Marshall Cavendish Online Grat.i.tude 2009

On 23 October 2009, The Asian Civilisation Museum was transformed into an arena of interaction, laughter and enjoyment for the guest and the Marshall Cavendish Online team.

The focus of the new initiatives presentation was the ‘Buddy Series’, to be launched during the second quarter of 2010. Among it, the ‘Trail Buddy’, that encompasses the use of Smartphones with learning trails. Many schools will definitely be anxiously looking forward to this innovative way of enrichment curriculum for the students.

The ‘Buddy Series’ comprises of ‘Trail Buddy’, ‘Maths Buddy’, ‘Oral Buddy’, ‘Writing Buddy’ and ‘口试满分’(Chinese version of Oral Buddy). The different ‘buddies’ have one common goal: assist and guide students to excel in the respective subjects.

Trail Buddy: Encompass the use of smartphones with outdoor learning trails to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.

Oral Buddy and 口试满分: Gain confidence in oral assessments through exercising organised thoughts and honing oral presentation skills.

Writing Buddy and 写作满分: Sharpen writing skills with crafting skills and
strategies.

N.E.w Author Competition

Organised by KooBits- an interactive digital software, the "N.E.w Author Competition" is a nation-wide digital writing competition open to all students in Singapore.

This competition aims to engage the interest of technologically-savvy young students and connect this interest more closely to the promotion of National Education, through the use of new Interactive Digital Media (IDM) application tools and platform.

Marshall Cavendish Online's Training Manager, Adi Hermawan, took on the role as main project facilitator and trainer for Primary 5 and 6 students of Damai Primary School. He assisted students in developing their own digital story-telling book by making use of graphics, video, animation and sound, and combined then into an interactive e-book.

With Adi's help, a team of three Primary 6 students won a Merit Award with their project titled, 'Rising Above Our Challenges'. Not a mean feat considering there were more than 2,009 entries from 80 schools! According to team member Nor Arinah Samsuddin, the training was "fun and enriching", and also helped her learn more about Singapore and its history.

Another team that clinched a Merit Award was a group of three Primary 5 students from West View Primary School, with their project titled 'Water is Precious'. The Teacher-in-charge, Miss Tan Qiu Ling, was full of praises for Marshall Cavendish Online's Residential IT Trainer, Siti Hajar Jasnee. "I'd like to thank Mdm Siti for training the students on the software. Otherwise, they would not be able to participate in the competition!"

The students certainly enjoyed Siti's training, "She was nice, helpful and friendly. We also learnt that teamwork produces good results", gushed Sneha Joseph P.

South Cluster Animation Camps!

Radin Mas Primary School, together with Marshall Cavendish Online, organised a South Cluster Animation Camp during the June holidays- spread across four days from 2-5 June!

The schools included Gan Eng Seng Primary, River Valley Primary, Stamford Primary, St. Theresa Convent, Outram Secondary and the host, Radin Mas Primary.

Marshall Cavendish Online organised a stop-motion (claymotion) animation camp to give the students  a break from computers. It also gave them a chance to 'get their hands dirty' when they created their own plastic model and to learn how traditional stop-motion animation was done.

After a short introduction on the history of claymation and stop-motion, the students were shown how to create an interesting short story, and to transfer their ideas onto storyboard.

Each student was provided with a box of equipment that included plasticine, wires, beads, paint, etc. They were first tasked to create a wireframe and the students received guidance each step of the way- from basic lighting and video techniques, to editing and completing their animation by using Marshall Cavendish Online Video Studio and Window MovieMaker.

With a chance to experience something so different and unique, there were excited and enthusiastic faces all around at camp!

With positive responses from the students, Marshall Cavendish Online organized another Animation Camp on 10 September 2009!

For this session, students were taught Adobe Flash by Infocomm Club Trainer Jason Lek, where they were tasked to create an e-card at the end of the day. The students were greatly encouraged to use their creativity and imagination.

A Primary 4 student from Stamford Primary, Ariande, commented that although it was her first time learning Adobe Flash, she really enjoyed it as she loved to draw and the class was very fun and interesting.

Primary 4 student Andrew, from River Valley Primary, said that although he had learnt Adobe Flash before, he still gained a lot from the camp as "there are many new things I learnt, and I like Mr Jason as he is very patient."

Learning Trail on the iPhone- Marshall Cavendish Makes Headlines!

Learning trails are a great way to enable learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Besides the chance for students to learn through discovery and experiential learning, learning trails provide a fun environment for students to engage and collaborate with each other.

