Our hero: Dr Syeikh Muszaphar

Beliau telah mengharumkan nama Malaysia...
Beliau juga membuktikan bahawa Malaysia boleh dan menjadi kebanggaan seluruh rakyat Malaysia....

our hero...

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Sheikh Mustaph was born on July 27, 1972 is a Malaysian medical doctor and is scheduled to be the first Malaysian to go into space when he is launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 on October 10, 2007. He is flying as spaceflight participant under an agreement with Russia through the Angkasawan program, and will return to Earth with the Expedition 15 crew members Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov after nine days aboard the station.The Expedition 16 crew members pose for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Six Thinking Hats From Edward de Bono

Edward De Bono??

Who is he?

Edward de Bono was born in Malta in 1933. He attended St Edward's College, Malta, during World War II and then the University of Malta where he qualified in medicine. He proceeded, as a Rhodes Scholar, to Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained an honours degree in psychology and physiology and then a D.Phil in medicine. He also holds a Ph.D from Cambridge and an MD from the University of Malta. He has held appointments at the universities of Oxford, London, Cambridge and Harvard.


Dr Edward de Bono is one of the very few people in history who can be said to have had a major impact on the way we think. In many ways he could be said to be the best known thinker internationally.


He has written numerous books with translations into 34 languages (all the major languages plus Hebrew, Arabic, Bahasa, Urdu, Slovene, Turkish etc).
He has been invited to lecture in 52 countries around the world.
In the University of Buenos Aires five faculties use his books as required reading. In Venezuela, by law, all school children must spend an hour a week on his programmes. In Singapore 102 secondary schools use his work. In Malaysia the senior science schools have been using his work for ten years. In the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the UK there are thousands of schools using Dr de Bono's programmes for the teaching of thinking. At the International Thinking Meeting in Boston (1992) He was given an award as a key pioneer in the direct teaching of thinking in schools.
In 1988 he was awarded the first Capire prize in Madrid for a significant contribution to humankind.


What is unique about Dr de Bono is the response to his work across an unusually wide spectrum.

At the special request of the delegates Dr de Bono was asked to address the Commonwealth Law Conference in Vancouver in August 1996 (2,300 senior lawyers, judges etc from 52 Commonwealth countries and other invited countries such as China). This followed an address which was regarded as the highlight of a previous Conference held in Auckland.
Dr de Bono has worked with many of the major corporations in the world such as IBM, Du Pont, Prudential, AT&T, British Airways, British Coal, NTT(Japan), Ericsson(Sweden), Total(France), etc. The largest corporation in Europe, Siemens (370,000 employees) is teaching his work across the whole corporation, following Dr de Bono's talk to the senior management team. When Microsoft held their first ever marketing meeting, they invited Edward de Bono to give the keynote address in Seattle to the five hundred top managers.

BirtHday???

~today is MuRni Birthday....

Wish her gud luck and dun be too chubby~

All aBoUt Us
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TeLL Me wHy????

PPSMI dimansuh??????

PPSMI dimansuh?

Oleh Syuhada Choo Abdullah, Faiza Zainudin dan Junita Mat Rashidbhnews@bharian.com.my
TIMBALAN Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin bergambar bersama murid Tahun Enam 2009 pada majlis pelancaran Projek Gerak Bakti UPSR anjuran Amanah Raya Berhad di Kompleks Seri Pekembar, Pagoh di Muar, semalam. Turut kelihatan Timbalan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Razali Ibrahim (dua kanan), Pengerusi Yayasan Gerak Bakti Kebangsaan Khairy Jamaluddin, Pengerusi Amanah Raya Berhad, Datuk Dusuki Ahmad (empat kanan) dan Pengarah Urusan Amanah Raya Berhad, Datuk Ahmad Rodzi Pawanteh (kanan). Muhyiddin berkata, kabinet akan memutuskan kedudukan PPSMI, hari ini. - Foto Bernama
Tingkat pengajaran bahasa Melayu, tanpa ketepi bahasa Inggeris KUALA LUMPUR: Isu Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) yang mendapat bantahan beberapa pihak, terutama pejuang bahasa dijangka berakhir berikutan keputusan kerajaan memansuhkan dasar itu. Sebagai ganti, kerajaan akan mengumumkan strategi yang lebih menyeluruh untuk meningkatkan pengajaran bahasa Melayu dan pada masa sama tidak mengetepikan kepentingan bahasa Inggeris di semua peringkat sekolah. Menurut sumber, dasar baru itu dijangka bermula pada 2012 dan akan dibentangkan pada mesyuarat Kabinet hari ini untuk kelulusan.

