Comments on "Fresh" blogger

Comments:

Feb 1 (Session2: Cognitive tool in classroom)
Good finding!
I think cognitive tool should be related to mind mapping plus database.

Feb 1 (Session2: Mind map of learning theory)
I find something on the learning theory as following:

Behaviorism: Based on observable changes in behavior. Behaviorism focuses on a new behavioral pattern being repeated until it becomes automatic.

Cognitivism: Based on the thought process behind the behavior. Changes in behavior are observed, and used as indicators as to what is happening inside the learner's mind.

Constructivism: Based on the premise that we all construct our own perspective of the world, through individual experiences and schema. Constructivism focuses on preparing the learner to problem solve in ambiguous situations.

(Schuman, 1996)

http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm

Feb 1 (Session 2: Review on How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School)

Your group gives a good book for us! I read "Chapter 3 Learning transfer", I think learning by practice is good for knowledge transfer into the permanent memory. On "Chapter 9 Technologies to support learning", I agree using of new technologies may be not guarantee on effective learning but inappropriate to use technology can create barrier to the learner is absolutely true!

Monday, February 8, 2010
Session 3: Multimedia narratives from Interactive Narratives

It is a good review to remind my memory. The impressive image let me remember the forgettable things. It refreshes my mind.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Session 3 Activity: Using Learning object on Teaching and Learning

Both games are come from the primarygames.com. I see this site not only Mathematics can learn by games. Other knowledge such as language, science and social science can learn from this web. Moreover, it can submit your own games. I think it is a good learning object for primary school student.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Session 3: Theoretic Issues-Combing Visualization and Interactivity

I agree with the article your group provided “Interactive Modeling and Visualization in Undergraduate Survey Courses” that say Java is a powerful and interactive tool to combine visualization and interactivity. But I think the importance to combine the visualization and interactivity is no need to concern about the tools such as Java or Flash. The main issue to concern should be how to use the tools to integrate the technology become interactive. I think not only image/video/picture (visualization) use, the utilization of sound/voice should add on teaching and learning, which is an effective way for producing interactivity. An interactive learning material should be a combination of audio and visual.

Sunday, February 21, 2010
Session 3: Limitations of Short-term Memory

When I study computer’s architecture, I think the RAM (random access memory) is an example of short-term memory. Otherwise the ROM (read-only memory) is an example of long-term memory inside a computer system. When using this example to comparing to our brain, I think short-term memory is volatile, which is not good for learner. I think the knowledge and skill should be on a long-term memory. It should embed on our mind. The limitation of short-term memory is not permanent that easy to let the learner to forget it.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How Blog supports teaching and learning

I think Blog is a communication tool between the teacher and the learner. The teacher can post their teaching material on Blog. The learner can read from the Blog and post their comment. This is one-way learning. But I think the Blog can more than that because it can deliver the knowledge by sharing between teachers and learners. It can distribute the knowledge not only from one teacher. Blog can be an effective ICT tool from many-to-many communication (many tutors versus many students). However, the shortage of Blog is no verification on Blog content. The world has many blogs, some information is correct but some is wrong. Not all the world’s Blog has verified!

Monday, March 15, 2010
Session 6: Solution to an Education issue

On your group’s “Cons” part, I do not agree with you on some points. But this is only my points of view!
First cons: I agree e-learning should be the people have a high motivation on self-learning. However, if the people are low motivation on learning, they can absent of class in traditional learning! Whatever typical learning or e-learning, the interest on learning is most important thing to concern.
Second cons: I think a good developed e-learning system, which should have this checking tool to prevent plagiarism. Moreover, a good e-learning system can embed or link to the outsider tool for checking like Turnitin (http://www.turnitin.com) as well.
Third cons: I think not only drill and practice can perform on e-learning system. The marked assignment with comments or conversation between tutor and student can work on the e-learning platform. It is an interactive ICT between the teacher and the learner. Also, this system can be embedded with many enhanced function such as instant feedback or discussion board.
Fourth cons: I think the effectiveness is a certain thing! One example is the Open University (www.open.ac.uk) (www.ouhk.edu.hk). It is a typical for the e-learning system.
Fifth cons: I do not think only ‘multiple-choice’ or ‘fill in the blanks’ question can work on e-learning platform. I think other assignment or assessment such as writing an essay or answering a short/ long question can occur on it. I know Open University of Hong Kong that the tutor can marked the assignment online for the student. Then the student can get back the marked assignment from the system. The OU student calls it TMA (tutor-marked-assignment) system!

Monday, March 22, 2010
Session 7: Uses of mobile technology in school

On the disadvantage, I do not agree that the handheld with a small screen is unhealthy to the child’s eye. Right now, for example, the typical mobile device OS includes Apple’s IPhone, Nokia’s Symbian, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s WinMobile. These devices have the zoom function and multi-touch sensor can let the user to use the finger script to zoom the screen’s one particular part easily.
I think one bottleneck in the mobile device is the bandwidth nowadays. Because the highest speed is HSUPA plus MIMO (can reach 28Mbps on highest, it can 3.75G mobile network), but the typical speed cannot reach this level. I think this technology barrier can solve by 4G mobile network (LTE).

