1. Please introduce yourself.

According to my birth certificate, my full name given by my parents is Ahmad Fahimi bin Amir, period. I was born on the year 1986, in a hospital of course, somewhere in Selangor, but I spent most of my life in Malacca, which I considered as my hometown. A proud UiTM student, the codename is 2006145929.

2. How would you rate yourself in terms of your computer skills and why? (e.g. expert, novice, savvy, geek, illiterate etc)

Definitely not a newbie, so I would put my computer skills between savvy and expert. First, I know how to power up a computer... haha.. I can strip down the CPU naked and then put it back on, given that it is not a supercomputer. Plus, I can troubleshoot REALLY REALLY SIMPLE computer related problems.

Historically speaking, I was introduced to a computer when I was 12 years old, and that has given me a slight advantage. We learn from failures.. I have destroyed many computers before.. learned a lot from that killing spree. In truth, I could have gained more kill/skills if not for that unknown cunning thief who stole my laptop last year, which took only an hour to execute the precise heist. Since that terrible day, I only use computer when it really matters, such as assignment-related task. And now I rate myself as down-to-date. Couldn't care less about the IT/cyber world.

3. What computer software and hardware knowledge do you have?

Since there are probably billions of software in this world, I think I have a little knowledge about it. It is like a bubble in the ocean.. But I would say I have a good knowledge on PC games, open-source apps (since it is free), and work-related apps such as MS Office, Adobe PDF, etc.

For the hardware part, I had some basic exposure on computer peripherals and devices.. Read the manuals!

4. Have you experienced learning via the computer (online, etc)?

Well, formally, during my pre-tesl and degree programmes, where the subjects taught us how to make a webpage from scratch and how to use MS Publisher . I also made a lot of group discussion online with my friends via Yahoo messenger.

5. Did you try to incorporate technology in your some of your lessons during your practicum? Was it a success or a failure? If you did not what was/were the reason(s)?

Sadly, No, because most of my students do not have direct access to the internet or even computer. Plus, I did not have easy access to the computer lab in the school. So, it was no success nor a failure.

6. What is your opinion on the use of computer/technology in language teaching?

Well.. at least it's not illegal. There's nothing wrong in using it, and it is a tried and tested method. Based on my personal experience, the use of computer/technology can be a great tool for language learning/teaching. So I really encourage the use of computer in language teaching.

7. What are your expectations from this course?

I guess same as what the lecturer and the syllabus expected of me. Well, I have a blog now..

I expect to learn quite a few things related to education courseware. EnglishBanana.com is my favourite site in creating a lesson plan and used it a lot during my practicum. So, I expect many many online educational websites throughout this course.