Someone's White Star

Hello everyone!

So for this week task, I am going to omplete the following quotation by creating a poster/infographic using which ever online tool I am familiar with (the easiest would be Power Point). But.. ehem I used my favorite website editor which is CANVA hihi ^

On 8th October 2019, I've attended two (2) institutional papers during the Malaysian Education Deans Council annual seminar at DK500 to experience alternative learning activities in conjunction with the Week Without Wall. 

The program poster

Question 1

What was/were the new term(s) you have heard from the presentation?

The topic for the presentation is familiar and not a strange thing to me as we always discuss the general use of technology in a classroom. Nevertheless, there are a lot of new and interesting terms (though not really 'new' for the teachers at school) I have learned from the presentation which relevant to the school education system in Malaysia such as:

1. KDP - Komputer Dalam Pendidikan
2. ASK - Asas Sains Komputer
3. ICTL - Information Communication Technology Literacy
4. SKPMg2 - Standard Kualiti Pendidikan Malaysia Gelombang 2
5. SISC - School Improvement Specialist Coaches
6. Frog VLE - A website used by the Malaysian teachers and students to simplify and enhance teaching and learning, communication and administration.

Question 2

What was/ were the technology(ies)/ technological advancement mentioned by the presenters?

The presenter specifically mentioned how teachers and educators can fully utilize technology in the teaching and learning process through the use of Web 2.0. Aside from Frog VLE that implemented in almost 10,000 schools all over Malaysia, she recommended for teachers to explore and make use of Google classroom as another alternative for interactive teaching and learning process. Google Classroom is suitable as a medium for teachers to share a lot of materials and for students to discuss and learn the topic aside from what they gained in the classroom. The application is also applicable to be used because first, it is free, easy to use and accessible as the user only needs a Gmail account to register and login to the website. 

Other than that, the presenter also talks about the transformation of technology in education through the implementation of a flipped classroom. The flipped classroom is an instructional approach where traditional lesson and homework elements of a course are inverted. The students will learn and explore first about the topic through a link, materials or video shared by their teachers before entering the class. In class, they will discuss and do activities related to the topic to test their understanding of the subject matter. The flipped classroom is first implemented in Malaysia in 2016. 

The presenter stated that SMK Saujana Utama is one of the closest school from Uitm Puncak Alam that has been applied to the flipped classroom approach in their school curriculum. Currently, the school has created eight (8) flipped classroom videos to be used for teaching and learning session. She claims that the students' feedback on the use of flipped classroom is terrific as they are excited to use the gadget and learn something online. The students also mentioned that it is easier to understand the topic being taught when they study or explore it first before entering the classroom. The flipped classroom is one of the technology advancement used in education to cater to the need and interest of the Generation Alpha or Gen Z - who is a tech-savvy and lucrative consumer of the digital world.

One of the infographic related to the topic presented

Question 3

What would be the implications of the points in terms of teaching and learning in general and specific to your future teaching practices?

One of the implications in terms of teaching and learning in general is to ensure that students participate and understand what the teachers have been taught in class. Engaging students in a classroom can be a difficult task especially in this modern age of social and digital media which left students with such a short attention span of 8 seconds, shorter than the attention span of goldfish. The chalk-and-talk method is no longer relevant. Therefore, to engage with Generation Z students, teachers must change the way they teach. Following the 21st-century learning method, teachers should be more creative, innovative and resourceful in using technology for the teaching and learning process. 

Likewise, I always interested to use flipped classroom and implementing technology in my teaching practices. I believed by using interactive powerpoints, song, video, movie, and games to teach English would be so much fun and engaging to the students compared to only use the textbook and exercises. Students love new challenges and competition among their peers, hence, the use of Web 2.0 like Kahoot!, Quizziz, Socrative and many more would definitely grab their attention and let them fully engaged in classroom activities and understand the topics being taught. Technology inspires me to be more innovative and dynamic towards the contents and knowledge provided as well as the teaching delivery method. However, in reality, not all school are able to taste the advancement of technology in their teaching and learning process. Even some school, especially in rural areas, still do not possess basic facilities like a desk, chair, fan and etc. I also faced a lack of access and facilities to technology during my teaching practicum. However, 21st-century learning is not limited to the use of computer and internet but the use of the creative approach in delivering the lesson instead of solely depending on the textbook. In short, the 21st-century learning and education transformation are mainly depending on the teachers' knowledge, creativity and innovation in make use of the technology in the most efficient way possible. 

A token of appreciation to the presenter

How does a student utilize technology to be a successful entrepreneur?

Regardless, there are many ways students can utilize technology to be a successful 'teknousahawan'. One of them is, students shouldn't limit themselves to only focus on academic subjects. Teachers should encourage these young minds to explore the world and add more skills such as cooking, sewing, gardening, tinkering, or even programming. The good thing is, new subjects such as Reka Bentuk & Teknologi (RBT) and Asas Sains Komputer (ASK) being implemented in the syllabus and it really helps students to discover their skills and passion in the technology field. The students are taught how to design a product, to build it and to commercialize it. The skills and knowledge that they learn can be so beneficial for them in the future.

I personally have several ASK students who represent the school to join a robotics competition and they won first place with their innovative invention that could help people and the environment. Not to mention they are just Form 2 students! Aside from using technology to invent and create something new, students can also use technology and brush their interpersonal skills by being a dropship for certain products. Instead of wasting time on social media, students can create or share good contents regarding the products, learn how advertisement works, and enrich their communication skills when interacting with the customers. They will gain skills and experience that are not being taught in a classroom but will help them a lot when they finish school and entering the real world. To conclude, teachers could encourage the students to explore and learn skills outside of the classroom and the students as Generation Z should utilize the technology provided in a best way possible, that could bring benefit for themselves, society and the country.

I will end my report with a situation where most teachers can relate. Thank you!