Ten young Malaysian scientists aged around 17-18 years did our country proud when they participated in the 2008 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in Atlanta, Georgia USA this May.
Those talented young inventors competed in the six-day fair against 1,557 other aspiring scientists of over 50 countries.
Our participants displayed innovative inventions that could potentially address issues that have baffled scientists and inventors alike for years.
Our Director-General of Education Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom was pleased that Malaysia’s future scientists’ abilities were acknowledged during the fair. However, he has plans for our young generation to being exposed to Science and Technology at an earlier age so that we can be at par with oversea kids. He mentioned that in Sweden a group of researchers supported by the European Union, started a three-year project with 27 Swedish children aged 5 and 7. That project, known as Kidstory Project, had successfully trained children to be able to write down their reflections in their journals even from the early stage of the project. Later on in the project, the children consumed the roles of inventors. At this stage, the researchers found that the children’s journals were then filled with ideas about possible new inventions. It is proven from the above study that children are capable of actually contributing to the mooting of inventions when they are given the opportunity of getting into the roles of inventors. Their “experiences” as inventors have paid off. They gained insights into the world of inventors and in the end are inspired to be inventors themselves. Who knows these children will eventually end up to be great inventors the world has ever had!
We can learn from the above study’s finding. We should have similar project(s) like that so that Malaysia continues to have a pool of creative and renowned inventors. Our children should be encouraged to take interest in Science and Technology as we definitely would not want the disaster of having drainage of inventive human capital as Science and Technology is the in-thing today. Science and Technology has many times proven to give us better life.
About Me
- Cheah Boey Kooi
- One of the KSPK course participants in ELTC;she is at present working with the other two peers, Monaliza bt. Ismail and Somariah bt. Mohd Som on Project-Based Learning.
5 comments:
Malaysia is really lack of profesional in this area. We seldom heard of any invention that was came from Malaysia. It was quite dissapointed to me. It is good to hear that the government have effort to produce more young scientist in the future. Hope later will see something that was invented by Malaysia. Malaysia Boleh!
I was proud that our new generation has brought sparks to Malaysia..Anyway..we as Malaysian should not stop due to the achievement we get but have to keep on improving!Practice makes perfect!Believe it or not!
I am proud of the new generation. Our government should keep on producing more young scientists. They can organise some activities to enhance and make kids nowadays to learn and love science.
Science and technology really impacts our life, we must nurture more inventor in our country, using the project suggested is good. It can be done in school in small groups as well. It's help students learning in science concept by encouraging them to create new technology, it makes the learning variety and interesting. As what we know, science and technology is inter-related. Hnece, we can use it to benefit and encourage kids' invention.
Forgive me if I'm pessimistic regarding this subject. We have enough bright, innovative kids, we have supportive parents, we have hardworking and dedicated teachers. Why haven't we progressed? Because we are being hampered by third rate beurocrats unable to think out of the box, who are infamous for implementing hastily and poorly thought-out policy without consideration of the long term impact.
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