Bright Kids - 5 April 2016

8/18/2019 Bright Kids - 5 April 2016

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THE STAR, TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016

special

Realising

potentialin education


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bright kidsTHE STAR,

TUESDAY 5 APRIL 2016

THERESA BELLE

HE debate about technology’sace in the classroom is not avel one and is still very much

ve. As systems and practicesogress, research and first-handperience bring pertinentallenges of information andmmunications technology (ICT)

mplementation to the surface.On one hand, the digitisation ofucation is welcomed with openms. Educators themselves arenovating ways to use gadgetsd software for learning, such as

nne Tham, founder of both Srimas International School andCE EdVenture Studio, a gameveloper.Combining her knowledge inth fields with the experience ofveral collaborators, Thamlmed the development of

emCaper , an educational role-aying game that lets studentsarn and apply chemistryncepts in gameplay.In an interview with Indie

ames site last August, Thamoke of the inspiration behindemCaper : “Children don’t haveything against learning – theyst don’t like to be bored whileey’re at it. So we made it ourission to change the perceptionhow education can belivered.“In this day and age, gettingds to drop their gadgets for axtbook is probably not going toppen, so we figured it mightst be better to design a game for

device that they are alreadyending most of their timeing”.Indeed, many are embracinge transformational wave thatT brings to several aspects ofe, including education.

the real challenge on the ground.In Malaysian public schools, the

Frog Virtual Learning Environment(VLE) was launched in more than90% of schools through the1BestariNet initiative last year,simultaneously connectingeducators and students in 2,500

schools with high-speed 4GInternet.Then, the Education Ministry

had to undertake the mammothtask of upskilling 5,000 teachersacross the country to becomesuitable moderators of the cloud

learning system. VLE is still in theearly stages of implementation,though, so its efficacy cannot beproperly measured yet.

Instead, looking at Australia –one of the pioneering nations totechnologically revamp itseducation system – could shedsome light on the complications ofICT use in the classroom.

Despite the increasinglywidespread application of ICT inAustralian schools, the 2014National Assessment Programreport on ICT literacy found thatonly 52% of students in Year 10achieved the minimum standard ofdigital competence.

Coincidentally, top Australianschool Sydney Grammar recentlymade the news for its principal’sbold rejection of technology,warning that it “distracts from old-school quality teaching”.

Principal Dr John Vallanceopined that teaching within theclassroom should be aboutinteraction, discussion andconversation since it is a

fundamentally social activity.Local English teacher NaleeniDas, who teaches at a privateschool, agrees.

“Nothing beats eye contact andusing your visual, auditory andtouch senses to develop goodlearning,” she says.

However, increasedpersonalisation of education inthis way does not necessarily haveto come at the cost of humaninteraction – it can simply changethe ways in which students interactto learn. Principal of SunwayInternational School (SIS) BillIronside says ICT learning systemshave to be collaborative.

“While optically, the digital

student appears to have their eyesglued to the screen, they are in factcollaborating in small groups, withthe teacher, with the entire classand, sometimes, even with theoutside experts in the globalclassroom,” he says.

All systems go

The Australian scenario indicatesthat the human aspect of having

Makingtechwork

On the opposite end of thespectrum, though, certain partiesare adamant that technology hasno place in the classroom.

Others remain on the fence,

doubtful that ICT is being suitablyimplemented – merelydistributing laptops orintroducing cloud learningprogrammes are not going tocut it.

According to theOrganisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development’s(OECD) Programme forInternational Student Assessment(PISA) 2015 report Students,Computers and Learning: Makingthe Connection, there were noappreciable improvements instudent achievement in reading,mathematics or science incountries that had heavily investedin ICT for education.

The report finding highlights thereality that ICT use in schools lagsconsiderably behind the promise oftechnology.

It also presents one of the mainchallenges of its widespreadadaptation in education – it doeslittle to bridge the existing skillsdivide between those who haveaccess to this technology and thosewho do not.

Instead, OECD points outthat basic mathematics andreading proficiency seemsto do more to create equalopportunities in a digital worldthan expanding hi-tech devices andservices.

