Contents Academic Writing...............................................................................................................2 Video............................................................................................................................7 Reflection....................................................................................................................8 References..................................................................................................................11 Appendix......................................................................................................................

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Academic Writing Malaysia is a country that has many cultural heritages which covered every aspect of their lives, for examples, attires, cuisines, architectures and arts. Gratefully, most of them are still being practiced by Malaysians. One of the heritages is traditional games like Congkak, Dam Aji and Wau Bulan. Even that so, young generations nowadays seem to be less interested in this priceless culture. Too bad, the position of traditional games has been replaced by video games or online games. If been ask, there are many of them who do not know how to play the simplest traditional game like Main Guli or Dam Aji. Perhaps in the future, nobody will ever know about traditional games. Therefore, traditional games must be exposed to the young generations at the early stage, in primary schools. In order to do this, the traditional games must be a part of school activities. The pictures of heavy bag full of books and notebooks, teachers coming to the class, open the text books and keep on talking by using texts or papers full of questions about the topics, come to pupils mind when talking about schools. In simple words, the teaching and learning approach is self-centred where the pupils only follow what the teachers taught them. They cannot become independent learners and end up becoming mindless drones. A drone is a bee that is fat and does not do anything in the bee colony, it lies around while the nurse looks after then by feeding them as well as mindless means someone who does not think when doing something. Therefore, Mindless drone means a lazy good for nothing idiot in a more polite way. Straightforward, it means passive. Thus, most of the teaching and learning process in schools has causes the pupils to be passive learners. Its true that many pupils struggle in schools, some maybe cause by lack of interests and others due to learning challenges that they may face. However that does not mean they cannot ultimately succeed in schools. There are many ways to help them. Edutainment learning is one of the best solutions to overcome the problem. Thats why the Min istry of Education had comes out with the Edutainment Learning in KSSR. Edutainment is a combination of two words, education and entertainment. Simply, Edutainment Learning is any entertainment that is designed to educate as well as entertaining the pupils. In this matter, traditional games can be used as the Edutainment Learning. Whats great about our traditional games is it can be used as teaching kits for pupils during teaching and learning process. It only needs a little bit of innovation, maybe just by adding one or more topics in the game according to the syllabus of the subject that the teacher taught. The good thing in using traditional games as teaching kit is its flexible as the pupils can play it in anytime whether during the class hour with the teacher or any free time they may have with their friends. Absolutely, learning through playing will be fun and 2

enjoyable, not only to the pupils but also to the teachers. Another reason for practicing it in teaching and learning process is to inculcate positive wills for them to learn and of course to avoid them from becoming mindless drone as they are playing during the activity, not just sleeping like the drone in the bee colony. One of the traditional games that can be used as the medium for teaching and learning process is Gasing or in English, it is called Spinning-Top. Basically, top is a toy that being played by spinning it on the ground. Traditional top usually made up wood with an iron tip below it which acts as the centre of gravity so that it will be stable when spinning on the ground. Today, there is top that is made up of plastic which is easier to handle. Spinning-Top can be played by adults or children. There is no fixed number of players. First, the players need to roll a specific rope around the rows on the top. Then, the players have to throw the top into a specific circle on the ground together at the same time. The winner is the one who his or her top spin the longest in the circle. The owner of the top that moves out from the circle will lose the game. There are two categories of play which are Social Play and Cognitive Play. Social Play means the child playing together in group while Cognitive Play is forms of play that involves in children mental development. Spinning-Top is categorised under Cognitive Play as it promotes thinking skills of the players, for instances, in the game, the players need to plan strategy on how to maintain the movement of the top in the circle, how to place the top at a safe port, far from other tops and how to attack other tops so that it will move out from the circle. Cognitive Play is the best medium for teaching and learning approach since playing is the most effective learning process. According to Piaget (1992), there are several types of play under Cognitive Play which are Functional Play, Constructive Play, Symbolic Play and Controlled Play. Spinning-top is a Controlled Play since the players must follow certain rules when playing it and of course, this type of play can be applied in teaching and learning process if a teacher is able to plan and lead the learning process meaningfully, means that with addition of certain topic(s) in the subject that being taught to the pupils. First of all, before conducting the game, the teacher needs to ensure that the game is safe to be played by pupils. As stated before, original top usually made of wood. Wooden top is quiet dangerous to young pupils. Therefore, instead of using the wooden top, the teacher can use top that made up of plastic. In order to make it safer, the iron tip of the top which acts as the centre of gravity of the top can be replaced by a tip that made of plastic that does not sharp but it still can give the top its stability to spin. Apart from tops, this game also needs a circle on the ground or any flat surface. A mounting board can be used as the flat surface. Using a mounting board will help in reducing 3

