Communication is the key to strengthening a Realtionship

To communicate is easy but to say what you really want to say is not easy! Most of us normally take it for granted because as long as you are able to talk, you should be able to communicate!

To be a good communicator, we have to acquire certain techniques! First as foremost is to be a good listener. Not many of us are able to listen well because we always want people to listen to what we have to say!

To be continue...

Why Is it so Difficult?

I always felt that we need to learn to communicate better because it is not easy to really say what you want. Most of the time we tend to beat around the bush and expecting the person will be able to relate everything to what we want.

It is a difficult task to really say what is in your mind!

What do you think?

It was 9 months Ago

Exactly nine months ago, I was boarding the JAL flight to US. At this moment about 6 am, we arrived in Narita, Japan transiting for the next 6 hours. I just couldn't imagine that now I am back in Malaysia planning my next class.

I have gained so much in just six months being away from home, and I had the best memories that I will cherished for ever and ever!

Women

Women are unpredictable.

Before marriage, she expects a man. After marriage,she suspects him and after death, she respects him.

There was this guy who told this woman that he loved her so much that he would go through hell for her. They got married and now he is going through hell.

A man inserted an ad in the classified "wife wanted". The next day, he received 100 letters. They all said the same thing, "you can have mine..."

When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing. Either the car or the wife is new.

It's easy to tell if a man is married or not. Just watch him drive a car with a woman sitting next beside him. If both his hands are on the wheel, you can be sure he is married.

A man received a letter from some kidnappers. The letter said,"If you don't promise to send us RM100,000, we promise we will kidnap your wife". The poor man reply, "I am afraid I can't keep mine but I hope you will keep yours".

"What's the matter? You looked depressed."...
"I have a problem with my wife."
"She said she was not going to talk to me for three days."
"But that ought to make you happy."
"It did but today is the last day".

How To Learn English

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!

Speak without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Use all of your Resources

Even if you study English at a language school it doesn’t mean you can’t learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don’t limit yourself to only one or two. The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.

Surround Yourself with English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin “thinking in English.” .

Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it. However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate. The closer ESL / EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.

Watch English Films and Television

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to Music

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible!

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.

Do Exercises and Take Tests

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.

Record Yourself

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

Listen to English

By this, we mean, speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can’t see the person that is speaking to you. Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.

Finally

Have fun!

Step Up to Writing

This week, I have been introducing to my student the correct format of writing the summary and to answer literature questions. And today they were introduced to Accordion Paragraphs.

How to do "Step up to Writing"

This technique is simple and can be use for any subject or language.

Check it out.

English is Weird

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins were not invented in England or French fries in France.

Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly.

Boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital? Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship?

Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another? When a house burns up, it burns down.

You fill in a form by filling it out, and an alarm clock goes off by going on.

When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

I am in Malaysia

To all the visitors, feel free to drop by my comfort zone.Love to see you there.

A cup of comfort.

Take a look at this video

Yahoo. Teachers is an interesting link for teacher to be use to organise their lesson and at the same time to get new innovative ideas to be used in class.

Life as an Educator

It has been a while since I last came to this blog. Life has been busy juggling with work and home and so many interesting things has happened in last two months. I finally saw my self as an educator and a mentor rather than just a plain teacher.
It is all about teaching of UNDERSTANDING. It is no longer about imparting the knowledge but more of making the students gaining understanding from the knowledge and to apply it to some new in their life.
To educate students meant more than just teaching them ABC. Again, it is about how they can use ABC to make meaningful words and use the words to benefit them.
Being an educator is to be able change " not knowing" to "knowing what is unknown". It is a tough task, a challenging one but the satisfaction that we gained as we see the students emerged and start blooming into something beautiful is something that no one else has the power of doing it accept we as educators.

If you have time read this article:

Starting At The End

My Response to Priya Jayakrishnan's questions on "How can Digital Stories fit into Math and Science"

short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart

How can a digital story be used in Math and Science?

http://techstories.edublogs.org/

http://students.ed.uiuc.edu/sbuikema/490TER/buikema_proposal_1.htm

Digital story delves into many aspects of the child's personality and potential.
Digital storytelling an idea that produce videos that reads as films rather than as multimedia stories. The story is incorporating the children's imagination/fantasy play.

So how can Digital Stories fit into Math and Science?


www.digitalstories.org
http://www.pearsondigital.com/waterford/wems.cfm

How does Digital Stories help students master Math and Science concepts?

Digital stories can be a help in Math and Science because it about making connection between math and science and everyday items that young people are engaged which is one way to break down the walls that suggest that this is something foreign.

Digital story is one of the instructional media designed specially to help meet the varied needs of learners in 21st century classrooms.

With Digital Story, students can:

* Work together or independently to watch movies or work on software modules
* Engage in exploratory, hands-on activities to construct their own means for understanding new material
* practice both traditional and nontraditional testing skills such as multiple choice, fill in the blanks, portfolio development

http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/

Science:

THE LOOK

http://www.wmich.edu/pt3/ds/look.html

Check it out!

Reflection

What I’ve learned so far…

When I first sign up for this class, I know that I am going in as an Immigrant. And then.. I realized that as I am picking up new stuffs and I have been stumbling and struggling to understand, I am getting better and better day by day.

I learn about Project-Based Multimedia Learning and the one that I enjoyed most is building my own blog..something I definitely will share with my native students...!!

Then I moved on to making the webquest, something which so new to me and I am really struggling with it but along the way I picked up a lot of interesting like how build the rubric..something that I thought it will so difficult to build but actually it is so easy.

