Future classroom

With the advancement of technologies and innovation, human life have been made easier and better compared with the old days. In particular, education sphere have undergone significant changes and metamorphosis deemed essential for the development of the teaching and learning process as well as achieving the specific goal sets by parties concerned. My hope and dream of the future classroom is that today’s various technologies can be integrate and implemented successfully in the classroom and schools in general.

In my future classroom, SMART board application will be utilized to fulfill the fundamental characteristic of learning, namely active engagement, group participation, frequent and immediate feedback and relations to the real world. All these characteristics ensure that every teaching and learning process planned would have a firm foundation before it was implemented and eventually evaluate. The intelligent and indigenous creation of this modern and sophisticated technology will enable me to improve students’ successful learning experience as well as my teaching method and material utilization. Students can take on active engagement through activities designed to help students build in their skills and knowledge such as SMART board notebook software that helps to translate the ineffectiveness of traditional passive recipient of knowledge into a modern and active knowledge acquisition. Through this, I hope in the future it can rectify the current scenario in some of Malaysian schools that still focus on the traditional method of teaching and learning process.

Besides that, I would like to have computer based technology; in particular laptops as it provide better mobility and access of technology for student. For instance, laptop such as EE PC produced by ASUS company which features basic internet surfing experience, watching videos, small 10 inch LCD screen as well as small light weight characteristic enable students to take it anywhere they want. In addition, teacher can take this opportunity to move the classroom outside such as in the science subject where they can use the laptop to analyze the data and type its information instantaneously. This in turn provides pupils with immediate feedback which helps them to understand the concepts and knowledge without relying solely on the teacher.

Apart from that, my future classroom would be utilizing FISH philosophy namely ‘Play’. By means, the incorporation of video games consoles such as WII from Nintendo, X BOX from Microsoft and PlayStation from Sony Company into the classroom will help student to better understand the specific skills and knowledge. WII game console for example, help pupils to practice significant skills such as in physical education effectively and enjoyable. In addition, experts and researches around the world have acknowledge the use of video games in building students learning ability particularly, high order thinking skills and critical and creative thinking skills. However, teacher’s planning through previewing before the class starts by and monitoring while the class is doing the activity is important in the sense that anything can happen which can affect successful utilization of this technology.

Lastly, I hope that my future classroom will be equipped with wireless connection that helps teacher to access various information and resources whenever they need. As a safety precaution against students’ misusing the internet connection, password can be provided only to teachers besides using specific software to block undesired websites or pop pups deemed dangerous when using it with students.

All in all, effective integration takes on wise and good planning. Any future classroom that does not comply with certain principles deemed essential such as the fundamental characteristic of learning will not be achieved successfully. Therefore, basing on this characteristic, one must consider all factors so that the future will be better than the past and not otherwise.

‘FISH philosophy’; peculiar term for excellent skills.

Knowledge and skills may come in unexpected name and title. But its significant contributions to the human world, transcends its peculiarity of name and terminology. This is replicated through the ‘FISH’ philosophy. Initially, I thought it was an acronym or abbreviations from combined words. But my assumptions was wrong as it represents a sets of skills in which the process, tools and language deemed essential for creating a workplace full of creativity, innovation and inspiration. I realized that most of education philosophy revolved around a rather serious and complex words, acronym or abbreviation. Therefore the fish philosophy name depicted from the film, “FISH! Catch the Energy, Release the Potential”, produced by John Christensen suits it well since its main focus is to create supportive and encouraging workplace.

In terms of education sphere, fish philosophy can really help to improve the scenario and condition of the classroom. In other words, since some of Malaysian schools are overly consumed with external examination result such as UPSR or PMR, particularly in ensuring that their students are top scorers, the condition of the classroom has changed. By means, as most of the time are spent on doing drill and practice of the mock examination test papers, time for enjoying the learning are decreasing significantly. This is the good opportunity for the fish philosophy to fit in and changed the teaching and learning condition in the classroom.

