Howard Gardner is a very brilliant man with his ideas of categorizing intelligence!! I think everybody agrees with this. And when I read one category to another category, I feel like I'm looking at my students one at a time in front of them. I feel like I'm watching what intelligence they have and to which they belong too. Also when I reflect my teaching days, I can understand why such a student from a department like or doesn't like to do what I'm asking them to do.
Learning styles are also something to do with my students behavior in the classroom. Although there are many learning styles that my students have, as a teacher I must be able to accommodate what their learning styles are in order that my materials delivery will be appropriate and close to the target that I want to achieve.
The learning styles and intelligence, in my opinion, is inseparable. Although this hasn't been approved by research findings but I believe that these two things are connected one to another. I believe when students must choose what subject or major when entering a university, their intelligence type will guide them to choose which of which. And later on, when they are already studying in the university, they will employ certain learning styles that they have and (maybe this is unconsciously done) improve from time to time.
Now, again, it's our jobs to nurture this trait or characteristic, or maybe talent of our students. We have the power to guide our students to develop well by knowing what they have, who they are, and where they are now. Using appropriate technology brought into our classroom is also one of the ways in nurturing our students' intelligence. This is done by guiding them into an appropriate way when using the right thing in the right place.
Well, that's all I can say and again, thanks to Howard Gardner for the great work he has!
Malang, 30 November, 2010
Senin, 29 November 2010
Selasa, 23 November 2010
My project plan
I remember when I first wrote e-mail to Robert. I attached my project plan with Webquest as my tool for my students. At that time Robert replied that maybe I want to use other tools after joining the course. He's right, I change my mind and now in my project plan I use Chatrooms for my cross-cultural understanding class. Actually I still want to have WQ as my tool for students but Chatrooms looks more interesting and easy to implement. This tool is also familiar to my students as they use the chatrooms everyday.
What is still bothering me is that I use my CCU class for this project for I'm afraid that CCU is not "English" subject. But then I tell myself that in order to have awareness in cultural values and communication with other people (especially with foreign people), students need to have abilities in communication using correct grammar. In other words, English proficiency is needed when students interact and communicate with foreign people in the Chatrooms. And when they have freedom to chat and talk with those people, students will have high motivation to learn more and hopefully this will lead to their learning autonomy.
Well, I have sent my project plan to Robert, Rahmat, and Charbel and I hope they will give comments and suggestion on what I have proposed in the project. Next thing is I'm still confused with other task that is creating something for my class. I haven't decided what I will create but I believe myself that soon it will be "there"!
Thanks for reading.
Malang, 24 November 2010
What is still bothering me is that I use my CCU class for this project for I'm afraid that CCU is not "English" subject. But then I tell myself that in order to have awareness in cultural values and communication with other people (especially with foreign people), students need to have abilities in communication using correct grammar. In other words, English proficiency is needed when students interact and communicate with foreign people in the Chatrooms. And when they have freedom to chat and talk with those people, students will have high motivation to learn more and hopefully this will lead to their learning autonomy.
Well, I have sent my project plan to Robert, Rahmat, and Charbel and I hope they will give comments and suggestion on what I have proposed in the project. Next thing is I'm still confused with other task that is creating something for my class. I haven't decided what I will create but I believe myself that soon it will be "there"!
Thanks for reading.
Malang, 24 November 2010
Selasa, 16 November 2010
Student's learning autonomy...is this our responsibility?
Hi...wheewww...hahaha! It's getting harder and harder with the task but I'm lucky to join this course. It really opens my eyes that there are still things to be faced and finished in our teaching.
