Keep calm and love math & science!

Mathematics and science has always been my favorite subject since I’m young. Having a mother who taught those subjects for almost 20 years had given me the opportunity of exploring successful ways of teaching math and science. Witnessing the various techniques of how she approach students especially student whom aren’t capable of solving difficult mathematics question had put me in a situation where I contemplated teaching as my life time profession--especially in those two subjects. As a result, my mum had given her trust on me to teach Biology and Mathematics during school holidays for her students. Correlated to that, from the given material for this week, I believe that they are actually various ways of engaging students to learn math and science in a more effective approach instead of maintaining the traditional way of learning.

In class, we had discussed on the usage of visual picture instead of words to describe experiments and mathematics problems. For the traditional way of teaching, students are required to understand problems and equations by a bulk of words arranged in a sentence line by line. However, we are actually competent of educating the students using more interesting way, which is by visualizing the experiment and mathematics problems using available advanced application. To that, students are more likely to understand the fundamental concepts in a better and enjoyable way.

Meanwhile, from the given article, the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) was used in teaching science for formal education. It was especially useful for teaching about subject matter that students could not possibly experience first hand in the real world.  The usage of AR for teaching is actually to design environments that students can manipulate and explore as to promote inquiry based learning. However, from the result obtained, although it is known that AR can be used to help children in understanding science related subject better but in the same time students were less engaged with the teachers. To that, for a more comprehensive learning, they had came into a conclusion of designing requirements for future classroom-based AR applications such as below:

•       AR content must be flexible so that teachers can adapt it to the needs of individual children. It should be possible to add and remove elements and to change the speed of animations.
•       AR systems need to deliver curriculum material in the same amount of time as more traditional teaching methods
•         Children must be able to explore AR content and this exploration should be carefully scaffold so as to maximize learning opportunities.
•          The development of educational AR applications must take into account the nature and constraints of the institutional context into which it is to be introduced. 

Having these requirements for the future classroom-based AR application will definitely result in a better usage of AR in the future. Thenceforward, AR will then be an effective solution as an alternative ways of learning for the students.

In the other hand, using AR in teaching science is actually a good solution of transforming my mother’s ways of teaching. In class, she will ask her students to imagine certain item and things when it comes to certain topic, which requires imagination. She believes that, through imagination sometimes students can remember things very well as they will create the image of things that they should remember in their own way of desire. However, it is risky to just simply let the student to design their own imagination. Therefore, using AR in teaching is actually a good thing of visualizing materials in 3D so that all students will have the same image of what they learned. In the other side of view, realizing the fact that Malaysia was ranked between the range of 50-60 in the world for our nation’s level of Reading, learning Mathematics and Science has really put me in a state where I don’t really think that it is a good step if AR were to be implemented in Malaysia. This is because; using AR requires a lot of money and huge effort of implementation. They are also no solid evidence saying that AR will improve students learning as AR does not support all subject and even certain syllabus. For me, it is fine to use technology in teaching but not to have them as a solution for the improvement in Malaysia education system. Variations in teaching are good things but concentrating to only one way of teaching is not a good step to be taken. To sum up this post, i'd posted along a video on Augmented Reality in classroom, enjoy! :) *ignore the last part! hehe

"For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three."

-Alice Kahn

Language Learning Styles and Strategies

Aloha! From the reading of the materials given for this week, it is known that in mastering our second language, the learning styles and strategies are among the main factors that help in determining how well a person learn a second language. Mr. Wong also emphasizes this in class and briefly told us that it is first necessary for a student to determine what are their learning styles and strategies. Learning styles are defined as the general approaches while learning strategies are defined as specific action, behaviors and techniques that are used to tackle difficult language task. Basically, students are different in digesting material by sensory types, personality types, biological differences, and desired degree of generality also in what categories of learning strategies they are. So, from this post, I will most likely relate the styles and strategies that had been stated in the article to myself for a better understanding.

I’m an extrovert person in general as I like to talk and mingle around with people that basically had lead me to learn a lot from socializing.  I tend to see things as a whole, which shows that my personality type is intuitive-random instead of sensing–sequential. I’m not a person who is very particular in finding logic behind things however I think in abstract, large-scale, futuristic and non-sequential ways. I can see that I like to create new theories and new possibilities in almost everything. In a way, it also shows that I’m an open person that perceives things without judging and I feel things instead of thinking. Therefore, I hate deadlines and tones of work but I will love to gain respect from people for what I did.  From the view of desired generality, I’m actually a global or holistic person. This is because I like communicative events, which I will be able to emphasize main ideas and avoid analysis of grammatical minutiae. For example when I’m reading English story books, I will guess on the meaning of the words that I don’t really understand and proceed to the next sentence.

