Category Archives: Study Tips

Tools of the Trade: What are the Best Books for SPM?

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There are many SPM material out there, be it reference books, workbooks, smart notes, question compilations, etc. So for students who are looking for good study materials for SPM, especially fresh Form Four students, it can be quite a pain choosing the right study materials because they do not know which ones follow the SPM syllabus correctly. As an example, students will be wasting money buying low quality study materials which they do not like, and then only at the second time, they buy good quality books after they had the proper experience with the subjects. Therefore, it’s best to get insights and do some research on a particular subject before prematurely buying a book so we do not end up buying something we will not use and thus wasting money. So, I am here to share my personal thoughts and opinions on books that I had use to prepare for my SPM examination.

I believe if you are a smart person, your learning would not be limited by the books you use. However, as smart as we can get, we would always like to use the best tools we can get. As for me, I prefer reference books by Oxford Fajar, specifically their “SUCCESS” reference books, especially for Biology, Chemistry and Physics because they have very good and colourful illustrations. The illustration is very thorough and detailed, so it becomes more interesting to study the subject, a good example is a detailed illustration of organelles of an animal cell in their Biology book. Besides that, SUCCESS’s reference books display great creativity when it comes to making simple diagrams, tables and etc. Their diagrams, mind maps, and tables. makes it easier for students to grasp on any topic. It also makes it easier for students to connect ideas together. Another publisher I prefer is PNI Neuron, who publishes the Memory Mastery through Mind Maps and Diagrams books. The book is fully based on diagrams, mind maps, graphs, etc. I may even add that there are even more illustrations than SUCCESS’s and sometimes have better diagrams than in the ones in SUCCESS. However, there are cases when too many diagrams are on the same page, making the page look cramped. The book also lacks detailed explanation, so it is only good if you use it to revise a topic you had studied before.

The main workbooks I use to prepare for SPM are the “Kertas Soalan Peperiksaan Tahun-Tahun Lepas SPM” workbooks by Sasbadi. They have a compilation of past year’s SPM question for many subjects and is updated yearly. It is very convenient because you get the whole compilation of the latest SPM examination papers in one book, so you don’t have to waste time and energy searching for them one by one. They also update their compilations every year after that year’s SPM examination to ensure they compile the papers up to date. The fact that it compiles papers for so many subjects makes it a must have for all students despite taking different subjects. From this book, you will understand the structure of the SPM paper better; you will know the type of questions asked in the “Sections” of the SPM paper and thus be able to prepare for the real examination. Another workbook that I like to use is Strategic Practice by Pelangi Publications. I have this book for my Mathematics and Additional Mathematics for Form Four and Form Five. I like this book a lot because it teaches you in a very practical way. It features a very practical step by step approach starting from very simple questions and slowly increasing in difficulty to the toughest ones until you are able to grasp the concepts. I do my studying by myself a lot, so this book acts as almost like a study manual for the me when it comes to studying Mathematics and Additional Mathematics.

However, at the end of the day, it is not how many books you have in your study desk that matters. It is how well and how consistent you are in using them. Having one good quality reference book and few workbooks/exercise books for one subject is enough if you are able to put to good use these resources. Having many books is also as good as having no books if you are not putting these valuable resources to good use. More importantly, you should use the books which suits your style of study so that you can study comfortably and effectively. What is best for you when you want to find a book which suits your study style is you may flip through the pages of the books in the bookstore which you want to buy before buying it so you can get a glimpse on how they present their content and choose from the ones you find most comfortable with. Having said that, I wish you happy book hunting.

This article was written by Joshua. Joshua is a straight A scorer for his SPM examination. He shares his wisdom and experiences as a SPM student by writing educational articles for Peekabook’s blog during his free time.

各种提高6岁孩童注意力的妙方

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如今，教育对每一位孩子都非常重要。注意力分散是一个很常见的问题。原因很简单，在这个变化多端的世界里，有着很多是孩童们还没见过和听过的新鲜事件吸引着好奇心强的他们，挑起他们的极大关注。这个问题若是无法解决的话，这将会对孩子带来不少害处，如学习所花费的时间会更长、难以挨过高难度的学习内容和思维速度大量降低。由此可见，大家得使用各种方法以把问题解决并同时培养孩子的专注能力、提高孩子们注意力。那今天就让我与大家探讨有什么方法来解决这问题，特别是即将升上一年级的6岁孩童。

从好奇心出发
首先，父母亲可以尝试好好利用孩子的好奇心。研究显示，强烈和多变化的物体最能吸引孩子的注意。会唱歌的书籍、会动的玩具青蛙、会移动的玩具车等玩具能够挑起孩子们的好奇心。这样，孩子们就会渐渐细心观察并学会集中注意力。所以，家长可以购买这些玩具以训练孩子们的注意力。同时，父母可以尽量抽空带孩子到新的环境去玩。例如带孩子到公园去时，父母亲该让孩子亲身体验大自然的美景，观看一些罕见的花草、各种造型不同的建筑和美不胜收的风景。另外，父母可试携带孩子到动物园观光，让他们好好观看有趣的动物，从中利用孩子们对新事物强烈的好奇心并增强注意力。因此，孩子的好奇心能够增强孩子的注意力。