Fullling potentialImplementation of new systems

can be complicated at thepolicymaking level, but integratingthese systems to meet currentdemands of education seems to be

ICT in classrooms is perhaps thehardest to master.

Teachers are expected to comeout of upskilling courses with theknow-how to lead and moderatethe use of technology inclassrooms, but reports such asPISA’s indicate that they are notbeing sufficiently equipped and,as a result, cannot confidently use

ICT.“For a school to provide a rich

and safe digital learningenvironment for its students andfamilies, it needs a long-term planthat is resourced with the rightpeople (technology coaches and ITspecialists) to work together oncommon and achievable goals toimplement technology in theclassroom.

“Without a systematic plan thatmakes use of best practices, toomany IT projects are destined forfailure as both budget andpersonnel priorities change withthe evolving landscape in ourschools,” says Ironside.

SIS is one of the leading

international schools that boasts“fully integrated laptop school”status, heavily exploring andadapting to the digital learningcommunity environment.

Facilities are up to date andsummative assessments matchdigital learning objectives but,more importantly, there are ITspecialists present who act astechnology coaches to teachingstaff.

As promising as technology is, itis still a tool that is best used byeducators, parents and studentswho have received proper trainingand guidance and are aware of therisks and shortcomings of a digitallearning environment.

While ICT may be the key tothe future of education, it is thehuman hand that must turn it inthe lock.

Therefore, policymakers,educators and parents ought toquestion, analyse and debatewidespread application inclassrooms to ensure efficientintegration of ICT that trulyadvances learning experiences andoutcomes.

posingdents toitalrning at a

ung agequires thesistance ofinedchershin thessroom.

Technology, ifproperlyimplemented, canadd value to theeducation system.

Increasedpersonalisation ofeducation throughtechnology doesnot necessarilyhave to come at

the cost of humaninteraction – itcan simply changethe ways in whichstudents interactto learn.


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bright kids 3

World-classfacilities atMatrix Global

Schools createvariousopportunities forstudents tolearn, play andgrow together.

Award-winning schools

MATRIX Global Schools wereawarded The BrandLaureateAward 2015-2016 for SignatureBrand in Education again this yearfor its primary and secondaryschool under the SMEs Best BrandsAward.

Matrix Global Schools’ principaland chief executive officerFelix E. B. Lee received the SMEsBrandLeadership Award forLeadership in Education.

The rationale for this award liesin the schools’ unique approachtowards education, an ethoscreated by Lee, which is that thearchitecture, interior, pedagogyand methodology of teaching inMatrix Global Schools have acommon focal point – collaborativelearning within an experientiallearning approach.

Lee explains that what makesthe schools unique is their focus on

learning instead of teaching. Whileteaching merely relaysinformation, this is no longer insync with the learning habits of thecurrent generation of students whorequire greater emphasis on thelearning journey instead ofretention of facts.

Matrix Global Schools areaffiliated with Ellesmere CollegeUK in Shropshire, a 130-year oldBritish residential school. Theagreement consists of MatrixGlobal Schools exporting aspecially designed teachingmethodology, which involves aninteractive curriculum designed

for computer tablets.Currently being developed for

use in the schools and EllesmereCollege, the interactive curriculumis unique in the region and is basedon collaborative/co-operative

learning where lessons areintegrated, which reinforceslearning and instils a higher levelof understanding.

Matrix Global Schools epitomisethe life skills philosophy – theirdelivery of lessons practises theexperiential learning approach.

The objective is to equip childrenwith social skills that give them theconfidence to enter the workforceand prepare them for the realworld.

For example, their musiccurriculum can be tailored toprepare students for eitherTrinity or ABRSM (The Associated

Board of the Royal Schools ofMusic) examinations.

Their unique philosophy TheWorld is our Classroom epitomisesits borderless educationphilosophy.

In this sense, learning takesplace beyond the confines of theclassrooms as students have accessto information through broadbandon-campus and are sent out tomentor selected orphanages inNegri Sembilan.

The experience nurturesstudents’ character and reinforcesthe belief that “in doing, weunderstand”.

Matrix Global Schools alsopartner with Dell computers forinformation and communicationtechnology facilities, where Dellsupports most of the schools’ ICTequipment and provides new

equipment every three years.Their partnership with SMART

Technologies (a Canadiancompany), which provides theInteractive Smartboard.

