challenges of smart school

7/28/2019 CHALLENGES OF SMART SCHOOL

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1.0Introduction

By 2020, Malaysia target to achieve the status of a developed nation to compete other

country. So, the various efforts have been made by the government to achieve the goal. It is

between catalyst to fulfillment is through education that will first class human capital, which

is one of the smart school do. We establish smart schools in Malaysia to produce a generation

that more creative and innovative in thinking skills and willing to adapt to a new technology

and able to receive and manage the information technology that was growing. Smart school

referred to as the school that opportunities and focuses on the use of interactive information

technologies in teaching and learning process. Normally, teachers at school teach their

student by using chalk and talk only in the class. The students will get bored and sleepy

because just listen while teacher are teaching. Basically, students have to hear carefully when

teacher are teaching and they not allowed speaking with their friends or ask questions. So,

the learning process does not going very well and it just want to finish up the syllabus.

Therefore, by using ICT in the class can improved teaching and learning process between

teachers and their students. For example, during in class session teachers are using

technology in their teaching and learning process such as power point, videos and others to

improve student understanding. The main focus of the smart school is to the human capital of

their smart, creative and innovative in generate new information so that they can be regarded

as a thinker and not individuals merely reproduce knowledge.

As we all know early in 1996, the ministry of education was involved in intense

discussion about Smart Schools the concept and its implications on the Malaysian

education system. By late 1996, the Smart School had become one of the seven flagship

applications of the Multimedia Super Corridor. Smart school is very good initiative by our

government to improve education system in Malaysia to bear young competitive. Besides, it

also can improve the quality of education in our country comparable to other countries.

However, planning should be done carefully before to ensure it did not burden other people.

Generally, smart School is a learning institution as a whole has been strengthened to improve

the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and interactive learning based on ICT, school

management and ICT.


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Basically, at the other country they are already move forward at such smart school and

they are very advance than our country. So, we must follow in their suit to enhance and

develop our country. The Smart School won't be the same as any existing Smart Schools

anywhere around the world. These are due to two main factors involving current education

system in Malaysia and will continue in smart school. Firstly: The National Philosophy of

Malaysian Education will be the main component of smart school curriculum and secondly:

moral values that have been stressed in present curriculum will go on into smart schooling.

These two foundations of Malaysian Education will not be negotiable in the smart

Curriculum. This will make the smart school different than the rest of Smart Schools. How

the curriculum is being carried out in Smart school may resemble to the existing Smart

Schools.

2.0Smart School

Smart schools are schools that can provide opportunities for development of teaching and

learning in the classroom. It also can facilitate teachers to teach their student and does not

waste time to write at the whiteboard because it just to show on the screen. In addition,

teachers can adding some videos or picture to attract student and they will more understand

what they learned. It can be an interactive class and student enjoys learning some new

knowledge. Smart school is the school is equipped with all the ICT requirements including

teaching channel such as computer and Internet facilities which can be used by teachers to

teaching purposes. This method will not only facilitate and maximize learning development

in higher order thinking skills, but wisdom diversity in the subjects studied by (Hamizer,

1997). Smart school does not mean school for students smart or smart simply but also a smart

way to ensure that each student dodgy or weak, rich or poor according to the rate reached its

full potential and learning style that best suits. (Abdul Rashid & Mathematic, 2001).

There are six key elements to be considered in the successful implementation of smart

schools of teaching and learning, curriculum, management, thinking, technology and

assessment. Our former Prime Minister Pak Lah give some speech about All Schools to be

Smart Schools at High School Bukit Mertajam. Pak Lah highlighted that he has given

instructions to our Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that all schools


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nationwide, should be converted to "Smart Schools". The Smart Schools initiative is one of

the seven flagship applications that are part of Malaysias Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)

project. The Government of Malaysia aims to capitalize on the presence of leading-edge

technologies and the rapid development of the MSCs infrastructure to jump-start

deployment of enabling technology to schools. This will be done by creating a group of 90

pilot Smart Schools by 1999 that will serve as the nucleus for the eventual nation-wide

rollout of Smart School teaching concepts and materials, skills, and technologies. By 2010,

all 10,000 of Malaysias primary and secondary schools will be Smart Schools.

[Source: Official Malaysia Smart School Website]

3.0The goal of the Smart SchoolThe goal of the smart school is compatible with the goals of education country and the

desire of Vision 2020. Among these goals are:

3.1.1 To encourage students to be more independent in the process of acquiringknowledge and able to carry out learning process by its own self not only

depends on teachers. It also can proportion to access learning self (self

paced), self interest (self-directed) and evaluate the self (self-assessed).

This way, they can maximize their potential to the extent more brilliant.

3.1.2 To provide a good students that effectively get information andcommunication technology (ICT) to compete and meet the challenges in

the 21st

century.

