from my point of view...........

Our country, Malaysia’s education level, is very poor qualification compare to other countries. It is just because, lack of adequate training in the teaching of literature and limited exposure to literary texts in English. Here I can say that the only department or ministry that can overcome this problem is government. However, to make the government take action regarding this problem, we as the responsible citizen must find some ways to make the government realize of this problem. If not it will take time for them to realize of this problem and will take two times more to solve or overcome the problem. So that, we can raise out our unsatisfied and thoughts through newspapers or some articles. This will make the government to concern about it and take actions. There are some of the ideas should and can take by the government to solve this problem such as amplify the level of interviews for teachers. They should choose only the teachers that really qualified for the job and really have the capability by asking them some question which really bring up teachers IQ level in literature. Besides that we ministry of education must do a big exam on literature to measure and make sure the level of teachers understanding in that subject. If the teachers, fully understand of or about literature, than there is no way to face difficult in teaching literature. Besides that, they must able to clear all the doubts and conflicts that might ask by students. Before they enter the classroom, they must get prepared and fully cover all the topics and each part of the literature. Therefore, it will help the teachers and will avoid them from facing this kind of problems.

SIXTH POSTING- BLOG EXPERIENCE

Hello everyone. Welcome to my blogger again. This is my sixth and last posting regarding to this subject. In this posting, I need to explain about my experience on blog from the day I start posting and until this moment. Regarding to blog and based on my experience, I can say that blog is one of the base forms of a website. There are a lot advantages and benefits that I get by doing posting in blogger such as understand the requires of questions, the way to get information’s, improve my reading skills and improves my writing skills. Now I am going to explain briefly about the benefits that I get by posting in blog.

Firstly I want to explain about capability of understanding the require of questions and would say that blog improves my capability of understand the require of questions. Regarding to this subject, almost every week we are give assignments or questions. So that I need to read all the questions given and answer it. Sometimes I get confuse or unable to understand the require of the questions such as do not know the meaning of certain words or really do not know what is the requires of that question and how to answer it. In this type of situations, mostly what I will do is refer to dictionary, ask friends or ask lecturers. When I refer to dictionary, I get to know new words and its meaning. So when I do like that each week I learn many new words and able to remember it. Besides that when I ask or discuss about the questions to my friends or lecturers, I able to exchange many ideas and information’s. Therefore, it has made me to answer all my questions easily and confidently.
Secondly, I would like say that by doing blog I have learn the ways to get or find information’s to answer a question. Mostly if I want to get information regarding a question I will find it through books, internet and ask well-known persons. For this (blog) the way to get, information’s is still the same but I have learned a new way to find information. The way is still using internet but the place and procedures to get it is quite different. Here, what I’m trying to say is regarding my third posting where I have to get the information’s based on findings in Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang (PTSL) - electronic journal. My findings are based on few sites such as SCOPUS, EBSHOST and Pro Quest. I should click on the specific field and it will take to those references and click on the given space about the topic. Within few seconds, I able to get the information. Before this I never been heard and get information’s in this way. This is the first time I do it and I really enjoy it. Some more it helps me to get information for other subjects. Thank you for my beloved lecturer Datin.
Thirdly I want to explain about reading skills and would like to say that blog have improved my reading skills. Normally to answer a question we need search information’s from books or internet. After get information’s we have to make sure or confirm the correct information according to given questions. So, in this situation we have to read each information to write the right answer. When I do so, its help me to improve my reading skill. Some more, almost every week I have to do my blog so I need to read a lot of information’s for every week. By this, I get to know how to find the main ideas and points in a short time. Apart from that, I can improve my pronunciation of certain words and the way to skip unnecessary point’s elaboration. So that I no need to waste my time.

