Thirteenth Week....

The presentation of the Final

Project

(and sadly the last day of class)

This are the description of our group educational site of

Saving mother Earth.(credit to Rafidah)

26th Oct 2010. The presentation of the final project starts with our group. This is our site and this is the Homepage where users are at first landed before they attempt to explore more.

We included picasa web slideshow to make the homepage more welcoming for children and some comic strips are integrated in the slides to give the ideas for the kids when the first landed at the page. Thus, images and comic strips assist a lot in explaining the ideas of global warming to children. I thought this is very effective and this works out best in teaching of science, especially something that relates a lot in concepts and current issues.

These are some of other pages from the site:

Twelfth Week!

Developing the site

As our site is still under constructions, i would like to Thanks to Prof for the whole 3 hours provided for us to design the website. We really need the time as we have many last projects to accomplish for other courses too. The 3 hours we have used browse the net, searching for the best materials to be included in our site, the suitable and workable links, designing a layout, choosing images and designing an appealing homepage.

Next, we have devided the task for each of us to complete.

1. Hafizuddin (Kids Actvity)

2. Nizam (All about Global Warming)

3. Mar (About the Teacher and the search box or dictionary)

4. Nazrul (Videos and animation)

5. Rafidah (Share Your Thoughts and Explore more )

After all have completed designing, we will then finalise and justify everything. This includes the report which we have to write according to the learning problems of the students that we are trying to focus.This is a real major project. Thus, we need a lot of planning and discussion to fulfill the requirement of the task.

Eleventh Week...

This week, we come to our second phase of developing our instructional material which is the educational site.

Our group have decided to use GOOGLE SITES (WIKIS) to design our new site. The title of our site is 'SAVING MOTHER EARTH'. We are in the second phase of ADDIE modal which is the DESIGN phase. We have to come out with a plan of the site and construct a storyboard. Our group member make a proper planning in order to have a better product and result by the end of the day.

After the group discussion , we decided to come out with a simple storyboard below. Students must log in as they are only allowed to leave comments if they logged in first

From the storyboard, there are 7 main items in the menu. But, we made some changes and it turns out to be 8 as we make one for video and another one for animation. In this way, the site looks more organised.

From the experience in constructing the storyboard, we were able to identify the organized way of the our under develop site would be after completing. This have give us the way to construct and organize the content that would be presented in our site. Even though creating this story board is not easy, we can benefit by having and organized steps in developing our projects.

Next week, we will begin designing our own site based on the storyboard designed.

Tenth Week....

ADDIE MODAL

This Week, we learned about ADDIE MODAL.

So what is ADDIE?

ADDIE is the acronym for the five phase in the modal.

1) Analysis phase

During this phase, the learning problem is identified, the goals and objectives of the lesson is predetermined, the delivery options and the timeline for the project are decided.

2) Design Phase
This is the phase where storyboard is designed for the entire website.

3) Development Phase
The actual product and the designed tool.

4) Implementation Phase
This phase is the phase where the tool is tested. Thus, in this phase the effectiveness of the tool will be evaluated and the weaknesses and strengths are discovered.

5) Evaluation Phase

This is the phase where feedback is gained for further improvements and modification.

Based on this modal, we are to develop our new project which is to develop the Instructional Material for Teaching Science.

Topic : Global Warming

Domain : Knowledge

Target Audience : Year 6 pupils

As we have chosen the topic, we have to identify the problems and issues that the students experiencing about the topic 'Global Warming'. We have to search for literature review to support the evidence of learning problems and misconception of students about the topic.

We start off by constructing a concept map of the topic 'Global warming'

Based on this concept map, we will designed the educational site content accordingly. However, we will delete, simplify and modify the subtopic that are too sophisticated for the target audiences.

In conclusion, the ADDIE model helps me to designed the educational sites accordingly.

We will follow the ADDIE model in developing this new project.

Ninth Week

Today is the day of the group presentations on the educational websites.

Yes, our group had designing and constructing a new educational sites for Primary School Year 6 Science subject through Wikis. We have chosen the Google Sites as our platform for the YEAR 6 topic which in LIVING THINGS.

Based on the experience in constructing and developing thsi websites, I have learnt so much as a future teacher. I have learnt that we must put a lot of effort to make sure that this educational websites is effective for the intended audience. I have also realized that we have to make a plan in order to construct this educational site accordingly. That are many aspect that we have to take into consideration for example the students needs, the content, the presentation of the content, the pedagogical and the psychological view and e.c.t.

As we have constructed the site, we tried to picture ourselves as the target audience and have the tried out to see whether the site are effective and give a lot of input as well as the usability.

As picture tells a thousand words, let me present our first educational sites -->

Eight Week ....

Based on last week's topic, we were introduced to the World Wide Web. We also introduced to several learning platform which are blog, wiki, social network and video sharing. Teachers, educators or even students can use this platform as an educational sites.

