science and math in English: the real challenge

When I read the news about students suing the government over its policy to teach Science and Mathematics in English, I was really excited because there will be a recent court case to be discussed in my educational law class.

At the same time, I felt disgusted because the four students were being manipulated just for the sake of the adults' (the people behind the scene which includes their fathers) political agenda. One of the student is only a Year Four student! For me, the father of this kid has already violated his responsibility as a father and denied his son's rights for better education (I bet many students don't know their rights yet).

I do agree that we must uphold the national language. At the same time we must also emphasize on the importance of English language. In fact, I believe students in kebangsaan schools should study both Science and Mathematics in two languages, Malay and English. However, I know this is not going to happen due to a lot of reasons like higher cost, lack of teachers and time constraint.

want to be a business and management book writer?

Any aspiring business and management book writer here in the blogosphere? If you are able to write in bahasa Malaysia, this is a golden opportunity for you. Read there following to understand how to can start to write for PTS (fyi, PTS is quite a significant publisher in the industry). Also I suggest you to join their workshop (check the info at the bottom of this post) to learn about KJ method, copyright, etc.

PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd. merancang untuk menerbitkan pelbagai tajuk buku bisnes sepanjang tahun 2006/2007. Jika anda seorang pengarang, pengamal (practioner), konsultant, ahli akademik dan berminat untuk menulis tajuk-tajuk bisnes, sila hubungi kami di alamat di bawah.

PTS Professional sedang mencari individu yang berminat menulis buku mengikut judul sebagaimana di bawah. Jika anda berminat sila hubungi kami di alamat di bawah bagi mendapat maklumat lanjut dan ‘booking’ judul buku yang hendak ditulis dengan segera.

En. Mohd Khairulanuar Manshor
Editor Perolehan
PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd.
No 3, Jalan Industri Batu Caves 1/6, Taman Perindustrian Batu Caves,
68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel.: 03-6188 0316
Faks: 03-6189 0316
E-mel: anuar@pts.com.my
H/P: 012-2722392

Judul buku cadangan:
Usahawan Baru
1. Cerita-cerita Motivasi Usahawan Wanita
2. 101 Idea Bisnes di rumah
3. Kaya Dengan Pelaburan
4. Zakat Dalam Bisnes
5. Idea-idea Mendapatkan Duit Ketika Belajar

Memulakan Bisnes Sendiri
1. Memulakan Bisnes Restoran
2. Memulakan Bisnea Warung
3. Memulakan Bisnes Katering
4. Memulakan Bisnes Tuisyen
5. Memulakan Bisnes Ternakan Lembu/Kambing
6. Memulakan Bisnes Ayam
7. Memulakan Bisnes Ikan
8. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Runcit
9. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Runcit
10. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Jahit
11. Memulakan Bisnes Perkhidmatan IT/Kafe Internet
12. Memulakan Bisnes Bengkel Motor/Kereta

Sales
1. Rahsia Menjadi Salesman Hebat
2. Teknik Berunding
3. Rahsia Sales di eBay
4. Menjual Produk Kurang 5 Minit
5. Cara Menjual Pada Syarikat Besar
6. Strategi dan Taktik Harga (Pricing)
7. Sales Menggunakan Emotional Intelligence
8. Membaca Minda Pembeli
9. Cara Meyakinkan Salesman
10. Sales Menggunakan Telefon, Emel, Faks, Surat dan Voice Mail

Kewangan Peribadi
1. Perancangan Kewangan Pelajar
2. Perancangan Kewangan Keluarga
3. Hidup Aman Tanpa Hutang
4. Cara Pinjaman Untuk Bisnes
5.Perancangan Kewangan Selepas Pencen
6.Pelaburan Yang Menguntungkan
7.Cara Terbaik Wanita Menggunakan Wang
8. Cara Pengurusan Kewangan di Zaman Umayyah, Abbasiyyah dan Uthmaniyyah
9. 1001 Ayat Financial Yang Perlu Diketahui

