have fun before 'balik raye'

Last obstacle...happy or sad?

3^rd October 2007

Hello friends…

This is the last piece of my blog related to Technology Course… I presume… and I really hope that I will continue writing blogs even though the semester is about to end…which also means that there will be no other Technology class after this…hu… I will definitely miss our moments designing the posters, enjoying Power Point presentations as well as struggling with smart board activities. Not forgotten our lecturer, our tutors as well as our guest lecturers week after week…all of those were really enjoying…Lets hope together that we will continue ‘blogging’ and continue sharing with each other….ya…

3^rd October 2007 was the day for ‘surprise’ Quiz…..That was fun actually even though we were quite nervous, thinking of the quiz results as we were not prepared….at all…I could say… what was with us just the last week preparation…which I could say, not even full of hand could remember well…Yet, this was good as we were actually tested on our ‘normal’ knowledge…huhu…what made me sad was….this quiz was more of theories this time around…so, we must really know and remember the terms to survive…it was hard to just use basic knowledge to attempt this quiz questions… However, I tried my best and I surely could say that I ‘shot’ the last question…hu…I did not even have a schemata regarding it…but I answered based on my logical thinking….he…

Then, Prof asked us to change our question paper with our friends so that we could check each other’ answers… There were some acronyms that I wrote wrongly…but, nothing to regret, that was what really from me…and surprisingly, I got ‘correct’ for the last question that I shot….wah…I was happy…Alhamdulillah…Now, I could feel the happiness of ‘shot’ yet ‘it is correct’…it felt like…like the world is mine…he…at last, I got 8 and half out of ….?... even I did not know out of what…he…

Last but not least, since this is my last educational blog…I think…hu…I feel sad to dismiss the class…yet..undeniably I also feel happy…not because there will be no other class… but…happy thinking that our ‘raya’ is just around the corner…he…Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri…Maaf Zahir Batin…Don’t play ‘mercun’ and ‘bunga api’ ya…he…Bye…

The obstacles between us....

26^th September 2007.

Last night was a quite horrible night for me as I did not really know what to be read and revised before I could actually be established as ‘ready enough’ for my test. For me, this course is more of practicality rather than theories. Thus, there were limited notes and articles to be read available in my hands except those that have been put in Moodle. Thus, in order to satisfy my ‘greed lust’ towards notes for the test, I read those two articles in Moodle and flipped through my own personal notes during Prof. Maznah’s class. Unbelievably…they were quite usefull…(benefits of taking notes)…Then only I could close my both stubborn eyes.

Nah…the day came… the day for the test…I just hoped that I was prepared enough. Everything went okay until we were distributed examination slip. Hah? I asked myself….was it a test or the examination paper that has been forwarded….Then…I heard some other voices asking the same questions. ‘Yes…it is an examination paper’…said Ms. Chin…then, I realized of the reason why my eyes been so stubborn not to sleep last night… It was a sign… I believe…But, nothing left to be done…what I could do at this particular time was just to be satisfied with what I have prepared…and have enough confidence…

After 2 hours and 30 minutes…. I felt relief…it was good that the questions set are more of practicality rather than theoretically…I think I managed to do my best…THEN, I had an instinct…So, I read the question paper again…looking at the requirement again…unfortunately…for me…the requirement was just to answer two questions only…and I have attempted the third question which also means that I have answered my previous question in hurry and in a shorter time as compared to my other friends who read the questions carefully…. that was my bad…hu…plus my bad luck of the day… This should be another lesson for me during examination…At last, I decided that there was no use to back off already…it was better for me to just continue with what I was doing… At least I did not give less, but give more…Alhamdulillah…Thanks God…Just think if I ever understand the instruction in the contradict way…that will be more unlucky for me….huhu…

Lastly, Alhamdulillah…again…I managed to finish all questions…and even had time to recheck and alter any where needed… things left to be done were only to pray and pray to my God…so that everything will be okay…That was all for the technology examination day….

I had fun... =]

Hello friends…I am back!!!

19^th September

It was the turn of the groups which have not presented yet… and groups that have presented were expected to give comments on the activities and the presentation prepared by groups presenting.

