FINALE

What I like and do not like about blogging.

What I like about blogging is that blogging allows me to reflect on myself, the way I learn, the way I think and my process of learning. Looking back at the entries that I had posted, I realise how much I have matured along the way in completing the course. Blogging thus allows me to see my own improvements in thoughts.

I starts this task in finishing the blog as a tideous task. I had never use blogs before, thus everything was quite new to me. However, as I go on and write down all my thoughts, I began to feel addicted to blogs. It feels as if blogs has turn into a diary that I had never had.

However many advantages that I found I can gain from blogging, I realise that blogging takes up many of my time. This may be due to my inability to get a 24 hour access to the internet. I found that it can be a bit frustating in finishing the task. Another point that I do not like about blogging is the publicity of my thoughts. Everyone can read my thoughts. Once, there was a man who commented on my thoughts, he condemned my thoughts as is I was that shallow. Looking at the bright side, it was good too that the man commented on my post and I should have take his point and turn it into an advise, but the point is, what I wrote is all very personal ad what I really think of, and I think that sort of comments had really hurt and offended me in more ways than I can realise.

What have I gained from blogging.
From blogging, I realise that my language and thinking skills had matured in many ways. Not only had I practiced my skills in writing, I began to learn to express my thoughts in words. In doing so, I learn to look and reflect on my thought processess, thus in a way, I began to analyse how I think and made improvements in them.

The Course
What I like about the course
What I like about the course is that it teaches me everything that I needed to know to be able to maximise the use of technology in the classroom. I had had a lot of fun trying with new software and make new items. I am so proud to be able to tell the world that I now am able to use many applications that I can think of.

What I do not like about the course
What I do not like about the course is the process in which we had to go through. There had been a lot of disagreements between the students and the lecturer. Many in which I had no idea who to blame to. However, as we go along the course, we bagan to form a mutual agreement in which we bagan to understand each others' needs and thoughts, thus we manage to go along well after a while.

If they can change anything about the course, state what it is and explain.

I would not like to change anything on the course, so far, the course had given me many things that I have ever wanted to learn in the area of using technology as a whole in the classroom. My only hope was that we can have an even better communication and relationship between students and lecturer.

My Future Classroom

Lately the question had been discussed among ourselves when we try to reflect back whether we were able to create the many materials from what skills we had learnt in this course. We try to imagine, in 2 years time, what our future classroom should look like with humour among us during one of our chat-discussion before. Funny, but yet seriously considered among the students. Some insisted on the use of air-conditioner for students and teachers comfort... and a lot discussed about the logical of it, many humour-ly try to make it sound logical and many is against it. A lot other suggestions had been made by everyone and so had I. I will write fully in how I want my future classroom to be here.

My future classroom, in which I do not know in which state they will throw me to, or in which condition, urban or rural would be in store for me. Whether I am to be sent to a rural school or urban school, here is the criteria of my classroom:

1. I would have a small corner in the classroom called the “Techno” corner, installed with one computer (if the school would not get one, I will buy one myself!) in this corner, sessions of our language learning shall take place. Students can have the opportunity to learn using software that would make them interesting in the lesson. Movies and songs that can be used to teach English can be played for the students so they can learn through motivating activities.

2. I would have pictures of scenery or words of wisdoms on the classroom wall. Poetry and many students work pasted at the back of the classroom. This way, students can learn in a peripheral way. Students can look around the classroom and they can instantly learn from just doing that small act.

3. The lighting of the classroom MUST be good. I would like my future classroom to be bright, with many windows. I think students can learn better with good lighting. A bright and colourful classroom can motivate students to learn, keep them alert and bright. A damp, dark and closed classroom would make the students sleepy and lazy.

4. There should be an LCD projection in the classroom. Students can have various activities in the Techno Corner, but they can do even more if with the use of LCD.

5. The classroom should have lockers for the students. In other countries, students have lockers outside of the classroom, but that’s because they need to change their class for every subject. Students need lockers to keep their things that they would be required to use everyday. Not only would it be helping students to have lighter burden on their back, it helps teachers to not to have to deal with missing books from students.

