WEEK 2 (21 July 2010)

Today is the second day of the lesson for PBEY 3102 Using and Developing Resources for the ESL classroom. Before the lecturer come in the Computer Lab, I have set up my own lap top and be prepared to open Photoshop CS3 in case Puan Foziah might want to teach us on how to edit picture today. After a few moments, Puan Foziah enters Computer Lab. As usual she greets us with her lovely smile.






At the first, she distributed to us a questionnaire each one of us. She told us to fill in our personal details and also fill in some details regarding our prior knowledge. I realize that, the scope of questionnaire is basically on the use of internet, skills specifically in editing audio files, videos and photos, etc. According to Puan Foziah, this questionnaire will help her to collect information about our prior knowledge and consequently will help her to plan for next lesson activity. During the process of filling in the details in the questionnaire, I realize that my knowledge in technology is still little. There are a few things that I might not be able to do for example, video editing. It is hoped that, throughout this course, I will learn this skill.



Puan Foziah also introduces to us five main modules that we are going to learn this semester which include:

1. Internet and Computing skill

2. Photo editing

3. Audio editing

4. Video editing

5. Software for ELT (English Language Teaching)





I hope with these five modules, I will master and gain some knowledge about these specific skills. I believe that 21st educator needs to equip with IT knowledge so that we can be creative and innovative in creating our own teaching resources instead of using text books and typical teaching aids. I believe that, with these knowledge and skills, it can help me to develop my personal and professional growth as a future educator.


Puan Foziah also give each one of us Assignment 1 (Blogging for Understanding) which require us to create a blog (as she informed us in a previous lesson) where we need to post our individual reflection. She also briefly told us the blog will be assessed based on the following criteria:





 Timely and number of blogs, minimum is 14 (5%)

 Depth of reflection (8%)

 Creativity (5%)

 Your comments on your classmates’ blog (2%)








While we are typing and open our blog, Puan Foziah questioned us “Why you need to see the keypad?”. Then, Puan Foziah introduce to us on TOUCH TYPING. Frankly speaking, at first I might wonder what is touch typing is. This is because, it was my first time I heard touch typing. She further explained to us that touch typing is a way of using keyboard by placing fingers at the correct keys without looking at each key! This sound so impossible, however, Puan Foziah said it is possible not to see to see keypad if practice a right way in palcing our finegrs. I been tried a few times and seem it works!! In addition, I also manage to get sofware for touch typing from Puan Foziah.






Besides that, I also learned something new today-“SKYDRIVE”.Puan Foziah introduce this terminology that totally allien for me. I immediately Google for this word and I found out that, Windows Live SkyDrive (initially Windows Live Folders) is “...a part of Microsoft's Windows Live range of online services. SkyDrive is a file storage and sharing service that allows users to upload files to the computing cloud, then access them from a web browser...” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyDrive). From this definition, I realize that, SkyDrive is a usefull space for us to keep documents trough online. Puan Foziah also added that it allowing us to keep files private, share with contacts or even make the files public. She added that Public-shared files do not requires a Windows Live ID to acess. I was shocked when I found out the serive of skydrive currently offers 21GB of free personal storage with individual files limited to 50 MB. This make me wonder about the miracle of this skydrive where we can keep a lot of files, without need to buy a pendrive! Although skydrive seems new and strange to me as I have never seen and use it before, I wish to learn and exploit more so that I keep documents or files that related with our teaching field in this skydrive.




In short, today’s lesson indeed an eye-opener for me about the use of technology so that we as a future teachers can be creative and globalised teacher in the future. To be honest, I can’t wait for the next lesson!!!