Monday, January 18, 2010

800 laptops for Year 6 teachers

Link to us: http://snipurl.com/u4fnj












Source: The News Strait Times,
8th of January 2010

Starting next month, 800 free laptops will be distributed from the state government to teachers who are teaching Year 6 students.

What is the main purpose for giving out 800 free laptops to the teachers?

Well, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said that the state government wanted to boost up the students' academic performance in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) with the use of e-learning as a teaching and learning tool. In our opinion, instead of using textbooks which will just harm the trees again, why not using e-books? Hey, we could save thousands of trees and feel good about saving the earth right?


This is an example on how e-learning works in primary schools.

classroom
Image source: Educationcity, Online teaching and Learning [Online],
Retrieved on Monday, 18th January 2010

Apart from that, teachers should set a good example by start using e-books to teach but how are they going to do so? Training?

Yes, teachers would undergo training courses to ensure they have basic skills on how to use the e-learning tools in class.

Not only that, there was a discussion going on between the state government and Intel Corporation Malaysia. The state government wanted all the teachers' laptops to install a software program which will enable the teachers to monitor their students' laptops. Why? So, students could not open the e-textbook of another subject while the teacher is teaching English.

This is going to cost a bomb as Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said claimed that it would cost millions of ringgit. The state government has seen the programme as a very important aspect to improve the learning by e-book project.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said again that his vision is for the future generation in the state to be IT-savvy.

So, let us all work together for one mission and one vision which is...

to help our future generation to be IT-savvy.


Reference:
- Satiman Jamin, 800 laptops for Year 6 teachers, nst [Online], Retrieved on Monday, 18th of January 2010
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/24gan/Article/

Avelyn

5 comments:

Rachel Kok said...

YES!!! We should save the trees. Somehow did they think of how the students going to go through the notes and things that the teacher had taught them?
For me, I think that this only make the teachers life easier by sitting there and reading the slides instead of going round the class and explain bit by bit in details to the students and write it on the board.

Those kids are only in primary school, some can't expect them to spend money buying pen drive, go to stationary shop or computer shop to buy ink or print notes.
Sometimes find an easier way for them through their age and capability, not through the existance of IT

Avelyn said...

yes, i kinda agree with you too actually...The kids will just fall asleep or mayb not instead of listening to the lecture but if they are not trained now, we are not going to progress like other countries as Malaysia has already way behind in terms of technologies. We don't want to be left behind right?

I guess they have to study online as the notes will be posted online. They have to get use to technologies.

Hopefully, there will be another discussion on this e-project.

Jason said...

Not sure whether this is a complete good idea or not because some teachers may like teaching their students the old traditional way. Also, teachers may find it troublesome if they have to carry their laptop to class every time. =)

Avelyn said...

Yes, that's true as well. Who wants to carry a heavy burden of laptop all around? So, probably the government need to do something bout it. Well, I guess that's not the main problem. The main problem is whether or not the students will have good education in the future.

No worries people.There will be a topic on the comparison between the traditional way of learning vs e-learning soon.

^^ErIcA^^ said...

I do agree that the e-book program is good for environment as it can saves the trees. However, I think it isn't good for the children's eyesights and health.

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