back in Kota Bharu for a day!

Yesterday I was in Kota Bharu - Just for a day. I have been invited by my lecturer, Puan Mahany and the Mathematics Department of IPG Kampus Kota Bharu to do a talk and meet trainee teachers. It was such an honour for me to receive the invite and do a little bit of sharing with the trainee teachers. More than that, it was also a good time for me to meet my lecturers and see the place where I was trained as a teacher for four years.

I felt much more prepared this time around. I feel more confidence in doing the sharing of my blog and books. Comparing yesterday and many more talks that I have done before, I am definitely feel stronger and more confident ;) Luckily the participants were also very highly motivated and interested to listen and involved! Thank you.

In the beginning, we did a little bit of thinking about schooling and education in Malaysia and reflected how it is different over time. Then, I brought the participants to my experience with Life through my eyes: A teachers little steps towards perfection (2010 - 2012), followed by Life through my eyes 2: from Kampung Kenang to Kasoa (2012 - 2013)!

The best part for me was the last activity where I got the participants to try out one of my activities from my class. I wanted them to discover and experience the feeling themselves of being nvolved in an active activity. I passed small piece of papers to each and everyone, then got them to draw a bird, with me modelling it to them. Then, when they were done with the drawing, I asked them to write down their answer to my statement: "I hope to be a teacher that is..." It was superb to see they were all cool enough to do it and share their thoughts - a sign that they all are going to be awesome teachers someday soon I guess!

The session ended with questions and answers. Interestingly, after the first person started to throw her question to me then, more and more trainee teachers started to ask questions.

Great to be back in Kota Bharu, I don't mind to be back again and again and again! Haha

PS: Quite nervous when the flight back to Kuala Lumpur cannot touch down and need to delay it's landing time! Fuhhh...

Frog with Students in Penang

I was supposed to write this a while ago when the event finished. But I am not sure why these days updating this blog is kinda a bit difficult for me. I guess there are some things I am a bit shy to update...ahaha...if only that excuse made sense.

So a few weeks ago, my team mates and I went to an event in Penang. It was a great event specially created for students in secondary schools and primary schools. FrogVLE3S. The event was held for 3 days and the students were selected from schools all over Malaysia. They will become ambassadors for Frog or as well we call them as Frog Champions! Yay!

My main intention in writing this entry is to introduce the 6 sessions that we created specifically for the students, led by Racheal. She deserves a high 5 because the programme was really amazing and really impacted on the students. The six sessions are:

1. Classroom of the future
2. Hour of code
3. Frog VLE - Dashboard designer
4. Skill up!
5. Digital storytelling
6. Google Apps for education

I'm only mentioning the six sessions briefly  now. I will write an entry for each session in the near future. Wait up for the inside scoop! ahaha...

This is only my own reflection through my eyes for each session. The reality of what happened might be different but for me, through my eyes, they were all amazing sessions and I wish I were involved as one of students! Yeahhh

PS: Should spend more time for holidays in Penang!

LTME in SMK Convent Bukit Nanas

Last Tuesday, I went to SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, for a Life through My Eyes session with the students. About 300 participants, form 4 students, joined the session with me. It was such an amazing experience for me as this was the first time for me to give a talk and share my experience with secondary school students. Before this, my sessions have always been focused on teachers, but this time, I delivered to the students! So no doubts that Life through My Eyes is suitable for anyone to read.

I divided the session into two. First, we went to explore the teaching and learning near the jungle, down the hill of Kampung Kenang, a school for Temiar pupils, which my first book chronicles. And then we all flew to UK and Ghana, specifically Kasoa which my second book represents.

The best thing about having a session with the secondary school students was they were participating actively with me. It felt so easy to get feedback from them on any question or any discussion that I raised. Even when I sang two songs that I created - one while teaching year 6 pupils in SK Kampung Kenang (Bangun Berdiri) and one more while I was teaching in Omega school in Ghana (Say Hello to the World) - they were all cheering, clapping and singing together! What a wonderful experience!

The main purpose for me was to get them to be creative, aim high and try their best in everything they do. I also wanted them to see life in a bigger picture and to have an open mind. Life is beautiful and there are many things around us that sometimes we forget to appreciate and to see the meaning behind.

Such a momentous experience for me and I believe for them as well. So many things for us to learn from each other! To be honest, I was a bit nervous in the beginning as this is an elite school situated in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. I was not sure how they were going to respond to LTME. Actually, they were all awesome!

