When Common Sense is not Common

Off white and pink roses

March 11, 2012 was a day "When Common Sense is not Common". A rare case for me, as its my first. My first to be the head of delegation on an 'engagement' mission for my nephew Abdullah Omar, eldest son of Hj Abdul Aziz and Hjh Nor Hamidah, my in-laws.

Its a delegation from Terengganu, in transit in KL en route to Cheng Baru, Melaka. Being the eldest...hmm no no...being the senior most uncle i was unanimously made the head of delegation. As you all know, an engagement delegation to Melaka - the home of 'dondang sayang' and 'pantun' is quite a daunting task. So came all the ideas, suggestions, recommendations of 'pantuns' through email, fb, sms and chat.

iPad - ing a pantun

I ended up with a compilation of pantuns. Even Azhim's majlis on February 7 2012 in Seremban was not as stressful. But then Hai or Hj Mohd Salleh was around to be the spoke person on that day.
Come March 11, 2012 most of our family members were there in Melaka. Stepping out of the car, we were welcomed by smiling faces with open arms, the new extended family to be.

True enough, Melaka is thick in 'adat' and ceremony, and the host had long 'khemah' in front of the house in 'kenduri' mode. Common sense is not common! as all action has to abide the 'adat' or local ceremony.

The celebrities

When all seated and making our selves confortable...but nothing happens. Later we got to know we had to wait for the host 'spoke person' to arrive. Apparently the 'Tok Ketua' of the Qariah will represent the host family in welcoming and all negotiation.

True enough the opening remarks starts with a 'pantun' out of his mouth effortlessly - indicating experience....but my iPad saved the day! All my compilation of pantuns came out smoothly to counter all of his...much to the awe of the crowd...pantuning via iPad...

How i love technology....

hamid

A Case of Arrogance

I know its been a while since i last wrote. Things has been happening at dizzying speed that i can't find time for this common sense site. January 28th. 2012 i was Abu Dhabi to conduct Training of Trainers on Cyber C3 Project. This is my second trip to UAE, the first was in October last year attending a workshop in Dubai.

The TOT started on the wrong footing. We were sending three people, wtih two on content mastery training while another on Technical side of the training support system. While the host thought they just have 4 people tobe trained and wondered why 3 people was needed to train 4. That is the standard package we offered for offsite training of trainers. Trainees could number up to 25 per class. In the end our host decided to add more attendees to 13 people.

Thinking Cyber C3 is easy, they reduced the training days from five to three, saying they just need the training on the systems and little on content. At the end third day they need to sit for an exam, passed and certified as Cyber C3 Certified Trainer. They managed to find a group of IT teachers to train.

 The results shows quite a pleasant passing rate with around 10% failure. The feedback was lack of exposure on content knowledge - which translated to the 'arrogance' of our host to have a full five days workshop.

Personal relation was good, but work ethics is a little let down in this well spoon fed, well oiled economy. Most valuable was the understanding of the way of doing things, role of Emirates as paymaster, their expectation as client, their need for perfection when its not really a business sensible, and their overzealous effort to satisfy every clients comments, that reflected back to us the IP owner and service provider.

Arrogance towards knowledge by committing to shorter training days that blurs their business tasks and judgement. The ignorance became apparent when they start asking and commenting of training courseware....Lesson learned: learn with open heart from whoever as long as its beneficial and minimise prejudgement.

Other than that, Abu Dhabi...is a beautiful city..

hamid

Blended Learning - What is..

I thought i'm done tonight with an entry but alas not. I think i need to have this on my collection. Its on Blended Learning, of which is nothing new to me. Its just feel good to have it on my blog. In my line of job, i've used the concept of blended learning in my first big project back in 2003. My first million dollar project for MOE.

It was new to them, the teachers liked it, all 100K of them. I did put a lot of thoughts into it and make it a reality through the BPPT project. I realized it, internalized it and delivered the concept to teachers thirsty of knowledge in technology and its application for classroom teaching.

This video of which was non existence then brings back the good memories. I still do apply Blended Learning concept till in all of our recent and upcoming projects. From ICMS to IC CITIZEN to VEC to GREEN to HALAL to IF

Enjoy the video...Fundamentals of Blended Learning!


The Fundamentals of Blended Learning from Education Elements on Vimeo.


Animated !

hamid

Howard Gardner on Digital Ethics

Hi, its end of the year again, this time, of 2011. I thought I owe you and myself another posting. I came across this Howard Gardner's (Professor @ Harvard Graduate School of Education) video interview on what American youth thought about being ethical.

