Hadijah binti Jaffri

I admit that I am a slow user, adapter, adopter to new things. So, when Prof Khairiyah introduced CMap to us last Friday. I started to google and watch YouTube videos about it. Well, I am a true laggard indeed. CMap has been around more than five years but I am just know about it this year, 2021.

Never mind. I just need to take a small step, one thing at a time. At first, I think that I do not have anything worth to be converted into a concept map (that is what CMap is all about. A tool to organise points or ideas through concept map illustration). At this point of time, I do not want to go through my class notes to extract points and such. I am just need a break from looking at my class notes (tongue in cheek). I need to get a refresher.

So when I had a supervision session with my masters student who is still struggling with her qualitative data analysis yesterday (22 June 2021, Tuesday), I offered to teach her CMap even though I never used it before. What a great pretender, don’t you think so? An impostor. Indeed.

But the thing is, by looking at her qualitative data, my mind started to think the data in visual form. I can no longer stand anything in lengthy wordy sentences even though she has simplified the data in table form. Nope. My mind demands something simpler than a table (still too wordy to me).

So, I opened a new CMap file and I started to create one thing after another. Before we knew it, a framework-like illustration was produced. Both of us were amazed. My student did her part by looking at the raw and semi-analysed data that she has from her computer while I did that scribbling part on my computer using CMap.

Here is the result (not perfect but it is better than nothing).

I got a message from Shafaza or Lord Zara aka my former student on Saturday afternoon (19 June 2021) “Salam Dr. Esok kalau Dr free jam 10 pagi, jom Dr. Hihi. Nak email boleh? Saya nak invite Calendar” [Roughly translated: Salam Dr. If you are free tomorrow at 10am, let’s join (sic). Can have (sic) email (sic)?”]

So, with that message and with less preparation for slides or whatever, I joined the sharing session that she organised. Even though there were only 6 of us who could make it to the session, yet we have a fruitful and impactful session. Immediately after the session, I tried out Baamboozle (but I have not finished creating a game yet. It is a slow and steady process for me)

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At the end of the session, they asked if I could provide a certificate for them (palm on face). But I reminded them that not all things important can be quantified and documented. The session was a personal, mini reunion thingy and sharing information and skills that we learn in our teaching practice. So, I think it is much meaningful than any session with certification but less interaction. In this session, we shared other things (not to be shared here – tongue in cheek) about the current situation and dilemma that we are facing as educators. But despite all challenges, we know that we are not alone in this journey.

Alhamdulillah internet ok. Pelajar aktif tanya soalan. Cuma ada beberapa hal yang aku rasa macam tidak adil untuk pelajar sebab sejujurnya, aku tiada pelajar penyeliaaan untuk PSM. Pelajar terakhir PSM yang aku selia pada tahun 2012/2013. Hampir 10 tahun yang lepas. Bila Dr Diyana memberi sedikit maklumat diri aku ketika kata aluan, aku rasa kecut perut seketika. Naluri hati berkata – kata “I am such an impostor. I am not like that. It is nearly 10 years since I had a PSM student as my supervisee. Not only that, the last time I taught Research Methodology for undergraduates was in 2012. I feel cringe with the thought that I have to present myself like an expert whereas I am clearly lack of experiences with undergraduate supervision”.

Aku cuba yang terbaik untuk menggunakan pengalaman mengajar pelajar sarjana dan menggunakan nota kelas peringkat sarjana yang aku kurangkan sedikit maklumat tertentu untuk disesuaikan dengan keperluan pelajar PSM. Aku cuba meringkaskan proses penulisan bab 1 sebaik mungkin. Harap pelajar PSM dapat mengikuti apa yang aku cuba kongsikan dengan mereka.

Apa pun, selamat maju jaya kepada semua pelajar PSM.

Starting this semester, I try to use Padlet. One of my colleagues has shown me how to use Padlet back in 2016 but at that time, I tried to create one page/display (whatever you may call it) for my research methodology class, MPPU1024. However, due to my incompetency and lack of motivation to find out more information about it, the one page that I created for my MPPU1024 remained unused for few years.

Then COVID-19 happens and this time around, I do not have any more excuse to use other than just buckle up and try out as many platforms, apps and whatever that I can find out. It is not an easy process. I struggle, but I set my mind thinking “One step at a time”. I know it is not even a baby step and the progress is snail pace but I know that I need to myself time to unlearn, learn and relearn things that can help me to improve my teaching.

So, when I use Padlet extensively this semester (1, 2021), my intention is to expose my students with the things “out” there other than UTM ELearning that might be useful for them. If they are teachers ( majority of my Masters students), they can have reservoir of learning platforms and apps that they can use for their own class. For the undergraduates especially those who are taking Fundamental Pedagogy course (SHPP2002) can learn about the available platforms and apps and they can use some of the platforms and apps when they complete assignments related to pedagogy. They are excited to use it [Need an example?]

However, I find out that some teachers feel overwhelmed with the current situation and when I use Padlet in my MPPU1024 class, the students feel that it is not useful, burdensome and time consuming. I will take their feedback into consideration when I revise my approach to teach this course next semester. For my other class (Personality Psychology), well, I do not get any feedback yet. Some of the students have not submitted the assignments yet. I ask them to submit their pre-recorded presentation assignment on Padlet. At this moment, I am still waiting for all students to submit it. There are only few of them have submitted their presentation on the Padlet. So, let’s see how it goes.