7th LectureDate: 22nd August 2007 Time: 1200-1500 Venue: Computer LaboratoryPressured"Pressured! Stress! Tension!" There is always a time during each semester that we feel pressured most that is when we are expected to complete our major assignment. Though I've sailed through 4 semesters, the mention of
"assignment" still terrifies me a lot. It is some kind of abstract pressure that is difficult to be expressed in words. To be frank, all this while we were enjoying ourselves attending lectures. So relaxing! No worries! No stress! Since we are still students, the majority of us constantly have a great tendency to be lazy and procrastinate whenever possible until the
"DEADLINE" comes attacking. I shall write it this way:
no compulsion
no commands
no pressure
no strictness
no expectation
NO WORK PRODUCED
Our Prof. is so smart to have reminded us (actually indirectly pressured us) on
- our deadline of assignment
- expected number of blogs written
- active participation in the forum.
Prof. Maznah is expecting us to have posted
at least 5 blogs by the end of 7th week of the semester. She informed us that there will be
an on going assessment to evaluate our blogs. Eventually, we should have at least 10 academic blogs posted when the semester ends. Did I mention
"academic blogs"? Yes.
Only academic blogs are assessed. This allows me to recall on my doubts about e-portfolio" where I personally think that there should be a certain restricted framework or requirements to be followed in terms of the content of e-portfolio. I think my opinion is valid since we-undergraduates follow the rules so as the primary school kids. What I mean here is since we are doing this for academic purposes so hopefully all of us will make our
blogs appear to be more academic-like. Talking about the issue on
visiting others' blogs and giving comments, Prof. Maznah encourages us to take more time reading others' blog and
give constructive feedbacks or comments in order
to support and assist each other in this course. However, I feel that it really takes me a lot of time scanning through all the blogs. I felt dizzy after reading a few long blogs. After all, the content is almost similar among us and that sort of like bored me. Well, I pity Prof. that she has to read all of our blogs. I was able to give some comments on my coursemates' blogs and I sincerely thank those who have constructively and encouragingly dropped a few words of comments in my blogs. Some of them did share their knowledge on e-portfolio by giving me the relevant websites as reference. Besides that, we were asked to
participate actively in the forum. For me, I did take part in almost all the discussions posted by giving a pinch of my thoughts and humble opinions. After Prof. required us to give full participation there, I could see many of us starting to fill up the forum by either anwering the questions and posting questions.
Indeed,
forum is a place where we could interact and share our opinions. However, I think that to those who have
initially posted the questions to start a discussion
should constantly give feedbacks and responses to those of us who have spent time anwering or giving opinions in the forum. Otherwise, it is hard to make the discussion fruitful and on going. For instance, you have stated your stand and opinions in the forum but somehow no one out there seemed to have noticed the existence of your opinion. You become so uncertain whether you are giving logic and relevant information. Everyone becomes so indulged in giving their opinion for the sake of having
"active participation". I found that some who posted the questions have disappeared in the forum from there onwards. They didn't even drop a word or two during the process of discussion.
I wonder are we there to make ourselves noticed and significant or we are there to share and learn from each other?Morever, we were advised by Prof.
not to complain so much since we are teachers that should
possess the patience and determination to teach in nature. Err...if it is not nature...nurture will do. As long as we have the expected qualities of a teacher. It seems that we have encountered some difficulties in learning and using ICT and we doubt the effectiveness of the implementation of ICT in schools and there goes the complaints and grumblings. I believe that
professional development is taken into consideration here.
Teacher should constantly and willingly to develop and ungrade ourselves whenever possible to as to ensure that our learners will get the best out of us. It will be the same case in terms of using ICT, we should try our very best to master the usage of ICT and implement it in schools. We should always keep this in mind:
ICT IS A TEACHING TOOL. TEACHERS ARE THE ONES TO PROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TOOL.However, looking from another perspective,
what if there are teachers who are not-so-capable in manipulating ICT but very good at using other teaching method like "chalk and talk", giving hands-on experience, demonstration method or drilling methods? Are they still being categorized to be
"ineffective" teachers in this modern era? We are all aware of the
multiple intelligence that is believed to be something innate in human beings.
Is it possible to have teachers who are techno dummies? Are they supposed to be blamed of lack of proficiency?I personally think that we teachers cater to our students' learning needs and who cater our teaching needs? Therefore, I feel that teachers should be
given freedom to use any methods that they think is most effective to them. They can use this teaching strategy as often as possible but should bare in mind that
teachers need to diversify their teaching methods too. Therefore, at times they could also attempt on other methods (which might be not-so-familiar) to them to
avoid the learners from getting bored with the similar teaching strategies for the past 6 years.
As a matter of fact, there is
no stict rule to ONLY use ICT in teaching in this era but a variety of teaching methods should be implemented in the classroom and no doubt ICT is one of them.
Here comes the most important part of the lecture when we are clearly informed about our major assignment of this semester. Basically, we are required to design teaching and learning activities via smartboard in the primary school. We are expected to :
-create at least 5 slides of different activities for each group member-give clear instructions
-create activities that contain of topic, prior knowledge, objective or learning outcome and guidelines for each activity.
-rationale that is justified by teaching and learning theories
Here are some of our senior's sample work on the
guidelines and requirements of the expected product in our assignment.