PS: Balik Kampung! Btw,this is my 400th entry! yay!

How do you teach blogging? an email from an amazing teacher :)

I received a very nice and interesting email this week from an amazing English teacher, Miss Jothi. Sh used this blog as a teaching tool to teach her pupils on how to blog.

I find that her teaching and learning about blog is very creative and it is good for me to share this with everyone else. Maybe more teachers out there have their own ways of teaching blogging to their students? If you care to share, please email me about it :)

The attachment below is the email from Cikgu jothi and she explained in the email how she had used the blog:

PS: Can't wait for my second book to be out there! 

Online Tour

This is so amazing! To bring yokids in your class for a tour without really being there. Online tour! I think this is the amazing things about the technology. No need paperwork to bring your kids outside of the school, no need to think about budget and no need to think about the kids safety!

Watch this video and see how this kids learn from an Eagle Tour in Kuala Selangor!

If I am still a teacher, this is definitely something that I will join. It's good for kids to do and learmn. So many steps we can cut off in online world - bring the new learning experience in the classroom.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or send me message if you are interested to organise online and live learning experience to your classroom! :D exciting! 

PS: Great things happen when you do something,so act for it :D

ambition birds

You just need: newspaper, tape and scissors
to make the cloud

Yesterday was a very interesting day for me in SK Jalan Selangor 1. It is while since I have done direct teaching with pupils in primary schools. I was given a chance by Teacher Jothi (English teacher) to handle an hour long class.

I shared with the kids some experiences that I have had since my schooling time, undergraduate, working and post graduate life with them. My aim was to motivate them and let them dream big. The kids in this school mainly come from lower economic backgrounds - same as me. So, I share the same experience that they have...

At the end of the lesson, I prepared a simple activity for them. I called it "ambition birds'. I prepared a cloud, made from recycled newspaper. I chose recycled materials as I prefer things to look like 'nothing' but doing 'something' rather than to look like 'something' but doing 'nothing', to encourage people that sometimes amazing teaching materials do not have to be expensive. It only took me 2 to 3 minutes to prepare the cloud. I used an English newspaper because I wanted to relate with the lesson that I taught. Later, when the kids done with activity, they can hang it in their classroom and when they look at to the cloud, there are English words on it that they can view and read! 

it's ready!

I pasted the cloud in front of the class and told the kids that the cloud is now empty and we are going to fill it with the ambition birds. I showed the kids a simple way to draw a bird, write down their name, ambition and dream, colour it and cut it out. Then, we all pasted the bird on the cloud.!

The kids were really excited and happy to share their ambitions and dream. Let's all dream big because dreaming is the first step to making something great happen!!! Yeahhh!!!

PS: egh...I think I dream too much sometimes...ahahaha

counting using fingers

This video captured a moment of learning of Maisarah, a little girl that I taught two years ago in 2011 (I'm glad I still remember her name ;) ahaha ). It was my  second year teaching in SK Kampung Kenang. At that time, I started to get better confidence in handling the class and preparing mathematics activities for my pupils. I found this video after browsing on my laptop and looking at all the photos and videos that I took before. I miss the school and the children I guess. 

Let the children explore learning. Let them learn on their own. Give them guidance and then let them do it... I think a teacher's job need to be flexible around where we need to choose the role that we play. The role will keep changing over the input that we want to give and also change to match the pupils that we teach. It is amazing to play roles isn't it ;)

***

Last but not least for this entry, off topic for a bit... Looking at the viral comments on the social media at the moment, I am a bit worried by the cyber community nowadays. People sometimes share things without any research whether it's right or wrong and then give judgement as soon as they read or know about it. Even just a little bit of knowledge about a certain issue, people just say what ever they want. I think it is so important to know and understand the issue. Think both negative and positive.  Don't simply comment on something...listen and observe, then think before you act or you say. I guess everybody know about this this, but because sometimes we are too ignorant we decided to stick to our belief and opinion, and say out stupid stuff. That shows how much we use our brain to think... That is not a critical thinking!

PS: weekend in Alor Setar ;) 

teaching materials - don't be afraid

I always encourage myself to look at simple things around me and my pupils as something special to use in my teaching and learning activities. I know that fancy and colourful materials can attract pupils' attention but sometimes if you use simple things around you, this will develop creativity in you and in your pupils. 

I think when teaching primary school children, you need to add some kind of excitement in your teaching. For example, how about when using a simple pen and plain paper, you called them  a "magic pen and paper" and tell them that the pen can help them find the answer. That simple pen and paper suddenly can be seen as something different and the value you add to that pen and paper changes the perceptions of your pupils! 

