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There are a number of reasons why we should be lifelong learners. Continuing education reaps us professional, personal and health benefits that are too numerous to list. However if you do not want to enter another classroom as long as you live then take heart as there are other ways you can be a lifelong learner. Here are five tips for ways to continue your education.

1. First and foremost is to read. Read for fun and pleasure but also read for information and research. You do not have to fear taking on heavy, dusty tomes filled with multi-syllabic boring language. There is a whole industry of writers who make history and science fun. In fact, you do not even need to read books at all. There are a lot of informative magazines that offer both general and specific information. Check them out at a large book store or your local library before selecting a few to take home. Do not overlook the wealth of information available to you on the internet. There are site and publications devoted to just about any topic you can imagine. Start with a main news site and then begin sifting and searching to find topics that interest you. The best thing about this kind of reading is that you get to pick it — not a teacher with an agenda you don’t understand.

2. Listening is an often overlooked skill when it comes to learning today. Sure listening in the classroom is important but there are people all around us who have a wealth of knowledge to share if we are only willing to listen. Open your ears and your mind. You might be surprised at what you can learn.

3. You can also learn by simply observing the life around us. What can you learn about parenting by watching the families around you? You can learn not only what to do but what not to do. What can you learn about financial planning, relationships, and just about everything else you want to know? You can learn from the mistakes of others if you only take the time to be observant.

4. If you are looking for answers then ask questions. Ask questions of experts as well as information brokers, such as librarians and teachers. You should also ask questions of people like you because they can share their experiences and knowledge.

5. Finally, the most important part of becoming a lifelong learner is simply pursuing knowledge whether it is for a specific purpose or simply knowledge for the sake of knowledge. It is not important what you decide to study and learn more about and you can change topics as often as you change your shoes if you like. The important thing is to continue opening your mind and filling your brain.

by Dee Mascle.

Read more @ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/5-tips-for-how-you-can-learn-more.html

PETALING JAYA: The online plea from tens of thousands of people shows that the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy needs to be re-looked, said Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE).

Its chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said there was a huge support for the policy to continue on the Facebook group “1M Malaysians say YES to PPSMI as an OPTION”, as well as related blogs and websites.

The Facebook group has registered over 94,000 people as at 8.30pm yesterday.

Noor Azimah said she acknowledged the concern expressed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the lack of proficient English teachers.

“However, teachers should be able to teach in both languages as they have been teaching the subjects in English since the introduction of PPSMI in 2003,” she said.

Noor Azimah said that if the number of schools that chose English was small, then it would be easier to provide the teachers.

by Alycia Lim.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/31/nation/9806598&sec=nation

Some students begin learning English at a distinct disadvantage, but teachers and an encouraging environment can make all the difference.

IT IS widely accepted by educationists and linguists that many children – both primary English speakers and those for whom English is an additional language (EAL) – begin formal schooling with a language deficiency.

This is not restricted to any one social class or culture. Rich children can lack language skills just like those from poorer families.

Similarly, an EAL child can excel scholastically in English while someone from an English-speaking family can produce below-average results.

Studies have shown that language deficiency is primarily caused through the lack of supportive environments — in the home, from their peer group and local community as well as from the absence of formative, language-based opportunities. In many EAL environments, where English is relegated to only something a child learns at school, significant language deficiencies often prevail.

These deficiencies impact not only on an individual’s ability to learn but also deprive learners of personal empowerment as well as the capacity to facilitate verbal and non-verbal communication. The development of social relationships can also be negatively affected.

The low importance given in some home situations or by influential peer groups to reading books and material and to such things as news and current affairs, can have a stifling effect on a learner’s English language development.

Not having sufficient opportunity to hear and use language in varying forms, EAL learners can become straight-jacketed into a limited, narrow and restricted language code that sometimes is interpreted wrongly as a lack of intelligence rather than an indication of a low-level practical skill.

Teachers’ guidance

Classrooms and school communities should become the learner’s missing “supportive” environments and teachers are best positioned to respond to language, cultural or class differences. This is particularly important in early childhood education.

Moreover, bringing the immediate family into the school community through family-support programmes and formal and informal teacher-parent contact are now accepted teacher-school roles.

Likewise, school-sponsored, adult English language courses and cross-cultural, social activity are highly recommended “external” educational pursuits.

Teachers can make the difference and readily reverse the negatives resulting from unsupportive environments.

by Keith Wright, the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S)

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9230275&sec=education

Good educators are not determined by their race, qualifications or personality, but by their willingness to strive for the best of themselves.

DEEPAVALI was celebrated a few days ago. This festival of lights never fails to remind me of how much teachers should live up to the fact that they are called guru.

Befitting its Sanskrit meaning, a guru, like the deepam (light) is a “remover of darkness”. Therefore, teachers should enlighten.

Recently, I received three e-mails from a group of teachers undergoing their postgraduate diploma in teaching at a local university.

