I was reading through my fellow course mate Jo's (pronounced as Joe!!) interesting blog (except for that slimy Hermit the frog!!), when I came across this 'Please don’t kill my creativity' on Sir Ken Robinson's 'Schools kill creativity'.
Well, not sure about schools in other countries but am certainly sure that national schools in Malaysia do kill the students' creativity!! I've read an article 'Unschool Me Today!' and it's stated that "The general feeling, from the teachers and parents interviewed in the article and from students in class is that we should just have better teachers. So what makes a better teacher? It’s true that with better teachers you might not even need a standardized curriculum after all – only the most incompetent teachers or the most elementary of students need a textbook to lean on." , which I personally feel it's so true!!
source: englishforasians (2009). Do Schools Kill Creativity. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOOeMXOBhFE
Reference: englishforasians (2010) Unschool Me Today!. Retrieved from http://englishforasians.wordpress.com/tag/malaysian-education-system/
Funny experiment with the help of technology!!
I came across this article the other day, 'Dutch television hosts Dennis Storm and Valerio Zeno decided to experience simulated labor contractions in order to know what women feel during birth. The two men yelled, cried and clutched at pillows for over two hours of the artificial "labor" ordeal.
The video clip shows Storm and Zeno, hosts of the popular Dutch-language show "Guinea Pigs," explaining why they were taking on the challenge. They said that because labor pains are the worst possible and because men cannot experience real-life labor they agreed to be subjected to electro-stimulation that simulate the contractions of labor and give an experience of the distress of birth pangs'.
And I thought that wouldn't it be great if all men tried this experiment to understand the pain their mothers or wives go through when giving birth to them or their children!! Now, where's that husband of mine?? (Haha!!!)
source: ProefkonijnenBNN (2013 Dennis en Valerio krijgen weeën (with English subtitles). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZlsPXpR2ORU
Reference: Didymus, J.T., (2013). Watch male TV hosts undergo simulated birth labor contractions. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://digitaljournal.com/article/341670
And I thought that wouldn't it be great if all men tried this experiment to understand the pain their mothers or wives go through when giving birth to them or their children!! Now, where's that husband of mine?? (Haha!!!)
source: ProefkonijnenBNN (2013 Dennis en Valerio krijgen weeën (with English subtitles). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZlsPXpR2ORU
Reference: Didymus, J.T., (2013). Watch male TV hosts undergo simulated birth labor contractions. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://digitaljournal.com/article/341670
Weekly Reflection - wk 11
As I was reading some of my fellow course mates blogs, I came across Chai Hung's blog on the advantages vs disadvantages of ICT. This reminded me of the scenario at work when there's no internet connection or when the interactive whiteboard (IWB) decide to go on strike!! Are we too dependent on technology? Well, as for me, I can live without the computer or internet (unless when assignments are due soon, then I'll probably freak out if there's no internet connection!!) but bot without my mobile phone!! As a mother of four, that's the most crucial technology that I must have all the time and wherever I am.
As stated by Tom Chatfield in his article When Smart is not so Smart, "Are we becoming too reliant on technology and what happens if it is suddenly taken away from us?"
This is definitely something for us to think about!!.
source: All free original clipart. Retrieved from http://www.clipart-graphics.net/animations/computers/comp25.html
Reference: Chatfield, T., (2013). When smart is not so smart. BBC Future. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130201-when-smart-is-not-so-smart/all
As stated by Tom Chatfield in his article When Smart is not so Smart, "Are we becoming too reliant on technology and what happens if it is suddenly taken away from us?"
This is definitely something for us to think about!!.
source: All free original clipart. Retrieved from http://www.clipart-graphics.net/animations/computers/comp25.html
Reference: Chatfield, T., (2013). When smart is not so smart. BBC Future. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130201-when-smart-is-not-so-smart/all
Schema
Read the following paragraph and fill in the blanks. If you’re really keen add a comment below with what you got. Actually, gathering a collection of responses from a range of people would be really interesting.
