is FELDA, (it emphases more on the agriculture land project), the using of computer is not really popular since people merely use the computer as medium of communication. The school itself also did not have any computer tools and services. Most of the teacher also hardly seen use the computer during teaching and learning process. Until one day when I was in year 6, my father had bought us a computer by using loan provided by his company. At that time, most of the government workers are given opportunity to apply loan on buying personal computer in order to bring the technology into the society.Meanwhile, there are adequate provision of the technology based infrastructure and facilities in my secondary school systems. I’m really shy to say that I was taking IT (Information Technology) for one of my SPM elective subject. In my opinion, the subject is quite tough and challenging. Based on my experiences, I have to memorize a lot of computer formulae to make the programmes work smoothly, besides that it was also compulsory to create creative homepage and websites for that subject. My memory like a sieve, I have forgotten every single formula that I had memorized during my schooling time.Although, I am not too technology savvy, I believed that ICT is important for our lives. Undeniably, we could access the information faster than traditional way of using books. The power of knowledge is just at our finger tips as ‘World without boundaries’. The expression http://www/ is known to us even slightly familiar with computer-based communication. The www refers to the world-wide which uses the internet to make available various types of information to people all around the world. Certainly, it uses a browser programmes such as Microsoft Explorer or Netscape Communicator.Technology in primary education is kind of interesting course and an eye-opener for me to become as IT literate. I should use the technology wisely and integrate the tools into teaching and learning process. Technology is a powerful tool that can be used in the engaged learning process. This process creates a classroom that is an environment for continuums learning community. Information technology will provide a means of placing the industrialized and developing societies on an equal footing.
Prompt quiz..

The sudden technology quiz really shocked me. Honestly, I did not prepare anything for the quiz. However, Prof. Raja Maznah soothes us by saying that the quiz is simple and manageable. I assume that I manage to answer the quiz whereas when I look at the first question of the quiz ….Oh my God !I forgot the acronym of PLEAsE! I said to myself “P.L.E.A.S.E Prof., help me!” The one-page quiz reflects our previous knowledge and it test our prior knowledge on ICT in the Primary Education. However, I realized that learning is life-long process. We should not learn and study hard just for the sake of examinations or marks, yet we should have intrinsic motivation towards learning. Meaning that, L.E.A.R.N.I.N.G….is never stop growing as learning is a lifelong process. That's something technical educators are always telling their students, but through their professional development activities they are also practicing what they are preaching. Meaning that, we are teachers of our own. I am learning and still learning. For me, education is school of lifes.The whole of life is learning, therefore education can have no endings. I had my own styles in learning and in getting knowledge. In my opinion, other people experience and ideas is also part of my learning since I can learn something interesting and valuable from them.
MORAL : This experience taught me to be prepared all the time. I should fully-equipped with knowledge and experience.

Okay,now I would like discuss about learning technology is a lifelong learning process. In education, technology is a compelling force that needs to be in line with the curriculum to create an engaged learning atmosphere that allows pupils to become skillful learner with an endless passion for learning. According to Brennan,there are few visions of ICT in educations which are to enable the child to live a full life:
- to enable the child to live a full life as a child, and to realize his or her potential as unique individual
- to enable the child to develop as a social being through living and cooperating with others and to contribute to the good of society
- to prepare the child to further education and lifelong learning.

In my opinion, ICT offer teachers and children educational tools and resource which extend their learning environment. There are 3 ways of approach to ICT which are learning with ICT, Learning through ICT and Learning about ICT.

LEARNING ABOUT ICT : Teacher and children develop skills and knowledge in using the ICT technology tools to support learning.

LEARNING WITH ICT: Teacher and children use ICT resources to support the curriculum and achieve the learning objectives.

LEARNING THROUGH ICT: Teachers and children use ICT to transform the process of teaching and learning in new ways. They learn effectively and meaningfully by the use of technology.