GURU PENCETUS LEGASI PENDIDIKAN
ms 5
Google Hangouts Storytelling and Poem Recital Competition
pg 11
ms 7
Pencalonan untuk 1BN Teacher Awards kini dibuka!
APRIL 2015
T H E L I LY PA D # 5
W W W. F R O G A S I A . C O M
pg 15
BUILDING CONFIDENCE THROUGH Language
CONTENTS 3
A note from our Director
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Dear FrogAsia... We love hearing from you!
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Guru Pencetus Legasi Pendidikan 1BestariNet Teacher Awards
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Teacher Awards Poster
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Kolaborasi tanpa sempadan SJK(T) Ladang Glenealy memanfaatkan teknologi dalam Pertandingan Bercerita dan Membaca Puisi
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A Shout out to Superstars
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Splash: Student’s Pull-out
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Call me, maybe? Learn the science of sound with art and craft!
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Oh, for the love of language! Challenge yourself with these tricky tongue-twisters
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Get inspired: Three men who overcame speech struggles
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Parent opinion piece Sarah T. wonders if children today can still master the art of speaking well
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Social Media: Then vs. Now (infographic)
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This Month’s Picks
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Extra ‘Cool’riculum
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16 10
24
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CRE DI TS Editorial
Sarah Lim | Esther Dharshini | Joseph Wong | Ramziah Razak | Victor Lau
Cover Photo
Sharifah Nabilah Alhadad
Design And Art
Kelvin Ng | Nor Zamillia | Victor Lau | Sharifah Nabilah Alhadad
Featured
Normie Azura Abdul Jamil | Azrina Ibrahim | Tasaratha Rajan Anamalai Sharmini Ravi
It is with great pleasure that I announce that nominations for the 1BestariNet Teacher Awards are now open! Formerly known as the Frog Teacher Awards, the 1BestariNet Teacher Awards is brought to you by Ministry of Education, supported by FrogAsia and YTL Foundation. It symbolises the commitment we have in honouring the individuals who have dedicated their lives to shaping and impacting the next generation of Malaysians. You, me or somebody we know, will know of at least one teacher who has left a lasting impact on our lives. To Dr. Narasimman Sathiamurthy, Mr. Rajendra A/L Veluppillai is that teacher. This story is one that will tug at your heartstrings. Don’t miss out, watch the video HERE.
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This April, we are also celebrating World Book Month, a month long extension of World Book Day. At FrogAsia, we believe there is a need for students to express themselves clearly and concisely, in order to communicate effectively their thoughts and ideas. Through the introduction of literary workshops this month, students will be learning from experts like Sheena Baharudin and Quek Sue Yian to better express themselves. We are excited that we have the opportunity to partner with these experts, through the use of technology, to help students grow. However, we’re not doing this on our own. Did you know that there are many teachers across Malaysia who are already using technology for the same purpose? Recently, teachers from three different schools conducted an Inter-School Storytelling and Poem Recital Competition online with the joint goal of building their students’ confidence in their command of a language. You will read about what a difference it has made, particularly in the eyes of the student who emerged as the champion in this competition. These teachers and many more do so much, day in and day out, and they deserve recognition. Therefore, we at FrogAsia would love to encourage all of you students, teachers and parents to nominate your teachers on our website HERE today. Do join us as we celebrate and acknowledge these amazing everyday heroes, whose actions, big or small, reverberate throughout the future generations to come.
God bless,
Lou Yeoh Executive Director
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Dear FrogAsia... Hello there, reader!
We love getting e-mail and feedback from you! If you would like your suggestions and letters to be featured, write to us at hello@frogasia.com, Tweet us at @FrogAsia, or drop us a message on Facebook!
