My Reflection

This is the first time for me to have an opportunity to learn using social networking. At the beginning I was stressed and worried because it was the first time for me. After a while I felt better because my instructors (Dr. Jing Lie and Leigh) and my classmates encouraged me by posting comments on my blog postings. My knowledge of social networking has changed a lot because I have learned about it through real practice and I now deeply understand what it is. "Learning by doing" is very true in this experience.

I chose "Wikis" as the topic for my blog. I had the opportunity to study about Wikis in depth. I wrote  14 articles about Wikis on my blog which were based on my real-life experiences. I used Wikis with my students in the classroom as a tool for searching for information and seeking answers to their questions. In addition, I also conducted "classroom action research" because I wanted to know more deeply about the advantages of Wikis and the users' satisfaction towards them. The result revealed that Wikis have a lot of advantages to facilitate the students to search for knowledge and the students and parents were very satisfied with the experience.

Even though I studied about Wikis, I had additional opportunities to learn about various technological learning tools through my classmates' blog postings. It helped me learn more about the things I've never known before. Every blog posting has had great value for me to fulfill my knowledge about technological tools for education. I'm always happy to read comments from my classmates. Although we didn't know each other in person, I felt as if we had been friends for a long time. I am sad to leave everyone behind. My instructors and my classmates will always be in my heart forever. I am confident that we all will create great things for the students. Although we have only worked with a small group of children, the knowledge we have acquired can be of great benefit to students around the world and can help to create competency around the globe in the future to come.


Thank you to Dr. Jing Lie, Leight and all my classmates for encouraging and inspiring me. I hope to see all of you again one day.

Love,
Wilairat Phermphoonboon

Good Bye My Wiki Friends! I won't forget you!

For the almost three and a half months that I've created and maintained my blog, I have chosen 'Wikis' as my topic. This experience has enhanced my understanding of what a 'Wikis' is. At the same time I have used 'Wikis' in my teaching and learning, and real life situations as well. You may see examples of my work from my previous blog postings. I was not only a 'Wikis' guide for my students, but also for my colleagues and parents as well. This is a part of my "classroom action research". The result of using 'Wikis' for teaching and learning revealed great benefits and everybody was very satisfied with the resulting information.

I am looking forward to seeing how 'Wikis' progress in the future. I think 'Wikis' will develop a lot and our comments will continue to help create useful information for the world to use. Although we only contribute one comment at a time, each comment carries great meaning for the advancement of collective information, the same as a drop of water in the ocean.

Thank you everybody for visiting, sharing ideas and commenting on my blog posting.  I have learned more about 'Wikis' from your comments and have enjoyed this shared experience with all of you. Although we live in various parts of the world we can communicate with each other in real-time due to the benefit of 'Wikis, which helps to facilitate the sharing of information the world over.

All the best.  Goodbye.

Happy Loy Krathong!

"Loi" means "to float" and a "krathong" is traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate in a few a days and be eaten by fish and other animals. The traditional banana stalk krathongs are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are frowned on, since they are polluting and may take years to disappear. Regardless of the composition, a krathong will be decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks. A low value coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits.

During the night of the full moon, Thais will float their krathong on a river, canal or a pond lake. The festival is believed to originate in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Today it is simply a time to have fun."

The above information I searched from http://www.wikipedia.com/. It's very easy and save the time. In the past I had to go to the library and took a long time to search for the information. Sometimes I was very serious because I couldn't find it. Although I could find it but I had to write it down or photocopy. At present I've just click ed http://www.wikipedia.com/ , there are a lot of information around the world.

Last week (on the 21st November) it was Loy Krathong Festival in Thailand. Thai people were very happy to go to Loy Krathong. It means they would recognize the advantages of the water and deliverd bad luck into the river. My school organized Loy Krathong Festival in the school for the students to recognize and inherit Thai festival. We mocked a pond and let the students float Krathong on it. The students were very excited and happy. I saw the smile on thier faces when they saw their teachers, their classmates and their parents dressing in Thai style and participated in Loy Krathong Parade. More over our foreign teachers from the English Program and English Native Speaker Program dressed in Thai style and paticipated to this parade as well.