This partnership has helped

create a fully interactivecurriculum based on the flippedclassroom where students createthe lesson of the day.

“This is in line with the objectiveof getting our students to becreative, innovative and, moreimportantly, capable of solvingproblems,” says Lee.

Another hallmark of MatrixGlobal Schools is their provision ofMandarin classes. Its partnershipwith Kongzi Institute, Beijing, givesstudents the opportunity to betaught Mandarin as a foreignlanguage by a teacher from theKongzi Institute.

Through their collaborationwith the Kong Zi Institute atUniversity of Malaya, MatrixGlobal Schools have become arecognised and authorised testcentre for the Office of Chinese

Language Council International(Hanban) in Beijing to conductthe International ChineseProficiency Test.

Matrix Global Schools’ list ofawards besides the TheBrandLaureate Award 2015-2016include SME Top 100 FastestMoving Companies 2014, the AsiaPacific Entrepreneurship Award2015 and HR Asia Best Companiesto work for in Asia 2015, all ofwhich bears testimony to theirunique ethos.

n For more information, visitwww.matrixschools.edu.my.


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Mini maths Olympics

OM February 25 to 28, elcernational School hosted thederation of British Internationalools in Asia (FOBISIA)ondary Mathematics

mpetition.The school played host to

students from 24 internationalools across eight countries.

The first day of competition waseduled to have four competitivends and one fun round, all ofich took place within theunds of the Saujana Resort.

The most anticipated round forday was the Maths Trail. Not a

gle corner within the grounds ofhotel was spared as studentsrched for clues.

The hotel grounds were awashh the different colours of allparticipating schools.t certainly added a little zing tohotel life, but the students did

ir schools and teachers proudh their exemplary behaviour.

Once the students completed thempetitive rounds on the first dayd devoured a sumptuous dinner,organised a trip for them to seeala Lumpur by night.The highlight of the trip was the

t to KL Tower, which stands atm tall.

The mathematics students were

hooked onto statistical data,coming back from the trip making

comments such as “on average, ittakes 54 seconds to make the 276m journey up to the observationplatform”.

Of course, no trip to KualaLumpur would be completewithout taking in the PetronasTwin Towers and Merdeka Square.

The second day started off withsome very tired students, but itwas not long before their

competitive edge kicked in and thetiredness disappeared.

It was hard to decide, based onthe verbal feedback from students,which of the four competitiverounds from day two were mostpopular.

The students talked about thefun they had and the challengesthey enjoyed in the differentrounds.

The final round, Construction,saw the FOBISIA teams building

bridges out of plastic straws, whichdemonstrated an interesting blend

of engineering skills and artisticflair.

On the evening of the secondday, elc organised the closingceremony dinner. This involvedgiving awards, a show by Vincentthe Illusionist and a unique light-emitting diode dance performance.

It was clear by the end of thenight that the “mathletes” hadmade many new friends and that

their Malaysian experience wasone that they would remember for

many years to come.Special congratulations are

extended to Dulwich College Seoul,whose students took first placeoverall. Without a doubt, the eventbrought about a new love formathematics with a Malaysianflair.

n For more information, visitwww.elc.edu.my.

elc students participated in the exciting Secondary Mathematics Competitionrecently.

ChemCaper: Act 1 –Petticles in Peril.

The event fostered teamwork and created memories that will last for manyyears to come.

Learn with

gamesVIDEO games are well known tobe fun and entertaining, withengaging storylines and stunninggraphics.

While there are games thatare deemed too violent orcomplicated for children, thereare, however, some that arespecifically designed to benefitchildren and expand theirknowledge while keeping theprocess fun.

Here are some options youcould try:l Fantasy chemistryChemCaper: Act 1 – Petticles

in Peril is a chemistry-based

role-playing game that teachesplayers aged 10 to 14 about basicchemistry.

The game is set in the world ofReac Ta, where the playercontrols the protagonist RoubIdyum to save his home and itsinhabitants using chemistry.

The mini games teach playersabout various apparatus used ina chemistry laboratory, how toseparate compounds, purifyliquids and sieve for preciousmetals.