In Our Mailbox GOOGLE FROG CONNECTED CLASSROOMS 我们的好朋友FrogAsia伙伴们，爱“鼠”你们了 ！ 好开心看见你们也来参与我们！我相信在这新 的一 年里，你们将带领我们走向更加创新的科技教 育领 域！感恩！让我们一起继续努力！ Our good friends at FrogAsia, we love you all ! So happy to see that you also came and joined us for our Google Hangouts Yee Sang celebration! I believe that in this new year, you will lead us towards more innov ative areas of science and technology in education! Thanks! Let us continue to work together! // Tan Shin Yee (Teacher)
Watch the
Yee Sang Google Hangouts
inviting me to the Thank you so much for Conference. I met Leaps of Knowledge sting people and it many great and intere er to me what a great was really an eye open also managed to keep world we live in. I had e amazing people I contact with one of th ge Aveling, the met that day, Mr Geor p opposite of us. speaker in the worksho o
// Samuel Chau Jun Ha
here!
PA K E J P I B G
INING
RA SEAMEO T
d will aptable an d a ly si a e ssary LE) is other nece d n a (The Frog V n la p n essment my lesso s well as ass incorporate a s e rc u so re. ideo re in near futu s audio and v ie it v ti c a lassroom to run my c // Dr. Anna
WEBINAR PA
KEJ PIBG
Tahniah dan sy abas atas peng anjuran slot ke webinar Pakej -6 PIBG ini! Terim a kasih atas maklumat dan info yang man tap! // Amir Alias Tontoni
Webinar Pakej PIBG di sini 4
GURU PENCETUS LEGASI PENDIDIKAN [ Oleh Victor Lau dan Ramziah Abdul Razak ]
1BestariNet Awards, dahulunya dikenali sebagai Frog Teacher Awards kini kembali! Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia bersama FrogAsia dengan bangganya mempersembahkan anugerah tahunan yang mengiktiraf usaha-usaha guru dalam membudayakan ICT di sekolah di seluruh Malaysia. Cikgu Normie Azura bt. Abdul Jalil merupakan salah satu penerima anugerah tersebut pada tahun lepas. Ikuti temu bual kami bersamanya!
C I KG U
Normie Azura bt Abdul Jamil dianugerahkan “Best Use of Frog for Extra Co-Curricular Activities� kerana inisiatif beliau dalam menggunakan Frog VLE dan teknologi bagi memudahkan proses pentadbiran serta urusan aktiviti ko-kurikulum di sekolahnya.
Apakah perasaan Cikgu Normie selepas dicalonkan? Semasa mula-mula mengajar di sini, matlamat utama saya ialah untuk memantapkan penggunaan VLE di sekolah ini, seperti yang saya berjaya lakukan di sekolah terdahulu. Saya tidak langsung memikirkan tentang anugerah ini. Ia bukan matlamat utama saya. Apabila diberitahu tentang kemenangan ini, saya berasa terharu dan ia menaikkan semangat saya untuk terus memantapkan lagi penggunaan Frog di sekolah ini. Saya juga berbangga kerana anugerah ini turut menaikkan nama sekolah kami!
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Apakah usaha-usaha atau inisiatif cikgu sehingga membolehkan cikgu dicalonkan untuk anugerah ini? Apakah impak usaha-usaha tersebut? Pada mulanya, saya ditugaskan oleh Guru Penolong Kanan sekolah untuk mengemaskini rekod pelajar untuk aktiviti kokurikulum. Saya meminta guru-guru memasukkan data pelajar dan mengumpulkan data untuk dikongsi dengan guru-guru lain. Dengan cara ini, kami boleh mengesan pelajar yang mendaftar dan pelajar yang tidak mendaftar. Pada tahun 2015 pula, kami mengadakan pendaftaran pelajar untuk aktiviti kokurikulum sepenuhnya melalui Frog. Untuk memastikan guru-guru mahir menggunakan Frog, saya mengadakan bengkel menggunakan Frog pada bulan Januari untuk guru-guru selepas waktu sekolah sehingga pukul 6 petang. Setelah mendapat anugerah ini, bagaimanakah ia membantu pengajaran cikgu di dalam kelas? Secara jujurnya, ia memberi saya motivasi untuk meneruskan usaha saya! Bagi saya, adalah penting untuk saya terus membuktikan kepada semua bahawa saya benar-benar layak menerima anugerah tersebut. Tapi ia bukannya satu beban! Pelajar dan guru lain juga berbangga dengan pencapaian saya dan lebih bersemangat untuk menggunakan Frog. Ia memberi impak positif kepada sekolah kami!