Personnally, I think although at the present time it is the world of technology but we should preserve the nation's festivals and traditions at the same time. If we can integrate both of them and teach our students to recognize the importance of own fectivals and traitions. This  example that I want to share with you about how to inegrate both of them. I searched information about Loy Krathong form http://www.wikipedia.com/ and I had a lot of information to tell my students about the history of Loy Krathing. In addition, I assigned my students to make a bulletin board at the back of their classrooms about Loy Krathong festival.

My students were happy to create their own work and be proud of them. They used http://www.wikipedia.com/  as a choice to search for knowledge. The reachers can ask the students discuss and share opinion about the inforamtion that they searched which will lead to analytical thinking.

Have you ever had experience about Loy Krathong festival? If yes, share your experience with us. If no, go to http://www.wikipedia.com/ and you will know what it is or come to Thailand during Loy Krathong Festival. You will be fun and amazing !!

My New English Program Campus

I'm excited because our English Program Campus is going to move to Rama II, Phuntai Norasing District. It will be better for us because there will be wider area available, a cleaner environment than overcrowded central Bangkok and complete with facilities ranging from modern music rooms to olympic sports stadiums. The students are looking forward to studying at a fresh new campus.

Last week my teacher talked to us about the new campus. She described the new modern things being developed there. It made me imagine that I am going to be studying in a new world. Everything is waiting for us there such as modern technology, buildings, green space etc.

At the end of the period, she asked us one question. "Who knows about the history of Rama II, Phuntai Norasing District ?" she asked. Everybody was quiet because we couldn't answer at that time. "Tomorrow we will talk about the history of Rama II, Phuntai Norasing District. You will have to search for the information and present it in front of the class tomorrow."she said. I am excited to know the history of the area surrounding my new campus.

That day I went home and told my mother "Mother, please help me!, I have to search for the history of Rama II, Phuntai Norasing District". "Don't worry. Wikis can help you." she answered. "Come and let's search together".

It was unbelievable! There is a lot of information flowing like water from the tap. I enjoyed reading it. Tomorrow I will share the information  about Rama II, Phuntai Norasing District eagerly with my classmates. Thank you Wikis. You helped me a lot!

What a Fast Growing Technology!

I have had teaching experience for 28 years. When I began to be a teacher in 1992, there was no technology to support teaching and learning. I learnt pedagogy from university that related to teaching and learning and evaluation and assessment. In addition, I learned how to wrtie lesson plans and  how to create teaching tools as well.

In the past I had to create teaching aids by hand. I had to cut paper, glue, color etc. I liked to create them and was happy to create them. I used to go in the "Teaching Aid Creation" competition and won the contest many times. I also used these teaching aids in my teaching and they made my students understand the content more deeply and could fill the problem gaps. The outcomes of my students from these materials made me proud of myself as a part of the students' success.

At present, everything has changed rapidly because of globalization. Technology has played an important role in education within a short period of time. It's unbelievable, over the period of my life everything has changed a lot. Teacher-made teaching materials have become out of date and replaced by technological tools.

In summary, I would like to say that "teachers of globalization should adapt themselves with the rapidly changing world. Personally, I have undertaken to adapt myself by using tecnology as a tool to facilitate teaching and learning. Wikis is one of tools that I favour to use it to search for information and I guide my students to use Wikis to search for knowledge as well.

Why "Artificial Grass" doesn't grow?

The following is based on a true story from my school last week:

The first day of the second semester came. The students were very happy to see their friends and teachers again. They came to school earlier than on other days. The children were very excited about changes happening in the basketball court area of our school. Only three weeks ago the basketball court disappeared to be replaced by "Green Artificial Grass". It looked very beautiful. The children ran and played with enjoyment. Some boys fell down, but their knees were not hurt. They were amazed with the wonderful grass.

