Reflection Week 11

         

Our lovely lecturer in action.

      Today is truly a happy day for my course mates and I. The reason is because Miss complimented our class to her other class. We felt so happy and gave applause after she said that. She also mentioned that we usually come early to class. It is so nice to be complimented by our lecturer. She also explained that this weeks’ class will be relaxing as she will give a lecture regarding two topics in the following week.  We did not have class yesterday because we went for a programme.

Later, she explained on the last assignment we have to submit which is digital storytelling. We have to include the report as well. The format of the report was given weeks before this. There are several questions to be answered in order to complete the report. A few of them can be done together with our group members, so we have to discuss to complete this task. Besides, we need to include cover page and content page in the report.

This is because she checked our personal blogs one by one. Honestly, I was really nervous at first but after looking at my friends’ blogs, I felt better. When it was my turn, I am glad that miss said that I am in the right track. It’s just that I need to insert more photos and music. I am very happy and satisfied as I have tried really hard to complete this blog.

 After that, miss told us that we need to present and show our video in class. A few of us were quite surprised as we did not think that we need to present it. Next, our beloved lecturer said that three groups will have to present on week 13 while three other groups will present on week 14. Our class finished early because most of them are going home this week. I am grateful for such understanding and caring lecturer. I could not ask for a better lecturer.

Reflection Week 10

         

MOOC

           For this week, Miss Amreet asked all of us what the learning trend nowadays is. Besides, she also asked us whether we need teacher or not. After that, she told us that myguru is Learning Management System (LMS) which is also a type of learning trend. She said that she will lock the door next week as many of my classmates came late to class. After surfing the net, I have learnt that eLearning and mobile learning are learning trends used nowadays.

Later, she showed us a video on mobile learning. It was interesting and worthwhile watching. In the video, children with autism can’t speak but with mobile learning, they can communicate using their mobiles. I have never thought that it would be essential and useful for children with autism. I learned not to take things for granted and appreciate the little things in life.

            Again, she asked what the other trends of learning are. One of it is Open educational resources (OER). At times they are free. Other than that, blended learning is a type of rends of learning where everything is mixed. Lastly, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) where the teacher will post the videos online and students do the exercises. The platforms of MOOC are Coursera, Udemy, Khan’s Academy. Furthermore, Coursera is free of charge. Later, every leaders of the storyboard group met up with Miss Amreet to tell her the updates of the storyboard.

            My group members and I have already written the script so all we have to do now is to find a platform to complete this assignment. I am truly grateful to have such cooperative members that are willing to spend their time thinking of the storyline and doing the script later.

Reflection Week 9

          After the Prezi presentation that ended last week, our lecturer gave a lecture on the important styles for informative websites. Informative websites include online newspapers, journals and online magazines. The three types of informative websites are academic, scientific and technical. Miss also explained on the style in academic writing which are front matter,body,back matter.

Next, miss talked about the abstract in academic writing. An abstract should be written in a paragraph. Results can be classified into two which are qualitative and quantitative.   Quantitative contains number and statistics while qualitative presents findings and discussions about a certain topic.

Miss Amreet asked us what the differences between reference and bibliographies are. Well, sadly, none of us managed to answer this question. Finally, she told us the difference. For bibliography we do not necessarily have to cite everything but we need to cite everything for references.

Technical, academic and scientific style uses extensive explanatory footnotes. We can also use bulleted lists rather than paragraphs. This way, the reader will be able to understand what is being written better. Thus, I have learnt many new things regarding this topic. This lecture will benefit my classmates and I in the future as some of us  might need to write academic papers when furthering our studies later on.

Reflection Week 8

           

Hazwan presenting on Measat satellite.

            This week, Miss Amreet assigned us a task which is to find three good and bad websites. Miss has sore throat and in the process of recovering. That is why she wasn’t able to talk much because it is bad for her. My course mates and I are very lucky to have Miss Amreet as one of our lecturers as she is such a dedicated person.

            Before completing the task, two of my friends presented in class. Hazwan presented about Measat satellite while Rashidah shared on the popular types of coffee beverages. Rashidah prepared interesting images when presenting.

            Back to the task given. I find it easy to find good websites, while it is rather difficult to find the bad ones. However, later on, as I browsed the Internet, I found a few bad websites. We are to post our answers in a website called wikispaces. After that, miss randomly picked a few of them to state the reasons why they chose those websites.

            The next day, miss taught about the important styles for commercial websites. Commercial websites is about business websites. There are three commercial styles which are business style, database style and marketing style. The features of business style are precise and correct. There are no rooms for error regarding profits and contracts. It must also be blunt and straight to the point.

            I also learned that passages should be condensed by replacing long-winded section to point forms. In this way, it is easier for the readers to understand the information. Search engines and new sites are database systems to store and retrieve information. Miss will continue the lecture on marketing style on the following week. 

Essay #1-Is Facebook Good? (Argumentative)

      In this era of modernization, social network sites have become a common thing for people of all ages. Children as young as 8 years of age have Facebook and Twitter accounts. Social network site like Facebook founded by Mark Zuckerberg is being used by almost everyone. What makes Facebook so special? There are certainly many advantages of having a Facebook account. That is why I strongly believe that Facebook is good.

