Gratitude

This course has finally come to an end.

There are tons of bittersweet and memorable experience during this course. Time has escaped my attention, it has already been 7 weeks in this short semester. In truth, it is a hectic and crazy semester with so many workloads and all. I can say that it's a worthwhile learning experience. 

"To have a solid foundation of computer's knowledge as well as improving it and have a great time learning this course!"

This was what I wrote 7 weeks earlier while completing the database on my aim for the course. I can gratefully mention that I have achieved my aim. I have improved my knowledge on computer greatly from all the assignments I had completed. Little did I know that I will be learning so much, ranging from survey form, SPSS, database, spreadsheet, courseware et cetera. And I never expect myself using new web-based applications as well as computer software to complete the course. I'm always comfortable with my usual software, but this course has given me opportunity to explore on new programmes. I'm glad to be able to learn something new and to step out from my comfort zone. 

One of the most challenging obstacles I faced throughout the course is time management. Previously, I had difficulties in managing my time wisely. I often found myself slacking behind time because there's just "no time" for me. In the end, I felt extremely exhausted from the amount of workload as I have not completed the previous one. As I pace along this course, I tell myself not to procrastinate any longer and try to finish my work in a given time. It was hard at first but gradually, I am able to finish work in classroom and no more delaying work. Azrul, as an amazing partner, has given me motivation to complete our work on time and for this, I owe him my sincere gratitude.

What I've discovered about learning ICT is that it is not a one-time thing. You learn about ICT, directly or indirectly. Once you acquire basic knowledge in it, little chance that you will forget it. The one thing I like about ICT is that there's always a solution. Even when you fail once, twice or countless times, there is a light at the end of tunnel. There's a way to everything. ICT may be hard for a beginner to handle, but once they get the gist, ICT can be fun and exciting. ICT is all about self-exploration. Whatever steps or theories written in the book is not sufficient to cover the practical part of ICT. ICT is not learned by the book. It is of experiences and experiments. As ICT becomes the working vehicle in today's era, it is important to utilise the skills in bringing in development and changes to the nation.

Before I end this post, I would like to convey my warmest appreciation to:

• Dr. Siti Fatimah Mohd Yassin
• Encik Mohammad Fariduddin Wajdi Anthony
• Ahmad Azrul Afeze bin Ahmad Rosdi
• B. Ed TESL (IPGKS-UKM)

I will never be able to accomplish all these without your guidance and support throughout this course. Everyone has been so amazing and helpful! It's a roller-coaster ride with excitement, anxiety and fun all mixed in together :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

La fin~

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Database

Good morning everyone!

After we did spreadsheet this week, we also had to create a database. This database is for student management information using OpenOffice Base. This was my first time creating a database because I have not done anything related to database before. Despite such unfamiliarity, instructions on how to create a database given by our lecturer is comprehensible. I owe my work this time around to our one and only, Mr. Mohammad Fariduddin. He endlessly given support to us and I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

Included in the weekly instructions, we are supposed to:

1. Tables: Create table in Design view (4 separate tables)

• student table(use student ID as a Primary key)
• parent table (use student ID as a Primary key)
• curriculum table (use student ID as a Primary key)
• co-curriculum table(use student ID as a Primary key)

2. Tool->Relationship: Create relationships between tables by linking

the student ID (That is why not to create student name for other

tables except Student Table!)

3. Use Wizard to Create Form:

• Student Form
• Parent Form
• Curriculum Form
• Co-curriculum Form

4. Data entry using Form (Note: do not use table for data entry)

5. Create several queries from the database

6. Create reports based on the queries

Using these outline to create a database is already sufficient for myself. Though I must say, there has been countless trial and errors in creating reports based on the queries. As the tables were supposed to be separate, I couldn't find a way to merge the data entry into one single table in the report. That means I have four reports based on four queries. Therefore, Azrul made another attempt with a different way, that is combining the tables into one during the table creation. There were only query so, one report was created with all the data on different column. This method differs with the first method of separating the table. 

I've uploaded a copy of the report on my Yahoo! group. 

Link: http://bit.ly/q4QkHS 

In short, creating a database isn't as easy as expected. There were many shortcomings throughout the process but I believe that with efforts, anything is possible. When a certain something is new to us, is is essential that when we try and fail, we should try again until we succeed. It all comes with hard work. 

As of importance in creating database, we possess prior knowledge to it before we move on to something harder in the near future. I'm sure I'll be encountering it again, harder and more complicated. Having basic knowledge on how to create a simple database prepares us for the next challenge.

To conclude, this is our last assignment of this course. But it isn't the last for this blog.

A "Thank You" post is coming right up :)

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Spreadsheet

After an enjoyable week of multimedia, we're moving on to something serious this week. 

It's SPREADSHEET!