Now the cool thing that I am learning is the Smartboard and the Virtual Worlds for kids. Welcome to Webkinz is a new whole world of building and arranging rooms that works so well with kids because they are tapping on their creativity. Not only that the kids learn how to feed and take care of their pets. Not only that..they can make money by playing games or do jobs. The money is to used to buy food for the pets.. Cool..

I am excited with Designing my OWN multimedia project....


What I’m still struggling with..

Being an immigrant left me with inability to move faster in grasping the fast-paced knowledge. I am learning to assess which website is good for myself and my students. Not only that..most of the time I am lost..so I need to learn the direction and way to move in the world of technologies so that I am NOT lost all the time. It takes time to get used to the sign and the language and the facilities but I know...I will find my way.

The Usefulness of Web 2.0 in the classroom

What is Web 2.0
Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software by Tim O'reilly

The concept of "Web 2.0" began with a conference brainstorming session between O'Reilly and MediaLive International. Dale Dougherty, web pioneer and O'Reilly VP, noted that far from having "crashed", the web was more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity. What's more, the companies that had survived the collapse seemed to have some things in common. Could it be that the dot-com collapse marked some kind of turning point for the web, such that a call to action such as "Web 2.0" might make sense? We agreed that it did, and so the Web 2.0 Conference was born.

The web became a platform where there is no hard boundry but a gravitational core. It is a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demontrates some or all principles. Examples of Web 2.0 design patterns are Netscape, Google, DoubleClick , eBay.

So, how can teachers use Web 2.0 in classroom?
It depends on how a teacher is willing to move from her whiteboard to the computer screen and letting the students to take charge of their own learning. Web 2.0 is providing essential tools for teachers to use.

Teachers must change the attitude to... "Do it" ...don't just say it!!

Defining and Planning a Multimedia Project

Planning...planning..planning..It does matter where you start..Answer these questions before you do your lesson plan because it may help with your lesson.

1. What do I need to teach?
Well refer to the curriculum or the standard.

2. What equipment do I have available?
Work with what you have

3. What applications do I have available?
It really depends on your computer.

4. What is the project?
Use all the sources available and select what you need

5. What multimedia product will the students create?
It is all about giving the students the experience.

6. Can I put it in a nutshell?
Just focus on the essence of the project

7. What are my goals and objective?
You must be able to reach the student with your objectives and be more realistic of your goal

8. How much time should we spend on this?
As much as it takes and you should love doing it with your students.

9. How will I involve students in decision making?
Let the students feel the power of decision making.

10. What forms of collaboration will I include?
Build a structural working environment to build their confidence.

11. What resources will I need?
Look at the Library material, what about the field trip, Peole, the internet, News Media, Or the originsl

13 How will I measure what my students learn....!!
It is all about Rubrics

14. What's the real world,
More of the students want to be part of the real world and able to build the connection with the real world.

15. What's my own life now?
Test pilot your project so that you will be able to see the flaws before you start doing the lesson plan

My Conclusion:

I like working with ideas that can be used again and again. So when I focus on these questions, things became very easy. That is a proper guidelines for teachers to be better teacher!!

Making a Real-World Connection

Imagine we are walking along the river and seeing the water flowing and not wondering where the water ends... That is how the the situation in class when the teacher is teaching yet not reaching the students and the students are not sure where they are going.

Most teachers are trying very hard to understand their students but the real challenge is to build a connection. Multimedia is a time of invention and connecting to real word. The students and the teachers are able to build a bridge that connect them to the real world.

Using the TEN kinds of Real-World Connections, a teacher is able to do a project based on topics where they are able create a presentation and share their knowledge about their interest with everyone. They are also able to connect themselves through the future by working using an adult skill..something that kids always pretend to be.
When a teacher is able to find the connection through the curriculum, then a new world is open for the students to explore and be more connected to the world that we are sharing.

Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives by Marc Prensky

Name : Marc Prensky
Article : Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives

Summary:

The best part about this article is the realization of the differences between the old school and the new school. The students in this millenium have change radically and the teachers of old school are struggling to keep up with this drastic turn over of school of thought where most teachers are trying to understand the new methodology in teaching. The core of teaching now focus on the learning of new ways to teach the legacy of education. As students are attracted to the digital and technological approach, it is understood that a new approach in reaching these students must be develop.

Response:

Marc Prensky's idea in looking the need to change the methodology in teaching is indeed hitting the core in teaching. The article is giving a very in depth view about our students' methods in learning. They are no longer rely on teachers to gain knowledge because their teachers come in many forms, either in a form of a game, computer, hand phone, i-pod and many others. They are constantly learning new things while the human teacher is still waiting for the students to come!!

My View:

Reading this article made me see my students in a different light altogether. They are born in a world which totally different from what I used to have. The way they approach learning fascinate me because they learn not in the way I want to teach them. More and more I am learning from them and evolved with the wind of change. I am learning to accept that I am a digital immigrant trying to speak their language as digital natives. But it is better to accept the fact that there is always room for improvement and accepting the fact that as teacher, I must be versatile and open for options in making my students a life long learners.

Question:

How can I as a teacher make use of the digital infusion to the advantage of the students and myself? Will I be better learner if I am able to learn from my student? Will I be a better teacher even though I am not digital savvy but I am able to teach my students the value of being an intelligent students?

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

This is my first night of multimedia class. Things I already know about technology are:
I know about skype, IM, Internet, E-mail, how to do print screen and send it to someone.

Things I WANT TO KNOW about technology:
1. How to maximize the usage of multimedia
2. Gosh..everything about multimedia is interesting....It is about Everything n Anything that got to do with multimedia and tecnology

Things I hope to Learn about technology are:
1. How to create multimedia based lessons plan for myself and teachers
2. How to use internet with my students
3. How to design podcast
4. How to use ipod in the class

an ant,
Sharifah