1. Standard form (Left)
2. Guidelines (Right)
There are various of interesting and effective activities that can be designed via IWB to be implemented in the primary school classroom. Here are some examples shown:


1. Story telling teaching content.
Sze Mei- our coursemate was selected to tell a story (red riding hood) while eliciting responses from us (as learners). The pictures were very clear and colourful but the font of the dialogue was rather small and does not stand up in black with the background. There was a video clip inserted in a TV in the grandma's house where it teaches "Plants & Seeds". This really amazed me! It was a Science class actually. This kind of activity can indeed cater to learner's learning styles (visual & audiolingual learners) as they could see and listen to the video in the story telling session. They can also learn the vocabulary (names of plants). Basically, this activity was able to capture the learners' attention as well as effectively transferring the input smoothly and progressively.
2. Matching activity.
Learners can match the correct words or sentences to the pictures or numbers given. Learners can learn to identify meaning easier and they are given the opportunity to answer the questions using the colour pen of the IWB.
3. Grouping activity
Learners are able to learn how to categorize things to their group by drag and drop the correct picture to the correct column provided. Not only pictures can be categorized, words can be done as well like categorizing words to the different part of speech and etc.
4. Fill in the blanks activity
Learners can fill in the answer either by writing it using the pens, typing it using the keyboard function or drag and drop the words provided. This can test the learners' proficiency of the subject as well as improve their spelling and word recognition ability. Listening and writing skills can be assessed as well where learners are asked to fill in the blanks after a particular passage, procedures or story is read to them.
On the other hand, games and video clips can be incorporated in the teaching and learning activities as well. Here are the examples disclosed to us:
1. treasure hunt game 2. educational video clips

1. Games can help learners to learn and practise their knowledge subconsciously. Learners affective filter can be lowered down as they are able to have fun playing the games. Besides, cooperative learning can be develped. They can compete with each other and this helps them to have the motivation to play more and of course learn more. It is an activity that can stir the entire classroom and provide them a fun and exciting environment to engage in learning.
2. Video clip is an activity that settles the learners. The interesting educational video clips not only can capture and prolong their attention span but able to explain a concept clearly and in detail which might be difficult to be conveyed verbally. With the images, actions and dialogues incorporated in the video clips, learners are able to learn faster and better as young learners require concrete objects to understand concepts.
One more interesting feature that the smartboard possesses was, teachers and learners can obtained immediate feedbacks on the activities. Teachers and learners can check the answers in many ways which are shown as below.
Having this feature is very crucial and effective for learners to have progressive and motivating learning. Learners can always learn from their mistakes and classmates' mistakes. Self correction is important where learners can identify their own mistakes and attempt to re-do their answer and eventually obtain the correct answer. This will not intimidate them due to their mistakes but to enhance their confidence when they are able to get the accurate answer.



1. Drag a box to the answer column.
The box with a different colour when placed on the answer column can automatically show the answer which has the same colour font as the background.
2. Drag the box across the column.
When the words is dragged across the column, different colours will show the answers which cannot be seen earlier.
3. Erase the column answer.
When erase the column, the answer hidden will emerge.
4. Correct and wrong answers are placed together with the same colour font.
When the answers are placed on the answer column of diffrent colour the correct or wrong answer will be disclosed.
5. Drag and answer emerged.
When the correct answer is dragged and dropped to a specific column, the correct answer will emerge but the wrong answer will disappear to the "behind"of the column.
Before the lecture ended, all of us have to queue up to register to a smart group recommended by our Prof. so as to upgrade our skills on ICT, grasping more about ICT, learning how to use ICT and implement ICT in the future ICT schools.
The link is http://www.airset.com
Here I would like to wish all the Malaysians "HAPPY MERDEKA DAY!"
Have a wonderful weekend but to all PKEY 3101 teachers-to-be, do not forget about your assignment due on 09/09/07.
Walking out of the laboratory with great anxiety and distress thinking about the "unfamiliar" assignment.
God bless me!!!