My last entry: Reflection on my learning journey

According to Wikipedia, blog refers to a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. This semester, we have experienced extensive exposure to blogs. Before this, I've never maintained a blog before, but now, I'm kind of addicted to blog! For this semester, I owned 2 personal academic blogs, windows live for Technology and blogspot for Resources. Thanks to these 2 subjects, I got the chance to reflect on my own learning experience through blogging.

So, here are few questions posted by Mdm Foziah:

1. What do you like about blogging?

Personally, I like blogging a lot. Through my blog, I can pen down what I've gained in my journey of learning. I found that writing reflections through blog is one of the effective ways to capture important events in learning, for instance, it enables me to reflect on what I've learnt every week, and how much I've gained in the process.

2. What have you gained from blogging? How?

Blogging enables me to trace back my learning experience from time to time too. Besides, blog also gives me unlimited space to pour out my feeling! Frankly admitting, I'm not a very expressive person, however, through my own blog, I can express my feelings and emotions freely! This is just like my own academic diary. Besides, thig blog has served as a medium for us to share and exchange ideas with our friends as well. It allows me to learn from a wider horizon. Learning is not limited to oneself, but through blogs, it has widened my learning sphere. Besides growing through my blog, the other 72 blogs maintained by my friends have also served as a useful learning platform for me. Indeed, I found that this collaborative and reciprocal learning like this is very beneficial for me. I learnt to give constructive comments to my friends, and I learnt greatly from their comments on my entries as well.
Besides, through blog, I found that learning has no limit. My experience and knowledge has grown greatly from time to time. My language skills has grown as well, I learnt to be more expressive, and more critical in my reflection. I believe that this process is an endless journey.

5. What do you like about this course?

This course has opened my perception regarding the use of resources in ESL classroom. I learnt how to utilise resources effectively. I really like this course as it has indeed given me wonderful, fruitful and rewarding experience. I had extensive exposure to useful softwares which will come in handy when we create teaching aids. I had the opportunity to learn and explore, which I think have shaped me into a more all-rounded teacher.

6. What you do not like about this course?

The heavy workload. Perhaps the assignments and tasks being assigned could be reduced as there were too many tasks throughout this course. Other than that, I feel very grateful for having to learn so many wonderful things.
7. What have you learnt from this course?

Although there were only 14 weeks, I have indeed grown and developed a lot. I have grown into a more independent learner (learning and reflecting through my own blogs), matured thinker, who are well-equipped with essential skills in developing resources in the classroom. In this precious 14 weeks, we had been exposed to numerous tools, and softwares in ELT. I learnt how to create e-books, gifs, edit photo, videos and audio. I also learnt how to create interesting teaching aids. All these precious learning experience has really shaped me into a better learner.
8. What have you learnt from this course that you did not expect to?

I really did not expect to learn all the tasks mentioned above. There were really amazing.
9. What have u expected but do not learn from this course?

So far, I found that this course has given me more than what I've expected.
10. If you can change anything about this course, state what is and elaborate?

Personally, I felt that there is nothing that I would like to change in this course. I am glad to have the chance to learn so many useful skills, however, I had a hard time in managing so many assignments and tasks especially when exam is coming. Perhaps the number of assingments can be reduced.
11. On a scale of 1 – 10, please rate your computing and technological skills for both before and after undergoing the course.

I would give 3 for before and 8 for after. I found that the skills were extremely useful for me throughout this semester. Initially, my knowledge of computing and technological skills were just like a flower seed, then it blooms gradually, and now it has transformed into a fully grown flower.

So, thumbs up for this course!

Week 14: Time to bid farewell

Hi everyone. Time really flies and today is the last day of our Resources class. Without realising, this semester is going to end in a few days' time! It was advocated that 'If you make good time on a journey, you manage to travel faster than you expected.' I believe that this saying is indeed very true, although we are overwhelmed with tonnes of assignments, I am still having a great time during the journey, as personally, I've gained many valuable lessons.

