CONTINUE : EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE REVIEW 2

This online interactive books are provided according to the level of reading skills from A to Z means from the beginner (A) to the expert level (Z). There are 4 common buttons are provided for the students to use which are Read button, Listen button, View worksheet only and Take Quiz button. This website is very interesting because of these buttons provided that give options for the readers on what style of learning that they love to use. The buttons which are provided are not labeling with their functions. The designer should label them because the users might be the novice users and don’t have so much information about icon/ button meaning without labeling.The level that the designer use for measuring the level of reading books skills is good. By identifying the reading skills from A to Z level, the users will know where their stages. This will lead the users as a guideline for them in measuring their reading skills level by level continually.This online interactive books are provided according to the level of reading skills from A to Z means from the beginner (A) to the expert level (Z). There are 4 common buttons are provided for the students to use which are Read button, Listen button, View worksheet only and Take Quiz button. This website is very interesting because of these buttons provided that give options for the readers on what style of learning that they love to use. The buttons or icons which provided are not labeling with their functions. The designer should label them because the some of users are not familiar what the icon/ button all about without labeling.The level that the designer use for measuring the level of reading books skills is good. By identifying the reading skills from A to Z level, the users will know where their stages. This will lead the users as a guideline for them in measuring their reading skills level by level continually.Moreover, this website provide a take quiz button for the students test their knowledge about the story that they read in the online books provided. The quizzes are provided good reinforcement. in the end of the quizzes, the designer give the total marks of the true answers that have be given by the students. Also, the students are given a reminder or feedback for those who get the lower marks to read again the story for scoring the higher mark. This website also invite students attention and interest because the illustrations in the stories provided are animated even only the basic animations. At least, it able to minimize the static image boredom that always happen when students read in the real books. Besides, the listen button options for students to listen the story also make this website become interesting and grab students’ attention for listen more stories provided.The variety of styles of learning provided for students choices whether read only style, listen only style with animations make the students interesting to use this website more and more. For the conclusion, this online books website able to give new alternative for the parents and teachers in order to gain interest for the children to master the reading skills. This is because, nowadays the children love to use computer facilities to play games and so on. So that, this online books who attach with educational games can replace the children interesting to the better one.

Prepared by: Nor Hasrina binti Mohamad @ Sulaiman (0729526)

Partner's name : Nor Shakirah binti Saad (0722042)

EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE REVIEW : www.raz-kids.com

The interactive learning website that I choose for being reviewed is www.raz-kids.com that provided online interactive books. This website is promoting for the teachers and parents in having additional teaching aids for the children in improving reading skills. I will review on the samples that they have given because for having complete access to all the resources of this website, teachers or parents need to order a low-cost license.There are 6 samples of interactive books provided in this website. I will review one of them in order to evaluate how the design that gives benefits to the users.This website is the example Education software which be programmed the instruction for education goals. According to the Madam Syarifah notes about the Education software is ”It consists of self-teaching with the aid of a textbook or teaching machine that presents material structured in a logical sequence. It is also a Programmed instruction allows students to answer questions about a unit of study at their own rate, checking their own answers and advancing only after answering correctly. After each step, they are presented with a question to test their comprehension, then are immediately shown the correct answer or given additional information” from this details we will see whether this online interactive books website able to meet the users needs or not.

Prepared by: Nor Hasrina binti Mohamad @ Sulaiman (0729526)
Partner's Name: Nor Shakirah binti Saad (0722042)

Textbook Evaluation

Bahasa Melayu is one of the subjects that have been taught for primary and secondary school level. For my review on our national textbook, I choose Bahasa Melayu text book for Year 1 students. This subject is a basic subject that is very important to the beginner of student in Year 1 to start their learning about the languages itself and also the relevant topic in order to make their knowledge become wider.

This text book is the main resources in the process of learning in the school. The concept of this textbook is focusing on pasca-kindergarten. This means, the Year 1 student has already can cover the skill of reading, writing and this textbook will be continues medium to enhance their learning in that skill. This Bahasa Melayu Year 1 textbook were published by Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka in 2005. With the development of ICT in our educational field and our country, Ministry of Education has taken a step by producing a textbook with a CD ROM comes in a pack to the student as an added value to this textbook. The use of CD ROM in the process of learning will enhance the need of government to achieve the vision of education that want to use e-learning concept without lagging behind the vision of our National Education Philosophy. This CD ROM is an interactive medium of learning that can strengthen up the teaching and learning process in the classroom plus with the textbook provided.

From my review on this textbook, the font size that have been used in this text book are18/20 point. It also used Atlanta Light type of font. It is stated at the front pages of this textbook. The font and the style age that have been used in this textbook is big, clear and easy to read. It is easy for Year 1, the beginner learner of students to capture the text word by word. The appropriate fonts that have been used will attract the student interest to read the book.