3.1.3 For systematic changes in the educational culture that more focus oncreative and innovative aspects.

3.1.4 To produce school leavers are able to deal with challenges life in the era ofinformation technology in the 21st century.

3.1.5 To form a generation of Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable,responsible, competent, caring, family values and sensitive to

environmental preservation.

3.1.6 To provide tech-savvy workforce and critical thinking and creative
http://www.ppk.kpm.my/smartschool/http://www.ppk.kpm.my/smartschool/


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Since independence, our country has undergone rapid changes in the educational

system. To improve the quality of education, education policies are constantly changes

and improved to ensure effective curriculum implementation in the face of the new

millennium that arise in the economic, political and social development in line with the

rapid development taking place in the country.

In line with the country to achieve the goals of Vision 2020, which requires productive

growth that can be achieved through technological expertise, manpower capable of critical

thinking, innovative and creative, and willing to participate in economic globalization.

In addition, the philosophy of education intends all right for shaping the development

potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated in order to produce a balanced and

harmonious individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This modification catalyst government has established a Smart School, complete with the

latest technology to improve the country's education system as well as providing skilled

manpower to meet the challenges of the new millennium.

Customization education system requires a change in practice and culture in primary

and secondary schools. The education system has to be changed from just emphasize rote

learning to learning stimulate thinking and creativity, taking into account the range ofabilities and learning styles of students and to ensure that all students have the opportunity

to build self-concept. In addition, parents and the community should play an active role in

the direction of realizing all right for a change in the education system.

The establishment of the Smart School is one of the seven flagships Multimedia Super

Corridor (MSC) Malaysia. Against this backdrop, the government objectives and

commitment to fully utilize the rapid growth of technology expertise and infrastructure to

encourage the formation of MSC Smart School. "Given the importance of the formation of

the Smart School to the next generation, the government has taken steps to make

embodiment of the Smart School as one of the seven 'flagship application 'in the project

Mega Multimedia Super Corridor "(Speech by the Minister of Education, Malaysia).


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In 1999, ninety pilot schools will be the nucleus to implement the concept, teaching and

learning, skills and technology of the Smart School. An original policy document about

the Malaysian Smart School is Smart Schools in Malaysia: A Quantum Leap, prepared in

January 1997. This document is the basis for the document The Malaysian Smart School.

A Conceptual Blueprint prepared by the Joint Task Force on Industry Ministry of

Education, Malaysia. Smart School concept contained in the document The Malaysian

Smart School: A Conceptual Blueprint is ideas that continues to grow continuously and

are always open to changes and advances in pedagogy and information technology.

Therefore, this document is more descriptive than prescriptive. Smart School are oriented

towards self-learning according to individual rates, continuity and reflective. This will

happen with the supply of multi-media technology and network covering the whole world.

Change from teacher-centered learning to student-centered. Smart School curriculum more

flexible and open. Smart School curriculum designed to meaningful, socially responsible,

reflective, holistic, global, and open on the goal. In promoting holistic learning, allowing

children developed according to their level of achievement and taking into account their

abilities, interests and needs of students who are different. Children are educated with the

skills to think critically and creatively, imbued with values and encouraged to increase

proficiency.

Smart School curriculum is designed to mold students to achieve a balanced

development. Students as active learners in the classroom rather than as passive learner.

Learning-centered mindset, leveraging the technology knowledge and resources in a

comprehensive and integrated use in any situation. School develop creative problem

solving skills to meet the new situation. Students act with courage in making decisions and

are responsible for the decision that they are made. Students will make information

adventures around the world to find and gathering a data. Students will be able to reach a

source of local, national and global. Crawl through the internet also allows interaction

between students and teachers and other people around the world. World students will be

extended through communication, education, and social. This means learning to foster and

enhance the potential that students have an efficient, economical and effective to use the

thinking ability, knowledge, skills and education technology era and future challenges


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require Smart School as a springboard to achievement. Crawl has the advantage of

allowing students who cannot attend school to make school work from home. This gives

new meaning to the idea of school absenteeism due to learning can still occur outside the

school. Therefore, students need to be taught strategies for information leading to the

efficient and selective. Team work, flexibility, foresight and skill to use the international

language will also be emphasized. Malaysia Smart School will take the concept of a

virtual skip class innovative. The current system provides the students with low tension

and prevents the advancement of intelligent students.

In Smart Schools, technology will provide the flexibility to alleviate tension in

education. The more intelligent students can complete all coursework and assessment

earlier than normal period. The disabled student goes through basic program according tothe learning rate, and given special assistance by the teachers. This can occur because of

the establishment of the system of production-centered evaluation items from online. This

flexible assessment system will allow students in a physical classroom to work at different

levels in the same subjects, besides allowing students to continue to another level in

different subjects at anytime. In this way, students are less intelligent, which is usually

ignored will be given due attention. Teacher acts as a guide on the side or as facilitator

that only monitor them. Teachers provide psychological support and encouragement to a

student to be more creative and innovative. Teachers will responsible to provide an

environment that encourages self-paced learning towards a creative and self-reliant.