Pemasaran
1. Rahsia Menjual Lebih Banyak Produk
2. Pemasaran Secara Gerila
3. Seni Menentukan Harga
4. Brand Yang Menarik
5. Cara Menghadapi Pasaran Yang Kompleks
6. Strategi Marketing
7. Marketing Pada Sesiapa
8. Cara Marketing Pelbagai Bangsa

Perkhidmatan Pelanggan
1. Jenis-jenis Pelanggan dan Cara Mengatasinya
2. 101 Cara Hebat Melayan Pelanggan
3. Cara Customer Services Syarikat-syarikat Berjaya

Skil Eksekutif
1. Perbincangan Efektif
2. Pengurusan Projek
3. Soalan Lazim Ketika Temuduga
4. Pekerja Cemerlang
5. Bos Cemerlang
6. Masalah Pekerja dan Cara Mengatasinya
7. Tranformasi Tempat Pekerja
8. Motivasi Pekerja
9. Skil Presentation Untuk Eksekutif
10. Eksekutif 6 Sigma

Motivasi Eksekutif
1. Rahsia Kejayaan CEO
2. Pengurus Hebat
3. Kepimpinan Futuristik
4. Rahsia Cepat Naik Pangkat
5. Menjadi Bos Hebat
6. Tip-tip Untuk Eksekutif Muda
7. Eksekutif Berkarisma
8. Tip-tip Berbaik Dengan Pekerja
9. Bina Diri Sebagai Businessman
10. Bisnes Selepas Pencen

Target pembeli/pembaca:
1.Usahawan baru
2.Eksekutif dan Profesional
2.Pelajar lepasan SPM atau ijazah
3.Umum

Serahan manuskrip:
1.Tarikh akhir serah manuskrip ialah 3 bulan dari tarikh persetujuan
2.Manuskrip yang siap hendaklah diserahkan dalam bentuk hard copy dan soft copy

Hak cipta manuskrip & royalti:
1.Hak cipta atas manuskrip adalah milik penulis. PTS Professional hanya memegang hak eksklusif menerbit sahaja.
2.Penulis akan dibayar royalti berdasarkan jualan buku setiap tahun.
3.Kadar royalti adalah sebagaimana berikut:
7% daripada harga runcit buku (1 – 5,000 naskhah yang terjual)
10% daripada harga runcit buku (5,001 – 10,000 naskhah yang terjual)
11% daripada harga runcit buku (10,000 naskhah ke atas yang terjual)

Panduan untuk Penulis:
1.Manuskrip hendaklah ditaip dalam format berikut:
A4
1 ½ spacing
Times New Roman
Saiz 12
2.Jumlah muka surat manuskrip: (bergantung pada judul buku)
3.Gaya penulisan:
Berbentuk 'How to book' (panduan praktikal)
Berbentuk tip-tip pendek/petua/strategi (satu tip 1-3 muka surat)
Berdasarkan fakta
Memperbanyakkan contoh
Ayat yang pendek & mudah difahami
Sertakan kata-kata hikmat pendek (letak dalam kotak)
Perenggan pendek

Bengkel Penulisan Buku-buku Bisnes dan Pengurusan
Tempat: Taman Permata, Hulu Kelang, Kuala Lumpur
Tarikh: 21.01.2006 to 21.01.2006
Masa: Time : 10:00 Pagi to 5:00 Petang

PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd. akan mengadakan bengkel penulisan bagi buku-buku siri bisnes dan pengurusan. Mereka mensasarkan lebih 50 buah buku siri ini diterbitkan pada tahun 2006. Justeru, kami amat mengalu-alukan mereka yang berminat untuk menyertai bengkel ini.

Pengisian bengkel:
1.Teknik menulis menggunakan 'KJ Method'
2.Teknik adaptasi buku bisnes dan pengurusan sedia ada di pasaran
3.Hak Cipta untuk penulis
4.Pembentangan judul buku yang akan diterbitkan 2006

Penyertaan percuma. Makan minum tidak disediakan.Tempat adalah terhad. Hanya peserta yang mendaftar sahaja layak menyertainya.Untuk maklumat lanjut, hubungi Mohd Khairulanuar Manshor, 012-2722392 atau emel anuar@pts.com.my.

it's a boring Australian Open ...