So far, that is all the criteria that I would like to have. I think it would not be a problem even if I were to be sent to an urban area. Even if some will came out as impossible, I would like to find ways to get me that future classroom that I want because I believe these requirements are essential for learning to take place in a better and beneficial environment.

Technology as the main? I say NO! ... How to say YES?

Looking at my computer after months of facing the piercing screen 24 hours a day, in and out of the lecture class, I've found myself being bugged down with the I-HATE-COMPUTERS fever where i'm into a rebellious mode to the many technological things around me. Says who that the students would not feel the same about technology?

Sure, they'd go "Ahhhh!!!" "Woooww!!!" and "OHHHHH!!!" the very first months they are being introduced to the use of technology in their learning, especially for those who never saw one. Technology after all is an animated, interesting and full of everything thats fun and enjoyable.. not to mention beneficial and important (yes, i'm not denying it). But what about years after that? They would not be easily allured by the word - technology as they've once been as a child. There'd be time when people would like to run away from technology. WHY? Maybe its the effect that looking at the screen for such a long time is doing to our eyes. Maybe its the need of just something different. Maybe its the other factors... its not the technology itself... but how we use it?

How to make it as a YES?
Its my own theory... but still rational and logical in my opinion.

1. Take turns between the usage of technological-based materials and the traditional one. Made the students feel as if each lesson is a refreshing one.

2. Do not use only one type of software. Do more research for different and better softwares. Made the students aware that the technology made everything limitless and interesting to discover.

3. When using technological materials, manipulate the technology so that students will be able to participate fully. Not only to sit on their chairs, but to be able to move around, to do group discussions, to experiments with hands-on activities.

4. Don't let the computer teach. Made them as your assistance. Be the teacher that students are close with, animated with and able to laugh with. The computer is (though animated) too static in emotion, and dont have any sense of humour.

Interesting materials + boring teachers + repetitious lesson + continuous use = NO
Interesting materials + good teacher + varied lessons + continuous use, but with an equal use of traditional ways = YES

Our Classroom @__@

In this post, I would like to share my sentiments about our lecture lab, which I would like to call as our classroom. My reflection would be on the factors of the class, the members and of course; the attitude of the class.

I have to admit I am not one of the focused ones in the class, but I do have my own style of giving attention to the lecture. I listen to every words and I participate in our many group work. But let’s face it, not even 60% of the class is as attentive as the 40%.

The question we would need to ask is... why?

From my own personal, might-be-a-little-one-dimensional view, I think it has many to do with the existence of technology in the class itself. An irony as that is exactly what we are trying to learn. Technology has a power over us. And in this aspect, I think it’s the power to distract that has been infected the students.

If you try to sneak behind the class, you will see on the glass of monitor in front of those 60% no.. 90% of the students is the face of – Friendster, Youtube, YM’s, Chats, Forums, Blogs and all those wonderfully entertaining amusement available so to us.

Now, I am not trying to blame the fact that the faculty had tried their best to give us all the best of facilities - all those computers to help with our studies and all. We needed them, especially for our subject as we need to use them all the time. I would like to blame our attitude instead.

We were pampered with scolding to focus our attentions, and so un-pampered with that much freedom and availability to technology as before. What I meant to say is that, we were never so used to having computers and internet in our lap when we are in classroom before. I would not call it as awe-struck or anything like that. We had had use that techno for as long as we had lived. But not in a classroom, where some (i beg your pardon) might find as a dreary place. We tend to succumb to the allure of technology, to make use of them to entertain us.

As a university undergraduates (the best in the country for that matter), we should have acted like one. Different from our college before, we can no longer depend on the lecturer to make us attentive. “Nobody cares for no one in universities” as what my sister always said. We need to look out for ourselves. If you don’t focus, you won’t be getting anything, and you are the one who loses. No one cares, but you should. What I’m trying to say is, we need to have the attitude where we should know to focus without being told to. To leave the distractions without being scold at. To participate without being forced to. I would like to blame it as this is our first time in university ground, and I hope that you might understand and would see us differently in coming semester. Time will teach us to be a better students. I cannot guarantee, but I can try.