This is about adding eagerness and creativity to your pupils. I always try to relate things that I do everyday or I buy everyday and relate them to my pupils to use them in the classroom. Plastic bags, bottles, shoes or whatever else is around us are teaching materials if we know how to manipulate them to be useful. Once you can do this, you are also teaching your pupils to look at objects around them differently. Probably the things that you thought were just rubbish can be something that can teach them mathematics, or science or probably just a trigger of the learning process.

PS: look at stuff around you differently and celebrate!

Rasa sayang - Ghana Style

Yesterday, when I was giving some talk to the students in Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia kampus Keningau, I found this video-Ghanaian children singing Rasa sayang. I was not really prepared materials to present to the students in IPG Keningau as I was only been told that I will have a session with them the day before yesterday - surprisingly I found this video and it makes the students happy and I was happy to find it as well ;) ahahahaha...almost forgot what I have been doing there in Ghana

So...I think I should share the video in the blog...here it goes...

PS: teaching some Malay to Ghanaian children ;)

story telling eh?

It's a nice sunny morning from my window. I know something about the weather here. Even though the sun is so bright, giving the best that it can, but I can never trust it. It will still be cold... See, I'm starting my writing with the topic of weather again.

While I was reading some journals (trying to sound like a good student here), suddenly I felt like writing a bit about story telling. Yeah, I never really put it on my blog before so I will do it today. As I remember from teaching my year 1 kids, every Tuesday was Story Telling day!

Yeah, even though I am a mathematics teacher, I found it very interesting and fun to do. I think it just in their nature for small kids to listen to a story. Especially when the story involves characters that they like such as animals or a princess as well as the way you carry out the story telling session.

I really liked to see the faces and expressions that they showed to me everytime I conducted a story telling session. You know that sometimes when you have the intonations in telling the stories, you will grab your kids' attention and they will wait for every word that comes out from your mouth! ahaha...it feels so good ;)

Just grab any story books in school and read for them. Then try to put in some elements that you teach, as per usual. Mine is Mathematics... You do not have to finish the story. 10 minutes is enough and can be continued in the next lesson! It's fun! :)

p/s: waiting for the snow to come but too lazy to go outside to feel the cold!

ground rules to set in schools

know that I only have about 3 years experience of teaching in a school in Malaysia. Maybe it is not apprpriate for me to give my opinion about the big issue of how schools in Malaysia can make further improvements. But after a while thinking about it and making some connections with my experience, I think I had better say something that we should all think about...the idea maybe not applicable or maybe certain schools already have done this. But better out than in :D

This idea should probably be led by the headteacher in a school. I think what we need to have in Malaysia is to set the ground rules for a few important things that we want pupils to develop in school. I mean something that all teachers, at every level, familiar with. Something that all teachers in the school agree to use and to do in their classroom.

At the moment, I think most teachers have their own ways of teaching their subjects. That is fine because every single teacher in a school must also have their own unique way of teaching that they prefer using. But still if we think about the development of pupils in learning, we need to consider having some shared ground rules.

As I am a mathematics teacher my example will come from mathematics obviously. For example, if we decided to use multiplication tables for teaching the kids, set it as a ground rule. This means that all teachers at every level will use this as the base on which to teach mathematics. Let me give you another example. Groupwork. The importance for pupils of learning in groups which means that all subjects need to have group work activities most of the time maybe can be another ground rules for certain school...

I believe that every other subject will also have its own thing that can be a base or the ground rules. Once we have this particular base or ground rules, we can share with parents what we offer in our schools. I think the objective will be much clearer to parents and every school does not necessarily need to offer the same ground rules...hm...something worth thinking about I think?????
p/s: make it real, make it here, make it now... ;)

I was touched!

Yesterday, while I was walking out from the preschool class, suddenly someone called my name. Oh, it was Kak Murni! I stopped and started to walk towards her and asked her if I can help anything. Actually, Kak Murni works as a cleaner in the school. She is a Temiar. Her 2 sons and daughter are my pupils. I taught Arman when he was year 6 last two yeras and Armin in year 3 now I taught him when he in year 1. This year, I teach Arvina in year 1.

Quite an introduction about her there...hehe...so, she said to me that she heard that I am leaving the school soon. I confirmed it to her. Yep, this is my last week in the school. She suddenly asked me about my book "life through my eyes". She said she wanted to buy a copy from me. even she cannot read english, but she wanted to keep it. She said that She want to keep it for her children, one day they will read the book to her. The book is about the life of them in the school and village. Even Armin picture was in the book!

