MY JOURNAL

August 2008

An early discussion has been done and group members search for useful information that could be use for the program. Playful Kids Learning Center has been chosen for our theme and most of our work is develop for children.



August 2008

A discussion with our class lecturer and we show our flow chart. However, there was something wrong with our flow chart and some of the part needs some changes. Then we meet the lecturer by group to get extra information.



August 2008

The group has decided to use software, hot potato which has introduced by our lecturer during the first class. Most of our group faces problems using the hot potato due to at first; most of us did not understand how to use it. Problems occur when hot potato actually needs to be register.



September 2008

We have done some research on how to use hot potato. We also have discussed different exercise that could be use in our children program. Group members has show progress by giving many information and ideas that are related for our work.



September 2008

It was the beginning of fasting month and things got a little bit harder. The group faces problems in combining certain software with the hot potato such as Microsoft FrontPage.
This is the beginning of tension where most of us don’t know how to combine the program together to make the final product interactive.



September 2008

My head is ready for the holiday and thing got worst. Mostly problem occurs when the exercise when we want to insert in the program could not be done. Luckily, at the very last minute after exploring for several nights we manage to insert most of our work and the program could be run smoothly.

6th POSTING: BLOG

Do you think that blogging activity improves your writing skill? If yes what area if not why?

From my perspective blogging does improve my writing skills. From the activities that I managed to complete I realized that blogging does help in improving my writing. Blogging does focuses more on giving information based on text due to this; writing is a compulsory in order to distribute information throughout blogging activities. In addition, with comments from friends and lectures I am able to correct my writing and at the same time developed the understanding in writing trough the helps of others. Blogging is a place where students are able to improve and developed their writing skills from time to time. Thus, with the heart and the will to improve it is sure others to will realized that blogging does improve writing skill plus achieving great feedback from other readers.

Do you think that blog is a useful learning experience for you? If yes to what extend is it useful, enjoyable, practical and effective. If not why?

Yes, this is a place that I am able to gain feedback from people that are interested in the topic that I wrote. Further more, this is my first time having a web page of my own where I could actually have my lecturer and friend to give comment on my works. Thus, blogging give useful learning experience regarding the cyberspace. Before this, I do not have any knowledge about how to publish my writing online and have other to view my work. But now, I am able to understand the nature of online learning and at the same time improve my knowledge regarding computers and using technologies. Mentioning about practical and enjoyable, blogging does offers both of the elements. It is enjoyable due to I do include fun activities and games in my blog for other to play and enjoy. Blogging becomes practical every time I post my work online and have others to comment on my work. As a conclusion, blogging gives a useful learning experience and the same time offers enjoyable moments.

What do you think that you need to know before you can complete the blogging activity successfully?

I need to know that whether my information is relevance and suitable for readers to read. Next, I need to make sure that my blog is pleasing in terms of the arrangements, colors, text font and good links for my friends to explore. But most of all, I understand the context of my work.

What are your problems that you face using blog?

UKM internet connection.
Uploading picture, but have overcome the problem.
Uploading files such as MP4, 3gp, and other video files.
Problems in editing text such as alignments, spacing, and fonts.
Mostly other students face the same problems too. However, all problems have managed to be overcome through learning experience.

Will you tell your friends, recommend to others about blogging?

Yes, due to the more friends you have in the cyber world the more information you will be able to achieve. Besides that, my work will be able to be read by more people…cool.

Now that you are able to blog online will you continue using it even after the SKBP is over?

In order to improve my writing, I will continue blogging even after the SKBP is over. Writing is a process where the writer must practice from time to time in order to archive perfection. Thus, blogging is a place where I can post and distribute my work from time to time allowing people to comment on it. From the comments I will be able to gain experience and hopefully achieve the level where I can be proud of.

5th POSTING: TEST ICT

Electronic Malaysian English Competency Test - Reading Test (Set 1) Score:

23 out of 35 - 66%



Online Quiz Results :: Kemahiran Asas ICT

Your Score : 21/30

Online Quiz Results Summary Your #Attempts : 2

Total Class #Attempts : 583

Your Quiz Score : 21/30

Your Highest Score Ever : 21

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).

Describe your experience taking the online test.
Make sure you discuss the ability of the test to provide immediate feedback, randomization, security features as presented in lecture.