Using four simple practices namely, Be There, Play, Make Their Day and Choose Your Attitude, teacher can improve their students’ learning experience as well as their teaching. A positive and vibrant classroom would definitely produced successful teaching and learning experience. For the first practice namely ‘Be there’, teacher should be there to monitor as well as assist their students’ understanding regarding the lessons taught. But in the Malaysian context, some of school teachers have to attend external courses that can extend for longer time thus affecting the implementation of this philosophy. What administrator or parties concerned can do is provides in house training as well as short courses that effectively and efficiently make use of limited time. Furthermore, administrator can reduce the ‘clerking’ work which reduces the effectiveness and their availability in the classroom. For practice namely ‘Play’, teacher can integrate interesting games and activities that help students to enjoy while at the same time play. Through technology, students can enjoy their classroom learning experiences by doing computer based games; singing songs or watching videos that best correspond with the ‘Play’ practice.

For the practice namely ‘Make Their Day’, teacher can integrate this philosophy by addressing the students’ self confidence with good and motivational words. In other words, the use of this word can encourage them as well as rectifying the serious condition which may emerged due to the dullness of the lesson. For instance, teacher can use interesting and enjoyable songs to make their day in the classroom enjoyable besides chatting about their background experiences in congruent to the lesson taught. Lastly, teacher can practice ‘Choose your attitude’ by being a positive and optimistic person. By means, every student’s mistake and errors are treated as a trial and tribulations of learning. Therefore, instead of scolding and punishment, teacher can facilitate and advise them on how to improve their work and rectify the problem from persisting in the future. Besides that, teacher also need to train student to practice these skills as it can bring benefit that are deemed essential for teaching and learning process.

All in all, fish philosophy help to translate the importance of changing today’s education scenario into a positive, supportive, encouraging and vibrant environment for learning. The metamorphosis of the classroom condition will definitely provide all school stakeholders concerned with benefits that transcends its dullness and traditional learning situation. In addition, effective and wise decision has to be made for successful integration of technology to complement the implementation of fish philosophy in the schools particularly the classroom.

Intelligent technology

Innovation of today’s technology especially in the education sphere has grown significantly important in parallel with the globalization era. Uses of SMART board application in school, for example have revolutionize the use of typical whiteboard or blackboard which only serve a limited advantages and functionality. This technology improves the delivery of the information as well as important skills deemed necessary for the pupils. In addition, the use of this advanced technology comply with the four successful fundamental characteristic of learning namely active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and immediate feedback and connection to the real world. All this was possible through the use of innovative and indigenously developed software and hardware.

Apart from that, one of the applications that are still new and shares the same important in the education sphere was the use of third party developed software. One of the examples that I believe can benefits the improvement and growth of our education field towards the proud level was the use of BBC developed software. In other word, BBC through its website http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools provided teachers and teacher to be like me with application that can be used through blog.

In particular, teacher can copy and paste the HTML address from the BBC website into their blog. As the blog can become the pupils’ next centre of information after school providing they have internet connection, it can best serve the functions of additional exercise, communication and many more depending on the creative use of the blog application. In part of additional exercise beside the ordinary school exercise, pupils can do the exercise and activity found in their teacher’s blog. The use of flash based software which enabled immediate feedback to be provided complies with the fundamental characteristic of learning namely immediate feedback. In part of communication, once the pupils have finished doing the activity or exercise, they can express their feeling as well as difficulties while doing it. For instance, they can talk about how difficult the activity in the comments segments. Other pupils that participate in doing the activity latter from the pupils can benefit from it as they can communicate their problems particularly if they shared the same problems. In addition, other pupils that have better understanding can post their understanding to help their friends. Lastly, the teacher can save their time of explaining the concept and improving the pupils’ understanding by addressing on the similar problem effectively. Furthermore, the blog can acts as an educational forum with the ease of use and simple management.

All in all, these intelligent technologies have revolutionized the education sphere locally and globally. It is now up to us to effectively and efficiently use it in order to reap the best benefit of human innovation.