Online Artefact for Assignment 1... Done!

Hello there,

I have finally completed my online artefact (after much battling with my dinosaur technology skills).  This artefact discuss about what and whys technology should be used in classrooms. I hope this artefact will be informative to you and could be one of your references for your future teaching!

Please refer to this link :)

Have a great evening ahead! 

Where am I?

Ever since I started driving, I have always been getting lost or taking wrong turns. I am not good at taking directions either as I am always mixing up my lefts and rights especially when I am behind the wheels. Luckily for me and thank God for advanced technology, Global Positioning System (GPS), saved my life! GPS tells you exactly where you are and the fastest or alternative routes you can use to get you to your location.  

This is a short video (please refer to this link) I found interesting on how explain how GPS works. Having a basic understanding of how it functions is really important for those interested in getting a deeper understanding of how this technology can help solve one’s daily problem.  

One of the most reliable GPS I have used is Waze. Waze is an application for smart phones for users. It displays a live map of the area together with traffic conditions such as traffic jams, police traps and others. It also allows users to report on current road condition to other Waze users as well.  

Images are from Google Image

It even tells you where is the next petrol station! :)

GPS has been helpful to me as I am able to find my way without getting lost anymore. I discover new routes and I am more independent now (yay me).  

Educators and ICT

The world is changing more rapidly than ever before due to increasing technological advances. The influence of technology has played a huge impact on education especially.  Educators have to overcome their fears of technophobia. 

Using technology and ICT to teach students can fun and challenging. It provides teacher to expand students learning with various websites which provides ever ending list of ideas and what to dos! Technology also teachers to discuss and exchange ideas with other professionals alike abroad. It brings the whole world closer to each other :) 

Teacher need to keep themselves updated with the latest technology and help students to distinguish the right and wrong information from the internet can be rather overwhelming. Teachers should educate themselves to use technology as part of their living life so that they are able to use technology with ease. As educators, we should not let our fears to pull us down, but to take it as a challenge and to find ways of overcoming it (just like how we manage the children!)

Happy Tuesday!  

Children and YouTube

Today in school, a girl was singing ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman’ by Frozen. One of the latest animation cartoons by Walt Disney. I was impressed with her as she was able to memorized the WHOLE lyrics of the song (and other Frozen songs too). I asked her where she did learn the song from. She told me every day, she would go into YouTube and search for the song. 

Images are from Google

 

Do you want to build a snowman? :)

I believe that YouTube has played a major role in society, especially young children. YouTube has also been noted as being one of the most famous social media platforms for showcasing new and creative work for all age ranges (Examiner.com, 2014). Children are always curious with the world around them and are eager learners. Children learn best then they have something that are of their interest and invokes their curiosity. Just by tying the key word to the search, children are able to find what they want to learn for example, educational songs, programmes and entertainment. YouTube can be a helpful learning tool and those who value learning should take time to explore the site and see what content fits their specific needs in order to enhance their educational experience (Examiner.com, 2014). 

References.

Examiner.com. (2014). The educational benefits of YouTube. Retrieved March24, 2014, from                      http://www.examiner.com/article/the-educational-benefits-of-youtube

[lyrics+Vietsub] Do you want to build a snowman- from Frozen. YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZOI1yUGPBQ

Malaysian Education System and ICT

I was looking through Twitter when I came across one of our lecturer’s (David Jones) tweet. I found it interesting. 

 Images are from Google

To read the article about Malaysia’s launch on Blueprint for Education System ICT Reform, please refer to this link

This article reminds me when I was in high school whereby learning about ICT is new to the Education system and it wasn’t much that we learnt about. The only thing I remember doing was playing educational game throughout the whole period! 

I feel that it is crucial for the Malaysian Education system to be exposed to ICT. As we are moving on to the next level in improving ourselves, the education system too should change and be in par with modern technology. With the access to wireless internet access, it can become an interactive tool for interactive learning for teachers and students. 

Students will have the chance to create, share and learn through the social media and expand their knowledge through the World Wide Web. Teachers can use the internet to make learning fun and to expand the students’ prior knowledge. Teachers are able to find new approaches and ideas on the net. With the help of the internet, learning can be so much faster and easier. In just one click, the answers are there already. On the spot! One does not need to go home and to ‘do your own research’ anymore. The potential to have all the educational resources is there with the help of search engines and various websites. The potential to expand students’ learning is indeed tremendous with ICT. 

Neither here nor there

I just had a Skype call session with my brother who is studying overseas. It feels like nothing has changed just that we are now in a different time zone but it still feels as though he is just in the next town, thanks to ICT. 

Skype is part of Microsoft and is founded in 2003. Skype allows one to be able to call their loved ones for free and there is a feature called ‘webcam’, which allows the user to be able to ‘see’ each other face to face. 

ICT brings people around the world closer to each other even though they are miles apart from each other.  It also allows one to share documents, videos and pictures with one another.

Lost in Translation

Last year, a set of German twins came into my environment. Their parents are on a work assignment in Malaysia for a 3 year contract. This is their first time living abroad and they do not know any English. Frustrated and unable to communicate, they refused to go to school and were rather clingy to Mummy. I remember feeling helpless because I did not know their language. I was thinking of ways to communicate to them when an idea came to me, ’Ask Google’.

Google saved my life (kinda). Learning the whole sentence was kind of hard for me, so I just Google translate some German terms. Some of the terms I come to learn such as drink-trinken, eat-essen, Good Morning- Guten Morgen and hello- guten tag. Google translate also allows you to listen to the correct pronunciation of the word. 

Images are from Google Images

The twins were pretty amazed that I could communicate in their language (with the help of Google).  ICT such as these helps ease the language barrier for those who are in a foreign land and for those who wants to pick up a new language. 

Now, please excuse me for now. I am in the midst of trying to pick up French.

Au Revior!  

PS: I got my post inspiration from one of my EDC3100 classmates, Sanna Ahmad. Check out her blog!