My first experience taking an online test is during the license test held by the “JPJ” a few years ago. This is my second experience taking an online test but still I don’t feel comfortable in answering the questions. The feeling is so different and without papers and pens, I don’t feel like taking an academic test. Not to say that I don’t like improvement and technology, maybe I just need to get used to the online test environment.

To me, online test does provide advantages to students with the ability to give immediate feedback regarding the results. Every student is impatient when it comes to results feedback. With online test system, students don’t have to wait for day’s week or month. Online test system is equipped with a data based system which can process data and calculate the answers in seconds. Moreover, the article and text presented are more attractive in way the texts are inserted with colors for certain section as for example the graph and charts.

Online test somewhat encourage the users to be competent in using today’s technology and at the same time promotes improvements in humans lives. Thus, students will be encouraged to learn more about computers and the nature of online test. As what I experience, I and my friends will not have the same questions. Thus, students won’t be able to cheat during the online test session. This is a safety features that could be seen in an online test nature which allows random sets of questions to be answered by the users.

Online test is also environment friendly. By using online test we avoid using papers which leads to tree destruction and chopping down the forest. Thus, online test should be a solution to reduce the amount of paper usage.

As a conclusion, online test give so much advantages towards humans which cover technology and environment area. For those who have not tried taking an online test should try a least once in order to gain helpful experience.

4th POSTING: CONCORDANCE

Discussion and the summary of the article:
Beyond Concordance Lines: Using Concordances to Investigate Language Development, by Arshad Abd Samad.

Concordance is a list of alphabetical words that are program or design to assist language learners in today’s worlds. With the creation of concordance software, concordance program has become one of the tools for student’s teachers or any one who are willing to enhance their performance in language. With the ability to analyze sentences and word data, concordance program have made language learning more interesting. Language teaching and learning had evolved in a sense that students nowadays are offered to learn language through language puzzles, quizzes and games. In Malaysia, Universities such as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, and Universiti Putra Malaysia had become one of the few early Universiti that are looking serious in the future of using the concordance program for the benefits of language learning in Malaysia.

The “Emas Corpora” that consist of close to half a million words (Arshad et al., 2002) is full of essays that are written by almost 800 students. With this amount of work, language learners are given the benefits to somewhat read trough a huge amount of writing and apply to the usage of concordance to expand their language learning process. Language is not static thus, language evolved through time and there are many ways to determine language development. As for example, the “Emas Corpora” had elected three group from different age to somewhat portrays the development of language trough age and time. Thus, it is true that from age and time, study shows that the usage of vocabulary and sentence productivity is different. With concordance program, one can easily examine the works of others and see the language development.

With concordance program, language productivity, range of vocabulary, and sophistication of vocabulary can easily being studied to a level where researchers are able to actually detect the numbers of sentence and word in an essay. Moreover, range of vocabulary and be detected trough the repeating usage of words in an essay. Concordance ability does not end there. With specialized programs such as RANGE (Nation, 2002), a vocabulary analysis program, enables language learners and researchers to actually indicate the typed of vocabulary used in a sentence structure. According to Nation (2002), the sources of the list in the program are A General Service list of English Words by Michael West (1953) for the first 2,000 words and the American Words List by Coxhead (2000) containing 570 word families.

As a conclusion, the usage of concordance in language teaching and learning, data mining and data clean-up, literary work and linguistic, translation, corpus linguistics, content analysis had been a great way to explore and learn language.



Gist of the discussion:

The relevance of using concordance in language learning.
The development language learning process.
The new mindset of how languages are group in different prospect.
The “Emas Corpora” data on language relating three groups.



Articles or publications on the applications of concordance:


1. Concordance (publishing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordance_ (publishing)


2. Concordance: software for concordance and text analysis.

http://www.concordancesoftware.co.uk/


3. LexisNexis Concordance Litigation Document Management and e-Discovery.

http://law.lexisnexis.com/concordance

3rd POSTING: IMPACT OF USING ICT FOR BUSINESS

The impact of using ICT for business

Information and communication technology or known as “ICT” has developed a whole new dimension in the business world. Moreover, with today’s technology, every business sectors, local and international has made use of “ICT” to generate values and input. ICT enables data management, networking and administration management, produce and manipulate company statistic and many Infmore. Thus, many business leaders choose to set up companies that are equip by “ICT” technologies.