The questions that p________ face as they raise ch________ from in_________ to adult are not easy to an _________. Both f______ and m________ can become concerned when health problems such as co_________ arise anytime after the e____ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch____ should have plenty of s________ and nutritious food for healthy growth. B___ and g____ should not share the same b______ or even be in the same r______. They may be afraid of the d_____.
Click below for the original version of the paragraph.
Original version of this paragraph
What is Schema?
Piaget called the schema the basic building block of intelligent behavior – a way of organizing knowledge.
While reading a course mate, Kat Goh's blog on schema, she wrote about the experiment that our course examiner, David made us do (refer to paragraph above). You can also read his post on schemata and the source of dissonance?
And if you are a visual person like me, for a better understanding of schema, watch this clip below!
source: Kay C. Wood, Harlan Smith, Daurice Grossniklaus, at the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia. (2012). Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development. (at http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ind...).
Reference: McLeod, S. A. (2009). Jean Piaget | Cognitive Theory - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
The questions that p________ face as they raise ch________ from in_________ to adult are not easy to an _________. Both f______ and m________ can become concerned when health problems such as co_________ arise anytime after the e____ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch____ should have plenty of s________ and nutritious food for healthy growth. B___ and g____ should not share the same b______ or even be in the same r______. They may be afraid of the d_____.
Click below for the original version of the paragraph.
Original version of this paragraph
What is Schema?
Piaget called the schema the basic building block of intelligent behavior – a way of organizing knowledge.
While reading a course mate, Kat Goh's blog on schema, she wrote about the experiment that our course examiner, David made us do (refer to paragraph above). You can also read his post on schemata and the source of dissonance?
And if you are a visual person like me, for a better understanding of schema, watch this clip below!
source: Kay C. Wood, Harlan Smith, Daurice Grossniklaus, at the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia. (2012). Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development. (at http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ind...).
Reference: McLeod, S. A. (2009). Jean Piaget | Cognitive Theory - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Life-changing advances in technology
As I reading through Teresa Morgan's blog, I came upon "How Much Changes in Ten Years?" Really interesting and it sort of prompted me to think about the technologies that I DEFINITELY CAN'T live without!!
Wi-Fi
Gone are those nasty dial-up days of plugging 56k modems into shaky phone lines and hoping for the best; or precariously balancing laptops while avoiding pulling the plug on the internet connection.
Wi-Fi's 802.11 standard was first mooted in the late 90s, but has now come of age, with many homes now running wireless networks to cope with multiple devices requiring internet connections.
Free hotspots are dotted around major cities, meaning you no longer need to go far to check email.
iPod
Sure, it's not the only MP3 player out there, but when Apple's iPod first made its debut in 2001, no one could have predicted the mammoth success that it has become - racking up 173 million unit sales by September 2008. It's come a long way from the humble, mono-screened beginnings, evolving from a hard drive spinner to flash-memory packing devices that range from the near-pointless Shuffle to the video-capable Nano and the flagship Touch, which connects to Wi-Fi networks to let users surf the net as well as play games and play with GoogleMaps. Then there's the so-called 'Jesus phone' - the iPhone 3G, which adds a cellphone and next-gen internet capability to the Touch.
Google
Need to know anything? Google it. A late arrival to the lucrative world of internet search, Google was the result of Larry Page and Sergey Brin's research project at Stamford in 1996. The company launched two years later and is currently the king of all things search, with a market share of 62.9 per cent and handling up to five billion searches each month. The company has managed to expand into many different tech spaces with projects like its open source Android mobile phone operating system and the Chrome internet browser and voyeur's delight Street View, all released in 2008.
Digital cameras
Digital cameras have come a long, long way in the past decade. In 1999, a 2.7 megapixel digital SLR would set you back in the region of $25,000 - and that was just for the body. The staggering pricing of these early digitals made them strictly pro-only. Times have certainly changed, and while high-end DSLRs like Nikon's D3X and Canon's D1 Mk3 will set you back close to $10,000; point-and-click, zoom-capable eight megapixel compact digital cameras cost less than $400. Most cellphones feature a built-in camera these days, but there really is no substitute for a stand-alone camera for ease of use and quality of results. Bundled software has improved alongside price, and now anyone with half a brain can tackle simple photo-editing.