The current instalment of thegame is based on the Universityof Cambridge’s IGCSE Year 7Chemistry syllabus. Act 2 of thegame and subsequent sequels

will be based on Year 8 to Year11 of the GCSE Chemistrysyllabus.

ChemCaper: Act 1 – Petticles in Peril is currently available on theGoogle Play store and iTunes appstore for RM32.99.

l Explore the world National Geographic Challenge!

is a video game in the style of aquiz show that focuses on basic

world geography.In the game, players have to

answer a list of geography-related questions within acertain time limit to collectpoints.

In between the quizzes, avariety of mini games

occasionally appear to keepplayers on their toes, including jigsaw puzzles, memory cardgames and sliding puzzles.

National Geographic Challenge! is available for MicrosoftWindows, Playstation 3, Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii.

l The power of imaginationScribblenauts Unlimited is an

emergent puzzle action gamepublished by Warner BrosInteractive Entertainment.

In the game, players takecontrol of Maxwell, theprotagonist, who sets out on anadventure to collect Starites tosave his sister Lily from a curse

that slowly turns her into stone.The game encourages playersto be imaginative and think ofobjects that they can use to solvethe puzzles. For example, to putout a fire, the player can chooseto summon a bottle of water or afire engine to help.

Scribblenauts Unlimited isavailable on Microsoft Windows,Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U,iOS and Android.


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bright kids 5

Moulding leaders of tomorrowQUALITY preschool education isimportant. A strong educationalfoundation built duringchildren’s early years will ensurea smooth transition into primaryschool and help them performwell in their studies and career.

Smart Reader Kids uses theextensively researched SmartReader Creative TeachingMethodology to develop thesocial, cognitive and academicskills of children.

Ideham Jalil, franchisee ofSmart Reader Kids SaujanaDamansara, Petaling Jaya, says,“When students first enrolled inmy centre, they were shy andslightly reserved. I am happy to

see significant improvement intheir reading, writing andspeaking skills after a fewmonths at the centre. They aremore confident and motivated tolearn new things every day.”

Leela Devi (also known as MrsBava), principal of Smart ReaderKids Bandar Darul Aman Jaya, Jitra, Kedah, notices that herstudents have had a better graspof English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Her students are able to spelland pronounce words easily, usegrammar skills correctly andpresent ideas clearly.

Besides that, their arithmetic

skills also improved after theywere enrolled in the SmartReader Kids programme.

Anbarasi Arumugam (alsoknown as Teacher Ann), one ofthe teachers in the centre, wonthe Educator of the Year 2015Award during the FranchiseeAwards Night 2015 for heroutstanding ability and caringpersonality as an educator.

Leela believes that the SmartReader Kids programme iseffective because of its elementsof fun, imagination and creativity.

“This programme has

undergone comprehensiveresearch and development. Manyparents trust and remember useven after their children havegraduated from our centre becausethey appreciate what we havetaught their children.

Nur Fareeza Omar, franchisee ofSmart Reader Kids Kota Kemuning,says, “It has been wonderful beingthe franchisee of Smart ReaderKids. I see improvement in mystudents’ academic and social skillswithin three months.

“They can read fluently, speakclearly and write accurately. Inaddition, they are confident,independent and more disciplined.

“It is great to receive

compliments from parents who seethe significant difference betweensending their children to SmartReader Kids and otherkindergartens,” says Nur Fareeza.

The educational programmesoffered by Smart ReaderWorldwide are Smart Reader Kids,Smart Reader Kids Islamic, SmartReader Kids Mandarin Medium,Smart Reader Kids IntensiveEnglish Programme and SmartReader Kids++ franchisedprogrammes.

n For more information, call03-6279 5555 or the SMARTLineat 1300 885 555 or visitwww.smartreader.edu.my.

Ideham Jalil (back row, third from left), franchisee of Smart Reader Kids SaujanaDamansara, with his teachers and students.

Bring outthe innerscientistDO your kids lack motivationand are uninspired by thetextbook way of learningscience? With Science Adventures by English Corner Publishing PteLtd from Singapore, you canmake learning science fun again.

