QUOTE INFOGRAPHIC

Hello everyone!

So for this week task, I am going to omplete the following quotation by creating a poster/infographic using which ever online tool I am familiar with (the easiest would be Power Point). But.. ehem I used my favorite website editor which is CANVA hihi ^

Give a man a fish and he will eat it for a day: Teach a man to use the Internet...

What do you think of my quote infographic? Please drop your comment below :D

Report: A Week Without Wall (Paper Presentations of Technology in Education)

Hello, everyone!

On 8th October 2019, I've attended two (2) institutional papers during the Malaysian Education Deans Council annual seminar at DK500 to experience alternative learning activities in conjunction with the Week Without Wall. 

The program poster

1) Transformasi Teknologi Dalam PdPc Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

The first paper presented was Transformasi Teknologi Dalam PdPc Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia by Puan Siti from Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia. The main focus of this paper is to discuss the way technology evolves in a classroom and how teaching and learning process could be improved each day with the help of technology. There are several questions raised regarding the topic of the paper presented: 

The presentation of the paper at DK500, UiTM Puncak Alam

Question 1

What was/were the new term(s) you have heard from the presentation?

The topic for the presentation is familiar and not a strange thing to me as we always discuss the general use of technology in a classroom. Nevertheless, there are a lot of new and interesting terms (though not really 'new' for the teachers at school) I have learned from the presentation which relevant to the school education system in Malaysia such as:

1. KDP - Komputer Dalam Pendidikan
2. ASK - Asas Sains Komputer
3. ICTL - Information Communication Technology Literacy
4. SKPMg2 - Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia Gelombang 2
5. SISC - School Improvement Specialist Coaches
6. Frog VLE - A website used by the Malaysian teachers and students to simplify and enhance teaching and learning, communication and administration.

Interesting video in introducing the Frog VLE

Question 2

What was/ were the technology(ies)/ technological advancement mentioned by the presenters?

The presenter specifically mentioned how teachers and educators can fully utilize technology in the teaching and learning process through the use of Web 2.0. Aside from Frog VLE that implemented in almost 10,000 schools all over Malaysia, she recommended for teachers to explore and make use of Google classroom as another alternative for interactive teaching and learning process. Google Classroom is suitable as a medium for teachers to share a lot of materials and for students to discuss and learn the topic aside from what they gained in the classroom. The application is also applicable to be used because first, it is free, easy to use and accessible as the user only needs a Gmail account to register and login to the website. 

Other than that, the presenter also talks about the transformation of technology in education through the implementation of a flipped classroom. The flipped classroom is an instructional approach where traditional lesson and homework elements of a course are inverted. The students will learn and explore first about the topic through a link, materials or video shared by their teachers before entering the class. In class, they will discuss and do activities related to the topic to test their understanding of the subject matter. The flipped classroom is first implemented in Malaysia in 2016. 

The presenter stated that SMK Saujana Utama is one of the closest school from Uitm Puncak Alam that has been applied to the flipped classroom approach in their school curriculum. Currently, the school has created eight (8) flipped classroom videos to be used for teaching and learning session. She claims that the students' feedback on the use of flipped classroom is terrific as they are excited to use the gadget and learn something online. The students also mentioned that it is easier to understand the topic being taught when they study or explore it first before entering the classroom. The flipped classroom is one of the technology advancement used in education to cater to the need and interest of the Generation Alpha or Gen Z - who is a tech-savvy and lucrative consumer of the digital world.

One of the infographic related to the topic presented

Question 3

What would be the implications of the points in terms of teaching and learning in general and specific to your future teaching practices?

One of the implications in terms of teaching and learning in general is to ensure that students participate and understand what the teachers have been taught in class. Engaging students in a classroom can be a difficult task especially in this modern age of social and digital media which left students with such a short attention span of 8 seconds, shorter than the attention span of goldfish. The chalk-and-talk method is no longer relevant. Therefore, to engage with Generation Z students, teachers must change the way they teach. Following the 21st-century learning method, teachers should be more creative, innovative and resourceful in using technology for the teaching and learning process. 

Likewise, I always interested to use flipped classroom and implementing technology in my teaching practices. I believed by using interactive powerpoints, song, video, movie, and games to teach English would be so much fun and engaging to the students compared to only use the textbook and exercises. Students love new challenges and competition among their peers, hence, the use of Web 2.0 like Kahoot!, Quizziz, Socrative and many more would definitely grab their attention and let them fully engaged in classroom activities and understand the topics being taught. Technology inspires me to be more innovative and dynamic towards the contents and knowledge provided as well as the teaching delivery method. However, in reality, not all school are able to taste the advancement of technology in their teaching and learning process. Even some school, especially in rural areas, still do not possess basic facilities like a desk, chair, fan and etc. I also faced a lack of access and facilities to technology during my teaching practicum. However, 21st-century learning is not limited to the use of computer and internet but the use of the creative approach in delivering the lesson instead of solely depending on the textbook. In short, the 21st-century learning and education transformation are mainly depending on the teachers' knowledge, creativity and innovation in make use of the technology in the most efficient way possible. 

