Reflection Journal (Week 6)

       Hi everyone. Good Day. Today, I am here to share about my this week teaching and learning process for Technology and Maths Education class. My friends and I managed to learn a lot of things in this week lesson or class. 

       Our lecturer, Mr. Tan started the class by greeting us good morning. After that, he begin the lesson for today's class. Today, he taught us Lecture 5 which was was about 'Academic Software for Mathematics Learning'. For introduction part, he explained to us on the purpose or objective of learning this chapter or topic which is to educate the students whom are the future educators about the application of academic software in teaching and learning process. After that, he also explained to us about academic software or educational software in detail. For example, what is academic software or educational software in detail. Educational software is computer software, the primary purpose of which is teaching or self-learning.

       Next, he also explained to us in detail on the examples of educational software which are Courseware and Edutainment. Courseware is a term that combines the words 'course' with 'software'. Its meaning originally was used to describe additional educational material intended as kits for teachers or trainers or as tutorials for students, usually packaged for use with a computer. Meanwhile, edutainment in a broader sense, the term edutainment describes an intentional merger of computer games and educational software into a single product (and could therefore also comprise more serious titles described above under children’s learning software).

         Besides that, our lecturer also taught us on the importance of educational software in teaching and learning process that takes place in a classroom. The importance are as follows:

1. Enable students to become more effective independent learners.

2. Enable students to collect information that otherwise would have been impossible, time-consuming, or costly. 

3. Enable students to experience with the changing aspects of a model like increasing or or lowering interest rates. 

4. Enable disabled learners (slow learners) succeed herein. 

       After that, he gave us a break for 15 minute to relax our mind and at the same time, to brainstorm or recall back on what he have taught so far. After the 15 minutes of break,  he continued his lesson by explaining to us on some of the main advantages of using educational software in teaching and learning process that takes place in a classroom. The advantages are are as follows:

1. Children control their own learning experience, the pace at which they learn and how challenged they are.

2. Computers help children to use all of their senses to extract information.

3. Children learn through creating and utilizing hands-on knowledge.
4. Computers help children develop a positive attitude towards technology.

5. Computers are beneficial in developing children’s fundamental skills (i.e. letters, numbers, colors, shapes, rhythm, cause and effect, problem solving, procedural thinking, creativity). 

6. Computers are really beneficial to children who have speech, audio or motor limitations because they act as a patient tutor allowing the child to learn at his own pace.

7. Computers can teach self-confidence and self-esteem.

8. Computers can teach social skills. 

       After that, he continued explaining to us in detail on ' Academic Software' by using the notes provided by the course leader in the PDF form. He explained to us in detail on the types of 'Academic Software'  which are:

1. Authoring Systems.

2. Desktop Publishing.

3. Graphics Software.

4. Paint Programs.

5. Draw Programs.

6. Imaging Software.

7. Editing Software.

8. Problem- Solving Software.

Paint Program

       Furthermore, he also taught us about the  periodic table of educational technology tools where all the educational tools are organized in a simple graphic.

       Lastly, before he ends the class of the day, he explained to us on the disadvantages of educational software which are:

1.  Software needs to be carefully chosen in order to ensure that what is holding your child’s attention is also educating them at the same time.

2.   Some software doesn’t make it obvious that it has no educational value.

3.  It is rare to find a school that has enough computers for every student, thus scheduling can become problematic.

4.  It is difficult to get a student’s attention whenever they are on the computer.

5. Muscular-skeletal injuries and vision problems can arise whenever students spend too much time using the computer. 

       In terms of my assignment progress, I have started doing my assignment once my lecturer has explained about it to me in detail in the previous class. I have created my blog which is the first requirement for this assignment and I have posted about myself, my goals and philosophy in life that defines the standard of me being myself being an individual in my profession in future. So far, I have no problem in doing my assignment as my lecturer have explained well about it to me in the classroom. However, I had a slight problem in learning how to use the blog because I have no experience of creating a blog and use it before.

       As a conclusion, I and my friends learned a lot of important information regarding ' Educational Software' which is important for every future educators like us to know. Therefore, today's lesson was very beneficial to us and at the same time, it was interesting as well. Before I end, I would like to share a few videos on 'Educational Software'. Please do watch the videos in order to get a better understanding about ' Educational Software'.This is all from me. Thank you.