WHAT IS SMART SCHOOL
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) has become very powerful tool recently for imparting knowledge
and training students to face the challenges posed by the information-based global
economy and development. A result, this has increase in the demand for basic computing
hardware in schools and higher institution all around the country. Paradigm
shift from pencil and paper-based teaching to an ever-increasing reliance on electronic
learning has been aware by governments.
Hence, respective education policies
stressing on the need for greater technology access for students. In order to
achieve the full potential of ICT for enhancing the learning experience, it is
vital to increase the number of students with access to computers. The
retrofitted PCs offer an attractive and cost-effective opportunity for
installing computers in 10,000 schools across the country. PC refurbishment
forms an integral component for the success of programs such as the Smart
School initiative in Malaysia.
The former Prime Minister of
Malaysia, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad conceptualized the Vision 2020 plan for the
country. This vision aimed to map out the steps required for a sustained growth
in the long term and achieve all the desired economic and social objectives by
2020. A technologically literate and analytically thinking population forms the
cornerstone of this vision. This coupled with the education system’s aim to
nurture students into spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally inclined
individuals, lead to the formulation of the Smart School Concept. Smart School
is a flagship application of the Multimedia Super Corridor.
BACKGROUND
OF SMART SCHOOL
The Malaysian Smart School is
defined as learning institutions that have been systematically reinvented in
terms of teaching-learning practices and school management in order to prepare
children for the information age. The Smart School Flagship was one of the
seven applications identified under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)
initiative. The MSC Smart School Flagship Application is a collaborative effort
between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC). The Telekom Smart School (TSS) industry consortium provided
the ICT expertise for the initiative.
The history of the Smart School project
is rooted in the two-pronged objectives of the flagship, which are to jumpstart
the MSC towards building a knowledge-based economy, contributing to the growth
of the ICT industry and creating a pool of talent resulting in high-value job
creation. The other one is to prepare the citizens for the information age
through an innovative education delivery process.
The Ministry of Education started to
conceptualise the Malaysian Smart School in 1996 and subsequently began its
3-year pilot phase with 88 pilot schools in 1999. Pilot schools are 88
residential and non-residential primary and secondary schools located in rural
and urban areas throughout Malaysia that participated in the study to make all
10,000 schools in Malaysia smart by 2010.
The aim of the Smart School is to
change the culture and practices of Malaysia’s schools, moving away from
rote-memory learning toward fostering creative thinking skills. Smart schools
are provided with computerized classrooms and LCD projectors, electronic
resource centre, computers in science labs, self-access centres and WIFI
hotspots. The other ICT initiatives are TV Pendidikan and Pelaksanaan Pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris
(PPSMI); teaching of science and mathematics in English in 2003.
GOALS AND STRATEGIES
The implementation of smart school
have five goals and strategies that need to be fulfil which is provide
all-round development of the individual, provide opportunities to enhance
individual strengths and abilities, produce a thinking and technology literate
workforce, democratise education and increase participation of stakeholders.
The first goal is to provide
all-round development of the individual like intellectual, physical, emotional
and spiritual. Intellectual is focus on getting the knowledge. It is also focus
on searching, generating, and using knowledge toward creative thinking skills.
Then, about the physical is the responsibility and consciousness of student
toward life. The development in emotional and spiritual are related to moral
and good values. This is included the emotional balance and emotional
intelligence.
The second goal is to provide
opportunities to enhance individual strengths and abilities. The strategies of
this goal are to provide elective in the curriculum and allow for vertical
integration. The vertical integration means that grade levels students for all
subject in the school curriculum.
Third, to produce thinking and
technology-literate workforce, students will be teach to have the thinking
across the curriculum. The application of technology is applied in teaching and
learning to produce a technology-literate student. In the smart school, the use
of technology like internet as a teaching- learning material is the best ways
to produce children who are have different learning style than another school.
The forth goals of the Smart School
Project is democratise education. The Smart School programmes provide equal
access to learning opportunities. In Smart School Curriculum, students enable
to have holistic learning because the curriculums involve all significant
aspect of life. The uses of technology as one delivery system gives students
the skills they need to use technology such as internet to get more
information. Other than that, the Smart School programme also provide for
differing abilities, style and paces of learning. The teachers have to ensure
that the students gain equal access to quality learning and allowing for
self-paced learning. To accommodate the variety in students, teachers should
make different types of lesson and learning experience to motivate the students
in classroom.
The last goal of the Smart School
Project is increase the participation of stakeholders. These goals involve a
few strategies that can be due to fulfil the goal, which is to create awareness
of what happens in schools. All the stakeholders must know their
responsibilities and give feedback so that the Smart School project is known
whether it is working or not. The participation of the stakeholders such as
parent, community, and private will allow the exchange of experiences and ideas
for smart school project. Finally yet importantly, they can launch the parents
web site for each smart school so that the school and the parents side can
change idea concerning about the smart school project.