Edvolution Enterprise

Having trouble delivering effective and sustainable results? 😅 A good and solid plan from the start should solve your problem! 👀

For Masterclass 5 of our Applied Leadership Programme (ALP), we were joined by a few special guests from Yayasan PETRONAS to explore all things about – planning ahead to ensure an initiative can be sustainable beyond its targeted period.

➡️ Tengku Noraida Tengku Mahmood, Head of Operations, Yayasan PETRONAS
➡️ Jessica Lim, Manager, Operations (Education), Yayasan PETRONAS
➡️ Adleen Kamaruddin Manager, Operations (Wellbeing & Community Development), Yayasan PETRONAS
➡️ Ashaari Rahmat, Manager, Operations (Environmental), Yayasan PETRONAS
➡️ Mohd Arrabe Ahmad Baei, Executive, Operations, Yayasan PETRONAS

⭐️ Cikgu Siti Erma, Penolong PPD Perancangan, PPD Muar also shared on how she applied scalability models to the “Math for Everyone!” initiative, and provided insight to officers on how they can apply these concepts to their own initiatives.

🗓️ The Applied Leadership Programme Cohort 3 is funded by Yayasan PETRONAS and continues with Monitoring and Evaluating for Continuous Improvement next.

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

Last week, we were in Kuching, training around 25 officers from various ministries and departments of the Sarawak state government.

In partnership with the Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service , we continue to build systemic capacity in our office. During this workshop, we explored the fundamentals of data collection, analysis, and reporting using Google Suite and Microsoft Office tools.

The officers were deeply engaged in the hands-on activities, supporting each other in mastering the fundamental skills. These practical exercises enabled them to effectively apply their knowledge to their daily tasks.

We are excited to see the positive impact this training will have on their work!

Hi Teachers, Principals, Vice Principals!

CikguHub (a Malaysian Teacher Development platform dedicated to serving both national and private/international schools) is collaborating with Hong Leong Foundation to host a series of free teacher training workshops at their community space in Jumpstart65, Jalan Tun Hs Lee, KL.

Programme Director, Janice Chong will explore more about safeguarding students’ emotional well-being from Artificial Intelligence:

* Gain insight into how AI tools and technologies affect students’ emotional health, social interaction and overall well-being
* Explore ways to foster meaningful human interactions while leveraging AI in learning
* Learn best practices to integrate AI with social-emotional learning (SEL) into your school or classroom

If you are a
(1) Principal/ Vice Principal,
(2) Teachers/ Educators
(3) School Counselors

Join us! You can share it with your relevant teachers/principals/vice principals as well.

Note
1) Light refreshments will be served during the event; and
2) An e-certificate of attendance will be emailed post-workshop

Sign up here: bit.ly/cikguhub-jul2024

Greetings from Ipoh!

Last week, we ran the second of three workshops for 14 officers from PPD Manjung and JPN Perak, in collaboration with Yayasan AMIR. This workshop highlighted the:

1. Concept of teacher leadership
2. Importance of cultivating teacher leaders based on values and roles
3. Process of selecting teacher leaders

as well as how PPD officers and schools can support the development of teacher leaders.

During the workshop, officers engaged in discussions about selecting teacher leaders based on their contexts and needs. Officers were open to sharing their challenges and support needed to identify and develop these teacher leaders. These discussions enabled officers to put in place next steps to implement following the workshop.

Thank you to all our participants for your engagement! We look forward to seeing you in August!

The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) have launched a nationwide programme to promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Malaysia.

Edvolution Enterprise had the great honour of participating in this launch, with our CEO, Melissa Gomes, presenting on the whole-school approach to implementing ESD in schools. In her address, Melissa emphasised the critical role of school leaders as key policy implementers on the ground.

Melissa identified three key groups of school leaders essential to the success of new initiatives within a school:

1. Senior Leaders: This group includes the Principal and Vice Principals, who set the strategic vision and direction for the school.
2. Middle Leaders: Comprising subject and academic heads, these leaders play a crucial role in integrating new ideas into the curriculum and daily school operations.
3. Teacher Leaders: Often overlooked, this group consists of teachers with exceptional influence within the school. Their ability to inspire and mobilise their peers is vital for successful implementation.

Melissa highlighted that the collective decision-making of all three groups are crucial for the successful realisation of ESD in schools. The absence of any one group can jeopardise the initiative's success.

