The End is Near

Lots of things that I've learned and gained by attending this course throughout this semester from not really knowing what is "Blog" to be able to create lesson activities using the IWB and also other technology.
*Others:
- all the theories
- making educational videos
- storyboard
- FISH! Philosophy
- Facebook
- Beneficial links: EduwebTV, CikguNet
- all the interesting stories and articles

In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to convey an appreciation and thanks to Prof Raja Maznah for not giving up of sharing and delivering new input, to all the tutors for helping me along the way and to all my friends who share all the precious moments in this course. "Good Luck" to all for incoming exams and hope that we can pass with flying colours!!!

And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full.
I've traveled each and every highway;
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few;
But then again, too few to mention.
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.

I planned each charted course;
Each careful step along the by way,
But more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing.

To think I did all that;
And may I say - not in a shy way,
No, oh no not me,
I did it my way.

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows -

And did it my way!

FACEBOOK

I didn't really familiar with Facebook. After I read the articles posted in ADeC, I've learned that Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks just like Friendster and Myspace. It allows us to create our own profile, post photos and join social groups. Once we have created our own Facebook, we able to connect with all other people who also owned the Facebook.
In my opinion, the use of Facebook among students and teachers can bring advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

1. Facebook allows the users to post commentaries on something that they had read, seen and listened. They also can ask others to comment on it too. Teacher can use this advantage to ask his/her students to comment about what they have learned or something that they can gain from reading a certain text. Using this, teacher can continue learning and read their comments later.

2. Latest information and requirement task can also be shared and spread instantly with others and its save money and time too. For example, teachers or lecturers sometime need his/her students to prepare on certain task for the next class. So, they can straightly open the Facebook and post their instructions in it. On the other hand, students can ask any question or put forward their problem to be disscussed and read by teachers.

3. Among peers, students can use Facebook to share their thoughts, help each other in solving problems, getting to know new friends and their schools, and also helping in their studies whereby they can exchanging notes and examination papers.

Disadvantages:

1. Facebook can become a distraction to students whereby they will be less focus in the classrooms. This is something that teachers cannot control. It needs some self-motivation from the students' side to not using this Facebook during class hour so that they can totally focus on the lesson.

2. If the students and teachers are becoming too fond with Facebook, it will create a school community that is not healthy. Supposedly, the school is a platform that encourages the students to involve in social relationship and to communicate verbally with each other. If the Facebook is become the most prominent way of communication, then there will no more effective communication and the students will not develop the skill of socialization.

All in all, it takes two parties, both teachers and students commitment to decide to what extent they should use the Facebook and in the same way using the Facebook as a tool to enhance learning.

FISH! Philosophy

I still can remember the day when Prof Maznah brought in some fish toys into our class not long ago. At that time, I have no ideas of what sort of things that she tried to do with those toys. Then, the class started to feel noisy with laugh and shouts from every girls and boys when Prof asked us to throw the fishes randomnly around the class. I felt weird of what was happening and tried to guess the motives of Prof for doing that. Lots of questions played in my mind at that time like "Are we being punish of doing something wrong?", "Are we going to create a lesson using these fishes?", "Is this some sort of set induction to get us ready for our lesson, just like we usually think of during creating the lesson plan?" and whatsoever.

After having fun for quite sometimes, Prof asked us to stop and the truth revealed. Actually, what we did with the fishes had some connection with what Prof Maznah shown to us after that. It was about FISH! Philosophy. In my entire life, I do not come across any philosophy regarding Fish. So, I was quite blur to hear it for the first time.

What is FISH! Philosophy?
FISH! is a skill that provides the process, tools and language to generate the skills necessary to design a workplace full of inspiration, creativity and innovation. FISH! creates a common language. A language that will help improve our culture by using four simple practices – Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude.

In my opinion, this philosophy is really meaningful to be applied in everyday classroom. Due to the workload that most of teachers are experienced and the long list of syllabus to be finished before the end of school term, they sometimes neglect to make the classroom the most interesting place that students want to be. So, the four practices mentioned above are the ways that teachers can do to make the classroom alives.

"Be there" means teacher needs to be not only the one who delivers the knowledge but a friend to where the students can turn to instead of their family members. When the students feel comfortable and secure with their teacher, they will automatically give full committment and they will enjoy learning.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. If we can see, students will not enjoy learning the lesson if there is only one way communication whereby only the teacher do the teaching and students do not given opportunity to involve in the learning process. Therefore, teacher needs to integrate "Play" in the lesson so that students will not fall into boredom. According to Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, learners will filter out input when they feel bored, angry or anxious. So, to prevent this from happen, teachers should create a "play" in their lesson.
"Make their day" means teacher should think of something that can make students feel happy and smile even though they are in the middle of something. Other than that, teacher must able to make the students feel good about themselves.
Last but not least, "Choose Your Attitude". Teachers needs to possess good values so that students can follow the good characteristics of the teacher. Besides that, teacher should avoid favouritism in the classroom and treat all students equally. Teacher also need to know which attitudes that can suit the class mood at that day.

In conclusion, teachers who are the anchor of turning the ugly picture of the classroom situation to a classroom that has alive, interactive, and joyful atmosphere.

How to promote the usage of the school computer lab

Nowadays, every school is equipped with computer labs so as to encourage the teacher to integrate technology in teaching and learning. There are some ways that teacher can do to promote the usage of the school computer labs to students.

Firstly, teacher can bring the students to the computer lab and introduce to them some web based software that related to their lesson for that day. Using this, students are given the opportunity to explore and discover the software on their own and experience fun learning. There are plenty of software available on the world wide web and teacher can simply select and choose the best software to be used in their teaching.

Secondly, teacher can come out with an assignment or a task that requires the students to make full use of the internet to find the materials such as pictures, songs, etc and ideas for their task. Teacher can bring them to the computer lab and let them to search on their own the materials that they are looking for. Indirectly, teacher is promoting the benefits of internet as one of the source that students can rely to in order to find various materials and input in a short time.

All in all, it is the teacher's and administration's roles to determine how to promote the usage of computer lab in school. It is a waste not to use the facilities when it is already served for us!