the space used to play the game so that it can be played in classroom. On the mounting board, a circle has been drawn, which acts as the field of battle for the tops. In original Top-Spinning game, the players need to roll a rope around the top and then, throw it into circle on the ground. If the children do not handle the top well especially when throwing it into the circle, it would be harmful to them. Therefore, instead of throwing the top into the circle, the pupils can only spin it by using hand. There is no need to throw it into the circle. The pupils can just place the tip part of the tops on the in the circle drawn on the mounting board, and spin the tops by using their hand. Once it starts to spin, let it keep spinning until it stops. Around the circle drawn, there are four partitions which are labelled with SV, LV, C and CVC which stand for four categories of words. SV stand for Short Vowel, LV for Long Vowel, C for Consonant and CVC for Consonant Vowel Consonant. Under each partition, there were five words that were under its own category of words whether they were Short Vowel, Long Vowel, Consonant or Consonant Vowel Consonant. Therefore, this game will be focused on teaching the pupils to pronounce the words of vowels and consonants. This type of activity (pronouncing words in English) always comes in topics in Year Three KSSR syllabus that being taught to the Year Three students. Therefore, apart from using text book, teacher can use Spinning-Top to encourage the pupils to recite or pronounce the words they may get. After all the safety precautions have been taken, the teacher will give explanation to the pupils on how to play the game. The explanation must be simple as it would be hard for young pupils understand complex explanation. Therefore, it must be explained together with the demonstration or simulation on how to play it. The most important thing is the pupils must know how many players can play at one time. In this game, if the whole class will participate, they will be divided into three groups. One person from each group will become the representative to spin the top that belong to his or her group. If there are only three pupils to be focussed on, one top will represent one player. Then, the players need to choose which colour that will represent their tops. Its important for the tops to be in different colours in order to avoid from getting confused when the tops are spinning in the circle. The game begins when the player all together put their represented tops in the circle. When the teacher shout Start!, the players will spin the top at the same time. After all of the tops stop spinning, their last position will be counted. If the top remain in the circle, the owner of the top will get one point. If the top moved out from the circle, and enter any partitions outside it, the pupils must take one of the cards that belong to the partitions. The cards containing the words that must be pronounced by the pupils and the 4

one who get the card must pronounce the word(s) on the card with the help of teacher or anyone who can pronounce the words right. If the player pronounces it wrongly, one mark will be deducted. There will be high possibilities for the players to get the same cards and pronounce it again and again. For the first time the player get the card, he has to pronounce it one time. If he gets it again for the second time, he has to pronounce it twice. The more he gets the same cards, the more number of times he must pronounce the words. This kind repetition is one of the ways for effective learning. However, the players may get bored with the same words and the same arrangement. Therefore, after one round end, the words will be changed as well as the position of the players. There are three rounds in the game. When one of the players managed to get ten marks, one round will be end and the player will win the round. The marks for the three rounds will be counted together to decide the winner. In order for any teaching lesson to be effective, pupils need to be motivated to learn. To be motivated means to be moved to do something. Pupils need to be intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from inside an individual rather than from any external or outside rewards, such as prizes. The motivations come from the feeling of satisfaction when finish or even when on working on something. However, that does not mean the person does not want the rewards if being given, its just the rewards are not the reason for he to work on it. Extrinsic motivation refers to motivations that come from outside of someone which may be in kind rewards. The person will do something to get rewards; he will be satisfied once he managed to get it. A persons interest often survives when a reward is used neither to bribe nor to control but to signal a job well done, as in a most improved player award. If a reward boosts your feeling of competences after doing good work, your enjoyment of the task may increase. Rewards rightly administered, can motivate high performance and creativity. (David G. Meyers, Psychology; Eight Edition in Modules). Thus, the different between the two types of motivation is that intrinsic motivation arises from within while extrinsic motivation arises from outside of the pupils. Giving marks to them means that they will have compete among each others to get the highest marks. The title Champion encourage them to show that they are the ones who deserve it. This is calls intrinsically motivated, which are pupils themselves wanted to give his or her best in the game. Since one mark will be deducted if they pronounce the word(s) wrongly, they will be more careful and try to keep correcting their pronunciation. Apart from that, young pupils love playing. This game needs the player to spin the top. The elements of Edutainment Learning which are, the curiosity to know how the top spins and its movement 5