ESD is UNESCO's education sector response to the urgent and dramatic challenges that our planet faces. With the launch of this programme, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation aims to empower over 2,500 teachers across 30 schools with global ESD competencies, fostering a sustainable future for Malaysia.

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💡 Did you see us at the Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Teachers' Conference 2024?

Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to meet with teachers and school leaders from across Malaysia at the 2024 Teacher Conference organised by Heriot-Watt University Malaysia with Teach For Malaysia Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman, titled "Purpose Driven Education: Unleash the Super-Teacher in You".

Addressing her fellow educators, our CEO Melissa Tanya Gomes stressed the importance of mentoring as a way of strengthening school culture, and highlighted mentorship as an important professional development approach by:
a. Advancing a teacher’s career;
b. Maintaining high standards of teaching in the classroom;
c. Building a pipeline of leaders.

She also shared about a few different perspectives of mentorship for new and senior teachers and its impact on both groups' career development. We also appreciated hearing from Dr Catherine Labrooy who shared insights on how she kept her teachers motivated by supporting them in their day-to-day teaching.

All in all, the Teacher Conference was a full day of inspired learning and we are glad to have been able to share our knowledge and experience with the participants!

For Masterclass 4 of our Applied Leadership Programme (ALP), we saw how networking and community engagement were like for people of different backgrounds. 👀

Cikgu Anuthra Sirisena (2022 Malaysia Teacher Prize Winner)
– “Allow opportunities for collaboration. Because after all, humans are creative collaborators.” 🤝

Cikgu Nurul Huda binti Abdul Wahab (PPD Kluang)
– “Clear communication is essential to getting the necessary resources for your initiatives.” 💬

Ahmad Badli Shah Aziz (YDP PIBG SK Setiawangsa)
– “Innovate technologies like Herepay help us to track spending and contribution even better.” 📲

🗓️ The Applied Leadership Programme Cohort 5 is funded by Yayasan PETRONAS and continues with Planning Ahead for Sustainability next!

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

💡 We had the pleasure of spending last Friday afternoon with excellent company - meeting with educators from private and international schools, learning centres, and a refugee school to discuss building leaders in the classroom.

In our first workshop of our CikguHub teacher development series, our CEO & co-founder Melissa Tanya Gomes guided teachers and school principals to (1) learn about a Charter School school management framework and (2) brainstorm the roles of Teacher Leaders. Participants also learned from our workshop co-facilitator Zhi Xiong Chong from Chumbaka on how to code a face recognition programme.

Here are some insights to what was discussed during the brainstorming session:

Finding #1 - Teacher Leaders play a multifaceted role in three critical areas:
a. Maintaining academic rigour (e.g. conducting lesson observations, guiding and coaching other teachers, conducting professional development activities)
b. Culture building (e.g. setting and meeting high expectations, encouraging and norming ethical behaviour, supporting low morale peers)
c. Managing parents (e.g. answering questions from parents, especially as relates to students' academic performance)

Finding #2 - To be able to fulfill their roles fully, Teacher Leaders should not be involved in schools' daily operations matters. However, participants also noted that this arrangement is also often dependent on the size and situation of each school.

Finding #3 - In many schools, the role and responsibilities of Teacher Leaders are currently undertaken by Subject Heads and Heads of Departments, whether formally or informally in their course of duties.

Going into the session, a few schools had already implemented Teacher Leaders, while others are now beginning to explore teacher leadership post-workshop. Regardless of where they are, we are thrilled that a small community is formed following the session and we hope to continue our next journey with these schools.

Next month, we will be running our second workshop for educators on the topic of "Safeguarding Students' Emotional Well-Being from Artificial Intelligence", on 19 July (Friday). Registration is FREE for teachers and school leaders at this link: bit.ly/cikguhub-jul2024. We look forward to seeing you there! 💯

Hello from Manjung! 👋

Last week, we had the pleasure of running our first in a series of workshops for officers from Manjung and Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Perak, in collaboration with Yayasan AMIR. This first workshop on Coaching & Communication, attended by 15 SISC+ and SIP+ officers (School Improvement Specialist Coaches and School Improvement Partners), introduced participants to the ‘eGROWp’ model and practical ways to apply it in their coaching conversations.

A particular highlight for us was seeing the enthusiasm and engagement of officers with the activities, especially the coaching simulation which led to a rich discussion about working with different types of coachees. We were also glad to hear that participants found the workshop useful and appreciated being given the resources to be effective coaches to the teachers and principals under their care.