With the iPhone, mobile learning is set to take on a whole new dimension! At Marshall Cavendish Online, we design and develop Interactive Learning Trails with schools to make full use of the functionality and flexibility of the iPhone.

Unlike the conventional pen and paper method, a whole new variety of activities are made possible with the iPhone:

Virtual keyboard – no more scribbling answers on crumpled sheets of paper!

Photo taking – to bring home memories of a great excursion

Voice Recording – capture the students’ animated voices

Video Recording – for exciting ‘live’ action

… and many more!

Students work in groups and collaborate to solve problems and complete activities on the iPhone. An array of subjects is incorporated into the activities, to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach.

What’s more, after the excursion, Marshall Cavendish Online will upload all the data captured during the excursion, into a BLOG. Students are able to share the entire experience with parents, teachers, and friends!

It was a truly exciting day for 80 Primary 4 students of Radin Mas Primary School – the very first to pilot the Interactive Learning Trail on the iPhone at Jurong Bird Park!

The anticipation was apparent as the students arrived at Jurong Bird Park on a bright and cheery Monday morning. With one iPhone for each group of four, they rushed off to their respective stations once the green light was given.

With children being so tech-savvy nowadays, they took to the iPhone with minimal guidance, and were soon completing activities like taking pictures of the different species of owls, solving mathematical questions involving entrance fees, etc.

The Radin Mas Primary School students certainly enjoyed themselves, as one Primary 4 student, Yassin, made known, “I really enjoyed this learning trail because it’s fun and different. My group was also able to work as a team to complete the activities.”

With such an exciting event, it was no wonder that a reporter from 联合早报* joined in the fun to interview and photograph the students in action as well!

Happy Teacher's Day!

Marshall Cavendish Online and Genyo: A Continued Collaboration

Marshall Cavendish Online also brought the visitors to a tour of Classroom of the Future (COTF) at the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Miss Maria Dayag Bassig, a Subject Team Leader in English, certainly benefited from the visit. "This has been an eye-opening experience; we have much to learn from Singapore. With Genyo, I believe it's definitely achievable."

Marshall Cavendish Online has definitely been very successful in bringing its rich e-learning content overseas. Through our partner Diwa, LEAD is rebranded as Genyo in the Philippines. Genyo- the revolutionary e-learning program for Philippine schools, is now on track to reaching 30,000 students in the Philippines.

In a continued collaboration with Diwa Asia Publishing Group Inc., Marshall Cavendish Online hosted around 10 educators from the Philippines on 28 August 2009.

Here to learn about the ICT integration in Singapore schools, the visitors were brought on a tour around Balestier Hill Primary School by ICT Subject Head, Mrs Harlina Rashid, where the visitors saw Marshall Cavendish Online lessons being held!

10th Design Competition and Exhibition

Jointly organised by West 4 Cluster Schools & Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the 10th Design Competition & Exhibition held this year saw more than 240 entries, from 46 schools.

Aimed to encourage creativity and innovation among students and provide opportunities for them to discover their unique talents and abilities, the competition certainly achieved its objective with Joycelyn Chang from Radin Mas Primary.

Under the training of Marshall Cavendish Online Infocomm Club trainer, Jason Lek, students were taught how to create 2D animation. With her project titled 'Sam and the Travelling Germ', Joycelyn was very happy that she could not only convey the importance of hygiene through her project, but also had a lot of fun creating it!

Educators From Abroad

With Singapore's world-class education system and the pervasive use of Infocomm Technology (ICT) in schools, it is no wonder that countries look to Singapore as a benchmark for achieving international standards of education.

Being the largest e-learning content and e-service provider in Singapore, Marshall Cavendish Online receives strong interest from overseas educational providers.

17 April 2009 was indeed an enriching experience for the 60 principals from Sekolah Bertaraf International (SBI), or International Standard Schools, Indonesia. Led by the SBI Project Coordinator, the delegates visited two Singapore schools - CHIJ Katong Primary and West View Primary School, to gain insight and knowledge on the ICT infrastructure in schools.

The visitors from Indonesia certainly enjoyed the hospitality extended to them by CHIJ Katong Primary and West View Primary School!

VISIT TO ANGLO-CHINESE JUNIOR SCHOOL

3 July 2009 was an exciting day for Marshall Cavendish Online, as we hosted a visit from South African principals, provincial education government officials and education consultants!

Their first time in Singapore, the South African educators wanted to better understand Singapore's curriculum, and to integrate the Singapore education system to enhance teaching and learning in South African schools. There are also plans by the local education authorities to adopt our textbooks and Marshall and Cavendish Online's ICT solutions across more government schools in 2010.