学会在规定的时间里完成功课
此外，相信大家也知道如今的学生有着繁多学校的功课，一天内再加上补习班的功课更不必说了。当孩子有着的完成的作业太多，他们注意力稳定的时间就很自然地会超过了。所以，家长和教师该教导孩子们如何分配时间以能够顺利地完成手上的功课。特别是即将升上一年级的六岁孩童，若他们还未学会如何好好提高自己的注意力和分配时间，叫他们如何在规定的时间内完成该功课呢？孩子该学会如何一部分一部分来完成攻克。父母必须避免不允许孩子中途休息，使命让他们长时间地做功课且在旁监督、唠叨不停等。因为这样很容易让孩子失去学习兴趣和减低其注意力和集中的精神。父母得从小教导孩子正确地安排合理的时间，让他们在适当的时间内能够集中精神，从中提高孩子们的注意力。

从兴趣、游戏中提高注意力
众所周知，兴趣是最好的导师。尽管任何人在做自己有兴趣的事情时，他们都会很投入、很专心，所以孩子也不例外。从一位6岁的孩子地角度来看，他们的注意力会直接被其兴趣和情绪所控制。由此可见，教师和父母亲应该细心观察孩子广泛的兴趣和从中培养注意力。例如，父母应该从小使用各种各样的方法培养孩子的阅读兴趣，让他们爱上阅读、提高他们的专注力。苏联心理学家曾经做过一项试验— 他让不同年龄的孩子在游戏和单纯的不同活动方式下完成任务，将各种颜色的纸分装与同色的盒子里并观察他们注意力集中的时间。结果发现6岁儿童之能够坚持于62至71分钟而4岁儿童则是于17至22分钟。在这里我们可以看到孩子在游戏活动中的注意力和稳定性比较强。所以，师长该让孩子多玩智慧游戏，从中提高他们的专注力。这类型的游戏能够让孩子锻炼注意力。因为他们在过程中得反复回想、思考、查看、探讨、寻找。因此，游戏不但能够让孩子心情与开，且有效地提高他们的专注力。

让孩子有一定的游戏时间
嬉戏是孩子的天性，也是他们最喜爱的活动之一。它不但能够有效地激发他们的兴趣、让他们心情舒畅，更能在此提高孩子们的专注力。很多时侯，家长总是过于注重孩子们的学业，不停地要他们温习、使命送他们到补习班去。这样，家长很自然会忽略孩子们游戏的时间。所以，父母必须适量地让孩子多参加游戏活动，从中培养他们的注意力，而不是茫茫地追求学业上的成绩。

提供适合的学习环境
吵闹、混乱的环境极度容易让孩子分心。因此，特别是温习功课的环境，父母得提供和安排宁静和整齐的环境以不让孩子受到不必要的干扰。例如，温习功课的地方必须减少玩具、零食、电视机等以让他们能够专心地念书，同时尽量避免孩子受到干扰如收音机的声音和其他家人的吵闹、谈话等。另外，家人必须懂得如何不要打扰孩童温习，如避免在他们专心温习的时候跟他们聊天、嬉戏等。

综上所述，父母亲和老师们能够使用不同的方法以有效地提高孩子的专注力，特别是6岁的孩童。这包括使用他们的好奇心，好好让他们学习分配时间和利用其兴趣和通过相关的游戏。虽然我们都知道，孩子们对周围的环境有着强烈的探索欲望，他们的好奇、好动的现象是很正常的。父母就是因为这样而常常认为这是孩子的本性，最重要长大了就行乐，却忽略了对孩子提高他们的专注力而带来不少危害。所以，家长该采取各适当的方法有计划地训练和提高他们的注意力噢！加油！

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

电子课本— 你怎么看？

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为了让我国迈向世界级教育水平，大马教育蓝图(PPPM 2013-2025)已开始推动电子课本，并将于2021年全面落实电子课本的教育政策。由此可见，电子课本是马来西亚未来教育发展里其中最重要的一环。根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯，教育部将分三个阶段落实电子课本措施—首阶段于2013至2015 年，第二阶段于2016至2020年及第三阶段于2021至2025年。通过这个方案，它不仅确保大马能够与世界级教育水平与时并进，同时也为学生带来不少的好处，如从此把学生每天得背着沉重的书包上学的烦恼给免除。

好处一：学习更有趣、增强学生们的吸收能力
根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯，电子课本不但含有文字而已，并且有各种精美的图片、动画以帮助学生。据敦胡仙翁大学两位研究员阿莫里扎和莫哈默诺，研究证明通过动画，学习会变得更加有效、有趣。例如：在生物科里，学生更快能够掌握血液循环系统，特别是缺氧血被携带离开心脏，进入肺部进行气体交换后，将含氧血带回心脏的部分后从右心室出发传到身体每个部位。比起现有的课本，只是有着文字和少许图片，相信电子课本将会让学者们对所学习的科目更有兴趣、同时增强吸收能力。