Through this alternative, we could really see the strengths and weaknesses of the smart board and hopefully that it was not over said that we tried to consider on how to cope with these leaking in future. Moreover, this alternative also enabled us to experience different ways of manipulating smart board for different topics as well as different subjects.

We also could see the strengths point and the weak point of each activities presented by each group. Prof . Maznah asked a particular group to comment in turns. Thus, we learn a lot from those comments. Later, Prof. Maznah also gave comments…so, the things that we learned and gained in this particular day is COUNTLESS.

Once every group has presented, Prof. Maznah gave her overall view…I presume…the most valuable things for all of us is she complimented that there have been three cohorts doing the smart board activities. And our cohort really did better work from the previous work…it is a very good feeling to listen to such compliments, it seems like our efforts and times are all worth it.

In short, 19^th September 2007 technology class was really a good experience and a great learning opportunity to review on others’ works so that we can share and learn many things from each other… sharing is caring…he….

P/s – forgotten to be said previously…actually, we had a guest of the day. He is a lecturer who is doing some ‘surveys’ and ‘research’ regarding smart board…he is from IPDA ( Institut Perguruan Darul Aman)…my hometown….hu…I am missing my hometown now…. It is okay.. two weeks to go…before eidulfitr…..

It's a sad 'farewell'... good bye Mr. Smart Board

12^th September 2007

This is actually our LAST WEEK before we have to submit our smart board activities….and I do believe that every single head of us has done our best and has poured the best efforts in order to accomplish the assignment’s requirements. PROOF? My house had been very dull and damn quiet last weekend. Everybody was in their own room trying and struggling to accomplish the assignment. I presume…smart board is the last topic in this particular technology course as we are expected to learn in more details on the smart board tools and the creative and rich manipulation of the smart board. Thus, on 12^th September, we were asked by our lecturer to present our selected activity from each group. Simultaneously, each of my group member pointed Azlan’s work as we think that his work is quite excellent…..In conclusion, I will pick and list down the most interesting activities from my own point of view:

š First and foremost, Teoh Peik Jin started the presentation. I was impressed…hundred slides…that was an amount that is really hard to be achieved by most of us. Yet, I know her well… she deserves it. Now, my question on what she has been doing 24 hours in her room last weekend is answered…congrats to Peik Jin…

š Secondly, I will definitely choose Azlan’s activities…he...=] not because he is

one of our group members, but the activities prepared suit to primary pupils and it is not over said, very interesting. The accompaniment of the Pied Piper story in his smart board activity really brought a difference. It makes smart board activities became more interactive and able to create fun and enjoyment in learning. In short, his is not bad as well, 50 slides…hmmm…

š Last but not least, another activity presented in this particular day that was quite impressive from my own point of view was Melissa’s activity where it was simple and clear yet really interesting. Her decision in internalizing song in her smart board activity was obviously not wrong. It could trigger pupils’ interest as young learners do love songs especially catchy one just like what had been chosen by her.

In short, most of us were enjoying all the presentations and I do believe that most of us are looking forward to really experience teaching and conducting classroom using smart board activities as well as eager to feel its difference.

obstacles come..... =[

The chronological events towards preparing interactive white board activities….

Ë We are given software for smart board

Ë Thus, I tried to install this particular software in my laptop. Unfortunately it did not work…I was wondering .I have been installing lots of programs in my laptop yet this is the only program that my laptop could not afford to cop and work with…

Ë This is the stage where I had wasted my whole weekend treasuring and exploring my laptop components….looking for parts that is incompetence with my laptop…

Ë I even downloaded smart board software from the internet which also did not work well..it looks alien to me…

Ë Started to worry… what should I do to accomplish the tasks set…. Now, I miss my brother…who used to modify my laptop, thinking that my problem would definitely be solved by his existence…huhu…but of course, he is difficult to be reached…Sarawak…

Ë Fortunately, my beloved kind hearted friend, Julia offered a day to me to work on my smart board activities…I was very thankful to her…she was so kind to offer me hers despite of her smart board activities to be finished as well…

