6th POSTING

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

For the last posting, we need to fill in the Blog Questionnaire that have been prepared by the lecturer then post it on blog.

BLOG QUESTIONNAIRE-SKBP 1023

Age: 20
(After 24 of December I will be 21, so pls…let me be 20 for now …hehe)

Tutorial Group: Group 4

LECTURER: Dr. Zaini Amir
(She is one of our lecturers in Language and ICT and she is my tutor for the course’s tutorial. Her slogan in my class will be ~ EaSy BuzY LEmOn SqUeeZy!!! I can feel how much she likes to squeeze lemon…hahahaha. Oops!!! U reading it Dr.???)

1. Do you enjoy blogging?
Yes or No?
IF YES OR NO please explains why:
Yes. I do enjoy blogging. This is because I can expose myself to learn more about ICT which I am not familiar with before. Yet, I can create my own blog now and everything is under my control. I love to learn something new which is complex like blog and it makes me feel like I am still compatible with the world of IT. Other than that, I will feel the satisfaction after I have created my blog and decorated it with many other gadgets. When it looks nice, I feel good.

2. Based on your experience what is the benefit of blogging?
It improves my writing and thinking skill where I might think further when I am trying to express my opinion on blog through my writing. I can think more critically before I write my view on it and it helps to enhance my vocabulary and grammar in English as I will be more careful by checking all my spelling and grammar before I post it up. Despite all the above, it also make me explore a lot about the ICT and enlighten me with something new which others might not have the chance to be exposed to. I learn not only on how to create my blog, but also learnt on how to make it alive and out of the box by adding different gadget. It really helps me a lot in exploring the ICT especially the task given in blogging in this SKBP course. At least I have learnt something that might be useful for my entire life during my university’s life.

3. Do you need more assistance to set up your blog?
Yes or No?
If YES Please explain on what aspect:
Yes. I do need more assistance for that. To create a blog maybe very easy for one who will be easily satisfied with their work. But it might not be easy for me to satisfy on my work as I am quite “perfectionist” in my work especially when it comes to design. While blogging, we need to design our own blog in our own unique way in order to make it attractive and alive. So, when I am doing the activities of blogging, I need a lot of assistance from the Internet to find out the way on adding different gadget. Even though I have learnt a lot in this, but I know that there are still a lot of things that I didn’t expose to yet. I still need to learn on how to transfer the templates from other source into my blog. It seems easy. Yet, it’s complicated till it took me few days to discover it. There is also different source that provide various gadget. I want to know each of them if I could. Unfortunately, I am still not familiar with it. Thus, I need lot more assistance on these.

4. Do you have any memorable/favorite topic in your blog?
Yes or No?
If YES Please list which topic?
Yes, I do have a memorable topic in my blog. Among all those posting that I have done for this course, I found that there is only one posting which attracts my attention. It is my second posting on the blog I enjoy reading the most. I have found a blog which I love the most. It is conducted by a blogger named “chicky egg”…what a cute name!!!

5 .List 5 advantages of blogging for you
1st advantages will be enhances my writing skill as we all already know.
2nd will be improves my critical thinking skill.
3rd going to be exposes me, a new blogger to a higher level of ICT.
4th is I able to share my thoughts with others on blog.
5th advantage, last but not least, is to build up my confidence in English as while I am blogging, I can express my feeling through my writing without any worries. Not as scary as facing the audience in the lecture hall or class. It makes me perform much better than perform in any other way.

6. List 5 disadvantages of blogging
First of all, it spends hours for a posting.
Next, it takes too much time to manage a blog, kind of complicated.
Then, it is not accessible anywhere. The internet is needed every time I want to post my opinion.
Later, blog addicted.
Gradually, too many steps or procedure even just a simple thing such as changing template and adding gadget.

7. Will you continue blogging after the course?
Yes or No?
If Yes or No please explain why:
I say yes. If I have the time to blogging, I will. But if I don’t, then I can’t blogging. I like blogging. So I will try my best to continue blogging when I am free. This is because I want to learn everything about blog that I have not learnt yet.