Well, talking about learning autonomy of our students, it seems that we will be the ones who are responsible for this. As teachers, we must encourage our students to become autonomous learners, we must guide them so that they won't be lost their ways, and... we must increase their motivation in learning (in this case a foreign language). I think there are still other jobs that we must do in order that our teaching to our students will be fruitful and useful for them. As teachers, we're not only teaching but also educating. And, concerning the learning autonomy of our students, it is the educating job that we do. It is the soft-skills that we give to our students not the hard-skills anymore. For the hard-skills, students already have enough with their everyday classroom lessons, but for the soft-skills, they need a good example from their teachers that teachers must also improve themselves and aren't caught in their daily routines such as teaching then stop. Improving oneself means that teachers need to explore more, study more, and even willing to attend certain seminars/workshops for the latest development in teaching methods/issues. Teachers must be opened to new things: technology, new books, and even, the newest trends in computers, programs, entertainment, even fashion! By doing all these, students will understand that they have a good example that learning never stops.
Well, I can't say anymore about what to do dealing with this learning autonomy as there are still many things in my mind that I need to share but although it is not our responsibility in fostering our students' learning autonomy but at least we can be their living examples that can encourage them to be autonomous learners.
Thanks for reading.
Malang, 17 November 2010
Well, talking about learning autonomy of our students, it seems that we will be the ones who are responsible for this. As teachers, we must encourage our students to become autonomous learners, we must guide them so that they won't be lost their ways, and... we must increase their motivation in learning (in this case a foreign language). I think there are still other jobs that we must do in order that our teaching to our students will be fruitful and useful for them. As teachers, we're not only teaching but also educating. And, concerning the learning autonomy of our students, it is the educating job that we do. It is the soft-skills that we give to our students not the hard-skills anymore. For the hard-skills, students already have enough with their everyday classroom lessons, but for the soft-skills, they need a good example from their teachers that teachers must also improve themselves and aren't caught in their daily routines such as teaching then stop. Improving oneself means that teachers need to explore more, study more, and even willing to attend certain seminars/workshops for the latest development in teaching methods/issues. Teachers must be opened to new things: technology, new books, and even, the newest trends in computers, programs, entertainment, even fashion! By doing all these, students will understand that they have a good example that learning never stops.
Well, I can't say anymore about what to do dealing with this learning autonomy as there are still many things in my mind that I need to share but although it is not our responsibility in fostering our students' learning autonomy but at least we can be their living examples that can encourage them to be autonomous learners.
Thanks for reading.
Malang, 17 November 2010
Selasa, 09 November 2010
Ppt slides...do theymake my students lazy?
As my university provides facilities in the classrooms that enable us, lecturers, to use technology, I feel very lucky that it is easy for me to teach my students by delivering the teaching materials with Powerpoint (ppt) slides. Most of the materials are conveyed through slides and there is an unwritten convention that each lecturer must use ppt slides when teaching. The lecturers then upload the ppt slides containing teaching materials in our intranet system where students can download them with the hope that they can read the materials before going to the class.
This way of obtaining slides from our intranet causes two sides: positive and negative. The positive side is that students are ready to join the class and understand (although not fully understand) the materials they are going to have in the class. The negative side is that students are lazy to take notes as they take for granted that they have enough information on the materials deriving from the slides.
I feel that the way of uploading ppt slides to the intranet is good but we must watch our students very closely whether they have enough information on what we have delivered to them.I don't mean that we will treat them as children that must be spoon-fed and warned each time they do something in the classroom but this is just a matter of ensuring ourselves as lecturers that students have good understanding of the materials.
Concerning the appearance of the slides, so far, I have created some slides containing teaching materials. I look at the topic that I deliver to my students whether this topic is serious (meaning that theories are dominating the subject) or maybe the topic is 'light'(meaning that there must be more practices than theories). If theories dominate the subject, I try to create slides as interesting as possible as students will get bored very easily if they must look at writings on the slide without pictures or hyperlinks. But if the subject is discussing some 'light' topic then, I just need to add a dash of pictures, and other hyperlinks to the slides as the subject itself is interesting.
I also often ask my students to present their projects, papers, and findings in front of the class using ppt slides. It seems that they are eager to do so as they can express themselves through the slides. And I also find out that my students like to browse the internet to get the most interesting ppt slide template or backgrounds. And I also watch very closely that they seldom use sound or letter animation as they want to deliver the topic as clear as possible with the exact time of presentation without the disturbance of sound, animation, and animated letters that will distract attention.