Antara langkah yang dijangka diumumkan kerajaan untuk meningkatkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris adalah menambah bilangan guru dan waktu pelajaran bahasa itu di sekolah, memperkenalkan subjek baru serta merapatkan jurang perbezaan pencapaian murid luar bandar dan dalam bandar. Sementara itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, ketika diminta mengulas perkara itu, berkata beliau akan mengumumkan keputusan muktamad kerajaan selepas membentangkannya kepada Kabinet tetapi enggan menyatakan butirannya. Beliau yang juga juga Menteri Pelajaran, berkata keputusan itu dibuat selepas kajian teliti termasuk perbincangan dengan pelbagai badan atau pertubuhan berkaitan pendidikan.
"Tunggulah esok (hari ini). Saya sudah mengemukakan memorandum kepada Kabinet mengenai kedudukan PPSMI dan apa yang telah dilaksanakan dan bagaimana kedudukan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris serta subjek Sains dan Matematik sejak kita melaksanakan dasar itu," katanya selepas melancarkan Projek Gerak Bakti Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), di Kompleks Seri Pekembar Pagoh, dekat Muar, semalam. Beliau berkata, kementerian sudah membuat banyak kajian dan menemui pelbagai hasil termasuk prospek masa depan PPSMI sebelum dibentangkan kepada Kabinet. "Antara yang diteliti dan menjadi perkara pokok ialah bagaimana kita meneruskan usaha memartabatkan Bahasa Kebangsaan, di samping memperkukuhkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris," katanya. Beliau juga berkata, keputusan mengenai kedudukan PPSMI tidak dibuat secara terburu-buru dan bukan kerana desakan serta tekanan mana-mana pihak, sebaliknya ia berdasarkan kepentingan pelajar dan keutamaan untuk mempertingkatkan sistem pendidikan negara.

Ditanya sama ada keputusan itu adalah yang terakhir dan tiada lagi kajian selepas ini, Muhyiddin berkata pihaknya sudah menerima pandangan mengenai PPSMI sejak bertahun-tahun lalu dan sepatutnya sudah ada keputusan muktamad dicapai. Beliau turut mengakui mengadakan perbincangan dengan bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad untuk menjelaskan kedudukan PBSMI dan membentangkannya kepada Majlis Tertinggi Umno untuk mendapatkan input daripada pimpinan parti. Katanya, wakil parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) juga akan menyuarakan pendapat pada mesyuarat Kabinet.

~berita harian-8 julai 2009

Inclusive education???

What is inclusive education?

Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of ‘integration’ and ‘mainstreaming’, which tended to be concerned principally with disability and ‘special educational needs’ and implied learners changing or becoming ‘ready for’ accommodation by the mainstream. By contrast, inclusion is about the child’s right to participate and the school’s duty to accept. It is about …

• rejecting segregation or exclusion of learners for whatever reason – ability, gender, language, care status, family income, disability, sexuality, colour, religion or ethnic origin;
• maximising the participation of all learners in the community schools of their choice;
• making learning more meaningful and relevant for all, particularly those learners most vulnerable to exclusionary pressures;
• rethinking and restructuring policies, curricula, cultures and practices in schools and learning environments so that diverse learning needs can be met, whatever the origin or nature of those needs.


Inclusion is about school change to improve the educational system for all students. It means changes in the curriculum, changes in how teachers teach and how students learn, as well as changes in how students with and without special needs interact with and relate to one another. Inclusive education practices reflect the changing culture of contemporary schools with emphasis on active learning, authentic assessment practices, applied curriculum, multi-level instructional approaches, and increased attention to diverse student needs and individualization. The claim is that schools, centers of learning and educational systems must change so that they become caring, nurturing, and supportive educational communities where the needs of all students and teachers are truly met. Inclusive schools no longer provide "regular education" and "special education". Instead, inclusive schools provide an inclusive education and as a result students will be able to learn together. In other words, it is open to all students, and that ensure that all students learn and participate. For this to happen, teachers, schools and systems may need to change so that they can better accommodate the diversity of needs that pupils have and that they are included in all aspects of school-life. It also means identifying any barriers within and around the school that hinder learning and participation, and reducing or removing these barriers. Inclusive education is a process of enabling all students, including previously excluded groups, to learn and participate effectively within mainstream school systems. Placing excluded students within a mainstream setting does not of itself achieve inclusion.


Principles

- Every student has an inherent right to education on basis of equality of opportunity.
- No student is excluded from, or discriminated within education on grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, disability, birth, poverty or other status.
- All students can learn and benefit from education.
- Schools adapt to the needs of students, rather than students adapting to the needs of the school.
- The student’s views are listened to and taken seriously.
Individual differences between students are a source of richness and diversity, and not a problem.
- The diversity of needs and pace of development of students are addressed through a wide and flexible range of responses.