Besides that, I found that, this textbook provide table of content whereby it is very useful for student to find the specific topics or pages of the selected topic that they want to have a view or read it. For Year 1 students, it might help them to find in less time the topic that they want to read by referring to the table of content provided. Furthermore, all the pages are numbered, therefore it will not confusing the students. This also will make their work become easier and systematic. Besides that, this textbook also provides the symbol references. The use of this symbol references is to help the student understand its’ function when they have meet it in the textbook. For example, there are symbol of individual activity, pair work activity, group activity, web pages access, refer to CD ROM, refer to detailed summary of subject syllabus and etc.

In this textbook also, it provides language glossary box and dialogue box in each chapter or topic so that it will help student become more understand and clear about the chapter or topic they learned for that day. In languages glossary box, it will publish the right and wrong word spelling, verb, subject, predicate, adjective, synonyms and other information towards the languages. While in dialogues box, it will provides the dialogues between people in the community discussing the specific topics in that textbook. From that, students will have a picture on what they have to know in that topic and it will help them in learning the languages throughout the dialogues. This textbook also provides briefly summary box on introduction for every topic so that student can easily capture the content of the topics that they will learn on that day. For example, at the end of this topic learning, student will be able to spell the word correctly.

Besides that, the arrangement of the content in this textbook shows the fluent sequence of the textbook development whereby at first, it started with basic knowledge or topic such as about knowing their self, their family, friends, community and followed by other topics. Therefore, it will give student a sequence to learn from basic knowledge until to the broad topic of the subjects.

In this textbook also, there are a lot of pictures inside it. So, this textbook is full of colorful pictures and images therefore it quite interesting for Year 1 student to have a look and at the same time will attract them to read it. Besides that, there are also illustrations, tables, dialogues box that are relevant provided in this textbook and very functional as well because it provides useful and brief information to students in building up their mind towards their learning. This textbook also is really uniform in appearance and content layout throughout the chapter because from my review, this textbook has attractive layout in all topics throughout the book. Maybe, it is because this textbook is for Year 1 students so they should make it such a colorful layout so that it can attract the attention of the students.

Furthermore, this textbook also provides other external link or references such as CD ROM and internet sources by providing references tool kit and web address at below of the pages in each of topic learned. It is very useful for Year 1 students to gain additional information for their own knowledge. For example, in this textbook, topic ‘Tourism’, it provides available web address such as http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/ and www.unmuseum.org/unmain.htm at below of the textbook pages for that topic so that student can go to that web pages to make referral and gain as much as information that can help them in their learning process.

In every chapter in this textbook, there will be an activity or simple quizzes or questions at the end of every lesson for student to complete it. There are individual activities, pair work activity and group activity. All of these activities are to make sure that the student has already understood the topic they have learned and it also compulsory to test the comprehension of students towards the topic learned. Besides that, the student will learn on how to interact with other student throughout this activity. It will make the student become involve with active learning because student need to do an activity that need them to develop the creative thinking and apply it in their daily life. For example, in each activity in this textbook, it provides a web address references in order to give student an access to find an extra information on that internet that can help them in others subjects and their daily life too. Therefore, through this activity, it will enhance their mind and develop their thinking too.

As I go throughout the textbook, I found that this textbook is up to date and it gives accurate information to the students because it provide latest information and the content of this textbook also has always been checked up and being revised. For example, this textbook has been published after being revised by referring to the new KBSR revision. Therefore all the topics in this textbook are the combination of the topic that has already been in that textbook plus with new topics that have been improved in new KBSR revision. This textbook also use a simple and appropriate language for Year 1 students and it is easy to be understood by all kind and multiracial of students.

This textbook also is provided in appropriate size and weight for student because it is not thick and not too heavy. The numbers of pages for this textbook are only 120 pages. It shows that this textbook is not heavy and burdens the students. For Year 1 students, it is very essential and helpful to them if the textbook is not heavy because the size of the student is quite small and of course it will burden to them if they have to carry heavy bag.

From my overall review towards this Bahasa Melayu Year 1 textbook, I could say that the content and the appearance of this textbook has already meet the local and national standard because it almost fulfill all the criteria of a good textbook. A good textbook which means that, the content in the book is easy to be understood, has attractive layout to read and it also provides some references and extra information for students to find it such as internet web resources and it seems that this textbook has reach that criteria. Therefore lastly, for my suggestion, I think the textbook should be used by schools not more than 5 years and above and the Ministry of Education should revise the textbook according to the changes of the KBSR syllabus and the textbook need to be updated frequently from time to time suitable with the changing time and other factors. The Ministry of Education also should enhance the quality of the textbook by adding extra and more interesting features in that textbook so that it will broaden up the student’s mind and thinking together with the development of the nation in the future.