So, what's a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet is a table of values arranged in rows and columns. Spreadsheet applications are computer programs that let you create and manipulate spreadsheets electronically. In a spreadsheet application, each value sits in a cell. You can define what type of data is in each cell and how different cells depend on one another. The relationships between cells are called formulas, and the names of the cells are called labels. (Source: Webopedia) Basically, there are numerous spreadsheet application available on the Net and most widely used is Microsoft Excel. OpenOffice Calc is also another application that can be used for spreadsheet.

What did I do this week?
We had to come up with a personal financial management on income and spending. May sounds easy but let's move on to the next instruction. To link the formula between the sheets. I looked up on Google how to link the formula between the sheets since I had little experience in doing spreadsheets. Azrul was the saviour of the day for stumbling into steps on how to link the formula. He showed me on his laptop and more or less, I can comprehend on how to link the formula. The balance from the first month was able to be added to the balance of the next month and consecutively. We created one spreadsheet, ranging from January until December. The balance (income minus spending) of January was added to February and the subsequent months. I am very grateful that we managed to complete the spreadsheet successfully without much hassle. Objective accomplished!

Apart from creating a personal financial management, we also had to plan, create and edit a spreadsheet of
students score and grade analysis. Among the functions we had to utilise is VLOOKUP, STDEV, AVERAGE and COUNTIF. These functions are useful as it allows values of data to be read automatically from the given range. Knowing how to use spreadsheet is valuable because we are going to use them in the future for students' score input. There is no longer a need to insert score and grade manually to the spreadsheet as it can be calculated easily using the functions. Honestly, using Microsoft Excel is so much easier if compared to OpenOffice Calc. The functions button are easily accessible in the navigation bar and a drop down box will appear. One can select whatever functions applicable to calculate certain data.

I've learned so much again this week from spreadsheet. Spreadsheet is not something I'm familiar with since I rarely use it on daily basis. This course has provided me an opportunity to learn something new and thus, I can use these skills in the future. At least next time I encounter spreadsheet, I will not be lost and use the techniques learned wisely.

Happy Spreadsheet-ing!

Links to our spreadsheet: 

1. http://bit.ly/noX4MX
2. http://bit.ly/q7N3KQ 

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Creative Effective Multimedia Production

It's all about MULTIMEDIA this week!

(Source: deviantART)

So we are required to come up with a presentation kit and courseware for Assignment 1. Previously I have installed OpenOffice in my laptop, and it comes in handy again as expected :) Although I was very much contented in using Microsoft Office Powerpoint for presentation, it's a different case this time around. I had to use OpenOffice Impress to create a presentation kit based on Assignment 1. 

I've already predicted that it wasn't easy using Impress and I was so right! Despite it being very minimalistic, I had to double, or maybe triple the effort of creating a presentation kit than using Microsoft Powerpoint. Basically, this presentation kit contains the essence of our chosen topic, which is Internet and Computer Security. A good presentation should always be minimal, compact and possesses good flow. It should not be very wordy (let's say 1000 words) because that totally defeats the idea of a presentation, isn't it? A presentation resembles a thousand words, therefore, the presenter should be well-versed in his/her presentation to get the message across. Bear K.I.S.S (Keep It Straight and Simple) in mind when you're designing a presentation.

Check out this link for awesome tips on presentation: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-tips-for-preparing-a-professional-presentation/

My personal experience of designing a presentation kit? 

Well, every now and then, everyone of us are required to present in class, be it for activity or assignment purpose. At times I enjoyed doing one but when it comes to wordy presentation, I found myself bored and had a hard time compressing the ideas. As an audience, I am most likely to be attached to minimalistic presentation. Visual aids can be a plus, however too much of it automatically condense the entire idea of presentation. It should be used appropriately not, for the sake of adding more slides to it. Also, I really enjoy a realistic presentation. Everything in the presentation should be related, not cluttered ideas all over. A good presentation also lies on a good speaker. A good speaker should not be reading from the slides but "presenting". It can be referred to at times but it should not be used as a reading material. Audiences will be bored since they, too can read from the slides, don't they?

Back to my experience with dealing with Impress, I was frustrated that it wasn't as user-friendly as Microsoft Powerpoint. Diagrams and texts weren't easy to be pasted into the slides. Everything needed a revamp once they were pasted into the slides. It is in contrast with Microsoft Powerpoint. They merge whatever formatting from the original document and we can easily transform it to our desired fonts. It is not the case with Impress. We had to do everything back from basics and it took longer time than it supposed to to design a presentation kit. Impress would be good for a simple presentation without multimedia and audio aids but certainly not for important presentation. Microsoft Powerpoint is the better alternative to presentation. Nevertheless, my pair and I complete the presentation and we upload it on my Google Docs :) Good job again!