Doing the Ebook on my own

As I said before, I am happy to be able to do it on my own, and I did not regret it, at all. What I realise when we did the group work before is that my approach to the tasks are different with others. While some prefer to discuss and promptly take on a decided decision and work on it, my approach is to have the ‘thinking period’ where I would think hard on what and how to do it. I would plan each steps and try to imagine the outcome. I would disseminate and finally choose my best option; then would I start on the task and strive on it non-stop until I finish all.

The different is on the ‘brainstorming’ part. This is when I realise how important it is to have other people to work with you. Again, ‘two heads are better than one’. I had had some hard time generating as many ideas as I can, and many are one-sided opinions, coming form one simple mind. So how did I work this problem out?

As a solution, I did as many researches as I can. I went online and see the many topics and ideas that people have done on making an Ebook. I also try viewing some of them to give myself an idea on how to make an interesting and effective Ebook. The research helps a lot in giving me an open mind to what I can create and do in an Ebook. So I choose one topic that is in line with the necessary curriculum specifications and also interesting enough for young learners – Greeting (using cartoon animation).

We got the choice to do it individually?!

I cannot be happier when ma’am said that we can do the new task individually. Why? Isn’t working with other people means less work?

Of course working with ‘some’ people means less work. However, does the finished work always come to my expectation? I’m afraid not. The thing with working with other people is that you cannot always have what you want. In a sense, there are things that we saw, and we can imagine the end, but others cannot.

Of course I cannot say that working with other does not have their advantages. Working with others creates creativity, competitions and desire to keep up with each other’s expectations. However, working individually also has its own advantages. What is it? Let me list them to make it simpler:

1. I can challenge myself to do better than what I have done before
2. I have the opportunity to take risk, to achieve what I wanted with my own head laying under the axe.
3. I can do the task on my own schedule, without having to wait for anyone
4. I can do the task anywhere anytime
5. I can do the task at my own pace
6. I do not have to face the exasperation of having to find people of different race to be my partner (i am not being bias, but not all differing races live near each other or haven’t already had a partner)

However, I also realise that as a future teacher, I need to learn how to work in groups, because like it or not, I would need to work with other teachers too. More importantly, I need to teach my students how to work in groups. If I myself cannot do it, how am I suppposed to teach them to do the same thing?

Some poeple like to say "Those who can't, teach". I would like to change that opinion. I do not want those people to point to me and says those things. Thus, to be a better future teacher, I need to take up any opportunity to work in groups and expand my communication skills.

This is because although working individually has its good points, working in groups would provide me with even greater advantages. As others says "Two heads are better than one"

Pair Work – depends on who your partner is?

To begin with, I rather have a pair work assignment than a group assignment. It is true that the more heads you have, the more ideas you will gain. However, in my opinion, the more heads you have, the more work have to be done and the more dissatisfactions will happen. Why? We have been assigned with a group work before and I have already speaks my pleasure and dissatisfactions of the experience. Now I would like to talk about doing the assignments in pairs.

I think it all depends on who you paired up with. It is my luck to have such hardworking and dedicated student as my partner – Sukainah. She always set the standard works to be high (one of which I sometimes lacked as I tend to do things ‘as well as I can’. Sukainah puts the work to ‘acheive more than you can’. So she actually indirectly made me want to be just as good, just as hardworking as she is. The good thing that all this brings is that it created a sort of a competition between us. You can call us the ‘kiasu’ group and I would not be offended. Whenever we see that someone is ahead of us, we would strive even harder, and aims to finish the task faster and better than anyone else. I could not say that we achieve our goals; many of the finished works of the other pairs are just as good as ours. Nevertheless, I am glad to say that we manage to achieve the aim that we had set.

This is exactly why I said that it depends on the partner. I used to have another partner before. However, not only does the person is ‘laid back’ on the works, I can just say it plainly that we are the mirror of the other. She’s the same with me, in my thinking and my way of working. And because of that, there were no competition between us and there’s no desire to be the best.

