An introduction of Science Knowledge and SKillS

What It Is?
Generally, science is a discipline that related directly with our daily life.  It is not a separated knowledge.  It emphasizes on gaining experiences, knowledge and skills with systematically.

As other country do, Malaysia Science Curriculum also emphasizing in foundation of basic skills and then basic skills.  There are six basic process skills which introduced at the early age of kids.  The skills are:

a. Observing

b. Communication

c. Classification

d. Measurement

e. Inference

f. Prediction.

These skills are systematically planned and arranged regarding on the ability of kid's age.  

What will be next?
After the kids are able to master the six basic process skills, then they will introduce and emphasize on five basic manipulative skills which are as following.

Definition : Psycho motor skills that enable us to carry out practical works in science. It involves the development of hand-eye coordination

1. Use and handle science apparatus and substances
To know which appropriate instrument to use in certain situation and know how to read the scale on the instrument that is being used

2. Handle specimens correctly and carefully
Plants
- Take only necessary plants to the lab
- Return specimens to its original place
- Do not handle poisonous plants
Animals
- Place small animals in petri dishes
- If still alive, release them

3. Drawing specimens ,apparatus
Guidelines in drawing :
Use pencil and unlined paper
Draw it large so that important details can be seen easily
Draw on the left side, labels on the right side
Labels one under the other
Use ruler to draw lines for labeling, do not cross line
No shade or colour
Title at the top

4. Cleaning science apparatus
*Clean all apparatus properly and carefully
*Make sure the right cleaning method
*For extra dirty glassware, soak overnight
*Clean and dry all apparatus before storing

5. Storing science apparatus
*Return all apparatus to its original location
*Make sure all apparatus are dry before storing
*Follow storing procedures

Hence, as an educator, we must realize and should know what are needed by our kids.

References:

Bahagian Pendidikan Kurikulum Malaysia, http://www. moe.gov.my/bpk

Longwood-Teaching The Science Process Skills: http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/images/sec6.processskills.pdf

Sharifah, Alam Sains: Manipulative Skills: http://alamsains.blogspot.com/2009/10/manipulative-skills.html

A little Hope Is A Big Motivation

What do you know?

According to Deborah Stipek, the education dean at Stanford University and an expert on motivation, points to the importance of what happens to youngsters in the very earliest grades—kindergarten and first grade—in affecting everything that comes later. Their experiences can “put them on a pathway that becomes increasingly difficult to change” and can have “serious and lifelong implications” for motivation.

While in a web of Motivating Pupils Tips for Probationer Teacher Scotland mentioned that One of the biggest challenges in teaching is motivating your pupils. Motivation has an impact on your lessons, discipline, In the classroom, stress levels and on pupil results. By understanding the causes of a lack of motivation you can start to read the signs at an early stage. Here are some ideas to turn you into a good motivator...

It was proven that motivation is an important element in education and it is just like a big motivation for someone.

My Journey Experience

Through my real experience as a classroom teacher and teaching experience, I can view how importance was a motivation to my pupils.  Even it is just a small hope that we give them (my pupils) such as a hope of a teacher for his/her pupils to become a good pupils, it seems to be something very important to them and at the same time it become some kind motivation.  It able to change their attitude little by little. 

I was very happy and grateful when I knew that just little hope able to motivate them. 

While as a teacher, we must realize that we must patience with the positive changes because it is absolutely will take time.  A part from that, we are part of our pupils motivator instead of their own parents at home. 

A motivation that given by teacher will give a great impact to his/her pupils.

Some research

Researchers go so far as to claim that “much of the effectiveness of early childhood interventions comes from boosting non-cognitive skills and fostering motivation.” These same researchers call these traits self-reinforcing, asserting that self-control and emotional security, for example, may bolster intellectual curiosity and promote more vigorous learning.

Paper 1: Motivation predicts children’s attainment over and above cognitive skills
Helen St Clair-Thompson, University of Hull  

The results show that both cognitive and motivational factors are important in determining learning. They support previous suggestions that motivation is one of the most important psychological concepts in education, and also suggest that there may be benefits of combining research into cognitive and motivational influences on children’s attainment. 

