SMART SCHOOL IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia has identified information and communication technology (ICT) as one of the key foundations for its projected transition from a production-based economy to a knowledge-based economy by 2020. In declaring these goals, the government also acknowledged that such a transition will require a workforce capable of exploiting ICT to create new economic opportunities. Our country intends to transform its educational system to support the nation's drive to fulfill our Vision 2020. This vision are for sustained and productivity driven growth, which will be achievable only with a technologically literate and critically thinking so that our country ready to be in the global economy of the 21st century. At the same time, Malaysia's National Philosophy of Education calls for 'developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and physically balanced and harmonious‘. So the government announced the need to re-engineer the country’s education system and align it with its Vision 2020 under the Eighth Malaysia Plan in order to develop this potential of individual. Smart School had become one of the seven flagships of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) initiative which improving national productivity, competitiveness and achieving value creation. All these will eventually contribute into economic growth, wealth creation and competitiveness for the country.
Smart school is a Malaysian
education system which learning institution that reconstruct systematically
teaching-learning and school management in order to prepared children for
Information Age. Learning institution of Smart School was created systemically
reinvented in term of teaching, learning practice and school management to
prepare the students for the development in ICT. To adapt to the changing
condition in this information age, a smart school would thrive continuously
developing its professional staff, education resources and its administrative
capabilities while continuing to prepare student life. To function effectively,
the Smart School will require appropriately skilled staff, and well-designed
supporting processes. The Malaysian
Smart School has the following qualities such as a philosophy that says all
students can learn if taught, coupled with high expectations for all students,
a school climate that is conducive to learning, a broad curriculum that
considers the different capabilities and needs of all students. Other than
that, it characteristic also includes an on-going assessment that supports good
instruction including a strong and professional principals and teachers together with a high level of parent and community
involvement and support.
1.0 The objectives of smart school
The objective for this
smart school focuses on to provide all round development of the
individual like intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual. For the
students to achieve their dream in the future, these elements are really
important. This is because they have to know their needs for the balance
development in their life. School should provide a broad curriculum in order to
teach those values and also language that across the curriculum. Being active
in curriculum activity like club or sports help the students to achieved the
goals of the smart school. Other than that, smart school also needs to provide
opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities. All this should be
emphasise to students because they had a lot of difficulties and obstacle in
their study. Besides that, elective in the curriculum should also be provided
and allow the virtual express in the class so that one day they can faced the
world real situation effectively. To adapt with the surrounding, they have to
alert with the environment. A good student should know their strengths and
abilities in order for them to maintain their original strength and skill in
order for the students to overcome all their weakness. And for the teachers,
they have to be ready to guide and help the students to develop their own
strength and abilities.
Next is to produce
a thinking and technology-literate. Student
should be creative and think widely across their mind so that they can be
brilliant students. Thinking skills is about the way student should think to
resolve the problem that they create or faced at school. An integrated set of strategies will
be employed to achieve this goals are teach thinking across the curriculum and
apply technology in teaching and learning. The best way to implement student to
approach this goal are application of technology in teaching and learning
because students are able to communicate with the world and positively can
bring something new to our country specifically. We need somebody that can
think beyond and widely and someone that really know about all the stuff
involving the technology nowadays. This is because in this area almost
everything relies and using the technology as the part of their life. It is the dream for our country to be a part with
other developed countries in the field of ICT such as Japan and United State.
All this are not possible if our government take the issue of this smart school
seriously.
Then, the democratize education is also one of
the objective of the smart school. An integrated set of strategies will be employed to achieve
this goals are provide equal access to learning opportunities and provide for
differing abilities, styles and paces of learning. Each one of the individual
has different style of study. We as a good teacher for them should realized and
concern about their way of teaching and try to make the lesson fun with a new
thing and a variation in their style of teaching to make sure student are pay
attention with what had been thought and not boring with them. Student in this
global area most likely be attracted with the new things especially about
advancing technology. Other than that, teachers have to take part to attract
the students during the teaching process and this are related with the school
environments. The good environment would help the students and the teachers to
take their respective role in the glory of the smart school. And for the
students, they need to ensure that they can fulfill their goal as students with
the education that they got and this would help to achieve the smart school
purpose.
Lastly, one of the goals for this smart school is to increase
participation of stakeholders. What can we do
to achieved this last objective is to create the awareness in terms of what
happens in schools, to enable easy and speedy communication with the school
using technology and provide opportunities for stakeholders to participate.