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C I KG U
Azrina bt Ibrahim mencalonkan Cikgu Normie kerana beliau percaya rakan setugasnya itu wajar diberikan penghargaan di atas komitmen dan kerja kerasnya dalam menerapkan penggunaan Frog VLE di SMK Raja Abdullah.
Mengapakah Cikgu Azrina mencalonkan Cikgu Normie? Semenjak kemasukannya ke sekolah ini, banyak perubahan yang telah beliau lakukan, terutamanya untuk ICT. Kami tidak perlu lagi mencetak dan mengisi borang - atas usaha Cikgu Normie, semuanya dilakukan atas talian!
Pada pendapat Cikgu, betapa pentingkah penghargaan terhadap usaha guru-guru? Kami guru-guru tidak mengharapkan sebarang balasan. Bekerja lebih masa, membuat kelas tambahan; semua ini kami lakukan dengan penuh ikhlas untuk pelajar-pelajar kami. Namun begitu, sokongan moral dari semua pihak amat penting agar kami akan terus bersemangat!
Beliau juga dengan penuh sabar menunjukkan cara menggunakan Frog kepada guru-guru di sini. Cikgu Normie menyakinkan kami bahawa Frog mudah digunakan dan mampu meringankan tugas kami. Walaupun kebanyakan guru tidak mahir menggunakan teknologi dan kerap bertanyakan soalan, Cikgu Normie dengan sabar menjawab soalan-soalan kami. Beliau kerap mengadakan bengkel menggunakan Frog selepas waktu sekolah.
Pada pendapat Cikgu, bagaimanakah anugerah ini akan membantu memajukan pendidikan negara ini? Apabila anugerah seperti ini diadakan, ia akan menggalakkan para guru untuk turut mencuba menggunakan teknologi. Kepelbagaian kategori dalam anugerah ini turut membolehkan guru-guru untuk mencuba pelbagai kaedah lain dalam menggunakan Frog. Lebih ramai guru boleh bertanding kerana terdapat banyak anugerah berbeza untuk setiap guru!
Bagaimana perasaan Cikgu apabila mengetahui bahawa Cikgu Normie telah menerima anugerah “Best Use of Frog for Extra Co-Curricular Activities?� Saya rasa bangga kerana kemenangan Cikgu Normie turut menaikkan nama sekolah kami. Ia ibarat penghargaan untuk semua kerja kerasnya selama ini. Cikgu-cikgu lain juga lebih bermotivasi untuk mengajar menggunakan teknologi disebabkan penghargaan ini.
ANDA JUGA! U R U G N A K N O L CA N Teacher Awards Pencalonan untuk 1B kini dibuka! hargaan kepada Ayuh kita berikan peng . guru hebat di luar sana
Klik di sini > 7
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TEACHERS: EVERYDAY HEROES.
The Unsung Hero
Click here to watch this inspiring video The Success Story
Mr Rajendra is an example of a teacher that became an everyday hero to Nara, a boy from Teluk Intan. He saw the potential in Nara, and that was all it took to spur Mr Rajendra into action.
Do you know an individual or teacher like Mr Rajendra that deserves to be appreciated?
Share this video and tag your hero with the hashtag
#tagyourhero And nominate them for the 1BestariNet Teacher Awards at www.1bnteacherawards.com
Visit ytlfoundation.com/aboyfromtelukintan
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WORLD BOOK MONTH HELP STUDENTS
BUILD
CONFIDENCE WITH ENGLISH
World Book Day is held internationally on the 23rd of April to raise literacy levels in individuals. Throughout the month of April, FrogAsia is scaling up English literacy through technology by hosting World Book Month. We’re celebrating the month with a series of Frog Connected Classrooms workshops, hosted on Google Hangouts designed to give your students the confidence in their command of the English language.