... reason being Rafael Nadal is not playing! Andre Agassi and Marat Safin are not playing as well. I'm not a fan of Nalbandian, Roddick or Hewitt. So my bet is on Federer. He is a classy player and he's such a great talent. But he is also the most boring player to watch. He wins too easily and of course he's expressionless!

Hopefully Nadal will get back in form and see him play again. According to his doctor, Nadal will need another three or four weeks to adapt to his new insoles and his new shoes (which are being redone by Nike).

So in the meantime, I'll catch up with the Women's Singles. Martina Hingis is back and I will not be surprised if she ends up in the semifinal or even final. But my bet is either on Kim Clijsters or Lindsay Davenport because the No.1 ranking is at stake. Hope others like Sharapova and Mauresmo will give them a good challenge. As for Serena William, I don't understand what she's lack of. Hope she will buck up in the next round.

meditation class

I've been joining the drop-in meditation class in PJ since late last year but not always consistent.

This year, starting from Jan 9, I've never missed a single class. I intend to be disciplined simply because the topics are very interesting.

Although I'm not new to the teaching, I think it is a very fresh approach because classes are conducted in English and easy to understand (for beginners as well as those with some knowledge and experience of Buddhism and its practices). This general programme is conducted by the principal teacher, Venerable Kelsang Pagpa, a Buddhist monk from England.

For your information, below is the schedule for Jan-Feb 2006:

How to Lead a Spiritual Life

09 Jan How to Relax?
16 Jan How to Meditate?
23 Jan How to Concentrate?
30 Jan No Class (Chinese New Year break)
06 Feb How to Accept Ourselves?
13 Feb How to Accept Others?
20 Feb How to Smile?
27 Feb How to Enjoy?

To get more information about other programmes you can check out the MKMS website.

crossword construction

Recently I chatted with a classmate who is working at the Curriculum Development Centre. She was disappointed with most teachers who seldom apply what they have learned in workshops in their classroom teaching.

A couple of months back, I came to know from another classmate of mine who is a teacher saying that they were taught how to construct crossword puzzles in one workshop. However, the method is too time consuming and complicated. Because it was a group work at the workshop, she did not know exactly what to do and leave it to one particular group member to complete the task.

As my educational crossword book series will be out in the market soon (in the printing process, finally!), I was thinking of sharing my method with teachers (or tutors, educators, parents etc) on how to construct good quality crosswords within minutes. I've been planning this idea for a week now and finally came up with something. I'm going to run this workshop in February at the Faculty of Education, University of Malaya and will be charging a very low fee (to cover training materials, rental and software installer).

My crosswords are not the typical puzzles you normally see in newspapers or educational magazines. Mine are more specific and encourage students to pick up important terms that cover all topics that they are going to learn that year. I've been using crosswords in teaching Bahasa Melayu and believe me the result is amazing. I was thinking, instead of keeping the method to myself, why not share with teachers. I believe teachers will apply what they have learned if the method is user-friendly.

If you are interested to know more about the workshop or my crossword puzzles, kindly drop me an email.

Malaysia's educational plan 2001-2010

As a postgraduate student, there are are many times when I failed to get enough resources to do my assignment particularly things that are related to Malaysian education. Perhaps it is because there are not enough transparency in our education system. Hence, most of the resources are either outdated or incomplete.

Not long ago I got hold of the complete Malaysia's educational plan. It is called Pembangunan Pendidikan 2001-2010. It covers the government plans for primary, secondary and tertiary levels. To download the content page of the educational plan in 10 years, kindly click here: Pembangunan Pendidikan 2001-2010

The text is in Bahasa Malaysia and in pdf format.

For more information or if you are interested to have the complete file, kindly send me an email.