This awareness is really important so that we can prevent something that we do
not want to be happens in schools. We should easy and speedy communication with
the school using technology to gain the benefits of the awareness. It can be
done easily where the parents and community can get all the information about
their children and schools faster. This is the best way for parents to know
about the curriculum and academic achievement of their children. Other than
that, school management should include the parents and the community to
participate in the school activity. If the opportunities provided to the
stakeholder are successfully full by the school management, it can increase the
participation of the stakeholders. The relationship between community and the
school have to be closer in order to be able to fulfill the objective of The
Malaysia Smart School. All this goals should be achieved to make sure the Smart
School in Malaysia is the best around the world. The responsibility of the
stakeholders is one of the reasons for the successful of Smart School program.
The stakeholders can deliver services with ease and facilitate processes, they
need to identify common goals that alike Smart objective. One of the main goals
in Smart School is to increase participation of stakeholders. In other word,
all citizens have responsibility in increasing the level of national education
in the world view.
2.0 The Component of Smart School
Normal school does not have component like
Smart School. Smart School has its own quality that cannot be compared to
normal national school. The component of smart school include in process
of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, teaching- learning material and school
management in a way to enables the education system to achieve the goals of
National Philosophy of Education. The curriculum shall be meaningful, socially
responsible, multicultural, reflective, holistic, global, open-ended,
goal-based and technological. It also emphasizes the all-round development that
covers domain communication, cognitive, affective and physical. The integration
of knowledge, skills, values and correct use of language formed the new
curriculum of Smart School. This elements is suitable for the challenge
of integrating Ict in teaching and learning in Malaysia.
Curriculum of Smart School which incorporated elements of vertical and
horizontal integration will reinforce the class learning and also make school
more fun and interesting for students and teacher. This is to ensure the
student achieve overall and balanced development.
The Smart School pedagogy is
student-centred. The innovative teaching method is used to provide the
different learning experience for the student. The possible role of students
and teacher in classroom is range from teacher-centred to student-centred.
Also, there are appropriate mixing of learning strategies to ensure mastery of
basic competencies and promotion of holistic development. So, combination of
role in classroom with learning strategies will results in an overview of
different classroom environment. The key factor in choosing the classroom
environment is the need to deal with diversity of skills, ability and learning
style of students. The classroom atmosphere should be compatible with different
teaching-learning strategies. Some students prefer to move around while
thinking about problems, but some students prefer they are provided with
additional materials that they can pursue without disturbing the class while
others finish exercises. Teacher must be aware of students characteristic, so
that teachers can make a point to include a variety of different types of
lessons and learning experience to manage the students well. The pedagogy used
in Smart School will incorporating high level thinking skills and values in
classroom and preserving students enthusiasm for learning with age.
The other component of smart school is
school assessment. The assessment system is holistic, that covers not only
achievement, but also readiness, progress and aptitude. This approach will give
various information regarding to the student learning styles and abilities. The
assessment also is element-based, where is focused on the element that the
student must possess or develop throughout the curriculum. The assessment system also is
criterion-referenced, which is evaluating the individual performance based on
the predetermined set of criteria. It also learner-centre, where flexible
system of assessment which is administered on an individual basis is done. The
integration of technology as a tool enables the on-line assessment and
conducted in various form in order to allow demonstration of strength,
abilities and knowledge. It also uses multiple approaches and instrument and
will be continuous and on-going. So, the certification is a one of the process
in harmony with the nature of assessment. It is very different with assessment
normal national school that does not have on-line assessment.
One of the most important components of
smart school is the teaching and learning material. The new teaching-learning
strategies for Smart School are fully support by new quality materials. The
component of quality that meets curricular and instructional needs is cost effective,
as well as cosmetically and technically adequate like graphic and video
quality, technical adequacy, instruction adequacy, cost effectiveness and
curriculum adequacy. With the uses of technology, Smart School teacher will be
able to consider students individual learning preference in designing and
recommending suitable instructional method and material. The teaching-learning
material and sources are aid with the technology. The use of conventional media
such as 3D objects and audio visual material still feature in Smart School but
it is highly integrated with computer-based media such as courseware. The
teaching-learning material also can be acquired from wide range of source, not
limited within the school only. The attractive learning materials prepared will
motivates students to learn and this will encourages active participation.
There is different with some normal school which still in the old base. Teacher
keep talking and the student just hear to the teacher.
