Throughout the whole Professional Experience, I found that integration of ICT really does empower young children’s learning when the technology tool is appropriate selected and after the consideration of children’s background and prior knowledge. In order to back up my knowledge of ICT integration, frameworks and guidelines like TPACK, Scootle and ACARA is necessarily for referring. Never forget about my Personal Learning Network which connects with latest news regarding ICTs and education helps me a lot when I was planning lessons.

Classroom management is a big lesson to me because I had a bad experience with it. It is important to have a good classroom management because when a class is lost control, learning will not be happened. This is a huge topic as I see a classroom has diverse culture, diverse language and diverse needs. At times, it could be unexpected. Thus, I think only personal teaching experiences can reduce the problem of classroom management.

Learning outcome of lesson plans should be specific, and assessment tool should be flexible. Specific outcome is to ensure children will be able to reach an expected standard. While flexible assessment tool is to provide each child has equal chance to express in order to representation. This is because each child may have their own learning style and thus needing materials that suit their way of learning. All in all, I have learnt a lot throughout this subject. There are strong reasons for integrating ICTs in my teaching as I realized technology can improve the barriers and issues of learning.

Another not so successful lesson plan is that aims to develop speaking and writing skill in English. In order to be able to write, the children should be able to spell. Therefore, ICT here is integrated for reinforce the children’s writing skill. When they are less likely to write, they can type from the keyboard instead. However, some children were being reinforced while some children were having problem in typing. Those children who have typing problem are seemed hardly to find the letter they wanted from the keyboard. They could be confuse on the capital letter, alphabets are not in sequencing, or do not know how to spell.

The lesson plan which focuses on learning Malay Language is successfully implemented with integration of ICT. It was carried out in the third week of my Professional Experience, where it appears in Part C. Majority children in the class learn Malay as their second language. There was a part to show my PowerPoint presentation which I have spent hours to search for attractive and more realistic images to engage the children better in learning. The images are used for children to have more understanding about the words that they got to learn. The children seem more willing to work with me when they knew I am going to let them watch slides show. I think it is because they were interest to having a new assistive technology tool in the classroom.  They were able to pay more attention to the front rather than just now when was showing flash cards. Even more, the children required me to replay the slides. After few times, the children can recognise and read the words that they were expected to learn. As it is aligned with the TPACK and enables the children to achieve the goal, then this lesson plan is considered success.

Better tools can make better TPACK, and better quality learning and teaching will caused. In order to pursuit for ICTs, I think attitude to accept the latest technology is important. Norman did argument about technology can make people smart. I believe that, properly designed the lessons and curriculum  will drive the learners learn things faster and smoother.

Throughout the whole Professional Experience, I found that integration of ICT really does empower young children’s learning when the technology tool is appropriate selected and after the consideration of children’s background and prior knowledge. In order to back up my knowledge of ICT integration, frameworks and guidelines like TPACK, Scootle and ACARA is necessarily for referring. Never forget about my Personal Learning Network which connects with latest news regarding ICTs and education helps me a lot when I was planning lessons.

Classroom management is a big lesson to me because I had a bad experience with it. It is important to have a good classroom management because when a class is lost control, learning will not be happened. This is a huge topic as I see a classroom has diverse culture, diverse language and diverse needs. At times, it could be unexpected. Thus, I think only personal teaching experiences can reduce the problem of classroom management.

Preparation and planning is an essential process for teaching. Without planning, the teacher can be teaching but the children cannot be learning. Planning is about expectation and requirement to the specific group of children. So, an appropriate expectation (not over expectation) is to ensure the learning goal for the young children to be achieved. However, good in planning lesson does not mean success in delivering lesson. I had experience with it so I said this.

Well, I think UDL that supports ICTs may improve and enhance the children’s learning. UDL is Universal Design for Learning. It is aim to give equal opportunities to each child to access knowledge delivered. Somehow, it appreciates each child’s learning style which is correspondence with Gardner’s multiple intelligences.

What is the role of technology in implementing UDL in class? (CAST, 2013)

Effective teachers should be creative and resourceful in designing flexible learning environments that address the variability of learners using a range of high-tech and low-tech solutions. The goal of UDL is to create environments in which everyone will have the opportunity to become expert learners, and the means to get there, be it tech or non-tech, should be flexible.

 

Reference

CAST. (2013). UDL and technology. Retrieved 18 May, 2013, from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udltechnology

To be honest, I need to improve my classroom management skill. Initially I was thinking to change the setting to outdoor or another room, which may decrease the chance of children misbehave. This is because I think they were boring to stay in the class for every morning, and hence a new learning context may engage them into learning better.

While my mentor’s suggestion is that, I have to conduct reward system which cultivate children to behave themselves. Slowly when the children are under control, reward system can be take  away. When children misbehave, I must be  firm and fair enough to maintain the aim of rewards system. Another thing that she has pointed out is, I should use stern tone when delivering lessons in order to organize the children for learning.

Here is a site where some rules to manage a classroom stated clearly. But I think it is more suitable for children at primary school.

What do you think about it? Can ICTs help me to improve on classroom management skill? A post that I have posted earlier may give you a cue to reflect on.

Half way to go for prac!

TPACK is always being used in my lesson plans to make sure I am integrating ICTs. (Wants to read more about TPACK? Check out my previous post or a post from my friend.) Day by day, I am building up relationship with the class. I noticed that there are quite few of them having less skill in manipulating with ICTs tool. This is caused by the family perhaps. The parents might think that the children at this age is not appropriate to expose with too much ICTs. Or, the parents might have limited income to purchase ICTs tool for their children.

The Professional Experience context is located in an urban area in the capital of Malaysia. The population is mainly compound of Malay, Chinese and Indian. While Malay Language is the national language, and normally people speak Malay and their mother tongue. In this context, the society has a mixture of language and everyone is able to communicate with more than one language in daily life. Meanwhile English Language is a compulsory subject to be learnt in school, and majority of the children learn English as their second language. Every child can have their own home language which can be language or dialect. Therefore the children are trained to bilingual due to the environment that they experienced since they are young. In this context, the children are somehow have proved Bronfenbrenner’s view as he defined environment factors would influence and reflect on the children’s development (Santrock, 2009).

I always consider it as planning lesson and see this in a positive way. The children are manage to understand and communicate in more than one language (Malay, Mandarin & English). However, they can speak better than write. Thereby I see the chance of integrating ICT in classroom which aim to help the children develop their writing skill. To be able to write, they need to know how is the 26 alphabets look like, and how to spell word that they have learnt. By the way, I have spotted a list of useful links from Mrs Frintzilas, who shares about spelling with ICTs. Spelling can be fun!

Firstly, I would like to introduce them Microsoft Word and slowly to tweet or blog. (I have seen young children use Twitter and it is fantastic!) They were requested to type out their name on the screen. Some children have adequate skill of typing while some have lack of skill in typing words using keyboard.

Reference

Santrock, J. W. (2009). Child development (12th ed., McGraw-Hill International ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

The children were almost out of control during English lesson. During implementation, a girl with Autism was throwing tantrum suddenly. I didn’t notice about it initially until a boy made a complaint. I was then trying to comfort her while asking what happen. For her, I am a new teacher, and she was don’t feel like talking to me. However, as the time was a bit rush, I decided to carry out my lesson as normal. The moment when I wanted to start lesson, she yelled. And then the class couldn’t carry on.

Finally, do you know what I did? I asked the girl be my little helper, and she did well!