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?