For courseware, we had to come up with a video using Movie Maker, a layered graphic/image using GIMP and audio using Audacity. Download links of all programmes will be provided at the end of the post. The courseware is also related to Assignment 1. We used Windows Live Movie Maker to come up with a video. The video contains the bits and pieces of our topic and appropriate images were also inserted. We made sure that we applied transition effects for a more catchy video. It would be bland without any effects. After that, we used Audacity to edit our selected music effects for the video. We applied "Fade In" and "Fade Out" effects as well as trim any unnecessary clips of the audio. We used 4 background songs for our video, the beginning, middle and credits section. The effects are very useful because it creates a smooth flow of songs throughout the video. You would not want the songs to play endlessly without any fading towards the end. It will be a monotonous video and unable to appeal to audiences to watch your video. Audacity is a free programme, therefore it is available for use all year round.

GIMP provides a free alternative of Adobe Photoshop. I've used Photoshop before back in my school days to design banners and brochures. The skills have gone rusty, I must say. Nevertheless, Photoshop is an amazing software for designing and there are JUST SO MUCH to learn from it. On the other hand, GIMP is a simpler programme with similar features (e.g layering). I've utilised this programme in creating buttons for my courseware. The buttons created were nicely designed and they were inserted in my Powerpoint courseware. My verdict for GIMP? It needs to be more user-friendly. The necessary buttons were hard to locate. Once I'd created the button for my courseware, 3 similar files appeared. It takes time to close the remaining unused files. Apart from that, the text inside the buttons were permanent. I couldn't change it and the steps need to be repeated all over again. That's not how it works with Adobe Photoshop unfortunately. Despite being very expensive in the market, I believe it's the best designing software out there that caters to every need. Nonetheless, it's a good software to start off before proceeding with Photoshop. GIMP does not use up so much memory for an advantage.

So that's what I've done this week. So much to learn and so much to experience. It was a good one, though, and I hope to be able to utilise whatever I've learned in the near future. 

Hope everyone had fun exploring and have a great day!

Live Movie Maker: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker?os=other

GIMP: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Difference between Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer and Google Doc

Today, I would be posting on the three Word Processing programmes, namely: Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer and Google Doc. Despite all having similar functions, there are distinct differences in each of the programme. But really, it is up to your need in making choices between these three.

Google Docs 

Google Docs applications are web-based word processor. Rather than residing on hard drive, Google Docs requires Internet connection to access your documents. They don’t use up valuable hard drive space and should you need the files you created online, it can be copied to your PC anytime. The key advantage of using Google Docs is that it can be easily accessed by multiple users. It promotes collaboration among colleagues with just the “Share” button. There is no longer a need to send multiple copies of documents around to various people. The interesting feature that Google Docs has that no other word processors possess is real-time collaboration. Users are able to chat as they work on a document. When other people are working on the same document on them, they will be shown a list of names on the upper right portion of the screen. They can see the changes that people make in real as they type. Each person gets his own colour so the coloured cursor (according to the person’s colour) moves and makes changes. Basically, Google Docs provide easy publishing, communication and collaboration.

OpenOffice Writer 

OpenOffice provides a free alternative to Microsoft Office suites that can burn a hole in your pocket. This software is an example of open-source applications which means it cost nothing. The updates to open-source applications are also free. In generally, both Office 2010 and OpenOffice can create files that can be read by others. For Office 2010, Microsoft has established file standards such as .doc (and .docx) for Word documents and .xls (and .xlsx) for Excel. Those who are running Office 2003 or older versions may need to convert the files Office 2010 creates from the new file formats (.docx) to the older ones (.doc) to be able to open them. On the contrary, OpenOffice uses open standards for its native files, but can both read and write files in Microsoft’s format. The users can opt to change the default setting to save out files in Microsoft 2003 formats. However, if the Word documents contains extensive columns, header formats and embedded images, the file is likely to show up in Writer with minor formatting issues. It can be time consuming for users. For now, it does not have complete support for the new file formats created by Office 2007 and 2010. Formatting issues are likely to happen since these file formats are still new in the market.

Microsoft Word 

Microsoft Word possesses advanced features than OpenOffice Writer is lacking. First is grammar checking. Microsoft Word has a built-in grammar-checking tool. The Open Office community has provided a few add-ons that you could install to provide grammar checking, but they’re generally considered to be less robust than Word’s default options. Second are document-viewing options. The options to view documents are not as powerful in Open Office’s Writer as they are in Word. You can only choose to see a “Web View,” which doesn’t show all the formatting that you’ve included for a printed document, or a full-page layout that shows the entirety of the page including headers, footers, and margins. Word gives you several more choices, including a nice view that preserves the page layout without showing margins or headers. Third, conditional formatting. Both spreadsheet packages offer conditional formatting (the ability to automatically format cells based on the properties of the data within them), but Microsoft offers a lot more flexibility and control in this realm. Lastly, Microsoft Office’s “Smart Art” diagrams. Word, PowerPoint, and Excel all introduced a new feature in the 2007 version: Smart Art, a useful feature that allows you to easily create diagrams in a many common formats (like pyramids, cyclical diagrams, org charts, and more). OpenOffice doesn’t offer anything that comes close to the diagramming power. So if you prefer a collaboration-themed word processor, you can always opt for Google Docs. If you prefer simpler interface and can output to different file formats, OpenOffice Writer is the best for you. For the best feature set, Microsoft Word has its offer for you.

