Masterplan 2015

After viewing the video on iN2015 and visiting the Classroom Of The Future (COTF), I would very much look forward to the future. I think that the technologies featured in both examples are very possible and can make the lives of people alot easier. Moreover, the experience with Second Life has future cemented my view that we don't have to be physically at a place of interest to experience it. Second Life provides a virtual environment for us to see places and experience the feelings of people in different situations. My next point is that I feel that we will be "plugged in" to our technologies in the future.

What is this "plugged in" I'm talking about? Simply means that we can go online anytime we want anywhere. Its like the environment in the film "The Matrix", just that we have control over when we want to go online and its not a completely virtual environment.

The advantages here are:

• browsing catalogues of products when we are shopping;
• contacting friends who are online wherever we are;
• accessing the knowledge on the world wide web anytime and anywhere;
• efficiently using all the online resources at our disposal;
  
• constant ability to learn new things;

What about the disadvantages?

• We are so "plugged in" and immersed in the environment that we forget the real world around us;
• we can lose our human touch in most things we do;
• in the worst case, we lose our identity when we are too "plugged in";
• we can lose our identity when hackers take all our personal information that is online;

Its the new world on the way, we have to be prepared for it. Somehow, the governance of cyberspace still needs some more improvement before the masses can put our lives online. I can't imagine anyone who is not connected to the internet. They are either don't want to known or simply out of touch with the world.

The course in NIE helps teachers prepare for this new digital world. We know that there is a very high possibility of students being more connected to the internet then we are, so we have to update our infocomm skills to catch up with them or stay ahead of them. I believe that learning will be a breeze in the future with all the information available at our finger tips and all anyone has to do is to simply have the mind to learn. Being up-to-date with news and lastest developments are instantaneous. Somehow, the hardcopy of newspapers may be a thing of the past.

The classroom of the future is literally ANYWHERE, as long as there is some form of connection to the internet. Our jobs as teachers will therefore change to include the cyber needs of students and engaging them online or in a virtual environment like Second Life.

2nd Life or not??

This week's session is another interesting one, we have an experience using Second Life. Its a virtual world where people can live in, doing things; being somebody different from the real world. There are not limitations of the real world here, people can fly and teleport to different places. Love that bit.

The educational aspects of Second Life can be better explained in this video:

All I can say about this video is that it tackles the many possibilities to use Second Life as an Educational platform. The new generation of students are increasingly tired of the current or traditional methods of knowledge delivery. Second Life provides a possible way of immersing and engaging this new generation. The possibilities are limited to the boundaries of our imagination.

So to Second Life or not to Second Life?? For us as educators, can we risk not using Second Life as an educational platform and possibly lose engaging the students? Do we encourage the students to Second Life while we are not in it? Hmmm...

Wii Fit and smashing furniture, Week 7

I remember the time I was drooling over the Wii Fit when it first appeared on the market. I was even a regular window shopper of the Challenger store at Hougang Mall. Everytime I had a chance, I'll be looking at the Wii at any electronics store. It was my obession then; my Christmas present wish, my birthday gift hopeful; Wii console and Wii Fit.



Needless to say, getting a chance to play with it was simply a wonderful delight. The Wii Fit comes with some programmes that allows the user(s) to make use the platform. Loads AND loads of fun. Not to mention the fact that all breakable furniture must be moved out of the way of overzealous players' moving/swingin radius. Hahaha... Can you imagine the dents on the furniture and replacements needed for a day full of vigorous exercising? Even the furniture in the MxL didn't not escape the occasional smack or hit. :)

MindMeiser is a very good software for getting a large group of people to contribute to a mind map at the same time. It appears to update real-time. Very useful for a brainstorming session with co-workers or students working on a project.

Now for the KWLQs of this week:

K: What I already KNOW about this week's topic:
It was definitely a very interesting way of engaging all the students or in this case trainee teachers. Enjoy the laughter and group fun.

W: What I WANT to learnMore about:
How else to get students to use the Wii console for school lessons other than Physical Education lessons?

L: What I have LEARNED this week:
Something about MindMeiser software. Good stuff.

Q: What QUESTIONS I still have: None at the moment.

I STILL WANT a WII Console and WII FIT for Christmas, next one if possible. I'm my own Santa Claus... So, very possible.

Flash Games as Educational Tools

There is an abundance of online Flash games. The interesting ones are those that attempt to share information with the players and those that educate the players. These interactive games serve as educational tools for the public in whichever specialised areas; the range of topics or subjects are so wide.


I was exposed to some online Flash games that drafted the player as a surgeon and performed various types of leg surgery. The experience was very enriching as I progressed through the processes of diagnosis, preparation of surgery, surgery and post-surgery care. There were many things to consider whilst being an orthopedic surgeon. Do the wrong thing and the patients may end up crippled, nasty!!!


The other game I played was a simple mathematic game using all the basic arithmetic functions as the base concept. I had to destroy the tanks with mathematic problems with the ammunition from my cannon. The only catch is that the tanks can be destroyed by the ammunition with the correct answer to their mathematical problem. My team mates were having a good time with this game and some commented, "I haven't processed the question of the tank yet!" and "BOOM" the that tank was destroyed... hahaha... loads of fun.

Now for the KWLQs of this week...
K: What I already KNOW about this week's topic is the fun element of these flash games and they are readily available as long as there's internet connection. Sometimes they can be very addictive and there's a need for a facilitator to help students understand the concepts in these flash games.
W: What I WANT to learn more about: Finding more interesting games for classroom learning.
L: What I have LEARNED this week: My reflexes, both mental and physical, are better than I expected.
Q: What QUESTIONS I still have: None, Loving every minute of gaming :P Gamers Rule!!!!