English Corner combineslearning with the quintessential

mix of wonderful storytelling,endearing graphics andenriching science in the newScience Adventures comicmagazine.

The company strives tonurture children with excellentand wholesome products thatare educational andentertaining.

Young children learn languagethrough exposure to books,television programmes,magazines and their peers.

Therefore, the quality of thelanguage used in a magazinesuch as Science Adventures isimportant.

The content syllabus is based

on Singapore’s Ministry ofEducation Primary Sciencethemes, which include diversity,cycles, systems, interactions andenergy.

Stories are designed to enablechildren of different ages tocatch up with learning at schoolwhile the difficulty in Englishlevel gradually increases. Fourdifferent levels are tailored forchildren aged three to 14.

Many parents consider scienceas an unimportant subject beforeit is introduced in school.However, early cultivation andexposure to science can spark achild’s sense of curiosity,

exploration and creativity.Each month, Science

Adventures brings your child ona journey through 60 pages offascinating science stories.

It features articles on biology,physics, plants and animalsalong with cool illustrations andcharacters. There are excitingstories that contain fun facts andnews, told using useful wordsand phrases that help youngreaders learn and enrich theirminds.

Science Adventures is fullyillustrated with comic strips andcolours that will arousechildren’s interest, inspire theirminds and widen their

knowledge of the world aroundthem.Science Adventures Starter is

also available for preschoolersbetween three and six years old.

Science Adventures can befound at selected MPHBookstores (Nu Sentral, MidValley, Subang Parade, Publika,Setia City Mall, Gurney Plaza,One Utama and Johor Baru CitySquare) and MPHOnline.com.

Science

Adventures

magazineprovidesfun ways tolearnscience.


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Adelene believes that emotional bonding is key to positively impact children’s learning.

Educating with real careNE of our main aims is to nurturedents individually for them to reach the

me level as each other by identifyingaknesses and building on their respectiveengths.The R.E.A.L Kids curriculum is speciallyfted for this purpose,” says Adeleneastian, senior principal of R.E.A.L Kids12, one of the preschool chain’s 30-plustres nationwide.

eveloping dierent strengths

This curriculum incorporates the Multipleelligences (MI) approach to preschoolucation.A typical R.E.A.L Kids class lesson

ompasses subjects and activities that areght in a variety of ways to appeal to theferent “intelligences” or learningferences of every child.

An example of the MI approach is evidentR.E.A.L Fun Cooking and R.E.A.L Culinary, two of R.E.A.L Kids’ many unique andative activities.

A simple element of mathematics cantaught when measuring the ingredientsio of a particular recipe.

This appeals to children with logical-thematical intelligence or who are

umber smart”.

Likewise, using items that are generallyattractive to children such as sweets or toys

in the teaching of basic calculation will notonly develop arithmetic ability, but theirobservation skills as well.

“Some students stand out more thanothers in certain skills or talents. This isnormal. At R.E.A.L Kids, however, we strive

to nurture all children to be on the samelevel.

“In the end, we want them to be confidentindividuals with good communication skillsand be equipped academically for the nextchapter of their educational journey,”explains Adelene.

All R.E.A.L Kids programmes are gearedtowards preparing a child fully for bothnational and international education.

Building connections,communication, confdence

Public speaking is an area that thepassionate senior principal takes particularpride in. She has witnessed how a child’stransformation from being a shy andreserved individual with limited languageability to someone who is able to boldlyaddress a large crowd or audience at a

public event can do wonders to that child’s

self-belief and confidence.This spurs Adelene and her teaching staff

to often encourage their little protégés topractise good communication skills toexpress themselves better.

She believes that with solid foundations incommunication skills and a keen learningability, the opportunities for a child’s successare endless.

Healthy communication is crucial inestablishing strong ties with parents aswell. Such mutually beneficial relationshipsare fundamental to a child’s progress inschool.

Through dedicated dialogues anddiscussions, parents play a vital role inhelping teachers better understandtheir students’ character, personality,

behavioural patterns as well as strengthsand weaknesses.

It is only when teachers connect withchildren on these levels are they ableto positively impact their learning.