A token of appreciation to the presenter

2) Pembudayaan Sinergi Teknousahawan Dalam Kalangan Pelajar TVET

The second paper I've attended is Pembudayaan Sinergi Teknousahawan Dalam Kalangan Pelajar TVET by the representative from UTHM. The main focus of this paper is to discuss the relation and importance of technology in the entrepreneurial field and how students should learn the skills earlier in school. Though the presentation is very short and simple, I managed to learn new things aside from the English subject field. There are several questions raised regarding the topic of the paper presented: 

The second presentation of the institutionalized paper

Question 1

What are Teknousahawan and MDEC?

Teknousahawan is a coined word in malay which derived from the word teknologi (technology) + usahawan (entrepreneurial). Therefore, teknousahawan is referring to an entreprenuer who used and implement technology in producing the product and managing the business. To be a successful teknousahawan, someone should be creative and innovative to create and come out with a new idea of a quality product that fulfils the current need, trend and helps the society. Besides that, the person should be competitive and responsible for the product, market, and the consumer rather than only think about the profit.

Whereas, MDEC stands for Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation. According to the official website, Digital Economy is the actions taken by both the private and public sector to adopt and utilise digital technologies to communicate with the people, deliver goods and services and meet other core functions to raise productivity, revenue and incomes.

Question 2

Why is technology important in business? 

In this digital era, aside from the implementation of technology in education that I've explained before, technology plays a very important role in business and consumer industry. Technology helps business grows in a way of product creation, advertising, marketing,  administrative, security and interacting with the customers through websites and social media. Technology offers us so much more we can't imagine how our life would be without it. Likewise, technology has been used widely among local entrepreneurs especially when it comes to advertising the product and dealing with customers online. 

One of the examples of "Projek Teknousahawan" by the TVET students

Question 3

How does a student utilize technology to be a successful entrepreneur?

Regardless, there are many ways students can utilize technology to be a successful 'teknousahawan'. One of them is, students shouldn't limit themselves to only focus on academic subjects. Teachers should encourage these young minds to explore the world and add more skills such as cooking, sewing, gardening, tinkering, or even programming. The good thing is, new subjects such as Reka Bentuk & Teknologi (RBT) and Asas Sains Komputer (ASK) being implemented in the syllabus and it really helps students to discover their skills and passion in the technology field. The students are taught how to design a product, to build it and to commercialize it. The skills and knowledge that they learn can be so beneficial for them in the future.

I personally have several ASK students who represent the school to join a robotics competition and they won first place with their innovative invention that could help people and the environment. Not to mention they are just Form 2 students! Aside from using technology to invent and create something new, students can also use technology and brush their interpersonal skills by being a dropship for certain products. Instead of wasting time on social media, students can create or share good contents regarding the products, learn how advertisement works, and enrich their communication skills when interacting with the customers. They will gain skills and experience that are not being taught in a classroom but will help them a lot when they finish school and entering the real world. To conclude, teachers could encourage the students to explore and learn skills outside of the classroom and the students as Generation Z should utilize the technology provided in a best way possible, that could bring benefit for themselves, society and the country.

I will end my report with a situation where most teachers can relate. Thank you!

TASK 1: DIGITAL ESL MATERIAL EVALUATION

Ego4u is an abbreviation for English Grammar Online for You. The website is created by a group of students when they were still giving private tuition back then. They developed their original idea from offering online exercises website to become more than that. Ego4u now provides English learning materials including tenses, writing, vocabulary, game, and so on. 

ego4u homepage

Question 1

What does the website or MOOC or app or tool attempt to “teach”? Are exercises or activities included in the website? What are the types of exercise or activities included? Are there immediate feedbacks? Are there different levels of difficulty for different proficiency levels? (You can add any other comments you think is important to point out).

The website that I have chosen to evaluate is ego4u.com. As stated on its home page, English Grammar Online... the fun way to learn English online, the website indeed offers a lot of fun and stimulating features for learners to learn grammar and increase their English competence in general. The website provides simple yet comprehensive notes and a pool of exercises for all the grammar topics, for instance, tenses; adjectives, verbs, nouns and so much more. For example, if there are learners or visitors who want to learn about Simple Past, they could simply click the topic, go through the explanation inclusively then answer the exercises provided.