Challenges in Using ICT in Classes

This week was the e-Learning segment of the course. It has proven to be quite a hectic week as I had to complete a few assignments and demostrations.

As usual, the readings required for the week's assignment were numerous and content heavy. Nonetheless, I feel good about completing it all within the given time frame. Yahoo!!!! Furthermore, my team mates and I completed the necessary preparation for our demostration tomorrow including a rehearsal on-site.

More details on this weeks engaging and fast paced timeline in a while.

Ciao

This is the add-on section...

The most interesting bit about this week's lesson is that we get to play computer games!!!! How cool is that??!?!?!!? Anyhow, we had to chew through some articles on the benefits and negatives on gaming and basically write some points on them in the course's wiki page. The second section is playing games!!!

We got to play the MacDonald game, which is an online flash game. This game is designed to help people understand the intricacies of running and managing a global franchise. All the necessary processes from growing the grain/soy to feed the cattle, to slaughtering the cattle to make burger patties, to hiring and firing front line personal at MacDonald outlets, to managing the shareholder in the boardroom, handling advertising, negative publicity, worker unions, environmental groups, etc... the list goes on and on. This is compounded by the need to make MacDonalds a very profitable organisation; get fired if the bank account is in the red. Hah, if that's ever possible.

The other online flash game is Darfur is Dying. In this game, the player gets to role play some characters within a Somalian family trying to survive the constant threat of militia attack and lack of water.


Now for the KWLQs of this week:
K: What I already KNOW about this week's topicI can't say I do, all these is alien to me. I know that I can use some software to enhance the teaching experience, but engaging the students in learning on their own is a whole new ball game for me.
W: What I WANT to learnMore about methods in getting the students interested in using ICT for their daily learning and self-improvement.
L: What I have LEARNED this weekIt was very interesting to learn about what ICT have improved the way students learn in some many different ways and in so many different subjects. I guess I will still be a frog in a well if I don't change the methods of teaching I'm used to. :)
Q: What QUESTIONS I still haveNone at the moment, still soaking in all the new stuff I've exposed to...Game ON!!!!

Week 4 ICT Different Types of Engaged Learning

More interesting stuff this week like:

Goal-Based Scenarios
Knowledge Building
Anchored Instructions
Cognitive apprenticeship
Project-Based Learning
Inquiry-Based Learning

More later...

QED522 Infocomm Technology

Its week 2 of the cource on using Infocomm Technology to create engaging environments for today's students.

What was most interesting about the group sharing session was the fact that some of my course mates had done some very in-depth (using their initiatives, technologies at their disposal ...) projects during their school experience. In the times that I was still schooling, project work were limited and very narrow in nature (I had done a volano and a kelong project, and in my opinion, they were considered engaging). So, when they shared their experiences, I felt that technology has had a very meaningful impact in the ways projects can be done.

The boundaries of these projects can be set by the teacher in charge (or facilitator), and basically allow the students to explore the various if not unlimited aspects of doing say: an expose on a kelong. The students can used Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to draw the kelong and present it to all their friends; study the economics of building and operating a kelong using the internet as a tool; find out more about the history of the design of such a building; do in-depth research on the types of wood that withstand the destructive nature of salt water... This list of possible areas of research is almost inexhaustible. When they are done with all the fact finding, the project team can come together and produce a documentation or short film on their findings.

The project allows the students to use Infocomm Technology in these areas:

• Computer Aided Design software; such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks...


• Movie maker software; such as MS moviemaker, MAC iMovie...
  
• Internet browser; such as IE, Firefox, Morzilla...
  
• Digital/Video camera;
  
• Digital recording software;


• Powerpoint software;


• Project planning software; MS Project


• Animation software; such as 3D Studio Max, Rhino...


• Digital data storage devices; such as USB harddisks, thumbdrives, mobile phone storage cards, ...


• Mobile computing devices; such as laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, ...
  

Other areas where the students can be engaged in learning are:

• Journalism in covering the various stages of their project;


• Documentary production which includes script writing, footage editing, material research...;


• Production of animation to be featured in their documentary;


• Research on Building Material, Building Structure, History, Purpose, Cultural reasons of using a Kelong, Economics of a building, ...;


• Project planning and management;


• Team building;


• People and time management;


• Character building and realisation;
  

All these (and I'm sure a lot more areas) aspects can be realise simply by participanting in project work. I must say I'm amazed at the number of possibilities and opportunities to engage the students. In a way, I feel that they can learn a lot more about the bigger picture of many things went they area engaged in project work. I'll look forward to the days when I can be the teacher who will assign my students projects and watch them learn more about the world around them.

Wonderful Stuff (Infocomm Technology)!!!!

Our tutor also demonstrated in class an online application called Bubbl.us, which i think is a mind mapping tool when the class was sharing experiences. Cool tool and very similar to FreeMind, except that its online and seemingly more user friendly. Cheers for that, Dr Tan.


Now for the KWLQs of this week:
K: What I already KNOW about this week's topic

I can't say I do, all these is alien to me. I know that I can use some software to enhance the teaching experience, but engaging the students in learning on their own is a whole new ball game for me.

W: What I WANT to learn

More about methods in getting the students interested in using ICT for their daily learning and self-improvement.

L: What I have LEARNED this week
It was very interesting to learn about what ICT have improved the way students learn in some many different ways and in so many different subjects. I guess I will still be a frog in a well if I don't change the methods of teaching I'm used to. :)

Q: What QUESTIONS I still have
None at the moment, still soaking in all the new stuff I've exposed to...

Game ON!!!!