Today, I brought the book to her. She was happy getting the book. I hope it will keep inspire her and bring a new light to her children. I believe that she is a very good and motivated mom and a great life awaiting for them in the future :)

p/s: still not packing! Wahaha!

Queuing Zone

When you are teaching year 1 class, you will probably get a bit of a problem to control the class. So do I. When I brought my year 1 to the mathematics lab, the problem became bigger. As we sit down on the floor, everytime I gave them exercises, the class become a bit wild especially when they finished their work and wanted me to check their work. They just come running and handing the exercises to me.

I came out with one idea. Another classroom rule for them that we decided together. A place for them to queue and wait for their turn to see me...haha...so everytime they enter that queue zone or we called it as 'tempat temujanji', they will need to follow some rules:

1. If you in the queue zone, you cannot talk!

2. If you in the queue zone, you cannot run!

3. If you in the queue zone, you need to wait until teacher call you to meet him

4. If you enter the queue zone, no going out until you meet the teacher.





So, right after that at least I can handle the kids better thab before :D wahahaha!

p/s: A nice experience in IPG Kampus Pendidikan Islam last Saturday! Thank you for inviting me there :)

Picnic before Ramadhan :D

2 days ago, on wednesday specifically, my school colleagues and me went for a picnic after the school period. We do not go far from school. Just a 10 minute drive in the village! Yep, that is one of the best thing when your school is situated in a rural area! Lucky for us our school is situated near to a very beautiful and clean river! yay! :D

So, we gather together. Grill some chicken for lunch (of course foods is the main part of picnic!) and just chill. We did not plan any other activities because we really  just wanted to hang out together and forget some school work for a while.

The best paret of the picnic was the swimming! Yeah! It was so much fun...and even the water was so cold, we just go and play with the water! Yay! I think everyone were happy and enjoy the activity so much. So, maybe after the fasting month end, we can plan picnic again eh? :D haha.... by the way, if you come to my school, maybe you should pay a visit to the river too :D

ps: Welcome Ramadhan...let's fast for a month! :D Alhamdulillah

addition/subtraction board!

Most of the time now I will handle my year 1 class in the mathematic lab. different from the computer lab before, the floor doesn't have tiles. So, I cannot use the tiles as before to do some addition and subtraction with my pupils.

Together, we made an addition/subtraction board! Yep, I said together because I let my year 1 pupils help me to prepare the board. I just wanted them to have the "ownership" feeling towards the board. I believe the will appreciate it better.

It's not that difficult, just prepare a board if you have or maybe you can change it to manila card or any relevant. Then, colourful tape to make a line and it just take around 8 to 10 minutes to prepare that. For the board, I was not even used any ruler in order to make the lines on the board useing the tape. Just make it simple.

Then I prepared numbers an labels for ones, tenth and hundredth. Print them out, laminate them and cut it out. The whole process, try to involve the kids. I think it's fine sometimes to let them do it. They will love it especially later they know they will use it in the class.

We do not have time to use it yet but will use it soon! yay! :D

p/s: Looking forward to the picnic at the river near the school tomorrow with all the other teachers and staff! :D yeeehaaa!!!

add and then flower :D

OK, I still have some time to update my blog while waiting for the train to Ipoh. I'm on travel now. From Perak to KL to get some information about my future planning :D ahaha...

So, since I brought the pictures with me, let me update a bit what happened on the year 1 class yesterday. It was exciting as we were making flowers. Yep! After finished doing the numeracy screening to them, I have some time to plan a simple activity to do.

I draw a large flower on half of A4 paper, photostated them into clourful papers. Then I brought it to the class. I already make one flower actually and showed it to my pupils. I think they were excited to make it too.

So, I told them, if they want to make it they need to answer 5 questions on addition correctly. each questions they need to write it on each petals and then count for the answer! :D  So, because everybody was so keen to have a flower that they can bring back home, you can see all of them count seriously to get the correct answer.

I waited until everyone finished doing the addition. I checked one by one and see if they do it correctly or not before be begin to make the flower. Only smiley Adry comes out with a question: "can I just make a flower and count later?"  NO! Do first and I make the answer later ...wahahah so bad me! :D

So, after they finished, we cut out the flower, then we roll the a4 paper to make the stem and glue them together! Now, everybody do the addition and everybody have their addition flowers! Wahahaha! :D

p/s: so this is my entry no. 300! Wah!!! :D

my year 6 and red pen!