好处二：方便、容易携带
有着电子课本，学生可随时自行在网上阅读课文、温习功课等。根据教育部，学校的课本以正在被上载到1BestariNet的网页。因此，学生可使用各自的1BestariNet ID以能够免费地阅读课本。由此可见，学生可不仅在学校范围或家里温习课文，还可轻易地在外头使用自己的手提电脑、平板电脑或智能手机等阅读课本。在此，允许我分享一些我个人的经验。身为一个还算是活跃于课外活动的我，时常无法在班上听课。每一次代表州属、学校等出外比赛时，不在学校的时间可算超多的，有时数天，有时一星期。为了避免忽略学习，我不得不携带沉重的课本到其它地方以让自己能够在空闲时温习。问题是，我该如何携带那么多课本呢？因此，有着电子课本，我相信学生能够随时随地地复习课文。

好处三：随时更新课本内容和让学生享受新的学习方法
采用电子课本可以让教育部随时随刻更新课文的知识内容。就拿美国为例子，佛州一电子公司的市场部经理马特·哥摩日认为，佛州一些学校的历史课本甚至直到现在都还没有克林顿政府的内容。比起来，电子课本可以很快地添加两周前的内容。另外，使用电子课本还可以形成新的学习方法。电子课本备有电子标签、增加亮度和颜色标记关键部分，进行重点关键词搜索。同时，大家可以随时发收电子邮件，使用网路资源查阅相关专题资源。此外，教师可以自主处理资讯以适应班级学生需求。所以，电子课本可随时加以更新及让学者们有着另一种新的学习方式。

坏处一：读者容易疲劳
综上所述，电子课本能够为大家带来数不尽的好处。但是，相信师长们一定会特别担心一个问题— 电子课本影响学生的注意力。从八十年代后期开始的一项研究结果显示，在电子课本和纸质的课本相比之下，传统书本 还是有一定的好处。《人类因素和经济社会》杂志的一项于1998年的研究显示出阅读电子课本在速度和准确性上仍不如传统书本阅读，同时让读者更容易疲劳。

坏处二：电子课本对眼睛的影响
美国儿科学研究院非常关注在孩子花费大量时间在电子屏幕时，眼科专家担心孩子的视力会消退。牛津大学神经科学家苏姗·格林菲尔德认为，社交网站、电子游戏和电视的快节奏，缩短了青少年的注意广度，从此限制他们的专注力，并可能会童稚化青少年大脑。年轻人容易被嗡嗡的声音和明亮的光线所吸引。美国埃默理大学英语教授马克·鲍林曾表示专注力和注意广度对阅读理解非常重要。电子萤幕让读者以扫描式阅读，注意力从此就会慢慢退化。同时，读者获取的资讯也就是简要的。相比之下，纸质课本却可以鼓励专注阅读。

尽管电子课本即将取代纸质课本，我相信学生仍必须依靠多做练习以在测验里获取佳绩。由于电子课本已逐渐让学生避免背着沉重的书包上课或到其它地方去时，学生可利用剩余的空间携带一些参考书，如佳辉出版社的《A无惧UPSR模拟试卷》、《A启示UPSR模拟试卷》，嘉阳出版的《复习王》作业和《配版作业》等之类的巩固练习题，以让自己更熟悉考试的问题格式并发掘自己较弱的单元，以对症下药。大家可知道，不管小学生还是中学生，熟读课本的确是不够的，各位都必须多做练习、作业才能在考试里获取优秀的成绩噢！加油！

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

选购参考书—也是种学问？

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在之前的其中一篇文章里我曾经提到，学生必须懂得选购适合自己的参考书。今天，就让我与大家较详细地分享如何正确地选购参考书。从所周知，在温习功课或为即将莅临的考试复习时，参考书是必要的。可是相信大家一定在问— “要从书局里选购摆着各不同出版社所出版的参考书也是种学问吗？”那当然啊！原因很简单，好的参考书不但能够为学生提供正确的资料、提高温习效率，也是学生能否在测验里考获佳绩的因素之一。选购参考书时大家可以试使用以下的方法作为参考:

时常关注、留意考试的格式
购买参考书时，首要的条件就是是否其参考书符合最新的考试格式。在学生还没向老师请教以得到最新的考试格式时，尽量避免太过急于购买参考书，否则将很容易买到不适合、不恰当的参考书。众所周知，考试里每一道题目都有着不一样的作答方式以达到问题的要求。例如，嘉阳出版的《UPSR 写作王 110篇精选范文》是其中之一的好例子。这本书含有110篇华语范文，能够配合华文科的课程纲要、书写技能并符合最新的UPSR书写试卷的格式。此外，佳辉出版社所出版的《UPSR 写作王 110篇精选范文》除了备有UPSR模拟试卷外，也有着历年UPSR试题的分析表以帮助考生适应和了解试卷的格式。因此，在选购各种各样的书籍时，学生必须仔细地看是否其参考书符合考试的格式。