Sources:

• http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175921/Google_Docs_gets_better_but_is_it_ready_to_take_on_Office_?taxonomyId=18&pageNumber=1 
• http://knol.google.com/k/microsoft-word-vs-google-docs#_Toc213646571

There are numerous articles online that provide reviews on these three word processors Do check them out here: http://www.taming-openoffice-org.com/newsite/?page_id=23

Happy Trying!

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Brochure & Booklet

After the heavy workload last week, this week's activity was rather light. Based on Assignment 1, 4 and 5, we were asked to create a set of brochure and booklet to illustrate the basic ideas of our topic. For brochure, we used Microsoft Publisher and booklet, Microsoft Word. I personally am more comfortable working with Microsoft Word, therefore Azrul was assigned to work with the brochure. 

Brochure

Microsoft Publisher is one of the most effective, simplest and easy Do-It-Yourself brochure creating ever. As the program contains many existing templates that can be used, one just needs creativity to invent a whole new concept of a brochure. The existing template can be used for guidance but really, it is up to a person's creativity to work around and come up with an amazing template. The features available in Microsoft Publisher are commendable as well, user-friendly and a lot of interesting things in there. I seldom have the chance to work with Microsoft Publisher so, this time when Azrul is working with our brochure, I can get a simple idea of how to create one. 

One of the disadvantages I found while working with the program is that the program constantly lags. I also find it difficult to move objects (arranging to front and vice versa) because most of the objects overlapped one another. Azrul had a hard time moving the objects around, nevertheless we were pretty satisfied with our lovely work.

Link to brochure: http://bit.ly/poruZ5

Booklet
Personally, I had experience creating booklet before. So there wasn't so much problem arise. I am currently using Microsoft Office 2010, therefore there are slight changes to where the "bookfold" function is in Microsoft Word. After much searching, I could locate it. Most of my coursemates was unable to find the function as well, so they came up to me and I told them where it's hiding :) Knowing how to create a booklet is essential for teacher trainees because there will be a chance in the future to be in-charge of documentation for events in school. These skills are among the basic ones that should be learned by teacher trainees. I can understand the significance behind learning all this, and I actually enjoy doing it rather than learning theories all day long. Theory, I felt is important but what's a theory without practice? There's just one little trick of booklet, printing them. My previous experience was the booklet printing did not turn out to be the way I wanted it to be. I had to rearrange some of the pages so that when I compile it, the pages are subsequent to one another. So before proceeding with any finalisation, it is wise to test printing so that you can get a clear idea of how it turns out to be!

Link to booklet: http://bit.ly/nepX5k

Wishing everyone a great day ahead! :D

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Mini Research (SPSS)

By comparison, it's the hardest assignment in the entire course. The questionnaire we conducted earlier on was closely related to the assignment this time around.

What is SPSS?

A computer program used for survey authoring and deployment (IBM SPSS Data Collection), data mining (IBM SPSS Modeler), text analytics, statistical analysis, and collaboration & deployment (batch & automated scoring services). (Source: Wikipedia) 

We were asked to:

1. Download the online data of the questionnaire in Excel format (*xls).
2. Import the data to SPSS programme and for printed questionnaire, manually insert the data one by one.
3. Transform the data (checkbox & multiple choice) to numbers ranging from 0 to 5 except for scale items.
4. Click "Analyse" --> "Descriptive Statistics" --> "Frequency".
5. Select all variables and click the arrow button. For customisation, click bar chart/histogram and "Continue".

An output file will appear the moment the program finishes analysing the required data. From this output file, frequency of each data will be presented in table form and if customisation is done, bar charts or histograms will be available too. The output file can be exported to various formats such as Text file, Windows Document file, etc. As for the bar charts/histograms, it can be further customised with colours. Just double click on the chart and new dialogue box will be opened. Numerous colours and patterns are available, suit your personal likings :)

The explanation seemed easy but I had one of the hardest time of my life. I was completely lost on what my lecturer told me to do and I even looked up on the Net but to no avail. It took me DAYS to actually know what actually my lecturer meant with the transform data to numbers (see Step 3). Voila! When I figured it out, I did self-exploration again with the bar charts and histograms. I didn't know at first that the colours can be changed but with all the beneficial explorations, I did it! I told my partner how to do, since we delegated some tasks amongst ourselves for the mini research report.