References:

Conference Proceeding:2011 BPS Annual Conference

Helen St Clair-Thompson (2011), University of Hull 

http://abstracts.bps.org.uk/index.cfm?&ResultsType=Abstracts&ResultSet_ID=6827&FormDisplayMode=view&frmShowSelected=true&localAction=details

How to motivate children

http://www.7diasderap.com/2012/07/how-to-motivate-children-2/

Motivating Pupils Tips for Probationer Teacher Scotland

http://www.probationerteacherscotland.org.uk/hints-and-tips/View/966.aspx

...EDUCATION MALAYSIA...

 Malaysia is a country which located in the East of Asia.  Until 2011, there are 28.86 of Malaysian citizen which represented by multiple ethnic.  Hence, education is a vital part and focused by the Malaysia's government in order to keep all the ethics live in harmony and peacefully.  Hence, in 1988 The Education Philosophy had been proposed by the Ministry of Education to strengthen the quality of Education in Malaysia.

THE MALAYSIAN EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY 

"Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large”.  

Ministry of Education, Malaysia. 1988

Over the last 56 years or so (until 2013), Malaysia’s national education policy has been changed many times. It was first changed when the Razak Report 1956 and the Education Ordinance 1957 which was dubbed the ‘Consolidation Era’ were introduced and the most recent one was the introduction of the New Education Policy (the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2012-2025) which was approved by the Cabinet on January 30, 2013. 

That changes also can be seen clearly in the perspectives of the curriculum that have been done and introduced for the Malaysia Primary Education since after Tanah Melayu gained it freedom on 1957.  After Tanah Melayu gained it freedom, The Old Curriculum Primary School (KLSR) was introduced.  After a few year of implementation and through the research that have been done, the KLSR was revised and so The Integrated Primary School Curriculum(KBSR) was introduced to replace and improve the curriculum that introduced for the Malaysian Primary School.

After few years of KBSR implementation and introduced into Primary School. On 2010, KBSR was again have been revised and improved on its quality and content.  Therefore, the introduction of Standard Curriculum For Primary School was implemented on 2010 start with Year 1.  While the Year 2 until Year 6 still continue with the KBSR until they finish they primary school.

As a conclusion, it is just a simple summarize of the changes that occur in our Malaysian Primary School Curriculum.  For further details of the curriculum in Malaysia can be done on http://www.moe.gov.my/bpk/v2/index.php

Regards,

NMD

... Just A Minute...

Human NATURE

it is the nature of most human being dislike to wait... 

Everything must be fast and achieve its objective in a target time...

Even while someone is driving car, riding motorcycle, walking and etc...

In class, teacher keep on pushing some pupils to know in such a limit time ...

Parents at home which hope their children can change the attitudes and become someone they wish...

BUT...

have you stop just a minute by doing that and think of this???

 

 

while you drive, riding or walking... 

You stop just a minute or less at the traffic light or at the junction of the road.. 

Make sure everything is fine and safe before you continue the journey...

Because of a minute...

YOU ALREADY TRY YOUR BEST TO AVOID FROM ANY ACCIDENT!!!

a teacher give him or herself a minute...

Relax and think that every single pupils that he or she has different 

But unique... 

So give the pupils time to learn... do it continuously..

Because of a minute...
YOU HAVE BEEN SUCCEED TO TEACH YOUR PUPILS TO BECOME A PERSON

A parent also need to give a minute of time for themselves to think

Do not lost temper as you still can control yourself in just a minute...

Motivate and courage your children...

Then YOU WILL SEE THE DIFFERENT..

JUST BECAUSE OF A MINUTE...

apart from that, there a many other things that we need to take a short rest and think just for a minute.. Be patience is the main key of living a good + meaningful life...

TRY TO GIVE OURSELVES JUST A MINUTE!!!

Regards,

NMD

 

...Decide WHAT YOU FEEL Today...

WHAT???

Actually, when talk about a feeling... 

Sometimes, it can be too complicated to explain and can be too simple to express ...

Everything was start from how we look ourselves in a day...

If we look ourselves have a great day...

A blooming of happiness will keep around us... 

We will feel GREAT...

If we feel SUCKS...

Everything seems not alright... 

Turning up and down with everything...

Dark side of the feeling....

do you realize or know about a thing???

...actually WE OURSELVES CAN DECIDE WHAT WE FEEL...

if YOU WISH TO BE HAPPY... 

just say IT OUT sincerely to yourself...