Ë HERE comes another obstacle, Julia’s laptop has been attacked by a virus named ‘selamat membuat assignment, UPSI memang adalah satu universiti yang banyak assignment’…that sounds funny right…I was laughing while preparing my activities…

Ë Oh my….one after another obstacles…

Ë Then, Julia’s laptop had been sent to be serviced…Thus, both of us did not have the opportunities to complete the tasks….huhu..feel like crying…

Ë Moreover, the satisfaction of completing the tasks set on our own laptop and on others is different… I want to have it on my own…

Ë Then, one of my house mates suggested me to consult Hadi…he is one of our collegue…and he is good in computer…

Ë I brought my laptop to the Faculty of Education and sit with him, asking his help to look for the ways to solve MY problem…

Ë At first, it failed. That makes me more worried of my assignments…Moreover, this software is not to be used on this assignments only. Definitely I will need it one day when I am teaching…huhu….

Ë Yet, Hadi promised me that he is going to figure out what is going on with my laptop…He asked me to leave my laptop with him so that he can really scrutinize in the problems in my laptop…but…thinking of my other assignments…I just could not…

Ë Then, after two days….I was on ‘Yahoo Messenger’ and Hadi instructs me step by step in coping with my problem…He suggested two solutions and it works well with second solutions…at first, I taught it failed…because it was restarted…on its own…yet, after that, the smart board software can be installed….Alhamdulillah…

Ë Here comes the born of Anis’ passions towards Interactive smart board…I slept at two preparing the activities and decorating my interactive smart board the day I managed to install the software…Alhamdulillah….

Ë Hopefully, that was the last obstacle that I would face in completing my tasks.. =]

date after date..... =]

Hello everybody…here comes my sixth entry…and what is supposed to be written here is our group’s progress on smart board assignments…initially, our understanding of this particular assignment was that every single member of the group has to come up with five activities which indirectly means that we are going to have 25 activities in a group…Wau!!!..That was bulks of activities… so, what happened was most of our group members had prepared activities that was meant to be shown to our lecturer…However, we realized that was very wrong where the real requirements of the assignment is that every individual have to have five slides at least which cover the details of the activities in the lesson, the procedures and the rationales….Fortunately, Ms.Chin has corrected our misunderstandings of the assignments even though it would not affect our preparation much….this is due to the fact that the requirement of the assignment is lesser than what have been prepared…thanks God…

On the other hand, we had actually divided works a week before where three of us are going to work on English activities and another two are going to work on Mathematics, in more specific, under topic of money and time….we have decided to sit and discuss on the activities a week later so that we could see clearly where are the lacking….and could be improvised based on that…. However, nothing has only been prepared legibly on the papers but nothing has been done on the real interactive smart board…..hopefully, everything will run smoothly as planned…

In the mean time, our group leader, Azlan…is doing his job very well where he keeps asking and observing the progress in our group….and our group members seemed cooperate with each other very well…Moreover, it is undeniable that the discussions set and arguments occurred led us to the better path towards completing the assignments….
In the nutshell, thanks to every body…and do pray for our success ya….. =}

Getting closer to Mr. smartboard…

22nd August 2007….We had Prof. Dr. Raja Maznah back at last….We were given some additional information regarding smartboard on how to make it suitable and ‘easy-user’ amongst children as well as trying to make it suitable to Malaysia curriculum specifications. What I meant by suitable to curriculum specifications is the use of smartboard should be able to cater with all students’ needs in learning such as grammar, pronunciation and vocabularies as required in curriculum specifications.

First and foremost, we were demonstrated on how to prepare interactive activities using smartboard in a particular topic. There are activities that will allow pupils to match, spell out, and ‘choose and paste’ in learning using smartboard on their own WITHOUT hesitant….we were also showed on how to prepare the answers for questions set on the smartboard, yet the answers will only appear when needed. These were things that amazed us and trigger our interest [me especially], to explore and discover more on smartboard. Believe it or not…through this class, we realize that teachers just have to play tricks with children in preparing their activities in lesson and to get pupils motivated and more into learning….that is the concept that I gained…

The class became more exciting as Prof. showed some examples of activities using smartboard prepared by previous batch. There were lots of interesting activities that we never thought of. We learned greatly from the examples showed, and try to adapt them to make them more suitable to our targets and our objectives of the lesson…

In short, we can see clearly how the existence of smartboard reduces teachers burden and change the conventional ways of learning.

