Demo C: Cmap
Hm.. yet another concept-mapping tool. Well, indeed gone are my days of colourpencils and nice bubbles, it's all about uploading, drag-and-pull, html links today.. you know what I mean. Right, maybe I'm not as youthful as what I like to believe... boo =(
I am a teeny weeny resistant of such ICT learning, just a little. I like being able to touch, see and feel what I'm doing, learning somehow appears more real and vivid in my memory. Then again, this probably comes from a biased perspective of a visual-aesthetic female learner from the late 80s. Kids today are probably more inclined towards such multi-interface platform which allows the embedding of images, audio, links etc.
Whatever makes you tick!
Then again, I must say I'm quite impressed with the evolution of mindmaps, seriously. And I think I'm actually quite eager to use Cmap in my future teaching in replace of the powerpoint slides I've been using in my contract teaching. For one, it provides a comprehensive overview of the topic which is often a challenge in the teaching of social studies. Secondly, I really like the idea of having image/audio pop-up all in a single page. And lastly, it supports sharing of cmaps which facilitate the possibility of collaborative work and resource-sharing.
Demo D: YouTube
Not anything new to me, in fact I've been using YouTube in my contract teaching in the subject of social studies and CME. I would strongly encourage teachers and students in using this simple tool in enhancing their teacning/learning. Usually, I would find related video clips in providing a more relevant and realistic image of the topic as what I'm teaching. Afterall, a picture paints a thousand words and simply, a video will say much more than what I can say in 2periods. For example, how else can I get my students to understand the complexity of 'Bloody Sunday' which took place in N. Ireland back in 1972?
More importantly, visual appeal always work better. It captures the attention and interest of the students while subtly appealing to their underlying emotions. Sometimes, it may even provoke their thinking skills in getting them to start questioning, probing and evaluating. Just sometimes.
Educational Gaming
I played Wii today (I mean that day) !!! So fun! As much as I'll love to get one for myself, I think it's more fun playing as a group, shared fun is double the fun! I remember my contract school having a Wii, but nope, it wasn't used for teaching. It was installed in the students' lounge for recreational fun! I'm jealous!!! Wii has indeed brought gaming to a new level... am I going to start teleporting myself in the next 30years? Not impossible.
Anyway, I'll love to explore the possibilities of incorporating gaming into our education. I'm excited at the abundance of opportunities out there. Imagine having the kids looking forward to school everyday, imagine having the classrooms equipped with various gaming tools, imagine having the kids conversing in educational gaming lingos, "Hey, are you still a noob stuck in the 1964 racial riots?" Didn't you listen to what Miss Tng say about the Governance of Singapore? I've already survived my 1997 depression!" hahahaha!
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