My sensory preferences are that I learn through visualizing (visual), and moving around (kinesthetic). I find lectures without visual backup can be very confusing. I’m also very excited if the class that I’m attending involves lots of movements such as role-playing, discussion and debates as for me I can remember things better through this way of learning. In the other hand, the right time for me to study is during the day as compare to midnight study, which I find it as a difficult period of focusing. For sustenance during study, sometime I might need food to get me fresh and feel comfortable and I will definitely choose a calm place near to the nature for my location of study. I will be in a place with less people around together with good lighting source to get my eyes open all the time!

In the article, they are six main categories of learning strategies; cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, memory-related strategies, compensatory strategies, affective strategies, and social strategies. However, among all the strategies explained in the article, the best strategy of learning for me is by memory related strategies that requires me to digest the context of information using acronyms, rhyming, body movement such walking around, and much more. Besides, social strategies are also second best strategies for me as I learn best through asking help for language task, asking question in clarifying also verification of confusing items. I also find that, through communicating with people; a wider view of knowledges can be grabbed.

                             "To have another language is to possess a second soul"

       As a whole, both articles provide a very good understanding of language learning styles and strategies available for students. Thus, I have no strong points of going against the article. However, students cant solely depend on the way they think they are best at. Students should always improve in all aspect of of life including learning and should not restrict themselves of changing their way of learning as other styles and strategies might work better in different condition and time. In conclusion, I will definitely apply the knowledge that I had gain from this article into other subjects so that I am not only limiting it in the scope of learning second language only. 

Last but not least, مع سلامة! :)

Multiple Intelligence

From both article that were given in the class, I can see that intelligence which is a property of all human being that differs in each individual had lead Howard Gardner to come out with his theory of multiple intelligence. His theory had given such a huge impact on the learning styles for the students from back then till now. It brings out the revolution on how the students look and see themselves that in a way enable them to be aware of their own intelligence profiles, to develop self-regulation, and to participate more actively in their own learning. From the article I can find that, they are several items that were highlighted as the main gist in it;

1.     The greatest potential of multiple intelligences approach to education grows from the concept of a profile of intelligence.

2.     Most students have jagged profile and some with search profile

3.     During intermix of intelligence; there will be interference, compensation and enhancement.

4.     Collaboration among students were encouraged during class activity

5.     Teachers are required to provide rich experience for students

6.     Rich experience will engage the student with the material personally, learn along several dimensions, and provide diagnostics information for teachers.

7.    Intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence are personal intelligences that should be developing in all students.

For this, I can see that it is necessary for teachers or even students to analyze themselves on what is the best way for them to learn. When you know which intelligence that you are good at, it will definitely gives you the advantage of learning materials in a more effective way.

Previously, I had the difficulties on concentrating in class. When teachers or lecturers are talking in front, I tend to think of other things however when it comes to discussion-based things, I become more excited and can remember things that were discussed very well. From there, I can actually see that I’m a linguistics and bodily kinesthetic person. I discover that, I can easily learn something when I have to deal with people as it involves my coordination of physical movement besides using spoken and written communication.

Nevertheless, I became a little bit confuse when it comes to collaboration among student’s part. Even though ideally when students collaborate, the students with compatible profile can work together with other students to solidify and built up strength.  However, they might also be students with a weaker strength of intelligence in certain areas find that they are useless in the group. When they contribute nothing in the group, they result in a lower self-esteem. It can also happened in a situation where students become more passive in a group and learn nothing when the group members are too dominant. Therefore, teachers might overlooked students with this type of behavior and will have the tendency of leaving them out. To this I can see that, group collaboration might bring positive impact and sometime negative impact on the students’ themselves.

In the other hand, from the experience I had of teaching students in a kindergarten, I think it necessary for a teacher to have the knowledge in psychology, which provides a wide range of information and understanding of a human behavior. I learned a lot when I observed kids throughout their period of learning time and that experience synchronizes with the knowledge that I gain from the article. Humans are equipped with various types of intelligences and are very different for every each of them. So, that explain why certain students learn their best when we have our art session and why certain student are excited when it comes to dancing class. Oh how I wish I can get back to them and re-plan my lessons plan to provide richer experiences for the kids!