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SMART SCHOOL CONCEPT

A SMART SCHOOL CONCEPT

Smart School is a Malaysian education system which is learning institution that reconstructs systematically teaching-learning and school management in order to prepared children for Information Age. Early in 1996, the Ministry of Education was created laws of Smart School concept. There was teaching and learning based on creative thinking. Technology as an important component in Smart School concept when Smart School project exists as one of application that is part of Malaysian Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). In the Information Age, a Smart School will evolve over time continuously developing its professional staff, education resources and its administrative capabilities to adapt to changing condition, while continuing to prepare student life.

The main components in the Malaysian Smart School, according to the Smart School conceptual Blueprint is teaching-learning process, management and administration, human resources, skills and responsibilities, process, technology and policy. Teaching and learning process were included the process of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teaching-learning materials in a mutually reinforcing, coherent manner. The curriculum process will help student achieve overall balanced development and integrate knowledge, skills, values, and correct use of language. Then, Smart School pedagogy will seek to make learning more interesting, motivating, stimulating and meaningful. It is also involve the children mind, spirit and bodies in the learning process.

THE ISSUES IN SMART SCHOOL

Implementation of Smart School is one of the improvement levels in teaching and learning process in our country. Our government comes out with this ideas to build Smart School because is compatible to our government intention to change Malaysia from develop country be Modern country. So, to build Smart School is one of the steps to make our country can archive target be a Modern country in year 2020. The product of smart school we generate the new ideas for make our country more develop and it can get their target to make modern country.  But to realization the Smart school we have so many issues and problem in this programme.

Firstly, the issues that we can observe based on reading The Smart School Blueprint and The Smart School Roadmap is high cost to sustaining the programmed. As we know, the Smart School program will built the modern school and the learning and teaching process based on the Information Communication and Technology, so to build the modern technology in the eighty- seven school involved it make our government must invest so many money to this project. Our country is developed country so the source of financial is limited, we does not have enough money to make the smart school to become reality.

Second issues for the Smart School implementation is smart learning concept have been written in The Smart School Blueprint not clear or not fully understood by commoners. It is an issue when public can not understand this programmed is difficult for government to implementation this smart school because they dos not have full supported from citizen. The programme can be successful by getting supports from others.

Other issues, lack of exposure to the concept of smart learning among school principle. School principle is the main stimulate for the school to achieve their successful in the school. If the principle not understand or not exposure to the concept of smart school,  then how can the principle brings the school to be a smart school without any understanding of the concept.

Last issue is constant breakdown of electricity supply especially in the rural area school. This is due to inability of existing system in schools to cope with increase usage of electricity. So, this program can not successful if not have enough energy because to turn on the computer we need energy supply if all students and teachers open the computer in one time the energy will breakdown because the energy supply is not enough. Government also must pay more to supply more energy.

 THE CHALLENGE OF SMART SCHOOL

Malaysia intends to transform its education system, in line with and in the support of the nation drive to full fill vision 2020 to make Malaysia a developed nation. The vision calls for sustained, productivity driven growth, which will be achievable only with a technologically literate. Therefore, the implementation of smart school is one of the way to increase the level of educational system. Transferring the educational system will entail changing the culture and practices of Malaysia’s primary and secondary school. The concepts of smart school is very different to the current system which is many changing need to adapted with the students, teachers, and school management.

            There are several main problems that need to be faced by the school systems as a challenge to achieve the Smart School level. Firstly, learning and teaching system in smart school totally will different with the current school system. The teachers faced with the challenge of dealing with a learning environment, which is borderless offers multi-modal learning pathways, and is resource rich. This implies that the teachers need to understand how an ICT- based learning environment as intended by the Smart School educating concept affects the student’s training and learning.

Most of the teachers in Malaysia, less exposure to the uses of technology, so the government should give special training of the way to the uses  ICT in classroom to ensure that the process of teaching and learning takes place effectively. Moreover, time constraints are one of the frequent issues stated by students and teachers. Some of the students felt that learning using a computer is very time consuming. Teachers said that they have to prepare 10 minutes earlier if they want to use a computer lab for teaching and it will disturb the process of teaching and learning. When the teachers only depends on  the ICT, it will cause the lack of variety in the teaching materials and method. Learning process should be done with the variety skills to enhance the thinking skill.  When the students only interact with the computer, the communication skills of students will be limited.

