The completion of the IWB assignment

So this is the last assignment for technology.... Wooo Hooo~~!!!

Well, this is a good assignment for me as it gives us the privilege to work on lessons based on this latest software, Smart Board. It surely at the first place gives us a fresh impression, towards utilizing this software. I always feel lucky and privileged that as a bunch of teacher trainees, we get to get the first hand work-on on the board. Feel the sense that we are really being trained up on the latest gadget for teaching. And that make teaching for interesting for sure, and that we as teacher trainees also enjoy working on the gadget.

For we as teacher trainees we know that we prefer to work on something digital. It’s more exciting and something that can attract our senses more. Thus i believe it would be the same for primary pupils. Gadget like Smart Board would attract them more and they would love to explore on it, compared with the chalk and black board.

The section where we shared our work before we pass up the assignment is good. For from there we get insights of the variety of activity that we can produce. For one idea will help broom the other. But generally, i feel that the activities that we have come out with can be further improved. What we have done are more of the ordinary type of activity. But with Smart Board, i’m sure we can improve on not only HOW pupils learn but also WHAT they learn. We can still crack our head to think of things that we can put in Smart Board for the pupils’ learning which can’t be done withouit such technology.

Overall, i would say that i’m quite happy, indeed, to work on this assignment. I am grateful that it isn’t tough, that we are able to enjoy the whole process while exploring this technology.

My view on Smart Board

It's presentation of smart board time!!

I presented it today, and got back some feedbacks.

While one of the feedbacks is, the use of capturing tool in the activity that i create is not necessary. The concept is said good, but it's not that practical. Well, it's a useful feedback, but then i come to ponder about the practicality of the tools included in smart board. My stand is, as much as it is possible, the various tools in Smart Board should be utilized and exploited. But when you really come to put those tools into use, it is found not practical. So, is it necessary to put in those not so practical tools into the smart board in the first place? As it is rarely used.

Also encounter another problem when using the smart board: it is hard to drag. This make people question about the effeciency of using the smart board. Smart board is not used to the extent which it is intended to be. Many people even lecturers used it only at the surfacial level. That is to draw with the pen, tapping the slide to the next page, basically that's all. And they encounter the problem of 'dragging' the things they want to a different position.

Well, i am not saying that smart board is not a good tool. Just that perhaps the technical and usability aspect of the tool yet need to be improved. For example, when i want to drag an object, is there any other way that the editing mechanism of the text doesn't come out but i can drag it easily? That is one of the major problems encounter by many presenters.

What i see is, there's a lot of technical and usability aspects that need to be dealt with and made user-friendly before it can be implemented in the classroom to be an effective interacting tool.

Hello Smart Board!

We are stepping into the smart board 'weeks' now...

Well, smart board is a new technology not only for me, but i believe quite an alient thing for the students in Malaysia.. It's not a common technology yet. But i believe in times to come, very soon, that it is going to replace the role of black board in Malaysian classroom.

That's why we teacher-to-be are learning it right now in our Technology class...

Have yet familiarize myself with this software, but i know by hook or by crook i will one day as it is our assignment to explore and design teaching and learning activities with this software...

Well, sort of feeling fortunate to think of it sometimes that we have the privilege to come in contact with this advanced technology....

Here we come, SMART BOARD....

Pro-techno minded

Well, it has come to the week 3 of the new semester... Well, so far, i'm adapting well, (i guess...) Technology in Primary Classroom... well, i don't know, indeed i know that living in this 21st century learning technology and how to implement it in teaching has already become a necessary thing to do... but i'm doubting, if i'm sent to rural areas where there is no access of internet, well, what we have learnt here would not be applied...... well, i know even if that is a possiblity but as a current generation teacher i still have to learn about using technology in classroom, butta, the former thought seems to be dominant in my mind now.... Anyone can brainwash me a bit??? I NEED TO BE BRAINWASHED in this aspect, i knew i need. I need someone to relate and tell me how in reality things are not as how i picture, but to veer my perception towards a new perspective, as an innovative and resourceful teacher.

Anyway, good thing is, whatever that i'm doing now, assignment especially, instead of doing it with a sense of 'compulsory, it's a coursework, you have to do it well to get good mark and not to be flung from this course', a new mentality has replaced this kind of thought. I learn all this for the benefits of the pupils that i'm gonna meet next time... And that makes me do it with a more delightful and willing heart. Well, that is more positive and right....

Well, come on guys, let's do it for our future pupils......

Next Generation Learning

1. how technology is going to affect how your students are going to be learning
2. how you as a teacher will be learning.

Irregardless whether we are teachers or students, we ARE all living in a technological world. And both parties have to equip themselves with latest technology skills to deliver and learn respectively in the academic world.

It is obviously seen that the PACE of learning is getting faster and faster. This is due to the accessing of internet nowadays, that make information searching just a one click a way. And obviously, though it is more common for secondary students, but primary pupils as well, are very much exposed to the usage of internet to search information. Unlike the older days, books were the only and more common way to search for information. But due to the convenience, abundance of information and eficiency that internet offer, the phenomenon is that students will search information from internet rather than books. So this is the first point of how our pupils in near future or even now is going to learn.

Second point is, the 'old' technology, eg Video tape, television, radio etc would slowly be regarded as 'out-of-date' even by pupils. This is especially for city pupils. As they are greatly exposed to hi-tech gadgets such as plasma tv, computers, lap, fancy handphones etc; the older gadgets will hardly catch their attention and interest anymore. Thus, moving along with the development of technology, Tv, overhead projector these kind of teaching aids should be replaced by the usage of ICT for teaching and learning activities.

While for the question 'how we as a teacher will be learing', i guess along with more clickings on the mouse together with the younger generation on internet for information, it is of our urgent need to learn the latest technological skills. The basic one would be the setting up of the LCD in class. The rest will be the mastery of operating various mechanism that the computer has to offer: MS Excel, Power point, MS outlook, video making and editing and other teaching and learing-related programmes.

Other than self-exploration, teacher should make use of the opportunities offered in the school to follow up various training courses in this aspect, and if such offer is not available, teacher has to take his/her own initiative to learn the latest technological skills. Teacher him/herself should be the consistent user of all these technological gadgets, so that the expertise and confidence in using them are being built up.

Most of all, as in the real scenario, teachers, especially of older generation, should break the inner fear and ignorance towards these kind of new learning. As these technology 'bloom up' only later in their life, and because of the fast-pace-learning that it requires and complexity of its nature, fear is bloomed in them to catch up with these latest technology. They should break the barriers in them and move along with the younger generation.

It seems that teachers have lots more to do and more effort is required of them to zoom into the next generation learning. They have no choice but to cope up with all these new challenges, or they will soon feel that they are being inefficient as a teacher in the 21st century. While for the students, computer-table-bound is unavoidably be the lifestyle that they are going to be as far as the learning in the academic world is concerned. Anyhow, both parties, have their own roles to play in coping up inhis technology-oriented generation, so that technology in this generation will be their friend instead of enemy.