Facebook
By far the biggest success story of the Web 2.0 world, Facebook took on New Corp's MySpace in 2004 and started to change the way we run our lives online. It was started by baby-faced Mark Zuckerberg. Microsoft bought a small stake in Facebook, which is now estimated to be worth US$15 billion (NZ$27bn). Part of the Facebook appeal is the ability to add applications to your profile - the most high-profile being Scrabulous, a Scrabble knock off that had half a million users playing every day. It also allows people from past lives to suddenly pop up, wanting to be your friend.
Reference: Greenop, M., (2009). Ten years of life-changing advances in technology. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10552897
Wi-Fi
Gone are those nasty dial-up days of plugging 56k modems into shaky phone lines and hoping for the best; or precariously balancing laptops while avoiding pulling the plug on the internet connection.
Wi-Fi's 802.11 standard was first mooted in the late 90s, but has now come of age, with many homes now running wireless networks to cope with multiple devices requiring internet connections.
Free hotspots are dotted around major cities, meaning you no longer need to go far to check email.
iPod
Sure, it's not the only MP3 player out there, but when Apple's iPod first made its debut in 2001, no one could have predicted the mammoth success that it has become - racking up 173 million unit sales by September 2008. It's come a long way from the humble, mono-screened beginnings, evolving from a hard drive spinner to flash-memory packing devices that range from the near-pointless Shuffle to the video-capable Nano and the flagship Touch, which connects to Wi-Fi networks to let users surf the net as well as play games and play with GoogleMaps. Then there's the so-called 'Jesus phone' - the iPhone 3G, which adds a cellphone and next-gen internet capability to the Touch.
Need to know anything? Google it. A late arrival to the lucrative world of internet search, Google was the result of Larry Page and Sergey Brin's research project at Stamford in 1996. The company launched two years later and is currently the king of all things search, with a market share of 62.9 per cent and handling up to five billion searches each month. The company has managed to expand into many different tech spaces with projects like its open source Android mobile phone operating system and the Chrome internet browser and voyeur's delight Street View, all released in 2008.
Digital cameras
Digital cameras have come a long, long way in the past decade. In 1999, a 2.7 megapixel digital SLR would set you back in the region of $25,000 - and that was just for the body. The staggering pricing of these early digitals made them strictly pro-only. Times have certainly changed, and while high-end DSLRs like Nikon's D3X and Canon's D1 Mk3 will set you back close to $10,000; point-and-click, zoom-capable eight megapixel compact digital cameras cost less than $400. Most cellphones feature a built-in camera these days, but there really is no substitute for a stand-alone camera for ease of use and quality of results. Bundled software has improved alongside price, and now anyone with half a brain can tackle simple photo-editing.
By far the biggest success story of the Web 2.0 world, Facebook took on New Corp's MySpace in 2004 and started to change the way we run our lives online. It was started by baby-faced Mark Zuckerberg. Microsoft bought a small stake in Facebook, which is now estimated to be worth US$15 billion (NZ$27bn). Part of the Facebook appeal is the ability to add applications to your profile - the most high-profile being Scrabulous, a Scrabble knock off that had half a million users playing every day. It also allows people from past lives to suddenly pop up, wanting to be your friend.
Reference: Greenop, M., (2009). Ten years of life-changing advances in technology. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10552897
Weekly Reflection - wk 10
This week has been the most memorable week of my life! I've quit my job and felt really good about it!!
source: anime cat iz overjoyed. Retrieved from https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3023067136/hEA15E084/
I can now concentrate on my prac and my personal life!! The only thing that I'm going to feel sad about is missing the kids and the some of my super cool and nice colleagues that I love dearly!
But, life goes on!! We need to adapt to changes in order to reach the next level, just like in technology!! But of course, there are certain things in life that we cannot or is better that we do not change too much!!.