It is agreed that in today’s demanding world, information and communication has to be send and received in the shortest period of time or fast. Thus, “ICT” is the key that will boost or expand the ability of communication in small and big company. Most company agrees that “ICT” is an innovation that produces productivity growth and has become the back bone of many companies to achieve international status. “ICT” generates new process of promoting products in the market by using the power of communication technology.

The impact of using “ICT” for business does not stop there. In fact, many companies are ready to invest in “ICT” technologies in order to compete globally. With “ICT” technology, companies are able to access information regarding the market business statistics and at the same time pass trough information. Thus, it is clearly seen that the impact of “ICT” on the business field covers the ability to spread data and gain understanding.

Another impact of using “ICT” for business is that human has somewhat create an advanced way managing company sources. With the ability to manipulate data, technology specialized technicians are needed to handle specific equipment for the company. Therefore, new work sector and opportunities is opened for those who have the knowledge regarding “ICT”. “ICT” does not limit the working ability only in office and company. However, by using “ICT”, company workers are able to access work even at home. This shows that “ICT” has no boarder in expanding business instead, help in increasing the output in the business sectors.

Humans must however remember that, with “ICT” alone a company cannot achieved its productivity target. “ICT” is only an element for helping out company regarding several duties. Nevertheless, humans must not become lazy due to the technologies that will assist them in their work. In fact, humans must become wiser and stronger with the help of “ICT”.

In conclusion, “ICT” brings many impacts in the business world, “ICT” enables data management, networking and administration management, produce and manipulate company statistic to increase the business ability to expand.

EMERALD

Communication technologies, Office buildings, Singapore, Work place, Working practices Article Type: Research paper 14 References
[http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/14635780510626538]

LEXISNEXIS
New Straits Times (Malaysia)November 26, 2007 MondayAreas of ICT spendingBYLINE: Foo Eu JinSECTION: NOTEBOOK; LOCAL; Pg. 2 [http://www.lexisnexis.com/]

SCOPUS

The effect of hard and soft information and communication technologies investment on manufacturing business performance in Greece - A preliminary econometric study [http://www.sciencedirect.com/]

EBCOHOST

The Economic Impact of ICT: Measurement, Evidence and Implications. How precisely does ICT affect economic growth and the efficiency of firms? How well can these impacts be measured? And under which conditions do the impacts of ICT emerge? [www.oecd.org/.../0,2340,en_2649_34449_30927091_1_1_1_1,00.html]

LEXIS NEXIS
E-BUSINESS: Businesses missing out says report. Birmingham Post, May 9, 2006, Tuesday, BUSINESS; Pg. 23, 569 words, Steve Pain Technology Editor
[www.lexisnexis.com]

2nd POSTING: COMPUTER ASSISTED WRITING.

Computerized writing

Computerized writing means computer has become a tool to help student in writing. The activity that I have chosen about computerized writing is based on website,

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/.

This website is a guideline for grammar and writing. It covers six sections that offer so many activities which could assist students in improving their English language. Below are the following six sections:

• Word and Sentence Level
• Paragraph Level
• Essay and Research Paper Level
• Ask Grammar, Quizzes, Search Devices
• Peripherals & PowerPoint

As for example, in the word and sentence level, there are many subtopics to choose such as concise sentences and confusable words. Meanwhile, in paragraph level, students may want to know about paragraph development or coherence and transitions signal that will enhance their performance in their writing. Next is essay and research paper level which explain about the writing process such as being logical, free writing, clustering and others. It also can guide students on how to write a good thesis statement.

In the other hand, ask grammar, quizzes, and search devices consists of many quizzes that cover about grammar and others. In addition, students also have until 60 volume of any kind of grammar that they don’t understand or wish to know. Students can download interactive PowerPoint which can make their learning process interesting in the Peripherals & PowerPoint section.

Lastly, through Grammar Poll, Guestbook, Awards section, students can write their comments and give feedback about this website. All this websites are helpful as it could assist students in many ways writing that on the same time, students can have fun.

http://www.manythings.org/caw/intro.html

http://aliscot.com/bigdog/parallel.html

http://owl.english.purdue.edu

www.myenglishteacher.nett

How can one improve their writing using the computer?

