|
All about me!
Hi! My name is Muhammad Asyraf bin Khalid.I'm a student of 2E04! Welcome to my site, where learning takes place in a fun way! :D Questions?
Take a peek!
Brainpop!
Exploratorium! The Kidz Page! PBS kids! Learn to read! Recap!
May 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
|
Review Time! (Part 2) Thinking of ways to teach the little one mathematics skills? Well, with this next activity that I am going to introduce to you, your little one will not only learn mathematics skills, but he/she will have fun as well! Follow the Stars with Caillou!  A fun game that allows children to learn mathematical concepts and skills, Follow the Stars with Caillou integrates math and fun together! In this interactive math game, children will learn ordering skills, other than seriating and memorizing. In this game, children will have to listen and see, to the stars that are being played. The stars will play a song, and once the song ends, the children will have to figure out which stars should they press, in order to repeat the same rhythm. Children will definitely enjoy this game, especially when it is played with their peers, teachers or even parents!    So, what's the rating of this game according to the rubric? Layout and Design - 5 points The layout and design of the game is definitely appropriate. The colors are bright, the wording and text are clear, and the audio of the game is well audible. The elements of the game allows easy comprehension of the mathematical concept. Navigation - 5 points The game is very well navigated. Children will know that they have to click on the stars in order to proceed. Other than being well organized, Caillou (the cartoon character) himself is narrating the instructions. This makes it easier, as his voice acts as instructions and navigation. Objectives- 5 points Objectives of this game is clearly stated in the beginning. The main purpose and objective of this game is to teach children mathematical concepts such as ordering and memorizing. Once a child plays this game, he/she knows that they are supposed to click on the stars to proceed on. Different Learning Styles - 3 points As good as this game gets, there are some limitations. The game caters more to auditory learners, as it places an emphasis on hearing the tunes, rather than looking. It may not be of advantage to the tactile and visual learners. The emphasis of the game is very much on the auditory learners only. Higher Level Learning Skills - 3 points The game, even though encouraging and good, focuses on only one learning skill which is analyzing. The game can definitely be improved on, and worked about. The game does not present a variety of topics to be worked on. Rules - 3 points Rules are not clearly stated. Children might not now that they have to listen and click to the stars. For myself, as I play the game, I was clueless on how it all started. Halfway through the first melody, then I realized how it should be played. The rules should be explained more clearly. Goals - 3 points The main purpose of this game is fun. However, at a point of time, you will get bored playing it, as there is no form of reward whatsoever when you reach to a certain level. The goal is to click on the stars according to the order of the rhythm. The goal was not stated as clearly as it should. Feedback - 0 points There wasn't a button whatsoever for players to click on in order to send feedback. The closest thing is to go back to the home page and click on the feedback link. It would be good, if there is a feedback link provided. Interaction - 3 points There was not much interaction between the player and Caillou, the cartoon. Attraction was only between player and the stars. From here, I can safely say that this game is not very social, in fact it is leaning more to solitary play. However, if it were played between peers, the game can be a very sociable one instead. Subject - 5 points Subject is truly much understood. Children will get to know that they are learning concepts of math i.e ordering and seriation. Total score: 35 points. This game is very much appropriate for the children to play. So what do I feel about the game? It definitely can help to increase a child's mathematical skills, especially ordering and seriation. On another note though, there probably should be someone beside the child, who can clearly understand the game and explain it to the child. Perhaps, this game can be played by parents and child together, or even teacher and child together. It will definitely build a good rapport between the children and their educators. Parents, this is the most effective way to build relationships with your child, and teach them mathematical skills. So my verdict? :D :D :D Rating scale. :D Not worth it. :D :D Not bad, but still not worth it. :D :D :D Better, but still can be worked on. :D :D :D :D Good, a very nice game! :D :D :D :D :D Excellent! Woo hoo! It is worth playing, but not worth all the hype. :D Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Review Time! Worried that they are not enough opportunities for your kids to learn while they have fun? Well, fret not, because in today's review, I am going to introduce all of you to a game that combines learning and fun together! Cookie Monster's Alphabet Soup!  A fun game that allows children from ages 3 and up, to learn about alphabets. In this game, children will be given the opportunity to make up their own words, by clicking on the alphabets found in Cookie Monster's soup! This game will definitely make your little one's learning adventures much more fun! Along with Cookie Monster, learning alphabets will soon be as easy as A, B, C!     