I saw some boys somersaulting and relaxing on the grass. I thought they might  imagine that this field belonged only to them. I saw a doubt inside the young children's eyes.  One student walked up to me, touched my hands, turned his face upwards and asked "Miss Wilairat: Why does the grass grow so quickly within three weeks? My father waters a grass field at my home every day but the grass is not as green as here. "It's artificial grass, not real grass so it cannot grow and we don't need to cut it", I answered. This is the answer I could think of at the time. However it didn't help the young boy understand clearly. That boy stared at me in wonder and walked away.

"How should I explain to my young students about the difference between "artificial grass and real grass"? If I bring them to search in Wikis, I'm not sure if they will understand or not. During the last 15 years, I've taken them to search in encyclopedias for kids. I wonder "Are there Wikis for young kids? Can you share this information with me please?

Why....Monkey Cheeks??

Miss Piyanuch, my dear colleague told me about her lovely experience with her students. She told me that last Tuesday evening  she  taught Grade 4 students about living things around them. She asked the students the question: "What is your favorite animal?" All students were eager to answer the questions: "I like dogs. I like cats. I like birds. I like dinosaurs....." Most of the students answered the questions except Chuwit whose face looked very thoughtful. She decided to ask him the same question " Chuwit, what is your favorite animal?" Chuwit stood up suddenly and answered "I like snakes but I have a question in my mind?" Miss Piyanuch responded "Please ask your question, Chuwit?" Finally he asked shyly "Why does the King like the Monkey Cheeks?" All the students laughed.

Miss Piyanuch was nerveless for a while. First, she didn't think that a monkey is the King's favorite animal because she heard that the King loves Tongdaeng (his dog). Finally she decided to ask Chuwit "Why do you think the King likes monkeys?" He answered "I often heard the King mention monkeys.Yesterday I watched a TV news program. The King talked about the Monkey Cheeks and flood". 

At last Miss Piyanuch understood at once why Chuwit thought that "the King likes monkeys". She realized suddenly that to fulfil Chuwit's understanding about "The Monkey Cheeks Project (Kaem Ling)" she must explain further. (Kaem Ling Project initiated by His Majesty the King is a drainage work from upper area through the canal southwards to a large storage canal near seashore.)

Would you please introduce tools for Miss Piyanuch to help Chuwit? Don't answer "Wikis" because it is my answer.

Please help Doraemon! It is hurt!

Young children have the world of imagination. Their world of imagination and real world overlap each other. Sometimes young children cannot separate which one is true or which one is imagination.

Last week I asked my students to tell their activities during a long holiday to their classmates. I heard one student said "I bought a whale and fed it in my house." Another boy said "I went to the zoo. I saw a mother dragon was giving birth." When his friends asked "How many baby dragons are there?"He answered "Fourteen!".

A week later, I assigned the students to write a passage "My Favorite Cartoon Character". First, I talked to them about their favorite cartoons. Later, I guided them to search for information about those cartoons from Wikis and search link from Wiki references. Finally, the students presented in front of the class.

After I assigned this task, I overheard my students talking about their favorite cartoons. It's funny. One student said "I've thought that Superman was a  human but in fact it is just a cartoon." Another student said "I won't cry anymore when Doraemon was hurt because it is only a cartoon character."

It seems my imagination will be absorbed by my students. I may have to search like my students "Is Wiki true? or It's just a cartoon character like Doraemon!!".

Wiki....A Tool for Facilitating Mother

I am happy to be a primary teacher. The nature of primary students are eager to learn new things. Each day I have to answer my students' innocent questions e.g. Why is an elephant bigger than a pig? Where are aliens? Why does my grandmother have grey hair? etc. I enjoy answering their questions and my students are happy to listen me explain about amazing stories. I do not forget to add details, tips and tricks to fulfill the answers. Wiki is my best friend at this time. I do not need to go to the library, just click Wikis, the answers will stampede like water flowing from a tap. It makes me feel more confidence to talk to my students.

As a class teacher, I have to meet parents on "Open Day" every semester. Most parents who attended the meeting were "mothers". During the meeting we exchanged opinions each other about students' behaviors, students and online games, teaching and learning etc. The highlight of the meeting that day was "homework is too much". One mother lifted her hand and said  "Last week a Social studies teacher assigned the students to do the report about "Sukothai.. the ancient capital of Thailand" I have to help my son to search for the information with tear". All mothers agreed because they were serious and could not facilitate their sons as well.