Below are some questions and answers [that is supposed to be put in previous entry]:

Do you understand the basic knowledge using Notebook function in smart board? If yes, which part that you understand most? If not, why you did not understand?
Yes….as far as I am concern…I understand it well as I realize that the function is merely the same as the function in Microsoft Office Word…..except that smartboard can be viewed largely in class, but note book is basically for personal use.

Do you understand the basic knowledge to use gallery feature and attachment in picture in smartboard incorporate for teaching English vocabulary for standard four students?
Fortunately, I guess I can say yes again as the way to use gallery feature is just the same as in Microsoft office word also except the new term that is being exposed in smartboard which is ‘cropped’ picture. This term or function actually allows us to choose the selected part of the picture to be used in teaching vocabulary for standard four students for example.

Do you find that smartboard is useful tool to support in teaching and learning? If yes, why is it useful? If not, what is the problem?
Yes again…I really found that smartboard is useful tool to support in teaching and
learning as it provides differences in the classroom in term of the teacher, students, preparation and also the pupils participation. It is undeniable that we need differences…in order to let ourselves move forward….. =P

My first ‘real date’ with Smartboard

As a matter of fact, Prof. Dr. Raja Maznah has been using smart board since our first class. This left me in excitement and wonders as I always want to touch it…and feel it.. ee …just like a child… I really do think that the chance that we got while presenting does not make me satisfied and not ever enough.. as we just could touch it once or twice by clicking… deep in my heart, I really want to explore it on my own…

At last, my dream came true…. On 15th August, we were introduced to Ms. Fenny [correct me if I am wrong], who is supposed to tell and brief us on the use and ways to manipulate the smartboard in teaching and learning process….in details…First and foremost, we were introduced to the smart pens, eraser and to the specific names of the smartboard body. Even though it sounded ‘alien’ to us, yet it made us excited… Later, we were been revealed to the fact that actually could diminish statement where ‘smartboard can actually hamper the teaching and learning process’. This is due to the fact that smartboard is actually adjustable which is able to cope with the height of the children, and could be the teacher’s height himself, and also its ability to crop the appropriate pictures from the internet and paste it on the smartboard which able to cater the pupils’ needs in every lesson….
Later, Ms. Fenny gave us chances to be in the pupils’ shoes where we pretended to be ‘kids’ and explore the kid’s activities using smart board. From there, we could actually see and feel the differences that smartboard brought to classroom as well as the differences of learning activities that takes place in classroom in our era and our future generation era due to the sue of smartboard. Undeniably, the use of smartboard in classroom triggers pupils’ motivation and interest in learning and break our conventional ways of teaching and learning….

In addition, the use of smartboard also enhances the learning process as pupils get the chance to touch and explore the learning themselves….as what has been suggested by Piaget where he claimed that children learn faster with the involvement of psychomotor skills….
In conclusion, lets give our full hands towards the use of smartboard in teaching and learning process…..

= ] SEARCHING for answers on SMARTBOARD questions, please refer to my next entry…thank you…=]

I'm deeply in love....with Mr. DISC....

Yeah…at last…I have time for my ‘blogging’…WEEKEND is undeniably the nicest time…any denial? [with the exclusion of our beloved Dr. R’s assignments and tasks, definitely]..right?....
I would like to start my third entry of blog with the revelation of my first notion on DISC [Designing Interactive Student’s Collaboration]. Few weeks before I entered the class, I once thought that it would be nice if I were introduced to software on how to design and produce a nice yet meaningful poster. Therefore, once our guest facilitator, Ms. Nazirah told us that we were going to work on DISC, I was very excited. However, it was something different from my expectation… there was no use of any new software in designing a poster. According to Ms. Nazirah, designing a poster could just involve a power point. It actually depends more on our creativity and our ability to produce the best out of the limited sources. At first, it hampered me a little since I was expecting software on designing poster that would be ‘alien’ to me…yet I continued and enjoyed the lesson as I LOVE posters so much where I will always look at posters whenever I found them and try to read the meaning that is meant to be conveyed….let me tell you and describe my most memorable poster that I have encountered…. the most meaningful poster that I have found is a poster portraying an old man wearing formal lying on a rest chair and he is having his cigarette….and the phrase stated in the poster is ‘TIME IS VALUELESS’….every individual is unique…thus, I will leave it up to all of you to interpret it on your way…it would be nice if I can find the poster and let you all have a glance on it…. Unfortunately….I am sorry ya…