Nowadays, computer is not just a technology that student can use to type their work or assignment, but with the rapid development of technology, now computer can help student in their writing process through their office software, Microsoft Word or word processor. In word processor, students can enhance their skills of writing through six tools which are thesaurus, spelling and grammar checker, find and replace, text to speech, speech to text, and word prediction.

First, thesaurus offers student other words or the synonym of that word so that, it adds variety to students’ writing and the writing process more fun to the student. Besides that, it also help students to avoid from using one particular word only which it can make the writing bored. In addition, thesaurus helps the students increase their vocabulary.

Second is spelling and grammar checker which assist student in identifying misspelled words and they automatically corrects that words. Sometimes, students write a wrong sentences and Word processor can detect them and tell the students to revise that sentence.

Third is finding and replace which can make the writing process easier and faster since students just type a word that want to be replace and the program will do everything to the students. It saves the time.

Fourth is text to speech which students can hear what they have typed in order to check and correct if there are mistakes or ant text that students want to edit.Next is speech to text which students just read what they want to write through a microphone and then Word processor will type it. However, students must speak clearly and the pronunciation also must be correct otherwise, the program cannot detect it.

Lastly is word prediction which if the students repeatedly use a word, then program can identify this word. When the student types the first few letters, then the program automatically list the frequently used words that start with those letters. This will help the students to speeds up their typing process.In the other hand, by using computer, students can edit their assignment at any time when necessary. Besides that, it’s easy for students to organize their writing. Indeed, computer is an excellent tools in improve student’s writing.

A few of software that useful in computerized writing:

Writing in APA style 1.1:
This e-book will show you how to format your essay to conform to the style as set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.). It contains examples of referencing of the most common sources, the way to layout your task.

Writing Suite 2.0:
Writing Suite comes with spell check, thesaurus, and dictionary! Also includes the most powerful text editor on the market. You get Tray Suite, Presto Edit, and all available spell checking dictionaries (currently 25).

Research Paper Writing:
Research Paper Writing Help is an e-book made to guide you in writing a research paper.

Xtream reading and writing 1.3:
Xtreme Reading and Writing presents the proven process used to teach reading and writing so successfully that even slower children can read and write any word they can speak in three months or less, and finish first grade reading two grade levels.

1st POSTING: PROBLEM SOLVING

What is problem solving?

We have chosen to discuss about problem thinking due to problem thinking will able to help us to solve many obstacle in our everyday lives. Problem solving could be defined in any form, thus English Grammar has been chosen for the example in our blog. Problem solving is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. With the correct solution, we are able to confront our problem with the most effective ways by using intellectual approach.

The web page given is an education web page which allows the user to solve their problem regarding English grammar. Many problems solving exercises regarding grammar are given to user to solve. This web page is very suitable for those who want to improve their English knowledge and at the same time develop more understanding on grammar.

Problem solving generates thinking abilities, thus at the same time construct better approach towards tasks solving. People that are able to understand how to approach their problem will create a better living environment due to the understanding of the problem itself.

As for students of language in English, the best way to develop their skill on English, should visit this website. Many information on English language is combined in this website and it will help students to improve their language by trying the practices regarding grammar problem solving.

As a conclusion, problem solving will help students to develop better mind for tomorrow. For all students please visit this website due to this website consist many fun exercise regarding problem solving for you to try out.


Example of English Grammar problem solving:

English Grammar Exercises
Adjectives
Adjective or adverb - Exercise 1
Adjective or adverb - Exercise 2
Adjectives - comparison - Exercise 1
Adjectives - comparison - Exercise 2
Adjectives - comparison - Exercise 3
Comparison of adjectives in sentences - Exercise 1
Comparison of adjectives in sentences - Exercise 2
Comparison of adjectives with as ... as
Adjectives - randomly selected
Adjectives - Test 1
Adjectives - Test 2
Adjectives - Test 3
Adverbs
Adverbs - comparison
Form of adverbs
Position of adverbs
Position of adverbs of frequency - Exercise 1
Position of adverbs of frequency - Exercise 2
Articles
The definite article - the - Exercise 1
The definite article - the - Exercise 2
The definite article - the - Exercise 3
The indefinite article - a/an - Exercise 1
The indefinite article - a/an - Exercise 2
The indefinite article - a/an
Date
How to write the date
How to spell the date

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_grammar.htm