Professor Susan Greenfield, has stated in Modern technology is changing the way our brains work that
"Human identity, the idea that defines each and every one of us, could be facing an unprecedented crisis.It is a crisis that would threaten long-held notions of who we are, what we do and how we behave. It goes right to the heart - or the head - of us all. This crisis could reshape how we interact with each other, alter what makes us happy, and modify our capacity for reaching our full potential as individuals.
And it's caused by one simple fact: the human brain, that most sensitive of organs, is under threat from the modern world".
source: Images for changes in technology. Retrieved from http://asnailpace.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tumblr_l62ybp4rOT1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg
I can now concentrate on my prac and my personal life!! The only thing that I'm going to feel sad about is missing the kids and the some of my super cool and nice colleagues that I love dearly!
But, life goes on!! We need to adapt to changes in order to reach the next level, just like in technology!! But of course, there are certain things in life that we cannot or is better that we do not change too much!!.
Professor Susan Greenfield, has stated in Modern technology is changing the way our brains work that
"Human identity, the idea that defines each and every one of us, could be facing an unprecedented crisis.It is a crisis that would threaten long-held notions of who we are, what we do and how we behave. It goes right to the heart - or the head - of us all. This crisis could reshape how we interact with each other, alter what makes us happy, and modify our capacity for reaching our full potential as individuals.
And it's caused by one simple fact: the human brain, that most sensitive of organs, is under threat from the modern world".
source: Images for changes in technology. Retrieved from http://asnailpace.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/tumblr_l62ybp4rOT1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg
Reference: Greenfield, S., (n.d.) Modern technology is changing the way our brains work. MailOnline. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html
Preparing for Prac or So I Thought!!
I was in the mist of preparing for my 15 days prac; application for prac placement done and have gotten my application approved!! It's officially on Sonia!! (Yaay!!) submitted my leave application at work (which has not been approved yet although I've submitted it before Easter!!). Called up the school that I'll be doing prac to make an appointment to meet up with my mentor. Just when I thought I've gotten things under control, I was told that the management at the school that I'm working in would prefer me to do my prac there!! WTF!! Why didn't they tell me earlier! Why must they wait till the last minute to drop the bombshell? Have they considered the hassle that they've put me through by doing this?? Appeal has to be made, if its approved, application for placement to be send again, have to call school that I'm supposed to be doing prac in, to inform them that I would not be doing my prac there (which of course, will make me look like an absolute @#xx#@e!!). Senseless and ridiculous!!
source: stress clipart. Retrieved from http://cf.ltkcdn.net/stress/images/feat-lg/123569-280x190r1-frog.jpg
While reading my course mate, Neena's blog on 'Facebooking', it has made me wonder why are most of us (yes! that includes you and me!!) are obsessed with facebook. This has prompted me to search for the statistics of facebook users, which I found on this website Facebook Statistics, Stats & Facts For 2011 | Digital Buzz Blog
Facebook Statistics, Stats and Facts for 2011 are starting to roll out, and here is the first infographic to wrap them all up thanks to Online Schools. With over 500 million users, Facebook is now used by 1 in every 13 people on earth, with over 250 million of them (over 50%) who log in every day. The average user still has about 130 friends, but that should expand in 2011.
48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up, with 28% doing so before even getting out of bed. The 35+ demographic is growing rapidly, now with over 30% of the entire Facebook user base. The core 18-24 year old segment is now growing the fastest at 74% year on year. Almost 72% of all US internet users are on now Facebook, while 70% of the entire user base is located outside of the US.
Over 700 Billion minutes a month are spent on Facebook, 20 million applications are installed per day and over 250 million people interact with Facebook from outside the official website on a monthly basis, across 2 million websites. Over 200 million people access Facebook via their mobile phone. 48% of young people said they now get their news through Facebook. Meanwhile, in just 20 minutes on Facebook over 1 million links are shared, 2 million friend requests are accepted and almost 3 million messages are sent.
source : Trimpe, A., (2011). The World is Obsessed with Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXOavGwAW8&feature=player_embedded
Facebook Statistics, Stats and Facts for 2011 are starting to roll out, and here is the first infographic to wrap them all up thanks to Online Schools. With over 500 million users, Facebook is now used by 1 in every 13 people on earth, with over 250 million of them (over 50%) who log in every day. The average user still has about 130 friends, but that should expand in 2011.