I had given them a talk on action research but I was surprised to note that the burning question they all sought me to answer was this: “How can I become a better teacher?”

They all desired to be teachers who would be respected and remembered fondly by their students.

In view of the nationwide concern that the quality of teaching in this country is in dire straits, I must say their question deserves a well-thought out answer.

Over the past 25 years, I have worked with, met and observed scores of good, dedicated teachers but whenever talk turns to the subject of poor teaching, fingers inevitably get pointed at a teacher’s race, level of education or years of teaching experience.

Truth is, good teaching has more to do with a teacher’s personality, character, attitude, values, personal beliefs and intelligence than anything else.

In my opinion, here is what it takes to make a good teacher. I have used the acronym SMART to exemplify the salient characteristics that I personally think make the crucial difference.

S – structured, systematic, yet spontaneous and stimulating

Yes, a good teacher is an organised person. Her lessons are well-planned, her preparation thorough and her teaching progresses from the simple to the complex and abstract. She is aware that teaching is her core business and she takes it seriously.

M – Master of the subject they teach

It was John Milton Gregory who said, “The teacher must know that which he would teach. Imperfect knowing must be reflected in imperfect teaching”.

A – Affective

In all the years I taught, my students responded with alacrity whenever I took the trouble to “affect” them positively. My personality mattered!

R – Responsible and responsive

The word “responsible” is about the ability to respond. Good teachers respond to the professional demands set by their work, leaders, superiors, colleagues, students, situations and circumstances in a way that reflects their character.

T – Thinking and reflective

Compared to a person’s academic level of education, I respect intelligence more in a teacher. The reason is simple.

by Nithya Sidhhu.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9765243&sec=education

Weaknesses can be changed into strengths if one is willing to think creatively and apply unconventional solutions, and the results speak for themselves.

WHAT is the first thing you do when someone points out a flaw in your idea, suggestion or product?

One natural response is to prove the person wrong by coming up with counter-arguments to defend your position. There is nothing wrong with this reaction – humans are hard-wired to fight and defend their turf.

A second, and sometimes delayed response is to quickly find ways to overcome the shortcomings or drawbacks that have been pointed out.

Naturally, when a customer points out to you why he is no longer buying your product, your immediate reaction is to put matters right by eliminating the negative elements and substituting them with those elements that are positive. This is conventional thinking.

In the constructive thinking mode, sometimes it makes better sense to not eliminate the negative but to turn it around to become your strongest positive point. This is the basis of the fourth constructive thinking tool in this series – Turn the Tables or T3.

When an innovator turns the tables on his Achilles’ heel, the competitors find it almost impossible to compete with him using traditional strategies.

by  Dr. Kamal Jit Singh.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9124199&sec=education

HOW can we achieve national unity by 2020, when we are yet to have a single-stream school system?

This loaded question came up right after Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies founding director Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin had delivered his lecture on “Cohesion in Diversity”.

In this desire for unity, we may have this unattainable idealistic idea that everyone must be the same. — Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

Rather than providing a neat answer, Prof Shamsul Amri’s reply served more to reveal the way we perceive the concept of unity.

“When some of us talk of unity, the implicit meaning is that unity equals uniformity; meaning that we want ‘one race, one language, one country’.

“In this desire for unity, we may have this unattainable idealistic idea that everyone must be the same.

“I think that if we can admit to our differences, then we can start talking about where we have common ground… and how we can live with our differences,” he said.

Adding that these differences exist beyond ethnic lines alone, he said: “We have so much diversity within races as well — at the age of 10, I was told to not marry a Kelantanese woman, because they only cooked sweet food!”

by Priya Kulasagaran.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9770816&sec=education

TO KEEP up with the rest of the world, young Malaysians will need to be proficient in the English language as it is the language most commonly used in knowledge and information dissemination on the Internet.

Blog House Malaysia president Syed Akbar Ali said policy makers need to pay attention to the speed with which information travels and embrace it, if we do not want to be left behind.

“So much information out there is in English, and there are so many loan words in our dictionaries which have been borrowed from the English language because the infrastructure of new scientific technologies are not yet developed in the Malay language,” he added.

“This is not a matter of patriotism or heritage. While it is certainly possible to develop the field of Science and Maths in the Malay language, it will take time. Rather than translating, it is much easier to just learn the language,” he said.

From right: Noor Azimah, Tunku ‘Abidin, IDEAS CEO Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Syed Akbar.

Syed Akbar was one of the panelists present at a press conference organised by the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) recently in an effort to keep the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (also known by its Malay acronym PPSMI) as an option in schools.

The PPSMI policy was initiated by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and implemented in phases, beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced in 2009 that the Government would reverse the PPSMI policy and revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools; and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools, while more emphasis would be placed on English.

However, he said in August that the Government was keeping its options open on the matter.

PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the purpose of the press conference was to demonstrate that the issue was a matter of national interest and should not be taken lightly.