Example of notes or a brief explanation about the grammar topics

.Ego4u.com provides two types of exercise on the website, multiple-choice and writing exercise. The different exercises intended to give learners more experience in answering variety of questions related to the topic. There are also different levels of difficulty and English skill for the exercise that learners could choose from level 0 to level 4. The level of exercises provided could motivate and encourage the learners to continuously increase their language ability aligned to the international standard. 

Multi-choice question

Writing exercise

Level of difficulties and proficiency skill

After doing the exercises, the learners could get immediate feedback by checking their answers. Learners/visitors are given options on whether to mark the wrong answers only, replace wrong by correct answer, or show all the correct answers. It also presents a link for further explanations so learners could evaluate their exercise result, identify the part where they are lacking and understand the topic better.

Option to check answers

The answer's explanation

Question 2

What are the learners/visitors required to do with regards to learning the content of the website or MOOC or apps?

Ego4u.com is a free and easy accessed website, learners or visitors don’t require an account to sign up, log in, or register with an email address. Learners or visitors just need to browse the website address https://www.ego4u.com/ and get free access while enjoying all the good features provided. 

Question 3

Does the website or MOOC or app or tools present learners with something that cannot be done in a face-to-face classroom? If yes, how so? 

The website did provide interactive exercises with immediate feedback and fun, enhancing games for learners to practice their knowledge and understanding which cannot be done in a face-to-face classroom as it is part of the digital tools of learning that requires online browsing. Unless the classroom has a computer to access the website. Then, it is not possible to do so. 

On the other hand, the website presents a lot of teaching and learning materials that can be used and implement in (ESL) classroom. Interestingly, most teachers love using ego4u as it provides quality exercises for the students to practice their knowledge and understanding as well as lesson materials which come in handy when the teachers lack of idea on what to do for the next lesson. I believe the web site's content is more convenient to be done in a face to face classroom because first, teachers can refer to the grammar notes and explanation, print the exercise of any grammar topics and share to the class about the study tips and any intriguing input found in the website's categories. 

Question 4
Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?

One of the language learning and teaching theories underlying the website is The Cognitive Theory by Jean Piaget. One of his argument is that before children are able to acquire the target language, they need to understand the concept first. Likewise, it is applicable to second language learner as most of them learn the grammar aspects first to be able to speak English competently. Additionally, the learners or visitors on this website have to read the explanation of the topic first before doing the exercise provided. Jean Piaget also suggested that children learn by going through four different stages. Similarly, the lessons and exercises on this website are categorized according to the appropriate level, from beginner (level 0) until advanced (level 4). The exercises begin with a brief explanation of the grammar topics. Then the questions proceed to easy level with multi-choice questions to moderate level with fill-in-the-blank type of questions and its level up to difficult as the learners have to write the answer comprehensively. This is intended for the learners to be able to grasp and understand the concept through simple practice first before getting exposed to the complex one. Learning the language stage by stage will help the learners to progress, develop and acquire the language easier in comparison to the learners being exposed to the language without a proper guide and explanation.

Question 5

An important criterion for evaluating a CALL program, task or activity is the potential for language learning (i.e. will student learn something?) Does the website or MOOC or app fulfill this criterion? If yes, how so? If no, why?

ego4u.com definitely fulfill the important criteria of a CALL program as all the task, activities, exercises and tips offered in the website brings a full potential language learning. For instance, in the Grammar and Vocabulary areas, students can do exercises, perceive explanations and practice English word lists. While in the Writing area, students can learn how to write English text and how to work with stylistic devices. Additionally, the website also shares study tips that can help students to learn English with more fun and effective. Not to mention, if the students want more extensive grammar practice, they can try out the Daily English lessons and do one exercise every day. It is clear that the students are able to improve their English skill and competence level by using this website since they are able to learn and perceive the rules, usage and how to apply the language input inside and outside the classroom. 

Question 6

Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?

Yes? Provide reason(s), No? Provide reason(s)

Yes, I would like to use this website in the future because the materials and contents provided are straightforward, comprehensible and appropriate to implement especially for ESL classroom. Not to mention how the website prepares a lot of teaching materials and ideas for the teachers to adapt it to their own lesson. ego4u could be a teacher's best friend at this point. Besides that, the website appears to be user-friendly -  with a simple layout, the menu is neat and organized. It helps learners and visitors to use the feature and find the topic they want with a peace of mind. Most importantly, the website is a TOTAL FREE ACCESS. In short, I believe that ego4u.com is very beneficial in helping learners to learn and improve their English in a fun and effective way.

Let's Quizlet!

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You think you are awesome enough?

Try and MATCH each planets to their speical description.

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Check out the link >>>> PLANETS

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3 major learning theories :Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism

Good morning everyone!

Did you know that there are 3 major learning theories which are Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism. Please read the infographic below to find out more about this!

Now, which one do you think is the best learning theory that suits your interest, need and brain capability??

Tell me more on the comment below! Thank you!