The requirements of that day task was to design the most meaningful and interesting in line with our 50th independence day using only prepared background/ outline of posters in power point and limited pictures provided. In addition, the poster would also function as a medium for us to convey or send our gratitude to our ancestors’ sacrifices and voice out our love to our beloved country Malaysia….
At last, we came to an agreement where each of us agrees on designing a poster that portrays the development and the progress that Malaysia is having today and having a picture that portrays efforts, unity and sacrifices of ancestors before independence were declared ours….Suddenly, Ms. Nazirah came to our group and had a look at our poster…she asked us, how do we know the concept of centrality because centrality is one of the most important aspect in designing poster due to its ability to capture viewer’s attention…at this moment, our answered hampered her actually because we ‘just do it’ as nike….he…no basic in designing poster at all….really sorry Ms. Nazirah…but we tried out best…and it is not over said, I presume, if I say that we are satisfied with our poster…as the best part was our words and voices are conveyed meaningfully through Hadi’s poem…[one of our group member]….so, thank you everybody…

Before I end my third entry, I would like to attempt questions posed by our lecturer….down here…

Ö Did you face any problem during the session? Why?
Yes, we faced some problem especially in selecting a picture out of limited pictures provided. Yet, it can be seen in positive way where it actually challenged our mind and creativity in producing the best out of limited sources.

Ö What do you think of the instruction?
From my humble point of view, [quoted asha], the instruction and the requirements were very clear as we can see clearly what was expected from us.

Ö What improvements can you suggest?
Frankly, everything was carried out very well as we were given clear instructions and ample examples. Guidance was also provided. It is just that the class would be more interesting if we were briefed on the important characteristics in designing posters so that a better, more meaningful and more creative posters can be produced during the session as compared to just learning from our work at the end of the session. This is due to the reason that we do not have the opportunity to be judged again after learning the basic principles of designing a poster…..

Ö How would you carry out this design session with primary level students?
Since that ‘primary level students’ are the target that we cater with, I do think that the best way would be ‘handling them in small groups’. Perhaps, it could be only 15 – 20 pupils in each session. This is due to the reason that primary level students need more guidance and we, as teachers should avoid them from feeling neglected as it will hamper their learning. Moreover, as we know, this designing poster activity involves the use of computers. Thus, this will stir the pupils and the class will be hard to control and the best way to cope with this problem is ‘having them in small groups’

Thank you all for spending your time here….

PROUD TO BE Malaysian…..Siti Nur hanis Binti Mohd Zainol….

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

ohh...i just know you Mr. PP...he...

Hi everyone….AT LAST…I am back after been nearly a month not updating my blog….I presume that most of us understand well the condition right…a chapter to be finished every week and ‘world’ of presentations everyday…plus the worry of exam questions ….right….thus, considering that writing an entry in the blog could just be a simple task that can be completed by sitting face to face with our beloved laptop in minutes, we tend to keep this significant task to be completed at the wee hour of the morning…as the consequences, our blogs are empty…hu…

Realizing my responsibility…I shall start my second entry of my blog by responding on our second day class…and the following week class…At first, we were asked to prepare a power point presentation on ‘yahoo’ thinking that we would be assessed on the content and not the creativity or the well-manipulating skills of using and beneficiate the power point presentation. This is actually where the second class linked to the following class. In the following week, we were been exposed and revealed by the actual function of power point presentation which is actually to support or assist the presenters and not to be ‘written notes comprises of sentences, words and facts’….that was my first perception of power point presentation.

