James kon

The theme for the 31st of this year^st The celebration of Teachers’ Day “Quality education is at the heart of student excellence” supports the effort to make knowledge and quality education for all the key to forming a well-informed generation and qualified which will contribute to the achievement of Brunei Vision 2035.

With the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has been a difficult time for educators and students. Three passionate teachers recently shared their perspectives and experiences with the Newsletter.

Md Qawiem Qiwamuddin bin Md Mu’izzuddin from Belait Sixth Form Center, who teaches geography at PREU1 level, shared current learning routines from preparing learning materials to teaching through online platforms.

“When the second wave hit the country in early August, tutors had to revise teaching and learning plans to better suit home learning. Course tools, such as presentation slides, articles, and videos, are created a week before and updated before each course.

“Once the content is ready, you have to choose an inclusive medium. It depends on several factors, such as student internet accessibility and accessibility to learning equipment such as laptops, desktops, tablets and cellphones.

On his favorite teaching platform, he said: “I use Microsoft Office 365 as my teaching platform because it is subscribed by the Department of Education (MoE); and in my opinion this is one of the safest.

The Microsoft Office 365 package has a lot of applications and it has been easy for it in terms of “teams to conduct my live online conference, chat, give instructions and assign tasks”.

He added, “He can record attendance and grades. Powerpoint for my course content, can include recorded video, audio, animation, text and images, while forms are for learning assessments (class work, homework, tests and plenary quiz during classes).

“I choose these applications for the delivery of my courses because they have a simple user interface, while being accessible, organized and secure. “

Making sure his students learn effectively, Mr. Qawiem Qiwamuddin said, “We need to come to an agreement with the students on some things. First of all, you have to make sure that they take responsibility for disciplining themselves in order to learn. We advise students to organize and manage their time well. We advise them to go to bed early, get up early and be on time for online lessons. Their presence is imperative and so is their commitment.

However, he noted that teachers also need to find a balance taking into account the mental and physical well-being of their students. “We try not to overload the students with work, but at the same time not to be too relaxed.”

Regarding the Department of Education’s help to boost e-learning, he said, “The department has subscribed to Microsoft so that we can use it at no cost. Tutors have been using Microsoft Office 365 since 2016 or 2017, but not to its full potential. Now we are using almost all the features.

Since the first COVID-19 epidemic, he recalled that the tutors have followed countless physical and virtual trainings provided by the ministry through the Brunei Darussalam Leadership and Teacher Academy and the Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

“The school administration and leadership conduct professional development in blended learning, online learning and at the same time expose us to applications that may be of interest to us. Sharing advice with colleagues and peers also plays a role in our preparation, ”he said.

Collaborative work with several network providers has been done to ensure that the virtual learning experience encompasses all social and economic backgrounds. Infrastructure, data donation and device contribution are among the initiatives put in place.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s Teachers’ Day, he said, “When we have quality education, we are able to produce quality learners. And learning is a lifelong process, which is why we want to develop quality citizens. The process does not stop; it will not stop once the pandemic is over or when we are in 2035; it will continue until the end of time. As a teacher, providing quality education is vital for the survival of the nation.

Mr. Qawiem Qiwamuddin also said that teachers should be aware of all developments, especially in the field of education.

“Education will remain a vital part of life. It will continue to evolve and change over time. Observe what surrounds us and educate ourselves about it, ”he said.

Meanwhile, biology teacher Tiffany Soon Ying Shin from Sufri Bolkiah High School, said she prefers Google Classroom, WhatsApp, Nearpod and Lucidchart.

“All of these are accessible from various devices and have a very user-friendly interface. Students seem to like to use them, ”she said.

To ensure that students continue to fully understand the study material, Soon said she is trying out different platforms that require internet consumption and minimum technical requirements.

She also frequently asks for feedback from her students, reflects on her lessons daily, and enlists the help of the school administration to overcome the challenges of the virtual classroom.

On the theme of this year’s Teachers’ Day, Soon said, “I agree with the theme. Young people spend a large part of their lives in educational institutions. The knowledge, skills and experience gained would influence their outlook and greatly shape their character.

“I believe that one inspiring educator is enough to change the course of a student’s life. Teachers play a sassy role in providing quality education aligned with global development.

Regarding the future of education, she said, “The government has placed a strong emphasis on expanding the scope of education in Brunei. With time and the cooperation of all stakeholders, we will be able to move closer to the Brunei Vision 2035 goal of having highly educated, skilled and accomplished people. “

Meanwhile, Eza Azlina binti Awang Jambul from Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei Primary School spoke about her initiatives to ensure her students learn effectively amid the outbreak.

“As a teacher we have to discipline ourselves, for example managing our time effectively. I submitted learning plans to parents a week before class to give them more time to prepare. I always state clear goals for my students about what to accomplish at the end of my lesson.

“I am taking the initiative to design my own video lessons as guidelines for parents on how to help their children during online learning. I also use fun internet resources to keep my students engaged. I have organized one-on-one video calls for students who need additional help and guidance, especially in literacy and numeracy.

Before deciding which online education platforms to use, she said, “I conducted a survey and discussions with parents via WhatsApp to identify their preferred platform.

“Mutual understanding between teachers and parents is crucial in these difficult times. Therefore, it is very important to have a constant flow of communication with parents about the well-being of their children, so that teachers are able to understand the challenges they are facing.

Regarding the Department of Education’s help to help schools adjust to the new standard of education, she said: “Al Hamdulillah, the department did its best to meet our needs. They gave teachers guidelines on how to teach using online platforms and provided helpful online resources for students.

“The teaching community across the country has been positive. Teachers are so generous in sharing their resources with each other to make sure teaching and learning goes smoothly and effectively. “

Eza Azlina added, “The theme for this year’s Teachers’ Day, ‘Quality education at the heart of excellent learners’, is in line with our current situation.

She asserted that in the current pandemic, teachers need to adapt, grow and maintain a positive attitude as they move from the physical classroom to an “on-screen” classroom.

“However, we don’t just focus on academic excellence, but also on the emotional, physical and mental health of the students.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a sudden transformation on a global scale, including education. Technology is no longer a motivator when it comes to learning; it is a requirement, ”she added.