CLICK HERE > to sign up
Sheena Baharudin
Quek Sue Yian
SPOKEN WORD
C R E AT I V E S T O R Y W R I T I N G
Sheena Baharudin is a cross-Causeway veteran spoken word poet who’s readyto teach your students the expressive power of poetry.
Quek Sue Yian is a prize winning children’s book author who wants to lead your students on a story creating adventure.
Register your students today!
Register your students today!
CLICK HERE > to sign up
SCRAPBOOK SITES WEBINAR Build Scrapbook Sites for your student to journal their experiences in the workshops above. Once the workshop finishes, you’ll be able to submit the complete Scrapbook Sites to stand a chance to win prizes for your school!
CHECK OUT OUR
WORLD BOOK MONTH WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION HERE
TAKE ME TO THE WORLD BOOK MONTH WEBSITE
MAGICBIRD PUBLISHING
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KOLABORASI
TANPA SEMPADAN [ Oleh Ramziah Abdul Razak ] SJK(T) Ladang Glenealy memanfaatkan teknologi dalam Pertandingan Bercerita dan Membaca Puisi melalui Google Hangouts
Kadangkala kami perlu meminjam bas dari sekolah lain untuk ke daerah yang jauh, tetapi kini kami ada pilihan lain, iaitu
berkolaborasi MELALUI INTERNET.
Pertandingan Bercerita dan Membaca Puisi yang diadakan pada November tahun lepas turut disertai dua sekolah lain, iaitu SJK(T) Ladang Sg. Muar dan SJK(T) Ladang Mount Austin di Johor. Menggunakan Google Hangouts, peserta hanya perlu mempersembahkan puisi dan cerita di hadapan komputer riba di kelas mereka, tanpa perlu pergi ke mana-mana lokasi tertentu. Ibarat pertandingan maya, pelajar lain turut dapat menyaksikan pertandingan ini melalui skrin LCD yang digunakan oleh guru mereka. Seramai enam orang pelajar menyertai pertandingan tersebut dan mereka diadili melalui lenggok bahasa dan persembahan yang menarik. Seminggu sebelumnya, guru ICT SJK(T) Ladang Glenealy, En. Tasaratha Rajan A/L Anamalai yang selesa dipanggil Cikgu Tasa, bertungkus lumus
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melatih pelajarnya, Sharmini A/P Ravi membaca puisi. Puisi bertajuk ‘Indahnya Bahasa Tamil’ dipilih dan Sharmini berjaya menyampaikan puisi tersebut dengan jayanya. Maka tidak memeranjatkan apabila Sharmini diumumkan sebagai pemenang. Acara bercerita pula dimenangi oleh Tamilarese A/P Sivakumar dari SJK(T) Ladang Sg. Muar, Johor. SJK(T) Ladang Glenealy yang mempunyai 32 orang pelajar dan 11 orang guru tidak menjadikan kekurangan fasiliti sebagai alasan untuk mengetepikan bakat pelajarnya. Menurut Cikgu Tasa, “Kadangkala kami perlu meminjam bas dari sekolah lain untuk ke daerah yang jauh, tetapi kini kami ada pilihan lain, iaitu berkolaborasi melalui internet.” Terletak di tengah-tengah ladang kelapa sawit, sekolah yang bersaiz seperti dua rumah teres ini aktif mengadakan pertandingan bahas, bercerita, berpantun dan banyak lagi. “Kami bercadang ingin menyertai lebih
Mereka lebih yakin apabila
BERKOMUNIKASI dan tidak takut untuk meluahkan pendapat.