Besides, the primary objective of smart
school management system is to efficiently and effectively manage the resources
required to support the teaching and learning function. Smart School management
system have nine primary function which is technology, security, school
governance, student affairs, educational resources, external resources,
facilities, human resources and financial management. The school governance is
empowering rapid relay of relevant information with all stakeholders to manage
the curriculum so that it is appropriate to the local teaching and learning
environment. Other than that, it is also involve communication, school policy,
curriculum, management, community and involvement. Student affair includes the
student profiles, performance, evaluations, test administration, counselling,
health, and insurance. This helps the school governance. All the information
ease the student’s registration, and for parents and administrators to respond
in emergency case. There is more benefit in characteristics of education
resources which is the comprehensive resource database enable quick and easy
access for teachers and students. This comprehensive database is specially
designed to assist teaching-learning and management activityTechnology has many
roles to play in a Smart School from facilitating teaching and learning
activities to assisting with school management. One of the uses of this
technology is the classrooms is provided with multimedia courseware and
presentation facilities, and also e-mail or groupware for collaborative work.
This make easy to the students to get the chance to be able learn about the
ICT. Next is the library or media centre that have database centre for
multimedia courseware and network resources like the access to the internet.
All the information that students or teacher needs to know can be easily found
with this facilities. For the computer laboratory that is used for teaching
such as the subject that has involved the ICT, it can readily accessible
multimedia and audiovisual equipment. Other than that, there are the multimedia
development centres that come with the tools for us to creating multimedia
materials and catering to varying levels of sophistiscation. In addition,
studio and theatrette also provided with a control room for centralized
audiovisual equipment, videoconferencing studio, and preview room for audio,
video or laser disc materials. Besides that, teachers’ room is provided with
on-line access to courseware catalogues and databases, information and resource
management systems, professional networking tools such as email and groupware.
Server room equipped to handle applications, management database and web serves
to provided security and also telecommunications interface and access to
network resources.
In the
Smart School programmed, the use of ICT as supporting tool in teaching and
learning process has the implication to the process. ICT is widely use
throughout the process of teaching-learning practices. For example, in
self-exploratory learning, the uses of computer provide the source of latest
educational materials available locally, as well as to external resources. The
students can easily get the information they want using the ICT in faster time
without need to search in other place. And for collaborative learning, ICT is
used as a tool that facilitates group work within the class and across the
class. The distance learning also can be convenient by using ICT which enable
communication with outside constituencies using technology such as video
conferencing or email. The use of software or courseware also helps the student
to stimulate learning in experimental learning process and very useful for
drill and practices purpose, where it allows the students to practice on their
own or with peer. In research, reference and data collecting, ICT act as a tool
to search, collect and collate information. By using ICT, the electronic
assessment can be performing by using built-in assessment courseware.
3.0 Use of ICT in Smart School and
challenges
In line with the
country information and communication technology (ICT) master plan and vision
2010, ICT applications have become an important part of teaching and learning.
It can be proven by the existence of the Multimedia Super Corridor and the
smart school project by the Ministry of Education. Coping with the use of the
computer in Smart Schools appeared to be the main feature of the change
phenomenon in Smart Schools. In Smart Schools Project, the computers are widely
used in teaching and learning also for school functions and activities. For
example, teachers use the computer in teaching and learning by showing to the
student how they can experience the dangerous experiment through the computer
simulation experiment. Besides that, student also uses the computer in extra
curriculum activities such as for designing the school magazine. As a result,
it will develop the student with good computer skill. With the establishment of
the computer labs in smart school, some subjects like Science, Mathematics
English, and Malay are taught in the computer labs. Student can access the
internet during this period in order to get information. Compared to chalk and
talk learning, using the computer lab can make the learning process enjoyable
because it contains lot of picture and also very informative.
The software provided act as the tools for teachers to increase student
understanding in the subject. The widely use of LCD projectors and
overhead projectors (OHP) in Smart Schools also the prove of the impact of
technology in smart school project. Teachers and students now have the access
through ICT technology in school. Obviously the uses of the ICT technology in
the smart school will enhance not the student skill and knowledge but also the
teachers. However, lots of cost or fund surely needed for effective smart
school to build a new school with well equipped infrastructure, to upgrade
facilities, and maintenance of new technology. The Ministry of education
has invested a huge effort in terms of funding and training to equip teachers and
students with the technology. The teachers usually are not ready to change
their mindset and to achieve the objective of smart school concept and to learn
to use new technology programs. Student and parent also did not well informed
about the unique features of smart school and do not understand the concept of
smart school. This may create misunderstanding to them and thus smart
school effectiveness will be questioned.