My year six kids just finished taking their UPSR trial examination this week. I tried to give some helps and guidance as much as I can to them. Just hope they have tried their best and think before they answer the questions and avoid careless mistakes.

I think this year, the challenge in teaching year 6 are much bigger than the last year. This year 6 groups are much passive. It is so difficult for us (me and other year 6 teachers) to know them as they do not speak much. Even the high achievers do not really like to respond. They just so quiet and respond sometimes. But, what to do. Still need to try the best to make sure they will pass the examination with flying colors. And I really greatful that all the other year 6 teachers are open for discussions :) That's awesome!

Oh, I asked my kids to buy red pen. I helped to buy  it for them actually. I think it really helpful. I let them marked themselves. i wanted them to see their mistakes from their own eyes. let them be the examiners and experiences the mistakes. I think it really helpful. It also motivate them to answr the questions correctly :)
p/s: let us make sure we drink lots of plain water everyday! :D

I take out the cards :P

Lucky me! Now I find a time to just sit in front of my laptop. After a great day yesterday meeting with some lecturers in IPG Teknik and meet with some good people in Teach for Malaysia, now I'm waiting my train to go back to Perak.

So let me spend some time just to write down one activity that I do with my year 1 pupils last week. Another simple activity and do not need much resources but will give a meaningful experiences for the kids (I guess so :D)

 Write down a series of number on the card or paper. For example, I write down 40 to 49 to my kids. Then, I put them in groups and give all the groups the cards.

Actually, before I gave the cards I already take out 2 cards from the numbers series. I took out different numbers from each groups. I just wanted to see what will happen to them. Will they realise it or will they not notice at all?

After getting the cards, all the groups (especially the good one) were so excited to arrange the cards. After two or three cards, they stoped! I think they realised something is missing. However, there are one group that just arrange as what they have without care what was missing.

Looking at them doing some thinking and trying to sort out the problems and started to ask me question, I then put down the cards that I take out on the chair. I can see the kids started to smile and rush to get the numbers. Ooopsss....need to control that by asking one by one person from each group to come and take it, or else it will be wild! :D

p/s: Any bloggers that I still not follow their blog yet, please put your blog link in the comments box. Let me know k ;) thanks

stop singing or it will rain! :S

After a few days not in the school as I went to the national teacher's day celebration and also went to visit Kuala Lumpur with year 6 pupils, so today I met with my year 1 pupils again.

Yeah, I brought them to the mathematics lab as per usual. Today, we do a revision on subtraction numbers because next week will be a mid year examination. My pupils always confuse to subtract with addition. So, that is why I do the revision on this topic.

So, after do explanations, modelling on the white board and recall their subtraction skills, I gave them exercises on the paper. So, the drama started soon enough after everybody got the paper. Some can do it with no helps but some of them need lots of guidance before they can really do it. So, it's quite wild environment in the lab.

Suddenly, while they were busy doing the work, one of the pupils started to sing song. Then another one started to sing with him, and then one more, more and more and everybody were singing the song. it's fine for me and I also singing the song with them while helping them to glue the exercise paper in the book. It was fun!

After a few minutes, Din out from no where stand up, tell people to stop singing and make stop sign using his hand. He looked very serious and everybody stop singing and listen to him! Then right after that he said "Please do not sing anymore, I want to go back home after this, your guys sound like calling the rain to fall down!"

Wahahaha! I can't stop laughing to think about that. So funny Din to say that when he also do the singing part! too cute to say no! But they keep singing after that and finish the work ;)

p/s: Does frog really call the rain?

Happy Teacher's Day 2012!!!

Happy Teacher's Day to all teachers in Malaysia or anywhere you are. This year teacher's day comes again. For me it should be celebrated by anybody that ever teach any single knowledge to anyone. That means everybody! Yeah!

It's quite interesting celebration this year. Life through my eyes: the book has been launch in the national Teacher's Day celebration! Yay! But more than that that makes me really have a good time was meeting with some other local authors, famous author in Malaysia actually. There are 14 other books has been launch together with LTME like book from Anis Ayuni, Nora Fuad, Ruzain Syukur, Razali Saaran and many more. It was a greet experience for me to meet them and exchanges some experiences and get some advises from them. Thank you so much and Happy Teacher's Day to all of them!

p/s: Already met some famous authors, so maybe in the future will meet some famous bloggers! :D