The Lilypad - Issue #1

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THE

Lilypad

E D U CAT E . I N S P I R E . L E A R N . D I S C OV E R .

Changemaker s In Education FEATURING HARIS ABBAS AND S e n at hi R aj ah, Tan S hin Y e e , Pat hm al o s in i Ar n as al am

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 4

T H E L I LY PA D # 1

W W W. F R O G A S I A . C O M


COMING TO A C

Presented by

In partnership with


INEMA NEAR YOU

3D DOCUMENTARIES JOIN US ON A WILD JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY Subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated: bit.ly/FrogMail Leaps of Knowledge IMAX 3D Documentaries is a series of 45 minute adventures into different worlds and exciting new adventures! Perfect for family outings or school trips, these 3D films will open your eyes to the wonders and beauty of our planet Earth.


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Note from the Director Dear FrogAsiA. . . Up close and personal: Changemakers in education We speak to Haris Abbas, Pathmalosini Arnasalam, Senathi Rajah and Tan Shin Yee to hear their thoughts and insights on what it means to make a dierence in education

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What does it take to be a changemaker?

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FrogAsia at a glance

Our Leaps of Knowledge Conference speakers share their thoughts

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A Christmas shopping guide

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Recipe: Homemade Spinach Quiche

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CONTENTS

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Our picks for the season!

What’s in store: The Leaps of Knowledge Conference Exhibition A classroom of the future, Google Streetview Car and many more exciting discoveries await participants at the Leaps of Knowledge Conference

How to transform your classroom into a Frog Classroom Not every school can renovate their classroom, but every teacher can use these simple ideas to make their classroom a more conducive place for learning and collaboration

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Fastest 4G Mobile Internet with Voice

Credits Editorial

Crystal Cha | Joseph Wong | Sarah Lim | Victor Lau | Zafrin Nordin

Cover photo

Sarah Lim

DESIGN AND ART Featured

Vinnie Sze Mun | Nor Zamillia Zainal | Kelvin Ng

Dr. Alice Wilder | Alistair Smith | Julia Immonen | Jaul Bunyau | Haris Abbas | Pathmalosini Arnasalam Senathi Rajah Tan Shin Yee | Normahani Jamaluddin | Azura bt Yusof | George Aveling | Damian Tate

We welcome article contributors! Love to write and share your knowledge with others? Write to us at hello@frogasia.com if you have an article you would like us to feature in this magazine.


Director’s Note Welcome to our first ever issue of T h e L i ly p a d m a g a z i n e !

It is with great excitement that I introduce to you our first ever edition of The Lilypad, FrogAsia’s brand new magazine. What a privilege it is to be able to launch this magazine in conjunction with our annual Leaps of Knowledge Conference, a conference designed to inspire, spark fresh perspectives and spur people into action. In line with the theme of this year’s conference, “Inspiring Changemakers in Education”, you will find within this issue articles written to provoke thought about what it means to be a changemaker. There’s never been a more important time to talk about change. With the rise of social media, calls for change can now reach more people very quickly. We hear people calling out for change in matters that are close to their hearts, including of course the subject of education. There are many things that can be improved if only things were done differently.

“Is anything actually changing in the field of education?”

At FrogAsia, we have the privilege of working with a large community of students, teachers and parents in Malaysia. We meet many people whose lives have been changed because they are embracing change. We meet individuals who are now making a huge impact in their schools and communities because of change. The Lilypad exists to tell the stories of these individuals, to serve as an inspiration and a reminder to us all that instead of waiting for change to happen, we should “be the change that we wish to see in the world (Ghandi).” Stories of hope. In this first issue, we’ve interviewed three inspiring changemakers who decided to use whatever they had in their hands to make a difference. You will read about the challenges they faced and the impact they were able to make, just by being willing. On the surface, Haris Abbas, Pathmalosini Arnasalam, Senathi Rajah and Tan Shin Yee may look like three ordinary teachers, but in the eyes of their students, they are superheroes. We hope their stories will not only open your eyes to the change that is happening in education today but also inspire you to play your part in making the ripples of change multiply. God bless,

Lou Yeoh Executive Director

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.. Dear FrogAsia.ledge Conference is just around the coa lornoker atandwhait’st now to take nual Leaps of K el back in time av tr e w , st fir Our second an ut B r exciting one! set to be anothe ence! er nf co ’s 13 t 20 people said abou

