Poll of the week 2 : Do you prefer the traditional way of learning or the new way (e-learning)?

Link to us: http://snipr.com/poll02

Click on the play button to listen to the speech synthesizer.


Here is the result from last week poll question.

There are a total of 10 voters all together. Based on the above pie chart, it obviously shows that half of the respondents which is 70% voted "both" (the traditional way of learning and e-learning). 20% of the respondents voted "traditional way of learning" as their answer and 10% of the respondents chose "e-learning". Well, there is none of the respondents chose "I do not know" as their answer as they know what they preferred.

We are all aware on how education is distributed right, but which distribution method do you prefer? According to the above result, most of the respondents vote both (the traditional way of learning and e-learning) because they simply prefer to be involved in both environment. There are some people prefer to study in a classroom and at the same time searching for information through the use of electronic devices like laptops. Not only that, apparently, it seems that most of the respondents prefer to study in classrooms with lecturers showing them the power point slides. This is how nowadays a lot of schools use this blending learning method where it uses the combination of traditional way of learning and e-learning method to create interactivity in classroom.

Next, almost one quarter of the respondents prefer the traditional way of learning. Why? This is because they prefer to use textbooks as information sources and references in the library rather than surfing to the internet to search for information sources. Besides, traditional way of learning is whereby instructors will use chalk and talk in classroom. Students will write the notes down in their notebooks. They prefer to listen to the lectures and write important points on the notebooks on the spot. Not only that, they prefer to study in a classroom where there will be discussion in the class and if they couldn't understand the questions, they could just directly ask their instructor by putting their hands up to get the answer.

There is only one respondent vote e-learning. Not all people prefer to study in a classroom environment where it is noisy. There is still some people prefer to have their learning through e-learning. They prefer to use e-books. This is because they probably want to have their own space when they are studying because they may not used to noisy environment. They need to be in an area where there is totally no sound so they could concentrate their studies. They prefer to have lectures and homeworks done online.

Summary: Different people prefer to study with different way in different environment right? So, it is a matter on how you learn and study. It is not how the education is being distributed, it is all about whether or not you get enough education.

Stay tune with us as next week, we will be discussing on the topic of the differences between traditional way of learning and e-learning.

Websites for e-learning for kids

Link to Us: http://snipr.com/web4kids

Hello readers!

Find it hard to search for a website that provides really good e-learning for kids? Its okay. We could do that for you.

As you can see, there are thousands of websites out there that offer really good e-learning for kids. With so many choices, could you possibly click on every link and look through all of them one by one to find the best website for the child? No, it will be a waste of time by doing so right? So, we have decided to help you out by coming out with a popular listed websites that provide e-learning for kids.

Lists of websites that provide e-learning for kids:

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/courses.html

Image source: e-learningforkids [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.e-learningforkids.org/courses.html

This website provides a lot of courses such as Maths, Computer Skills, Sciences, Health and etc. This website provides more than 3 different languages translation version. You could either choose English or Chinese language translation as you like.

http://www.brainpop.com/ (offer free trials)

This website offers videos for the kids to watch. The layout of this website is colourful and interesting. It also provide quizzes to test the student's knowledge and understanding on the topic. This website is mainly for grades 4-12 students.

http://www.brainpopjr.com/ (offer free trials)

The following image is the screen shot of the webpage of brainpopjr website.

Image source: brainpopjr [Online],Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.brainpopjr.com/

The layout of the website is pretty similar with the brainpop website but the content is designed for the preschool to 3rd grade set students.

http://www.nickjr.com/

This website provides fun learning and activities. We are sure kids will love it!

http://pbskids.org/

A lot of things to learn and a lot of exercises for the kids to practice.

That's all? No. We have more.

Having problem with spellings? Check out the following website.

http://www.spellingcity.com/

The following image is the screen shot of web page of spellingcity website.

Image source: Spelling City [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.spellingcity.com/

For your information, kids can enter spelling words and play the spelling games in order to remember the words and master them. This website offers games like missing letter game, hangman game, word searching game and so on. The kids will definetely like it.

Do your kids, neighbor's kids or your friend's kids need to practice their math problem solving skills? No problem. The following websites provide really good Maths teaching and learning techniques.

http://www.ixl.com/ (Math course)

A popular Maths website which is used widely in 110 countries. Isn't it awesome?

http://www.aaastudy.com/ (Math course)

This website provides a lot of tutorial for kids to read through.

That's all we have with our research on popular websites that provide e-learning for kids. We hope the websites we have provided will help you.