in the circle and where will it stops (which partitions whether it is Short Vowel, Long Vowel, Consonant or Consonant Vowel Consonant), are what making the pupils to be excited. Surely, they wanted to experience this enjoyable game! Without realising, they will have high interest in learning. One of the extrinsic motivations is giving praises to the pupils if they managed to pronounce the words well. Once being praised, they will have positive feeling to continue the game and give their best. Since this game is a competition, the one who gets the highest marks will win the game and of course, the winners will be given prizes. The prize will encourage the pupils to do as well as they can to win it. Thats how extrinsic motivation works. In conclusion, Edutainment Learning must be applied in teaching and learning process so that its approach would not become self-centred. It is important for the pupils to be active learners and teachers must only become the facilitators. By using this style of learning, the pupils will be motivated intrinsically and extrinsically. One way of Edutainment Learning is traditional games with some innovation so that it will be integrated to the teaching of the subject major. Teachers may use Spinning-Top that has been innovate based on the topics in Year Three KSSR Syllabus as being explained above. However, Spinning-Top is not the only traditional games that can be used for Edutainment Learning. Teachers may use other traditional games based on their own creativity. Creativity is the core of a genius mind!

Video This CD consists of two videos. The first one is the video for the individual game. The second video is the selected traditional game that we chose to be our group invented traditional game, which is Spinning-Top.

Reflection In fulfilling the requirements of coursework for Learning and the Learner subject under the code of EDU 3013, the batch of PISMP second semester are required to innovate one traditional game to be integrated in the process of teaching and learning in classroom as well as in respective subject or major. The game designed must have the criteria that can motivate the targeted pupils intrinsically and extrinsically. Spinning-Top has been chosen to be innovated so that it can be integrated in the teaching and learning process of English subject for Year Three Pupils based on KSSR Syllabus. Using tops as the teaching kit seemed to be looking unique since the players need to make it spin and move in a circle. The idea came when I read an article about the function of enzyme as the catalyst in human stomach which is to make the digestive process becomes faster. The enzyme does not act as the main function, but it acts as the catalyst. The questions came to my mind are, How a teaching kit can act as the catalyst in teaching and learning process? How a traditional game can be the catalyst in teaching? As stated before, catalysts does not act as the main function, therefore, the Spinning-Top had been chosen where the tops played did not act as the main function, but it helped the pupils to enjoy the learning process and as same as catalyst, the game made the learning faster. The game acted as the helper where the teacher did not have to pronounce each of the word during the teaching lesson, thus, making both learning and teaching occurred at the same time. That was the idea! Simply, the teacher becomes the facilitator and the pupils become active learners. An effective learning occurred! I wanted the game to be simple, small space needed, fun and cheap in prize. The spinning top made this game alive as it moved when played and for sure, kids enjoyed looking at a moving object especially when they are the ones who made it moved. The tops got the same function as a dice where its number will determine your move later, where in the game the tops will determine which partition of words that the pupils have to pronounce. This is what being called Edutainment Learning, an entertainment designed for education purpose as well as one of the elements in KSSR Syllabus which is learning must be fun and enjoyable. For the concept of small space needed, I used mounting board to make the surface where the circle drawn and the tops will spin. Surely, it turned out well, the three tops fit enough and they moved well in the circle as I imagined before. The reason was the flat surface of the mounting board made the tops spin better compared to the ground just like in the original Spinning-Top game. I had created tops that made up of plastics by using glass lids which their tips could stand well on the flat surface as well as making them safer to young pupils. Grateful, all of that only cost me RM 10.50. It was cheap and below my original budget, RM 30.00. That was cool!