Lastly, I would like say that blog improves my writing skill and I want to explain about it. As what I mention before this from the first to third ways will be apply in this last step, which is writing. Almost every week I need to do assignments regarding blog. Therefore, I need to write about something for each week. When I do so, I can learn a lot mistakes that I done when writing. So that I can make correct and try to do a best or good writing. When I do it for every week, it becomes as a practise for me. We cannot deny that practises make us perfect so for sure it plays a role in my writing. Here, I have to say that I have actually improve my vocabulary skills and able to express my ideas and thoughts easily. As I know, people around me will read my posting in blogger. So when I’m doing my each posting I will keep it in my mind and come up with the best as far as I can do it. When I do like that I feel more confident and proud of myself.
Now I’m going to discuss or explain about the contains in a blog. I have to post something to make my blog interesting. So, if I want to edit or add some information in my posting was already published I can always edit it at anytime of the day. Apart from that, I can decorate my blog with variety of background, pictures and colours. I can add music, links and almost whatever I want in my page. However, at first I had difficulties on it. I did not know how to upload song into my blog. After several tries, I managed to get through with it. Blog offers option of enabling a comment field to posts where viewers or readers can actually give their own feedback. This comment-enabling section will not only make the viewer and readers to comment back on my work but at the same time it is giving me a great change to get to know them better on what they prefer in my blog.

I’m really enjoyed doing my blog. It’s very interesting but we have to spend our time to create a better blog. All this is a very good experience for me. Creating blog is really fun so I will ask my friends to create a blog. Blogs are free and the space given is unlimited. I can make as much as posts I want in my blog. It can be thousands or maybe millions, blog will still support it all. Besides that, I can even upload numbers of videos and images that I want. Here, definitely I can say that I will continue using my blog forever by posting interesting information that can be view by people of all ages. If not it’s waste to keep it without any changes. Many people have dreams or interest to create and possess own blog after read this can do it now. Blogs are the simplest to have and easy to create. Within few minutes, you can create it. All you need to do is to sign up to any of the blog providers such as Blogger, Word Press and Type pad. Just follow the 3 simple steps which is first- name the blog, second- choose the template where varieties of templates will be provided by the blog provider and third- start posting.

At last, I would like to say thanks to everyone who helped me in create a successful blog and especially to my respected and beloved Datin. I’m going to miss you. Thank you very much.

FIFTH POSTING : ONLINE TEST

Electronic Malaysian English Competency Test - Reading Test (Set 1)
Score: 23 out of 35 - 66%
Time Taken: 37m 45s


Online Quiz Results :: Kemahiran Asas ICT


Results Summary

Online Quiz Results :: Kemahiran Asas ICT
Your Score : 20/30
__________________________________________


Online Quiz Results Summary
Your #Attempts : 3
Total Class #Attempts : 639
Your Quiz Score : 20/30
Your Highest Score Ever : 41
Note: This may not be your final marks. Due to some of the subjective and semi-objective questions (short essay and fill in the blank).



TAKING ONLINE TEST (PERSONAL EXPERIENCE)

Welcome again to everyone on my fifth posting. This is about my results that I get in online test. After I get to know that, I need to attempt an exam I feel nervous especially online test. Before start doing the test, we were given some instruction regarding that test. The test where done by us called as Electronic Malaysian English Competency Test.
All of us were given forty-five minutes to complete the test. I feel really excited to do it. There are four passages were given in this test and there are thirty-five questions all together. All the questions are regarding the four passages. I have been sitting for online quiz once before this when I’m taking my car license. Therefore, it does not make me feel difficult to understand the procedures of the test. Here I can say clearly that taking online quiz is much better than manual or normal test. Taking test online serves you the infrastructure and facilities of Information and Communication Technology in depth.

Online test is really attractive and easy to revise compare to offline test. Mostly the online test is colourful and it has made the educators or students to give more attention on it. The amount of work and unattractive way of checking answers that were written on the paper - offline test, might not be that interesting for some educators. Apart from that, the results of online test obtained are very quick and it is easy. All you have to do is to submit your answers and within few seconds, you can see the results displayed on the screen. However, the offline test is not like that, it will take time to get our result. Some more it needs human energy to mark the papers. If we want to take offline test we need to travel up and down the street but we can take online test in anywhere around the world. All you need to do is just serve the internet and accessed to the address. By this, we can save time.

There is one important thing we need to do before enter or go into the online test. I can say that online test serves very good security features whereby you can keep your results or anything has to do in the page private and confidential without having anyone to look at it Online test require the users to come up with their passwords before taking the test. The passwords are meant to be key in the provided box by those who are taking the test. Others can’t take or do the test especially those who are not having the password. Besides that, we can get the details of a person who take the test by serve internet. If offline, we have to keep all the persons details and marks in paper.