Practice

The practice of developing inclusive schools involves:

- Understanding inclusion as a continuing process, not a one-time event.
- Strengthening and sustaining the participation of all students, teachers, parents and community members in the work of the school.
- Restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools to respond to the diversity of pupils within their locality. Inclusive settings focus on identifying and then reducing the barriers to learning and participation, rather than on what is "special" about the individual student or group of students, and targeting services to address the "problem".
- Providing an accessible curriculum, appropriate training programs for teachers, and for all students, the provision of fully accessible information, environments and support.
- Identifying and providing support for staff as well as students.
- A somewhat different model is implemented by Hands On Learning Australia wherein disengaged students, as well as some students with special needs, are taken out of class one day per week and put into an alternative cross-age peer group to develop strong relationships and enable them to better cope with mainstream classes.


Teaching/programming

It is general practice that students in an inclusive classroom are with their chronological age-mates. Also, to encourage a sense of belonging, emphasis is placed on the value of friendships. Teachers often nurture a relationship between a student with special needs and a peer without need. Another common practice is the assignment of a buddy to accompany a student with special needs at all times (for example in the cafeteria, on the playground, on the bus and so on).
In principle, several factors can determine the success of inclusive classrooms:

• Family-school partnerships
• collaboration between general and special educators
• Well-constructed Individualized Education Program plans
• Team planning and communication
• Integrated service delivery
• Ongoing training and staff development

Teachers use a number of techniques to help build classroom communities:

• Games designed to build community
• Involving students in solving problems
• Songs and books that teach community
• Openly dealing with individual differences
• Assigning classroom jobs that build community
• Teaching students to look for ways to help each other

Utilizing physical therapy equipment such as standing frames, so students who typically use wheelchairs can stand when the other students are standing and more actively participate in activities

Benefits

Inclusive education is claimed by its advocates to have many benefits for the students. Instructional time with peers without need helps the learners to learn strategies taught by the teacher. Teachers bring in different ways to teach a lesson for special needs students and peers without need. All of the students in the classroom benefit from this. The students can now learn from the lesson how to help each other. Socialization in the school allows the students to learn communication skills and interaction skills from each other. Students can build friendships from these interactions. The students can also learn about hobbies from each other. A friendship in school is important for the development of learning. When a student has a friend the student can relate to a member of the classroom. Students’ being able to relate to each other gives them a better learning environment. Involving peers without need with special needs peers gives the students a positive attitude towards each other. The students are the next generation to be in the workforce; the time in the classroom with the special needs and peers without need will allow them to communicate in the real world someday. Special needs students are included in all aspects of school-life. For example, homeroom, specials such as art and gym, lunch, recess, assemblies, and electives. Special needs students involved in these classrooms will give them the time they need to participate in activities with their peers without need. Awareness should be taught to students that will be in the classroom with the special needs peers. The teacher can do a puppet show, show a movie, or have the student talk to the class. The teacher could also read a book to help the student describe his or her special need. The class can ask questions about what they learned and what they want to know. This will help when the students are together in the classroom. Positive modeling is important for the students in the classroom. Positive modeling is the teacher showing a good example towards both special needs and peers without need this will help the students to get along more.

Criticism

Opponents of inclusive schools believe that individual differences will slow the progress of students without special needs. Therefore, this will create problems for teachers. Some argue that inclusive schools are not a cost-effective response when compared to cheaper or more effective interventions, such as special education. They argue that special education helps "fix" the special needs students by providing individualized and personalized instruction to meet their unique needs. This is to help students with special needs adjust as quickly as possible to the mainstream of the school and community. Proponents counter that students with special needs are not fully into the mainstream of student life because they are secluded to special education. Some argue that isolating students with special needs may lower their self-esteem and may reduce their ability to deal with other people. In keeping these students in separate classrooms they aren't going to see the struggles and achievements that they can make together.
More recently, post-modern and post-structuralist approaches have also led to critiques of mainstream thinking on inclusion. Broadly, these have explored the exclusionary influence of the language that is characteristic of most current debates on inclusion, going on to challenge the relations of power and hierarchy that operate in much inclusive education. Julie Allan, for example, examines the ideas of the 'philosophers of difference' – Gilles Deleuze, Michael Foucault and Jacques Derrida - and puts them to work on inclusion (Allan 2008). She argues that these ideas allow the task of including children to be reframed, and offer not solutions, but different ways of working which involve altering adult-child relationships –subverting, subtracting, and inventing and restructuring teacher education – recognition, rupture and repair. She also advocates making greater use of the arts to challenge exclusion, disrupt boundaries, and establish more inclusive practices.