48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up, with 28% doing so before even getting out of bed. The 35+ demographic is growing rapidly, now with over 30% of the entire Facebook user base. The core 18-24 year old segment is now growing the fastest at 74% year on year. Almost 72% of all US internet users are on now Facebook, while 70% of the entire user base is located outside of the US.
Over 700 Billion minutes a month are spent on Facebook, 20 million applications are installed per day and over 250 million people interact with Facebook from outside the official website on a monthly basis, across 2 million websites. Over 200 million people access Facebook via their mobile phone. 48% of young people said they now get their news through Facebook. Meanwhile, in just 20 minutes on Facebook over 1 million links are shared, 2 million friend requests are accepted and almost 3 million messages are sent.
source : Trimpe, A., (2011). The World is Obsessed with Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXOavGwAW8&feature=player_embedded
Weekly Reflection-wk 9
Finally second assignment is done and over!!
source: cartoon octopus clipart. Retrieved from: http://www.dianagabaldon.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Cartoon-octopus-clipart-300x194.jpg
YUP!! I feel like I need eight hands most of the time, as I have four kids and a husband, assignments, work and house chores to attend to when I'm home!!
Sometimes I do wish that I have much more time in my hands like some of my friends, KayYi and Hsing Hua who are single and having a ball of their lives hanging out!! And I never have the time to play with games like candy crush (although I'm not so into all this computer games thingy like my two boys!!). Talking about candy crush, KayYi posted about candy crush in her blog previously. In it she mentioned about the 8 Life Lessons by Candy Crush by Joni Cham. Interesting facts that should be read by parents!!
source: cartoon octopus clipart. Retrieved from: http://www.dianagabaldon.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Cartoon-octopus-clipart-300x194.jpg
YUP!! I feel like I need eight hands most of the time, as I have four kids and a husband, assignments, work and house chores to attend to when I'm home!!
Sometimes I do wish that I have much more time in my hands like some of my friends, KayYi and Hsing Hua who are single and having a ball of their lives hanging out!! And I never have the time to play with games like candy crush (although I'm not so into all this computer games thingy like my two boys!!). Talking about candy crush, KayYi posted about candy crush in her blog previously. In it she mentioned about the 8 Life Lessons by Candy Crush by Joni Cham. Interesting facts that should be read by parents!!
Project Noah
I have heard of Project Noah but has never really gotten into in-depth about it till I was reading fellow course mate Vicky's blog, 'A young teacher's walk'. Vicky has written about it in a very interesting way that has prompted me to check out this website.
In her posting about Project Noah, Vicky has stated 'It is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere' about this website which after going into it, I found that it is a brilliant website for all ages!!. It is a really useful website for teachers especially to teach their students about wildlife species.
And as written by BBC's Ella Davies:
A smart way to save wildlife
And as quoted by BBC:
"A modern invention that may also hold the key to saving species in the future. Project Noah is a global study that encourages nature lovers to document the wildlife they encounter, using a purpose built phone app and web community. In addition to the virtual "collection" of species, Project Noah encourages citizen science by linking up with existing surveys including the International Spider Survey and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network".
Reference: Davies, E., (2011). A Smart Way to Save Wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13454621
In her posting about Project Noah, Vicky has stated 'It is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere' about this website which after going into it, I found that it is a brilliant website for all ages!!. It is a really useful website for teachers especially to teach their students about wildlife species.
And as written by BBC's Ella Davies:
A smart way to save wildlife
And as quoted by BBC:
"A modern invention that may also hold the key to saving species in the future. Project Noah is a global study that encourages nature lovers to document the wildlife they encounter, using a purpose built phone app and web community. In addition to the virtual "collection" of species, Project Noah encourages citizen science by linking up with existing surveys including the International Spider Survey and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network".
Reference: Davies, E., (2011). A Smart Way to Save Wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13454621
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