Well, I think that ppt slides will not make my students lazy in taking notes or listening to my explanation but they are more attracted to the materials IF I present them in a good, expressive, and interesting way using ppt slides.
Malang, 10 November 2010
This way of obtaining slides from our intranet causes two sides: positive and negative. The positive side is that students are ready to join the class and understand (although not fully understand) the materials they are going to have in the class. The negative side is that students are lazy to take notes as they take for granted that they have enough information on the materials deriving from the slides.
I feel that the way of uploading ppt slides to the intranet is good but we must watch our students very closely whether they have enough information on what we have delivered to them.I don't mean that we will treat them as children that must be spoon-fed and warned each time they do something in the classroom but this is just a matter of ensuring ourselves as lecturers that students have good understanding of the materials.
Concerning the appearance of the slides, so far, I have created some slides containing teaching materials. I look at the topic that I deliver to my students whether this topic is serious (meaning that theories are dominating the subject) or maybe the topic is 'light'(meaning that there must be more practices than theories). If theories dominate the subject, I try to create slides as interesting as possible as students will get bored very easily if they must look at writings on the slide without pictures or hyperlinks. But if the subject is discussing some 'light' topic then, I just need to add a dash of pictures, and other hyperlinks to the slides as the subject itself is interesting.
I also often ask my students to present their projects, papers, and findings in front of the class using ppt slides. It seems that they are eager to do so as they can express themselves through the slides. And I also find out that my students like to browse the internet to get the most interesting ppt slide template or backgrounds. And I also watch very closely that they seldom use sound or letter animation as they want to deliver the topic as clear as possible with the exact time of presentation without the disturbance of sound, animation, and animated letters that will distract attention.
Well, I think that ppt slides will not make my students lazy in taking notes or listening to my explanation but they are more attracted to the materials IF I present them in a good, expressive, and interesting way using ppt slides.
Malang, 10 November 2010
Selasa, 02 November 2010
The WQ assignment for this online course
We're now in our 4th week of this on-line course...and the assignment is getting more difficult and time consuming... (do you think so??)
Yup, if we feel that it's a burden for us, then it is difficult but if we think that this step is very useful for us then we feel very much helped by Robert and other classmates.
I'm going to share my feeling that when I finished creating the Webquest (WQ) for my students, I can say that there is a kind of satisfactory feeling (I don't know whether this term is correct or not:)). A feeling that I can do something for my students that they will have a broader understanding on engineering. Students not only study about English but they also have something related with engineering with their specific terms and vocabulary.
The most difficult part of this WQ is to make the rubrics as I must be fair in evaluating them. But thanks to Robert that we must create rubrics to our students and this makes me more sensible in grading them. I realize that up to now, grading means giving scores without much further thinking of students' feeling or intention.
Rubrics also makes us aware that our students deserve more than just scores. They need thorough explanation on what they had achieved in the class.
Well, I think that is all my share.
Thanks for reading!
Malang, 2 November 2010
Yup, if we feel that it's a burden for us, then it is difficult but if we think that this step is very useful for us then we feel very much helped by Robert and other classmates.
I'm going to share my feeling that when I finished creating the Webquest (WQ) for my students, I can say that there is a kind of satisfactory feeling (I don't know whether this term is correct or not:)). A feeling that I can do something for my students that they will have a broader understanding on engineering. Students not only study about English but they also have something related with engineering with their specific terms and vocabulary.
The most difficult part of this WQ is to make the rubrics as I must be fair in evaluating them. But thanks to Robert that we must create rubrics to our students and this makes me more sensible in grading them. I realize that up to now, grading means giving scores without much further thinking of students' feeling or intention.
Rubrics also makes us aware that our students deserve more than just scores. They need thorough explanation on what they had achieved in the class.
Well, I think that is all my share.
Thanks for reading!
Malang, 2 November 2010
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