Thank you to all our participants for bringing your ‘A’-game and we are looking forward to the upcoming workshops in the next few months!

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

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Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia BERNAMA Apple

When teachers are given the autonomy to lead, they can create more engaging and innovative learning experiences that cater to the unique needs of their students. This empowerment fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, driving teachers to continuously improve their teaching practices. 💡

CikguHub is proud to present the first workshop on Teacher Development in the series, titled "Empowering Teachers to be Leaders in the Classroom". During the session, we will be exploring the mindset, skills and principles that enables teachers to excel as educators in Malaysia.

Join our two invited speakers Melissa Tanya Gomes, the CEO & Co-founder of Edvolution, and Zhi Xiong Chong, the Chief Learning Officer & Co-founder of Chumbaka, for a two-part insightful discussion on the importance of “distributed leadership” in school, as well as ways to integrate student coding programmes into classrooms.

If you are a (1) Principal/ Vice Principal, (2) a member of your school's Senior Leadership Team, or a (3) Tech Coordinator, you would not want to miss out on this unique chance to learn from our speakers and other teachers!

Sign up here: bit.ly/cikguhub-jun2024 . Admission is completely free for educators!

"Ever feel like the education world is moving at warp speed? 🚀 I just experienced that firsthand at the insightful Lead to Succeed Conference by 21st Century Learning International in Bangkok."

Our Programme Director & co-founder Janice Chong reflects on her key takeaways attending the 'Lead to Succeed' Conference in Bangkok earlier this month:

"This event featured global thought leaders like Dr. Daniel Gray Wilson, a Principal Investigator at Harvard's Project Zero. We delved into huge questions: How do we future-proof students for an AI-driven world? How can schools balance technology and holistic wellbeing?

Through the conference, key insights around reimagining education were reinforced from fresh perspectives and new ideas were shared on how to bring those insights to life:

1) Redefine learning for the real world 🌎- Schools must move beyond rote learning to build critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving.
2) Making data-driven decisions 📊 - Effective data collection and analysis at all stages is crucial for driving meaningful change and measuring impact in schools.
3) Fostering whole school wellness 🧘‍♀️ - A systemic approach to physical, mental and social-emotional health creates the foundations for effective learning.
4)Navigating EdTech and AI responsibly 👩‍💻 - While exploring AI's potential, we must prioritize human connections and balance "artificial intimacy" with authentic relationships.

Conversations with ASEAN school leaders reminded me that we're all navigating similar challenges in preparing the next generation.
The path forward? We need an integrated approach for education to truly evolve. It's not just adopting new tools but translating vision into practices nurturing the whole student.

The future of education is unfolding rapidly, but conferences like these show we're all united in revolutionising learning. They remind us to push boldly towards a boundless, holistic education model that unlocks every student's potential. 🚀"

Our exploration of planning and implementing a STEM initiative continued with more steps – Curate, Execute, and Sustain!

⭐️ Shout out to Cikgu Kiew Soon Lee, SIP+ from PPD Sibu who shared how he used KMTS to plan and execute…
➡️ Kelas Bimbingan Berfokus to increase overall school performance for SPM
➡️ Sarapan Pagi to ensure full attendance for SPM examinations.

🗓️ Stay tuned as we explore Networking and Community Engagement in our next Masterclass! The Applied Leadership Programme Cohort 3 is funded by Yayasan PETRONAS.

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

🎭 The HIP StoryFest is back again! ✨

For the third year running, Edvolution is honoured to partner with Maxis eKelas to organize HIPMaX StoryFest 2024.

Earlier this month, Edvolution alongside Maxis eKelas had the privilege to attend the launch of this year's Penang-state HIP Carnival, held at Smk Saujana Indah. Officiated by our Education Minister, YB Fadhlina Sidek , the HIP programme aims to improve student's English proficiency through highly immersive activities.

Collaborating closely with the English Language Training Centre (ELTC) Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, this year's theme celebrates local Malaysian Folklore. Here students have the opportunity to participate in two categories of their choice: individual storytelling or group theatre. To aid in their preparation, KL Shakespeare Players - Shakespeare Demystified will be conducting online workshops to coach students on the key features of good storytelling and theatre acting. Students will learn from the pros on how to master their facial expressions, voice intonations and body movements.

Applications for HIPMaX StoryFest 2024 are open till 31 July 2024. Share this student learning opportunity with schools and educators in your network!

"Say it Loud, Say it Proud!"