Via Twitter Kok Hin @ckhin Rare gathering of teachers, students, corporates & entrepreneurs - to share ideas & hopes for M’sian education. Good job @FrogAsia #Leaps13

Shahrun Sofian @ayuns My key takeaway for the day is that, more than a teacher's need to teach, is the need to learn. #Leaps13

wai kei @yani_khalid #Leaps13 has unlocked so many doors of inspiration and ideas!!! Thanks @FrogAsia

Teach For Malaysia @TeachForMsia "I don't want to just TALK about the problems of education. I hope we're all here to DO something." - Alvin Ung at #Leaps13 #DoMoreThanDream

Wai Khong Fong @waikhong Technology itself can't transform education. Great teachers required. #leaps13

In our mailbox The best ever conference on education Leaps of Knowledge 2013 was well organized and truly inspiring. I will implement and utilize the Frog VLE in my learning and teaching activities. I will definitely motivate and encourage my fellow teachers to engage themselves with Frog to provide quality education for all Malaysians // Jothi Reminded why I do what I do I’m a teacher with six years of experience. Sometimes along the way, I lose my focus on what I really want to do and why I chose to be a teacher. This conference really inspired me on the possibilities and difference that I can make with my pupils and the people around me. I really feel like I can take over and rock the Malaysian education system! Woot Woot! // Cath A real eye opener into the future of education This conference has definitely changed my approach to teaching in the classroom. The future of education is all about collaboration, learning in the cloud and recognizing that a child is capable of much more than we ever imagined. I am glad that I attended the conference, otherwise I would have continued the style of teaching that I’ve been using since being trained as a teacher 25 years ago. // Zabeen

OTHER GREAT FEEDBACK WE’VE HEARD... Word Mania telah mencambah minat pelajar kami untuk belajar Bahasa Inggeris. Tahniah kerana menganjurkan Pertandingan Word Mania. Pertandingan tersebut telah mencambah minat pelajar kami untuk belajar Bahasa Inggeris dan Word Mania membuatkan mereka begitu teruja. Tahniah juga kepada Cik Denise, Cik Nadiah dan Encik Yusri kerana melayan kami dengan baik semasa kami berada di Hotel Majestic dan sewaktu menjawab panggilan telefon. Generasi muda Malaysia sememangnya berkaliber! // Cikgu Suryati Baharin Learning about the world through Google Hangouts I would like to thank the teachers and my school, SJK(C)Choong Wen, for giving me this lifetime opportunity to participate in the twinning programme. It’s given me a wider perspective of the world as I had the chance to communicate with the students of Clatford Primary School, UK. I learnt about the unique culture and lifestyle of people living overseas, and we also did some fun projects together such as Hour of Code. This made learning so much fun! // Samual Chau

We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email or a Tweet! hello@frogasia.com |

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@FrogAsia


TAKE

THREE

STEPS FORWARD

Did you know that there are two million documented and undocumented migrant workers* in Malaysia? These workers come willingly but then are stripped of their documents and put up for sale by human traffickers. Malaysian authorities are taking steps to stop human trafficking, and now you can do your part as well. With the Run For Freedom app, you can educate yourself about this issue and help in the fight against human trafficking. It just takes three simple steps:

and help to end international human trafficking

Download the app

Search for Run For Freedom RTST on the Google Play Store

Complete the quiz

Answer 10 questions on human-trafficking

Share the app

Spread the word - share with your friends!

HOME

HOW TO HELP

Want to do more? Spread the word Click here to post on your social media networks with our stopthetraffik hashtag

Volunteer Help out and do your part with the SUKA society

Take the quiz Help End Human Trafficking When you take this quiz, RM1 will be donated towards efforts to end human trafficking.

Each time a person completes Steps 1 - 3, FrogAsia will donate RM1 to Running to Stop the Traffik. We aim to raise RM10,000 in total! Do your part today! Download the app, take the quiz and share the message!

Watch Watch a video by Julia Immonen, anti-human trafficking activist

Are we making an impact? Check out the amount donated so far and see how it helps a victim pick themselves up.

My Impact > >

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“I NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD GET THIS FAR” [ INTERVIEW BY SARAH LIM ]

For a small estate school of only twenty-nine students, SJK(T) Ladang Bute made it big earlier this year with its win at Malaysia’s first-ever national online spelling competition - The Word Mania Challenge! The school beat hundreds of other primary schools to win 3rd place as national school champion and surprised everyone, including themselves, in the process. To find out the secret to their success, I had a chat with the school’s ICT teacher, Senathi Rajah, an enthusiastic individual whose passion for improving education in the Tamil community led him to pioneer change in his school.