Probably this teaching kit will be quiet hard to play with a large number of players, for example, the whole class. The teaching may occur, but, it will be not as effective when it is being played by three players only. As being explained, the whole class must be divided into three groups to enable all of them played the game. When the top that represent its group stop in one partition around the circle, the whole pupils in the group need to pronounce the word together. That will make it harder for the teacher to find out which pupil in the class that pronounces the word wrongly. However, the teaching and learning process still can be carried out. The second is the size of mounting board which is small will make it difficult for the pupils in classroom to see it from behind if being played for the whole class in a classroom. In conclusion, this teaching kit was specially designed to the selected Year Three pupils who are having difficulty in pronouncing words in English, not to the whole classroom, but, that does not mean it cant be played by the whole class. Everything depends on the creativity of the teachers who will use it. Sometimes, this teaching kit will function as the first approach for the pupils to learn the topics and sometimes, it can act as the reinforcement for the pupils after being taught about the correct pronunciation of the words by the teacher. The first problem that arose during the process was to look for the lesson that could be applied into the teaching kit. I scanned the Year Three Textbook, but I could not find any specific topic that focussed on certain skills in English subject. Then, I realised that almost all of the topics asked the pupils to read and recite which means that they will have to pronounce the words. After that, I decided to put the pronunciation of English words as the focussed skill in the game. I referred to the text book to refer for the proper words that could be put into the game. It was the combination of difficult and easy words. Later on, I will attach the words I used in the appendix. The second problem was to get the pupils to play the game. Then, I made collaboration to one of the English teacher in the school to ask for her permission to allow her pupils, only three of them, to play this game during her class lesson. Gratefully, she allowed me to pick them out during her class hours and do the activity in the library. Thats more than enough. The problem was that I did not know whether the pupils already learnt the words in the game designed or not. However, the game must be continued. Again, I was lucky as only a little bit of words that the pupils couldnt pronounce well. The number of words that being focussed on in one game was not as many as being put in the textbook. Therefore, the teaching kit can be improved by adding more words with the longer time to play it. Second, pronunciation is not the only skill that has to be focussed on in English subject, spelling and writing also need to be applied. Those can be improved by increasing the number of partition around the circle, not only for the pronunciation of the words, but also to other skills. The third is how to make the game more attractive, before 9

using the game, the pupils will be asked to design his or her own top based on their own creativity so that his or her top can spin longer. Of course, the pupils will love doing it and they will be excited to play the game, just to test the tops they designed. The threat that I faced during the game was the surrounding situation where the game was played in the library. When the pupils playing the game, there were other pupils in the library who also attracted to see what they were doing. The noises from them made me hard to hear whether the pupils pronounce the words well or not. The second was the pupils that I chose were from rural school, who were not really familiar if the teacher used English to talk during lesson. So, I did not speak in the English to give the pupils instructions on how to play the game since they would not understand it clearly, plus the time given by their teacher was only thirty minutes. That was bad since I am a becoming English teacher, so, I need to use English during my lesson. Those are all that I can tell about my invented traditional game, Spinning-Top. I hope that the game I invented can become one of the teaching kits that can be used by teachers in schools. Maybe the idea of using Spinning-Top as teaching kit can help the teachers in making the class enjoyable and fun so that the pupils would not have any bad pictures or negative feeling when talking about schools. As becoming teacher, I dont want the future kids to be mindless drones just like what being stated in my academic writing.

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References Mohamed, Z. (2004, February 24). SingaporeInfopedia. Retrieved August 10, 2013, from Infopedia: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_401_2004-12-09.html Parents Connect. (2013). Retrieved August 21, 2013, from Child's Play: Type of Play: http://www.parentsconnect.com/parenting-your-kids/preschooler/preschooldevelopment/play/child-play-types-of-play.html Rashid, N. A., Ying, B. P., & Ahmad, S. F. (2012). Murid dan Alam Belajar. Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. Sang, M. S. (2010). Psikologi Pendidikan & Pedagogi Murid dan Alam Belajar. Ipoh: Penerbitan Multimedia . Thompson, N. (2013, August 16). The different between Intransic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation. Retrieved August 20, 2013, from Livestrong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/174305-the-difference-between-intrinsic-motivationextrinsic-motivation/

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Appendix Pictures:

Picture1: Adults are playing Gasing or Spinning-Top.

Picture 2: Two lids of glass can be stick together to form a plastic top with plastic tip.

Picture 3: A circle drawn on a board with hand-made tops in it.

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Picture 4: Spin the top by using hand.

Picture 5: The circle is labelled.

Picture 6: The pupils are playing Spinning-Top.

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Picture 7: The players get the cards and pronounce the word(s) on it.

Picture 9: The winners get the prizes.

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