8. Do you think that blogging improve your writing? Yes or no?
Yes, definitely.

9. Do you think that we should continue with blogging activity for the next batch of students? Yes or no?
Yes.

10. Will you recommend your friend to blog? Yes or no?
Yes.

11. Can you teach a friend to set up his or her blog? Yes or no.
Yes, of course!!!

My mEmOriEssS!!

5th POSTING

For the fifth posting, we need to find 2 articles about concordance and its applications in language learning. The links for readers to get to the articles online shuld also be provide. Then we need to post the summary of these two articles and add in our own personal view on what benefits concordance will give to language learning and language teachers.


A Case For Using A Parallel Corpus and Concordancer For Beginners of A Foreign Language

Summary

There is a study have been carried out by the pilot in order to verify whether concordance is an appropriate teaching tools of German for the beginners. The beginner was asked to figure out the answer of unfamiliar and unknown vocabulary and create proper grammar rules for himself using concordance as the one and only tool. As a result, the concordamcer perform very well in helping the beginner and it brings great benefit to the beginner in learning a language.


http://llt.msu.edu/vol5num3/stjohn/



Is there any measurable learning from hands-on concordancing?

Summary
This is an article on a study which aims to identify a specific learning effect that learners can be clearly attributed to the application of concordance software. A base hypothesis has been planned from concordances for learning. The hypothesis is a concordance might reproduce the vocabulary by present new word in several contexts. A test has been launched in order to justify the hypothesis above. There is a trial lexical tutor was developed to introduce new words to subject. This can only be done whether through concordances or other sources of lexical information. A final hypothesis has been found after a series of word transferring test which is words do introduced through concordances.


http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r21270/cv/Hands_on.html


Benefit of concordance to language learning and teaching

In my opinion, concordancer helps to improve learner vocabulary. This is because learner can see all the words that been used in an article easily and systematically. They can easily recognize the word that they don’t understand then refer to dictionary soon after concordancing. In spite of it, it may enhance learner writing skill as well by providing as much vocabulary as it could. For language teaching, the teacher can use the concordancer to help the beginner of language in order to improve their vocabulary so that they can compete with the others. Other than that, teacher can use concordancer to enhance their own vocabulary as well. This also helps them easy in marking student’s paper and analyzes student’s works or essay.

4th POSTING

Friday, March 27, 2009

For the forth posting, we have to find what is dissertation online. Then we need to find out what is the online databases that used by PTSL which is the acronym of Perpustakaan Tun Sri Lanang (the biggest library in Malaysia which is build in UKM). We also have to find two articles for one of the topics which are CALL, Bridging Digital Divide, Women and ICT and E-learning. Read, understand then summarize it and post it as our forth posting on blog is the main task.


What is dissertation online?
Dissertation online is the long essay or article that have been published on the internet and we could viewed in any file types.

The online databases subscribe by PTSL is…
• EBSCOHost
• LISA Net
• Emerald Fulltext
• SCOPUS
• Oxford Journal
• ACM Digital Library
• Computer Database
• Datastream Advanced
• JSTOR
• GEMA
• Education Fulltext
• UNITAR e-Journal
• Jurnal e-Bangi
• Etc…….



Summary of article taken from EBSCOHost

E-Reference:
The Real Just-in-Time Training

When it comes to just-in-time learning, the objective is more about to find out the solutions of doing reality’s work, and that need a various type of support.

The meaning of E-learning is now wide and various. For instance, it means online tutorial or Web-based training for many organizations. But for the others, it involves lot of modalities which include Web communication motivated by threaded message boards, blogs or Wikis. As a result, E-learning has expanded enormously.

Just-in-time learning implies solving problem at the point of impact. It promised a short and focused learning intercession which more than 40 minutes lesson that includes superfluous info. E-learning also implies the classic instruction which should include a learning intention, examples, put into practice, evaluation and other elements that learner have come to expect when attending proper learning. E-learning also has a whole new unusual method where the author never. Inventive writing or phonetics from dictionary can be learnt more effectively with the support of just-in-time in grammar like spelling or pronunciation.

