assalamualaikum..
as usual..new task for new week..this week our lecturer asked us to find at least two research materials that discuss/report on the research in using teaching aids in the classroom. The materials could be in the form of a book, journal articles, reports and theses and Project Paper report. Then using an article analysis form, i have to read the article and then carry out an analysis. The division of the article especially the introduction to the research, the statement of the problem, the significance of the study/research, the research Question, the Methodology of the research, the analysis of the data and finally the findings, conclusion and the implications of the study.
finding an article is easy..but an article with all the requirement things that need to be analyzed was so difficult..besides, each and everyone of us cannot use the same article..but i managed to find one and still waiting for Pn. Foziah's approval..
since i am already in the Hari Raya mood..i leave out all the task and assignments behind and enjoy my Hari Raya to the fullest!!but, it's only for a few days..the rest of the month i have to continue my work and start to focus on exams..
to all my lecturers and friends..Happy Eid Mubarak..sorry for all the wrong doings!!=p
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
let's publish our works!
assalamualaikum...
this week we have been introduced to the microsoft publisher..very common name as this software has been in my laptop throughout the years..but to be honest..i never used it before and the worst part is i don't know how to use it...well, this is the reason i love resources very much..i always learn a new thing..and this week my task is to explore this software..thanks to Pn. Foziah..this task required us to do in pairs..so the burden will be lesser..
i started to explore this thing in the computer lab..there were four things to do in pairs which are pamphlet, book cover, business card and poster..and we were given freedom to pick the theme..so here, i can develop my own creativity in developing those materials...Pn. Foziah did helped me in exploring this software when she passed through me and my partner..guess she could see that we were getting a headache!!..well,as i get to know this software, if ound out that it was not so difficult to use..and i managed to do all four things needed.
in addition to this work, we had to do the newsletter..this time in group of five..my team partner are edora, kasthuri, fadliyana, kamal and mukmin..here we learn to cooperate and collaborate in order to ensure that our graphic will be a tip-top!!
well, for those newbies out there who eager to learn the microsoft publisher,here is link for the tutorial that could help you guys..enjoy!!
http://www.bcschools.net/staff/PublisherHelp.htm
this week we have been introduced to the microsoft publisher..very common name as this software has been in my laptop throughout the years..but to be honest..i never used it before and the worst part is i don't know how to use it...well, this is the reason i love resources very much..i always learn a new thing..and this week my task is to explore this software..thanks to Pn. Foziah..this task required us to do in pairs..so the burden will be lesser..
i started to explore this thing in the computer lab..there were four things to do in pairs which are pamphlet, book cover, business card and poster..and we were given freedom to pick the theme..so here, i can develop my own creativity in developing those materials...Pn. Foziah did helped me in exploring this software when she passed through me and my partner..guess she could see that we were getting a headache!!..well,as i get to know this software, if ound out that it was not so difficult to use..and i managed to do all four things needed.
in addition to this work, we had to do the newsletter..this time in group of five..my team partner are edora, kasthuri, fadliyana, kamal and mukmin..here we learn to cooperate and collaborate in order to ensure that our graphic will be a tip-top!!
well, for those newbies out there who eager to learn the microsoft publisher,here is link for the tutorial that could help you guys..enjoy!!
http://www.bcschools.net/staff/PublisherHelp.htm
ninth week reflection
assalamualaikum..
this week was the ninth week of class...well, i didn't realize that the time flies so fast..seems like yesterday was the first day i met Pn. Foziah...since every week we had task to do..it showed that i've done many tasks already...so IMPRESSED with myself..=p.
back to business..this week Pn. Foziah introduced a useful website for us..here is the link..http://www.onetruemedia.com/...Its is an alternative video making website which utilize three simple words namely ‘upload’, ‘choose a style’ and ‘wow everyone’..things became simpler with this website..we just have to choose a mixture of pictures and videos and the web will add on effects to make them wow-worthy..besides, the web is F.O.C..but of course we have to sign up first...all we need is only an email account..that's all..from only simple pictures and videos, the web will make them extraordinary wonderful!!it's actually a good web for teachers like me..i can use it as teaching materials in my classroom..the children must be interested to learn when they see colourful and interesting pictures with great effects!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
coursebook- take it or leave it
assalamualaikum..
well, today was a presentation day...the topic that we get was "Working with a coursebook"
What's a coursebook in aid of, really? Why do we always have to do the exercises on page, say, 45 and not those on 62? Are we supposed to write a letter instead of a descriptive essay?" and so on and so forth. Experience has provided me with an answer, albeit a tentative one. I have partly realized the necessity of a coursebook in English language classroom but I am still all at sea when I try to teach English according to some rule or method prescribed by this or that book. as a teacher to be, i do not pride myself on being a good one, yet I feel that this dilemma of mine is shared by many teachers and students - at whom the coursebook is aimed, after all!
throughout my experiences as a practical teacher, sometimes I catch a glimpse of my students scratching their heads, listening to me with cloth ears, reminding me that something is going on. Yes. Something is going on! Whether this has to do with my teaching strategies or the books I choose, the fact remains that we all have to ponder on our inclination to use one coursebook instead of two or this coursebook instead of that! Someone once said that a bad coursebook is better than none, but this is no consolation, really. Much to my chagrin, there is no magic wand to wave and put things right, even though a lot of teachers and students seem to regard a textbook as such.