选择能够为自己打好基础的书籍
基础—是学生需重视的其中一个方案之一。在选购参考书时，大家得首先了解自己对其科目的基础情况，再选择参考书。学生必须清楚了解自己在哪课较弱的部分，再购买相关的参考书以对症下药。让我在这里给大家一个很简单的例子，小明在华文理解里总是难以获得高分，因此他可以考虑购买佳辉出版的《杰出辅导系列华文理解6》以多做里头的练习题，再使用附有的完整答案来帮助自己解答不明白之处。另一个例子— 小丽仍未掌握好华语科的成语，她便可购买由佳辉公司出版的100%配合课本且根据最新课程说明所编写的《活用成语练习6》以多练习里头的习题，遇到不明白之处时试翻阅课本或请教老师。

试请教师长再购买
在还没做出任何决定要购买哪一本参考书时，学生可以先请教教师或家长，以获得他们的意见。很多时候，身为学生的我们不可否认我们还是不够经验，往往会因为冲动而买到不适合自己的书。通过这个方法，学生可以从老师们的身上彻底知道自己在某科目较弱的部分，再选择恰当的参考书。坦白说，学生有时会忘了其实老师才是最清楚学生在某科目较弱于哪方面。另外，在购买参考书时，学生也自然能够避免这现象— 知道X出版社所出版的数学参考书适合自己时，连其它科目都不再仔细探讨是否适合自己就直接把所有X出版社所出版每一个科目的参考书给买下来。我个人认为这未免是个正确的选择。在前几篇文章里我曾提到，有时X公司出版的数学参考书的确是适合自己，但在语文方面的科目里，相比于Y公司出版的参考书，X公司的语文参考书也许不比Y公司的更加适合自己。所以，在未购买任何参考书时，同学该尝试得到教师或家长的意见。

勿盲目跟着众人的选择
选购参考书时，我们时常看到许多学生跟着风的现象，其朋友买哪一本，他就跟着买同样的那本。特别是年头，开学不久，许多学生都会到邻近的书局购买参考书。有些学生担心自己会跟不上、或怕跟其他同学比起来会落后而不管其他人所买的参考书适合还是不适合自己，都跟着买来以得到安慰。这会令学生可能在温习时因其参考书里的资料不适合自己而浪费了不少宝贵的温习时间。由此可见，学生该避免盲目地跟随其他同学所购买的书籍噢。

最后，希望以上的建议能够帮助到学生们购买适合自己的参考书。我不能够否认也许大家可能有更好的选购方式。不管怎么样，我都祝大家能够选对参考书，享受温习的过程后在考试里获得佳绩噢！

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

The Use Of Workbooks To Enhance Learning

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The education system in Malaysia has its ups and downs, for the entire positive that is in it, it is also besieged with numerous shortcomings. Large classes and too many activities cramped into a limited time make learning inadequate. The quality of teachers is also not consistent with the quality of teacher that your child get may as well be akin to the luck of the draw. My own experience as a teacher shows that there will somehow be at least one or two teachers who your kids and you will not be happy with.

It cannot be denied that parents can no longer depend on school alone for the education of their children. Parents have to play a significant role to ensure that their kids get the maximum input during their most impressionable years of their development. Of course all study is bad and parents should know how to create a balance to ensure both play, rest and study are all included in their kids life.

Before we proceed, let us first explore the purpose of sending our kids to school. To get the grades, to get into a good university, to get a ‘good’ job (whatever that is), status and a position in society are no longer the main objectives. The main reason we send our kids to school is to be educated; to come away from a situation from not knowing to knowing, to be improved in many ways, cognitively and emotionally, to be able to function and cope with the various situations that he/she will encounter in his life.

Parents can use workbooks to satisfy the above needs.

The Use Of Workbooks Will Reinforce What Is Learnt in School
Due to many factors, some children will not be able to catch what is taught in school. They might be slower, sick, absent or the teacher is not clear in his/her explanations or just too fast. Whatever the reason, the parent can use a workbook to teach the child the content that was problematic.

By getting the child to do exercises that we taught in school, the parent can also know if the child has a grasp of the topic and quick measures can be taken to rectify the problem.

Workbooks Offer Practice
A certain amount of time must be allocated everyday for study. The amount of time spent for this purpose will depend on the age of the child. Smaller children should be given adequate rest. Older children (primary) can do at least an hour of study at home. Of course when there are piles of homework to be completed, the workbooks should be put aside and schoolwork comes first.

Workbooks allow kids to practice what they have learnt in school. By doing exercises from the workbooks they are able to grasp the topic better and this will develop their confidence and affect their performance. I usually encourage parents to keep a few workbooks at hand and give the kids exercises of the similar topics from different books. You will need a few, as children will usually go through these books very quickly!