So Mr Senathi, how did this all begin? I was inspired at FrogAsia’s Leaps of Knowledge Conference last year. When Professor Sugata Mitra [Editor’s note: 2013 TED Prize Winner] shared about how students can learn on their own with technology, I thought, ‘This can also happen in my school!’

Featured changemaker:

Senathi Rajah

What did you do next? I was very excited. I started to travel to other Tamil schools in Selangor, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur to talk about the use of technology with Frog. I didn’t want them to miss out!

“With some help from my fellow school teachers, we also translated the Frog Training Guide into Tamil and uploaded it online. We started to see an increase of Tamil schools using Frog.”

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Tell us about your school’s involvement in the Word Mania Challenge. When I heard about WordMania I thought, “My students must join this!” It would be a fun way for my students to learn English. At first it was difficult... English is not their first language. But together with the other teachers, we managed to get them to try something new. ...And you faced lots of challenges along the way. Yes... We did not feel motivated because with only twenty-nine students in our school, how can we compete against bigger schools? Also, one of our [top scoring] students fell sick, and we had computer problems along the way. But my students really enjoyed it, so we persevered.


How did you overcome these challenges? We kept the school open in the evenings. Parents were so supportive! They prepared dinner for students to bring to school so they could keep playing. One of the sweetest memories was during the Pongal celebration [Editor’s note: Pongal is a festival celebrated by Tamilians during harvest season]. It was a school holiday but parents asked me to open the school computer lab so their children could keep playing. These parents saw that it was a valuable opportunity for their children and did not want them to be left behind in the world of IT and English.

“There are no words to describe how I felt when we won. I was almost in tears.” What advice can you give to other teachers who want to bring change to their school too? Just keep trying. Whether you fail or succeed, it will be a learning experience. Do not underestimate yourself by comparing yourself with others because it is our differences that make us unique and beautiful. Keep a look out for the upcoming Word Mania Challenge 2015!

Did you ever think your school would make it to the top three primary champions nationwide? Actually, we participated for the experience only. I never thought we would get this far. Then we decided we wanted to become an example to inspire all Tamil schools. This spirit brought us to the top 10 and somehow we ended up in third place.

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“SEEING MY STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER MAKES EVERYTHING WORTH IT” [ INTERVIEW BY VICTOR LAU ]

F e at u r e d c h a n g e m a k e r :

TA N S H I N Y E E


“My students have become my “little teachers”, making me realise how much they’ve learned from all our sessions.” Since becoming one of the first schools in Malaysia to receive a Chromelab in 2013, SJK(C) Choong Wen’s use of technology in education has exceeded all expectations. The school is a great example of what happens when you combine the technology with dedicated teachers. Located just off a bustling Old Klang Road, this Chinese national school has participated in four international Twinning Programmes, fifteen Mystery Hangouts and nineteen Frog Connected Classroom Sessions. Such is their passion, they’ve even hosted twelve Mystery Hangouts of their own! To find out what worked and why, I had a chat with the school’s ICT teacher, the ever-cheerful and smiling Tan Shin Yee.

LEARNING TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS [Editor’s note: Mystery Hangouts is a guessing game played between two schools over Google Hangouts. Schools take turns asking questions to find clues that will help them identify the school on the other end.] Hello Ms Tan! You’ve been a great supporter of our Mystery Hangouts. What inspired you to participate?

Wow! Clearly your students are having plenty of fun! What else have they done? Four students banded together and started calling themselves “Hangout Warriors” (laughs). Not only have they participated in many of the Hangout sessions that we host ourselves, they have also started helping other students in subjects such as English! They’ve learnt lots from our Mystery Hangout sessions.

“They have started using Question Words, such as “Who”, “What”, and “Where” to get the answers that they need.” Sounds like the Mystery Hangouts have certainly had an impact on your students. I have to ask, what was your most memorable Hangout? Well… one time we planned a Hangout with a school in the United States. Because of the time difference, the students had to come back in the evening to a dark and quiet school. I was worried that many couldn’t make it, but when I stepped into the Chromelab… tadaaaah! The students were accompanied by their parents, who came to show their support. It made me feel warm and very happy inside!

Hello! I first found out about Mystery Hangouts from one of your FrogAsia team members, Arafeh Karimi. The more I talked with her, the more I was convinced that my school would benefit from this. After witnessing my students working and learning together, bringing each other forwards, I feel like it’s all worth it. It’s not something you can teach! For them, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about learning exciting new things and useful skills!

