Joni’s Neighborhood

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Today was my first day at the Sharjah Education Zone in Sharjah. I believe that the visit that I went to last week helped me a lot to make me more comfortable and confident to go to my placement today.

At the morning I met Miss Mona how taught us how to record Cassette using the Cassette recorder machine. I noticed the Curriculum and educational programs department duties. I found that the stuff in this department prepare and create copies for the educational materials that the ministry of Education created for the different subject. I believe that, there were lots of educational materials such as video tapes, DVD, cassettes, etc. So I noticed that the Ministry of Education provide the materials for all of the zones and the zones must create copies for the teachers in the school.  Added to that, I saw the School Bag materials. The School Bag is a small box contain some educational materials for different subject such as CD and brochures.

Moreover, I observed Miss Mona day duties. I noticed that she is punctual by attending early. Furthermore, I noticed that she has different of duties. She is usually works with the Zone Supervisors. I saw her sending and receiving fax from schools, Ministry and supervisors. Moreover, she was answer phone calls by the supervisors. Added to that she was arranging and announcing different meeting and workshops for the supervisors at Sharjah University . It pleased me to saw her writing some comments from one of the school principle who was suggestion and ask for help to improve their school laboratory.

From this experiences, I believe this improve my communication skill and my personal skills. It really pleased me that I am having my work placement in Sharjah Educational Zone because I think this will help me in my future career.

So, I've been using my Typepad account instead of VOX, and whenever I come back over this way I have shit loads of spam comments to delete. Surely, VOX, if you delete a spam account, it should automatically delete all of the spam comments they've left as well?

In my 10th week in the college,  I did different activities and I learnt different ideas about Visual Literacy. Also, I participated on the Festival of Thinker in Abu Dhabi. Also, I went to a visit to Sharjah Education Zone to meet my mentor.  

During this week I learnt about Visual Literacy which is the ability to create, question, challenge and evaluate texts that communicate with visual images. People who are visual literate they can read the in a visual text such as an advertisement. Also, they like to use images to express their ideas and thoughts. From that people use the visual to help them to communicate together. In School Research , teacher can ask students to visualize story or process. This will allows the students to use their imagination to gain knowledge and to understand the lesson. Added to that students can use their visual literacy to brainstorm their ideas and thought about process.  For example, students can create a visual mind map about the Water Cycle or making coffee. For my Action Research Project, I believe that to visualize my ideas and my thought will help me in designing my action research project materials. Also, visualization will help me in converting text into images for my CD cover, posters, worksheets and presentation.

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On Tuesday I went with my classmate Amna to attend the festival of Thinker which was in Abu Dhabi Women College under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. About 110 intellectuals and scholars as well as 15 scientists from Nobel laureates in various fields attended this festival. The topic of the festival was the globalization and the effects on cultural. The people were divided into 30 groups with different people from different countries to discuss about the cultural. It pleased me that I participated with them by giving them more information about some facts about using technology for communicate with other. Moreover, it pleased me to meet many people with different nationality and to discussed with them about cultural and language.

Festival

Furthermore, I went to a visit to Sharjah Education Zone where I will take my work placement in. It pleased me that I met my Mentor Mr. Mohammed Al Mulla who was very helpful. Moreover, I met the staff in the Curriculum and educational programs department where I will take my work placement in. From this experiences, I learnt how to deal with adults in a professional way.

...for at least few days.

It began snowing for real on Thursday and it snowed until yesterday evening. We have a little less than 10 cm of snow now and I am so happy, 'cause it is now so much lighter as the snow on the ground takes away little of the darkness that has been around lately.

Yesterday was nice, as it was just below zero degrees Celsius, which equals no wet snow. Today is a bit different; its about +2 degrees Celsius and the snow is wet...and heavy. I found this out while trying to do some paths around my parents house in order for the dogs to have it a bit more easier to run around. The garden at my parents house isn't small, it's huge so it took me a good 2 hours to get the work done. To have the paths and the drive way clear from snow. And I did all by hand. Well, OK, I had a snow pusher...but you know what I mean.