No doubt, a coursebook is looked upon as an indispensable vehicle for second language acquisition whose validity and significance are seldom impugned. In my opinion, many students working on a coursebook feel secure and have a sense of progress and achievement. They always have a book to relate to; they are not groping in the dark. Consequently, they become more confident and satisfied, as they tackle the target language within a certain framework.
Furthermore, a textbook provides them with the opportunity to go back and revise. They can also use the textbook for self-study and as a reference tool. Besides, a well-illustrated book, interspersed with eye-catching phrases and sensational pictures or titles, is preferable to tons of photocopied material, which teachers and students often take a dim view of.
Certainly, a coursebook is held in high regard by the anxious teacher who strives to put his / her message across, to teach the necessary vocabulary and help the students to acquire and consolidate the four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. It is a kind of panacea, a sine qua non for him; something that can bear the full brunt of the preparations for the lesson - obviating the need to produce or photocopy material, on his or her part - and thus take the sting out of a tiring, exasperating day.
Personally, I find a coursebook extremely helpful, as it guides me on what and how to teach, giving me some useful advice on the best techniques for presenting the material. How else could I make up all these stories found in every coursebook that efficiently illustrate a tense or introduce the relevant vocabulary? I am always pressed for time! How else could I write all these long or short articles on various topics, with which I only have a nodding acquaintance, while simultaneously trying to make my material presentable and workable? Without a textbook, everything would be a fine kettle of fish! There would be no guidelines, no signposts; students would feel insecure and teachers would rack their brains to collect, edit and photocopy materials - which are culled from other textbooks!
I am well aware that a coursebook has a very important role to play in the classroom. Indubitably, it is a repositoryof ideas which the teacher and the students can draw on and avail themselves of. Nevertheless, I think that we have accorded it too much importance, without bothering to see its "side-effects." It is often the case that the students get the wrong idea that the textbook is there to "do the job" for them; they no longer have to think, to work towards a goal, i.e., learning the foreign language. They always follow a regular pattern: they read a text, then they answer some questions, then they discuss, then they write a letter, then, they do not have to worry, although they are eventually fed up with this monolithic process. What they have come to appreciate, that is, the book, they most detest; and what they have come to regard as indispensable, they find meretricious and unbearable - and I am on their side! There are times when I want to break loose from the meshesof its conventions; when I feel constrained by its sequence of activities and units. Yet, there has to be a textbook!
So, what is the bottom line? Do we have to toe the line, to inure ourselves to the idea of teaching English with a textbook that someone else has chosen for us? Do we really have to have a coursebook that imposes its presence on us and our students? Should we dispense with it altogether? We do not have to dispense with the textbook. We only have to disabuse ourselves of the tendency to take a coursebook as gospel. Nothing should be taken at face value. No textbook is good enough. The onus is on the teacher to tap into its sources and potential. If we feel constrained and want to provide remedial work or further exercises, and we want to do all this in our own, individual way, then we should put our textbook aside and compose our own opera! It all boils down to our expectations and the goals we set, and whether we are prepared or willing to implement new ideas and methods. Of course, we cannot go about blaming our inefficiency on textbooks! It is always ourselves that we have to criticize when "something is going on"...
well, today was a presentation day...the topic that we get was "Working with a coursebook"
What's a coursebook in aid of, really? Why do we always have to do the exercises on page, say, 45 and not those on 62? Are we supposed to write a letter instead of a descriptive essay?" and so on and so forth. Experience has provided me with an answer, albeit a tentative one. I have partly realized the necessity of a coursebook in English language classroom but I am still all at sea when I try to teach English according to some rule or method prescribed by this or that book. as a teacher to be, i do not pride myself on being a good one, yet I feel that this dilemma of mine is shared by many teachers and students - at whom the coursebook is aimed, after all!
throughout my experiences as a practical teacher, sometimes I catch a glimpse of my students scratching their heads, listening to me with cloth ears, reminding me that something is going on. Yes. Something is going on! Whether this has to do with my teaching strategies or the books I choose, the fact remains that we all have to ponder on our inclination to use one coursebook instead of two or this coursebook instead of that! Someone once said that a bad coursebook is better than none, but this is no consolation, really. Much to my chagrin, there is no magic wand to wave and put things right, even though a lot of teachers and students seem to regard a textbook as such.
No doubt, a coursebook is looked upon as an indispensable vehicle for second language acquisition whose validity and significance are seldom impugned. In my opinion, many students working on a coursebook feel secure and have a sense of progress and achievement. They always have a book to relate to; they are not groping in the dark. Consequently, they become more confident and satisfied, as they tackle the target language within a certain framework.