banyak pertandingan melalui Google Hangouts dan Frog VLE. Ia menjimatkan masa dan mudah digunakan,” ujarnya lagi. Cikgu Tasa melihat banyak perubahan dalam diri pelajarnya selepas menyertai pertandingan- pertandingan tersebut. “Mereka lebih yakin apabila berkomunikasi dan tidak takut untuk meluahkan pendapat.” Baginya, aktiviti seumpama ini penting kerana pelajar tidaklah terperuk di dalam kelas sahaja. “Banyak cara boleh diusahakan agar setiap pelajar boleh turut serta, dan Frog VLE ternyata sangat membantu kami, ” ujarnya. Frog VLE turut menjadi pilihan utamanya untuk urusan pentadbiran dan mencari maklumat untuk subjek Matematik dan Teknologi Maklumat (IT). Beliau juga selalu berkongsi dokumen dan maklumat dengan guru lain. “Teknologi ialah masa hadapan kita, tak mungkin kita dapat mengelaknya,” nasihat Cikgu Tasa kepada guru lain.
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Baginya, di peringkat permulaan pasti ada cabaran, tetapi mereka akan menyedari teknologi dicipta untuk memudahkan tugas mereka. “Kalau tidak cuba, mereka takkan tahu,” ujarnya lagi mengakhiri perbualan kami. Kami menghargai usaha Cikgu Tasa yang berterusan mencari alternatif terbaik demi kebaikan pelajarnya. Kerja keras dan komitmennya wajar dicontohi pendidik lain!
TEKNOLOGI ialah
masa hadapan
kita,
tak mungkin kita mampu mengelaknya.
Sharmini, Si Pemuitis Cilik
Kecil kecil cili padi, itulah Sharmini A/P Ravi. Agak pendiam, namun dia petah berbicara ketika menjawab soalan. Apabila ditanya tentang cita-citanya, dia pantas menjawab, “Saya ingin menjadi guru.” Sebaik sahaja pulang dari sekolah, pelajar tahun lima ini akan menyiapkan kerja rumahnya, dan dia akan berlatih selama satu jam. Selain Cikgu Tasa, Sharmini turut mendapat sokongan daripada ibu bapanya yang bekerja sebagai penoreh getah. Pada mulanya dia berasa gementar untuk beraksi di hadapan rakan sekelas, tetapi dia memberanikan diri untuk mencuba. Menurutnya, kini dia tidak lagi segan untuk berkomunikasi di hadapan orang ramai. Sharmini turut berkongsi, dia seronok dapat berkenalan dengan rakan-rakan baru melalui pertandingan tersebut. “Saya dapat ramai kawan baru melalui Frog VLE!” ujarnya. Tahniah Sharmini kerana memenangi acara berpuisi dalam pertandingan tersebut! Kami berharap lebih ramai pelajar dapat mencontohi kegigihan dan usaha kerasnya. Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih!
connected classrooms Segalanya mungkin dengan Frog Connected Classrooms (FCC) dan Google Hangouts. FCC merupakan siri webinar yang membolehkan pelajar berinteraksi dengan penceramah tentang topik seperti kerjaya dan tips ulangkaji. Tontoni siri webinar terdahulu melalui pautan di bawah
KLIK DI SINI >
untuk playlist YouTube
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A SHOUT OUT TO
SUPERSTARS
Recognising changemakers in schools and beyond
The greatest things often start with small beginnings and we know a few schools who are definitely on the right track. Here are our shout outs to some amazing people who are making a real difference for schools in Malaysia!
Puan Adilah Wahab Zahari
SMK(A) Sultan Azlan Shah, Perak For bringing eight students from SMKA Sultan Azlan Shah and SMK Sultan Yussuf to Program KANCIL, an event organised by KPerak Implementation & Coordination Corporation, in collaboration with Tutor Utusan Malaysia. The programme gave students from low income backgrounds the chance to experience a fun learning environment as well be motivated to use audio-visual elements in their studies. Pn. Adilah's students even facilitated a 2-hour session explaining how Frog Academy and Class Site modules work. Congratulations Pn. Adilah for your continuous effort in encouraging students to use Frog!