The visitors dropped by Anglo Chinese Junior School, where Principal, Mrs Kathryn Koh, and Vice Principal, Miss Christine Bok, offered their gracious hospitality.

School of Queensland Study Tour

On 29 June 2009, Marshall Cavendish Online, together with Heulab, jointly hosted a visit from Heads and Senior Administrators from 20 independent Queensland schools.

Organised by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), the association wanted its members to have first-hand experience on how ICT is being used in Singapore schools.

The visitors first arrived at Furama, Riverfront Hotel, where Mdm Lee Lai Yong, Principal of Radin Mas Primary School- a S4 Cluster Centre of Excellence for IT, gave a presentation on an overview of the school, and how ICT is integrated in the school's curriculum.

They then adjourned to Marshall Cavendish Online's premises, where Assistant General Manager of Sales & Marketing, Jasmond Ng, gave them an introduction to Marshall Cavendish Online. The visitors were definitely impressed with the Marshall Cavendish Online portal and LMS, and many wanted to know how Marshall Cavendish Online could be applied to their local curriculum.

Marshall Cavendish Online definitely looks forward to collaboration with our overseas counterparts in the near future!

Elias Park Learning Journey

Marshall Cavendish Online not only garners interest from overseas counterparts, but locally as well! On 26 June 2009, 40 teachers from Elias Park Primary School arrived at Marshall Cavendish Online for a Learning Journey. Vice Principal, Mrs Han Lee Kwang, attended the session as well.

The objective of the Learning Journey was to learn from organisations on their effectiveness, innovation and enterprise efforts in order to encourage empowerment among the staff, and to foster a spirit of innovation.

Marshall Cavendish Online's General Manager, Mr Chng Eng Leok, gave an inspiring speech on the company's journey to success. He also shared with the teachers on the efforts made to motivate staff.

Save the Big Blue Whale Competition

It is the largest creature to ever inhabit the Earth, but they are facing threats of extinction. National Geographic Channel partnered with Marshall Cavendish Online to organise a "Save the Big Blue Competition" campaign in April 2009, to tell the Big Blue story and urge all of us to protect our oceans and precious marine life, such as blue whales.

The competition ran from 20 April to 4 May 2009 and attracted more than 100 entries, where students took part in a quiz and designed creative posters to promote the idea of "Saving the Big Blue".

Students definitely got to understand the Big Blue and showed their creative minds in spreading the message of saving Big Blue. Jaslyn Chen from Concord Primary School, who won 2nd prize in Category B, spotted this competition from Marshall Cavendish Online portal, as she logs in everyday. She "discovered many interesting facts about blue whales and wanted my friends to help save this precious creature by not polluting the sea."

Singapore Mathematics Textbooks Adopted in the United States

From 2007 to April 2009, the team at Marshall Cavendish Education worked tirelessly to adapt Singapore Mathematics textbooks for schools in the United States (US). They persevered no matter how tough the challenge, working hand in hand with their US counterparts to make the textbooks relevant for American students. It was essentially a labour of love.

Mathematics textbooks published by Marshall Cavendish Education have become popular and widely accepted in schools across the US. At present, both the US Edition and Standard Edition of Primary Mathematics and Math in Focus are in use. (see Our Math Textbooks Timeline)

“We are approved for adoption in California and Oregon (for Primary Mathematics) and Indiana (for Math In Focus). Schools in practically all of the 50 states are using our programmes.” said Publisher and Deputy General Manager Duriya Aziz. Assistant Managing Director Tok Yen Hoon explained the advantage our publications offer, “While traditional US textbooks emphasise definitions and formulae, Singapore textbooks build deep understanding of mathematical concepts.” According to Senior Production Manager Tan Hui Huan, the use of holistic teaching methods, creative illustrations and very importantly - the prompt delivery of products helped boost the popularity of the textbooks.

Designer Mohammad Kamil Bin Rabu echoed Hui Huan’s sentiments, “Our textbooks give students new perspectives and provide a breath of fresh air. Attractive visuals help them better understand Math.”

With such a growing demand for our textbooks, the team has been busy these last two years with adapting Singapore Mathematics textbooks for the US market. It has been a labour of love for them throughout. They persevered no matter how tough the challenge, believing in their product, and worked hand in hand with their US counterparts to make it relevant for the students there.

