Integrating TECHNOLOGY in the classroom.

We are living a such a modernize time. Everything we do nowadays are made easy thanks to the advancement of technology. For example, washing machines help us to wash our clothes, and the telephone connects places and people. It is all just a push-a-button away, everything is at the tip of our fingers. Having said that, children these days are digital natives. Some teachers are having problems keeping up with these children technological needs especially in sustaining their attention and interest in class. We think, it is time for teachers and kindergartens bring technology into the classroom. It is time to integrate technology in our lessons.

We found a book titled " Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use- A Standards Based Approach" in the library. It is written by: Katherine S, Cennamo, John D. Ross, and Peggy A. Extmer. From the book we have gathered that in practice, technology can be integrated with:
- English Language Arts Classroom,
- English Language Learners Classroom,
- Foreign Language Classroom,
- Mathematics Classroom,
- Science Classroom,
- Social Studies Classroom,
- Health and Physical Education Classroom,
- Visual Arts Classroom, and
- Music Classroom.

We also found a couple of videos on the internet to support our findings from the book. Medical and Health Care students in University of California learn easier with help from technology.

This second video gives us proof that kindergarten teachers can integrate technology in their lessons.

Beside science subject, kindergarten teachers can integrate technology in music and movement, language (which includes: writing, speaking, and reading), physical education, mathematics and art lesson.
With integrating technology in our lessons, it certainly gives benefits to both teachers and the children. Such as:
- to stronger the communication between teacher-children,
- to have closer relationship between teacher-children,
- to build children's critical thinking, self-esteem and creativity,
- and many more.

 Last, we hope this post will help the teacher especially kindergarten teacher to think and plan the lesson that can be integrate with technology. And you can refer to the " Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use- A Standards Based Approach" for more detail.

Simple& Healthy Recipe for our beloved kids: Perkedel with Fishballs & Glass Noodle Soup

Save steamed rice for today and modify the menu for lunch. Let's try Perkedel with Fishballs & Glass Noodle Soup. This recipes are so simple though so yummy and healthy! The kids will love these and so do us!

Ingredients of Perkedel
500 gr potatoes, peeled, slice randomly.
1 egg, separate the yolk and the white.
Salt and pepper for season
Celery, chopped.
Vegetable oil or olive oil to fry.

The Making of Perkedel
1) Fry sliced potatoes or boil, put aside to cool.
2) Mash the potatoes in a bowl, mix with celery, salt and pepper, and egg yolk.
3) Shape into palm size, flat round patties.
4) Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to harder the shape.
5) Heat the oil, wet the patty into the egg white, fry in medium heat until brown.

Serve: 15-18 pieces


Ingredients of Fishballs & Glass Noodle Soup
400 ml Ikan bilis stock ( boil 500 ml water with ikan bilis, 1 peeled carrot and coriander leaves for 30 minutes)
Vegetables oil or olive oil for the stock
20 fishballs
Glass noodle, boiled
Celery and parsley leaves, chopped
1 big onion, finely sliced
3 pieces of garlic, randomly cut.
Salt and pepper for seasoning

The Making of  Fishballs & Glass Noodle Soup
1) Heat the stock, put a few amounts of oil.
2) Put the celery, parsley leaves, onion, and garlic into the stock.
3) Put the fishballs, keep the medium heat.
4) Put the salt and pepper, taste the season.
5) Serve with boiled glass noodle.
 








 Serve: 5 bowls

Comment from us:
Encourage the children to taste different food by provide them variety menu so the children get to used for many food from young and not become a choosy eater. Perkedel with fishballs & glass noodle soup are the perfect combination for the menu.It contains carbohydrate, vitamin, protein and mineral which is needed for the child's growth.

Enjoy the meal,kids :)

Review Parenting Article: Remember to connect.

Check this link below and tell us what is on your mind.

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=626

It is a wonderful thing to see in parks- parents pushing their children in strollers, walking, playing or just sitting with their children. However, with the modernization of our time, it is common to see these parents talking or texting or just busy with their phones while pushing their children in strollers. Some of these parents, may point out that they are multitasking since they don't have time but still want some time with their children. On their defends, they are making effort to be with their children. However, while busy fiddling their phones, do these parents notice what their children might be feeling or thinking? There are a lot of objects and situations that children might have seen or picked up just by sitting and looking around when there are no aattention and interaction with parents. Children observes and see things, we adults might have close an eye to.

"Hello there, how's your life?"

Super model, Gisele Bundchen has a deal while pushing her 10 months old baby stroller

 Professional career woman and her baby

According to Vygotsky, children learn through guided participation with others. He says in his Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) theory, parents should take crucial part in sharing experiences and developing dialogue with the child.

