Let's get HYPER!!

Oh boy! Oh boy! We can make learning to be "hyper"!

I didn't mean any hyper'ish activity of course...sorry! huhu...Actually, we learned about hypertext and hypermedia the other day. It's fascinating! Though I'm not actually focused and understood during the presentation (sorry Canne & Kath, cannot help it...my bad...), when I looked back into the lesson and try to find other examples of the use of hypertext and hypermedia, they are actually interactive! (I like to visualize...rather than learning the theory...-_-)...see what I have done with my blog. I added a new widget called Snap Shot. You can get it for free here. This is one example of hypermedia. It helps my visitors to view other links that I have posted. You may discover more on the internet. (^_~)

Podcast!

I always wondering what podcast is, but never put any effort to know about it, until today. Anyway, do you ALL know what is podcast?

Ok, so, for those you are just like me, PODCASTS are actually "audio (sometimes video) programs on the web which are usually updated at regular intervals" (Sze, 2006). The famous podcasts would be the BBC and CNN, or if you're looking for language podcast, ESLpod would be a good website.

We have lots of podcast websites actually. You can google for 'podcast' or if you want to search podcast which provides audio or video for a specific skill, you can just google 'podcast + (any skill, e.g.: listening).' It's very easy and convenient. Users can even download the files and use them without internet access. Teachers and students can access and fully utilize the services that have been provided, for FREE! So, supposedly, there should not be any excuse for not having any 'superb' materials to teach English, especially for listening and speaking lessons. Hopefully, the teachers and students could exploit what they have...but of course, tools or gadgets and skills to use them as well as exposition about it should be made available.

However, should be kept in mind that, those are only to FACILITATE and REINFORCE the teaching and learning process for the teacher and students, not to replace the teacher itself. (^_^)

Listen to 'HER STORY'...

We learn history of CALL in our CALL class last week. From behavourist CALL to communicative CALL and lastly to integrative CALL...each phase has its own contribution to the development of CALL. But, enough about history, I don't think

people want me to blog about THE history...(^_-)

The most frequent program that we, the training teachers, would have used in our teaching and learning process is Microsoft Power Point. During my practicum, I did not have a chance to use the computer lab. One, because many of the computers are nonfunctional, two, some of them are old, three, the computer lab is booked for computer classes. Besides, the students are very uncontrollable if the teacher gives them opportunity to use such instruments. It is very difficult to make them control their excitement if something that is not familiar with them is used. Actually, 'excitement' is good, but in their case, their excitement might cause 'destruction.'

History DOES matter...we learn from what we experience and encounter. That is the reason about the excitement becomes destruction. Huhu...(-_-)

Call for the ROLES of a Computer

Wow! The computer indeed has a lot of roles.

Roles in Teaching & Roles in Learning

Anyhow, to what extent does the computer give advantages to the user learning in the Malaysian context? One of the roles in learning is that the computer serves as a platform for classroom discussions through asynchronous (as well as synchronous) computer mediated communication. But in Malaysia, I don't think we have anything like that in most of the schools, except in some boarding schools.

There is one school's blog I accidentally found which is quite impressing in terms of its activeness in updating the school and learning information. The school is SM Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC). I noticed that students and teachers optimize the use of the blog. The students and teachers can share information, interact with each other, keep updates with the school's news and many more. It makes the teaching and learning much more fun and it becomes one of the sources of education not only for MOZAC's students and teachers but also other people. Now, this is a good example to promote learning via computers.

Nevertheless...I wonder how can a school provides this kind of learning, if the facilities are not there? Not all schools have functional computers, access to the internet or even people who can make use of the facilities.

Hear the CALL

Salam and hello to all...

Hear the CALL is my first educational blog which is a requirement for our CALL subject TSL 641. Anyway, do you know what CALL is?

Is this the CALL?

of course NOT! (^_^)

As a brief introduction before other entries are posted, CALL is actually the short form of Computer Assisted Language Learning.
Or, in a simple word, you use a computer program/software in learning a language...

I did remember using a computer software in kindergarten, but forgot what kind of software it was. During my lower secondary school years, my school had been selected as a smart school. So we had a one period subject that was specialized to teach us learning something via computer/internet. Nevertheless, the class was only carried out for about several weeks, if I'm not mistaken, before it became worthless and abandoned by the teachers. It was abandoned, means the teachers did not utilize the class to teach using the technology. Some of the reasons were because the computers were always problematic and it became a hassle for the teachers to deal with something new to them and the students, what's more the syllabus of other core subjects were still abundance to be finished.

hmm...so, do you hear the CALL? [especially for the educators and educators-to-be]

I wonder...