At the meeting, I walked in front of the class and said "Mother! Listen to me!I can help you." I showed how to search for information, how to select and how to guide their children from Wikis. I saw smiles on the mothers' faces. Before they went home, one mother walked to me and whispered "Thank you Miss Wilairat to introduce Wikis!  Wikis help me go to bed early".

That day I went home with smile and had a good dream. Thank you "Wikis" again to make my life enjoyable.

It's not me....... to make Bangkok flood !

Last week Grade 6 students studied creative art lesson. The teacher assigned them to create things from  their own imagination. If you come into this classroom, don't be frightened because there are various kinds of objects e.g. dinosaurs, spaceships, robots, buffaloes. I like to visit this room and feel appreciated to these creative students' work.

One morning, when I passed this room, I saw a group of students spraying silver colour on their artifacts. I understood at once that it was a robot who destroys the world. Another group was moulding a cray house. A few seconds later, the students from this group walked to watch the robot. After they watched it carefully, one of the students said " You make Bangkok flood!". A quarrel started and it seemed not to finish. I interrupted them with a question "What happened?" Each student scrambled to explain. I stopped the evidence by ordering "Let's continue your work and we will discuss this issue the next period".

Next period, I posted the topic for discussion "The Affect of Spray to the Environment". Super Robot Group argued that flood was not related to spray. Another group insisted that the spray has an affect to flood because they watched the documentary from television. It said that "spray make the world hotter one degree censius. It results polar ice melt and Bangkok will be flood in the future. Discussion was continuing for a while but the contents that the students discuss seemed to be opinions than facts. I decided to tell the students to leave this discussion and assigned them to search for more information from "Wiki" and discussed later. I didn't forget to remind them to consider the information carefully that it comes from facts  based on scientific principle or opinions.

One week later, each group well prepared the information to present in class. I noticed that most information were reliable without opinions and based on scientific principle. Each group could present in step covering every side.  The argument was also discussed based on scientific principle. At the end, Super Robot Group showed "a spray can" to class and read its mixtures loudly with a slide on the projector. The slide showed the affect of chemical substances that resulted to global warming from "Wiki". Now my students understand each other. Thank you Wiki!

Help! A Nuclear Power Plant is growing in my Backyard!

Last week, Preecha (one of my students) told me that he overheard adults discussing the nuclear power plant which is being built behind their village. A lot of officers came with instruments for surveying the area. The adults seemed to be worried about the danger of nuclear reaction. Preecha asked me whether that was true or not. He asked, “If it was true, why would the government still build them?” I had never researched this, so I couldn't answer my student.

The next day, we brought  up this issue for discussion in the class to help clarify my student's doubt and my own. Every student was excited because they imagined about the reactions in their heads. The students were divided into groups to search for the information about advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear Power Plants as well as the need to build them. The students were assigned to search for information via the "wikis".

A few days later, a lot of information about Nuclear Power Plants were gushing from the students who were eager to learn more deeply. Every student participated in the discussion by presenting various perspectives about the necessity of electrical energy in their daily life. There were two different perspectives amongst my students. The first group thought that nuclear power plants are the safest and cheapest at this time. The second group focused on the problems that might come after the nuclear material has been used. Although it was a significant word from wikis "Three Mile Island accident" and "Chernobyl disaster" but I concluded that Preecha was worried that "If it  happens, how will his family and neighbours cope?".

I am now considering whether I'm going to encourage my students to oppose Nuclear Power Plants or not. I can lay the blame with "wikis"for  leading my students to search for a wide range of different information.

This is an example of a clip from "wikis" that one group of my students presented in front of the class. I felt dreadful when I watched it. Let's watch it and tell me what do you think?

When Archimedes run naked and called out "wikis wikis!”

I  have opportunity to know various perspectives of the visitors who visited my blog. These opinions are great benefit for me. The issue is about advantages and disadvantages of wiki.  We are going to discuss further about them.