Teachers will identify goals define the direction for the school, driving students' progress

toward achieving these goals and allow students to learn at their own pace. Students will

get individual attention from teachers. Computers will take over the routine and delivering

information and freeing teachers from the trivial administrative tasks so they can

concentrate on the aspects of humane education.

A variety of teaching and learning methods will be used in Smart Schools. Among them

are innovative, technology-based strategies such as discussions with my remote, distance

learning, the use of data as a source of information, process information. Process

information and linking the findings; electronic reference encyclopedia; learn from

electronic courseware and electronic communications. Student and teacher interaction


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either in small groups or individual is still part of the teaching and learning courses. By

focusing on individual development, teachers are encouraged to develop the social skills

of students and also to inculcate good moral and ethical and patriotic values. Use of

information technology as a tool will enable and facilitate data storage administrators to

retrieve data. It facilitates the processing and delivering results related to administrative

decision-making. This will help improve efficiency, eliminate duplication and to radically

improve access for all. By computing online school management, administrators will be

able to plan, manage and utilize human and physical resources effectively. Crawl will

facilitate parental and community involvement in school programs and makes them

effective partners in their child's education. With the availability of a database,

information about students and teachers more easily available to the legitimate. Needs of

the students and teachers are more easily taken into account with frequent monitoring.

Systematic monitoring of student progress will remind schools to when the need for

follow-up action for bright students and the less intelligent. Evaluation based on specific

criteria and reference elements to give a holistic and accurate picture of student

performance. Features of Smart Schools are the most significant teaching and learning

environment built on best practices in primary and secondary education from around the

world. This involves strengthening the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teaching

and learning materials are valid. Smart School curriculum designed to meaningful,

socially responsible, reflective, holistic, global, and open on the goal. It promotes holistic

learning, allowing children developed according to their level of achievement and taking

into account their capabilities. Children are educated with the skills to think critically and

creatively, imbued with advanced and promoted values increase proficiency.

Smart School curriculum is designed to:

a) To help students achieve a balanced development;b) Integrate knowledge, skills, values and correct usage;c) specify explicitly the desired learning outcomes for different ability levels,

offering multi disciplinary learning, thematic and continuous:

d) Foster knowledge, skills and attitude in order to succeed in the Information Age.e) Foster knowledge, skills and attitude in order to succeed in the Information Age.


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Teaching Smart School aims to make learning more exciting, encouraging, stimulating

and meaningful involve the mind, spirit and body in the process of learning of building

basic skills to prepare children for the challenges of the future and take into account the

diverse needs and abilities.

Pedagogic Smart School aims:

a) Use a variety of learning of appropriate strategies to ensure mastery of basiccompetencies and enhance the holistic development;

b) Taking into account the various learning styles of individuals to improveperformance;

c) Establish an appropriate classroom environment with a variety of teaching andlearning strategies.

Smart School assessment system is different from the existing system to help realize

Negara. Educational Philosophy and reference elements based on certain criteria to

provide a holistic and accurate picture of the performance of student. Teacher students

and parents can access through computer. Detailed evaluation of the Smart School is

flexible and easy to use, and to ensure the quality of assessment information using a

variety of approaches and lead to certification. It opens not only shows cumulativestudent achievement, but also for continuous improvement throughout life.

Smart School requires conventional teaching and learning materials and appropriate

electronic teaching and learning strategy that wide. It takes into account the diverse needs

and abilities of students to their full potential to be more responsible for managing their

own learning.

The main objective of Smart School management is to manage resources and processes

efficiently and effectively to support teaching and learning. Management functions help

distribute skilled human resources on activities that are meaningful, long-term cost

savings, improve results through better access to information and faster decision-making.


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To achieve this objective, the management of the Smart School administrators needs

strong and competent professionals and teachers can explain the aims of the school,

leading the teaching at the school and will get full support from parents and society. They

must strengthen communication open with all parties, allocate resources fairly and

wisely, tracking school performance compared to financial and non-financial objectives,

as well as providing school environment that supports learning.

They must also establish and maintain a motivated staff and a high-performance ensure

the safety of schools and residents, as well as using and managing technology

appropriately, effectively and achieve the objectives of the Smart School effectively. For

internal processes need to be coordinated as a system. System can ensure that the supply

of inputs the right to produce a desired output such as a student's readiness for furthereducation, or active and productive participation among worker. Initiative energy smart

schools offer an ideal opportunity to re-evaluate the existing school system, identify

problems and find the best solution with the help of technology.