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CULTURAL EXCHANGE [Editor’s note: The Frog Twinning Programme involves two schools interacting over Google Hangouts on a weekly basis to learn more about each other’s country and culture.] Let’s talk about your school’s participation in our Twinning Programme. How did the first one go? Hmm, a bit of both actually! Our Twinning Programme was with Clatford Primary School in the UK. Since we’re mainly a Chinese-speaking school, I was really worried about speaking in English and understanding their accents. My first thoughts were, “Oh no! There are no Chinese subtitles to help us!” (laughs) Thankfully, I had my colleagues and the team from FrogAsia to help me every step of the way. We’ve learned about the different cultures in the UK, celebrated Chinese New Year and Christmas together, learned to code a simple game and got to know each other better. My advice is to find partners that you can believe and always trust in!

“I was really worried about understanding their English accents. I thought, “Oh no! There are no Chinese subtitles to help us!”

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Clearly you’ve learned a lot from this programme. What about your students - how have they benefited? Often, when we’re talking with Clatford and they ask a question that stumps me, my students step in and guide the conversation back. They have become my “little teachers”, making me realise how much they’ve learned from all our sessions. After the Twinning Programme, my students seemed to have grown in their confidence by leaps and bounds! Everyone started creating amazing group projects and presenting it to the entire class. It’s obvious that they have learned great teamwork and the confidence to speak in public. You’ve been invited to speak for a workshop at our Leaps of Knowledge Conference 2014! How do you feel about that? I’m extremely excited to share with my fellow teachers in Malaysia on how fun and exciting these programmes have been for our students! I’d like them to join the Frog Family and see the knowledge they and their students can gain from all the programmes, as well as learn to use the many tools that will reduce their daily burdens! Work smart and have fun teaching! For more info on our Mystery Hangouts and Frog Twinning Programmes, please email hello@frogasia.com.


EDUCATION is the most

powerful weapon

which you can use to CHANGE THE WORLD. // Nelson Mandela

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“GIVING THE “GIVING THE GIF

TO HEARIN THE HE TO THE [ BY CRY

one person make a in difference, es Can one person make Can a difference, especially the challenges face of problems and challenges the face of problems and that seem to be impossibly be impossibly huge? For an ordinaryhuge? personFor likean ordinary who had never been tra Haris Abbas, who had Haris neverAbbas, been trained in sign languagebefore, or special education language or special education taking on a before classstudents of hearing whole class of hearingwhole impaired mayimpaired stud have seemed daunting at the b have seemed quite daunting at the quite beginning.

Yet heinnot onlyhis persevered Yet he not only persevered giving students in giving h the best education possible, but he a the best education possible, but he also went conducting Google Hango beyond by conductingbeyond Google by Hangouts between students and other schools, to sp his students and otherhis schools, to spread greater about language and t awareness about sign awareness language and thesign challengfaced by those with hearing es faced by those witheshearing impediments. Read imped on for the inspiring story on for the inspiring story of Haris Abbas and SKof Haris Abb Pendidikan Khas, KotaPendidikan Kinabalu! Khas, Kota Kinabalu!

Pendidikan is ahearing primary school f SK Pendidikan Khas is aSK primary schoolKhas for the impaired in Tuaran, impaired located in Tuaran, 18 kmlocated away from Kota 18 km away Kinabalu. Thisinschool the only one in S Kinabalu. This school is the only one Sabahisproviding education to hearing-impaired education to hearing-impaired children. Many of its children. students come low-income students come from low-income groupsfrom in rural areas groups all offers over Sabah. The school from all over Sabah. Thefrom school full boarding and offers fu 80%inofthe theschool students reside 80% of the students reside during thein the school school year. school year.

of school the challenges that the school f Some of the challenges Some that the faces includes the fact that many of the students sent t the fact that many of the students sent to the school have not received from have not received special education from aspecial youngeducation age, causing them to beIndelayed academicall causing them to be delayed academically. addition, being away from their families being away from their families at such a young age andat such a also struggling to cope with a hearing di also struggling to cope with a hearing disability is tough thetokids. Theatkids sent to board a on the kids. The kids areon sent board the are school from as young as seven.from as young as seven.

e da k c he r a :n g e m a k e r : F e at u r e d cFheaat n gu erm

H A R I SHAABRBI SA SA B B A S 14

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“Being away from “Being away from their families at their fa young age and als such a young agesuch andaalso struggling to cope with a struggling to cope with a hearing is tough on the disability is toughdisability on the kids.”