Workbooks Provide Enrichment Activities
Workbooks are able to take the kids beyond the reach of the school. There are many workbooks that introduce children to simple research online or poems or craft activities that children simply love. These are usually placed at the end of each topic and are fun to do. In fact, there are so many workbooks out there that focus on enrichment alone. Kids usually look forward to these enrichment activities as they denote the end of a particular topic has been successfully completed and creates the idea that learning is fun. Young children enjoy colouring activities or join the dots type activities that id entertaining.

How To Use The Workbooks
Parents should take the trouble to choose quality workbooks. Make sure the content is running parallel to your child’s work in school. A word of caution though, workbooks should never be used to replace school but rather to complement it. For kids who are home schooled, the workbooks would complement the textbooks used. Vernacular schools and mainstream school use different books and parents should know the difference. Look at the material and decide if it suitable for your child. Each child is different and parents should only buy what is needed.

I usually like to take a few workbooks for each subject, simply because my kids seem to complete them quickly. Workbooks gave them something to do during ‘study time’ when toys and the television were not allowed. Somehow they felt grown up sitting with us doing their work while my husband and I did ours. Give your child his/her own study space, where the workbooks can be arranged neatly and be reached easily. Workbooks need not be seen as something negative but rather as something that kids can do at home in their free time.

It sure beats going for tuition classes at odd hours of the day.

This blog entry was written by Kalai Lingam for Peekabook. Peekabook specializes in workbooks for Malaysian schools.

How to maximize your child’s development with the use of technology

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Today, let us explore the role of parents in maximizing their children’s development in the use of technology and how to set guideline to give children the freedom to seek information and become independent learners.

Most parents are afraid of letting their precious little ones being exposed to the computer and the Internet. Their reasons can be summed up in two distinct areas:

  1. There is a health issue
    It can damage the eyes with the prolonged staring of the computer screen. It can cause bad posture, with kids slouching in their chairs and of course, the most common being, it promotes anti social behaviour.
  1. The content is not suitable for children
    The Internet exposes kids to a world without boundaries. As much as there is so much to praise, the amount of violence and sexual content o the web is definitely frightening and parents strive to protect their children from this.

So, let us see what we can do as parents, to get past the above and focus on how parents can introduce children to the world of computers and the Internet without any negative results.

  1. Set rules
    This has to be done as early as possible. The sooner the rules are put into place the easier it is to enforce them. Let is realize that the problem is not with the technology but with parents not being able to set rules and stick to them! For a young child of the kindergarten age, I would allow the child to use the computer for half an hour and not a minute more. I would set an alarm if I have to just so the child knows when to stop. For older children, I would give them a slightly longer period depending on their age.When there are two or three children involved, set a simple timetable and there will be no quarrelling in the near future. Parents need to understand that children need rules like this. It gives their world some form of structure and security. They know what they are entitled to and this gives them some for of control of their life.
  1. Make sure your hardware is child friendly
    These include not only the computer but also the table, chair and the lighting. The table and chair has to be suitable for the child’s height. Do not allow young children to slouch on the bed or the couch. Practice discipline early and you will be screaming less in the future! Try to have a study area in your home if you can. I would strongly discourage the dining table for this purpose unless there is no other space available.In my home, I have delegated one room as the Study Room where I have shelves for books and my husband, my children and I have individual tables for ‘work’. This was the best decision I made. Today, this is the most used room in our home and a lot of quality time is spent here. We are also closer to the children because of it. Computers/laptops are not allowed in the bedrooms and are only used here. If your children are young, do not spend too much on hardware. State of the art laptops and computers will be a waste as children can be careless and can damage things. Instead, ensure that the children sit at a proper distance from the screen and if they are using a mouse, make sure it fits their little fingers. If you are going to up grade your computer, give them your old one. Let them trash it and no one will be upset!
  1. Check content
    Most systems today come with some form of parental control. Check your system and get this one running. Look at the settings and the preferences on your computer and change this according to your needs. When it is your child’s turn to use the computer, you have to be with them. Never leave the child alone. Giving a child a task to do and then disappearing into the kitchen or running off to have a bath is wrong. To help you child achieve the best you have to make sacrifices. This is a fact. From my experience as a teacher for more than 27 years, I can state with confidence, that the most successful children are those whose parents invested their Time on them. It is easy to invest money on our children but are you willing to invest your Time on them? Think about it. Make time to be with your children during Study Time. You will have to have done some form of ‘homework’ on your end to know what you want your children to do. Let us not forget that the computer and the Internet is not merely a source of entertainment but information as well. There are many web sites that cater for this and there are CDs for different age groups and different purpose. Do your research.

Next week let us explore the software and activities that parents can do with their children using the Internet.

This article was written by Madam Kalai Lingam. Madam Kalai has 27 years of teaching experience in government secondary school. She opted for early retirement in 2013 to pursue her love of writing, and is currently writing a book. Madam Kalai is well versed in the Malaysian Education system, having been a senior English teacher and school administrator for many years.

So you got your kid a computer. Now what?

