In-Class Task 1

My name is Ahmad Ikram Bin Ahmad Hisham and i'm a TESL student in UiTM Sec. 17 Shah Alam. I am quite literate in technology but i still have much to learn and i'm interested in the information technology field. I'm much more interested to learn about computer hardwares than softwares, though i have to say that learning both wouldn't hurt. In terms of hardware, i have a rather basic but general knowledge about it but for software on the other hand, not quite so.

If i want to talk about learning via the computer or internet or learning online, my opinion is that using them are always a learning experience. There are infinate choices of articles, videos, softwares, games and forums to share ideas or talk about issues. Formally, i have been into meetings and forums via internet. So far, i have personally been using the computer and internet to learn how to play musical instruments, share information among my friends for my TESL course assignments, download data concerning my course and learn matters that includes real world skills.

During my practicum session, i have tried to incorporate technology into some of my classes, in which i brought a projector into class to view pictures or videos that i want to share with them concerning of their syllabus of topic. I consider the use of technology in my classrooms a success, though there are several points that a teacher must consider before incorporating technology into classroom.

Technology in classroom: A cure for racism?

First, a teacher must have a good sense of time management to use technology in classrooms because using technology in classrooms consume a lot of time. A teacher must prepare well in advance what they want to use in the classroom; a laptop, a projector or amplifiers.

Next, a teacher must consider the relevance of using such t echnologies in a classroom. Does the subject or topic require the use of such technologies? Will the use of such technologies benefit the students or lead them astray from the topic? What topic or subjects that are suited to be incorporated with technology? And most importantly, can students focus on the matters discussed of or are they distracted by the use of technology in class?

Technology in classroom can gain students' interest

Personally, i think the use of computer and technology is a must in language teaching, provided that a teacher is given sufficient training in incoporating such technology. Using technology not only helps student learn, it also interests them to learn about technology. Aside from making a higher statistics in the success of learning language, students can have a brighter future by making a career out of technology. Learning language using technology is not only interesting, but teachers can incoporate more options of activites in class compared to contemporary teaching methods.

I hope i can learn a lot from this course, and to be honest im looking forward to learn how to make a courseware. I'm interested to learn how to use Hot Potatoes software, in which some secondary schools such as SIGS in Johor Bahru now use to teach their students advance computer technology.

Technology does wonders