Yes, the mighty mini research report. Before I go any further with this one, let me just say I was as clueless as my first experience with SPSS program. I felt that the task required so much of us, and it can't be done within just a week. All hell break loose because we actually did it within such a short span of time! Among the required details for the report are:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research Approach
• Findings
• Discussion
• Recommendations
• Conclusions

My partner and I divided the sub-topics to make sure things can run a little faster. We were behind schedule at first but we managed to pick up the paces and complete the report just in time. I would not be inserting the entire report here but if you are interested in reading, please check the link below.

Link 1: http://bit.ly/q6n2DR

In fact, this was our first attempt in doing anything so formal. There would be slips here and there due to lack of experiences and training in such writing and with all means, let us know. Your feedbacks are greatly appreciated. I do hope, on the behalf on my partner too, that this will be a good kick-off for our future thesis paper. Nevertheless, it's hard and requires double the effort but being realistic, nothing is easy in this world. Nothing can be obtained without hardships and obstacles. We were delighted and glad that we could finish the report. Much thanks again to my partner for the motivation he gave me to constantly finishing the work in time.

Have a great day ahead everybody!

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Online and Printed Questionnaire

What is a questionnaire? 

A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. 

This week, we're moving towards questionnaire and will be followed by a mini research. I am required to do a pilot test (yes, pilot test!) in Survey Monkey. You can access the website here. Before I proceed with the making of questionnaire, I have to register (it's free!) at the website. It is best to use any of the official e-mail accounts that were created weeks ago. Using Survey Monkey is easy since it provides clear instruction on how to add questions. As this is pilot test, the instruction was to use multiple choice, one answer only. My pair and I created 10 pilot test questions and provide the link to our coursemates for a test run. After collecting the data, both of us are able to see an overall mechanism of online questionnaire. This, however, is just a beginning to everything. 

So after the Survey Monkey pilot test questionnaire, I continued with the second task, a more complicated one. This time, I have to create questionnaire using Google Document. Google Doc isn't something unfamiliar but honestly, I was shocked to know that one can create questionnaire via Google Doc! Eye-opening enough, I was cautious at following the instructions given and do it one step at a time.

For basic tutorial, you can create a simple questionnaire by following these steps:

1. Use gmail account 
2. Open https://docs.google.com or click on documents if using gmail
3. Create New → Form
4. Add demography and  item/question in variety format – multiple choice, 
5. Checkboxes and scale  
6. Explore the use of function Save,  open, edit form
7. Ask several coursemates to test the online questionnaire.
8. Explore the use of Spreadsheet for this online questionnaire and 
9. Download  as Excel format (xls) ( this file will be imported in SPSS)

Truth be told, I had problems at first. I couldn't locate all the important buttons! The entire web page felt strange and I was pretty much lost. But ICT is all about trial and error. That's what I did throughout the course, trying, failed, and try again. I've learned so much that way. I couldn't rely on the lecturer at all time because this is hands-on assignment. After all the trying, my pair and I finally get a basic idea on how to create questionnaire via Google Doc. Since we're one of the earliest pairs to complete, I've used the remaining time to guide my other coursemates  in the process of creating one. 

After we finalised the content of our questionnaire, Azrul sent out the online questionnaire links to our coursemates and KDRI trainees. This is when we made full use of the database created in GE1155 group. We could access the e-mail address for KDRI trainees. Everything went smoothly except for a few glitches here and there. But we succeed in sending out the link and proceed to making 10 copies of our questionnaire. Our printed questionnaires were distributed to 10 random respondents. Our respondents were cooperative in filling up the questionnaire and we thanked them for helping us out.

This week has been so busy with other courses to juggle. In fact, we are both drained out from doing the questionnaire at the end of day. It's a great learning opportunity, multi-tasking and self-management. I honestly have learned a lot from the past week and the next few weeks, I believe, are more challenging.

Access files:

Pilot test - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8W7CR2F

Google Doc - https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dG9RM2NEQ09jUWxyRTNFVDBJamhKUnc6MQ#gid=0

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Literature Review & Online Materials

Good morning everyone! 

Apart from the jam-packed schedule over the week, my pair and I managed to complete the report on our chosen topic. It is actually associated with the Think, Pair, Share activity. However, this time around we are required to review online journals and books from UKM Database, Google Book and Google Scholar. After reviewing these journals, we need to come up with a report. Before proceeding to the report writing, my pair and I need to identify a research problem. This would be our main focus upon writing the report and guided with the journals that we had reviewed. 