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The use of the computer as a tool for education is growing day by day. In fact it is slowly taking over the use of books and writing tools as the most effective tool for education. The computer provides an attractive platform for the teaching and learning of many skills. For an example in the teaching of English the use of the computer allows students to master reading, writing, listening and speaking skills effectively. Allow me to explain.

When faced with the computer, as a parent, you can use the computer as a tool, with or without the Internet. Without the Internet, I find that it is most effective as a writing tool and my students have progressed wonderfully with it.

Below are the steps that primary school children can easily master.

  1. Open a Word Document. Give your child a topic. Choose something simple that they can work on. For very young children, the common topics can range from, “Myself” to “My Pet”.
  1. Get your child to write a few sentences on the topic. Don’t make it too long. Children enjoy using the word processor as their ideas take shape as they type and their work appears neat. (Parents need to understand that handwriting skills and writing skills are two entirely different things and need to be taught separately.)
  1. Once the child is done with his/her work, go through the work with them. Don’t correct everything! This is a kid’s work and if you find flaws in every sentence and every word, the child is not going to write anymore. Give a lot of praise and maybe just change about three to four content items. Keep the original form. Parents sometimes set such high standards that they end up creating more damage and this can affect the child’s confidence in the long run.
  1. Teach your child on how to use the Spelling Tool to check the spelling. Highlight the problematic word, go to Tools and hit Spelling. The parent has to sit with the child and show how this is done. I find that the Spelling Tool is very useful as mistakes are corrected and the child learns immediately. When a teacher corrects in class, especially in class, the child usually looks but hardly registers the correction.
  1. For children who are slightly older, the Thesaurus feature in Tools can be used to teach vocabulary. Choose a single word in the writing, As an example, if the child has written, “I live in a big house.” Show him/her how to highlight the word ‘big’, go to tools and click the Thesaurus and immediately many new words that have similar meanings appear. Click on any one of these words to replace the word ‘big’, say, ‘huge’. The use of the Thesaurus will slowly develop the vocabulary skills of the child and improve his/her language acquisition.
  1. If you have photos saved in your computer, you can copy-paste it onto the short essay. Children love pictures, especially of themselves and things that make up their world.
  1. Get your child to read aloud his/her work to you. Teach them to read slowly and clearly. Give the praise and a pat on the back.
  1. You can print out this essay and save it in a special file for your child’s work. There is a sense of accomplishment that children respond positively to when they look at their work.

For the teaching of writing skills, the pencil and the pen is the only effective method. These days, there is a fear that the use of the computers can harm a child’s ability to write clearly and neatly. With this in mind, parents should ensure writing tasks are carried our regularly and children master good handwriting. With my own children, I found that getting them to copy down their favourite songs is a good way to get them to practice their writing skills. My kids just hated writing the same sentence over and over again so getting them to write something that is meaningful to them was the way to go.

For the beginning, buy simple workbooks that allow children to practice the formation of letters. Do a little everyday. Forcing the child to do pages and pages of work will not enable learning but will only develop resentment. Allocate manageable task and reward good work but be consistent. On the issue of rewards, do not reward children with sweets and chocolates. Doing this, will only make children associate these fattening foods with feeling good and they will seek every time they are feeling down. Extra ‘playtime’, makes more sense.

Children are very impressionable, when parents are tense, children become even more tense. They begin to associate these feelings with learning, education and school and eventually begin to hate school. The trick is to keep things light, try to add some fun elements and give them enough breaks. Young children get tired easily and parents must know their limits. Spend enough time outdoors with the children so they don’t just associate mummy and daddy with work.

A parent’s attitude towards work will determine the child’s attitude towards work. I have only this to say. Relax. Get the work done and don’t be tense. Your child will enjoy the learning process.

– Kalai Lingam

E-Learning in Malaysia

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The concept of E-Learning in Malaysia has been listed as one of the key components of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) of Malaysia, under the Economic Transformation Programme, which drives our beloved country, towards achieving high-income status as well as global competitiveness and to this, one of the efforts vividly put in by the government, particularly the Ministry of Education is through the 1BestariNet project. According to Wikipedia, the term ‘E-Learning’ is defined as the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. It is broadly inclusive of all forms of educational technology in learning and teaching and always related to multimedia learning, technology-enhanced learning (TEL), online education, virtual learning environments (VLE) and others. Before we move on any further, let us look at the 1BestariNet project initiated by the Ministry of Education on par with the government’s vision of providing quality and internet-enabled education for all.

THE 1BESTARINET PROJECT – VLE

The 1BestariNet project is where FrogAsia is bringing the future of education to every student, parent and teacher throughout Malaysia. The entire education community is brought together into this network consisting of 5 million students, 4.5 million parents and 500,000 parents. Based on the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2015), launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, there are a total of 11 shifts listed down. One of the shifts that I would love to highlight here is to leverage ICT scale up quality learning across Malaysia. To this, internet access and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has been provided by the Ministry of Education for all 10,000 schools by 2013. Students and parents are given the IDs and passwords to login to the 1BestariNet website:-

Extracted from https://aea2044.1bestarinet.net

Extracted from https://aea2044.1bestarinet.net

Next, the user will be given a dashboard with various features in it. In many schools, it is proven to be effective in handling assignments as assignments can be sent and marked on-the-go, even during school holiday. At the same time, this platform promotes paper-free learning process. The school can also post the latest announcements on the school’s dashboard itself. Forums, Frog Store, The Pond and others are among the most common features available. This indirectly provides students with a different, interactive and more interesting study environment.