SMKA Baling, kEDAH SMK Sultan Badlisah, kEDAH SMK Tun Telanai, Terengganu Sekolah Seri Puteri Cyberjaya, Selangor Despite their busy schedules, teachers from these schools made the effort to plan their school programmes and lessons for their students. We salute these teachers for going beyond the call of duty to make sure that no students get left behind in using technology!
SMK Elopura Sandakan, Sabah For conducting a Frog workshop for Form 1 and Form 4 students during school holidays! New students were introduced to Frog and were given their IDs and passwords to ensure a smooth transfer from the previous school. A special shout out to the school’s Principal, Pn. Hajah Kalsom Abd. Aziz, Guru Penolong Kanan Kurikulum, Mr. Kwok Chee Yen and the school’s Frog Admin, Mr. Lau Chee Loong for taking their own initiative to conduct this training!
Anugerah Kecemerlangan Teknologi Pendidikan Negeri Selangor BEST USAGE OF VLE (PRIMARY)
SK Leftenan Adnan SJK(C) Sin Min SK Taman Putra Perdana
BEST USAGE OF VLE (SECONDARY)
SMK Cyberjaya SMK Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi SMK Assunta
Congratulations on your amazing achievement!
If you know a school or teacher who has done amazing things to help improve teaching and learning using technology, write to us at hello@frogasia.com or use the hashtag #frogsuperstars on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and we just might feature them in our magazine! 14
Call me, maybe? Learn the science of sound with art and craft!
Students!
Turn to
pg. 17
Turn to
Oh, for the love of language! Challenge yourself with these tricky tongue-twisters!
pg. 16 We want your ideas for Splash! Share them with us at hello@frogasia.com
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MAKE
YOUR
OWN
Paper Cup
Telephone Ever wondered how someone’s voice travels through the telephone?
Sound is made when a series of vibrations travel through the air. Our ears translate these vibrations as sound waves and our brain understands them as sound.
s
Step
1 Punch a hole at the bottom of each cup.
Here’s a really cool art and craft idea that helps you put this theory into action - a paper cup telephone! You can practice speaking clearly and listening carefully with this DIY device too.
2
things you need. . .
Plastic cup x 2
Pin
Scissors
Pass th
e string
through
the hole
.
String (2 metres)
Pull the string tight for the experiment to work!
Now it’s time to test it and see whether it works. Grab a friend and ta ke turns to speak and listen from each end!
3
4
.
ch end
ot at ea
Tie a kn
Repeat the abov e steps with another cu p using the sam e string.
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e v o l e h t r o f , h O ! e g a u g n a l f o
Limericks, tongue twisters, and funny riddles are the wonderful things in the English language that muddle our minds, tickle our tummies, and help us pronounce our words better! We think the best way to learn a new language is to simply have fun with it. Here we go!
A Li m er ic k
A Tong ue-t wist er
has a 5-line poem that is a humourous re are a He ’. of ‘a-a-b-b-a rhyming pattern . few classic ones
is a series of words often starting with the same letter, that are difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly. How fast can you say these tongue twisters corre ctly?
Lynn A young lady of g lady of Lynn, There was a youn mmonly thin Who was so unco sayed That when she es e To drink lemonad and fell in. w ra st e th h e slipped throug
The Woodchuck How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, And chuck as much as a woodchuck would If a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Sh
a flue A flea and a fly in could they do? t ha so w Were imprisoned, us flee!" Said the fly, "let the flea. "Let us fly!" said flue. ugh a flaw in the So they flew thro
Peter Piper Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
A R id d le
thinking in quires creative re at th n tio es ese out. is a qu correctly. Try th em th er sw an order to
Did you enjoy that? Keep improving your English by joining our virtual Spoken Word workshop this April!
ories?
st g has the most Q: What buildin A: A library
n and sticky Q: What is brow A: A Stick! ast?