Prepared by: Nor Shakirah Binti Saad (0722042)

Pair partner: Nor Hasrina Bt Mohamad @ Sulaiman (0729526)

10 Tips to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For You

• Start your day with breakfast.
• Get moving with physical activities
• Snack Smart.
• Work up a sweat.
• Balance your food choices—don't eat too much of one thing.
• Get fit with friends or family.
• Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Join in physical activities at school.
• Foods aren't good or bad.
• Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!

Big picture strategies for healthy eating

• Eat enough calories but not too many. Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
• Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat.
• Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce
• Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products. Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.
• Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!
• Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.
• One step at a time. Establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time

'Work Smart, Not Hard'

Apabila anda melakukan latihan berhalangan, anda tidak perlu melakukannya dengan sepenuhtenaga. Sebagai contoh, lebih sedikit momentum yang anda gunakan apabila cuba mengangkatbeban, lebih banyak otot yang anda perlukan dalam mengekalkan pergerakan tersebut. Dalam kata lain, gerakan secara perlahan dan stabil akan memberikan hasil yang lebih hebat. Selain itu, tidak kiralah apa sahaja bahagian tubuh yang sedang terlibat dalam latihan, pastikan ia sentiasa berada dalam keadaan selesa. Kekalkan kemampuan tubuh dengan menahan otot perut anda. Jangan lepaskan pada otot semata-mata kerana ia boleh menyebabkan kecederaan.

Lagi Tips Kesihatan Berguna

Ketagih Gula

Makanan yang manis amat baik bagi meredakan ketegangan. Selepas memakan makanan manis, otak akan melepaskan zat kimia yang dipanggil opioids. Zat ini akan menimbulkan rasa tenang secara berpanjangan dalam diri seseorang. Namun pengambilan makanan bergula tidaklah digalakkan kerana otak akan mengalami ketagihan. Lebih dasyat lagi, ketagihan gula adalah lebih teruk berbanding ketagihan terhadap alkohol. Banyak risiko yang akan dialami sekiranya seseorang itu tidak mengawal pengambilan gula di dalam menunya.

25 Quick Tips on How to Become More Active

1. Get a checkup- Meet with your healthcare provider to see whether you'll need to consider any special modifications before starting an exercise program.
2. Start slowly- Many people are eager to get started and sometimes overdo it, which usually makes them sore and can make them want to stop.
3. Make a date- Find a buddy to exercise with you and keep you motivated.
4. Set specific short- and long-term goals
5. Make a list- List the benefits you expect from your physical activity program, and then make sure they are realistic and reasonable.
6. Make choices- What are you willing to give up in order to make room for exercise? Bad habits? Nonproductive activities? Nonbeneficial relationships?
7. Every step counts- Wear a step counter throughout the day to count how many steps you take.
8. Keep moving all the time- Stretch, walk, march in place, stand and sit as many times possible when you're talking on the phone or during TV commercials.
9. Do your own house and yard work
10. Create a support network- Tell friends and family about your new goals and ask for their support and encouragement.
11. Know your challenges- List things that keep you from being active. Work on a solution for each challenge.
12. Exercise in a way that makes your muscles work harder over time- Your muscles will adapt to the exercise you are doing. To continue to build strength, gradually increase the intensity of your workout.
13. Join a class- Select an exercise class at your local health club,YMCA, JCC, hospital-based fitness program, city recreation program, or health club.
14. Wear the right shoes- Foot comfort and support is important for all impact physical activities.
15. Participate in charity events- Set a goal to participate in an event such as a walk, run or bike to raise money for a special cause.
16. Eat well- Good food gives your body the fuel it needs to stay active and function at its best. Choose foods wisely and try to pack in as many nutrients as you can.
17. If it hurts, don't do it- Work around pain, not through it.
18. Focus on the major muscle groups in the legs, chest and back
19. Do balance exercises, as well as strength exercises
20. Keep a journal- Record activities that have become easier to do in your life, as well as those that may be more difficult.
21. Make your car work for you- Park at the outer edges of store parking lots.
22. Take the stairs- Walk up the first flight of stairs in a high-rise, rather than waiting for the elevator. Add another floor every week.
23. Follow a well-rounded program- Include all four components of a successful program: stretching, endurance activities, strength training, and balance exercises. And remember to warm up and cool down.
24. Reward yourself- Once you've reached your goal, treat yourself to something that reminds you what a good job you've done and encourages you to continue.
25. Don't quit- Like brushing your teeth, make exercise part of your daily life.

Source: Adapted from the International Council on Active Aging's "ICAA offers 30 tips on how older adults can become more active"