Have you ever assigned the students to search for knowledge from wiki and reported in front of the class? You may be seen that sometimes the information was not direct to the information that we have known before. An obvious example is about “the biography of significant”. Sometimes the owner of those significant had to correct his/her biography because it was not correct. The question is “Does wiki good or no good?”

Disadvantage of wiki: If the students only shallow search for information without considering carefully that there is “a note” from wiki that indicates that some information is during the process of reviewing, they may use incorrect information. Even though in case of the students may not consider the credibility of the references as well.

Advantage of wiki: It is a good starting point that allows the students to search for knowledge from wiki and  the students can link to various sources. We should thank www. because when we search for knowledge from www. ,it seems we enter “ Alice in Wonderland “.  We are enjoyable, exciting and be able to discuss or add the information from wiki. If Archimedes was born at present time, he was not necessary to soak in the bathtub and naked run with shouting Eureka! Eureka! He has just sat in front of the computer; there is a lot of information gushingly from around the world. Archimedes will run to the King and shout “wiki! Wiki! instead of  “Eureka! Eureka!”

We are the teacher of the globalization world. Do we want our students to be “Archimedes” for tomorrow?

The answer is at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes

Big Bang and Earthworms from the Backyard

Nowadays the advance of the technology is going rapid. From one generation, there is a lot of  change. If teachers cannot keep up, they become out-of-date. besides, the role of the teachers to be an expert and a leader in their subject areas. Otherwise he/she will be learning simultaneously with the students.

Just a small phrase of  Wikis  "the free encyclopedia "is the announcement of the revolution of the learning world. During the last 5 years,  educational institutions in Thailand including my school "Assumption College" had to spend a lot of money to buy encyclopedias in order that the students could search for knowledge. However,  the limited budget meant the school could not provide enough encyclopedias for all the students. It did not include underprivileged schools which looked  forward to  receiving the encyclopedias as donation from charity organizations.

However, the schools where  finance is available are able to support the best and most up -to-date set of encyclopedias for the students. Unfortunately, the contents from these encyclopedias were outdated because it took at least five year publishjng. This means that the information and knowledge does not  come from  events of the previous 5 years. The question is "How can the students learn new events?"

Wikis, the free encyclopedia is not only the knowledge assigned by the teachers  to search for knowledge but also the students can take part in improving, developing or writing new titles. The students may not able to search for knowledge about the Big Bang, but who will know that  "the earthworms that are dug by the students from the backyard and may be a  new specie who can create great benefits for mankind in the future years. This  is the role of the teachers nowadays!!

The Biggest Library is in Your Home!

Many parents always complain that their children are always in front of the computer. Actually it is true because  a lot of children spend most of their time each day by sitting in front of the computer. More than a half of that time is playing games. These games are the games for creating knowledge or increasing aggressive behaviors  to the children.

 

Parents and teachers are the persons who are closed to the children. They have time to be with them in each day. So they should have important roles to encourage the children to aware themselves when they use the computer.  Wikis is a choice that is appropriate during this time because computers  and their equipments are not too expensive. hi-speed internet is also widely serviced with reasonable price.

Teachers are able to assign the students to search for knowledge via the Internet.  Wikis is a tool for searching for knowledge. The teachers may assign them to do the activities with their parents by presenting knowledge and add the contents on the Wikis.   In addition, they can create new contents on Wikis. It is not only to create the studetns' pride when they have roles to create knowledge for the social but also encourage their eagerness of learning through the assignment topic. Furthermore, it can build a good relationship within the family as well as it will encourage the parents to take part in searching for knowledge of their children.

Wikis is created for a simple usage. It is not too difficult for students and parents who are not familiar with it can learn how to use it. Importantly, the assignment should be suitable to  the individual student's background. The teachers should consider each student's  background and lifestyle e.g. Somsak's family are the owner of noodles and inherit the business from generation to generation. The teacher may assign him to do a report about  NOODLES . The contents may include the information about noodles from the experience of Somsak's family.
Finally, I hope the negative attitude about computer usage will be cahnged to "The children will use the computer to create knowledge by using the Wikis instead of playing games".

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