Our choice of research problem is "How Secure is Online Banking today?". I personally deem the research problem as vital to consumers/users of today's world. As fast as technology grows, users need to install the awareness of their transactions on the Web. The pre-conceived notion of "very secure transaction" may not be what it seemed because there are loopholes on the Web that enable hackers/attackers to steal your personal information. This is not merely an issue, but an issue that needed further actions to be taken. In Malaysian context, most commercial banks are strengthening their Internet banking security in order to protect their users. For instance, Maybank. Previously, Maybank only requires users to input password and login ID. With that particular scheme, users can already access to their account. This I felt wasn't secure enough, provided that Maybank is one of the top banks in Malaysia. However, they recently upgraded their security system by enabling phrase and image ID before password input. It is a good effort in stepping up the security.

As users, it is always important to ensure our personal information confidential at all time. Would I feel secure if the bank is not doing much in upgrading? No. The problem with Malaysian users is that they take things for granted due to lack of exposure in such area. In one area that the government can actually materialise is to provide education and training about the Internet and its security. More exposure on such matters enable users to be more conscious and alert of their Web surfing. Writing this report has provided me even better insight to the security system employed in Western countries and how it is being assimilated in Malaysia.

Upon completing the report, we were very aware of plagiarism and the correct referencing. I made sure that my reference format is up-to-date, which is APA 6th Edition. Whenever we paraphrase or quote any journal that we've reviewed earlier, we ensured that we made in-text citation and reference for the text. Although it was difficult for us at first, but we got through the process and hopefully able to do the same for next assignment. I would like to thank Ahmad Azrul Afeze bin Ahmad Rosdi again for his continuous support and effort throughout the report writing. He has been a great partner to work with =)

To have striven, to have made the effort, to have been true to certain ideals - this alone is worth the struggle. (William Penn)

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Course/Learning Management System

Last week's activity is about Course/Learning Management System.

It's another Think, Pair & Share activity but this time, my pair and I are required to upload it on Google Doc. Honestly, I really enjoyed acquiring new knowledge on this topic when both Azrul and I did further research. I've learned a lot and gained basic ideas on what is actually Course/Learning Management System (C/LMS).

In Malaysia, we are slowly adapting to such system as what the Western counterparts have been doing for years. In my opinion, it is still a less popular system to be applied here in our country. Our citizens prefer to do things "manually" but little do they know, this system provides the ease and of course, it cuts some cost on money as well as time. In the path of achieving a developed nation by 2020, Malaysia needs to adapt to what the rest of the world are doing. I've heard and listened to news about online education and training going on in the Western countries to provide full access education wherever you are. Yes, the key point is wherever you are. Gaining knowledge is hardly restricted anymore because the technology will undergo research and development. I believe the technology soon will reach out to the everyone - it's not going to be any narrower, but broader with more opportunities to accomplish things.

Exposure of online training and education as per say of the system should be carried out in the nation. There is no need of face-to-face interaction because one can achieve as much as that online. Imagine those who wish to pursue higher in their education but could not do so due to commitment and career, enrolling in such system would be perfect for them. Education is a life-long learning process, therefore it shouldn't be hindered by means of classroom. The chance is there but it is up to the mentality of Malaysians in abolishing the traditional classroom and move forward with the new era.

Of course it is of no doubt that there would be limitations in carrying out such system. This is where R&D needs to work around in providing means for e-learning. Overall, I believe that everyone should be given opportunities to gain knowledge, wherever they may be. Education is not a restriction anymore, it's an invitation to every possible knowledge in life.

The main challenge that I'm facing in every activity and assignment for this subject is undoubtedly time management. As this semester is compressed into just 7 weeks, I find it hard to really focus and manage my time appropriately. It was stressful as well but my pair and I overcame it by doing research and finalising everything in our free time. I constantly e-mailed him and vice versa for information, research, editing and finally, the end product. This is also an example of e-learning when both of us do not need to see each other to discuss on any activity but through means of e-mail and Facebook.

Fingers crossed, I hope things will go well for next week.

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

Think, Pair & Share: Internet and Computer Security

Azrul and I paired up this time around to work on our Assignment 1: Internet and Computer Security. We were given the chance to pick any topic, so we gladly chose this one because I find it rather interesting to share as well as to learn in details.

You can read the entire document here.

Basically, what we did first is to read what are some of the misconceptions held in this topic. One of them is technical terms associated with the Internet & Computer Security. For instance, virus, spam and phishing. Many have not known what exactly differentiates one another. Apart from clearing the confusion, I myself have learned so much about the difference and its ability to damage one's computer. I was only familiar with how virus can copy itself in any programs but not spam and phishing. I only knew spam was another "different" thing than virus. With much further reading from the books in the library, I can finally figured out what are they and the high risk of damage they could cause to computer's system.