eat for breakf can you never gs in th o tw t Q: Wha nner! A: Lunch and di
Click here to register >
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SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WHO
OVERCAME
Speech
IMPEDIMENTS! [ By Esther Dharshini ]
rd of the term Have you hea pe of uttering is a ty ‘stuttering’? St a person’s er that affects speech disord ever, you k clearly. How ability to spea three e it! Here are can overcom ame their le who overc famous peop ent on to iments and w speech imped gs! do great thin
Winston Churchill Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and also a Nobel prize winner. He is well known for giving inspiring speeches during World War II. Despite all of his successes, Churchill actually suffered from a speech impediment which continued throughout his career but he worked very hard to overcome it. He did this by studying his speeches and practising them over and over again.
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer who has won many golf competitions. Even with all this success, Woods actually suffered from a speech impediment. He said that it took hard work and an ambitious spirit to overcome stuttering. Woods once said, ”It was very difficult. I went to a school to try and get over that, and I just would work my tail off" (work really hard at it).
John Paul Larkin John Paul Larkin is best known by his stage name, Scatman John. He was a poet and an American jazz musician. John had a stammer from a very young age. His stammering led him to have a difficult childhood which he tried to overcome. At age 12, he started playing the piano which helped him express himself better. ”Scatting (a style of jazz) was turning my biggest problem into my biggest asset,” he said. “Playing the piano gave me a way to speak”.
These stories of great people show that with enough perseverance, you can overcome anything! 18
Brought to you by
with Sarah T.
Is Technology Taking Over? So, here I am sitting in a café with my laptop; phone within easy reach and my email alert turned on. Facebook is in the background and I’ve just checked Instagram. For a mum of three, I think this is normal. I like technology and the internet, it makes my life easy. But I still think nothing beats seeing a friend face-to-face. You see, there is nothing quite like human connection. Looking someone in the eye, hearing what they are saying but also allowing them to do the same for us. Eye contact alone is powerful - it can get you a job, a relationship, a discount in a store - all without even having to open our mouths!
My children will happily sit and learn their maths on a tablet; but I wonder if they’re learning how to read human expression and verbal nuance? Psychologists are concerned that children’s ability to read social situations are being negatively impacted. The phone in my hand doesn’t always help either. I can think of times when my children have wanted my attention and I have just asked them to wait whilst I finish a text. What message is that giving them? We now live in a culture where young people spend hours messaging each other. Can a smiley face actually replace face-to-face interaction? Is an increase in social networking putting younger people at a face-to-face disadvantage?
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At my children’s school, teachers are actively seeking to give children the tools they need to communicate confidently in front of a room full of people. ‘Giving a class presentation’ should not just be about writing an essay about your pet and reading it out word-by-word to the class. It should instead be focused on improving social interaction and confidence. If a child can learn the art of public speaking, his presentation will be more compelling and appealing! This ability to speak clearly, succinctly and meaningfully is what global leaders, influencers and game changers are made of. As a mum, what surprises me is the number tuition centres for children popping up everywhere. Brain Academies, Maths Schools, and Educational Centres for improving learning styles. Apparently what’s also now appearing are public speaking forums for children.
I recently met two Malaysians who have moved back to KL from Australia to set up a public speaking school for children whose parents want them to improve their speaking skills. They said that traditionally-perceived “soft skills” are what will set real leaders apart from others in the future. Needless to say they have found the response has been overwhelming.The current trend of TED talks speaks for itself. This is where the real and the virtual come together. People can access any TED talk they like from anywhere in the world. They can comment or pass it on or share it with whom they like, wherever they may be in the world. This is how we turn the tables around. The digital world; perhaps once seen as a distraction to human interaction, can now be used to enhance it. So it is with education. A learning platform in a classroom setting can imitate this at a micro level. Frog presents a collaborative, collective virtual learning alongside real time human interaction and thoughts. A wise man once said, “You don’t need to tell our children how to build a bright future. Give them the tools and let them figure it out for themselves.” With technology, and devices properly monitored and placed at our children’s fingertips, anything is possible.
