Second Life - A (new) reality?

So, finally I have tried out Second Life. I spend a long time protesting against trends (it took  two years of pressure from my sister before I joined Facebook and though I don't use many of its features, I now 'get it').Something similar happened with Second Life. Three weeks ago when I first heard that professionals had a meeting in Second Life, my first reaction was ... really? I thought it is someting for entertainment and let me be frank, waste of time.

But now that I have joined and I have tried out some of the features (see me fly!) I now understand why my lecturer said that it is a "totally new experience". I can feel myself change, I suppose after using it for some time, I'll 'get it'. Of course, there is an element of fun but I am not complaining. It is worth to try it out and of course reflect on its pros (meeting people, travelling to places, 3D) and cons (time-consuming, costly in terms of internet up/download). Is this a new (virtual) reality or are some aspects of reality more emphasised than other aspects? Still reflecting

Do you Teach or Do you Educate?

Reflection: Just found this great video on YouTube while I was checking out some links for ICT sent by our lecturer. This video has been a challenge for me (after all in my profile I described myself as a teacher) but also an inspiration. It is not so much the term but the philosophy and the approach underlying my actions. In my work as a mathematics teacher the most important thing I had wanted to realize was to somehow make my students appreciate and enjoy mathematics.  I have also realized that my greatest achievement as a teacher along the years has been to make my students independent and able to think for themselves. In actual fact what I am called to be is an educator and not just a teacher. Hope I can live up to this ideal.                                 

GeoGebra - Learning can be fun!

GeoGebra is a superb tool for the teaching and learning of Mathematics. It is free if you are using it for non-commercial purposes and the website here provides not just a chance to run and/or download the program but also a lot of extra materials.

One of the best things about GeoGebra is the ease by which "complicated" constructions and graphs can be accomplished in a few clicks. This was what impressed the students to whom my ICT elective group introduced it last week. For me the best part was to see students try out GeoGebra on their own. After the initial hesitation, they completed not just the assigned tasks but ventured into some new constructions and were seen enjoying themselves. This is the power of GeoGebra and all other education-related software packages, they make learning fun!

Achieve your dreams

Last Saturday, I read a really nice book titled the The Last Lecture.  The book is about Randy Pausch and his "last lecture" and also additional material he shared with the writer Jerry Zaslow. It is a truly inspiring book, it points to what is really important in life. I'm not going to spoil the joy of discovery for those of you who do not know what it is about.

I have decided to have this as my first post in my new series because I feel that it is fitting that I start with something inspirational. As a computer engineer Randy Pausch has achieved a lot but he finds his great joy in the fact that he has helped others achieve their dreams. As a teacher who plans to use ICT more in my own teaching, this gives me something to aspire to. To all of you out there ... go and achieve your dreams!

The night - friend or foe?

The choice of staying at the place of work/study until after dark in the city is a mixed blessing. The advantage is that one could start the day later but often this is not the case, in fact to beat the jam, it is customary to leave home before 6 a.m. making the day a really long one! What’s more the disadvantage of staying at work is that the wait in the queue extends even longer (until after 8 p.m.).  Often alternative modes such as bicycles are “faster” but then in the dark (especially in the city) are they safe? In fact how safe is it to stay out after dark?

Seeing an opportunity

It is good to have something to do while waiting. There are many hawkers (known as “machinga”) who specialize in selling their products to people waiting for the traffic to move. It could be something edible such as an ice-cream cone (as in this picture), groundnuts or cashew nuts in small packets, tangerine or the fruit of the season. Newspapers and magazines are also sold at some junctions but it can also be something long-lasting like handkerchiefs, plastic containers and even ironing boards! It’s all about realizing the chance and taking advantage of it!

Looking for Peace

Dar-es-Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania. The name means “Haven of Peace” but trying to get out of the city centre in the evening (or for that matter into the city on the morning) is far from peaceful. The traffic jam ("foleni" in Swahili)  is a great equalizer, all get caught up,  private  cars, buses known as “dala-dala”  and even the “bajaj” (motor cycle with three wheels).  Some try to escape the craziness of the main roads by using back routes creating chaos even in small streets at peak hours. Sometimes drivers try to force their way, passing on the other side, driving against oncoming traffic. Often there reaches a time when some people decide to “take time out” and wait for things to sort themselves out. True enough, after some shouting, reasoning, reversing and moving, traffic moves and peaceful flow is restored.