This week , Dr. Rohaida discuss with the class about the software evaluation rubric.

To create an educational website that is used as a teaching and learning purpose, we need take into consideration many aspects.An evaluation rubric works better in helping the one who uses the platform for an educational purpose. A rubric works more as a checklist and reminders for certain aspects that one might not be thinking of when designing a website.

Some aspects that should be considered while designing an educational website are:

1) usability criteria : purpose, homepage, navigation, design, enjoyment, readability

2) content criteria : authority, accuracy, relevance, sufficiency, appropriateness

3) educational value criteria : learning activities, activity plan, resources, communication, feedback, rubric and help tools.

4) vividness criteria : links and updating

Why we need rubrics to evaluate an educational website?

I believe that, we need rubrics to evaluate educational websites for several reasons.

1) we need to know the effectiveness of the educational sites whether it is appropirate or not for the intended audiences. Yes, some people tend to put as much information in the educational websites irregardless of the who their target audience is. So, this site may appear inappropriate where it does not cater the need of the reader.

2) As there are many platform that can be use as an educational sites, rubrics helps educators to designed a user friendly, usable, serviceable sites for the users. This can help them make an effective educational sites as the have the guidelines to follow in constructing their sites.A poorly designed website will not retain visitors long enough to pursue content.

3) Using rubrics, we can determine the alignment of our content or the information to cater user's need. In other words, educator can identify how effective his content and informations that he would portray and presents in his educational websites in terms of the way he present it. For example, if the educator wants to give informaion about global warming, does he illustrates the process accurately, or is there any evidence to show the process of Global Warming. This shows that rubrics can help the educators to evaluate themselves in the presentation of their content.

Seventh week..

Well, who knew that the WWW that we have been using for this past few years have its own definition and history. Yes, probably,I was lucky to be born in this century, having this technology ready for me.

In this week class, we learned about WORLD WIDE WEB (the internet that always use..duhhh) which is WEB 1.0 as well as WEB 2.0.

But What is WEB 1.0 and WEB 2.0

Web 1.0 (1991-2003) is a retronym that refers to the state of the World Wide Web. Web 1.0 began with the release of the WWW to the public in 1991, and is the general term that has been created to describe the Web.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site gives its users the free choice to interact or collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumer) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumer) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social-networking sites, blogs, wikis, video-sharing sites, hosted services and web applications.

Since WEB 1.0 had long perished from the internet world, the emerge of the powerful WEB 2.0 creates and setting up a new perspective of the world without borders.

We were introduced to some platforms that can be used for teaching and learning science. They are:

1) wikis

2) blog

3) social networking

4) media sharing

We can use these platform to share knowledge and ideas. Based on each group presentations of each platforms, I can identify that there are differences between the application and the functions that provided by the platforms. However, some clear similarity that can be seen between all the platforms are we are able to post comments and communicate through chat box.

Our group we asked to search more about the platform WIKIS .For my surprise, i have using wikis this whole time and i just came to realize that the sites that I have been using is actually a WIKI. One of the wikis that i've been using is googlesites.

Wikis has more flexibility, application and we can control navigation and add anything that we like. We may also chat by adding chatbox and it is more organised compared to blogs that are only represented by entries that are posted. Wikis allows us to change page template and post things like a blog in 'announcement' (one of the template for creating a page)

Sixth Week - Welcome Young Scientist!

This week we were taken to a High-tech lab known as Micro -computer based laboratory (MBL). As we have learned about the theory, we are now go into the applications of MBL.

In groups, we were required to choose one tools to test. My group choose to use the Magnetic Field Sensor. However, we find it quite difficult and complicated as we never have use it before.

What is a magnetic Field Sensor? Magnetic Field sensor is used to investigate the relationship between magnetic field intensity and the distance from the magnet.

Magnetic Field sensor

The materials that were use are magnetic field sensor, USB link, permanent magnet and ruler.

The procedure of the experiment can be explained in these following steps:

1) Magnetic field sensor is plugged into the USB link that is connected to a computer

2) Data studio is configured with a graph of magnetic field intensity

3) The tip of the magnetic field sensor is placed, so that it is touching he permanent magnet. Click START in DataStudio to begin collecting data.

4) At the same time, magnetic field sensor is moved very slowly and steadily away from the permanent magnet.

5) The intensity of the magnetic field sensor in the DataStudio graph is observed.

6) The recording is stopped when the intensity reaches zero.

The Data collected is in the form of a graph. The intensity of the magnetic field is measured in Gauss. The unit is still the same whether we used a gaussmeter or a magnetic field sensor in MBL. (taken from Rafidah -We are in the same group).

As a group, we identified some advantages and disadvantages of using this tool.