      One of the advantages of Facebook is it is a channel for information and news from all around the world. For example, a Facebook user likes a page say The Star Online. So, every time there is news or information about something, it will appear in the user’s newsfeed. That way, one will be able to have an access to the information and news based on the page a person likes. Users of this useful social network have gained general knowledge and new insights by just using it.

      Besides that, Facebook can be used as a medium to send files and links. For instance, in completing assignments, one can send their documents and files in a group chat. Facebook has made students’ life easier by providing this application. Group discussions and meeting regarding assignments can be done via Facebook by using group chat where all of them can share files and carry out their discussion there. Time and energy can be saved by having the group discussion online.

Furthermore, this social network site has enabled users to get in touch with people from all around the world by just a click away. By just accepting other people’s friend request, you will be able to chat with him or her. You can also express your feelings and emotion by posting your status. For example, if you want to express your gratitude for all those who have wished you happy birthday, you can post it in your status. That is why, you do not need to call and tell them but rather just post it. Therefore, you will not have to spend your money for calling them.

      To sum it up, I strongly believe that Facebook has many advantages and is good for everyone. However some may say that it brings more harm than good but having a Facebook account has really made our lives easier and more interesting.

           

Essay#2- Living in a Rural Area to Living in the City (Comparison and Contrast)

      What is the meaning of the word “rural?” According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, rural means connected with or like the countryside. It can be clearly seen that city means the opposite of rural. Many of us now stay in the city rather than the rural areas mainly because of the job opportunities provided in the city. However, there are many advantages living in a rural area rather than in the city. While most of us settle down in the city, they are still some who are still living at the countryside. There are clearly many differences of living in a rural area to living in the city.

      One of the differences is there are more facilities in the city. For example, there are many shopping malls of different sizes in the city compared to the rural area. There are also more gymnasiums and sports centre in the city. People are encouraged to go to the gymnasium despite their hectic lifestyle in the city. In rural areas, there are fewer facilities like shopping malls, cinemas and gymnasiums. The people living in a rural area are not exposed to the modernization and the lifestyle led by city dwellers.

      Besides that, the cost of living in the city is very different from the one in the city. For instance, in the city, one has to provide a large sum of money to buy houses or even to eat simple meals bought outside whereas in a rural area, the cost of living is much lower. In a rural area, we can just buy a meal with a low price. Those living in a rural area do not usually need to spend much for their expenditures. In most of the restaurants in the city, tax and customer service is charged unlike in a rural area. Therefore, the facilities and convenience provided  in the city, one must in return pay back according to the lifestyle they lead.

      Furthermore, the air is cleaner and fresher in a rural area compared to a city. This is because there are more trees and greens found there. In the city, on the other hand, has countless of skyscrapers and less trees are present. This in turn causes the air to be dirty and crisis and air pollution and hot weather tend to happen unlike in the rural area. One is less stress and more relaxed in a rural area due to the absence of road congestion caused by too many cars. In the city, there is constantly traffic jam which cause drivers to feel stressed out. It causes the city dwellers to lead a life without happiness and satisfaction.

      To conclude, there are certainly many differences of living in a rural area to living in the city. Living in a rural area clearly has more advantages compared to living in the city. However, it is based on an individual’s preference whether living in a rural area is better or living in the city. 

Essay #3- Smartphone Addiction (Problem- Solution)

     The enormous growth in the use of smartphones has led to radical changes of the phone world. Nowadays, people all around the world has at least two smartphones in a family. It has become a norm to own a smartphone because of the convenience it brings. By owning a smartphone, one can have access to a wide range of information around the world. Besides that, smartphone enables users to connect with the people from all over the world with just a touch or click away by using social media like whatsapp, weChat and kakao talk. Therefore, most of us are addicted to our smartphones. Having a smartphone has drawbacks and problems. Nevertheless, there are solutions to these problems.

      One of the problems is the ease of users to access social networks applications like wechat where one might have the risk of being in contact with people of bad intention. For example, the person might chat with you and ask to meet up in a certain place. That may be harmful to the user if the person has bad intention. Therefore, the user might be in danger for meeting up with he or she. Another major problem is the easy accessibility of information and sites. This may result in the addiction of smartphones and eventually cause the deterioration of work performance in schools or at workplace. They will not be able to concentrate during work and school hours because of constantly checking and looking at their smartphone. They are basically glued to them.

      However, there are ways to overcome this problem. One of it is governments should ensure that smartphone addictions do not occur in the country by implementing rules and restricting time to use their smartphones. The government can also carry out campaigns and activities to curb smartphone addiction.Moreover, parents play an important role too. They should set a rule about when to use the smartphone. That way, their children will be able to use less smartphone and thus, are able to do better at school. Mass media, on the other hand should not encourage the usage of smartphones in anywhere. Advertisements can be put up in television to share about the drawbacks of having a smartphone. In doing so, the public will be aware of the disadvantages and dark side of owning a smartphone.

     

     In conclusion, although having a smartphone has many benefits, it also has drawbacks that cannot be ignored. As we know, having a smartphone is inviting new problems into an individual’s life. Therefore, all of us play an important role in curbing smartphone addictions in this country. All the measures mentioned above are necessary to avoid having smartphone addictions.