Furthermore, many companies start to look at E-reference in a whole special way. There are several of technologies and solutions which coming to the head to engage the Earth. For example, the online book is the most common tool in this category. It can be easily search and also shared anywhere. Other than that, the electronic performance support systems (EPSS) is getting better as well. It now allows learners to create their own custom help system from text to streaming video. They can also be brilliant enough to follow along the learners as they navigate a system and pop-up when they do something wrong, or asked for help in the middle of the process. EPSS also develop the learning by providing access to unstable degrees of formal instruction. It’s all control by the learner and scalable based on the need.

In a nutshell, the real just-in-time expose learner to an extremely new learning environment with the training supplied.

Summary of article taken from Oxford Journal

Effectiveness of e-learning in continuing medical education for occupational physicians

In medical context e-learning is equal to conventional approaches of continuing medical education (CME). However, the professional health context differs and until now the effect of postgraduate e-learning among occupational physicians (OPs) has not been evaluated. With the introduction of the Internet, e-learning which is the use of Internet technologies that enhance knowledge and performance, can be included into CME programs. E-learning learner has the advantage to choose the place and time of education on their own compared to traditional learning.

A website includes an e-learning module which was designed as a self-directed teaching tool for occupational health care professionals have been created. It covered three main objectives which are diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The module provides participants with information, invites to search for information on the website and asks to solve cases or answer multiple-choice questions using this information. This shows that e-learning have completely given a lot of info the participants.

E-learning is just as effective in enhancing knowledge as lecture-based learning. Since computer skills are part of the latest occupational training and education, e-learning may play an even more significant role in the CME of OPs in the near future.

3rd POSTING

Friday, March 20, 2009

For the third posting we need to write about the search engine by comparing one another. We need to discuss the differences and similarities of mamma.com; google scholar; eric digest and yahoo.com.

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT SEARCH ENGINES

SIMILARITY

Mamma.com
- Look for more information.
- Search by key word.

Google scholar
- Search for variety information.
- Find by key word.

Eric digest
- Find more information.
- Browse by key word.

Yahoo.com
- Browse for more information.
- Seek out by key word.


DIFFERENCE
Mamma.com
- Home page with a slogan “The Mother of All Search Engines”.
- The biggest search engine among the four search engines.
- Can search the information in French language.
- As the mother of all the search engine, it provide extraordinary information.
- The search results are more specific and related to the key words.
- Less search results as the results is all specific and straight to the point.
- The recent search will be show in the right-hand side.
- There are search suggestions supplied by mamma.com.

Google scholar
- Home page is emphasizing the slogan “stand on the shoulders of giants”.
- More to the academic info and info that scholar might need.
- Not as wide as mamma.com. as the info mostly for scholar.
- More articles will be found here.
- Key authors will be recommending here as well.
- Mostly the web and info that found here is not related to the key word.
- Info is not specific to the key word and the search results are too many.
- We can know how many people have cited each of the search result.

Eric digest
- Search by keyword sometime tend to be harder than the other search engine.
- Shorts report mostly covered here.
- More to educational uses.
- Targeted specifically for educational community.
- Overview on a topic is provided and references prepared.

Yahoo.com
- A simple home page with the title “Yahoo!”
- Yahoo.com provide the most search results.
- The search suggestions given are on the top and the bottom of the web page.
- Too many information provided, but not every of it is helpful.
- Sponsor results provided and it is on the top of the page.

2nd POSTING

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

In 2nd posting, we need to discuss how blogging can assist language learners to improve and enhance their writing skill. We need to add in articles or list url and links related to blogging and share blogs that we enjoy reading.


BLOGGING ENHANCE LANGUAGE LEARNER WRITING SKILL? HOW???

IN MY OPINION, blogging will enhance one writing skill while one is blogging to search for information, posting their opinion on blog OR reading other bloggers' blog.

For example, I am a language learner who further my studies in English Language Studies. I always have the chance to expose myself to the activities of blogging. AND, I have my own blog now. It makes me dare to write and express my opinion in the blog as well. So, it has help to improve my writing skill while I am thinking on what should I write and how should I write it. I think all the blogger who used to blogging, they understand how blogging assist their language learning process much better than I do.