References:

- e-learningforkids [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.e-learningforkids.org/courses.html

- brainpop [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.brainpop.com/

- brainpopjr [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.brainpopjr.com/

- nickjr [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.nickjr.com/

- pbskids [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://pbskids.org/

- spellingcity [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.spellingcity.com/

- ixl [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.ixl.com/

- aaastudy [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 28th January 2010,

URL: http://www.aaastudy.com/

Avelyn

Study Online II

Link to us: http://snipr.com/on9study

Click the play button to listen the speech synthesizer.


Our previous post on study online is basically just an introduction on what study online is and how study online works nowadays. Here is the link if you haven't read our topic on study online part I http://snipr.com/u4gza. So, today, we will be talking on study online again but a little bit in depth.

You readers know what study online is right? In study online, you can pick whatever topics you like to read and enjoy. Researchers found that because of the flexibility and the various type of delivery methods used to reach different types of learners, the use of technology tools which make students life much easier is better than traditional classroom.

Types of e-learning:
(a) Purely online
(b) Blending learning
(c) Self-study
(d) etc.

Purely online


Image Source: Ualberta,purely online learning [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 25th January 2010

URL: http://www.ualberta.ca/~edtechpd/images/photos/amy_elluminate.jpg

Purely online learning is one of the learning ways in e-learning which obviously means that there is no face-to-face meetings. Learners and intructors do not meet each other outside. Studies are done fully online. For example, the lecturer will post the notes and homework online and the students will read the notes online. Homework will be sent to the lecturer to check via e-mail.

Blending learning

Image source: Flickr, Blending learning [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 25th January 2010

URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teacherbuth_summer04/1284714741/

Blending learning is a combination of online and face-to-face meetings. It combines the traditional way of learning method and e-learning method. This way of learning is where most schools use nowadays. For example, instead of having lectures everyday in classroom, there are some learning activities can be done online. Classroom time can be used to mix the students around for interactive purposes like a group of students discussing on their group assignments. Meanwhile, the online learning is where the students could access to the internet for information everyday and anywhere. They could read the notes posted by their lecturers online. This increases the flexibility and convenience of the students. Not only that, lectures could be done via chat, videoconferencing, teleconferencing and so on. In this way, students would not feel bored as there would be asking and answering questions which lead to interactivity between students and lecturers.

Self-study


Image source: Iboro,self-study [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 25th January 2010

URL: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/eu/images/General/LRC5.jpg

Self-study is whereby you learn and study all by your own. There is no lecturer guiding you. The notes are all inserted in some kind of CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. For secondary research, you could search more explanation on the topics you want to know more about online. Self- study is mostly to those people that could not really study in the school environment or to those people that are too busy with their work. In self-study, you could start anytime and anywhere without attending any lecture in a traditional classroom environment or online tutoring. It is convenient for those people that could not study in a noisy environmental area.

References:
- worldwidelearn, types of e-learning [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 25th January 2010

URL: http://www.worldwidelearn.com/elearning-essentials/elearning-types.htm

eLearning for KIDS

Link to us : http://snipr.com/e-kids

Image Source: Masternewmedia, Live Teaching and Learning Marketplaces: The Emerging Online Social Learning Networks for Professional Independent Educators [Online], Retrieved on Sunday 24th January 2010

Url: http://www.masternewmedia.org/live-teaching-and-learning-marketplaces-the-emerging-online-social-learning-networks/

Excessive video game playing does NOT help kids develop real life skills. However, parents can guide their children's use of digital technologies to enhance their critical thinking and self-regulatory skills. For example, parents could learn about the learning tools and practice using digital technologies which could help in couching and motivating your child.

E-learning for kids is one of the best ways to enchance the learning process in kids. It is an internet course for children who wants to improve their skills and knowledge in their education fields. All of the lessons can be done online or offline if you purchase the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM of the lessons. E-learning for kids is basically to help the kids to master or to understand better on the basics of reading, science, maths, computers and etc. As we all know that we are now in the technology era, kids will have to learn how to use the internet and the e-learning tools effectively in order to be succeed in their future careers. Parents can help their kids to get a head start by motivating their children and search for websites that provide free e-learning resources for their kids. The websites that offer different types of courses could be in online and offline format. There are a lot of courses that provide e-learning services for kids like Math, Language Arts, Science and etc. These courses created mainly for kids around 5-12 years old.