Last November, we met with industry leaders from the technology and education sectors, with the Ministry of Education to discuss the newly unveiled National Digital Education Policy (Dasar Pendidikan Digital). In this second part of our article series, our CEO Tanya Gomes summarises some of the key points raised during discussions at the Hap Seng Education Roundtable.

Check out part 2's article about the opportunities for third party players to get involved: https://myedvolution.com/national-digital-education-policy-opportunities-for-third-party-players/

Realise the potential of teachers to bring positive change more effectively in schools. 💫

In Masterclass 2 of our Applied Leadership Programme, we explored the ways to analyse a school’s needs and niche areas with SIMM (School Improvement Security Maturity Model). And it all starts with Step 1 – FIND.

Our heartfelt gratitude to 💙 Dr Laimah Sungap of PPD Keningau 💙 who shared how she used SIMM to coach teachers in planning an impactful initiative to meet real needs on the ground.

Stay tuned as we explore how to ANALYSE and CURATE a STEM initiative in our next Masterclass! The Applied Leadership Programme Cohort 3 is funded by Yayasan PETRONAS.

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

Without Yayasan Hasanah, Edvolution may never have been.

Eight years ago, our co-founders Melissa and Janice were teaching in a school in Penang when they were given the opportunity to participate in Project GUSTO (Ground Up School Transformation), an ambitious pilot project supported by Yayasan AMIR, TFM, and LeapEd.

Project GUSTO was groundbreaking at the time, as it operated on a teacher-led transformation model which empowered schools to take charge of their own transformation, in stark contrast to the traditional top-down government approach.

As one of the five selected "change teachers" in their school, Melissa and Janice contributed to setting the strategic direction of their school, training and coaching teachers in 21st Century learning modules, and conducting workshops for other teachers.

Inspired by their experiences and the improvements these changes had on student learning outcomes in their school, Melissa and Janice decided to take the leap of faith to found Edvolution, to continue the work of school transformation.

We have always admired Yayasan Hasanah's continued commitment to support innovative and impactful work in education, through ASAH (Anugerah SekolahSuper Hasanah) microgrants, and countless other projects. On that note, we wish to offer our best wishes to Dato' Shahira Bazari as the completes her fruitful tenure as MD of Yayasan Hasanah.

Dato', thank you for all that you have done for our schools, our teachers, and our students! 💚

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! ✨ Wishing you a fun, festive, and food-filled celebration with your loved ones, from all of us at Edvolution. 0️⃣-0️⃣🙏

Do you want more Teacher Leaders in your school and district who are able to champion for positive change? In the Applied Leadership Programme’s Masterclass 1, we listened to stories from our past Teacher Leaders how their PPD officers coached them to develop confidence, gain new skills and created impactful initiatives that increased student outcomes.

The ALP Cohort 3 this year will be focusing on developing Teacher Leaders to run STEM initiatives in their schools and districts. Our participants also had a lively discussion on how PPD officers can develop teachers to become the ‘bridge’ and ‘glue’ that brings the school community together for a common purpose.

Thank you to Cikgu Chew Jian Yong, SMK Sri Kukup and PPD officer Cikgu Noziha Ahmad, as well as Cikgu Azrina bt Mohd Sahil, SK Tunku Mahmood 2 and PPD officer Cikgu Nurul Huda bt Abdul Wahab for sharing your experience with us!

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Yayasan PETRONAS

🥳We are thrilled to celebrate 60 district education (PPD) officers who were successfully selected into the Applied Leadership Programme Cohort 3. Funded by Yayasan PETRONAS this year’s ALP aims to build leadership skills of the officers from 53 districts in coaching and mentoring, data skills and creating contextualised solutions to solve educational challenges.

The officers are also Pembimbing Program Duta Guru, who are part of the programme to empower 4,500 teachers to be highly capable and creative STEM educators by 2030.

We are grateful to have Jessica Lim, Operations Manager (Education), Yayasan PETRONAS to launch this milestone. And Dato’ Dr Mehander Singh, National Education Advisory Council Member, who set the tone of the ALP’s 8-month journey with his inspiring and thought-provoking perspectives on ‘Values of a Leader’.

Special shoutout to Hajah Zanariah bt Buang, SISC+ from PPD Kluang and ALP Cohort 2 alumna who returned to emcee the session and warmly welcoming the new cohort. We hope to continue building a pipeline of leaders who will serve as a catalyst to drive sustainable and meaningful change in our education system.

Commitment. Collaboration. Resilience.

Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia

Last November, we met with industry leaders from the technology and education sectors, with the Ministry of Education to discuss the newly unveiled National Digital Education Policy (Dasar Pendidikan Digital). In this article series, our CEO Melissa Tanya Gomes summarises some of the key points raised during discussions at the Hap Seng Education Roundtable.

Check out part 1's article about potential challenges that lie ahead at https://myedvolution.com/national-digital-education-policy-part-1-challenges-that-lie-ahead/ ✨

📢 We are looking for passionate changemakers to join us in making a lasting difference in education!
Learn more about the available positions and apply at https://myedvolution.com/careers/
Help us spread the word!

📢
As we start the new year, we are looking for passionate changemakers to join us in making a lasting difference in education!

Full-time roles
🔹 Manager, Training & Development
🔹 Associate, Programme

Consultancy positions
🔹 Leadership Coach

Learn more about the available positions and apply at myedvolution.com/careers

Help us spread the word!

📢 OFFICE CLOSURE: 18-31 DEC 2023

Dear friends,

As we prepare for the year ahead, our office will be closing from 18-31 December. During this period, we will still be contactable for any urgent enquiries related to on-going projects.

Thank you for all the support in 2023 that has made it an extraordinary year for our team. Our best holiday wishes from all of us and see you in the new year! 🌟

🚀 EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Fireside Chats & Workshop 🚀

We are very grateful to our Fireside Chat speakers and organisations who dedicated their Tuesday morning to share their innovations in STEM and edtech for our workshop guests:

🔹 Howie Chang, co-founder & CEO at Forward College
🔹 Sooyeon Kim, Special Projects Analyst at Enuma, Inc.
🔹 Raja Nazatul Akhma, Head of Product at Pandai App

Thank you as well to all guests who, in our small group discussions, contributed ideas on existing and new solutions to challenges in education, from the perspectives of edtech and STEM experts.

Proudly organised in partnership with Hap Seng, this Education Roundtable aims to connect public and private sector education stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on technology and STEM issues.

🚀 EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Recap of Roundtable Discussions 🚀

Thank you to everyone who came for the Education Roundtable yesterday, bringing perspectives and insights to enrich the ongoing conversation about the future of edtech and STEM education in Malaysia. We are especially grateful to Tuan Zainal Abas, Director of BSTP, for the in-depth glimpse into the newly launched National Digital Education Policy; and to our guests who raised pertinent questions on barriers to adoption, equitability of access, and high need areas for tech in education.

Proudly organised in partnership with Hap Seng, this Education Roundtable aims to connect public and private sector education stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on technology and STEM issues.

🚀 EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Key Speakers & Workshop Facilitators 🚀

We are less than a week away from our Education Roundtable on “Leading the Way in STEM Excellence”! We are excited to announce our line-up of speakers and fireside chat panelists who will be contributing their expertise and insights into the future of STEM education in Malaysia:

🔹 Tuan Zainal Abas, Director of Bahagian Sumber dan Teknologi Pendidikan (BSTP)
🔹 Amidah Abidin, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Hap Seng
🔹 Howie Chang, Co-founder & CEO, Forward College
🔹 Sooyeon Kim, Special Projects Analyst, Enuma
🔹 Raja Nazatul Akhma, Head of Product, Pandai App

Proudly organised in partnership with Hap Seng, this Roundtable aims to connect public and private sector education stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on STEM education issues, following on from the announcement and implementation of the MOE’s new National Digital Education Policy.

🚀 EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE: Leading the Way in STEM Excellence 🚀

Edvolution is proud to partner with Hap Seng to organise an Education Roundtable on 28 November 2023, centred on the theme of "Leading the Way in STEM Excellence". We are thrilled to welcome Tuan Zainal bin Abas, the Director of Bahagian Sumber dan Teknologi Pendidikan (BSTP) Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia as our key speaker at this Roundtable, to meet with private sector education stakeholders and share insights into the MOE's new National Digital Education Policy.

More details and updates will be coming soon!

Some highlights from last month, when we were in Miri training around 30 officers from various ministries and departments from the Sarawak state government!

In partnership with Leadership Institute of Sarawak Civil Service, we explored how to apply Google Suite and Microsoft Office tools for data collection, analysis & dashboard reporting for state officers. And on the second day, we conducted a team building activity to assist learners in understanding their personality strengths whilst learning about others to strengthen their communication and relationship skills.

Thank you to our participants for bringing your enthusiasm and energy to every topic we covered! 🔥