September 2011 - Posts
Back in the day when reading hour was first introduced to my class. Each student was required to read the book and then share with the class on what you have read. Hence, story-telling was evolved. When I was in the fourth grade selected students was required to share their favorite part of the book. And also adding introduction, body and conclusion to their story-telling. Remembering my first time having to speak in front of the class with a book in my hand and the other hand shifting nervously fiddling the change in my pockets.
That was the good ol' 1999's era. Now the classroom still has it's desks and chairs. But the methodology of teaching now has introduced technology into the classrooms. When I started high-school, my science teacher would used her projector to show her notes. And I found that method quite interesting. I was bedazzled by colors, arrows and signs that shown. It beats than having to go through black and white texts and images on the mid-evil textbooks. huhu.
Ever wondered why babies, kids and teens are so fascinated by a world full of colour? If you give babies a chance to choose between a) a book that only has black and white and b) a toy that all the seven colours of the rainbow? Which toy would you think the baby would choose?
In a library, what books do you think a child will choose? a) Newspaper that is printed in black and white b) a book filled with bright colours.
It has the same concept in school. Children wants to learn but they tire-out really easily. They need their minds to be enticed to maintain the level of attention. Have you heard of a mood ring? Where the mood ring identifies the colour of yo're mood? Did you know that certain colours play a role in the classroom too? It can be a source of motivation for students and can help them freshen up their moods. With Microsoft Photostory, all you need is a laptop, images, music and also yes of course the Photostory software itself.
Have you heard of Microsoft Digital story-telling through Photostory?
Now both teachers and students can share their stories with their classmates through Photostory that consists of images, music for the background and also audio for the story-telling (if you wish to add this)
You can download Microsoft Photostory here: http://www.microsoft.com/education/ww/teachers/Pages/free-products.aspx at the Microsoft Partners in Learning network.
Here is a video: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=microsoft+digital+story-telling&view=detail&mid=A32C7A6C82BFD0926973A32C7A6C82BFD0926973&first=0&FORM=LKVR1
Every Microsoft product has it's manual and guide. Never fear, digital-storytelling using Photostory is for everyone no matter the age nor background. It is not to techky. It's easy to manage and user-friendly.
You can save this as a finished project or if you're doing this on you're lunch break and you wish to continue this at home, you can save it on you're selected location on you're laptop and retrieve it later.
Cool right?? What are you waiting for. Get those fingers clicking and start your very own digital story-telling using Microsoft Photostory.
What do I get out from Photostory?
- Working out your skills on digital literacy. If you're a first-timer no worries, still will be you're stepping stone to building your digital literacy skills. If you are already an expert. You will find this software really easy to manage.
- Sharpening your communication skills. Did you know that there are many ways of communicating to you're audience. This is one of the ways to attract the attention of you're classmates or peers. People react to music. And you can gather their focus on the message you are about to convey with the aid of background music. This can be a link to communicate with the audience followed by the audio (your voice that you have recorded).
- Networking skills, exposing students at a young age to have them have a feel on what it feels like working as a group. The whole concept is to promote collaboration, where they are able to interact an communicate effectively.
- Thinking outside the box, creativity. As we tend to get older out way of thinking as been limited to the things that are rational and what makes sense to us now. Did you ever hear about the 9 dot games. I have experience this myself when I went to a workshop. And to my surprise I could not answer the question. However, younger students are able to answer the question because their way of thinking and imagination is not limited. There are no boxes and boundaries in the their minds that limits them to getting the answer.
- Thinking upon your feet, it also promotes time-management since there is a limited time only when using the photostory. And it gives the students the chance the chance to really think about what they want to include in their story.
Hey it sounds good right? I have told my story. Whats your story?
Life after high-school? Whoa, when I was a student I though that working would be spectacular rather than studying. And once I started working, it is the other way round. Haha. Walking through the halls of my previous high-school it was like Deja-Vu all over again. Remembering the places where I used to sit down and eat with my friends. Walking pass my classrooms hit home to me. High-school life was like a long forgotten past life. Anyhoots, the purpose of my writing this blog was to show how the leaning system before and after technology has been introduced. I can tell that the internet has played a huge influence on the student's these days, Internet has become apart of their lives and also has of their everyday activity.Those activities can be beneficial to them as long the intentions are the decisions are honest and correct. Hey a good cause is an investment for the future.
Walking through the halls of SMJA. Deja-Vu all over again.
Tech One Global and AITI
It has begun Ready to be enticed.
Students of the Now listening to the Cyber-Security and Internet Etiquette Awareness Program
What have you noticed in this picture? hehe. Noticed how I wanted to take some pictures and the girls have tired to cover their faces by fixing their Tudongs? :)
Our speaker of the day, Illah from Tech One Global.
Discussion time
Watching videos on Phising. Do you know what Phising is?
Discussion on search engines.
Hey what was the program about again? Here It is Cyber Security and Internet Etiquette Awareness Program.
Hey this is the good part :) Question and answer. Students loveeeee chocolate.
One of the students who is answering the questions. Students these days are able to answer the questions with full confidence. That shows that students have very good knowledge in internet.