FT OF LANGUAGE LANGUAGE

NG IMPAIRED” MPAIRED” STAL CHA ]

The school is led by Headmaster Madjaie Lantas and his Senior Assistant Headmaster Madjaie Lantas and his Senior Assistant Mariamwith Tuah, shared with us that the teachers posted to this hey shared usand thatthey the teachers posted to this school are normal teachers who are not specially trained to teach to eachers who are not specially trained to teach to hearing-impaired have had to pick up specialised teaching hildren and have had tochildren pick upand specialised teaching own.techniques on their own.

the full support of the school leadership, With the full support of With the school leadership, “Despite the students’ he students’ challenges in challenges in Abbas are andkeen his fellow Abbas and his fellow teachers to teachers are keen to understanding academic nding academic concepts purely concepts purelyexplore any means to engage exploretheir anystudents means to engage their students better upand withhelp theirthem fullycatch up with their fully through sign language gn language and visuals, theyand visuals, theybetter and help them catch ableseems peers,to and technology able peers, and technology them to be seems to them to be no their problem roblemhave finding wayfinding their way one of the so. They use Frog to teach one of the ways to do so. They useways Frog to do teach and English, andtothe school dashboard to Maths and English, and Maths the school dashboard around computers easily.” mputers easily.”

reports thatallcan upload reports that can upload be shared among thebe shared among all the teachers. are looking forward to more teachers. “We are looking forward“We to more content developed specially for special education content developed specially for special education needs, such as sign language-based material for needs, such as sign language-based material for “I language had to pick up sign language from scratch” sign from scratch” the hearing the hearing impaired,” says Abbas. impaired,” says Abbas. ofAbbas, these teachers Haris of Abbas, the Frog ers isOne Haris the FrogisAdmin the school andAdmin also of the school and also a Maths teacher. his first posting and he had to pick up sign is was his first postingThis andwas he had to pick up sign Hangouts to teach sign language language from scratch when he was posted to the Google he Hangouts toGoogle teach sign language tch when he was posted to the school. Nonetheless, heschool. Nonetheless, is now ablea to confidently a class sign language, and has even dently control class using signcontrol language, andusing has even Frog his lessons, Abbas has used Besides using Frog in hisBesides lessons,using Abbas hasinused introduced technology in his lessons. ogy in his lessons. to promote greater understanding technology to promote technology greater understanding

and awareness ofTogether hearing impairments. Together to English) Since introduced lessons Frog andthe awareness of hearing impairments. ish) “(Translated Since I introduced lessons andI quizzes on the Frogand quizzes on withRotis, his colleague, VLE,more my students arehe much engaged,” he says. “Despite the withstudents’ his colleague, Dzulkifli Abbas Dzulkifli Rotis, Abbas re much engaged,” says.more “Despite the students’ organised Google challenges in understanding academic purely throughorganised sign a Google Hangout with atwo otherHangout with two other standing academic concepts purely throughconcepts sign schools in Sabah, Pekan Semporna and SM language and visuals,finding they have problem schools in Sabah, SK Pekan Semporna andSK SM s, they have no problem theirno way aroundfinding their way around Sains Sabah, teach students in the two schools computers easily, and visual diagrams,help videos and animations help Sainsthem.” Sabah, to teach students in theto two schools nd visual diagrams, videos and animations them.” how to express basic mathematical terms in sign how to express basic mathematical terms in sign language. language. asked about plans for 2015, both Dzulkifli When asked about plansWhen for 2015, both Dzulkifli Rotisthey andplanned Harris Abbas said they planned to hold Rotis and Harris Abbas said to hold more Google Hangout more Google Hangout sign language sessions sign language sessions andas involve more and involve more students well. We arestudents as well. We are inspired SK Pendidikan Khas’ determination inspired by SK Pendidikan Khas’ by determination andthese commitment to giving these less-fortunate and commitment to giving less-fortunate the chanceand at a quality education and students the chance at astudents quality education we hope you are too! we hope you are too!