What I can see from all of my reflection this time is that – how much I am easily affected by others. It is not good, I agree. I should have my own set of grounds, my own standard. I do have another principal that I haven’t been using for quite a long time – ‘be the person who leads, not follow’. Maybe its time I adjust both principals.

The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ task

This has to be the simplest, yet hardest thing to do. Simplest because what we were required to do was easy and very simple. We only need to use our skills in downloading and editing videos. The difficult part came when we were doing the task, we didn’t expect the unexpected.

We didn’t expect to have the videos that we were supposed to be downloaded to be of such a heavy size. Each one video had been in such a very big size. It took each of us almost two whole days to finish downloaded all the parts in one episodes. The fact that my own internet connection were down at the time almost turns me into a panic mode. It was the biggest success of my week that I manage to download all at due time.

In one of the task, we were required to use the HJ Split software. I was glad at first, because I had been using HJ Split for as long as I had remembered, and I was used to it. However, when we try to use it on the videos, we encounter the problem where we only manage to combine two of the videos, and not all. I am confused and frustrated by what happened at first, as I did not know what went wrong.

This lead me to do more research on HJ Split, it led me to understand the software more than I had ever did before. I research on the details of the software and finally realise the one thing that went missing in our attempt. Each of the videos needs to be in the same size, the same frequency and the same length for them to be able to combine together using the HJ Split. And realising that, I think it would be almost impossible for us to use the HJ Split for this task. So, as a solution, we used another software to combine all of the videos – the media movie maker. And the product is a success.

Now we came to the hardest part of the task – the uploading of the videos to adec.

When we try to upload the videos, we had used two whole days (from morning till night) and we used as many laptops as we can, and some of us also went to the cyber cafe while letting their laptops uploading the other parts of the videos. To no vain. Why?

I think one the reason is the same each time we face the difficulties to upload any of our tasks on adec. The reason would be because everyone was trying to upload all at the same time, causing the server to go down at times. I think I can blame it to ourselves, considering that if we had done the task sooner, we should have been able to upload the videos earlier than anyone else and the over-float of the server can be avoided. But then again, we have other reason why the videos cannot be uploaded as easily as we said it can.

The second reason is because the combined product was simply too heavy. We tried to keep the quality of the video as were required, but the end product exceeds more than 2 gigabytes. Trying upload each of the parts took us more than a day, what about the whole bunch of the parts in one compiled video. It almost seems impossible. No, it IS impossible. We tried to lessen the size of the product, we use all the software that we know of, but to no vain, because lessening the size of the video means degrading the quality of the video itself. And that were not allowed. I cannot thank Izian enough when she solve all the problems by saying that we only need to handle all the videos in one DVD. Of course there had been some problems regarding those who had went home, but at least, the task of handing up the task did not seem that impossible anymore.

Group work. Why I hate it?

- Dear Ma’am, although I sounded negative here, that was just what I truly felt and think. I do hope you will read through what I wrote because at the end, I always try to look at things positively and reasons myself why you do as you did.

I used to like the prospect of working with my friends, but now, not anymore. Why and what happened? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is because of the formation of the group itself. When we were first asked to do a group work, we were willing; but not until we were told to choose only people who are of different races and different gender.

Now, of course it is important for us to mix and work well together regardless of the gender and races. However, the thing is, we are already very close among the 75 of us. We never look at the other gender differently and we had worked numerous times with the opposite sex. When we choose our group, it was not our intention to only choose those of the same race, nor was there any intention for us to be bias or unfair. We choose our group to create a group that can work with each other in the best of ways. We want to create a group that can work the best together, that live near each other so we can discuss, that we are used to work with so we know how to handle the work, the best and worst qualities of each person to determine what responsibilities each should have.

But now we were always asked to form a new group with each of the new task. Meaning, we have to get use to each other, know their best and worst qualities, adjust to each other’s differing home and schedule in such a short time (as we have many other task from this subjects that sometimes always over-lapping the other). And as simple as that, that is the reason why.
However, I do try to see it in a new aspect- what Ma’am trying to do is a good thing too. It was just how we cope with it. Sometimes I realise that I take University life for granted. Of course there are many challenges, but how we manage our time and strive to achieve for the best that matters.

