Teaching practice -part 2

Finally, missions completed!

Before I really ‘ close files’ about my teaching practice and get ready for another challenging journey. I would like to share how I felt at times when my colleagues come into my classroom to observe how I integrate ICT into children’s learning. “I know they are thinking that I am just too ‘ambitious’ in using ICT in early years setting. However,  I am finally feeling that I can defend what I do, explain why integrate ICT in children’s learning is so important. I learnt that integration of ICT in the lesson involves teachers in careful planning and preparation, both inside and outside the classroom. A program that involved ICT needs teachers who enjoy being spontaneous, involved and creative, as well as reflective and analytical.
By clicking the NAEYC position statement and this website, you may know more about the importance of organizing for children’s learning.
You may also read my course mates   learning experiences during teaching practice. They provide me some encouragements and motivation in continuing integrating ICT into children’s learning.

practicum reflection week 1

Reflection regarding to Teaching Practice week 1

After reading some of  the students learning experiences during their teaching practice, I started to think if integration of ICT in children’s learning is necessary, how it is the lesson developed? I always ask myself: How does a teacher foster literacy,  thinking and other concepts, dispositions and skills valued in early education? How does a teacher address and integrate standards in a meaningful way?

This was my first time that I had tried to ‘incorporate any ICT as my part of my lesson’. With the little opportunity to visit other programs, I started the teaching practice feeling that I was sinking as much as I was swimming.

I took a week to set up an environment where my children could have choices and sustained time to involve ICT through their leaning experiences. I needed to read and observe enough to convince myself that integration of ICT in classroom is beneficial to children’s learning.

I concluded: “This has become the most intellectually challenging years for me. I am learning how to plan for ICT and how to use ICT to reinforce student’s learning. I like the concept of an emerging curriculum, but it takes patience as well as creativity to work it out each day. Things don’t always work out as I had imagined. Because I am an experienced teacher, I sometimes feel that should be able to do this right way. But it does not work out that way. It involves a major shift in the way I am thinking as well as in the way I structure the lesson: a paradigm shift.”

Candy Crush

Candy Crush

With the old hit game, Bejeweled which stormed the world in playing this addictive puzzle with it's own challenges now comes the latest hit Facebook game called Candy Crush Saga (CCS) by King.com has 12 million likes on Facebook and more than nine million daily active users.
This game looks like this generally and you are to swap the came colour candy to get 3 or more in a row. The fun thing about this game is whereby you are given a certain number of moves and in some levels time limit or an objective to fulfill in order to pass the next stage with only 5 tries per 30 minutes. The game also encourages you to Facebook your friends for life or extra moves if you finished your 5 tries per time. Below are the info-graphics of the game.. quite interesting.

Dance Revolution

this popular arcade game is now being introduced in some schools to promote fitness in Health and Physical Education classes. I have tried Dance Dance Revolution in an arcade before and it is way harder then it looks. Not only is it fun and gets your heart rate pumping, it also allows people to practice their coordination and rhythm, as they try to stomp on the arrows in time to those on the screen and the music.
I love how technologies are being incorporated into classes. I wish my school had of done something like this, it would have been enjoyable. Great HPE resource, if your school can afford it!
Check out the short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfI62hDBSpg
Happy Blogging

week 14

National Geographic Website

Hi everyone,

I love the National Geographic channel, however I don’t have the privilege to watch it on TV.
But it popped into my head tonight and I decided to look at their website. It is a really awesome website filled with so many different resources, especially for science.
I would encourage all to go have a look. There are kids sections with games, recipes, science experiments, geography facts and generally a lot of video footage, if you are interested in watching something that is not on free TV.
So what are you waiting for go check it out!

References
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/au/

Addressing the diversity problem

Technology tools can enhance students’ holistic development. According to NAEYC (2012), technology in children’s learning and development can support and extend traditional materials in valuable ways. Besides that, technology  tools also can help teacher make and strengthen home and school connections, and assisted technology must be available as needed to provide equitable access for children with special needs. For example, just like Ellie says there is no “average” child means no two children are exactly the same. When in practicum I do my lesson to asking student to create their own recipe, I found the problem. Students who are good in language they will use their own words to create their recipe but students who weak in English language will always asking me how to spell the words. Sometimes, they will feel bored because of they do not know English Language. In conclusion, teacher should create difference level lesson by using technology for difference level students.

NAEYC, (2012). Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Retrieved on 24 May, 2013 from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf

Does Environment Plays An Important Role In Supporting ICT

I have read one of my friends blogpost and I agreed with her that environment is definitely the third teacher.It is vital to create a positive social climate, to carefully plan balanced experiences and to consider ample time for children to reflect and think to support learning. It is not only the socio-emotional climate of the environment that affects children’s learning but also the physical climate. Dr Maria Montessori spoke of the ‘prepared environment’ because she thought it to be the adults’ responsibilities to prepare an environment for the child at his/her appropriate developmental stage. Montessori approach includes placing a child in a mix-aged classroom to enhance a wide range of learning possibilities. Individual work meets individual needs; while in group work, children are encouraged to help each other. Therefore, when establishing environment as a third teacher, educators should consider easy approached and enriching open-ended and self-correcting resources, experiential learning, homogeneous and heterogeneous group and pair approaches, visual representation and aesthetic, and a multicultural classroom. A relaxed, unhurried, calm environment gives them opportunity to make decision, express themselves, pose question consider the views of others and etc