ToKhas’ watchsign SK language Pendidikan Khas’ sign language To watch L-R) En Madjaie Lantas, Headmaster SK Pendidikan Chew, SK Pendidikan antas,(front Headmaster of SK Pendidikan Khas, Datin of Kathleen Chew, Khas, Datin Kathleen Google ProjectPn Director YTL Foundation, Mariam Tuah, Sr Assistant of SK Pendidkan Khas,Hangout, visit Google Hangout, visit oundation, MariamofTuah, Sr Assistant Pn of SK Pendidkan Khas, Lou Yeoh, Executive of FrogAsia (back L-R)Hasbollah, Haris Abbas, Norliah Ashkar Hasbollah, ctor of FrogAsia (back L-R)Director Haris Abbas, Norliah Ashkar www.bit.ly/signlanguagefcc. www.bit.ly/signlanguagefcc. Consultant at FrogAsia, Gareth Davies, ant atImplementation FrogAsia, Gareth Davies, Founder and Director of Frog Founder and Director of Frog Education, Izyani, Product Manager at Pendidikan FrogAsia, and students of SK Pendidikan Khas Product ManagerAizat at FrogAsia, and students of SK Khas

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Be the

CHANGE

that you wish to see in the world. // Mahatma Ghandi

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“EVERYTHING IS DIFFICULT BEFORE IT IS EASY” [ INTERVIEW BY CRYSTAL CHA ]

Feat u r ed c h a n g em a k er:

PATHMALOSINI ARNASALAM

Pathmalosini Arnasalam is warm, friendly and down-to-earth. She has a calm, quiet presence about her, but her eyes light up when she talks about her students and the joy she felt when she saw her students’ grades improve after she started teaching them Mathematics through game-based learning. Pathma, as she is affectionately known, has been a teacher at SK Jalan Selangor 1 for eight years now, but it wasn’t until she was approached to take up the challenge of implementing technology in her class that she realised what a difference technology can make. To find out how she went from being a beginner to a strong advocate of technology, I met her in person when she visited the FrogAsia office for this issue’s cover shoot. Thanks for your time, Pn Pathma! Could you tell us how you first stumbled across game-based learning? It was my school administrator, Pn Khoo Poh Eng, who asked me if I would be willing to do a pilot using a game-based learning app [introduced by FrogAsia] in my class. I said yes, so we started the eight-week project in Feb 2014. We spent two periods, an hour each, twice a week, using this app in a Maths class.

How did you feel when you started? I knew we had to start using Frog and technology eventually, but I didn’t know where to start. I thought this would be a good way for me to learn more about using technology in the classroom. Even though I had no idea how the app worked, I saw that my students would have fun and learn at the same time through playing games. What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? The first class we had using the [game-based quiz] app, we tried it out with five quiz questions. The students finished the five questions in no time, and I had nothing else prepared! Also, at first, some students forgot their ID and could not log in. What we did was get everyone to use their date of birth as their own password, so it would be easier to remember. We found the faster students started helping the slower students. Everything started running more smoothly.

“By the fourth week, we had no problems at all!” 17


What were some of the results you saw after implementing this in your class? One of my girls usually scores Cs in her exams, but for the recent mid-year exams, she scored A in Mathematics. Also, in the app, students can communicate with me directly through the messaging system. I felt a lot closer to the students as they started to message me just to share what they were feeling. They even started asking at night, “Teacher, have you eaten?” Why do you think game based learning can make a difference to education?

I’m sure there are teachers out there who want to use technology, but have no idea where to start. Do you have any advice for them? I always remember my favourite quote: “Everything is difficult before it’s easy.” A lot of times, we fear change because it is unfamiliar. For example, when we go for our first driving test, it’s scary. After we pass, driving becomes normal. It’s something I kept in mind as I tried implementing technology in class. To experience our game-based learning app, FrogAcademy, hop in at www.frogasia.com/frogacademy.

The students are more engaged when games are used during class. They aren’t wasting their time being distracted or distracting others. Points and rewards motivates students too. One of my students even attempted an exercise 49 times during the school holidays as she was trying to get a perfect score, which she eventually achieved!

“One of my students who used to ponteng (skip) school a lot messaged me out of the blue and said, “Cikgu, sekarang saya suka Maths.”

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What does it take to be a changemaker? We asked several prominent individuals who are making waves of change in their various spheres of influence one simple question: “What does it take to be a changemaker?” Here’s what they shared with us, to inspire you to make a difference in your own way!