My dad has a snow blower as well, but surprise surprise, I can't use that bloody thing. So I had no other choice than to do all the work the hard way. And man was I exhausted after all the work was done...I think I've done my exercises for the next couple of weeks in advance today...that is at least how I feel at the moment.

I think I have now earned some hot chocolate with whipped cream on top, don't you think?

No, it's not the name of a new Disney after-school TV series. Sorry to disappoint.

The title of this post is actually referring to a couple of super-awesome photos from Amanda's recent trip to Colorado, where she enjoyed the rare and thrilling experience of having her face tasted by a full-grown wolf. Not many can say they've done that, you know, because usually they are dead or unable to form words through all the scar tissue...

Hungry Like the Wolf

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Panda and Some Bears

Isn't she just adorable?

Lately, people have been coming up to me to tell me I look a lot less pregnant than my 7 months. They tell me that my stomach is really tiny and that I don't look at all pregnant if it wasn't for that little bump.

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Today, I went to visit Sharjah Education Zone where I will have my work Placement in. It pleased me to meet the staff who were very helpful. Although I faces some problem, but I really enjoy my day there.

On the morning, I faced a problem with the college security and there were a miss understanding but I solve the problem. Then I went with our driver to Sharjah Education Zone, but unfortunately the driver was anger and upset because he lost the road to the zone. I was wary about the time. So, I called Reem and speak with my Mentor secretary Miss Zenab and apologize for her about that I was late and I explained for her my case. It pleased me that she helped me a lot to find the building of the zone. Finally, when I arrived to the building of the zone. The zone is located in the 7^th floor of Dubai National Bank building.    

When I reached my mentor office, Miss Zenab took us to the 6^th floor to the  Department of Curriculum and educational programs where we are going to work there.  We met the staff there who were very friendly with us. After that, Mr. Mohammed Al Mulla met us and talk with us and  he explain about the structure of the Curriculum and educational programs. Also, we met Miss Hessa who is the manager for the Curriculum and educational programs department and she introduce us to all of the staff and their job title. Then we took a tour on the departments and we took some photos for the place.

Moreover, It come to my attention the different types of technology there were in the Curriculum and educational programs department such as photocopier, printer and laminating machine. Furthermore, there were Video Cassette Recorder and Tap Cassette Recorder. Miss Mona, told us that these technologies uses to copy the materials such as video cassettes and taps for the teachers in the school. There were also CD writer and CD record to make extra copies for the materials that the Ministry of Education provide for the teachers and distribute them to the teachers in all of Sharjah School. Added to that, I met the IT support who are helping the staff and also they are the IT support for the school, so if any school have a problem they have to call them for their help.

From this experiences, I learnt different things from this visit. I learnt how to deal with adults in a professional way. I am really happy and pleased that I will have my work placement in Sharjah Educational Zone where I will learnt more about Curriculum and educational programs.

To reflect on my ninth week in college,  I learnt different skills and ideas about Ethnographic Research. Also, I learnt new feature that Twitter provides for the users.

During this week I learnt about Ethnographic Research. Ethnography is a fundamental research method n to report ethnographic research results. This methods based on questions and answers of people about the ways of life.  Also, the Ethnography research method based on observing people in their  environment rather than in a formal research setting. This research help the researchers to get correct data about people behavior in a real world. Before starting the Ethnography project is to write an appropriate guiding question.  These question will help the research to understand more about the culture. From that this visit home interview allows the researcher to interviews people  in their houses.

While I was navigating through the web to learn more about Twitter features and application, I found something interesting which is Twitter Berry. As the new establishing of the BlackBerry phones which provide for the users with Internet access and wide range of features. Twitter provide for the users an application which is freely to use. Twitter Berry , works over the data network so there is no need to use SMS. Users will find it interesting to communicate with the other people all over the world. Added to that, users will spend less money to contact their friends rather than using the SMS.