As such, obtaining parents’ input, interestand involvement during events such asParent-Teacher Day goes a long way indeveloping their children’s personal, socialand emotional faculties.

“At R.E.A.L Kids, we do not underestimateor disregard how important emotionalbonding is to children and their earlychildhood education needs,” says Adelene.

Explore this and more of what R.E.A.LKids has to offer during its upcoming openday on April 16 at all its centres nationwide.

n For more information, call 03-5631 8000

or visit www.realkids.edu.my.

Milk forhealthygrowthMORINAGA Chil-kid is havinga promotion from now to May31 or while stock lasts. It offers:l One free Mori Lunch Box with

purchase of eight box packs (700g) of

Morinaga Chil-kid Milk formulal One free Mori Lunch Box with purchase

of six tin packs (900g) of Morinaga Chil-kidformula

The Mori Lunch Box has vacuuminsulation, can be used to store porridge,soup or broth, and maintains cold/warmtemperatures for a few hours. It comes witha flexible insulated sling pouch and isavailable in three trendy colors.

Last year, Morinaga Chil-kid wasrecognised as the Readers’ Choice Awards2015 winner for Best Nutrition Milk by BabyTalk and MamaPapa magazines.

In the same year, Morinaga Chil-kid wasagain voted as Best Nutrition Milk forChildren under Readers’ Choice Awards 2015winner by Natural Health and A Healthy Lifestyle magazines.

Morinaga Chil-kid provides high-qualitymilk formula to supply essential nutrientsin a well-balanced ratio that children need,based on international standards ofgrowing-up formula and the latestscientific knowledge.

Morinaga Chil-kid is a growing-up formulafor children aged one year and above and isenriched with arachidonic acid (AA),docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) (prebiotic) and fivenucleotides to provide the optimum

nutrition for growingchildren.AA and DHA help enhance

the development of the brainand central nervous system as well as visual

and retinal function.GOS helps to establish a Bifidobacterium-

dominant flora and suppress the growth ofharmful intestinal bacteria. GOS is importantin alleviating constipation while nucleotidespromote healthy guts.

Morinaga’s extensive research anddevelopment has resulted in the discovery of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 – one of themost widely recognised probiotics in theworld – and also the great benefits ofLactoferrin, which is widely used in childrengrowth formula to improve immunity.

Morinaga Chil-kid is produced in andimported from a state-of-the-art plant in theNetherlands, which uses Japanesetechnology and adheres to stringent doublesafety standards. The product ishalal-certified.

Choose Morinaga Chil-kid for the best inquality and nutrients. Morinaga Chil-kidproducts can be found in Tesco, Giant, ColdStorage, Mercato, Aeon, Sogo, Isetan, UrbanFresh, Village Grocer, SJ Kota, De Market,Haniffa, Alpro Pharmacy, Chinese MedicalHalls and selected baby shops.

They are also sold in online stores:HERMISO.com, Lazada and 11 Street.

n For more information, visitwww.facebook.com/MorinagaMilkMalaysia/.

Stand a chance to win afree Mori Lunch Box whenyou purchase MorinagaChil-kid formula.


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Challenging mindsTHE Oxbridge Society’s Fifth Annual Debatetook place on March 5 in the auditorium ofKolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ).

Once again, this prompted a fantasticturnout of Oxbridge members who came tocoach and mentor more than 160 Year 9 to12 students from 17 local and internationalschools.

Oxbridge Society president Mark Disneythanked all the participants and the staff andstudents of KTJ (especially English teacher

Emma Davidson) for once again putting on afantastic show.

The plenary debaters were politician TonyPua, lawyer Munir Abdul Aziz, bankerSharifah Bakar and investment bankingpersonnel Natasha Kamaluddin, whosearguments revolved around the motion“This House believes that all concepts offreedom are fluid, not fixed”.

The Cambridge team, consisting ofNatasha and Sharifah, suggested that ourunderstanding of freedom has changedmarkedly over time.

The Oxford side (Pua and Munir) took tothe view that an innate sense of freedom isfundamental to the human condition.

Following the debate and voting

(99 Oxford to 81 Cambridge), students brokeinto groups for a working lunch andreturned in the afternoon for a series ofmini-debates and an Impromptu contest inthe main auditorium.