Other than that, as a language learner, one will always check their grammar and spelling before they post the opinion on blog or post comment for others. They will check again and again whether the sentence flow smoothly or not. When they found that there is some grammatical error, they might ask for their friends' opinion on how to write a better sentence. As a result, learner learnt how to form a well-formed sentence. Besides that, if they felt that the word they are using is not appropriate, then they might need the help from dictionary to check for the word they want. Hence, this help to enhance the vocabularly of language learner. By learning a lot of vocabularly and well-formed sentence will help language learner to improve their writing skill. They can write an essay or paragraph with no problem.

By blogging frequently, writing in the blog....we will found that writing is not as hard as we thought it is. While we write we think...we read...these make us expose ourselves to the language more and more incidentally. While we are writing, we learnt from our mistake. While we read others' blog, we learnt from others mistake and their strength in writing.

Learning is endless........

Enjoy blogging and make yourself up to date together with the language!!!


THE BLOG I ENJOY READING THE MOST....

There are two blogs which i enjoy reading, but the one i enjoy reading the most is the blog with the link http://chickyegg.blogspot.com/2009/03/coffee-cheesecake.html

I love the blog as it show me many recipe of different cuisine that make me feel hungry whenever I see it...hehe...

This blog is Yummmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy!!!!

Curious????

Just find out at http://chickyegg.blogspot.com/2009/03/coffee-cheesecake.html

There are variety of yummy food been recommended here. There are a lot of Japan and Western cuisine such as Dorayaki...Coffee Cheesecake....Chawan Mushi...Lemoney Lemon Bars........

You should read it and you will know how creative the blogger is in preparing a new dishes using eggs. I think you will feel what I feel when you read it or even you will feel more than I do.

The recipe I found in this blog are not only our traditional food, but also others countries food. For example, Pineapple Fried Rice....Rolled Tuille Cookie...Chocolate Self-saucing Pudding.... this is not the food that can easily found in Malaysia...

The blogger also shows me her feeling when she has succeeded in preparing a new dishes. She has written her feeling in the blog whenever she finished a dish. And there's a lot of comment that posted by the reader. Most of them praise that the dishes she made is tasty and nice...they even get the recipe from her blog and try it at home. She also shows me what an egg can do and how can she does something out of the "shell".

"I wanna be Out of The Shell as well...hopefully I am...hehe..."

Below are the links of the blogs I enjoy reading....

http://tastecoffee.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-many-types-of-coffee-bean-are-there.html