Website like http://www.aaastudy.com/ has free math tutorials with practice problems for kids who want to improve their math skills. AAA Math provides a lot of lessons sorted by grade level. Parents could even purchase the CD from AAA Math for their child to practice offline. Do you know that practice makes perfect? AAA Math provides a lot of interesting activities which could grab the child's attention. One of the activities is online games. Online games in e-learning could help the kids to be more sensitive and alert. These e-learning games are interactive and educational. These practice problems of Maths are helpful for the kids because they provide instant feedback whereby they will guide the kids through the steps. In addition, parents play a very important role in the development of children's education. By using interactive learning tools provided in e-learning for kids, kids can interact with the texts and work better on skills like interpretation and summarization of the questions and answers.

Advantages of e-learning for kids

E-learning for kids will help to enchance and motivate the kids' brain to be more alert toward their surrounding and to be able to differentiate what is good, wrong, danger and so on.

Convenience is also one of the major advantages in e-learning. For those parents who are always busy with their work in the office but they are concern about their child's education, they could always sign up their kids to e-learning for kids lesson. It is convenient for the parents and for the kids as well. They do not have to waste their time to find a tuition centre.

Not only that, accessibility is also one of the advantages in e-learning. Children could learn and study online anywhere and anytime. They could do their practices online or offline. It is accessible anywhere and anytime. For an example, the children could do their practices and studying at her parent's working place if their parents do not have the time to look after of their children but to bring along their children to their working place.

Drawbacks of e-learning for kids

It can be difficult for those teachers or parents who teach the kids around 5-12 years old via e-learning because most of the teachers and parents are used to face-to-face teaching method. Furthermore, parents or teachers find children with lack of self-discipline hard to teach. These type of kids need to be taught face-to-face.

In short, e-learning for kids is a very interesting way of learning for kids as they could engage to a new system of learning. Kids nowadays are all engaging to the technologies system. Do you still remember our mission and vision for the future generation? Yes, to help the future generation to be IT savvy. So, e-learning for kids will be the first step to help our future generation.

References:

- aaastudy [Online], Retrieved on Sunday, 24th January 2010

URL: http://www.aaastudy.com/

Poll of the week 1: What is e-learning?

Link to us: http://snipr.com/poll01


Click the play button to listen to the speech synthesizer.

The above results clearly indicates that 56% of the respondents think that e-learning is an interactive learning system whereas 25% of the respondents think that e-learning is a web-based learning. 19% of the respondents chose the use of electronic devices to provide information as the answer. None of the respondents chose others as the answer.

There is no right or wrong answer. The definition of e-learning is very wide. Basically, e-learning is all about web-based learning, interactive learning system, the use of electronic devices to provide information, distance learning and etc. You need to have a little bit knowledge on basic computer skills on how to use the application or to search for sources. Most of the respondents think that e-learning is an interactive learning system. Well, take an example of online tutoring service, when you subscribe to an online tutoring service, you get to communicate with your instructor right? This is where the interaction begins between the student and the instructor. There will be feedbacks between one and another. Most of the time you will interact with your instructor via e-mail. That is why most of the respondents thought that e-learning is an interactivity learning system. In today's society, most of the people get to engage to technologies system which need interactivity in their everyday life. As for those respondents that thought e-learning was a web-based learning, it is where most learning materials are delivered in a Web browser. Web-based learning can be operated from CD-ROM or in dual format which is in website and CD-ROM format. The CD-ROM format is where the teachers use for teaching when they could not access to the internet.

Apart from that, there is a few respondents thought that e-learning is defined as the use of electronic devices to provide information. They probably thought that e-learning stands for electronic learning. Yes, that's true. Well, e-learning involves the use of a computer which is an electronic device to provide learning resources. As we all know, technology nowadays is getting sophisticated. Teachers at school are all now using laptops to teach their students. Teachers will post their notes and tasks online for the students to download and study. By doing so, almost all of the lectures and homeworks are completely delivered online.

A short summary of what is e-learning: So basically, e-learning is all about studying or learning things which involves interaction with the help of electronic devices like computer as a tool.

We hope you readers understand what e-learning is all about because there is no exact definition on e-learning.

Avelyn

800 laptops for Year 6 teachers

Link to us: http://snipurl.com/u4fnj












Source: The News Strait Times, 8th of January 2010

Starting next month, 800 free laptops will be distributed from the state government to teachers who are teaching Year 6 students.

What is the main purpose for giving out 800 free laptops to the teachers?

Well, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said that the state government wanted to boost up the students' academic performance in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) with the use of e-learning as a teaching and learning tool. In our opinion, instead of using textbooks which will just harm the trees again, why not using e-books? Hey, we could save thousands of trees and feel good about saving the earth right?