Apart from that, online test has time frame stated in the screen. So when doing online test the system will set the time and will closed or end the test at the time even though we did not complete it. So that, students or anyone taking this test will stay focus and not get engrossed in their own world as what they did in the offline test. They won’t waste their time and fully will concentrate in test. By this, they may be able to get highest mark in test comparing to offline test. Online test too can develop the technology or computer level among students or others. In conclusion, in my point of view online test is much better than offline.

FOURTH POSTING - CONCORDANCE

Hi everybody. How you all doing? This is my fourth posting on this week and wish to welcome all of you again to my blogger. On this week, my lecture has given the fourth task. Regarding it I need to discuss an article with my partner which is about “Beyond Concordance Lines: Using Concordances to Investigate Language Development” from our OTL book by Arshad Abdul Samad from University Putra Malaysia.


I need to do this assignment with one of my partner and I was done it with Allimalar. The article is about and mainly discuss about the importance of concordance. Besides that it too discuss about the benefits using software’s such as Wordsmith and Microconcord which help us in analyzing language specifically words and grammatical order which is useful for students and teachers. Concordance is software that is used to make a concordance. The listing of certain words in a row means concordance in our opinion. Concordance makes it easier for us because it will only list down the words that we want in an alphabetical order. In addition, the words can be seen clearly without any complications.

According to Schmitt (2002:34), using a corpus in language learning language captures students in a whole new way instead of making them just memorizing rules of English, as what it has been done all this while. Many studies have been done regarding concordance and how it helps but the one that is discussed in detail in this chapter is English of Malaysian School Students (EMAS) corpus, which was investigated by researchers from University Putra Malaysia (UPM), on language development using language production and lexical variety. EMAS corpus was collected in 2002 and it consists of almost half a million words in the form essays written by 800 students from year 5, form 1 and form 4. Topics that were selected were based on the amount of language certain topics could take. This is why narration topics were taken because students were expected to write better based on the things that they were familiar.

Now I’m going to discuss about concordance more deeply. Concordancer is software that is used to make a concordance. In my opinion, concordance is the listing of certain words in a row. Concordance makes it easier for us because it will only list down the words that we want in an alphabetical order and the words can be seen clearly. If we look by the side of language learning, there are numerous articles regarding to the subject of concordance. We can understand concordance and the application of it easily if an article constructed in simple English. But if the article is constructed in complicated English then difficult to understand concordance and the application of it. Concordance is something that is best to be mastered by students especially language students due to the fact that Concordancer can provide many answers regarding the usage of any language. Here I can say that Language play main role in the application of concordance. Serve it to know more : http://www.bhashaindia.com/Patrons/LanguageTech/Textanalysis.aspx

Now I’m going to give a brief explanation regarding content analysis. Regarding to my search content analysis is known as textual analysis. Content analysis is divided into two forms, which is conceptual analysis and relational analysis. Conceptual analysis shows the number of words that is occurred within a text and then gets it recorded. The text should be coded or break down into convenient content categories. Relational analysis builds on conceptual analysis by groping the relationships among concepts in a text. In the process of identifying the words or phrases, the main step that should take is to see which word is analyzed and how the word is used in the particular text. Content analysis focuses on the basic form of certain words. Relationship between words and concepts are looked into profundity, as in how does a word acts in the particular phrase. There are few steps in the content analysis. The first thing that you should be doing is to describe the area that need to be studies, secondly select the media that will be used for the data either relational analysis or conditional analysis. Thirdly, choose the category and then count either the presence or absence of the particular category and after that places them accordingly into one category. Content analysis is very good way to analyze words, phrases or even sentences. There is a link to let you know more about it :

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/socio/kuechler/341/f95/caho.html

THIRD POSTING - IMPACTS OF USING ICT AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Hello everyone! This is my third posting which discusses about the impact of using ICT and wireless technology in few aspects. What is ICT stand for? Did you all know that? For your information ICT stand for INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY .For this posting I have choose a topic which sound as THE IMPACT OF USING ICT AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION. On this week I want to give brief information about this task. All the information’s were I get for this task is based on my findings were done at Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang (PTSL) - electronic journal. My findings are based on few sites such as SCOPUS, EBSHOST and Pro Quest. Before I start my description more deeply I want to explain the meaning of each words in my topic.