Image extracted from http://1bestarinet.net/

Image extracted from http://1bestarinet.net/

Thus, this project in which the Ministry of Education of Malaysia cooperates with FrogAsia, YTL, leverages on FrogTrade’s, United Kingdom with 13-year track record and expertise in integrating technology into schools is truly effective and beneficial.

EZLEARN2U PORTAL- SPONSORED TO PERAK STUDENTS BY STATE GOVERNMENT

On the other hand, I would also love to share one of the efforts initiated by the Perak State Government to help students in their study, ranging from UPSR standard to STPM. Last year, Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has officially lauched the e-learning portal, Ezlearn2u, which has helped 237,971 students in Perak through this learning menthod. Students are provided with a password for free to enjoy this facility which looks like a tuition session, but conducted in a more interactive manner.

To be honest, this portal (Ezlearn2u) has helped me a lot in my studies. As mentioned earlier in my previous article, student like me could hardly find time to actually sit in the classroom to listen to lectures. Hence, through this way, I was able to learn whenever I want. All I need is just internet access and a tablet PC, computer or even just with my Android Smartphone or iPhone. I managed to learn things that I have missed out when I was not in school and away for competitions and other programmes. Most of the subjects in SPM such as Additional Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Science, Sejarah and others are taught chapters by chapters in the videos recorded. Nevertheless, most of the subjects in UPSR and Form 1 – Form 6 are also available. The tutors are all very experienced and dedicated in teaching field. This teaching method is somehow different from the others in which the step-by-step teaching is clearly illustrated with mindmapping, application and examples. Due to the tutors’ vast experience in conducting seminars, workshops and tutorials, I believe they fully understand the students’ weaknesses and their needs.

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Images extracted from http://www.ezlearn2u.my

Images extracted from http://www.ezlearn2u.my

TABLET PC & SMART DEVICES MADE LEARNING EASIER
Sometimes, we must make good use of the electronic gadgets. One of the ways is by using it for e-learning purpose. For instance, I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 to do my revision whenever I am free, at anytime, anywhere. We can actually store notes or perhaps some animations made by ourselves or downloaded from the internet in our smartphones or tablets/iPads so that we can learn on-the-go. Mindmaps or short notes are highly recommended.

Snapshot of my Moral Education Notes (Senarai Nilai & Definisi Pend. Moral)

Snapshot of my Moral Education Notes (Senarai Nilai & Definisi Pend. Moral)

English Literature Notes in my tablet

English Literature Notes in my tablet

Mindmaps of Sejarah SPM downloaded from the internet

Mindmaps of Sejarah SPM downloaded from the internet

E-BOOKS

Furthermore, ebooks are indeed popular nowadays, whether the document is in PDF or Doc formats. Ebook is actually an electronic book published in digital form consisting of text, images, or both and readable on computers or other electronic devices. There are a lot of advantages of Ebooks. First of all, it is mobile. Ebooks indirectly help to bring us to a a whole new different library in this century. It is somehow a virtual library which is cheaper, space saving and offers 24/7 service. Jobs like copying and pasting in homework or assignments are also made easy. Searching for information is made a lot easier with the features that Ebooks have to offer. Decades ago, if we want to complete our homework, we had to go to the libraries, immerse ourselves in the ocean of books, opened up thousand and millions of pages for the sake of looking a single line of information. For Ebooks, we can always use ‘Find On Page’ feature to look for information in a particular book. Sounds, oral reading, videos or animations are also widely available in Ebooks. In general, Ebook provides accessibility and flexibility for users.

INTERACTIVE LEARNING MATERIALS

On top of that, education is made a lot easier when technology is applied. Classes are made more interactive by using multimedia animations. ‘MyCD’ and ‘Teaching Coursewares’ introduced by the Ministry of Education transform dull and boring classes to interesting and lively classes. According to Shaaron Ainsworth, a psychologist from University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, she claimed that students absorb much easily through animation. For instance, biology students understand faster about the blood transport system when video clips of how deoxygenated blood from body cells are transported to the right atrium via vena cava and how oxygenated blood is transported to our body cells. Furthermore, according to Ahmad Rizal and Mohd Noor, researchers from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, they have proven that multimedia does not only make learning process more effective, it promotes cognitive skills through ‘Active Learning’ process with the aid of teaching coursewares.