The insight I gained from doing this topic is that no matter how efficient and helpful Internet is in today's world, I have to admit that it's not always good. I've been reading and listening on the benefits of Internet, yes, I was one of those who couldn't survive without the Net because I practically living with it. However, there's always a downside to every good thing. Internet is the perfect example. Yes, it's easing our daily life but with considerations of online theft and fraud spreading in the Net is not something I should neglect. As an user, I need to be on guard at all time to make sure that my credentials and identity are well-protected. Malaysia has done a fairly good job by increasing another level of protection for their local online banking. Even so, no one should take this for granted. When I perform online shopping, I always make sure whether or not the website is reliable by checking out their testimonials or feedbacks. This is to ensure that I won't be cheated for their products. Users must be conscious of performing any online transaction with other users so that they won't get scammed for their money. 

On security software, I used to have this pre-conceived notion that as long as it's free and easy to use, then my system will be protected fully. I was really wrong. I find it important that users should buy original security software in order to get their computer protected. Before I bought the original Trend Micro Titanium Security, I was using Avast! to protect my system. It was free and I thought why not. I used it for a couple of months and then, to my horror, my computer wasn't acting very normal. It constantly lagged and up to the point that I upgraded my RAM to 2GB. I came across the original software at a computer shop and I gave it a try. My computer is running normally now and I regretted downloading the free version of the anti-virus software. This is important to make sure your computer runs smoothly.

What I have learned throughout writing this piece on Internet & Computer Security is that users should know what they're doing. Any suspicious-looking advertisers and website redirect can be deemed as attempts to con users into something unavailable. It is not only about security software but how users need to have prior knowledge of how Internet works around the clock. Original software should be obtained for its reliability, not some free downloaded software online. It does not provide maximum protection as original full software.

Of course, I couldn't do this without Ahmad Azrul Afeze.  

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath
http://barbarakath.blogspot.com

My First Week

After returning from 2 months worth of holidays, my first week turned out to be full of surprises. I've learned that we are going to take Computer in Education GE1155 for this short semester. As much as I want to conceal the excitedness in me, I am so thankful that finally I get to re-learn computers and whatnot this time around.

I have always been an avid fan of the computer and how it works around the clock to satisfy me as an heavy-duty user. GE1155 has provided me the utmost opportunity to get down and explore the computer in depth as per much it affects the education system now. This week itself, we received instructions from Mr. Fariduddin, our lecturer for GE1155, to set up numerous accounts as well as new official e-mail addresses.

E-mail (Yahoo! and Gmail)
Despite the number of e-mail accounts I had in the past, setting up official e-mail accounts using Yahoo! and Google service provider was not so much of a hassle. I then began to comprehend the importance of having official accounts as it can be used again in the future when I transfer to UKM, Bangi. There's a catch though, these accounts need to be created with our real names (as in per IC). Funny, bizarre names are not accepted since it will contradict the purpose of making it official. The process of setting up these accounts is very guided hence zero problems!

Yahoo! Group
Joining and creating Yahoo! Group are really new things to me. I knew the existence of online forum and group, but have no idea of Yahoo! having one actually startled me. Everyone was requested to join the GE1155 group created by Dr. Siti Fatimah Mohd Yassin for both IPG Kampus Sarawak and IPG Kampus Dato Razali Ismail. My membership was almost instantly approved by Dr. Siti Fatimah. As I've mentioned before, Yahoo! Group is new to me. I literally was lost in the page, however after several hours exploring and seeking, I finally understood how it works. Yahoo! Group is an efficient tool to connect with classmates or people who share with the same interest. As e-mail can be quite unfriendly to connect with people, these groups aim to make things simpler, no sweat at all! Among the features are messages (with attachments, too), links, polls, database and et cetera. I found that having a personal Yahoo! Group for storage is useful and beneficial. Apart from the effective sharing with others, it is certainly not time consuming and also money consuming. I can share whatever documents and links I have with my members that will require approval to join. Seem interesting, right?

Facebook
Yes, the mighty Facebook! I'm sure that everyone has an account these days as Facebook is very popular among teenagers and adults to stay connected. I, too have one personal Facebook. An instruction was given to create an offical Facebook account using any one of the new e-mail accounts. I decided to use my Gmail because it is lightweight and easier to manage. Similar to the purpose of the e-mail accounts, this Facebook account has to be official with my real names and photo. No funny and queer names! Facebook is another good medium to stay connected and sharing. As the top social networking website, there were many updates to the interface and system to ensure that it is user-friendly. The one thing I like about Facebook is that it is so easy! There's really no need to set up a thousand things because Facebook has it all. It even has the "Create Group" function. Commenting and posting on each other's wall are just few clicks away, I must say. Superbly efficient and amazing website for people like us!

The final one,
Blog

Blog wasn't as famous as it was back then. I still remembered having one when I was in high school and yes, it is still running (despite the zillion change of URL). As Twitter (mini blog) and Facebook rise to fame, blog providers such as Blogger and Wordpress are not that preferable as we speak. I agree that it can be time consuming but blog is amazing in archiving. Twitter and Facebook are lacking in archiving because whatever we update there, it will be gone and forgotten. Not blog! Blog is pretty much the online walking diary. I can write million posts in here and I will still be able to look back and read whatever I wrote, like 10 years ago. That's really a big plus to blogs. I created this blog using my Google account and filled in the necessary details. This one should be official too, so I took the initiative to have my name for the URL. Short, simple and memorable! I designed my own header using Adobe Photoshop, upload it on the server and voila, it's done! Since it's my official blog, I should have more effort in the attempts of beautifying, no?