4.0 Ways to overcome the issues in Smart
School
The students should be
participated actively in all teaching and learning process in school to see the
successful of the smart school. They cannot be passive in class because it will
lead to the lack of the expansion of knowledge and transferring knowledge
happen. The students should set their own target to be successful in education
start from their early age. To be able to fulfil the target, students have to
work harder and depend own their own ability to explore something new in their
journey of learning. Extensive used of the facilities that is been provided in
the smart learning scenario one of the way they can learn in school. And with
the help of the teacher, they can learn to work in a group and take part in the
more proactive role in this teaching learning process. Other than that, students
can be good if the learning become student centre learning because they can
make an exploration of knowledge much easier. In addition, to overcome the
problem that may arise due to the smart school is parents should involve a
little bit in their children education. This is because, it can increase the
self esteem of the children, improve the academic achievement and the most
important part it will improve the relationship between them. All this really
help the students to better understanding of the schooling process.
Participation of the parent in
the school activity will help the children academic progress get better. The
parents can always communicate with the teachers to see the development of
their children study in school. With all this efforts, it is not impossible for
our country to achieve the main objective of the smart school that had been
introduce by the government. Parents play important role in their children life
as they might influence the action that their children take. The quality time
that been spend with the children also can motivated the teachers to be more
extra careful in dealing with their students. This is because they faced their
transforming time in order to become more matured and learn from their own
mistakes. Be one of their guider which the parents should do in home. Take note
the progress that been show by the students and always alert with the changing
of something. They can actually motivate the children at home be the guider for
them so that the smart school programme would never face the failure. The
understanding parents are need in planning and working of Smart School because
they cannot give fully responsibility teaching their children to the teachers.
They also have to take part in make sure the education of the children is in a
good condition.
Other than that, the
effectiveness of the smart school also depending on the skill and knowledge of
the teachers. This aspect is the major factor that can determine the successful
of a smart school before taking other factor. The teacher should have the good
skill to give the knowledge to the students. They need to have psychology
skills to influence the students in the class to prepared the students to faced
and be in the information age. This continuous professional development of
teacher in their knowledge and skills will benefit their students a lot. What
can they do is provide themselves with the knowledge to understand the
students. From that, teacher might use soft skill to bring and guide the
students on a right way. Secondly, the teacher should emphasise intellectual,
emotional, spiritual, and physical growth, concentrating on thinking,
developing and applying values, and using correct language across the
curriculum during their teaching. It is important for them that involve in this
smart school to encourage the students to learn how to have the good critical
thinking that can be used in their study. The teachers have to help the
students to learn by itself other than being giving all the input by the
teachers. A good moral values in each aspect of the life can be apply in
students mind with the conjunction with government hope that smart school can
provide integral human for nation in the future in the lesson.
Teachers are responsible to
know and study the issue that will be teaches to the students before it can
start the teaching. They must have technology skills so that they can think
critically, encouraging thought and creativity across the curriculum and
applying technology effectively in teaching and learning. It is involve how to
use a computer, projector, microphone, speaker, scanner or other equipments
that can be use in the class effectively. To attract the student interest, the
teachers should have a creative ways of delivering their content to catch the
student’s attention to focus on to the learning sessions. In addition, they
must be able to handle and use the digital media in class effectively so that
it can maintain the ability of the instruments. Other than that, the teachers
should know how to to be democratize in learning. Students must been
given equal opportunities to access the learning and accommodating differing
learning abilities, styles and paces. Its mean, they must manage each step they
take in class to make sure the facilities provide is enough for every students.
It is good to prevent buyers for some student especially the passive students
and minority races.
5.0 The progress of smart school
The
progresses that can be seen in the smart school are in June 2010, smart
technologies announce SMART classroom suite 2010 interactive learning software. This SMART
Classroom offers an integrated solution that enables teacher to easily manage
and assess the entire class while addressing the needs of individuals’
students. The software that been
used combines classroom management, assessment, lesson creation and assignment
tools in one offering. The latest version of SMART Classroom Suite features a
number of upgrades, including improved wireless capability, greater support for
formative assessment and enhance to
Teacher Tools.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, it is good for the
Ministry of Education to be forward-looking in rolling out the Smart Schools
Initiative to prepare the Malaysian children for the Information Age. However,
a concerted effort from all divisions in the Malaysian Ministry of Education, ranging
from the Curriculum Development Centre, the Textbooks Division, Teacher
Training Division, Educational Technology Division, to The Inspectorate of
Schools, is crucial and significant in ensuring that such curriculum innovation
is worthy of its implementation so as to enhance pupil progress, achievement
and development across gender, ethnicity, social economic status, and academic
ability. All these will eventually contribute into economic growth, wealth
creation and competitiveness for our country.
0 comments:
Post a Comment