Next Generation Learning? Yes! IT

When people start to talk about learning through technology or the word 'IT', the first idea that will cross their mind is 'yeah... I know how to use a computer, so I am an IT person'.... The term technology cover a lot of things such as digital cameras, bluetooth, handphones, internet, SMARTBOARD, computers and many more... Ask yourself how many techno gadgets out there in the market that you are familiar with...

Yet we see that many are still struggling out there even to type a short simple letter using MS words and end up grumbling 'what am I doing with this stupid mechine'? I know that it is not that nice to say so but this happens to my mothers friend which is also a teacher herself. She struggled while facing a computer and took her hours to type a letter. Finally, she gave up and spent a few hundred ringgit getting herself a new typewritter. No laughing.... This is a true story.

Other than that, our government spend millions to equiped school and education institutes with technology gadgets that can assist teacher in their teaching but sad to say, computer labs are left empth for the whole day. I went for my School Based Experience on May this year at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Midah, happily i found that they have a very nicely equiped computer lab which is air-conditioned. Wow! The lab is the only place with air-cond plus the high speed internet access there it is just like a heaven for us. Until one day, chatting with a young teacher, En Farhan, we found that there are teachers in the school who are against the idea of En Farhan bringing his class to the lab for usual classes! I thought she might be a senior in that school and was surprised to find out that she is a young KPLI graduate teacher which means she holds a degree cert with her!!!!

On the other hand, in higher institution, students are sent for SMARTBOARD training courses and were encouraged to use smartboard for presentations which is a good thing that keeps students up to date with the latest technology. Guess what happen to the pathetic SMARTBOARD in the Seminar Room.... Left there to collect dust? No.....WORST... Some lecturers used it as a whiteboard and left permenent marks on it. Poor SMARTBOARD.... Only if the SMARTBOARD can talk...

From these situations, we can see how important is it to keep ourselves updated with the latest technology. It is also a common scenario to see school children bring cell phones that are much more sophisticated than teachers. No to say that we need to spend to keep updated but to make an effort to find out what is the latest technologies and to learn more about them.

After going through my School Based Ecperience, i learn that children nowadays who can have broadband internet access and high tech gadgets at home find it very boring when their teacher are stil using the traditional teaching method. They all responded very actively when i had my classes done using LCD to project photos and bring them to the computer lab. Pupils that I had interview says that they love it when teacher trainees take over their classes because these teacher trainees will make an effort to make sure that they use different technologies and tools to make the lesson interesting unlike the permenent teachers in school. I am happy that they love our lessons.

Technologies helps. I am not sure about others but definitely me. I can ensure that pupils can read words that are projected on the screen clearly because i know that i have bad hand writting. I can show them beautiful photos for English writing classes, such as making sentences. Traditionally, pupils are only given black and white pictures to write sentences. I myself faced problem when doing this exercise where i couldn't identify whether the picture was about a dog or a cat. No more doubts, no more unclear handwritting on the blackboard, no more poisonous chalk to breath in... Technologies do help! Agree? I think most people do.

So people out there, do not hesitate. Keep yourself updated because we are moving into the techology era.