I AM HAPPY...SET IT IN YOUR MIND...!!!

vice versa to the contradict of the feeling...

so... YOU GAIN WHAT YOU HAVE DECIDE...

Regards,

NMD

...You and Me are Same But Totally Different...

...even though we as a human being have SAME basic needs such as air, water, food and protection...etc

BUT 

we need to keep in our mind that everyone is unique....

therefore,

WE ARE THE SAME BUT TOTALLY DIFFERENT..

we have our own way of thinking...

we have our own ability...

we have our own perspective...wish and etc..

IN THE END...

we are who we are...SAME BUT DIFFERENT...

so do accept the people around us as they are...because...THEY ARE UNIQUE...

Regards,

NICK

...An Advice Is A Reminder to Oneself...

...sometimes we keep on giving tips and advices to someone...

which we feel we have been expert in a certain area due to knowledge and experiences that we have...

...yeah, that is right for someone to give advices to someone needed...and of course it is a good did when it is done properly...

...actually... when we reflect back what we said to the other, actually it is also as a reminder for ourselves...

...if the bad one...do not repeat it again...if the good one...keep it up...

Regards,

NMD

...An Action: 2C Will Bring Another EM...

It Is NOT an Electric Formula

 

It is not a story about an electric topic and formula... Which are 2C is not refer to 2 Coulomb and do also to EM  is not Electromotive Force... But it do have a relationship to each other and it is more related with our routine education approach...

What is 2C and EM??

It is just another formula for me (lol...) 2C is more refer to CARING AND CONCERN... and EM is refer to ENCOURAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION. It sounds childish but it do brings thousand of perspectives to the people around us.

Just a little bit concern and a caring way of act will bring another episode a story in our life diaries.  Without we knowing it, it will also give another encouragement and motivation to the people around us.  

Another Experienced...

So do I am, I experienced it without knowing it much at first. I started to realize it when I saw my pupils started to show some changes with their attitudes.  My daily routine, I will have a short conversation with my pupils such as by asking them how is their feeling, what do they like and what is the unique things that they know about their friends and etc.  Through that every short conversation, my pupils will easily share their story with me and it was interesting for me.  I listen to every single story that they told me and give them suitable respond.  And more over, I able to understand my pupils well through the story that they shared.  They are very unique to me...and much special...

But how and when is encouragement and motivation come?? Yeah, without I noticed it, my pupils started to do the homework that other teachers and I give. They love to ask me questions even though at the same time they keep on complaining about the hardship of learning on certain things such as fraction for mathematics etc.... And like always, I will try my best to give them the positive responds. Yeah, without knowing that action actually started to motivate my pupils and give some encouragement to them on gaining some knowledge.  At the same point, it was also trained them to be more patience and enjoy the experienced that they have, so do I am too. I learned from them. Thanks for my loving pupils.  It was a great experience even though it will took a longer time for them to be someone better than today...

A Hope...

As one of their teacher, of course I hope they will be someone great in future.  They are such a unique and adorable kids to me...Thanks God for giving me chance to know and learn from them.

Regards,

NMD

...AN ACT: THE MAGIC OF A SMILE...

AN ACT

It is just a point of view, for me an act is a decision that we made in life... 

Whether it is a small action or big action, yet it is all the same which at the end we will get some result out of it... The result is depending on the act that we take...

A Story Of Me...

At first I did not much realize that an act that I do will bring me to another page of life... Until one day, one of my pupils mentioned a thing to me.  

He asked me, " Teacher, why you always smile in class?" 

So I replied him, "We must enjoy our lives and be happy to learn a new thing everyday in school. And also smiling is good for health...hahaha.."

Then I asked him back, "Why you ask me like that?" I was curious to know his reason for asking that question.

He answered, " Nothing much... but we do feel good when saw you smile to us..hehehe and we wish you teach here longer.."

Starting for that day, I wondered why they love to share their life stories with me. Even though I just started teaching there around a month.  Yeah, that was wonderful for me... From there, I could get closer with my pupils easier and faster.  It is just because of a smile...and act which naturally happened...  I hope this good starting will everlasting and keep going on better...

The Magic of a Smile..

Regards, 

NMD