THE DRAWBACKS

Despite the fact that new technology has brought about various benefits in the education world via ebooks, multimedia animations, videos and interactive learning material, it can bring many negative impacts to us if we do not make good use of it. There is a Chinese saying which goes, ‘Water can transport boats, yet it is able to sink it’. A very simple example would be when students spend too much time with their computers or Smart devices, they might be doing something else instead of just studying. Issac Asimov, an eminent American author and professor of biochemistry once said, “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom”. In fact, technology brings negative influence on our daily productivity. Students tend to spend lesser time studying and doing homework. In fact, they waste most of their time on social networking sites like ‘Facebook’, ‘Myspace’, ‘Twitter’ and others. 83% of youths around the world have Facebook accounts. “Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying”, said Aryn Karpinski, a researcher from Ohio University. National Literacy Trust also reported that youngsters are spending up to 6 hours a day in front of the computer screen, surfing social network sites and 75% of the pupils all over the world ranked social network sites and gaming websites above books. Social networking users also loves to procrastinate work. Therefore, excessive use of technology decreases our daily productivity.

Karl Marx, a Prussian-German philosopher and revolutionary socialist once said, “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people”. Hence, steps have to be taken to ensure technology is not misused to the extent where people are almost entirely controlled by technology. Last but not least, if one really makes good use of technology, one can definitely be benefited from the world of technology.

Ng Ray Man was a Head Prefect, a national-level debater and a straight-A scorer all his life. He reveals tips and tricks on using E-Learning in this guest post for Peekabook.

How I Achieved Straight A’s in the SPM

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Achieving straight A’s in any exams is challenging. Be it O Levels, A Levels, UEC, SPM, etc you need to pour some efforts preparing and studying for them. For my SPM, I find the preparing/studying experience fun and worth it now since I am enjoying the fruits of my labour by getting a string of straight A’s. Getting my SPM results on the results day in my school was deeply satisfying as the hard work had paid off well.

What subjects did you take?

I took 9 subjects for my SPM, namely Bahasa Malaysia, English, Sejarah, Pendidikan Moral, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. I find all the subjects fun in their own way. My favourite subjects are English, Mathematics, Additional Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Are there different ways to prepare for each subject?

Generally, preparing for different subjects might be different because each subject is unique in their own way. For example, Science stream subjects like Physics, Chemistry are more theory based, so one must read the books to understand down to the smallest detail to get the full picture. On the other hand, language subjects like English and Bahasa Malaysia are not so tied down to reading books as we may write an essay or create a story, bounded only by limitations of our imaginations. However, to get good grades, you must be willing to put in the efforts and study consistently.

Did you have a study timetable?

Having a study timetable is good because it keeps you studying in an organized manner and balance your weightage on subjects you are studying. Studying using a study timetable will keep you more balanced and well versed intellectually in the subjects you are taking, as without a study timetable we may tend to study subjects which we like more often than the ones we like less. A study timetable will make your study life much more organized. However, having a study timetable is the same as not having one if you are not following the timetable. So, be disciplined to walk along the tracks of the timetable. From my experience, at the time I studied without a study timetable, my grades are only as good as the efforts I put into each subjects; the ones which I like will at least get an A- and the ones I favor less gets decent results (you know what I mean :)).So, having a timetable will definitely help you organize your efforts into different subjects.

How many hours did you study a day?

Personally, I do not believe in the amount of time I am putting into studying but rather how much did I studied. It may not be fair to say that I had studied five hours just because I opened my book from 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm as some time might just be wasted daydreaming, having a short break, quick naps, having snacks, etc. I see this differently because I noticed some of my classmates said they had “studied” for four hours at the library just because they are there for four hours but most of the time is spent for small talk. Studying something implies that you had learnt it, and able to teach others. That is how you will discover if you had really learnt something. I acknowledge how much did I learnt by comparing my perception on questions or tests before and after I had studied.

Did you take tuition classes?

I do attend tuition classes and I had good and bad experiences too. Some tuition centres have classrooms which are cramped, so it becomes crowded when many people are in the class. In some centres, the classes is too big, there are more students, so the tutor/lecturer might not have time to give personal attention to each students. Hence, a quota should be implemented in a class regardless of size so that the lesson can be conducted properly and the students can learn in an optimum environment. The lecturers/tutors are the backbones of the tuition centre because parents want the best tutors teaching their students because a good tutor displays attractive qualities in teaching which parents and students alike are willing to pay big bucks for. A good tutor is able to make his/her students understand what is being taught the way the tutor wants it. That way, students are able to understand what is taught to them in a correct manner. A good tutor should also be able to make the students interested into a certain subject. In that way, students will become more passionate and more curious about the subject. They will also not procrastinate to study because they do not get bored easily when they have to prepare or study for the subject. A good tutor should also display good characteristics of a role model. They should have a positive attitude when socialising with the society so students can learn to contribute for the society. They should also be respectful to peoples of all ages; from children to the old so their students can learn to do the same.

Conclusively, regardless of what examinations or subjects you are taking, you would always need to work hard if you want to be rewarded. Having said that, I wish you good luck for your examinations!

This article was written by Joshua. Joshua is a straight A scorer for his SPM examination. He shares his wisdom and experiences as a SPM student by writing educational articles for Peekabook’s blog during his free time.