Advantages : -

1) We believe that this tool is effective in collecting, analyzing and displaying data in the form of graphs and charts. It as well effectively showing the relationships that change as the values of the variables change.

2) All the data can be stored in the computer's memory.

3) We also believed that this tool can improve the students' ability to interpret graphs.

4) This tool is not time consuming as it saves time.

Disadvantages : -

1) We think that this tool is not very suitable for primary schools students. This is because this tool is quite complicated and teacher as well as students must have the skill and knowledge of how to use the tool.

2) The students might not able to able to see the relationship between the diagram of the magnetic field and the graphs collected.

3) By using this tool, the students may not be able to improve their science process skills. Students of level two primary schools may be able to grasp abstract concept but we need them to develop their science manipulative and process skills.

4) We found that the vocabulary use for this tool is too high and not suitable for primary schools students.

Fifth Week - Strategies

10th August

This is the fourth week and time is ahead of us. How time goes by so fast~

In this week lecture, we learned about some of the strategies that is use in the teaching of science.

There are 7 strategies:-

1) MBL-computer-based laboratory - utilizes a computer, a data collection interface, electronic probes, and graphing software, allowing students to collect, graph, and analyze data in real-time. This real-time atmosphere allows students to attend to and process important details in each experiment.

2) Drill and Practice - is a structured, repetitive review of previously learned concepts to a predetermined level of mastery.

3) Tutorials - Interactive class taught by a tutor to students at university or college, individually or in small groups; Of or pertaining to a tutor; belonging to, or exercised by, a tutor

4) Simulations - The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system.

5) Problem-solving - is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping.

6) Educational Games - are games that have been specifically designed to teach people about a certain subject, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play.

7)Informational retrieval - is a type of question where students solve the problems and answering the question by retrieved the information that they have learned.

These strategies is use in 3 learning approach which are the cognitive, behaviourist and constructivist.

I believe that teacher can use these strategies to teach and reinforce students learning as a whole and rounded as these strategies is applies in each angle. in other words, i believe that these startegies help students in every angle namely kinesthatic, audio, visual.

Third week (4th Week)

The topic for this week lecture is ' Learning Theories'. There are 3 learning theories:-

1) Behavourism

2) Cognitism

3) Constructivism

We have learned these theories in our previous semester that is for Children Language Acquisition as well as Child Psychology. This week, we have to look into this learning theories in science education. I believe that learning theories is crucial in determining of what teacher or educator stands for. For me, this theories helps us to make the right approach in tackling our young learner to learn science.

This ' school Of thought' give us the overview of how children learn, where in this field, Science concept. Yes, there many ways to teach them but whether it is suitable or successful will depend on how we view the learning theories. For example, constructivist approach focus on more hands on activity and independent learning. Using this approach, a teacher should let the students to think and figure out the answer or the concept on their own. This can develop the students critical and creative thinking. However, we would find some con's in using this approach which for example the students may not have the existing schemata that she or he can relate to with the new schemata (concept) that bring into their brain.Therefore, I believe we should have the knowledge of this learning theories before we can really use it in the teaching and learning process.

Next, in groups, we were required to find any science educational websites that use this learning theories as its approach. This is one of the site that we found using the direct instruction method (behaviorist) :-

http://www.tryscience.org/

Have a look and try it yourself.

Till next class.......

2nd Week : Where are we?

29th July 2010

The class were held in different location this week which is at the Multimedia Room in Block A. The atmosphere was different as it was very comfortable because we have the chance to sit together in a round table. Before we go on with the lesson, we discussed about the research article that we supposed to find for the first assignment (as many of us especially me still confused with such articles).

This week lesson was about the history of technology.one of the example is technology. There were also some common terminologies that we learn such as Bytes and FTP. After the power point presentation, we were to discuss in our group about two thing which is ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & VIRTUAL REALITY.

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the area of computer science focusing on creating machines that can engage on behaviors that humans consider intelligent. The ability to create intelligent machines has intrigued humans since ancient times, and today with the advent of the computer and 50 years of research into AI programming techniques, the dream of smart machines is becoming a reality. Researchers are creating systems which can mimic human thought, understand speech, beat the best human chess player, and countless other feats never before possible.

How can we use Artificial Intelligent in Education?

I believe AI has a very profound implication in the education field for young learner as well as for educator. There are ways that teacher can use AI in teaching and learning process. one of the example is ;-

1) intelligent tutoring system

- The software tracks students' work, tailoring feedback and hints along the way. By collecting information on a particular student's performance, the software can make inferences about strengths and weaknesses, and can suggest additional work. It is like a synthetic interactive tutor that is tutoring the students. Advantage is when the artificial tutor can give full attention to every student in a class where is quite difficult for teachers to do alike.