The others challenges concerning the implementation of the smart school concept is some of teachers complaints about the shortage of computers. The facilities, the computers and the equipments are limited. It gives problem to student and teacher to start the learning and teaching process. Sometimes the use of Information Technology does not necessarily make teaching easier because the computer sometimes can be a distraction for learning. This leads the students would prefer to play using the internet, which has been programmed with a variety of entertainment such as face book, YouTube, twitter and so on. Not only that, internet connection is one of problem in Smart Schools.

            According to the teacher at the school, the internet connection is slow at night, a bit faster in daytime and sometimes jammed. It did not allow students to open more than three windows at the same time because it will crash. Teachers also said that it is difficult to use the Internet as a learning tool since the information is scattered and not related to the teacher’s lessons. One teacher said that she had to search all the available websites and choose for her classroom unlike Math and Science, which have many sources available on the Internet for Smart teaching. However, there are also private agencies who have tried to establish learning portals and websites according to smart school standards. 

Besides, the Smart Schools software was not compatible with the national textbooks. One of student suggested looking into this problem and upgrading the Smart software in accordance with the national textbook.  The reason for that, according to the students, is that they have to answer the exam questions, which are based on the textbook. Some of the student said that some of the content in Malay Language software is not so important, and suggested it should not be included in the software and something there was wrong information in the software.

Smart School management can be managing efficiently and effectively when the primary objective were correlation with the resources and processes that required to support the teaching-learning function. The Smart School management will need strong profesional administrators and teacher who can articulate school goals clearly, lead teaching at the school, and elicit strong parental and community support to full-fill its objective.

Finally, Smart School is important in Malaysian education system in line with and in support of the nation drive to full fill Vision of 2020. At the same time, the individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious can be well produce. In conclusion, participants acknowledged that the changes in Smart Schools were very much related to the changes in computer technology. Smart Schools were created to meet the demands and challenges of the Information Age, to cater for the needs of ICT literate schools in Malaysia. One teacher who said: “The change towards Smart Schools is based on a general concept; technology changes, therefore education changes as well”.

ENHANCEMENT OF SMART SCHOOL PROGRAMME

To make this Smart School Programme becomes reality, the problems and challenges emerged must be recover to ensure that this programme can be succeed. Based on the challenges which have to be faced by this programme, it shows that our government with the aiding of non-government institution can be settled down and find out the solution for these challenges. Since we know that, one of the Smart School Programme vision is to prepare the citizens for the information age through an innovative education delivery process, this programme should getting the supports from all parties. Therefore, every party must plays their roles in order to educate our Malaysian citizens and give exposure to them about this Smart School Programme. One of the solutions is by organizing a campaign about this Smart School Programme. This campaign should be taken part from all parties by having target delivery people. They can use the technology as a medium to educate Malaysian about this programme such via the mobile phone, radio, television, magazines, advertisement,pamphlet and others. By this, people may understand better about Smart School Programme and encourage them to give their all in order to achieve the vision.

Besides a public campaign, our ministry of education also can play their role by providing a teachers training on ICT to improve the services of teaching and learning process. Introducing the intensify change management programmes and pedagogy training for all teachers on how to integrate ICT in teaching and learning more efficiently. By this, our teachers having their own capability to handle the technology tools efficiently which is used in a smart school. Furthermore, with the bursting use of technology in our country, it is not difficult for student to follow the teaching and learning process using the ICT nowadays. Even thought, student in rural area very rare with this technology but nowadays, it is not possible because our government have been distribute so many electronic note book all over the rural school. This is one of the strategies of government to improve the facilities of technology in teaching and learning process.

This is due to problems of most schools having reported that the computer labs were not adequate in number. A number of schools did not have enough computers for students’ use. So that, our government tried to solve this problems by distributing the electronic note book among the student. Besides, the hardware problems related to the LAN, PCs and servers were also reported.Since the enhancement of Smart School Programme is in progressing, our government still is trying their best to recover this problem. In conclusion, there are others strategies that can be use to ensure that this Smart School Programme can achieve its target and visions. Therefore, all parties whether government and non government institutions should play their role so that our education system especially in terms of teaching and learning process using ICT can be succeed.

refleksi simulasi

REFLEKSI SIMULASI

            Simulasi adalah salah satu lagi cara pembelajaran yang sangat berkesan yang boleh digunakan di peringkat sekolah mahupun peringkat yang lebih tinggi lagi. Simulasi ialah satu kaedah di mana pelajar boleh merasai sendiri pengalaman mengendalikan sesuatu yang sukar untuk dilakukan di dunia sebenar. Simulasi dapat membentuk formula atau model yang boleh dimanipulasikan dalam bentuk yang lebih mudah dan ringkas. Pada kebiasaannya simulasi digunakan untuk para pelajar melakukan eksperimen yang mengambil waktu yang sangat lama untuk diselesaikan. Selain itu, simulasi juga boleh menyelesaikan beberapa masalah yang mungkin dihadapi untuk melakukan eksperimen seperti ruang yang terhad, eksperimen yang berbahaya atau yang menggunakan peralatan  terlalu mahal.