Furthermore, a textbook provides them with the opportunity to go back and revise. They can also use the textbook for self-study and as a reference tool. Besides, a well-illustrated book, interspersed with eye-catching phrases and sensational pictures or titles, is preferable to tons of photocopied material, which teachers and students often take a dim view of.
Certainly, a coursebook is held in high regard by the anxious teacher who strives to put his / her message across, to teach the necessary vocabulary and help the students to acquire and consolidate the four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. It is a kind of panacea, a sine qua non for him; something that can bear the full brunt of the preparations for the lesson - obviating the need to produce or photocopy material, on his or her part - and thus take the sting out of a tiring, exasperating day.
Personally, I find a coursebook extremely helpful, as it guides me on what and how to teach, giving me some useful advice on the best techniques for presenting the material. How else could I make up all these stories found in every coursebook that efficiently illustrate a tense or introduce the relevant vocabulary? I am always pressed for time! How else could I write all these long or short articles on various topics, with which I only have a nodding acquaintance, while simultaneously trying to make my material presentable and workable? Without a textbook, everything would be a fine kettle of fish! There would be no guidelines, no signposts; students would feel insecure and teachers would rack their brains to collect, edit and photocopy materials - which are culled from other textbooks!
I am well aware that a coursebook has a very important role to play in the classroom. Indubitably, it is a repositoryof ideas which the teacher and the students can draw on and avail themselves of. Nevertheless, I think that we have accorded it too much importance, without bothering to see its "side-effects." It is often the case that the students get the wrong idea that the textbook is there to "do the job" for them; they no longer have to think, to work towards a goal, i.e., learning the foreign language. They always follow a regular pattern: they read a text, then they answer some questions, then they discuss, then they write a letter, then, they do not have to worry, although they are eventually fed up with this monolithic process. What they have come to appreciate, that is, the book, they most detest; and what they have come to regard as indispensable, they find meretricious and unbearable - and I am on their side! There are times when I want to break loose from the meshesof its conventions; when I feel constrained by its sequence of activities and units. Yet, there has to be a textbook!
So, what is the bottom line? Do we have to toe the line, to inure ourselves to the idea of teaching English with a textbook that someone else has chosen for us? Do we really have to have a coursebook that imposes its presence on us and our students? Should we dispense with it altogether? We do not have to dispense with the textbook. We only have to disabuse ourselves of the tendency to take a coursebook as gospel. Nothing should be taken at face value. No textbook is good enough. The onus is on the teacher to tap into its sources and potential. If we feel constrained and want to provide remedial work or further exercises, and we want to do all this in our own, individual way, then we should put our textbook aside and compose our own opera! It all boils down to our expectations and the goals we set, and whether we are prepared or willing to implement new ideas and methods. Of course, we cannot go about blaming our inefficiency on textbooks! It is always ourselves that we have to criticize when "something is going on"...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
seventh week reflection
assalamualaikum to everyone..
today was the day that we were supposed to submit our e-book n Alhamdulillah I managed to finish the task within the time given..well, it was such a relieved in realizing that another assignment was done..
unfortunately..no so welcome news came from our representative..another task awaits us!!!this time, we had to devise resources for teaching the four language skills..we had to work in group of four and as usual the group must be in multiracial..as i was struggling to find a group to work with, Mark invited me n edora to join him and komathi..so, we were the fantastic four now..with 2 malays, a chinese and an indian..=p..
back to the task..each group has to choose a topic and devise a task for each skill;listening, speaking, reading and writing..to be fair,my group use the drawlord technique..n lucky me..i had to do the speaking skill..we chose the topic of places..
for my task, i picked the market as my main subject as market is a familiar place for children..devising a task for speaking skill wasn't as difficult as developing the tutorial..to be honest, i hate the tutorial part..the printscreen thing was not easy as it looks..
hopefully i can finish this task early so that i could focus on other subject as well...GOOD LUCK for me!!
today was the day that we were supposed to submit our e-book n Alhamdulillah I managed to finish the task within the time given..well, it was such a relieved in realizing that another assignment was done..
unfortunately..no so welcome news came from our representative..another task awaits us!!!this time, we had to devise resources for teaching the four language skills..we had to work in group of four and as usual the group must be in multiracial..as i was struggling to find a group to work with, Mark invited me n edora to join him and komathi..so, we were the fantastic four now..with 2 malays, a chinese and an indian..=p..
back to the task..each group has to choose a topic and devise a task for each skill;listening, speaking, reading and writing..to be fair,my group use the drawlord technique..n lucky me..i had to do the speaking skill..we chose the topic of places..
for my task, i picked the market as my main subject as market is a familiar place for children..devising a task for speaking skill wasn't as difficult as developing the tutorial..to be honest, i hate the tutorial part..the printscreen thing was not easy as it looks..
hopefully i can finish this task early so that i could focus on other subject as well...GOOD LUCK for me!!
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