The debate motions included:l This House believes that technology has

enslaved rather than freed us.l This House believes that economic

freedom is more important than politicalfreedom.

l This House believes that personalfreedom has always been an illusion.l This House believes that national

security should always outweigh individualfreedom.l This House believes that international

freedom of movement is a fundamentalhuman right.

Prizes were awarded to the best speakersand for the best impromptu performancesby KTJ’s own award-winning debate team ofThevesh Thevananthan, Aaron Luke andImran Mateo Firoz Hussein.

n For more information, visitwww.ktj.edu.my or call 06-758 2561.

(From left)Munir Abdul

Aziz, Tony Pua,Mark Disney,

NatashaKamaluddin

and SharifahBakar at the

OxbridgeSociety’s Fifth

Annual Debate.


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At SIS, teachers provide various opportunities for students to demonstratelearning and excel in their own competencies.

Power of assessmentE broad goals of assessment andluation should go beyond theuisition of the highest scores

d ranks in class. Instead, oneuld prioritise individualrning needs and how thericulum can fulfil this need.

The Ontario secondary schoolgramme at Sunway

ernational School (SIS) is oneh example of a curriculum andschool ensures its educators

erate on this same principle.IS places high regard on itschers’ role in studentessment and is vigilant abouturing teachers apply thetario Ministry of Education-dorsed assessment methods.Ontario teachers draw from themprehensive assessment and

luation policy Growing Success, ich was published by thenistry in 2010.

The secret of success in thisicy’s implementation is theluation method and this can be

ributed to the emphasis it placescontinual assessment.

Ontario teachers use AssessmentLearning, Assessment ofrning and Assessment asrning to gather informationt accurately reflects how well adent is achieving through angoing process of dailyervation and evaluation.

Teachers look for four categoriestudent knowledge and skill –

owledge and understanding,nking, communication and

application. SIS teachers recognisethat students learn in differentways and therefore need differentways to demonstrate how well theyhave learnt.

Through diagnostic tests,self-reflection and peer reflection,teachers provide their studentsdescriptive feedback and coachingfor improvement.

The feedback a student receiveson a classroom activity orperformance is used to improvelearning.

Rather than evaluating the bulkof students’ performance throughcontent-heavy examinations wherememorisation of facts is the

primary focus, teachers prioritiseinstructional methods that helpstudents think analytically andconceptually.

Teachers achieve this byproviding opportunities forstudents to demonstrate theirlearning in the form of reports andresearch, presentations, reflectionsand concept mapping, essays, fieldtrips, guest speaker interactionsand more.

This rich learning environmentprovides an equitable platform forstudents with different talents andstrengths to excel in theirrespective competencies.

Drawing from students’performance across theircoursework, teachers designlessons and classroom strategiesthat incorporate the interests,learning habits, preferences andexperiences of all students.

This approach results in aflexible and comprehensivelearning experience for students togrow according to their interestsand capabilities, while achievingthe curriculum expectations andlearning goals.

Throughout the semester,Ontario teachers assess a student’slearning skills and work habits toprovide feedback to parents atmidterm and in the final reportcard.

In addition to the regularmonitoring of students’performance in meeting thecurriculum expectations, feedbackon the areas of responsibility,organisation, independent work,collaboration, initiative and self-regulation is also reported as

integral to a student’s learning andcontinued growth.

Besides having a solid grasp ofthe curriculum, teachers areexpected to have keenunderstanding of students’learning profiles and to constantlyimprove and develop theirassessment skills.

SIS principal Bill Ironsideconcurs, “As professionaleducators, we believe we have asolid grasp of our curriculum, yetwe always have much to learnabout the child.

“I believe that in assessingstudent achievements, teachersshould weigh all evidence of

student work and use theirprofessional judgment todetermine the student’sperformance. Professionally, I likethis trend as it supports everychild’s best effort.”

SIS teachers’ commitment toprofessional development based onthe understanding of students’needs are constant and in-depth.

You are invited to meet SIS’international community duringSIS Open Day on April 23 from10am onwards.

n For more information, visitwww.sis.sunway.edu.my/openday.

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Bright Kids - 5 April 2016