14 January
Class management
My first lecture on ICT began with classroom management. Well...I was a little taken aback...an ICT course instructing about managing my students' behaviour. I thought for a moment was it necessary? Of course! It was the lack of such thought that had stopped me from sparing my Ipad to my students for fear that they would ruin my precious gadget. I supposed such fears are not uncommon among teachers' minds. What I had learned was, it is possible to keep your gadgets in one wholesome piece given good clear class management rules; teachers need to step out of their primitive self...to welcome a new world, that has been molded by technology. so...welcome Rebekah :) I also agree that every child has the right to learn, if there are better and more effective ways of learning...why deprive them?? The use of technology is simple and fun, it captivates the students' attention at once!
The useful management tips are :
1) Dock your device - when the students turn their gadget screen facing down, as teachers we know that they can't even read what was on the screen
2) Hands up - to keep their hands up, is totally off their gadget
3) Apples up - this method is a quick way to check what the students are doing when they lift their gadget in the air
4) Colour Coding - add colour on the page, hence when the students move away from the page the teacher will know at once
5) Proximity Control - while the students are working on their gadgets, teachers walk among them...keeping close proximity therefore keep a check on the students work.
6) Peer pressure -
7) Designated Places for Devices - instruct the students to place their hp on a specific corner on the table...this is an ingenious way to scan everyone's action. Teacher can see the gadget immediately.
Brain Break....
I love brain breaks activity...I used it in between transition. As a teacher, I need that too...
The students get a break from learning and have fun. My students loves to dance... I'll let them. It took only 5 minutes...then we move on. Great!!
TBL - Team Based Learning
This is indeed a interesting way of learning. Its tap on the intra-personal and inter-persornal intelligence where time is given for individual thoughts and reflection before moving on the the group discussion where the students get to hear from every member in the group.
Polling...
Honestly, I haven't thought about how to get my little babies to do polling in class...
28 January
Stress... Stress... Stress......it was our first TBL....Life is so stressful...doing a Master course adds to it...sigh...
Well then I had to think...what's my objective of doing the Master course? To get good grade...... its a fact right?? For the sanity of my own mind, I will say, "no la...I must enjoy the process of such learning....its so exciting to pass!!!"
Attitude is such a precious attribute. This is what I had learned throughout my Master in Education (Early Childhood). I thank my Lord that, this is my last lap.....in less than two months time, my course mates and I would have completed this wonderful process. Hence, at this level, my friend said its not about grade...and he stopped there. Then I thought through....what's more important is the ability to apply what I have learned!! How's that??? More power right?? Yes, I've learned that there are people who hold many certifications but are not able to perform....yes!!! That's my TEST- to perform!!! I want to do my Lord proud by being a doer. Whether if its my research skills or ICT skill...all these I must excel in real life...real situations...and impact someone's life and many more. Hence, grading is important...because it will make my certificate glow...but the ability to apply all that reflected on my cert...its double or triple more important.
Photos and Videos
Here are some pictures I took:
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| Students to count the number of umbrellas |
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| This is Block 2!! |
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| Students to find the number 2 |
1) its indeed quicker to record your thoughts down through video, I could job my memory through what my course mate said....err.. can't upload her video which required parental consent.....
Zackary challenged our thought about being whether our students are consumer or producer??? They are consumer if we are not creative or adventurous enough as teachers, but they can be producers if we are able to break through our traditional thinking by transforming our lessons.....So teachers are TRANSFORMERS too!!!!
OH YES... OH YES!!! Almost Forgot....
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| Can see this restaurant menu??? the spelling is wrong...bitter gourd not gourt..... |
Reflecting on my reflection.....
Hmmm.....why such heading?
My first two reflections were written according to what we had learned for the week. To be honest, I did "check out" on my fellow course mates' blogs to get some ideas... Then I think to myself... if I am going to list down what I did during the lessons....then is that considered a form of reflection?
So I've decided!!!!
I am going to reflect on the big ideas that I had gathered from Zachary's class.
To begin with, what I got most out of Zachary was - the use of technology requires an ATTITUDE. I pondered. He said that at the start of the class and somewhere in the middle of the course...this emphasis stuck to my head. I didn't think very much of it earlier but as we journeyed through Zachary's virtual world.. I realized how important that word means.
A lot of tools that Zachary introduced us, will be left merely as tools that were introduced if we do not take a proactive role to find out deeper than his introduction. At first, I wondered why he didn't give us a step by step lesson on how to use, for example, screencasting. What I visualized his lesson would be..."class, first we must sign up for this...next, we are going to explore this buttons..". That will be so much easier for me as I would not have to do trial and create tons of mistakes before I got a good satisfied screencast. Hence, as the lesson went on week after week, I would felt very very stress because the lesson was moving very fast and I didn't pace myself to be familiarized with the previous tools taught. Attending new lesson meant that there would be more tools introduced, hence I found myself drowned at times only to be saved by Elise. I was tired from school and my other module's assignment, and I attending Zachary's class became a huge burden for me.
The breakthrough came when we had e-learning at home where the class was connected through webinar. Why? First, such virtual classroom was totally new to me, and again, I was stress but also excited. I was stress because I didn't know what to expect and wondered if I could be able to catch up during the e-lesson. Excited because it was something new to me. From this webinar experience, I learnt that I could somehow, click here, click there and found myself in the virtual classroom. I felt the sense of empowerment! I liked the feeling :) With this empowerment, I was beginning to feel being part of the class, feeling proud to be part of MSE 850. I had also gained the confident to explore on my own... you see that's the kind of attitude Zachary was talking about...do not give up! Should Zachary were to conduct a step by step course on how to use certain tools, I wouldn't have pick up this understanding...I will probably be the same helpless me...totally dependent on him to spoon feed every mouthful. I wouldn't be able to realize that I can do it too! Zachary's aim was also probably to show us that, we can find answer in the internet..alot of helpful information are there for us to learn - but it will take someone with an attitude to not just learn it, but use it well. "Technology is not a skill set, its a mindset". Yes thank you Zachary!! I caught it!!
The other big idea that had shaken me from MSE 850 is that I felt myself being ushered into the new millennium, this new world will not be very used to books, paper and pens..its a world that my future students will be embarking or have embarked. Its scary. But I'm glad that I was given a glimpse of what this new world is like. Hence, the learning point from this course to me is not just about flubaroo, Mentimeter, etc... it is whether am I ready to embark on a new teaching paradigm. Am I ready to change? How am I preparing myself for the changes? My students are going to be so much more ahead of me and can I update myself quick enough to catch up? Its really scary to think about it. Hence, I was glad that Zachary empowered us. I was made to churn out some learning points or do research on some tools within 10-15 minutes...again, I didn't know I could do that! MVL is indeed such a clever idea of engaging your students, empowering them, helping them to see that they can curate information just like their teachers.
I am certainly not the same me before I took up MSE 850. However, I cannot say that I am competent with technology yet but I do possess an attitude - not to give up, persevere on with a right mindset.