“Change requires the energy which comes from wanting something which is bigger and beyond the immediate and individual experience. Changemakers trade in hope!” // Alistair Smith, Education Director at Frog Education and one of the UK’s leading thinkers in modern learning methods

“To be a changemaker you have to adopt the qualities of a lifelong learner: Passionate, Bold, Troublemaker, Experimental, Fearless, Curious, Joyful - all along living your message and knowing your audience.” // Dr Alice Wilder, Educational advisor, producer and writer for Amazon Kids, Nick Jr., Cartoon Network Project

“Passion, a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude and grit.” // Julia Immonen, Founder of Sport For Freedom and world-record athlete

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“Consistent drive, creativity, passion, and enduring patience. A Changemaker should also have the ability to customise and localise.” // Azura bt Yusof, Counseling Teacher of Sekolah Seri Puteri Selangor

“A good Changemaker is someone who can change paradigms and move walls with just a smile and a few good words.” // Normahani Jamaluddin, Frog Admin Teacher of SMK Majakir

“Ask what has worked in your organisation – and focus on doing more of that." // George Aveling, Owner of TMI Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a company that focuses on solutions to implementing change in organisations

“A Changemaker is anyone that refuses to accept the current status. Changemakers are progressive, radical, stubborn and blessed with an abundance of curiosity.” // Damian Tate, Head of Training at FrogAsia

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At A Glance ... Fi r s t i n t h e w or l d to c on nect a n at i on on o n e p l at for m

Creating opportunities for national and international learning experiences

Inspiring M a l ays i a n s to care about social issues and community

C e l e b r at i ng and i n v e s t i n g in t e ac h e r s

Spreading inspiration through world-class thought leaders

Provid ing acces s t o q u a lit y lea rning mat eria l o n o ne plat f o rm

Pa rt ne r i ng w it h o ther s t o d ri v e ed u cati on f o rwa r ds

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This Christmas

Give the gift of learning Need some holiday gift ideas? We’ve got you covered!

FrogAcademy

FrogAcademy Question Banks - RM 3+

2015 is just around the corner. Why not get your child some FrogAcademy question banks from Malaysia’s leading publishers including Pelangi, Oxford Fajar and Focus A, just in time for school next year?

Frog Avatar thumbdrives (4GB) - RM 40 These limited-edition, Frog Avatar thumbdrives will make unique gifts for unique people.

Literacy Planet yearly membership - RM 90

Help your children or students improve their English while having fun! This game-based learning app is the best of both worlds in one package.

Perfect!

Frog Avatar Motivational Stickers - RM 3

These colourful, encouraging stickers are sure to make a student’s day brighter and keep them on the path of learning.

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Available on the

Hop in at www.frogasia.com

Samsung 4G Chromebook - RM 1,299 (device only) or RM 988 (device + plan) Get a Samsung 4G Chromebook, the lightweight, portable mobile computing device, for maximum squeals of delight!

Yes Go 4G Dongle - RM 99

With theYes Go 4G Dongle, you can connect to the speedy 4G network to learn, anytime, anywhere!

Merry Christmas!

I just thought… That you deserved a gift! Enjoy From:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

You are such a top performer! You’ve been amazing this year! Good job!

GIFt TAGS!

Instructions: Cut out and attach to your presents. Smile as you give them away!

From:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

A+

You’re a future superhero!

Shooting star student!

You’re like my Mini me!

You get an A… plus! :)

Thanks for not giving up!

You’re gonna go far and travel places!

Smart, hardworking and funny, like me!

Thanks for putting in extra effort!

From:

From:

From: From: From:

From:

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Make this tasty treat at home by following the simple steps below:

Ingredients 1/2 cup 1/2 cup 4 230gm 280gm 1/4 cup 1 (9-inch)

e

ad m e m

Makes one 9-inch quiche

h c a n spi he quic

Ho

Light mayonnaise Milk Eggs, lightly beaten Cheddar cheese, grated

(grate your own or buy ready-grated from the supermarket)

Chopped fresh spinach (about 6 cups) or 10 oz frozen spinach Chopped onion Unbaked pastry or pie shell (found in

supermarkets)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). 2. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the pastry shell on the tray. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and milk until smooth. 4. Whisk in eggs. 5. Mix in spinach, cheese, and onion. 6. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell. 7. Cover the whole quiche with foil. 8. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil cover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is set. 9. Enjoy!

Unwind

PREP 20 mins

24

COOK 1 hr

READY IN 1 hr 20 mins

Café

For more d the Unw elicious bites, vis in Knowle d Café at the L it dge Con eaps of fe Proceed rence! s from t he Unw go to ch ind Café arity


S P E C I A L F E AT U R E : What you can experience at the Leaps of Knowledge Conference 2014

“Keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths,” said the famous dream-builder and changemaker, Walt Disney. So to help you on your journey of discovery and satisfy your hunger for more knowledge, we’ve compiled six of the best places that a curious learner like you would love to explore! DON’T MISS OUT - EXPERIENCE ALL THESE AND MORE, ONLY AT THE LEAPS OF KNOWLEDGE CONFERENCE 2014.