Today, we were to pass up our Assignment 2. Thank God, all of us managed to complete our assignment on time. I'm positive that all of us had given our best for this assignment, although we failed to fulfill the requirement of the task, as we did not include a list of descriptions regarding the teaching aids. We will take note on it and perhaps improve on other assignments. I'm sure that we were too indulged in the world of creating teaching aids that we forgot about this important matter.

Despite our carelessness, I could still see the hardwork behind this assignment. The folios were filled with colourful and appealing teaching aids that would definitely allure the attention of young primary children. On the other hand, we have learnt how to produce quality and interesting teaching aids too! I'm grateful for having the opportunity to explore and learn so many beneficial and useful softwares. Undeniably, those softwares really came in handy while we were developing our teaching aids. For instance, 'photoscape' enabled me to create gif and animation easily, youtube downloader enabled me to download videos and converting them within seconds as well. There are other wonderful softwares too.

Although exam is coming, there are still assignments that are left undone. The thought of coping with pending assignments and coming final exams really makes me creep. Well, I can only keep my fingers crossed and pray that I will be able to sail through it successfully and get good grades.

Anyway, I'm glad that this semester is over. It was really a fruitful experience. Besides, these 4 months were indeed a huge turning point for me as well. I learnt so much in the process, and that makes me grow into a more matured person.

Hope I can sustain what I've learnt from this course-Resources and apply the skills (both computer and internet) when I go for teaching in the future. Now, if I were to rate my knowledge of computer and internet (in a scale of 10), I would give 3 for before I entered this course and 8 for now!

All right, that's all for now. Bye!

Microsoft publisher: my first greeting card and postcard!

Hi, good afterno0n to all. Today we got the chance to explore another brilliant software: Microsoft Office Publisher 2007. Before that, Mdm Foziah showed us a few templates that we can use to create our teaching aids. This was not our first time using this software, in fact, we have produced a few brochures using Microsoft Office Publisher before, however, this was my first time exploring the latest version of Microsoft Publisher.

Indeed, I have gained a lot of useful skills today. When I started exploring Microsoft Publisher, many wonderful ideas began to blossom. I found that there are ample of resources that can be created using this brilliant software. For instance, it features greeting cards, postcards, brouchure, poster and so on. All these can be turned into colourful teaching aids that can really help us in enhancing our lesson. Since I've tried to create a brochure before, therefore, this time I am going to embark on something new: creating a greeting card and a postcard.

In the midst of creating the greeting card, I realise that this software is very versatile and user-friendly. If we are creative enough, we can create tonnes of wonderful teaching aids from this site. I still remember when I first taught my pupils on how to produce a postcard, I only opted for Microsoft Word, in fact, I had problems in changing the margin of the postcard and inserting pictures. However, I thank God that I know how to produce a postcard now! The format is prepared and is ready to be used! All we have to do is insert the content and pictures. So far, I've completed a Thank You card and a postcard. I'm positive that it would be useful in the writing class. The samples would be beneficial for pupils as they serve as a writing model for them to follow. They can also learn about the structure of sentences. Besides, if this software is available in the classroom, it would be wonderful if pupils can create their own postcards and greeting cards. They would definitely love to participate in such activity!

So, here are my products:

Overall, I had fun exploring this software. Therefore, I would definitely utilise it when I embark on my teaching journey later. Hope you guys have fun trying with this new software too. All the best!

Video viewing day!

