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Wednesday 10th October, 2018
Session 2

Assignment: Give your reflections on the role (sustainability) of the didactic instruction. Is it still relevant? How would the use of technology influence how you employ didactions in the future?

While didactic teaching is still a preferred method for traditional teachers, it is being replaced with more innovative ways of delivering the curriculum.
This teacher-centered manner of teaching have molded students to listen and memorize pertinent points.  Those who do not pay attention in class get left behind. The main medium for this form of teaching rests principally on the blackboard or whiteboard to the front of the class.
There is still relevance of using didactic teaching in the classroom, however, technological advances have piloted many creative ways to deliver teachings to students.
Students have preferred ways of learning, and some excel in some activities because of the manner in which it was delivered.
As a foreign language teacher, I have introduced technology to the classroom. Still limited with the resources for students (such as laptops), I must slowly demonstrate what needs to be done while I am in the classroom and give the students time to practice these strategies at home. Through repetition, the lesson in mastered.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally

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Tuesday 16th October, 2018
Session 3

Assignment: Share your thoughts on ways in which greater use of electronic assessment can impact teaching and learning in schools.

Electronic assessments can become teachers best friends in the classroom.
Technology has now allowed teachers to create quizzes and exams in a manner that little input on their behalf is needed after the assignments are created and sent out.
This is because on completion of many examinations. The answers and sometimes comments can be sent to the students automatically.
This saves valuable time on the teachers accord and in turn can be used and modify countless times. Moreover it saves a magnitude of paper.
The Caribbean Examinations Council is also moving very swiftly to ensure that e-testing becomes part of the examination testing.

There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to the use of electronic assessment and teaching in schools.
One particular advantage of learning is that of increasing the proficiency of acquiring knowledge.
Students can now pull out their smart phones and search for the meaning of a word, the translation of a foreign words and sentences, acquire a formula for a Math problem and a plethora of other materials that all contribute to their knowledge acquisition.
On the other hand, if this is not monitored by the teacher in the classroom or the parent at home, it can become more detrimental than beneficial. Students can easily become distracted and pass hours upon hours playing games, listening to music, watching a movie, or simply talking on the phone.
Therefore it is imperative that time limits be imposed for assignments as well as mandatory monitoring.
Technology in the classroom will continue to add value to the new learners.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally

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Wednesday 31st October, 2018
Session 4

Assignment: Give your perceptions of how ICT should be used in your subject area. Is there merit in using ICT for substitution and augmentation? How do you see yourself using ICT more meaningfully in the future?

As a foreign language teaching, the use of ICT in one of my classrooms is beyond measure and extremely beneficial. It can be used to exemplify foreign culture across the world. Students can now look at a video that depicts traditional music and hear songs, they can see how food is prepared and the way the dish is served and most importantly, they can hear different accents and the way that Spanish is spoken in different territories. Moreover they can communicate with someone in the target language which can improve their conversational, reading, writing and grammar skills and abilities.
There will always be merit in substituting ICT rather than the traditional form of teaching. While there exist challenges, there is a bounty of advantages that are beneficial to both learner and teacher.
In the future, I intend to integrate ICT in numerous ways. Everything that I have learnt in this ICT course has encouraged me to become more creative in the classroom. Students are no longer interested in learning the traditional way. Moreover, since they spend so much of their free time on the computer, smartphones and tablets, teachers must find and introduce creative ways to appeal to the students.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally

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Friday 9th November, 2018
Session 5

Wednesday 14th November, 2018
Session 6

Wednesday 21st November, 2018
Session 7

Journal 5
Assignment: Share your perception on teaching students with special needs. How can you/your school provide greater assistance to such student.

At the Secondary School that I teach in there is a visually impaired student that I teach Spanish.
It can be very challenging to conduct a class without his aid in the classroom as the time allotted to teach this level of students and the size of the class does not permit individual attention.
The school and the Ministry by extension should invest some time and resources to train and educate the students classmates to assist him in the day to day activities of the classroom. This way the responsibility can be shared with all.
It is not practical that one person be dedicated to assist special needs students in an environment that is not equipped to assist special needs students.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally

Journal 6

Assignment: Discuss the challenges posed to teachers and students by the use of Web 2.0 tools for collaboration and project-based learning.

Challenges posed to teachers and students by the use of Web 2.0 tools entail clear definitions of requirements as a result of frequent and continuous changes in the web 2.0 applications.

There is a plethora of tools available for teachers and students to use, and if they are not properly explained, then the productivity of the classroom will be nominal.

For sessions that are to be conducted fully online, a reliable internet connection is needed.
While there are sessions that can be conducted with partial internet or completely offline, the other issue that remains is the availability of systems (computers/tablets) yo be used.

Integrating technology is definitely the  way moving forward, the resources must be provided for optimal productivity and advancement.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally

Journal 7

Assignment: Give your thoughts on the ICT Teacher Professional Development Programme, sharing the areas you felt were most significant in helping you to use technology in your teaching and learning strategies.

This course came at a timely fashioned for me. I was extremely delighted when I found out about the benefits that it has for futher Dip.Ed. applicants. (Since I plan to read for this next year).

When I thought that I had sufficient knowledge about ICT integration in the classroom, Ms. Salma Hosein showed me and the class a plethora of information and strategies to implement in the classroom. I am elated to have been a participant in this class.
I have already started to implement strategies that I have covered in this course in my classroom.
The students have already shown a positive reaction.

While I must admit that the assignments seemed arduous and time consuming and I was not also able to submit on time, they all taught me something that I would be able to use in the present and near future.

I hope the Ministry of Education and the necessary stakeholders invest more in initiatives like this.

I suggest that more blended learning is done. Having face to face sessions as well as using the internet, especially for a ICT course can have endless advantages.

Shanaz Amanda Mohamdally