What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we also want to tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
We asked FrogAsia's Student Engagement Executive, Jade Tan, what she looked forward to the most as a high schooler going Back2School. Here's what she has to say:
Jade, Alumni of SMK Subang Utama, Selangor.
"As a highschooler, one of the things that I looked forward to most when going Back2School was being reunited with my friends after the holidays. Being able to talk to them about our holiday experiences and everything! That always made me happy! :)
I also looked forward to my English classes. It was always the highlight of my week because it was fun and educational. Never once was there an actual boring English class!
To all you highschoolers going back to school, have fun! And dont forget to always enjoy yourself!"
If you've ever wondered who are the masterminds responsible for the worldwide growth of educational technology, the BETT show is where you'll find them.
BETT (British Educational and Training Technology) is a highly anticipated annual event where international renown ICT experts gather to showcase inspiring and innovative solutions in education technology. Read more about BETT here.
Image from shakeoutblog.com
This year, Frog is back at BETT again with more exciting developments to jump about! A crowd of more than 30,000 visitors is expected to show up over the 4-day event next week at ExCel stadium in London. Frog will be introducing many exciting new features at its stand, including a Frog Windows 8 app, touchscreen compatibility, and a whole new platform
designed specifically for tablets and smartphones.
We're also looking forward to telling the world about all that's been happening with Frog in Malaysia!
What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we’d rather tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
We asked FrogAsia's Head of Transformation Management, Elizabeth Lopez, what are a few simple things teachers can do with technology to make their classroom lessons more engaging.
Here's what she has to say:
Liz, Alumni of Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, Malacca.
"There are three great tools which I find helpful for teachers to create engaging lessons:
1. Animoto. It's a super simple way to create video-based lessons or any presentation needed for a classroom lesson.
2. Prezi. It's another great tool that allows teachers to build great presentations that will WOW students.
3. Google Docs. It allows teachers to create and share documents, presentations or spreadsheets with students and colleagues. It’s a great way to give feedback on student-creation projects too!
What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we also want to tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
Gareth Davies, MD and co-founder at FrogTrade Ltd (UK) shares his insights and success stories of implementing Frog in schools. For more information on Frog, go tohttp://frogtrade.com/
How did Frog start out?
When we started Frog, it wasn’t in education at all. We were building websites for small businesses through contact management software and we met a headteacher of a school through one of our resellers. They said, “If you made that work for schools, that would be very exciting.” So we spent the next 6 months modifying the software so it worked as a school Intranet, and it went on to about 5 to 6 years. We were building that up gradually, until about 2006 in the UK, people caught on to the things that we were doing.
What are the differences between the schools in the UK and in Malaysia?
The differences between the schools in England and in Malaysia are a lot less than I thought it was going to be. It’s actually very similar. There are more devices and understanding of technology in England, but as human beings, we’ve got exactly the same opportunities and challenges.
So in every school in England, there are a few champions that are really excited about technology and are pushing it, and then, there are some teachers who are frightened to death by the thought of getting involved in technology and are quite negative about it, and most people are in the middle.
In Malaysia, is exactly the same. There are people who are really excited about the things that they can do in technology and there are people who are frightened of it. So is exactly the same. The 13 years we spend in England learning about this is very applicable to Malaysia because we’re all human and we’re all the same, aren’t we?
Describe an example of how Frog has made a difference in school.
It’s been about 3 years ago now, when there was a teacher who found it really difficult to engage a class mainly of boys that were at the bottom set in science and he found out that a lot of them had an interest in rap music. So in his next lesson, he went onto Frog and he got some pictures of Eminem [and managed to tie it back to what they were learning].
About 4 weeks later, these guys were found in the library doing independent study because the teacher engaged them and had given them a lesson that had some kind of emotional connection to them as opposed to a sterile lesson.
And I think that perfectly illustrates Frog. It allowed that teacher to do something creative and innovative without having to ask a technical person to do it for them. They had an idea, and the following morning, those children were in a completely different, more engaging experience.
What will Frog be focusing on moving forward?
I guess the key thing is assessment. It’s about understanding where the children are. I spoke to headteachers in the UK and asked them, “If I could give you anything in the world, what would it be?” And they answered, “Well, I want to understand my children better.”
There are a lot of things we’re doing in that direction; one is assessment, which is about understanding where they are academically, whether they are strong or weak and where they need help.