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THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN MALAYSIA : AN INFOGRAPHIC Are we spending too much time online?
15.6 Million Facebook users (4th in SouthEast Asia)
No. of Facebook users in: Indonesia
62 Million
vs
Phillippines
34 Million
29.5% 34.5% 13 - 17 years 18 - 24 years
Thailand
24 Million
Singapore
3.2 Million
Hours spent online everyday
Average time spent on social media
Average time spent surfing the Internet through the phone
3.0 Hours
Average time spent surfing the Internet through the computer
3.3
5.6 Hours
Hours
Parents, monitor your child’s time online! The Internet and Social Media are both great communication and learning tools. However, they both need to be used in moderation. High usage of the Internet and Social Media for activities besides learning can affect a child’s grades, causing them to be addicted and limit their social growth. Limit your child’s Internet usage to 2-3 hours a day Don’t rely on entertaining them with an Internet connected device, like your smartphone Keep an eye on the websites they visit and encourage them to visit educational websites instead References: Borneo Post “13.3 million M’sians are Facebook users” Link: www.theborneopost.com/2013/06/16/13-3-million-msians-are-facebook-users/ We Are Social’s “2014 Asia Pacific Digital Overview” Link: www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/social-digital-mobile-in-apac
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// MARK TWAIN
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This Month’s Picks! April 2015
Mad Libs Parents, your children will go crazy with this word game app! It helps improve their use of language and is perfect as a family activity during long road trips. Mad Libs is available on the Apple store for the iPad and iPhone 5 onwards.
Click here >
Around the World in 80 Days - Audiobook Set off with Phileas Fogg and his loyal valet Passepartout as they attempt to travel around the world in only 80 days! This audiobook is available on the FrogStore for free!
Click here >
Quizlet Memory work is made easier with Quizlet, an app that lets you create flashcards on any subject for FREE! Quizlet is available on the Apple store and on the Google Play store.
Click here >
Fifty Famous Stories Retold - Audiobook This huge volume contains fifty famous stories ready to take you to lands far away and times long ago. This audiobook is available on the FrogStore for free!
Click here >
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‘COOL’RICULUM Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Get all the latest updates on What’s Happening and Where.
Scrapbook Scrapbook Site Webinar Site Webinar WATCH NOW NOW WATCH
Workshops Build your students’ confidence in English with these online workshops led by published authors Sheena Baharudin and Quek Sue Yian. Watch the playlist of recorded online workshops, or register for the upcoming ones!
Ukulele Class
[Level 1]
This month’s class:
12 & 19 APRIL 2015 11am - 12pm | CLiC, UTC Sentul *Open to children aged 8 - 12 and limited to 20 students per class only Introduce your children to the ukulele through these FREE weekend classes.
CLICK HERE to register
Scrapbook Spoken Word
Site Webinar Workshop WATCH SIGN NOW UP
Creative Scrapbook Storywriting
Site Webinar Workshop WATCH NOW SIGN UP
1BESTAR I N ET TEACHER AWA R DS
The Teacher Awards are back this April! Nominate a teacher for an award between the 16th of March 2015 to the 24th of April 2015! The school that sends in the highest number of quality nominations gets a chance to WIN A FROG CLASSROOM MAKEOVER!
CLICK HERE to visit the website
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SUPERCHARGE
your ICT with these sites downloadable
Back to School Get your students ready and prepped for the year
on the Terokai laman-laman ini dengan menonton webinar kami!
Sports Day Sites Build excitement for one of the biggest days in the school calendar
PA K E J P I B G
PIBG Package Watch the
School Calendar
Everything you need to run a PIBG meeting with a tech twist
playlist here!
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CO
is back! kini kembali!
25 JULAI 2015 Save the date in your calendars today! Nantikan kedatangan tarikh ini!
Check out the highlights from our conference in 2014! Saksikan kemeriahan konferen kami di 2014!
M
IN
G
SO
O
N
!