To sum up, the team can take pride in what they have accomplished, and enjoy the fruits of their labour.(Story extracted from October issue of Timeslink)

Timeline of Our Maths Textbooks in the USA:

2003 Primary Mathematics (US Edition) published with Singaporemath.com

2007 California Department for Education approves

the use of state funds to order Primary Mathematics (Standard Edition) for schools throughout the state

2008 Primary Mathematics (Standard Edition) published

2009 Math in Focus for children between Kindergarten and Grade 5. (the US version of My Pals are Here), published with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

4Di: A Futuristic Solution For Canberra Primary

Imagine a classroom that can house any virtual environment- a virtual environment completely immersive and interactive, enabling the teachers to take their students on an interactive journey to the past, present or future. Imagine students interacting with atoms and molecules or space walking and studying the planets and stars. Imagine trekking through a large ecosystem interactively learning about the flora and fauna and their complex inter-dependencies by simply touching.

This is not science fiction. This is called 4Di.

Constructed using patent pending innovations researched and developed locally in Singapore by Playware Studios Asia Pte Ltd the 4Di is all set to redefine the standards for technology in education.

4Di is the largest virtual environment laboratory in the world. The first of its kind, it allows 45 students to interactively explore the virtual environment simultaneously. It also has the world's largest Multi-Touch, Multi user screen which spans a gigantic 42 sqm and completely surrounds a floor space of 80 sqm.

Through this technology, each student can control their own avatars and interact with people, objects and creatures from the virtual environment.

The innovative 4Di solution is currently being developed by Playware Studios Asia Pte Ltd as part of the FutureSchools@Singapore project by the Singapore Ministry of Education and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.

Incorporating Microsoft's latest technologies, the 4Di features the first educational use of Microsoft's new Surface computers. Surface computers are interactive intelligent tables that not only operate via touch but can also recognise and wirelessly communicate with the personal learning devices simply placed on them. This allows students to take their learning experience outside the 4Di by transferring their avatars from 4Di to their personal learning devices like laptops or mobile phones.

Playware Studios Asia Pte Ltd is a member of the Champs consortium led by SingTel. Playware is working together with Marshall Cavendish Online and other leading educational software and ICT vendors such as Heulab Microsoft Singapore, NCS, and ACP Computer to conceptualise and build a solution for innovative learning in order to mold the educational landscape for one of the five Future Schools, Canberra Primary.

The development of 4Di solution seeks to fulfill the goal of the FutureSchools@Singapore project to effectively push for the innovative transformation of the education system in Singapore through the fusion of ICT into the curriculum.

Looking ahead, Playware and Marshall Cavendish Online along with industry partners are more confident to see further innovations in the educational programmes which will create a more enriching and engaging learning experience for the students.

Compassvale Primary School's "Maths Around Us" e-Trail

Maths Around Us is an integral part of Compassvale’s Mathematics Programme. Using Marshall Cavendish Online’s MyWorlds game, students were asked to solve problem–based questions on various topics like shapes, average, percentage based on their class photographs posted at the foyer. All pupils had a wonderful experience in learning mathematical concepts through the computer game. Using their UMPCs, the students embarked on their e-trail activity where they were required to answer questions based on their answers on the Maths Around Us programme.

The objective of the programme is to extend the learning of Mathematics beyond the classroom. Because the activity took place in natural settings, the pupils experienced the application of mathematical concepts in real life situation. This has helped to instill in the pupils’ minds a positive attitude towards the learning of mathematics and to see its interconnectedness in their daily lives. Interactive learning has also been promoted through the use of Marshall Cavendish Online LMS and ICT tools for the learning of mathematics.

Xinghua Primary School's Immersion Programme in India

On the 4th November 2008, eight Primary 4 and 5 students from Xinghua Primary School, accompanied by their teachers, Mdm Lee Yuen Chee Nancy and Mdm Lasime Kumari, left for an immersion programme in The Indian Heights in New Delhi, India.

The trip that ended on the 9th November 2008, allowed the students to visit historical monuments and with the use of digital cameras, capture images that caught their interest and imagination.Through this activity, the students were made conscious of the thought process behind each captured image - images do not only capture memories but also tell a story.

On their return to Singapore, the students were taught the ICT skills with the use of Marshall Cavendish Online’s blogging feature. The Marshall Cavendish Online blogging feature provided the students with the opportunity to showcase the images they had captured, their points of views and interpretations. It was also a communication space for students to share with their peers and to the rest of the school population.

The objectives of the immersion programme were to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indian culture as well as promote interaction and friendship between pupils and their counterparts in India.

In order to help the students meet these objectives, the school devised a medley of strategies – digital still photography and Marshall Cavendish Online’s blogging feature, to support experiential learning.