Twitter Berry

Twitter Tutorials

Furthermore, I learnt about storytelling and how to write different stories about different topic to help the students to use their critical thinking skill. Added to that It pleased me to learn about storytelling because this help me in creating my own storytelling to my Weather Webquest lesson.

To reflect on my eighth week in college, I learnt and applied different skills and ideas. In this week we focus more on e-learning application, create brushes in Adobe Illustrator and I read online more about data-collection tools.

During this week I was curious to learn more about data-collection tools that I will use in my Teaching Practice to complete the need analysis report. I noticed that there are different types of the data-collection tools which are self-administered survey, personal interview and focus group. Firstly, self-administered surveys it allows the observer to ask many questions on a given topic. Secondly, personal interviews allows the researcher to collect survey data rather than asking people to fill out surveys. Also, it is a good way to gather information from community leaders who might be too busy to complete a written survey. Thirdly, focus groups is the group of people who provide information of in a focused discussion. These type of data collection allows the research to find the data they need quickly and easily.

This is an example of Data-Collection Sample Click Here

Additionally, it pleased me that I learnt how to create my own brushes in Adobe Illustrator. I realized that, these brushes that I created it might help me later on the semester to create my Action Research theme and design. At the end of the week, I submitted an e-learning application report about Soft Chalk Software and how to integrate and implement it in Education. I recommended to use this software in school for several reasons. Soft chalk is software to create online lessons or course that can be simply viewed using internet browser or any learning management system. Also it allows teachers to produce educational games and HTML documents for publishing on the web easily. I strongly believe that this tool allows a teacher to create an active learning environment . Jonassen (2006:21) suggested that “when a Mindtools is being used, knowledge is constructed not provided by the teacher”. Furthermore, teachers can use a wide range of interactive elements that Soft Chalk Lesson Builder provides for teachers such as Flash Cards and Crossword Puzzles. Furthermore, it allows teachers to create worksheets, quizzes, reports, presentation, etc and apply it an e-learning environment.

Reference

Jonassen, D. (2006). Modeling with Technology, Mindtools for Conceptual Change. New Jersey: Pearson

On Wednesday, I observed Miss Maryanne when she used Elluminate to communicate with Miss Bree Reynolds who is a science teacher from USA to know more about her experiences in teaching and how she integrate technology in her teaching process.

Miss Bree teaches chemistry, life science and physical science. I believe that she is a role model in integrating technology in teaching. She used different hardware such as Smart board, Wii Mote, wireless keyboard, Play Station Portable (PSP) and desktops. Furthermore, Miss Bree used different software to create effective teaching resources. Miss Bree gave us different examples about using technology. She used Movie Maker to create animation video about the cell. Additionally, she used PowerPoint to create posters. I believe on Miss Bree thought that teacher should use a variety of activities in the classroom to engage students. Kyriacou (2001, 19) stated that ‘‘A variety of activities also provides pupils with an opportunity to learn in different ways and thereby to build up and develop the skills to do so effectively’’.

Miss Bree teach about 87 students from 9 – 12 grade. She divide the students in group which she believe that it help the students to collaborate together effectively and it make it for her to monitor and manage them. Hebden and Mason stated (2003, 25) that ''groups work also allows pupils to work on different activities at the same time and frees the teacher to work with particular groups at the different times to check pupils are on task”.

Moreover, Miss Bree integrate technology in students’ projects. She create different video animation using Movie Maker about cell project. Furthermore, it pleased me that she care about the students who are absent, she uses virtual labs for them to complete their work. Additionally, teacher use different collaboration tools which is blog to allows the students to post questions, comments, projects and about their interest in a class community. Also, I noticed that she use different educational games to allows students to understand about different topic related to their subject. I noticed form Miss Bree that she has some experience in dealing with special need students and she creates for them different activities to suit their level. Moreover, teacher should choose projects which suit the students’ interest. I believe that after this interview I learnt different teaching thoughts and ideas which will help me in my teaching in the future.