In Class at UPSI - July 8, 2008

This morning we started our day at 8:00am with breakfast at the university. Unlike all the other days I have spent on the other side of the world, this was the first as students at UPSI. Our classes began at 9:00am in a fancy room with comfortable couches. This is not exactly what I was expecting, but then again we are being treated like royalty. Our first lesson was “An Introduction to Malaysia” by two UPSI teachers. Here’s just a few of the things that I learned:

*Malaysia just recently became a country in 1957.
*The population is 27 million, mostly concentrated in Western Malaysia.
*The last United States president to visit Malaysia was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966.
*60% of the Malaysian population is Muslim.

The class lasted until 10am and then we broke for “Coffee Break.” Malaysians eat ALL the time; this was less of a coffee break and more of a snack break with coffee. As a side note, Malaysian coffee comes pre-mixed with cream and sugar! I find this to be fantastic. Our next session of class began at 10:30 and was called, “General Information About Education Curriculum in Malaysia” by Professor Dr. Nagendralingan Ratnavadivel. This was very interesting and useful. From this hour lesson we were given an overview of the national ideology, teacher professionalism and the national philosophy of education. The thing I found most intriguing was the fact that Malaysia has a national curriculum the entire country follows. All the teachers in public schools are employed under the Ministry of Education. Some similarities I found between the Malaysian education theories and the ones I have learned at MSU were they strive to have a balanced and integrated curriculum, attempt to reach higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and learning for understanding as well as lots of REFLECTION. Boy, does that sound similar!

Also, here are a few facts specifically about the education system:
*There are 10,000 public schools.
*There are 5.5 million students enrolled.
*Malaysia has 300,000 working teachers in public schools.
*Class sizes can have up to 50 students, but the average is 35-40 per classroom.
*10% of government funds go towards education.

Our final lesson of the morning began at 11:30am: “Basic Communication in Malay Language” by Professor Emeritus Dr. Abdullah Hassan. This really was an hour-long crash course in some important words and phrases in Malay. I really enjoyed learning useful words and ways to use them. For some reason I am really drawn to learning languages. I think it is so important and necessary to learn the language you are immersed in. A lack of trying shows ignorance, incompetence, and portrays an overall “stupid American” demeanor. Here are just a few of the many phrases I learned:

*Thank You = Terima Kasih
*Good Morning = Selamat Pagi
*My name is… = Nama Saya…

Of course at 12:30pm we ate lunch. What else would we do in Malaysia? We ate a delicious (sedap, in Malay) lunch of rice, mild curry chicken, a Malaysian salad similar to cole slaw and fruit. Our group was then taken on a tour of the library (it felt nice to walk since we were being bused around all the time!) by the student council. Our final class, taught by our MSU coordinators Kurnia and Sri, was at 2:30pm. This time was mostly spent going over the syllabus for our Master’s level work and plans for the rest of the week and trip. The rest of the afternoon was spent with some free time before our (American, boo) dinner.
I look forward to the following days where we will continue going to class, meeting new professors, and learning more about Malaysia and its culture. I almost feel like an adult; we have to be dressed nicely and fairly conservatively to go to class, due to the Muslim culture. I really feel in my element in these types of situations, I am happy here, and enjoy the time we are spending. Mostly, I cannot wait to move in with my host family and see Malaysian life through the eyes of a citizen.