Learning???

I want to talk about learning. But not the lifeless, sterile, futile, quickly forgotten stuff that is crammed in to the mind of the poor helpless individual tied into his seat by ironclad bonds of conformity! I am talking about LEARNING - the insatiable curiosity that drives the adolescent boy to absorb everything he can see or hear or read about gasoline engines in order to improve the efficiency and speed of his 'cruiser'. I am talking about the student who says, "I am discovering, drawing in from the outside, and making that which is drawn in a real part of me." I am talking about any learning in which the experience of the learner progresses along this line: "No, no, that's not what I want"; "Wait! This is closer to what I am interested in, what I need"; "Ah, here it is! Now I'm grasping and comprehending what I need and what I want to know!" Carl Rogers 1983: 18-19

Learning as a product

Pick up a standard psychology textbook - especially from the 1960s and 1970s and you will probably find learning defined as a change in behaviour. In other words, learning is approached as an outcome - the end product of some process. It can be recognized or seen. This approach has the virtue of highlighting a crucial aspect of learning - change. It's apparent clarity may also make some sense when conducting experiments. However, it is rather a blunt instrument. For example:

• Does a person need to perform in order for learning to have happened?

• Are there other factors that may cause behaviour to change?

• Can the change involved include the potential for change? (Merriam and Caffarella 1991: 124)

Learning as a process - task-conscious or acquisition learning and learning-conscious or formalized learning

In the five categories that Säljö identified we can see learning appearing as a process - there is a concern with what happens when the learning takes place. In this way, learning could be thought of as 'a process by which behaviour changes as a result of experience' (Maples and Webster 1980 quoted in Merriam and Caffarella 1991: 124). One of the significant questions that arises is the extent to which people are conscious of what is going on. Are they aware that they are engaged in learning - and what significance does it have if they are? Such questions have appeared in various guises over the years - and have surfaced, for example, in debates around the rather confusing notion of 'informal learning'.

One particularly helpful way of approaching the area has been formulated by Alan Rogers (2003). Drawing especially on the work of those who study the learning of language (for example, Krashen 1982), Rogers sets out two contrasting approaches: task-conscious or acquisition learning and learning-conscious or formalized learning.

Howard Gardner: Multiple Intelligence

Howard Gardner initially formulated a list of seven intelligences. His listing was provisional. The first two have been typically valued in schools; the next three are usually associated with the arts; and the final two are what Howard Gardner called 'personal intelligences' (Gardner 1999: 41-43).

Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information. Writers, poets, lawyers and speakers are among those that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.

Logical-mathematical intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. In Howard Gardner's words, it entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking.

Musical intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. According to Howard Gardner musical intelligence runs in an almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence.

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related.

Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.

Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and counsellors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. In Howard Gardner's view it involves having an effective working model of ourselves, and to be able to use such information to regulate our lives.

What is thinking skill?

• When cognitive skills are strong, academic learning is fast, easy, efficient, and even fun.
• When cognitive skills are weak, academic learning will be, at best, a struggle.
• Cognitive skills are, therefore, the essential tools for learning.

It will help immensely if you keep these points foremost in your mind as we examine mental skills more closely.

Mental or cognitive skills may seem a bit mysterious because they are not easy to see or recognize by themselves. But, without the underlying cognitive skills, you and I could not process the information received from every possible source -- sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

ASSURE Model: The best way to organize the lesson plan.

Analyze learners
State objectives
Select instructional methods, media, and materials
Utilize media and materials
Require learner participation
Evaluate and revise

The ASSURE model is one of the way for teacher to design and develop the most appropriate learning environment for their students. You can use this process in writing your lesson plans and in improving teaching and learning.

• Analyze learner- teacher must know the standard of the students like age, sex, socioeconomic level and etc. Teacher also must know the level of the students cognitive skill. Beside that the way of how the student love to learn must be analyze.

• State objective- Objectives are the learning outcomes, that is, what will the student get out of the lesson?

• Select instructional methods, media and materials- The selection of the methods, media (video, audio, computer, etc.) and materials must be appropriate withe the students and the lesson to meet the objective stated.

• Utilize media and materials- test the media and make sure all of them working. Make sure the media and materials can be use in the classroom.

• Require learner participation - try to make the student take part in the teaching and learning session. Try to avoid lecturing. Listen to your students and allow them to become aware of the content. Allow them to learn as opposed to trying to "teach" them.

• Evaluate and revise - Evaluate the teaching and learning session whether achieve the objective or not. Try to state the weaknesses and the ways to overcome it in the next session.

Play: Fun in the classroom.