4.0Characteristics of the Smart SchoolAmong the features that enable a school recognized as a smart school are:

1. A school that has a linked via a local area network (LAN) to enable information sharing. For

example teleconference, base data and electronic mail, electronic encyclopedias, library catalogs

and resource centers 'on-line' and administrative data.

2. A school that is linked via a wide area network (WAN). So, we can build a good relationship

between the other school and district organizations. This will give students the opportunity to

learn and sharing knowledge with other people at the other school.

3. Schools with a diversity of materials where the smart school will can be adapted to the needs

of teachers, students and administrators with provides a variety of software applications for the

effectiveness of teaching and learning.

4. Integrating school subjects and concept learning across the curriculum expanded.


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5. Orientation of teaching and learning based smart school curriculum problem-solving oriented

and no longer oriented facts alone.

1.4 Challenges and its solution to be a Smart School

1. Leadership and top management is The Key Ingredient.

The most challenges to build a smart school are top management such as Ministry of

Education that wants to improve our education system to be better and effective. So, they prefer

to make all school in this country to be smart school. But, how committed they are? They onlyjust make an instruction to teachers do as they said but they do not do any action to make sure all

goes smoothly. Teachers who should bear the burden of those afflicted. If smart schools is not

effective they are going to blame teachers but they do not make any action just hope the teachers

at school.

Solution: To meet these challenges all parties should work together to achieve a goal of the smart

school. They do not just expect only teachers need to run this task. The top management only

gives instructions without any help. Therefore, the top management should come to school to

ensure smart school could be done better. If there is any problem can be solved together.

2. The Technological Infrastructure in school

As we all know, there are some schools that do not have complete ICT equipment in their

schools. The problem is due to capital inadequate school to provide ICT equipment. Mostly

happen at rural school because they are far from the city so they are least of ICT facilities.

Compare to urban school that more advance and they complete all the ICT equipment with

computer lab. This problem such a big problem to teachers and student to achieve a goal of smart

schools due to inadequate facilities to them explore world of ICT.

Solution: To solve this problem due to the lack of ICT facilities the government should provide

complete convenience to every school, regardless of urban or rural school. This equality should


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be given to a smart school goals can be achieved in our country. Well, there is no gap between

urban schools and rural schools. Therefore, each school received the same facilities and teachers

can use ICT in their teaching and learning process in the classroom. Students also experience the

world of cutting-edge cyberspace and get the latest information. This ICT infrastructure can

replace the traditional way of teaching and learning in the school.

3. Technical Support or technician at computer lab

When the government has confidently provided the necessary ICT facilities in the computer lab

is certainly damage of facilities will occur. Therefore, each laboratory will need at least a

technologist if there is any problem. However, almost every school where there are no skilled

technician to solve this problem. Teachers at the school also do not have a skilled of ICT

knowledge to repair if there are any problems.

Solution: every school should have enough technicians to repair the computer equipment. They

are also responsible to preserve the computer laboratory to be always in good condition and can

be used by students and teachers without any problems. Government should establish a college

to produce a skilled technician to be sent to each school. It will also provide employment

opportunities to youth who are interested in these skills. Teachers also need more training on ICT

than students because they do not always depend on technician only. As a teacher also need tomonitor and observe when students used facilities in the computer lab so thoroughly awake tools

4. Easy Access at school

The problem at the school is access to internet too slow due to many student and teachers use at

same time. So, it is not easy access to get information from the internet. The ICT facilities be

accessible the school session only.

Solution: This problem can be overcome by increasing the network bandwidth at the school so

that all the teachers and students are able to browse the internet freely. Therefore, no further

problems are encountered in which students and teachers can get information quickly via the


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internet. However, each school should also play an important role in preventing the page should

not be viewed by students in school.

5. Teacher Readiness to Use and Teach Using Technology

Basically, problems faced by the old teachers who are not interested in the use of the technology

they are more comfortable with traditional methods that they use ever since. Therefore, it affects

teachers willing to use new technology to teach in the classroom. Onwards, students are more

ready to embrace the new ICT tools than the teachers because they are more advance than

teachers on using technology.

Solution: teachers should enhance their knowledge about the use of technology in the classroom

so that students do not look down on teachers because they are knowledgeable from teachers.

Teachers can also attend several sub courses offered to learn how to use technology.

1.5 Summary

Smart school is planning to provide platform solid to form the next generation of Malaysian

nation and shaping the country's future development. The existence of a smart school is in line

with the development of information technology and communication (ICT), it is a scene in the

new millennium education in Malaysia and in accordance with the technological developments,

social and cultural present. Smart school in simply be defined as a system of education, where

the based teaching and learning for students with a more critical and creative ways to use

technology as enablers. ICT use as an ingredient in the process of teaching and learning is the

heart of the smart school. This approach is not limited in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment,

teaching and learning, but also in school management.

challenges of smart school

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