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