Parents should ask themselves whether they want to lose 'strolling' opportunity with their children? There are so many objects that parents can share and communicate with their children, for example, mommy can tell a truck story when they pass by a truck, or mommy can show to the child different kinds of flowers and leaves and let the child have a hands on experience like touching and even smell them. Another example is when parents are in the market with their children. They can let the children identify different kinds of vegetables or fishes or grocery items when they go to the open market together. Let the children's curious minds explore their everyday environment and enjoy them.

We suggest that parents should be more relax so that they can enjoy their time spent with their children be it in their own home or outside. To make the quality time happens, parents should not think that just by taking their children outside for fresh air is enough. Parents should communicate- prompt their children with questions of what they see or hear or tell stories regarding the environment they are together in. If parents are aware of their children's surrounding, children will quickly pick up the habit to be more alert with their own surroundings. They will learn a lot, much more faster too with alert minds. 

As the article explained, parents might take the walk in the park they have with their children as an opportunity to catch up with their own work or friends on their phones. But remember, these moments they think they have with their children will not last forever. The child will grow up and in no time, they will be no more strolling, babbling or imaginative story-sharing opportunity. It will choke us when we miss this moment. Therefore, we should create a sweet memories and which leads the children to the positive impact.

 Remember, disconnect to connect.

Hey girls, what do you think of shopping?

 

The child feels excited while her mommy tells the story

A day spent in Zoo Negara

It was my first field trip with the children since I started teaching in the kindergarten. We headed to Zoo Negara in the morning by the school bus. The children were so excited and they did not know that I felt the same way. In the bus, we clapped, sang animal songs and could not wait to reach our destination.

The principal asked me to guide team B. Each team contained between nine to ten children. My team B and I walked behind team A and in front of team C.

 We saw all kinds of animals that day. We observed and moved to the other animals one by one. We saw monkeys, tigers, insects, hippopotamus, birds, baboons, zebra and so much more. I told stories about some of the animals, like How Monkeys give birth and Why we cannot have a pet lion at home. The children were so excited and asked me a lot of questions. I couldn’t answer some of the questions they asked but I told them, "Let me do some research and I will tell you soon."

We were lucky that there were animal shows during our visit to the zoo. We watched parrot, seal and monkey shows. One of the children, Azeem, had a chance to hold a parrot. He was very nervous at first but we all encouraged and later praised him for the job well done. He was all smiles after that, being able to have enjoyed such experience.


Before we went back to school, we sat together in the cool place and had some refreshment. Everybody opened up their food basket and shared with each other. After sometime, we walked to the bus and headed back to the school. During the ride back home, I asked the chidlren about the animals they saw in the zoo. Most of the children replied me and share with their friends about their trip to the zoo despite their tiredness and sleepiness.

Field trips are fun. In my opinion, it give children an opportunity to experience new environment and socialize. However, it takes a handful of patience and some dedication to manage children during field trips. In a group, there will be some excited children, some children who kept quiet because they may not be comfortable with the new environment and some children who do not think twice about crying. I say, even if we have planned everything perfectly we still need back-up plan.

I was so grateful to my colleagues and principal who have helped me to handle the children. This field trip did not just give a wonderful experience to the children but also to me.

Experienced by: Tengku Zainab Zanariah

Parenting tips: Homemade playdough.

Playdough is one of the children's favorite toy. They like to mash it, roll it, shape it, and also put it in to mouth. Ahh, is this safe? Well, nowadays there are many non toxic playdough at the store but still we worry. So, what should we do? Yes, we can make the playdough. It is so easy, inexpensive and safe. We can make playdough with older children so they can see and enjoy the processes whereas for younger children, we can give them after already made.The children will be proud to have their homemade playdough.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Food coloring

How to make:
Mix the flour and salt. Slowly add water (with food coloring in it) until the mixture sticks together. If too sticky, put more flour. If too stiff, put more water.

water

water and food coloring

mixing the water to the flour

and TADAAAA.

 PS: After finish play, playdough should be store in airtight container or airtight plastic

And what we are waiting for? It only takes 10-15 minutes to make and we got loads of benefit on it.
These are some benefits of playdough:
   - It raises children creativity.
     The children imagine what they want to create. They will think of their favorite cartoon, animals, and else.

   - It trains children's hand muscular movement (fine motor strength).
     The children pull the dough, cut it, roll it, shape it. All of these actions will bring benefit for themselves to train their muscle.