Should I get small chocolate or a bigger one? hehe
It was nice to hear the student's support and hearing them cheer through out the Q & A session.
The last lucky student to win one of the Cadbury Chocolates :) Enjoy kids :)
The day ended with the final student participating with the Q & A session. It was cool to see the enthusiastic students contribute and participate with the awareness program. Hope to see more students in the future. More schools to come.
Today AITI with the collaboration with Tech One Global has manage to visit a school in Tutong district this morning to educate the youth today with the Cyber Security & Internet Etiquette Awareness Program. Knowledge can be the first line defense by equipping them with the knowledge of the importance of being a good net citizen and awareness of cyber security and safety in the digital world.
The majority of the students these days are not aware of the proper usage of IT. For more information the matter can go to: http://digitalbookworms.wordpress.com/
The presentation was conducted by Izzuddin with the support of all the students and teachers who benefited from the talk.
The intro of what the Cyber Security contains.
The students enticed with the question and answer. Free goodies. The girls were more willing to answer for the chocolates then the boys.
Teachers who attend to listen and also the hand out the goodies bags for the students. Nice to have such caring teachers.
Excitied students of SM Ripas Tutong.
One of the students who successfully answered 1 out of 10 questions. Enjoy the chocolate snack :)
Here are the boys coming out from the shell. 5 boys Vs 5 girls to win those yummy Cadbury chocolates.
With bringing awareness to the students they can help spread the knowledge to their friends. Good news is there are now aware of the qualities of good net citizens after showing some good educated videos on Phisings, Cyber-security and Online Predators.
What is Microsoft One Note?
Microsoft One Note is one of the of the office application. With Microsoft One Note it can help you to store, organize and share.
I remember back in the day when we wanted to share and convey our thoughts and ideas from pen to paper.
Now, with the one note conveying thoughts and ideas now is just a finger click away. By the time the person next to you sharpens his pencil, you have already finished typing you're mind-map on One Note.
How One Note can help you?
Case Study
A secretary named Rebecca: "I stayed up around 2 in the morning last night"
The junior clerk named Dawn: "My golly, what were you up too?
Rebecca: "I had to tie some knots to some loose ends. And did not realize that my documentations where scattered everywhere on my laptop. And I had to find the latest versions to the many different versions. It was a mess. I was like doing spring cleaning my documents"
Dawn: "Boy, sounds like you need a lot of filing to go sort out again"
Rebecca: "Eureka, the same idea I had. And when my daughter came down for a cup of hot chocolate she saw me nearly in tears late night. And I told her that I had to finish up some loose ends and on top of that I have too sort out my filings and she said, Mum have you heard of Microsoft One Note. You can have a file with multiple tabs so you will never lose the file. You can enter pictures and images. And you can also share you're documentations. With this it saves you time and money on this. And plus you will not have to print out any documents. With this you can save the environment. Fascinating is'nt it. No more ransacking the drawers to find the correct file.I asked her how she came across this. She said that she managed her research notes using one note on her laptop."
Dawn: "Interesting, show me how it works. It would be smashing to have this on mine no more colour-coded tabs. huhu"
Case Study 2
English Teacher: "I have so many lesson plans that I cannot keep up with which version is the latest and the backdated one, it's giving me such a headache"
Science Teacher: "I manage to maintain and organize my lesson plans with Microsoft One Note, no matter where on what page you are, you can easily find you're notes or file with the multiple taps that you have all in one file. And just the other day when I forgot to charge my laptop, my laptop shut-down because it was lowbatt. And the good thing is it has an autosave. Even if you're laptop shutdowns you are able to retrieve notes or document that you did not manage to save. Awesome right"
English Teacher: "Is it? Sounds like lot of learning process. too much hassle. "
Science Teacher: "Never fear, each Microsoft products has their own manual. As for Microsoft One Note once you have that, there is a tab where called 'General' where you can find instructions and recommendations on how to can use One Note to your full capabilities. The functions are simple and easy as ABC and 123."
English Teacher: "Wow, tell me more about this Microsoft One Note"
Microsoft One Note can be used everywhere and anywhere. At Homes, Schools or even at work. You can now have a peace of mind of not having to carry any heavy organizers and files. Say bye-bye to bulk paperwork. And say Hello to One Note. Cause One Note is the new e-paper / e-journal now.
Have you ever wondered what Bing is?
You may heard of google, yahoo, MSN Search and many many others.
Bing is a web search engine created by Microsoft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin
How can Bing help it's users and the community. Apart from the free Ice-cream and the attractive Bing ice cream van. Here are some sweet info to sink your teeth in.
If I was a parent who had twelve children and shopping for school supplies will always be hectic during the 'Back To School' season. Especially in Brunei. Here and there will be packed and jammed with cars and parents taking their children to try on shoes, to get a good school bag that can carry heavy school books. And to stock up those pencils and sharpeners for those days when it's 'I borrowed by pencil to my friend because I kecian (pity) him'.
Check out:
http://www.bing.com/shopping?form=HPSFLT
It's cool how you can shop online. Plus you save TIME and save MONEY.