So what are my ratings for this game? (Evaluated using an educational games rubric) Layout &Design - 5 points There are multiple graphic elements present in this game. Other than animation alone, the game also makes uses of text and interactive media. There are communication elements present that can not only reinforce a concept, but assist children/learners to fully understand the whole topic. Navigation - 5 points For a child, navigating the game will not be a problem, as the instructions are clearly announced and given. Other than being well organized, the game also has clear buttons and arrows to signify where to go next. Objectives - 5 points The learning objective of this game is clearly stated, that is for children to enhance their spelling and language skills. Once a child plays this game, he/she knows that it is aimed towards his/her spelling and language skills. Different learning styles - 3 points Overall, this game does cater to the various learning styles, but not much emphasis is placed upon tactile learners. There is much emphasis on visuals and audios, but there aren't as many for tactile learners. Higher Level learning skills - 3 points This game has only one activity that helps to stimulate a child's cognitive skills. The game though, focuses much on decision making, analyzing and evaluation. However there are not much of a variety of the game. Rules - 5 points Rules are clearly stated in this game. Cookie monster announced that the children are only required to press an alphabet that will form a new word. The rules are laid out simply, and children will understand it easily. Goals - 5 points Cookie monster clearly states the game's expectations and the goal. Children will have to form at least 3 new words before cookie monster gets to eat his soup. Feedback - 0 points This though, was the only bad point of the game. There wasn't anywhere that players can submit comments and feedback. The only way is to go back to the homepage, and send an email to the coordinator. This can be very tedious. Interaction - 5 points The game not only allowed the children to interact with the computer, but if played with 2 or more children, they can form a group and discuss their responses. This game features a good interaction point between child and computer, as well as their peers. Subject - 5 points Subject of the game is truly stated. It is to improve on a child's spelling and language skills. From the start of the game, cookie monster has already explained the subject/aim of the game. Total score: 41 points. This game is excellent for children to participate and play with. As the site's coordinator and contributor, I really believe that this game is really effective in educating a child language skills, specifically spelling. For teachers and parents, this game can allow your children to learn spelling in a fun way! Teachers, you can introduce this game during your English lesson. Besides learning more efficiently, the children will have fun at the same time! Parents, this game can also serve as a bonding ground for you and your child, as both of you explore opportunities that allows and build stronger relationships between the two of you. So my verdict? :D :D :D :D Rating scale. :D Not worth it. :D :D Not bad, but still not worth it. :D :D :D Better, but still can be worked on. :D :D :D :D Good, a very nice game! :D :D :D :D :D Excellent! Woo hoo! This game is definitely worth playing! Try it now! :D Wednesday, May 5, 2010
V, A ,K checklists. Hi there! I bet, after reading my previous post, you are wondering how to access the various learning styles? Well, count your lucky stars, as I am about to inform you how to do so. The checklist will enable you to assess your learning style.  Visual learners checklist. Do you....
Auditory learners checklist. Do you...
Kinesthetic learners checklist. Do you...
Hopefully, the checklist will be able to specify your learning style! Happy trying out!
What are visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles? "Show me, and I will learn."  "Talk to me, and I will learn."  "Let me feel, and I will learn."  The pictures that you see above, are pictorial descriptions of the 3 learning styles that humans adopt, namely Visual, Audio and Kinesthetic. Who, and what are visual learners? Visual learners are people who learn and absorb information more effectively from images, pictures, charts and tables. Visual learners also uses these visual aids to communicate and organize information. Visual learners are able to easily visualize objects, plans and outcomes in their mind's eye. It is also proven by research, that most visual learners have a good spatial sense, which in turn helps to contribute to a good sense of direction. As mentioned above, visual learners uses images, pictures and other visual medias in their learning. As visualizations comes easily to them, it is thus important for them to make these visualizations stand out more. System diagrams, color pens and pictures can further improve the quality of the learning notes and texts. Wherever possible, visual learners should replace words with pictures, as this can help the mind to link various parts of a concept together, for example, how an engine works. Who, and what are audio learners? As the term suggests, audio learners are people who learn best through hearing. Be it hearing information, songs, rhymes or rhythms, auditory learners makes the best out of hearing. Auditory learners have a knack of ascertaining the true meaning of someone's words by listening to audible changes, like a change in tone. Auditory learners are more successful in completing activities that require them to listen for instructions, rather than only looking for instructions. It is proven that auditory learners have difficulties completing activities in an environment that eliminates sound. Some may even be distracted and dumbfounded. That mentioned, auditory learners score more in situations that allow them to voice their opinions. Activities like reading aloud, group discussions and putting information into a rhythmic pattern like a rap or song allows auditory learners to absorb information at a much more faster rate. Ultimately, they can make tapes of class notes and listen to them, to further upgrade their information absorption and processing rate. Who, and what are kinesthetic learners? They are individuals that learn best through hands on activities, demonstrations and physical demonstrations. They have the tendency to learn through trial and error as they repeatedly process and practice new skills, tasks or concepts. Unlike visual or auditory learners, kinesthetic learners absorb information through a variety of ways, like movement, touch and visualization. It is through "doing" and "experiencing" that a kinesthetic learner learns. The experience of writing things down, drawing, creating and role playing allows an opportunity for physical movement and practice that ultimately helps the learning process for a hands on learner. Kinesthetic learners of any age needs the opportunity to put a new concept, skill or task into practice. Adding any type of physical element to activities will quickly bring the kinesthetic learner into focus and excited for learning. Something as simple as flashcards can attract the kinesthetic learner's attention. |