The third class was started by the question posed by Prof. Dr. Maznah ‘are you satisfied with your last week work?’….thinking that we have put our maximum efforts and done our best…we confidently replied ‘yes….’. Unfortunately, that was not what she was expecting from us….she wanted something that serves the real purpose of using the power point presentation….

Thus, the class continued with a briefing on the power point presentation by Ms. Ng. She showed us the correct way of preparing and using the power point presentation…we have been poured with the significant guidelines such as “it is preferable to put phrases or words to be explained rather than sentences as the presenter must be the ‘center of attraction and not the power point’”, “power point is only to assist teachers” and “relevant pictures can be also put in the power point slides in order to replace the sentences or to the facts to be conveyed better…..”

In short, the way we were presented with power point was very meaningful as we can see clearly our previous weaknesses and led us to the correct way of the use of power point. The best part is we could beneficiate this session not only in Technology subject, yet can be well applied and manipulated in other subjects as well….thus, I assume that it is very respectful and nice to convey my thanks and gratitude to the lecturers for introducing this particular side of power point to me….THANK YOU, GRACIAS, SYUKRAN, and TERIMA KASIH….. [sleepy]….

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Am i surprised?

11th July 2007 [First class]

‘Assalamualaikum….’ This very first word from my yet to be familiar lecturer’s voice was the first word Prof. Maznah uttered once she entered my technology class. The greeting attracted me from my subconscious work which was replying my e-mails and led my eyes towards her. I was surprised. ‘This is the face that I have seen before, but where?’ This question kept popping in my mind like popcorn in the hot pan. I tried my best to scan and recognize this familiar face through my stored memories but it did not work much.
Thus, as it supposed to be, the class started and we were introduced to this particular course and were briefed on the requirements of this course which one of them is to do ‘blog’. Realizing that we are required to do ‘blog’, my peers claimed that this particular assignment would not be a troublesome for me at all because they know the fact that I am really keen in technology and decorating my lovely laptop with updated hardware, software, mind ware, installations and decorations have been my main interest since years. Yet, the truth is actually hidden in my secret heart. I am actually a freaking IT blind in doing ‘blog’ and only love my laptop. It is very true as I actually have an online social space which is called Friendster accompanied by spaces for ‘Blog’ yet never been touched.
However, to be positive minded, I decided not to give up and to take this opportunity to improve myself towards the betterment in another perspective of technology which was been eye- folded before by me myself. As technology is concerned, the schools that have always been related to are SMART schools. Suddenly, something crushed into my memories. ‘Yes! I definitely recognize this smile…the smile that I have seen at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Bintang Selatan few months back when I was having my School experience Program (SEP) with Julia and Maisarah’. Suddenly, Prof. Maznah asked ‘who met me during SEP program last months at SKSBS?’ ‘Bingo!!’ I was true. She is the same person we met at SKSBS but she remembers better than me.
On the other hand, talking about SMART school, I should be grateful that I was sent to a SMART school as I really could see the differences of the existence and the application of technology in schools. From my personal point of view, it is undeniable that SMART schools are given priority in the division of technology and these schools get the utmost chances in improving their level of education. However, there is another side of coin faced by SMART schools that is visible to other schools which is ‘how could these provided technology be made more interesting and applicable to young learners?’ This is due to the fact that I overheard comments and feedbacks from SMART schools teachers and students that the use of technology continuously can be boring indirectly hamper the learning processes. For instance, there was a student said that using ‘power point projection’ is only exciting for the first few times and fails to attract student’s attention in the following lesson. Thus, I could clearly see the gist in this context, where teachers should play their roles and try to make full use of these facilities by vary the methodology of using technology in the lesson. This means that teacher can apply ‘pupils- centered’ method of using ‘power point projection’ by allowing pupils to select, match and touch the slides instead of just having teachers pointing and changing the slides [teacher – centered]. As a matter of fact, by allowing pupils to touch, explore and do physical activities, teachers are actually providing supports to the enhancement of language learning. These are almost everything that I have learnt on the first day.
As the conclusion, I presume that it is not over said if I announce here ‘I love technologies! It makes my miserable life easier and exciting’.