NEW TASK..

23rd September 2008

Today, we received another new task which was ‘Analyzing Research Papers’. I believe this task is quite tough and it is like an assignment, not just a task. We need to search for the research materials and it must not be similar with someone else’s. That’s make it even tougher, I think. There are 78 of us and is it possible for all of us to get different research materials? I wonder..

This task was to be done in pairs and we need to search for two research materials that discuss or report on the research in using teaching aids in the classroom. We were required to fill in the table that was prepared by the lecturer regarding the research materials that we have found. There are five main aspects to be given emphasis from the research material which are:

1. Introduction to the research
2. Research quotation
3. Research methodology
4. Analysis of the data
5. Findings

Today’s class was quite boring since we have to listen to 8 group’s presentations. That was enough to make all of us lose attention and started to chat. We were just being normal..can’t stand listening to presentations for hours.

My group had presented on the topic of ‘Selecting and Developing Teaching/Learning Materials’ and I had to present my part on the subtopic of ‘Why do we use materials/ What are materials for?’
Based on the article, it is mentioned that “textbooks are too inflexible to be used directly as instructional material” (Allwright, 1990). However, O’Neill (1990) argued that textbooks enable pupils to review and prepare their lessons, efficient in terms of time and money and allow for adaptation and improvisation.

In my opinion, teachers need to be innovative and know when and how to use textbooks or other materials effectively in their teaching.