1

FrogStore

The online education store, the FrogStore, is brought to life as a pop-up store at our conference! For one day only, visit our store to explore content from our world-class partners such as Oxford Fajar, IMAX, WWF, Pelangi, Prudential and many more. Come and browse, read and listen to our library of audiobooks and eBooks at the Discover Corner! Get the latest digital teaching resources and education packs that are set to equip any 21st century teacher for the classroom and beyond at the Teacher’s Desk. Finally, experience Anytime, Anywhere Learning with game-based approaches such as Word Mania, proven to excite students and improve their vocabulary, and FrogAcademy, our new game-based revision app which helps parents and educators monitor students’ performance, while helping students perform better!

FROG CLASSROOM

Frog Classroom

2

Step into the classroom of the future, designed to stimulate curiosity, wonder and a desire to learn, modelled after a real-life Frog Classroom in SMK Puchong! Catch a 15-minute lesson by SMK Puchong teachers and speak to them and their students to hear firsthand what a difference a great learning environment makes.

The Frog Pad 3 Need some help with Frog? Curious to know how other schools have been implementing technology? The Frog Pad is the place where you can ask any and all the questions you have. Don’t forget to leave a handwritten sticky note on the Frog Pad wall telling us what you love about Frog!

6

MUST-VISIT PLACES FOR THE

CURIOUS LEARNER [ BY SARAH LIM ]

#ForFreedom Booths 4 After attending our Leaps of Knowledge Talk with Julia Immonen earlier this year, several schools were inspired to run their own #ForFreedom projects designed to raise awareness about inequality and injustice that take place in various forms. Here, you have the opportunity to find out how schools are making a difference #ForFreedom. The Google Street View car 5 Never misses a prime location, and this includes the Leaps of Knowledge Conference! Here’s the chance for all you technophiles to see, touch and take selfies with this hi-tech car right here at the Majestic Hotel.

w Car

treet Vie Google S

Unwind Café 6 We know how hungry you might get with all this traveling and discovering new places! The Unwind Café is the perfect place to fuel up and recharge. Proceeds from food and drinks bought here are be channelled towards charity (in support of Sport For Freedom). Have a great journey!

25


1

Collaborate and Learn Classroom seating arrangements have not changed for hundreds of years. Break this tradition by gathering tables together to let students collaborate! This creates an engaging, horizontal learning environment where students can work out lesson problems together.

FROG FUTURE CLASSROOMS! Say goodbye to blank faces and yawning students! The future of the Malaysian classroom is closer than you think! Here are five things that you can try out in your own classroom. [ BY JOSEPH WONG ]

2

Story Wall

3

Fill up empty white walls with valuable messages and posters! This classroom ‘Pinterest’ wall can work wonders for brightening classrooms and creating warm, encouraging spaces for students.

4 26

Project Displays Section areas off in your class where your students can store and display project that they’re proud of. When students get a chance to show off their work, it can give them the sense of validation and support that’s so important in education.

Voice Out Zone Voicing out personal opinions in a large classroom can be daunting or scary for some students. Create a board where students can pin or stick their thoughts about the day! It’s helpful for teacher feedback and gives a space for student self-expression.

5

Personalized Learning Environments Students that have their Frog VLE accounts can have a dashboard where they can curate their own study materials and personalise their own learning space. Cultivating these habits can create self-motivated learners.


Discover the new FrogAcademy Who knew learning could be this fun and rewarding?

Unique Avatars! A fun way for students to express themselves. Unlock more parts by using FrogAcademy!

Motivational Mini-Games Keep learners engaged when revising with in-between mini-games! Games are optional and can be turned off by teachers and parents.

Experience the benefits of digital learning

DISCOVER THE NEW

Automatic Self-Marking System Questions are marked automatically, saving teachers and parents time and effort while giving quick feedback to students as well!

FrogAcademy

Mapped to the National Curriculum Our question banks are sourced from local publishers including Pelangi, Oxford Fajar and Focus A, and are mapped to the local syllabus.

What are you waiting for? Hop in at www.frogasia.com/frogacademy to find out more!

27


SEE YOU AT

#LEAPS15

Pre-register now for a

50% discount code bit.ly/leaps15


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