Sunday, March 28, 2010
Summary of Teaching and Learning with Technology (6024)

Your mind-mapping is good for our reference. But I think besides Web 2.0. I think the terms Cloud-computing and Open-source software will be an essential part of teaching and learning in the near future!

Comments on "4ITGuys" blog

Glogster Sunday, January 31, 2010

REAL said...

I have just signed up and have a try. Quite funny and the cartoon is funny. Also, it is quite user friendly thus students can easy to use. Thanks for posting!

In addition, just think that the product is some kind like a knowledge management pool..e.g. student can put all the things that he learnt in a semester for a specific subjects together and form a poster...
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Digital Story, Saturday, February 27, 2010

REAL said...

A very good storyborad showing application. Thanks.!
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Voki: A free, animated avatar, Tuesday, March 9, 2010

REAL said...

i have tried this tool and believe this tool could arous student's interest, however some modification might needed as the pronounciation is not very accurate.
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Comments on the main areas of research on and with ITE, Monday, March 15, 2010

REAL said...

Just a little opinion..

I think the problem is there are some few people know what is exact meaning of "ICT in Education". Even government, they just think that using techonology in the processing of teaching is enough, however, definitely not! As a result, they just know to input resources because they think if schools have resources, ICT in education can be reach! The main problem is...the concept of "ICT in Educaton" is wrong.!

What is needed are ICT-based pedagogy! If a school is well-equipped with latest hardward and software, but teacher just use Word, PPT, Excel or web. That is meaningless! Policy needs to be changed! I think the first thing should do is ..highly focus in ICT-pedagogy. Try to put it as important as it can. Put it as a major subjects in all PDGE! Even non-IT teacher...then, combining with Government resources, situation maybe better
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Group research topic: How IT infrastrcuture can affect teaching and learning in education, Monday, March 15, 2010

REAL said...

some opinion, IT infrastructure just serve a good sharing tool in that case, while the number of IT tools does not affect the level of involvement.
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Thoughts on the CETL Learning Space, Monday, March 15, 2010

REAL said...

I agree that the room is very good in design. But I think I want to spot out, which is I think the room is only suitable for lectures who fantastic in new technology.

Also, this room has its own teaching pedagogy. Traditionally teaching and learnning is not very desirable in this venue.

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Mobile Learning in Education, Monday, March 22, 2010

REAL said...

really very mobile! also, another advantage is it can be used on iPod, ie. no need to buy a specific device...

Lecture 8 Activity: Feelings on the new IT Classroom

Here are some comments from our group:

- Nice layout
- a bit larger screen for those besides table
- good setting encourage group discussion
- voice will a bit soft
- not necessary for the teacher desk that near the entrance
- 1-2 more PC on each table if neccessary
- learning will be more effective than traditional classrooms if there are collaborative tasks and multimedia presentations

Lecture 7 Activity: m-Learning in School

Our group think that one of the application in the field of mobile learning, can be Interactive Whiteboard (IWB)

What is IWB?
In short, IWB is a technology that, teacher and students both have a handheld tablet in hand. When teaching, teacher can write on his tablet and all the writing can be shown both on the screen and students’ handhelds. Moreover, student can also ask his question by writing it on the handheld and teacher can just switch the control to his handheld to see what his question is. Additionally, students can save the screen that the contains teacher's writing. Furthermore, the recent version of IWB actually can install the ebooks.

What is the benefit?
1. Surely, teacher can show more complex steps in this way of teaching
2. the lesson can be more interactive
3. Literatures show that students are more concentrated and happy in lessons

In terms of m-learning…
1. no definite sitting plan of the class
2. no geographical issue about the venue of the lesson take place.
3. student can use the ebook function (study everytime everywhere)

Limitations…
1. The lecture venue should be network equipped
2. Costing issue regarding student’s handheld (who pay for it? Administrative controls?)
3. Limited resources in ebook

Lecture 6 Activity: Main areas of research on and with ITE and Potential research topic

1) Main areas of research on and with ITE
a. The development of ITE software and web resources
b. Students and teachers' perceptions of the value and effectiveness of using ITE
c. The relationships between components of ITE and learner, teacher and task variables
d. Government policies on ITE

2) Present a potential research topic that would be useful in providing a solution to an educational issue (should be relevant to IT)

Title: The impact of using MOODLE on students' motivation and learning outcome in the context of learning English as a second language

Research design: quasi-experimental

Participants: local secondary school students

Intervention group: a class that learns English writing skills, grammar and vocabulary on a MOODLE platform

Control group: a class that learns English writing skills, grammar and vocabulary in the classroom

Dependent variables: students' second language learning motivation and learning outcome (students' essays, grammar tests, vocabulary tests, etc)

Lecture 5 Activity: How can Web 2.0 applications support teaching and learning

I have given up to use Voicethread to create the presentation. The reasons are as follows:

1. The quality of the audio comments (produced by using the recording function of the site) is quite bad. My utterances were cut up into pieces. I then recorded using windows recorder and attempted to upload the clips to the site, but the site required me to upgrade my account (i.e. I have to pay)

2. I can’t figure out any way to remove completely my old audio comments for a slide (i.e. my new and old audio comments co-exist). I have to upload the slide again if I want to get rid of the old track, which is troublesome.

3. The audio recording function of the site always malfunctions. Sometimes I even couldn't find the ‘record’ button.

So I have decided to use Windows Movie Maker to create the presentation.