http://chickyegg.blogspot.com/2009/03/coffee-cheesecake.html

1st POSTING

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

READING FOR PLEASURE

THE USE OF COLOUR IN INTERIOR DESIGN

The biggest influence on the human state of mind with the possible exception of the weather is colour. We are surrounded by references: "a red rag to a bull", "blue with cold", "green with envy", "in the pink". The psychology of colour and how colour affects human behaviour is now a serious course of study at universities. Hospital rooms, classrooms, fast food restaurants and offices are painted in colours to influence the behaviour and mood of the people who use these spaces. Even the products on the shelves of your local supermarket have been packaged in colours carefully chosen to attract your attention and encourage you to buy. So why are people so hesitant to use colour in their home environments? Why is the neutral space currently the ideal? Why are we afraid of colour?
The first step to relinquishing fear in the use of colour is to understand the psychological effects it has on us. Red is known to stimulate the appetite - so it’s an excellent colour for dining rooms. Both blue and green are fresh and calming. They are the colours of nature and could be popular choices for bedrooms. Yellow and orange are energising like the sun, so are good choices in rooms where your energy may need boosting - the kitchen perhaps. Orange in its toned down terracotta form can be ideal in a home office; it has the energising effect of both red and orange but isn’t so bright that you won’t be able to stay at your desk!
Many contemporary television programmes have made a virtue of the use of bold colours in wild combinations: violet and lime green; turquoise and red-orange; orange and fuchsia. But be careful about casually throwing colours together. Violet and lime green will work because they are complementary colours - they are opposite each other on the Colour Wheel. Likewise turquoise and red-orange. You would think that orange and fuchsia would clash, but because they sit next to each other on the Colour Wheel, they are a colour harmony. It is worth investing in a Colour Wheel (available from most good art shops) to help you see how colours sit with each other before you splash out on several gallons of grapefruit yellow and olive green paint for the bedroom. And really consider carefully whether a violet and lime green living room is something you can live with.
This does not mean to say that dramatic colours do not have their place. Far too many houses are decorated in various shades of beige (I think "taupe" is the current fashionable term although this is being challenged by "string"), and the standard neutral colour for new dwellings is still the veritable magnolia. Subtle, muted wall colours (like off white and taupe) are fine, and very easy to live with. But contrast and enliven them with bright highlights in your accessories and upholstery. Consider a multi-coloured rug, some coloured ceramics or glassware, vivid prints or paintings, or squashy cushions in jewel tones. The overall effect will be airy and soothing yet the flashes of colour can bring in your personality and be your signature touches.
Strong colours are best confined to the rooms that have less usage. Hallways and cloakrooms are ideal spaces in which to experiment. No one spends much time in these rooms, so you can afford to be bold. Just because these spaces may be small or narrow, don’t be afraid of using vivid colour. Sometimes a tiny cloakroom is just a tiny cloakroom, and no amount of white paint is going to change that. Why not emphasis its bijou proportions by painting the space dark burgundy or navy and use lots of white (in the sanitaryware and towels) as the accent colour? A touch of aqua might be the finishing touch. Be like a chef - a dollop of coral, with a swish of aquamarine and a pinch of jade may be exactly the right recipe for your room. The important thing is to consider the quantities. Decide on your main colour and then add carefully selected accents.
Consider the texture of your colours. A bright red dining room can be toned down by the application of various glazes so that its vibrancy is turned to a rich burnish. Bright yellows can be colourwashed over a white base to wash them out. In both cases the original character of the colour is maintained and only its brightness is muted. Colours can be layered for unusual effects. A piece of inexpensive pine furniture can be transformed by distressing it - painting an undercoat of blue, an overcoat of white and then sanding off the white paint on its corners and around its handles to make it look like its an antique.
If you’re stuck for ideas when trying to decide what colour scheme to choose for a room, look at the furniture and objects you want to use. You may have a painting or a rug that can act as your inspiration. Many interior designers build up complex colour schemes from just one item. Look around you - even an old purple vase or the faded red covers of a collection of books can be the starting point of a whole room scheme.
Have fun with colour. Be brave! Be bold!

http://www.adriennechinn.co.uk/article4.htm

IT'S MY PLEASURE

I love interior design a lot. It’s my dream to become a perfect and innovative interior design. But unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to further my study in interior design. Therefore, I will always search for the information which related to interior design which will help to enlighten me and cheer me up.
While I am doing the blog posting for Language and ICT course here, I have found some articles for my reading. But there is only one article attract my attention. It is the “THE USE OF COLOUR IN INTERIOR DESIGN” which I am happy to read it. I read it with pleasure as I love to know everything about interior design, especially something to do with colours. Colour is the most important part in interior design as it affects the whole look of the design. The perfect combination of colour will produce a nice view for a design and it affect the mood of one as well.
I have tried the different use of colour since I was in form 3 as I have join a lot of activities which are related to the use of colour. I always help my teacher to paint the wall during my secondary school time. They believe and confident in my combination of colours. Apart from it, I manage to decorate my class using different combination of colours and my class have been awarded by the school as “kelas contoh” as in the best class.
I always dare to try in combining the different colours and I enjoy doing it as it might enhance my designing skill in interior later. Dare to try is the first characteristics that an interior designer should have. So, I always make sure that I am brave enough in the use of colours.
Furthermore, reading this article make me feel relax and release all my stress as it make me close to my favourite interior design and colours. Nonetheless, it exposes me to more information about interior design as well.
I knew that I am talented in interior design and colour combination. This is the only thing that I am confident with. It’s my only strength that makes me feel that I am alive. I truly madly deeply hope some days I might continue my studies in interior design and be an expert in colour combination and design. So I will read more about the interior design while I am waiting for the chance to come. It’s worth. COLOUR….MY INSPIRATION!!!