Play activities are essential to healthy development for children and adolescents. Research shows that 75% of brain development occurs after birth. The activities engaged in by children both stimulate and influence the pattern of the connections made between the nerve cells.This process influences the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability. The most important role that play can have is to help children to be active, make choices and practice actions to mastery. They should have experience with a wide variety of content (art, music, language, science, math, social relations) because each is important for the development of a complex and integrated brain. Play that links sensori-motor, cognitive, and social-emotional experiences provides an ideal setting from brain development. So, a teacher must implement the fun in the classromm by create some games that pupils can learn from it.

Abraham Maslow's Needs Theory

Here we can see the diagram shows the Abraham Maslow's theory of needs. His theory is used in most field that involve human being.
This theory is implemented on the educational system in my country, Malaysia.
The first human needs is Physiological needs such as food, cloth, shelter, sleep, rest, etc.
After the physiological needs was fulfilled, human need to feel safe. A human need to live in a safe surrounding and free from the threat of physical and emotional harm.
After that, human needs to have a good social live. Friendship, belonging to a group and giving and receiving love will be needs for human.
After a person feels that they "belong", the urge to attain a degree of importance emerges. Esteem needs can be categorized as external motivators and internal motivators.Internally motivating esteem needs are those such as self-esteem, accomplishment, and self respect. External esteem needs are those such as reputation and recognition.
Self-actualization is the summit of Maslow's motivation theory. It is about the quest of reaching one's full potential as a person. Unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied; as one grows psychologically there are always new opportunities to continue to grow.

How this theory works in education???

Sports and education.

Sports and education is like water in a glass. They are very close and need each other. I am a very active sportsmen and coach for some sports in my school. We have made some winning time for some sports that we have took part.
As a human being we need to exercise to have a healthy lifestyle. I always recommend my pupils to take parts in at least one sport to make them always exercise and have healthy body. This may take them to the successful of their life.
These are some photo of my football team. We have been the champion of the Besut District.

Teacher: The human artist.

How can a teacher be a human artist? Why I said that? All of us learn from at least a teacher. We must have teacher to have skills and knowledge to live in this earth. Without a teacher we are nothing.
As we were born, we do not know anything. We learn how to speak, walk, run and everything we can do now. How we learn these? By using our sense, brain and the inquire of the what we want to know, is it possible that we can learn all? Of course not! We need teacher to teach us to do something.
By a teacher, we also can learn something faster and easier. Our first teacher usually our parents. They teach us to walk, talk and do basic things to live. We learn a lot of knowledge in school such as history, mathematics, science etc.
I am very proud to be a teacher because I can paint the future. I am the one of the future painter. I teach children to be 'someone' in the future. If I teach something that can benefit the human being and the world. If I teach them something wrong, disaster will come.

First day on the year...

As a teacher, there are many ways to get attention and control the pupils especially the primary school pupils. First day of school is very important to show the attitude of a teacher. I will share with you some of my experience of my first day in school as a teacher.
Some tips to give impression to control class:
1. Walk into the class with serious face.- Show impression of your strictness.
2. Tell the rules of the classroom. Say that you will take action if someone abide the rules. Here are some rules that I can suggest.

• Don't talk when you are talking.
• Sit on the chair properly when you are giving the content of learning.
• Do not eat or drink during the teaching and learning process.
• Always finish the homework.

Please do not mention so many rules because the pupils cannot accept all of them. To make sure the effectiveness of the rules.

You will take the impression for the whole year. Pupils will try to follow the rules and be good pupils when you are in the class.

The reasons I write here

1. To share what I had learn to be a good teacher.
2. To improve my English grammar and writing.
3. To get feedback of whoever had read this blog.
4. To discuss and share opinion about educational topics.
5. To share information how to be an excellent student.

I am a teacher and student

It’s not easy to be a good teacher and a excellent student. I work as a teacher at a Primary School in Malaysia and a student of a programme called PGSR ( Pensiswazahan Guru Sekolah Rendah) which is sponsored by the Government. I am studying for my first degree. I had Diploma of Education. Now I am on first year of 4 years journey to finish the study.

Actually I just finished my first part(semester). I hope I have done very well on the examination. My target for this part is 3.7 above. I will discuss what I had learnt and my opinion about education nowadays.

As a teacher and student, I directly involve into the education and the must for me to become skilled on Psychology and Pedagogy. Psychology is one of the important element to teach. A teacher must figure out the psychological condition of his or her student. From this the teacher can create a good environment and conducive for the student. When the student is on the conducive situation, they can learn well and can give fully attention to the content or skills that they are learning.