What is the meaning of IMPACT? According to Longman Dictionary Contemporary English, (THIRD EDITION, 2001) IMPACT is clarified as the effect or influence that an event. USING is clarified as when you use something or you do something with it for a purpose. While I cannot identify the meaning of ICT using dictionary. But I have fined the meaning of this word by using online. Below I have jotted about it:

Based on online search, ICT has a lot of definitions. So I have post a link here. Click the link and you will get definition of this word. http://searchciomidmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci928405,00.html.

But to make you easier I written some of the meaning of this word. ICT is defined as an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, or libraries. The importance of ICTs lies less in the technology itself than in its ability to create greater access to information and communication in underserved populations. Many countries around the world have established organizations for the promotion of ICTs, because it is feared that unless less technologically advanced areas have a chance to catch up, the increasing technological advances in developed nations will only serve to exacerbate the already-existing economic gap between technological "have" and "have not" areas. Here, I can conclude that ICT is related to the technology and it plays a big role in the society. If we look closer and according to some researches almost each single thing we do now is depending on the technology. In this era, ICT is necessary and it’s hard to survive our life without it.

As I mention earlier, now I want to discuss about the impact of using ICT in education. Regarding to education, ICT helps the students a lot and in many ways. There are many subjects were offer to students and ICT benefits a lot in each subject. So that, with the knowledge that I have according this and according to some websites that I have worked on, I want to give a little bit of explanation about the effects.

In this century, ICT has connected to the teaching that makes the teaching process become more interesting. In the past, teaching process was done by depending to the text books, note books and teachers capability. In the other hand the teachers teach the students by just using a blackboard and cannot take any information’s from the Internet. This situation makes the students knowledge about it is very limited. All they can do is to teach them with by using just paper and notes. But nowadays the teaching process are totally different some more after the ICT. The changes in education after ICT are the calculation such as using graphic calculator, forget notes using Internet and for experiment using the high technology lab gadgets. Besides that, images and graphics can be showed to students because of ICT. By this no one cannot deny that nowadays teaching, including or linked to the technologies that has made teaching more easily.

But now the most popular and easiest way to get information about education is Internet. Through the Internet, the students can access world wide information’s which helps them in their studies. Apart from that Internet too help the students communicate with their coachers if got any doubt regarding their subjects or education. All the networks are provides resources to the users. This type of learning and teaching strategies make the students more interested in studies and might be more active, participate and collaboration in this field. It helps them to perform much better in their studies. Besides that, the ICT can make the teachers to perform better lessons, assessment tools, and useful information’s and lab exercises. With the technological skills in education we able to make the students closer to education and expand their knowledge in study area. Regarding to Internet, the electronic mail (email) is also one of the impacts of using ICT in education. Everyone in this world used email to contact or chatting with a person and it makes everything possible. As we all know a lot of assignments were done by students are sent using the email. The uses of email save the students time and money where no need to spend in printing. For this, the example is our own where we just post all our answers for the work were given by our beloved Datin by online.


Nowadays we can say that, most of the classrooms in each school are uses ICT such as computer and data projector. This situation proves the impact of ICT in education and helps the lessons to be more efficient and attractive. We can also see the impact of using ICT through the student’s participation and involvements in class or group works. Along that, the Internet is increasingly being used in teaching and used more frequent by the students to get source of information.

At these days, the other impact of using ICT that we can hear and see clearly is distance learning. Even though distance learning gives benefits to some people but it is still giving problem to teachers and students. For example, a study on distance learning in United Kingdom articulates several problems which involve high cost of expenses, level of skills required and the challenging patterns of styles required. Here, the students are compared to the electronic pets (Tamagotchi’s) that required constant and labor-intensive care (Miller et al 2001).