This is an example on how e-learning works in primary schools.

Image source: Educationcity, Online teaching and Learning [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 18th January 2010

URL: http://www.educationcity.com/uk/content/online-teaching-and-learning

Apart from that, teachers should set a good example by start using e-books to teach but how are they going to do so? Training?

Yes, teachers would undergo training courses to ensure they have basic skills on how to use the e-learning tools in class.

Not only that, there was a discussion going on between the state government and Intel Corporation Malaysia. The state government wanted all the teachers' laptops to install a software program which will enable the teachers to monitor their students' laptops. Why? So, students could not open the e-textbook of another subject while the teacher is teaching English.

This is going to cost a bomb as Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said claimed that it would cost millions of ringgit. The state government has seen the programme as a very important aspect to improve the learning by e-book project.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said again that his vision is for the future generation in the state to be IT-savvy.

So, let us all work together for one mission and one vision which is...

to help our future generation to be IT-savvy.

Reference:
- Satiman Jamin, 800 laptops for Year 6 teachers, nst [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 18th of January 2010
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/24gan/Article/

Avelyn

Study Online

Link to us:http://snipr.com/u4gza

Click the play button to listen the speech synthesizer.


Nowadays, a lot of people are struggling to study on subjects such as Math, Physic, Biology and etc. They find it uncomfortable to study at school therefore they may decide to choose home schooling rather than studying at school. Why do I say so? They probably thought that home schooling is better? Oh, yes..Not only that, there are some people that do not really like to face their teacher at school because they will feel stress and not comfortable and this is different when they have online tutoring at home because they find it convenient to study at home. Beside studying online, they can also search for information which is helpful for their homework.

Apart from that, you can always subscribe to the online tutoring service. For this online tutoring service, you can fix and decide your own study schedule. E-learning is self-paced whereby you can subscribe to the online tutoring service anytime you want as the online tutoring service is available 24 hours.

Additionally, there are some people who would rather go for online tutoring because they could not communicate well with other people. They have difficulties to speak in a normal tone with people. They do not have the confidence when they are talking with other people. They are afraid that other people could not understand what they will say. So, in order to be comfortable, they will pick online tutoring as it is the best way for them to study.

eLearning

Link to us: http://snipurl.com/u4g0m

Click on the play button to listen to the speech synthesizer.

Image source: intesolv [Online] Retrieved on Thursday, 14th January 2010,

URL: http://www.intesolv.com/VirtualClassroom/tabid/482/Default.aspx

eLearning is a part of education industry. It is a type of technology that supports learning and education. Learning is conducted via electronic media that requires a network (LAN, WAN or Internet) for delivery, communication, interaction and facilitation. It is also one of the education program that uses technology such as computers to search for informative education sources and courses. As we entered the world of cyber technology, things around us are getting more high tech and advance in technology. We do not need to look for a library or bookstores to search for informative sources with education based, where else a computer will do all the search and information that you need in advance. eLearning provides high efficient in saving the environment, energy and provides the world a better and greener place. For example, eLearning utilizes a computer that uses internet to generate information and sources that is educational based where else a library needs a space to store books and sacrifices many trees in order to produce books to store educational based information.

eLearning is a user friendly education program that saves time, energy and space. It enables the world to save a lot of trees from deforestation. It is a part of education offered using electronic delivery methods such as video conferencing, CD ROMs, websites and e-mail. It provides learning activities that encompasses training, education, just-in-time information and communication.

Image soure: softwaremag, Will E-learning make the Grade? [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 14th January 2010,

URL: http://www.softwaremag.com/l.cfm?doc=2002-02/E-Learning

Well, to those outside the e-learning industry, e-learning term doesn't have one specific definition and even within its diverse disciplines it has different meanings to different people. For instance in corporate companies, it often refers to strategies that use the company network to deliver advance training courses to employees and lately it is used in education industry. As for students at school, it is an interactive learning system whereby the students could interact with their lecturers or classmates using e-mail. Different people will have different interpretation on what is e-learning.

Not only that, eLearning is used to define a specific mode to attend course or program of study where the students rarely or never meet face-to-face , nor access on-campus educational facilities such as library and bookstores which is true because they study online.

References:
- David Mark, linkroll, Online E-learning-Working Module and Benefits [Online], Retrieved on Thursday, 14th January 2010,
URL: http://www.linkroll.com/Online-Education-Reference-and-Education--273094-Online-Elearning-Working-Module-and-Benefits.html