            Dengan menggunakan simulasi berkomputer dapat menghasilkan tindak balas yang betul serta teratur dan lebih fleksibel. Di samping itu, eksperimen yang dilakukan menggunakan simulasi berkomputer juga boleh dilakukan berulang-ulang kali tanpa menggunakan ruang atau belanja yang besar. Kaedah simulasi ini sangat sesuai digunakan di dalam kelas kerana ia nya boleh menimbulkan suasana yang menyeronokkan di mana para pelajar boleh melihat dan melakukan eksperimen yang mereka tidak boleh lakukan di dunia sebenar. Selain itu, mereka juga dapat menjana pemikiran yang lebih kreatif dan kritis. 

LESSON PLAN DATA LOGGER

LESSON PLAN

Forms                          : 4 Sains 1

Date                            : 12 Mei 2012  

Time                            : 9.00 a.m  – 11.00 a.m.

Number of students    : 32 students

Subject                        : Biology

Title                             : Population of Ecology

Sub-title                      : The relationship between bacteria and environments

Learning outcomes      :

At the end of the lessons, students should be able to :

a)      Know the effect of number of bacteria at different condition

b)      Know the optimum condition for bacteria to growth

c)      Understand the effect of organism to their environment

Teaching and learning aids :

a)      Video

b)      Power point slide presentation

c)      Data logger

d)     Sample of bacteria

Moral values                      : bravely, responsible, creative, respect, cooperatively, helpful

                                             and caring

                                                                                

Critical thinking skills                : Generating ideas, visualising, predicting, sequencing,

                                                     relating, differentiate, making analysis and analogies

Teaching and Learning Implementation :

PHASE	CONTENTS	TEACHING AND LEARNING	NOTES
Induction (introduction) ( 10 minutes )	-          Show the related video	-          Show a video to the students about two different condition  to exposed bread which is in refrigerator  and  box. Then show them the effect of the both  bread after 1 week. -          Teacher will ask the students about their understanding after watch the video.	T&L aids : video Critical Thinking skills: generate idea, visualising, predicting Moral values: brave, concentrate
Enhance  Activity 1 ( 20 minutes )	-          Show power point slide presentation that contain information about the topic.	-          After watch the video, teacher will use slide power point presentation to teach the students about today’s topic. -          The slide presentation must related to the video -          Teacher ask students either they understand or not about the information given. -          Teacher will explain about an experiment students should conduct to see the differentiate bread that exposed to the different condition.	T&L aids : power point slide presentation Critical Thinking skills : generate idea, sequencing Moral values : concentrate, respectful, brave

PHASE	CONTENTS	TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES	NOTES
Enhance Activity 2 ( 60 minutes )	Plan and conduct an experiment to study the relationship of organism to their environment with changes in temperature, humidity and light intensity.	-          Students will conduct an experiment about the topic -          While students conduct an experiment, teacher will explain how to use the material or tool that use in this experiment such as data logger to take the temperature,  humidity and light intensity. -          Experiment 1)      Set up the apparatus 2)      Take a reading of temperature, humidity and light intensity at two different condition of bread by using sensor or data logger. 3)      Record the reading of data logger 4)      Keep the bread at two different condition which is one at refrigerator and another one in a box. 5)      Observed the condition of bread after 1 week 6)      Make a report about what students was observed	T & L aids : data logger, material for conduct an experiment Critical Thinking skills: Conduct an experiment, sequencing, predicting, relating Moral values : Cooperatively, helpful, concentrate, caring,  creative.
Enhance Activity 3 ( 15 minutes )	-          Give the question	-          Teacher will ask the question to the students about the topic. -          Students try to answer all the question	T&L aids : question Critical Thinking skills : generate idea, relating, creative Moral values : respect, cooperatively

LESSON PLAN SIMULATION

LESSON PLAN

Forms                          : 6 Al- farabi

Number of students    :  25 persons

Date                            : 8 May 2012

Time                            : 9.00 a.m – 11.00 a.m

Subjects                       : Biology

Title                             : Natural selection

Learning outcomes      :  

At the end of lessons, students are able to :

1)  to determine  the concept  of the natural selection and type of natural selection

2)  to understanding about  genetic mutation

3) can related with dominates, recessive and pedigree 

Main reference                                    : http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/natural-selection

Teaching and learning aids     : video, natural selection simulation, rabbits  

Moral values                            : bravery, grateful, responsible, helpful, loving, caring and respected,                                                            also teamwork

Strategic                                  : multiple intelligences

                                                  1) logical

                                                  2) visual and spaces

                                                                       

Critical Thinking skills            : generating ideas, sequencing, visualizing, making analogies,                                                             prediciting, relating and making conclusions.