What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we’d rather tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
We asked Frog’s
Business & Development Manager, Kate Wallace, what she thinks are some of
the most exciting things ahead for FrogAsia in the year 2013. Here's what she has to say:
Kate, Alumni of
West Kirby Grammar School for Girls, UK.
“From the top of my head,
I think that one of the most exciting events drawing nearer for FrogAsia would
be the launch of the FrogStore, a collection of teaching and learning
resources, carefully handpicked by FrogAsia staff for teachers, students, and
parents.
The FrogStore is populated with various digital content, from media
channels to digital tools to assist students in customising their very own
learning journey. There's something for everyone in the FrogStore.
Another big event on the
FrogAsia calendar for this year is the nationwide live launch of the Frog
VLE. Coupled with high-speed 4G access, the technology of the Frog VLE will
be able to connect many more schools in Malaysia, fulfilling our vision as a
connected nation on a single platform.
Finally, the users of the Frog VLE will be constantly presented with new functions on the Frog VLE as the staff at FrogAsia are continually improving the Frog experience to
solve problems for teachers, students, and parents alike.
Check out our new version
of the Frog VLE this January 2013!”
Over 3,000 delegates from the Ministry of Education gathered to attend the Majlis Perutusan Tahun Baru 2013 held at Putrajaya International Convention Centre last week. FrogAsia was invited to give a demo of the Frog VLE under the 1BestariNetproject.
Salfarizan of FrogAsia's Transformation Team distributes 1BestariNet brochures to MOE delegates.
Phoebe of FrogAsia's Transformation Team explains how school teachers can use the Frog VLE to teach in class.
MOE delegates who stopped by the 1BestariNet booth were interested in how the Frog VLE would transform education in Malaysia under the 1BestariNet project.
"We definitely need to work together to develop schools across Malaysia," said Puan Rosnani, Head of Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan.
"We need to encourage teachers because these are the same teachers who are teaching my children and my grandchildren," she added.
Azima of FrogAsia's Transformation Team, giving a demo of the Frog VLE to two MOE delegates.
FrogAsia also had the privilege of having Cikgu Amiza from SMK Bukit Jelutong, Cikgu Azmi from SK Selayang Baru 1, and Cikgu Marziean from SMK Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi to join us in demonstrating how the Frog VLE is used to connect the whole nation through a single platform under the 1BestariNet project.
Cikgu Marziean from SMK Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, giving a demo of how she would use the Frog VLE in her classroom.
The highlight of the day was when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stopped by the 1BestariNet booth. Cikgu Azmi gave a short presentation on the Frog VLE and how the 1BestariNet project is set to transform education in Malaysiathrough educators and students being connected by a single platform across the nation.
Cikgu Azmi of SK Selayang Baru 1, giving a Frog VLE demo to the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The DPM learning how the Quiz widget works on the Frog VLE.
A big thank you to our Transformation Team for a great job done in spreading the exciting news about Frog at this event. We love your enthusiasm!
What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we’d rather tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
We asked FrogAsia's Marketing Manager, Adrian Loh, what his best high school memories were. Here's what he has to say:
Adrian, Alumni of SMK Seri Hartamas, KL.
"Being a person that enjoys being
around other people, my best memories of high school were those involving
interaction with friends and other students.
Although there are many fond
memories of time spent outside of classroom, within the classroom setting I
thrived on projects and looked forward to brainstorming for new and creative
ideas with my teammates."
It's a new school year, and Frog is better than ever! Take a sneak peek into what new features there are in Frog this year. Log into your Frog VLE to check them out today!
We are proud to announce that we have two winners for Froggy's Adventures Competition Stage Two! A big congratulations to Sara Safia of SK Sri Petaling and Janice Khaw of SMK Sri Sentosa! Well done both of you!
What is FrogAsia all about? And why should you care? While we could point you to our website, we’d rather tell you in our own words so you can get to know us just a little more.
We asked FrogAsia's Executive Director, Lou Yeoh, what she looks forward to the most when she was going Back2School. Here's what she has to say:
Lou, Alumni of SMK Assunta, PJ.
“The thing I looked forward to most when going Back2School (especially in high school) was seeing my friends!
This was especially so during my Form 4 and Form 5 years, because going Back2School meant that I was finally able to really be a DO-er.
I really wanted to leave something behind for the students younger than me, and being with the other friends that also shared the passion was just great!
Being part of clubs and societies really gave me a way to help shape and influence the school that I would leave behind me.”