A very insightful view of most American Youth feels about ethics, and Howard summarizes it as Ethics is a Luxury! One only need to be ethical when they already successful and rich in life. None sees any of their friends as ethical. They are afraid to be ethical! They are afraid that they will lose out if being ethical in a world of society that 'cut corners'.

Is this results of capitalism, individual rights, broken family values and faithlessness?

Enjoy the video:


Education, Social Media, and Ethics: Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education from Education Week on Vimeo.


They sure are needed to be certified in IC CITIZEN

hamid

The Creek and the Burjs of Dubai

Hi again, its time to write. Been busy for the past few months since Eidul Fitr, mostly due to work. I've traveled quite a bit, to Brunei before Ramadhan, Sabah last month and last week to Dubai of the UAE. I'm lucky to have met a group of wonderful people of the same passion and interest in R&D work, training and certification.

I had the luxury of learning from the real world, real people from the industry, experts and professors in various fields from different countries. One thing for sure is being a Malaysian in foreign Muslim land helps. It helps opens up conversation on almost any topic and getting acquaintance. Its very different from an academic discourse which often than most detached from the real business or industry world.

Being the only one from a far at the KirkPatrick Program Evaluation Certification training in Dubai was rewarding. They want to know, to learn and even to explore business opportunities.  They want to hear my story. While i got to meet wonderful Middle Eastern ladies form big corporations (with their ultra modern outlook and fine English) to stately gentlemen from various Emirates government agencies in their fine 'jalabah'.

Me on the other hand learned the mechanics of getting from Level 2 to Level 3 of evaluation, which easier said than done. Multitude of tips on planning and getting towards capturing the necessary data. Jim even indicated survey items of more than 15 would turn off respondents. Again the economics of program evaluation will decide how far one wants to go in evaluating on ROE.

On the hindsight it provides me with the first hand experience on the dynamism of Dubai,  with its Burj Al Khalifa, worlds tallest, beautiful creek and sprawling Jameira Palm that triggers Gulf financial crisis. One thing for sure is the leaderships vision, boosted by the black gold monies propelling the Emirates into a formidable Gulf's economic power, but leaving the common Emiratis gasping to keep up, with glaring gap between knowledge and skills needed and provided by the expatriates.

I'll be back!

Journalism online: Ethics as usual?

Hi! its been a while since my last post.  I am preparing for my next training assignment in Brunei. I came across this write up by Ari Heinonen entitled "Journalism online: Ethics as usual?" which is quite interesting, as it relates to my next training assignment. 

Ari tried to examines the "possible changes" in the ethical attitudes of journalists in the context of new media-dominated communication environment, but found NONE

The study reveals that journalists consider ethical issues constant across old and new media, but indicated that emerging ethical issues that might lead to a redefinition of proper journalistic conduct within new media environment.

Now my question is whether journalism ethics apply to bloggers and twitters especially to individual and personal bloggers or twitters. It would interesting to discuss and find out this at my coming training. Below is some related terms word play on Wordle.

Email 40th Anniversary Infographic

Email has become a big part of our daily routine. Most people feel a lost if they did not get to check their mail inbox for a day. But the availability of access to emails via mobiles have ease the cravings. Social media creates another diversion from the crave of having to access emails. But social media are seen as an informal form of communication, not to be taken as formal nor official.

When email started they too were seen as informal form of communication, not as formal as written mails, typed or hand written. So all official communication still need things in 'black and white'. So must so in early days of email adoptions email still need to be printed to qualify as formal and in 'black and white'.

Now emails are considered formal and official especially properly signed. Email do carry new form of writing ethics..it is speedy, making cc to multiple recipient more efficient  and cheaper. Introduction of emoticons tried to make emails more humane and personal. The technology also make it easy to make personal email become public, sending to wrong person more common, office and work story leaked to wrong people.

But without doubt an important digital technology contribution to businesses, education, social, government, politics, research, journalism, broadcasting and communication ever.

Here is an interesting inforgaphy on email. Enjoy!

Hamid

World Map of Social Networks

A new edition of the World Map of Social Networks, showing the most popular social networks by country, according to Alexa & Google Trends for Websites traffic data* (June 2011).

Below you will find an updated version and an infographic poster of all changes since June 2009. You can also see an animated version of all my maps.

Facebook is slowing gaining users around the world (almost 700 millions) establishing its leadership in 119 out of 134 countries analyzed (in this edition I’ve added Ethiopia and Tanzania).
Since December 2010 Zuck’s creature has conquered Iran and Syria, although struggling against censorship. Europe has now became the largest continent on Facebook with 205 million users (Facebook Ads Platform).