The real life is not that easy. We cannot always choose who we want to work with, who we will dealt with. In our future profession, we will meet all sorts of people. There would be times when we have to work with a total new people in a short period of time. If we cannot do it now, what about later, when we would not even have any other options, and we held responsible in whatever we do? So, I do think that what and how the formation of the groups by Ma’am is a good practice, though it does have the negative and disadvantage to it... and those were the exact things that we actually need to learn how to handle.

Softwares for videos!

MY question!
What softwares do you use for your videos?
As i said before, I had had a basic knowledge in video making, but just some basic knowledge, but when finishing this assignment, I found even more softwares that i can use to create an even better video!

Some of the softwares are:
Audio editing software: Audacity, Sound Forge, Soundbooth, magixmusicmaker
Video editing software: mediamovie maker, power director, etc.

In our process of finishing the task, I learn to discover for myself the many available softwares and applications with limitless abilities that I can use. I learn to go through trial and error to try out different kinds of application. Now I know what to look for, and how to choose the best among all of the available software on the net. Reflecting back on the process in which I had go through to familiarise myself and in order to choose the best material, I found that there had been some certain stages that I had had gone through:

1. SurveyI went through the process of surveying where I look at the description and functions of the application first, and based on my need at the time, I list out the suitable applications that I can use. I also look at the requirements of the application to see whether they were compatible with my notebook.

2. Collect
I then collect all of the applications that I had considered to be suitable to my task. I basically use the Orbit downloader to download everything, so the process is pretty much an easy stage.

3. Trial and Error
In this stage, I try out all of the application. This stage is the most interesting and fun stage where I can play around all of the application and see the maximum of their ability.

4. Compare and Contrast
I didnt plan this stage at first, but now I realise, that I had, and looking back at that, I realise that this is an important stage! I evaluate and compare between all of the applications and choose the best from them. I choose the one with the best functions, user friendly and most interesting ones!

5. Use
And finally, I start using the application!!

Troubles in choosing the best software

In finishing the audio editing task, i learn to search for as many softwares that i can find so that i can choose the best for the task. However, i found that there are a lot of troubles in choosing the best software.

Lets made it simple.. because it really is.. ^^;;

1. file size
2. system requirement
THese two come first for me.. next do they rest came out:
3. quality
4. manipulative properties..
5. etcetc

Somehow.. even if its the best of quality.. the fact that the download file for the software is over 300Mb does nothing good! Because i cannot download them!

Then the system requirements...kergh.. lets just say i regret using the vista format.. T__T

The question rises is --- WHAT IS THE BEST, YET SMALLest, AND MOST USEFUL and free SOFTWARE that we can use?

The truth is, I realise that nothing can be acheive without hard work. After going through all of the problems that I had just listed out, I realise that although I had surveyed all of the software, I never did take the initiative to try them out. I think that was where my greatest mistake lies. The truth is, I cannot simply just read the software requirement and listed them out; I need to try them to know if its really compatible or not. This is where I think trial and error had its advantage.

The second thing is, although I search for the software, there is one thing that I also should have done - research. There are a lot of software out there, and whats the use of the internet if not to communicate? I realise I should have try to communicate with the many experts out there ready to give their cooperation. There are many chat rooms, websites, blogs and forums that discussed on the best software for what and what. I simply cannot just rely on my own knowledge as I myself are lacking in the area. Thus, I realise that sharing information is a very important step in choosing the software.

After I realise these two mistakes that I had missed out, I had try to do the trial and error step with the software that I had listed and I also did some research in the use of softwares with many of the available spots that had had helped me in my search for the best software.

The second chance... Thank GOD!

After the panic of my failure to upload the edited photos that I made, it was a God's given gift when we were given a second chance. I cannot help but feel a sense of full relief.

The task of the photo editing should have been done earlier and so I did not blame anyone but myself when I failed to upload it in time. It just come as something unfair to me, when I had done the task ealier than those who manage to upload it on adec. So I began to wonder, why this happened?