Hi, I'm positive that all of us had a great time in Resources class yesterday. Before the lesson began, we were to upload our videos that we've done for our video editing task. Then, we spent the first 1 and a half hour watching the videos. There were 18 videos altogether.
Undeniably, I truly enjoyed watching all the videos. I believe that all of us devoted our time and had put in a lot of efforts in this task. Personally, I really admire all the works done. Here, I would like to make some comments on the videos that I've watched.
First of all, most of the videos had indeed carry meaningful messages. I could see the message that the producers intended to convey clearly. For instance, the video entitled 'Unity' and 'Friendship' had captured my attention as the message of the video was very clear and explicit. The theme was very meaningful as well.
Secondly, I found that some of the videos were very realistic and appealing. Some had even used our real life photos. Those photos really brought us down our memory land as it reminded us of some great time we've experienced for the passed 4 years! It was indeed very refreshing and mesmerising! Haha..
Some videos were very inspiring and thought provoking, for instance, the videos done by dhaya and peter had indeed triggered our awareness on the need to protect our mother earth. Another thought-provoking video that I found quite interesting was Jong's and Fendy's video entitled 'Let's ponder about it'. Their videos had really made us ponder upon our every actions in life. The picturesque scenes were very captivating as well.
Apart from that, there were also some light-hearted videos that I felt had managed to calm our minds. For instance, the videos on 'friendship' was indeed very cheerful, and the song chosen was very catchy as well. However, I noticed that there were some grammatical mistakes that they have overlooked. Other than that, it was a great video.
Another video that I found worth watching was '10 things to do before you graduate' by Aaron and Caryn. Their video was extremely attention-grabbing as it had close connection to our life, since we've just embarked our journey in UM. It also reminded us that life isn't all about studying, and we should balance our life and shall enjoy our life at the same time. Undeniably, I had a hard time coping with life here, as it is extremely hectic, with lots of assignments to be done. However, this video made me realise that I should not lament but should take it as an opportunity to learn. Besides, I should also grab the chance to explore and try out something new. Thumbs up for this video!
After watching all the videos, I had better ideas on how to produce a quality video. This task had served as an opportunity for us to learn to be more creative. Before I end my reflection, I would like to share a video that Aizat and I did for this video editing task. Personally, I felt that it was quite dull and I'm sure there are still lots of rooms for improvements. Anyway, enjoy watching the video and feel free to comment ya! Thank you and have a nice day!

A day with mixed feeling

Hello...Before I begin my reflection, I would like to apologize to Mdm Foziah for letting her down in class today. We're extremely sorry for our inconsideration and insensitivity and I hope it won't happen again.






Today, we had combined class (both tuesday and thurday groups) and Ma'am requested the thursday group to present their articles that were assigned two weeks ago. We were warned that we should not take this easy as these articles are very important to us.
Thank God, we had the opportunity to listen to the presentations again, as I was not really paying attention in the previous class. I noticed that today's presentation was a bit different from our groups' as their presentations were more in-depth and covered the details of each research done on technology and education. So, to conclude what I've observed from their presentations, I found that integration of technology in the ESL classroom are essential in motivating learners to learn, especially young children. Some of the articles revealed that pre-service and in-service teachers expressed positive attitudes towards the usage of technology in the classroom, however, some were not ready or they did not have have the pre-requisite skills to use it in the classroom. Therefore, this serves as an alarming sign for us, the future teachers! As we embarked on this semester, we were introduced to large scale usage of technology and througout the semester, we have learned a lot of technology and computer skils, namely photo editing, video editing, audio editing, e-book and etc. All these have widened our knowledge and perspectives on how useful technology is in the teaching and learning world. As one of the presentors, Najwa, mentioned, technology establishes a more genuine setting to the classroom, as children can explore a variety of interesting learning materials that are closed to the real world setting. I truly agreed with this statement. Therefore, we must take the initiatives to learn how we can integrate technology effectively in the classroom.

As for the second part of the lesson, Ma'am reminded us about the due date for the second assignment, which is the compilation of electronic teaching aids. So far, our groups have decided where and how we should download or get our teaching aids, however, we have not put our plans into "actions". Therefore, I hope we can finish it on time. Besides, we were also asked to work in groups of 4 for the third assignment, which is designing lesson plans. As for this assignment, I am working with new members: Priya, Fendy, and Firdaus. This is my first time working with Firdaus and hopefully we can produce really good lesson plans!
That's all about the class today and let's work harder for our assignments!
P/S: Ma'am was not feeling well today, so I hope that she will get well soon!