   - It releases children's tension or stress.
     There was a research proved 'if children stress out they will work it out through their hands'. Through playdough, they will fell the calmness.

   - It helps children to discover and explore by the word "play" of   playdough.
     Everyone knows that children learn best through play. By play, they explore the world and try to find the answer to answer their big curiosity.

    - And many more....

So, mummy. I want one!!!

conjunctivitis on me, huhu

Holla Guys :)


Minggu lalu, aku bangun pagi dengan mata sebelah kiri yang merah, berair, bengkak dan belekan.  Dan setiap beberapa kedipan, mata sebelah kiri terasa perih. Aku sms temen aku untuk beli obat mata dan sambil menunggu aku cari-cari informasi by uncle google. Menurut informasi yang kuperoleh, mata aku bisa sembuh lebih kurang 7 hari dan tidak boleh  memakai kontak lensa selama masa penyembuhan. Well, aku sedikit lega. Terus, temen aku (A) datang bawa obat tetes mata dan nggak menyangka mata aku bisa bengkak dan berair sebegitu parahnya. A panik, suruh aku ke dokter. Dan aku pun yang tadinya udah nggak khawatir banget, jadi panik lagi. Aku takut dan bilang nggak perlu ke dokter karena aku udah cari-cari di google kalau penyakit aku bisa sembuh dalam 7 hari. Tapi A tetep kukuh dan akhirnya berhasil menghasut aku. A telpon temen kami (N) dan menceritakan kondisiku, kemudian sorenya, N datang ke rumah ku dan kami pun berangkat. Aku langsung terus terang ke mereka kalau aku takut. "Gimana kalau aku nggak boleh pakai kontak lensa selamanya? Gimana kalau dokter bilang aku sebentar lagi buta? Gimana kalau orangtuaku tau? Gimana blablabla" sepanjang perjalanan. 
Kami sampai di optik PHILMAY dan aku berkonsultasi dengan DR. Agnes Maria seorang optometrist dan contact lens practitioner. Sekilaaas aja dia liat mataku dan bilang kalau aku kena conjunctivitis karena kontak lensa. Dan sembuh dalam tempo 3-7 hari (Nahhh,betuuul kan aku???). A tanya, bisa nggak sembuhnya esok hari karena aku ada important part di weddingnya temen aku esok harinya. DR. Maria berpikir, berpikir and berpikir, ambil handphone, cakap-cakap trus suruh kami ke farmasi seberang optik untuk langsung ambil obatnya.
Apotekernya langsung memberikan aku 'Sofradex' dan menyuruh aku meneteskan 1 tetes di mata selang 2 jam.
Dan alhamdulillah, obatnya bekerja dengan baik. Mataku tidak merah, berair ataupun belekan. Esoknya aku pakai kontak lensa selama 3 jam di wedding.


Nah guys, setiap orang mempunyai ketahanan yang berbeda-beda dalam memakai kontak lensa. A pakai kontak lensa bisa lebih dari 12 jam per hari sedangkan aku nggak kuat. Jadi, atas pengalaman aku diatas, aku sarankan jangan terlalu memaksakan memakai kontak lensa jika tidak nyaman. Karena hampir 2 tahun lebih aku pakai kontak lensa, baru seminggu lalu aku merasa ketakutan yang amat sangat karena tidak peduli sama anggota tubuhku sendiri. 
 

currently, i'm addicted to scented candle

Hi Everyone =D

I wanna say HAPPY BELATED CHINESE NEW YEAR for those who celebrate it. 

PEACE, PROSPERITY, PRIDE

Btw, let me begin my story about me and scented candle:

Years ago I used to buy this type of scented candle. 

But I do not really like this, because the scent will go away even I do not light it up

Then, me and my mom tried lampe berger

 It smells so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love this sooo much!

The only problem is hard to find the oil at my hometown beside it is also expensive. Hence, we stop to use it. 

( But I notice, I can find the oil here in KL easily with cheaper price. Okay, I will try to find it after write this blog)

lampe berger oil

Currently, we use: Premium Scented Candle by Willow Lane

Ginger and Orange Blossom for my special room here in KL

I found it at Ace Hardware. Back to hometown, we ever tried Lavender and Vanilla Scent, Toffee Scent, and Apple Crispy Cinnamon Scent (I forgot the name). And I bought Ginger and Orange Blossom Scent for my room in KL. 

My mom really like Toffee Scent. For me, I like all =) but I'm addicted to Ginger and Orange Blossom Scent right now.  

Nevertheless, I hope I can find lampe berger essential oil for my mom because my mom prefer to use it.