I think it happened due to confusion on the date due. When we were told that we had to handed it in by sunday, I truly thought that that means we were to hand it before monday. I have no idea that we have to hand it in before 00:00 sunday. And the fact that we were told to upload it only four hours before the due time, gave some who doent have access to the internet 24hours to be uninformed of that update. Of course, as students, we need to keep updating ourselves, but although I did that (updating every few hours) it would be possible for some to missed that very update as it was delivered very close to the end of the date due.

Nevertheless, as people said, 'when you points to someone, three of your fingers are pointing to yourselves'. I think in this issue, that means that if I had done the task ealier, and upload it before the given due, I would not had face such problems. It was not anyone's fault but myself.

So I learnt from this experience. I learn to finish the task before the date due to avoide any problems, and I learn to try not to blame it to anyone else but myself so that I can face any challenges when the same problems occurs again.

What we have done (late upload) was something that also our fault. I will do my work even better next time so she wouldnt have to feel such let down by us again. I promise that I will try my best and make an even better photo to compensate for my earlier mistake.

Late upload

00:00 SUNDAY

This numbers and this word has a large significant to me.

WHY?

Its the time, and the day, that I should have remembered well.

Its the due date for the submission of the photo editing task that I had missed by mere 2 hours.

I was very much upset by this because I have finish my work days before the due date. It is just that I forgot where I should upload it. I blame it all on my ignorant. My fault in not to keep up with the updates that our lecturer put on the internet. And I cant say how regretful I am. I learn that a university student, we are no longer in the protection and care of our lecturer as we had so in our college. If before, we had always had the constant reminder by the lecturers on our task, and our ways of communicating updates and information with each other is personal and direct. My sister has always reminding me that since I am starting to become a university student, I need to learn to be even MORE independent than when I was in the college. As my sister said before "In university, no body cares."

On the event that brings to this event, I think many of us when we get the instruction to pass up the task on Sunday means that we need to pass it before noon or at least before the end of the day (Sunday). What most of us missed is that we need to submit it on the very first our of the day - 00:00. It is true that the update had been posted on the internet for us to see. However, the update that instruct us to upload exactly at 00:00 that Sunday, was only put up 2 hours prior to the due time (Saturday 10pm). As many of us do not have the leisure of having the internet installed in our home, we did not get the update as some might have. The problem I think here is the communication problem.

Still, I do not deny the blame on my own self. When I started this course, I had promised to myself to work hard and commit to the course. I wish only of my regret and my hope to amend this by working even harder and creating an even better work in later tasks.

Photo Editing!

This is the first task that had been given to us. Well, when we were given this assignment, I really am excited to start it off. Partly is because, I always wanted to learn how to make photoshopped pictures, but never had a reason good enough why I should (haha)

But now, Ma'am had given me an opportunity to learn by myself how to use it.

The process went through several phases and that tooks a lot of time. I keep changing the pictures over and over again as I go through a lot of trial and error when I try using the software. Even though it was a frustating process at the start, from this experience, I learn to practice my skills in photo editing. I learn that learning a skill tooks time and requires me to do many trials and errors because only through mistakes can I learn much more than if I just follow the simple tutorials available online.

As this is among the first tasks that we were asked to do, I thought that I should do it on a subject that I am truly interested in - artists. I think Ma'am ways and mine had some similarities then (hahahaha). So I did the photo editing on my favourite Korean artist - TVXQ. I believe that everyone had the tendency to do well when they are doing it on something they they like and take interest to. As I ponder on this, I relate this to my future profession as a teacher. There are a lot of things that I as a student had experience that I think I need to remember when I become a teacher in the future.

That pictures on the korean idol was my first product. Although I like the end product, somehow when I saw what the others had done, I feel challenged to do an even better pictures. It was not simply just to get a better mark, but also to challenge myself to do better than what I had done and practise what I have learnt. I then realise how this task actually encourage a sense of competitive among us, motivating everyone to keep up with the others' quality of work.

As I began to work on other pictures, one by one, I use as many of my new skills in picture editing to create a creative and interesting product. As I did them, there were many things that I leant on the way. So, the task, actually gave me the push and desire to learn more and more the skills in photo editing. The task actually drills us with the needed skills in photo editing!