Week 10: Full of anticipation

Hi! Today was another fun-filling and exciting day. Exciting as I think most of us are heading towards our home sweet home soon. As for today's lecture, we had presented the articles which were assigned to us last week. From the presentions, I've really gained a lot of in-depth insights on the importance of preservice teachers to equip ourselves with the knowledge of technology and how they should integrate it into the lesson. In these 9 weeks, I realised that technology can really do wonders in teaching as there are many educational softwares, websites or programmes that can be explored to enhance and motivate pupils' interest to learn. I found that the presentations done by Doreen's group was very clear and informational as they had shown vivid examples as to how technology can be brought into the classroom, and they also explained in detail on how technology can improve pupils' listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Now, I have more ideas on how to integrate technology into language teaching. For example, I deem that blogging is one of the ways to motivate pupils to write, as young children generally dislike traditional method of teaching, and the use of technology would definitely capture the attention of these active, bubbly and fun-seeking young learners.
For the second part of the lesson, Ma'am showed us a short advertisement entitled "recycle". I was flabbergasted upon watching this awesome video. Although it was a very short video, which was merely 30 seconds, the idea was marvelous and catchy. The producer managed to deliver the message "it's never too young to start recycling" within 30 seconds. This video featured a boy who sends a question to one of the girls, asking her whether she loves him or not, but the girl rejects him. Then he erases the message and resends the question to another girl. Wow, the idea behind that was simply marvelous! To those who have missed this cute video, you can watch it here.

Before the class ended, Ma'am also commented on some of our storyboards for our video editing assignment. My pair, Aizat and I managed to come out with our story board too, but we didn't have sufficient time to show it to Ma'am. Basically, our video's topic is "It's never too late to express your love". Our video focuses on love towards our family and friends. As we realised that nowadays, people find it hard or awkward to express or show their love, and the word "love" is seldom uttered to people who care for us, especially our parents. So, with this video, we hope that it will bring a sense of awareness especially to youngsters to show their love towards their parents, and also their friends, God, and their loved ones. In our video, we will insert some children's opinions about love. We've found a few quotatios, and we found that they are very meaningful. With this, we hope that we will get our message accrossed. To those who are also in the midst of producing their videos, all the best ya!
Lastly, I would like to wish all my fellow friends and lecturers happy holiday and Selamat Hari Raya! Enjoy your holiday!

Video editing here we come!

Hi there. Today's lecture was yet another "eye-opener" session for me. This week, our assignment is to produce a video! Video, I thought, not again, we had just finished producing one video for our technology assignment! However, as Ma'am revealed one of her all time favourite 'ella and wu chun's' video clip, I was totally impressed by the video edited by their fans! The video managed to capture our attention, and upon seeing their work, I am fully motivated to create one as well!

Besides that, Ma'am also showed us some video editing softwares that can be utilised for this assignment. One of them was one true media. Before this, I only know windows movie maker, power director and photostory. This time around I am going to try something new! Sounds interesting and challenging isn't it?
As I browsed through the net, I found one particular fan made video which had captured my attention. It is a video created by the fan of some hong kong drama series. They had merged some scenes in a few dramas and combined into one short meaningful video. The song that they chose really goes well with the video. Maybe this is not the best video, but the efforts that they have put in deserve a thumbs up! You can watch the video that I've attached below.
Besides that, we were also asked to work in pairs of different gender. So, this time I'm no longer working with my sweet female partner, but I'm working with a new partner from different gender. Luckily, I managed to find one partner, who is Aizat. I have worked with him previously and he is a nice partner to work with! So, I hope we can produce a good video!
So far, we have brainstormed some ideas and we found that creating a video isn't an easy job. So, we will try to squeeze some creative juice out of our little brains and hopefully we can produce a video which can really inspire our audience. Really look forward to start this assignment.
I believe strongly that 'with great determination, nothing is impossible!' So, best of luck, my friends! Enjoy watching the video! :)