All in all, I've learned really great things in my first week. It seemed jam-packed at first but as soon as I got the hang of it, I start to see interesting and wonderful things about computers and the Net. I owe this to Dr. Siti Fatimah and Mr. Fariduddin for their endless effort in guiding me as well as my classmates.


I am certainly looking forward to next lessons.

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath
http://barbarakath.blogspot.com

How to Create a Blog?

A blog, like I've mentioned earlier in my reflection works as your online diary. Blog can be maintained with regular entries with graphics or videos and events' descriptions. There are a few free blog host service provided namely:

• Google Blogger
• Wordpress
• TypePad
• LiveJournal
• Xanga

You can check the list here: http://www.blogtap.net/the-best-blogging-sites-and-platforms-top-blog-sites/

Now, creating a blog is as easy as opening a brand new e-mail account. For this blog, I had chosen Google Blogger for its user-friendly features. I can immediately associate the blog account with my Google Mail, which spells EFFORTLESS.

Here's a simple guide and instructions on how to create a blog:

1. Log-in using your Google account at www.blogger.com
2. Click "Create Your Blog Now" and fill in the required details such as blog's name and desired URL that ends with .blogspot.com (For example: http://barbarakath.blogspot.com
3. Complete the set-up process and you can customise settings on your dashboard.
4. Click "View Blog" to see the end product.

This is not hard isn't it? But I always believe the hardest part of blogging is keeping it regular with entries. Sometimes when you're so jam-packed with tons of works and assignments, one gets lazier to update. But I do encourage that my classmates should ensure that they constantly working on their blog with their latest post! This is a great educational tool and I'm sure it'll come in handy during practicum.

So, happy trying!

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath
http://barbarakath.blogspot.com

How to Create Official Facebook Account

Hi everyone!

You must heard me wrong, OFFICIAL Facebook account? We're just commoners so why do we need official account? We may not be some celebrities but yes, we need our very own official account. One should always differentiate work and private life! 

We were given few prerequisites to follow on before we create our Facebook account. Among them are, 

• Use real names as per Identification Card.
• Upload decent photos to portray who you really are.
• Change the URL of your official Facebook account. E.g http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath
• Create Facebook Group and add your classmates.

Let's get the balls rolling!

1. Go to Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
2. Fill in the required details such as name, email address, password, gender and birthday.
3. Click "Sign Up" to complete the sign-up.
4. You will be redirected to your Homepage and you will need to verify your email address as well as mobile number*.
5. You can customise and edit at "My Account Settings".

*There was a glitch at verifying my mobile number to change my Facebook URL. The confirmation code was never received, so I used another mobile phone carrier (Celcom) to proceed and it went successful.

Happy trying!

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath

How to Create or Join Yahoo! Group

Good morning everyone!

This week, everyone was required to create an official Yahoo! group for web portolio and join the GE1155 group. It is not as easy as it seemed because it is my first time doing it.

So, here's step-to-step instructions on how to create a Yahoo! Group:

1. Go to Yahoo! homepage and from the left hand side list, choose "Groups".
2. When the pages load, click on the box which says "Easy as 1-2-3. Start your group today".
3. Sign in using your official Yahoo! mail account.
4. Just follow the prompts given along the process to create your Yahoo! Group, which are: Categorise, Describe and Select Profile.
5. Once you completed, it'll get listed in the Yahoo! Groups directory within a few days, in the category that you have selected during the set-up process.

When you're done with the set-up process, you can edit your Yahoo! Group URL and descriptions under the "Management" settings.

The process is very guided so basically, just follow the steps and prompts given to have a brand new Yahoo! Group. 

I found a video in YouTube that can give clear guidance on how to create Yahoo! Group. 

Apart from creating my own official Yahoo! Group, I was required to join the GE1155 group set up by our UKM course lecturer, Dr. Siti Fatimah Mohd Yassin. 

1. Go to GE1155 group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ge1155ipg2011/
2. Click on "Join this group" button.
3. Customise your preferred settings for e-mail and key in the Captcha code shown.
4. Click "Continue" to complete the process.
5. Wait for the approval from moderator and once you're approved, you're good to go!

Happy watching and trying!

I hope it made your day =)

B. Ed TESL IPGKS-UKM
IPG Kampus Sarawak
Jalan Bakam 98009
Miri

E-mail: barbarakath108@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/barbara_kath
http://www.facebook.com/barbarakath
http://barbarakath.blogspot.com