Probably Netherlands and Brazil will be the next countries to surrender. According to Alexa Facebook is already the leader there, but Google Trends shows a different picture (I will change my map when the two sources will say the same).

How interesting!

Does Test Scores Matters

I'm reblogging, if there is such a word! contrary to retwittering. I came across this wonderful blog by Katie Ash entitled "Does Test Scores Matters". She quoted Prof.Yong Zhao's statement about how policy makers turn problems in US public schools systems for blame!

This struck 'the teacher' chord in me. I realized that something of similar in nature to this, also happening back home. Policy makers trying to use school systems for their public standing. Trying to propose ideas as new subjects in schools, be it academic or in the form of co-curricular activities. Putting unnecessary burden on the public school system and stresses the teachers. Read this NCCE Keynote and share your views.

Once a teacher always a teacher, hmm.


NCCE Keynote: Do Test Scores Matter?
By Katie Ash on March 3, 2011 6:00 PM | 1 Comment | Recommend

I'm fortunate enough to be blogging live today and tomorrow from the Northwest Council for Computer Education's annual conference here in Portland, where Yong Zhao, the director of the Center for Advanced Technology in Education at the University of Oregon in Eugene, delivered this morning's keynote.

In a speech that drew on his experience as a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States 20 years ago, Zhao said part of the problem with American education was that "schools are like hospitals—we're supposed to fix our kids." Whenever social and economic challenges arise for the U.S., policymakers turn to problems in the public school system for blame, he said.

(You can read more about Zhao in the upcoming issue of Technology Counts coming out on March 17.)

Over the past few years, mediocre U.S. performance on international tests has drawn a lot of domestic attention. But U.S. students' test scores have "always been bad," Zhao said. Since the 1960s, the U.S. has not excelled on international tests like the Program for International Student Assessment.

A more pertinent question, said Zhao, is what scores mean compared with the country's economic standing. And countries with the highest test scores actually have lower rates of economic growth, wealth, and creativity, he said.

In the last 8 years, China has actually cut back on time spent on math and academics in favor of more electives and a broader curriculum, said Zhao. What matters most, perhaps, is not how well our students do on tests, but how well our environment is suited to foster creativity, diversity, entrepreneurship, and passion. "Why do we try to weaken our strength?" he asked.

Although Zhao's speech was a refreshing perspective, as I was filing out of the conference hall, I overheard a couple of teachers talking with each other. "Don't worry about test scores," she said, "that would be great if our jobs didn't depend on them."

Turkiye Trip - on your own

No plan today, just looking forward for the Partners meeting @ Raddisson Blu. Shall be moving to the venue hotel in a bit. 


Yesterday was quite an adventurous day. My 6th day thus a bit more familiar and have the sense of direction. Met three Germans looking at maps in front of the hotel.  Offered help to show the way to Tokapi Castle complex. I was on the way to Grand Bazaar and after that to Blue mosque. They gladly followed, introduced myself and get to know George and Erick. Passed by the University of Istanbul before parted ways at the Grand Bazaar. Didn't find anything except to change some USD to TL. Then walked to SultanAhmed mosque. Great feeling to be able to perform a Friday prayer here. Been admiring the Blue Mosque and wondered when will i have the chance to pray in it. Syukran.


Walked all the way to Blue Mosque around 11.00  – 20 min walk, in cold is unfamiliarly long. Entered the mosque at 11.45 full of tourists, stopped by a guide that the mosque is closing from visitors as its time for Friday prayer, but told I’m going for prayer...and he apologizes. A long Friday prayers, with usrah, quran recital, khutbah and long sunat prayers after...In front line and could not get out as most Turks still praying something like 10 – 14 rakaat sunat at the back rows. Got out at 2.15pm, took some photos too.

Cross over to St Sofia to buy Hop On/Off City tour...40TL at 2.30pm, hopped off @ Taksim, hopped on back @3.30pm last bus back to St Sofia....Bought something for the girls. Saw some Malay faces in the crowd at St Sofia.


Cold day sitting on top of double decker, earphone on to listen to the guide stories. The tour passed by most that we’ve covered but also drive thru some especially the 25km city wall. The guide is more informative.
Stopped @ McD for some takeaways (my lunch and dinner)...and walked back to hotel almost 6.00pm. Flat!

Today its raining @ 10’C and expect to rain the whole coming days with temp around 6 – 7’C. Turkiye has a lot to offer. Perhaps i can come back with Norli, god permits.


Celal Aga Konagi

Istanbul Old City