I thought that the task itself was brilliant because it was to be done on a free subjeck, meaning that we can do whatever we want. And this was the thing that pushes our interest in the task. At the end all of us are very hungry for more skills. And I think thats the best thing for us. We had a lot of fun finishing the task, especially when we were shown the other students' work, which reveals to us, many of the hidden talents in the technological expertise of our fellow friends.

Changes in The Students' Learning

After more than 10 years of studying, I have to be honest and say that only when I step into the world of University do I get to use technology as my tool for learning. Technology, had always been an unknown territory that I was always curious to explore but never got the chance to do it.

But time has changed everything now. Today's young learners however tends to take these opportunity for granted. While we were used to the thirst for technological use in our learning before, they can easily access to its use as the central of their educational purposes, communications and daily needs. The questions now, is how we as teachers should guide the students to make use of the available technology around them to the max!

Changes in Students' Learning

Learning is no longer bordered by the four walls of the classroom, but borderless and unlimited. Students becoming active learners who initiates learning and play a role in active thinking about informations and knowledge that they are to learn.

With the access to the internet, students can gather just about any informations right on their very fingertips. Students will become more and more a teacher of their own learning. Learning is no longer the traditional - teachers as input, learners as receiver -. Access to informations enables students to conduct their own researches and discovery learning. Indeed, now students can have a choice on what they want to learn, how the intend their learning to take place and how much informations they want to generate.

The wide and broad access to the outside world provide students the communication medium where interactions and collaborations among students from around the world can take place. Students can share informations and learnings with each other. Discussions and debates could took place online where students would be able to allow themselves to be exposed to different perspectives of different views of the people around the world. Malaysian students would no longer be oxtracised by the world community, as we are no longer constricted to the limited traditional perspective.

The available technology also enables students to accomplish a more difficult and complex tasks. For example, students can represent their learning in high-quality colourful graphs and able to examine and understand the deeper levels of the graphs. In Science for example, students can learn about the human body thoroughly inside and out. Experiments can be done online without the unnecessary lack of tools to hinder learning to take place.

In term of motivation, students' willingness to participate in learning has greatly improved compared to us previously. The enjoyment of learning using technology motivate students to learn and take useful advantage of it. Students would be more aware of the relationship of their learning with the real world, creating a sense of need to gain knowledge in order to survive.

The PBEY3102 Resources Classroom

The first time stepping into the classroom of PBEY3102: Choosing and Developing Resources for the ESL Classroom, excitement and nervousness (of the nature of the course) sets me to a determined start that I had injected with the motivation to do well in the course to keep up with the pointer that I had gained from our previous college - Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas.

May I introduce you to my class in our beloved Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas *We are a close family. We might sometimes be a bit of a rebellious bunch when we feel the need to be so.. but we really are, unbiasly; creative, hardworking, and enigmatic students that has contributed a lot to the college. We are a happy, close family that looks out for each other ^^

My first impression on our class is that the class holds the probabilities for a fun and enjoyable year. Our lecturer, Puan Foziah, who seems very approachable (I found out that we shared the same interest - asian music and drama, which made some of us to feel close to her), explain to us the expectations that awaits us. There will be many interesting things that we shall do and many new knowledge that we shall learn. I am very motivated to do well in the class and on a side note, make a personal reminder to enjoy the lesson along the way.

When I first look at the name of this subject, I immediately thought that we are going to be making and creating all of the materials in many different forms throughout the semester. My prediction did not come too far from the truth as it turns out to be. I was however, merely suprised to see that we are only going to learn on how to choose and manage resources that are technologically-based only. For me, internet and technology is only one of the many sources for learning. And we simply cannot just depends on them as a whole, because, like it or not, I think technology can bring a more disasterous effects than any other sources. Nevertheless, I had think about this throughoutly and I beginning to understand why exactly we have to learn about this. My next post will explain why, but simply put, it is because, the world is changing and we cannot be left behind. As much as technology can bring disasterous effect, it can also bring such advantages to our students as long as we know how to manipulate the resources.