“PAGE is now supported by a collaboration of a larger group representing the mammoth presence of like-minded parents, students and supporters.

More than 300 people turned up at Speaker’s Square, Penang recently to voice out their opinion of retaining the PPSMI option.

“We stand together singing the same tune, louder and determined to make our voices heard,” she said.

by Alycia Lim.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/10/30/education/9779640&sec=education

There are some roadblocks that need to be overcome to create a successful Malaysia.

MALAYSIA is now confronted with many challenges which can derail its development aspirations as articulated in the New Economic Model.

There are risks and there are opportunities. We need to mitigate the risks and capture the opportunities. Climate change, for example, can be a threat but the concern over climate change also offers opportunities in the green business.

However, we need the right strategies. Innovation is the potent instrument that the country needs. How does the country embrace and make innovation work?

Innovation is about generating new ideas which deliver values. These can be economic, societal or environmental. Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not just about science and technology (S&T). Innovation transcends all aspects of life but many agree S&T is a key tool of innovation.

Countries which invest heavily in S&T have achieved the most successes in innovation. This explains why the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) has always been committed to championing the innovation agenda.

Since its early days, Mosti has introduced many initiatives to drive innovation. Many funding mechanisms have been created.

Many institutions under Mosti including the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, Tech­no­logy Park Malaysia, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Sirim and MDEC have made an indelible mark on the country’s innovation agenda.

However, implementing the initiatives continues to be challenging. There are still major roadblocks that need to be overcome.

Removing such obstacles has become the strategic focus for Mosti. This urgency is felt even more with recent initiatives such as the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) involving 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs).

by Datuk Madinah Mohammad.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/29/focus/9795360&sec=focus

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry’s pre-vocational studies or Pendidikan Asas Vokasional (PAV) for Form One to Form Three students will start in January.

PAV, aimed at exposing students to professional skills at an early age, is part of the government’s transformation plan for education, which is under the National Key Result Area.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said students who opted for the PAV would receive certificates from the Human Resources Ministry Skills Development Department.
After Form Three, they could continue their studies at any vocational schools such as Giat Mara, Institut Latihan Perindustrian and Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara.

By 2013, the PAV will replace the Mata Pelajaran Vokasional (MPV) subject, now offered in Form Four and Five.

The ministry’s technical and vocational division director, Ahmad Tajudin Jab, said PAV students would be exposed to a tester programme in Form 1, comprising simple introductions to six areas of knowledge — technical, agriculture, home economics, arts and culture, handicraft and information technology.
In Form Two, the students have to choose one area of specialisation from a list of 23 trades and skills, including air-conditioning, audio visual electronics, eco-culture, building construction and dress-making.

“Not all 23 specialisations can be found in each school. It depends on what the school can offer, the available equipment and the locality,” said Tajudin.

Students will be given a SKM I certificate by the Human Resources Ministry after completing their second year and can continue in their chosen area of specialisation in Form 3 to obtain the SKM II certificate.
Every week, students will attend 45 periods of 40 minutes each, with 20 periods devoted to vocational training in Form 1 and 30 to 35 periods of vocational training in Form Two and Three.

“In the other periods, students will enhance their knowledge in Bahasa Malaysia, English, History, Islamic and Moral Education, Physical Education and co-curricular activities.”

Tajudin said the PAV was better because students could start working as soon as they obtained the SKM II or SKM III certificates.

“They will be exposed to entrepreneurship programmes in the syllabus, encouraging them to use their skills to generate income. For example, the teachers and students can do business projects by planting crops for sale.”

PAV will first be introduced in 50 secondary schools.

Tajudin said the equipment used to teach subjects under MPV and Kemahiran Hidup lessons would be use for the PAV programme, and the MPV and Kemahiran Hidup teachers would also teach PAV subjects.

“By 2020, we expect to have 450 schools offering the PAV programme.”

by Eunice Au.

Read more @ http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10voc/Article

KOTA KINABALU: The Umno Youth movement has called on the Education Ministry to give 152 Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK) education graduates in the state a chance to teach in Sabah’s rural areas.

According to Umno Youth exco member Jamawi Jaafar, he was approached by several graduates from the institution and told of their difficulty in obtaining employment.

He said most of them were graduates from 2009 until this year but had yet to receive any offer to teach in schools in the state.

“With their knowledge in education, it would be a waste if we don’t utilise it for children in Sabah,” he told reporters here today.

He said after a recent meeting with the Education Minister’s private secretary and special officer (teacher division) in Putrajaya, he was informed that the Education Ministry only took in and placed teachers from Teacher Training Institutes and public institutions of higher learning.

In this context, Jamawi, who is also Umno Youth Tenom division chief, urged for education graduates from private institutions of higher learning including UNIRAZAK to be given places to teach in schools, especially rural areas, to cater to the existing shortage.

BERNAMA.

Read more @ http://education.bernama.com/index.php?sid=news_content&id=623087