Introducation

            Natural selection is the process in nature in which organisms possessing certain genotypic characteristics that make them better adjusted to an environment tend to survive, reproduce, increase in number or frequency, and therefore, are able to transmit and perpetuate their essential genotypic qualities to succeeding generations.

Natural selection is the gradual, non-random, process by which biological traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution.

Variation exists within all populations of organisms. This occurs partly because random mutations cause changes in the genome of an individual organism, and these mutations can be passed to offspring. Throughout the individuals’ lives, their genomes interact with their environments to cause variations in traits. (The environment of a genome includes the molecular biology in the cell, other cells, other individuals, populations, species, as well as the abiotic environment.) Individuals with certain variants of the trait may survive and reproduce more than individuals with other variants. Therefore the population evolves. Factors that affect reproductive success are also important, an issue that Charles Darwin developed in his ideas on sexual selection, for example.

Natural selection acts on the phenotype, or the observable characteristics of an organism, but the genetic (heritable) basis of any phenotype that gives a reproductive advantage will become more common in a population (see allele frequency). Over time, this process can result in populations that specialize for particular ecological niches and may eventually result in the emergence of new species. In other words, natural selection is an important process (though not the only process) by which evolution takes place within a population of organisms. As opposed to artificial selection, in which humans favour specific traits, in natural selection the environment acts as a sieve through which only certain variations can pass.

Natural selection is one of the cornerstones of modern biology. The term was introduced by Darwin in his influential 1859 book On the Origin of Species,[1] in which natural selection was described as analogous to artificial selection, a process by which animals and plants with traits considered desirable by human breeders are systematically favored for reproduction. The concept of natural selection was originally developed in the absence of a valid theory of heredity; at the time of Darwin's writing, nothing was known of modern genetics. The union of traditional Darwinian evolution with subsequent discoveries in classical and molecular genetics is termed the modern evolutionary synthesis. Natural selection remains the primary explanation for adaptive evolution.

General Principles

Natural variation occurs among the individuals of any population of organisms. Many of these differences do not affect survival (such as differences in eye color in humans), but some differences may improve the chances of survival of a particular individual. A rabbit that runs faster than others may be more likely to escape from predators, and algae that are more efficient at extracting energy from sunlight will grow faster. Something that increases an animal's survival will often also include its reproductive rate; however, sometimes there is a trade-off between survival and current reproduction. Ultimately, what matters is total lifetime reproduction of the animal.

Types of natural selection

Natural selection can take many forms. To make talking about this easier, we will consider the distribution of traits across a population in graphical form. In we see the normal bell curve of trait distribution. For example, if we were talking about height as a trait, we would see that without any selection pressure on this trait, the heights of individuals in a population would vary, with most individuals being of an average height and fewer being extremely short or extremely tall. However, when selection pressures act on a trait, this distribution can be altered.

Figure 1.1: The standard distribution of a trait across a population

Stabilizing selection

When selective pressures select against the two extremes of a trait, the population experiences stabilizing selection. For example, plant height might be acted on by stabilizing selection. A plant that is too short may not be able to compete with other plants for sunlight. However, extremely tall plants may be more susceptible to wind damage. Combined, these two selection pressures select to maintain plants of medium height. The number of plants of medium height will increase while the numbers of short and tall plants will decrease.

Figure 1.2: The effect of stabilizing selection on trait distribution

Directional selection

In directional selection, one extreme of the trait distribution experiences selection against it. The result is that the population's trait distribution shifts toward the other extreme. In the case of such selection, the mean of the population graph shifts. Using the familiar example of giraffe necks, there was a selection pressure against short necks, since individuals with short necks could not reach as many leaves on which to feed. As a result, the distribution of neck length shifted to favor individuals with long necks.