Other than that, the use of ICT can be seen by the usage of laptop. Through the laptop a person can do his or her work at any place and any time. Furthermore it’s easy to access to the Internet at any time with wireless connection. These types of facilities are found by the ICT and it makes our life easier when the laptops can be connected to the projector easily. In this century, wireless technology become very familiar and created a very big impact. References on this information can be viewed at the websites below. For this third posting I just can explain until here. I hope by reading this some of you will get some knowledge regarding the topic that I have been chosen. Thank you and don’t forget to take a look on the links:



http://www.infomuworld.com/smpp/content
http://www.scopus.com/scopus/record/display.url?view=basic&eid=2-s2.0-

http://www.springerlink.com/content/pq66400qh831n143/fulltext.html

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Second Posting : Computer Assisted Writing

Hi there. This is week nine of our lecture and as usual the assignment for this week is regarding to computer assisted writing. According to Longman Dictionary, edition 1987, Computer Assisted writing is clarified as about the writing and the computer, whereby to show the connection between both of them .

In the past writing have been done by using papers and pencils. But nowadays it’s not like that were most of the writing, reading and listening are depending on Computer .So now I’m going to give my opinions or share some knowledge were I have regarding the computer assisted writing. Writing is the last process to identify the best or successful writer. The writing skills in computer are much better compare to hand writing. However there are some steps were have to work out to create a good or quality writing. Writing is one of the skill or way to express our thought or ideas. Most of the people are able to express their ideas, experience and thought by wording but not by writing. Therefore there are some steps or stages were we have to practise. Actually writing (hand writing) is one of the activity or practise to improve our memory power and as a revision to us. But how many people are preferred to do that? They are getting tired on making a lot of writing.

In this era no one can defend that computer has improved or give impact in writing and especially in computer assisted writing. In coming day’s computer will play role as a coacher. The main file or programme regarding to writing is Microsoft Word. An effective writing curriculum, encouraging early language production and providing us with opportunities to connect writing and can success in writing through the use of a word processor.

The second thing to be well in computer assisted writing is revising. The more we write the more experience we will get in writing and it is one of the way to be well in writing. Revise is the key to exact in writing. With word processing, however, it is the learner who exerts control both in using the computer and learning to write. The word processor was designed for revising and manipulating language. For inexperienced writers (who tend to make corrections at the word level), proofreading is easier on the computer. As writers become more experienced, they tend to make more complex changes. Even a beginner can use the delete, strikeover, and insert functions to make simple changes. Later, with a brief period of practice, more complex changes, such as changing the order of the sections in a paper or adding passages written in another draft, can be made. Ideally, free writing also can be done at the computer. This would encourage students to engage in learning and self-discovery rather than to focus upon the mechanics of exact writing. The word processor can release the writer from restraints that inhibit the free flow of words and ideas. Students can feel free to take risks in their writing because they see that they can always change their minds.

Concepts presented in the first draft can be examined for clarity and sufficient elaboration. Additional information can be added, if necessary, to make ideas more concrete. Finally, the text can be checked for minor errors and punctuation. Most teachers and students were not convinced that the benefits of the revision process were worth the time-consuming mechanics of repeated writing. Students were often apprehensive of even beginning to put their thoughts down on paper because of the work and time involved in making corrections.

The word processor has helped realize the advantages offered in process writing. Rewriting and revising are allowed to be the cognitive processes they should be, rather than being dominated by the mechanical aspects of actually putting words down on paper. Students learn to approach their writing errors from a different point of view by struggling to understand what causes problem phrases, sentences, or paragraphs.

Besides revising and editing, another benefit of using a word processor is that multiple copies can be printed for reading in peer-editing groups. Final copies can be displayed on a writing bulletin board or in a collection of writings, without any student's work showing to a disadvantage because of poor handwriting. And the additional benefit to the student is having an audience other than the teacher.

According to computer assisted writing there are given few activities and can be viewed at the given websites :http://www.usd.edu/dwp/activities/featurestory1.html.This activities are teach us how to start writing a good essay. It tell us about many things such as analyse a issue were choosed,how to star,how to edit and the tips on writing an essay. We can study some tips were given to get more idea about it. The other part of it would be the essay types. In this category, it explains how to write a particular essay effectively. After clicking to this link, several types of essays are displayed and we are able to choose one based on our choice. The points given are very straight forward whereby in other words it is understandable. It does not only explain about how to write but also give appropriate approach that students can practice in their writing.There are some other links were I post,such as :
http://www.essay%20writing.com and http://www.writingactivity.com. Try it out on your own.