Virtual Reality

An artificial reality that projects the user into a 3D space generated by the computer. A virtual reality system uses stereoscopic goggles that provide the 3D imagery and some sort of tracking device, which may be the goggles themselves for tracking head and body movement, or a "data glove" that tracks hand movements. The glove lets you point to and manipulate computer-generated objects displayed on tiny monitors inside the goggles.

This definition is retrieved from

http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=virtual+reality&i=53945,00.asp

you can refer to this site for the History, Pro's and Con's as well as some features that Virtual Reality is to offer http://www.bilawchuk.com/mark/future.html

How can we use virtual reality in education?A 1997 report to the National Science Foundation stated that "VR improves learning by providing the learners with new, direct experiences of phenomena they could not have experienced before, either in direct interaction with the real world or using other technologies."

Students gather information from the World Wide Web for reports or use e-mail and chat rooms to work on projects with other students in distant parts of the country or the world. Sometimes they post the finished projects on Web sites of their own. Some students take complete classes online from "virtual schools.
One example of a school virtual reality program is called Touch the Sky—Touch the Universe. It uses an interactive 3-D model of the solar system to help students learn about astronomy. Students fly a virtual spaceship through the model, looking at it from different viewpoints. They watch eclipses and changes of phase as the planets and moons move through their orbits. They can zoom in on individual planets, moons, asteroids, and comets to study them more closely. When they touch a planet or other astronomical object with the mouse pointer, the program shows information about the object, such as its size and the time it takes to complete its orbit. Students can speed up or slow down the movement of the system and find out how these changes affect the movement of particular planets or moons.

Read more: http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Virtual-Reality/The-Virtual-Classroom-Virtual-Reality-in-Training-and-Education.html#ixzz0wl6P55fQ

Based on this reading, I believe that technologies play an important role in improving our eduction system along with /together with the immerge of 21st century generation.

First Day ; Oh... Ah... What' s that?

20th July 2010..
This would be our first day of science class.(actually, 13th was supposed to be the first class but then 2 hours waiting and it was cancelled!!). For the past 4 years in IPIK, we were bombarded with theories,principles and all the science knowledge that could offer (hyperbolically speaking). This was difficult at first to learn Physic, Chemistry and Biology as I am not a Science stream students.But to choose science as a miner perhaps would be anything that I regret.I know that I am not good in numbers and I believe to spent 2 years taking account in high school made me realized that there are so many that science could actually offer.My minds keeps me wandering what will we learned of this 2 years in UM. Unfortunately, I made a very awful first impression as I went into the class 10 minutes late.

I met my lecturer, Prof.Dr Rohaida. In her first lecture, we were introduced to the course PMEY3104. This course focus on how we,as teachers, integrate the powerful technology in Science Education. I believe that this course give us the insight of how science Education will be in this 21st century. Prof Rohaida briefly explain the objectives of the course. Here are some of the objective;-

1. Discuss the evolution of technology example OHP, slide projector, video, TV etc.

2. Develop knowledge to manage suitable technology to be used in primary science teaching.

3. Evaluate science coursework and other digital resources in the teaching and learning of primarY science.

4. Evaluate web-sites suitable in the teaching and learning of science among young learners.

5. Design simple web-based Science teaching and learning materials.

From this objectives, I come to know that this course will help us to integrate technology in our approach or method in teaching science. We will be equip by knowledge about advanced tools and the history behind it.

After the brief introduction,Dr.Rohaida explain to us the assignments that we are going to complete throughout this semester.The first assignment will be Journal Article review of the integration of technology in science education.This assignment carry out 15% of marks.

Next, Dr.Rohaida gave her first lecture using the PowerPoint. In the lecture, we were given the introduction of basically what the course is about, which is the integration of technology in science education.Moreover, we also have been introducing to early technologies in science education which are OHP, TV, video and the use of slide projectors. To discuss this matter in details, Dr.Rohaida divides us into 4 groups where each group is assigned one technology tools.The tools are OHP, Visualizer, The television and The Video Player.

In my group, we were to discussed about VISUALIZER.

According to WolfVision, a Visualizer is the most flexible presentation tool of our times. It can pick-up any kind of material (books, photos, 3-dimensional objects etc.) quickly and easily and provides a high resolution output signal for video/data projectors, monitors, interactive whiteboards or videoconferencing systems.

Compared to rather "stiff" Power Point presentations, a presentation with a Visualizer is much more flexible and "alive" because anything can be displayed at any time, with no fixed order and without any advance preparation.

Typical applications for Visualizers are: Training, Education, Meetings, Conferences, Product Presentations, Court Rooms (displaying evidence), various Medical Applications (telemedicine, telepathology, x-rays etc.), Video Conferencing / Tele Presence (using the Visualizer as a document camera) and many more...

reference http://www.wolfvision.com/wolf/basicinfo.html

I believe that by this tools can help us in making the classroom activities become more fun, interesting and enjoyable. That's all for, till next time.