Figure1.3: The effect of directional selection on trait distribution

Disruptive Selection

In disruptive selection, selection pressures act against individuals in the middle of the trait distribution. The result is a bimodal, or two-peaked, curve in which the two extremes of the curve create their own smaller curves. For example, imagine a plant of extremely variable height that is pollinated by three different pollinators, one that was attracted to short plants, another that preferred plants of medium height and a third that visited only the tallest plants. If the pollinator that preferred plants of medium height disappeared from an area, medium height plants would be selected against and the population would tend toward both short and tall, but not medium height plants. Such a population, in which multiple distinct forms or morphs exist is said to be polymorphic.

Figure1.4: The effect of disruptive selection on trait distribution

Teaching and learning Implementation

PHASE	CONTENTS	TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES	NOTES
Inducation Set ( 10 Minutes)	-Relating a video about natural selection and types of natural selection  with learning outcomes	1.  teacher  show a video about moth that have variety shape and colour. 2. teacher ask question to the students about their understanding on that video shown. 3. teacher related that video with examples of natural selection. 4. teacher relate the video with learning outcomes. .	1. students get general idea from the video about natural selection 2.students see and listen explanation from teacher Critical thinking skills:    -generating ideas - focus  Values : -brave T & L Aids : video
Step 1 (20 Minutes)	To introduct the meaning of natural selection and types of natural selection and also the factor of natural selection	1. guru show the power points slide notes about the natural selection 2. teacher gives all the student mind map for the natural selection 3. teacher ready with interesting power point  that easy the students to understand that notes. 4. Also have many picture help student to understand.	1. students write the notes that teachers show. 2.students give their all attention about teaching of teachers Critical thinking skills:    -generating ideas - focus  Values : - loving -caring T & L Aids : laptop and LCD
Step 2 (20 Minutes)	- concept of natural selection	1.  teachers divided into five groups with five people per group 2.  teacher show the demo to use natural selection simulation. 3.  teacher gives students 10 minutes to explore the simulation using to computer 4. teacher ask students to share what they found. 5.teacher give present (such as chocolates)  to student, that can share what they found in the simulation. 6. teacher  asked each group to present an what they get from using simulation	1. students move from the original sit to find the group. 2. students explore using the simulation 3. students exciting to see the simulation. 4. every student want to share  anfwhat they found. Critical thinking skills:    -generating ideas - exciting Values : -brave - confident T & L Aids : computer
Step 3 (20 Minutes)	Natural selection related with genetic mutation, dominates, recessive.	1.  teacher explain more detail to student about contain inside natural selection simulation 2. teacher bring  5 rabbits, which have variety size, shape and colour . 3. teacher gives instruction to press “ add mutation”  to want student to see what happen. 4. teacher related topic mutation, natural selection, dominates and recessive with the rabbits in the class and the rabbit in the simulation. 5. teacher ask student to list the physics characteristics of rabbits	1. students see the real rabbits very clear. 2.students list the physics characteristics the rabbits to get more understanding about mutation. 3. students write the explanations from teacher. 4. student ask teacher what they do not understanding about this topic. Critical thinking skills:    -generating ideas - cooperation -communication Values : -brave - intellectual curiosity T & L Aids : real rabbits, slides.
Step 4 (20 Minutes)	Pedigree	1.Teacher ask student to draw the pedigree rabbit with click any rabbit in the simulation. 2. teacher explain about pedigree with student with variety examples. 3. then, teacher ask all of students to draw their own pedigree same like pedigree in the rabbit starting from their grandparents until now. 4. teacher want volunteer to tell all their friends about their pedigree family.	1. students do what teacher ask and draw the pedigree of rabbit. 2. some of the students like to share their pedigree family. Critical thinking skills:    -generating ideas - focus  Values : -brave - respectful T & L Aids : A4 paper, pen
Step 5 (20 Minutes)	To understanding their understanding about the lecture given	1. teacher gives assignment group with different questions to each group related with natural selection  and using natural selection simulation. 2. teacher provides tool to find information such as new papers , magazines, and books to help student to solve that questions. 3. teacher ask students to each group prepare presentations using majong paper. 4.  teacher asked student what they understanding related with topic today.	1. students answer the questions teacher ask. 2. students find information using material from teacher. 3. student make presentations with variety mind map and extra knowledge. Values: -cooperation -helpful
Conclusion ( 10 Minutes)	Get reinforcement exercises and   make some summary the topic today	1. teacher ask student to sit their original places. 2. teacher get some exercises to student and teacher give time to make that exercise and then submit before tomorrow evening. 3. teacher make short conclusion.	1.Students do that exercise. 2. student get more detail  idea about natural selection. Values : - responsible - brave