Buat Apa Di USA? Bercuti Dibayar Ka?

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Bermesyuarat dengan bekas presiden-presiden USA di Mount Rushmore.

Hari ini adalah hari terakhir saya di USA & saya teringat waktu Fulbright interview dulu. Director MACEE bertanya, "kamu ni pergi bercuti dibayar (paid vacation) ka?" Soalan itu teramatnya bercili & tajam. Waktu itu saya terkejut & kekangan untuk menjawab soalan itu sebab saya sendiri pun ragu-ragu: Adakah saya ini mampu untuk mengharumkan nama negara & menyumbang kepada keberhasilan sistem pendidikan negaraku? Perlu ke saya pergi jauh-jauh sampai USA & belanja duit yang begitu banyak?


Selain daripada menyempurnakan pengajian ijazah sarjana dalam “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)” di Columbia University dengan tajaan Fulbright Malaysia, saya juga telah:
a.    dilantik sebagai International Student Senator di Teachers College, Columbia University;
b.    berkongsi sebagai ahli panel untuk “TEDBET Webinar” anjuran Malaysian English Language Teaching Association;
c.    berkongsi sebagai ahli panel untuk “Writer’s Workshop for High School Students” anjuran Sarah Lawrence College;
d.    berkongsi sebagai ahli panel untuk “Fulbright Orientation” anjuran International Institute of Education;
e.    berkongsi sebagai ahli panel untuk “Admitted Students Day” anjuran Columbia University;
f.    pembentang untuk program “(Un)spoken: A Celebration of Mother Tongue Day” pada 2016 (Bahasa Malaysia) dan 2017 (Bahasa Iban) anjuran Columbia University;
g.    pembentang untuk program “Celebration of Teaching” pada 2016 dan 2017 anjuran Columbia University;
h.    pembentang untuk program “Roundtable Spring Research Forum” pada 2016 dan 2017 anjuran Columbia University;
i.    membina sebuah kurikulum BI untuk Bresee Foundation;
j.    mengajar BI di Teachers College dan Community Impact; dan
k.    mengambil bahagian dalam persidangan-persidangan seperti Millennium Train Project, Progressive Education Institute, Fulbright Educational Justice Seminar, Second Language Research Forum, NYS TESOL Winter Conference dan TESOL International Convention.


Sepanjang waktu saya di USA, saya tenlah berusaha untuk memberikan sumber inspirasi kepada para pelajar Malaysia untuk belajar Bahasa Inggeris (BI) dan melebihi pencapaian saya, serta menyokong perjuangan rakan seguru di Malaysia. Inisiatif-inisiatif yang telah dijalankan adalah:
a.    projek pertukaran video antara AS-Malaysia (US-Malaysia Youth Video Exchange Project) yang disertai 10 buah sekolah;
b.    projek menghantar poskad kepada 163 buah sekolah di Malaysia sempena penyempurnaan pengajian saya;
c.    persidangan Skype dengan 2 buah kelas di SMK Batu Lintang, Kuching, Sarawak;
d.    rakaman tentang New York City khas untuk SM Pendidikan Khas Vokasional Indahpura, Johor;
e.    perkongsian aktiviti-aktiviti pengajaran dan pembelajaran (PdP) abad ke-21 agar para pelajar dan guru di Malaysia lebih seronok pada waktu BI;
f.    perkongsian bacaan-bacaan ilmiah untuk tatapan dan berkembangan ilmu rakan seguru di Malaysia; dan
g.    rakaman tentang New York City khas untuk beberapa buah sekolah di seluruh Malaysia: SMK Katibas (South Central Park), SMK Bdr Baru Uda (Mid Central Park), SMK Beaufort 3 (Liberty Island), SK Convent (M) Kajang (Brooklyn Bridge), SMK Batu Lintang (DUMBO), .


Saya juga telah mendapat pengalaman praktikal (dalam PdP BI) serta mewujudkan jalinan professional di institusi-institusi tersebut:
a.    Columbia University
b.    City University of New York;
c.    Fordham University;
d.    New York Language Center;
e.    American Language Communications Center; dan
f.    Academy of Medical & Public Health Services.


Ilmu & ilham yang telah saya terima daripada pengalaman saya di USA menjadi sumber inspirasi kepada saya. Jesteru itu, inisiatif-inisiatif yang saya ingin wujudkan setelah kembali ke Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:
a.    kurikulum yang membantu pelajar fasih bertutur dalam BI melalui PdP dengan video cerpen yang menarik, seperti We Are New York dan We Speak NYC;
b.    ujian lisan yang lebih komprehensif untuk mengenalpasti tahap pertuturan BI yang sebenar dan langkah-langkah penambahbaikkan, seperti Best Plus 2.0;
c.    meneruskan perkongsian aktiviti-aktiviti PdP abad ke-21 dan, apabila telah sampai jumlah 88 buah aktiviti, mereka akan dibukukan dalam BI dan Bahasa Melayu;
d.    mewujudkan sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan untuk menghasilkan buku kanak-kanak dalam bahasa ibunda rakyat pedalaman Sarawak, selepas itu mengajar ibupada serta penjaga mereka cara-cara mengunakan buku tersebut (termasuklah fahaman tentang perkembangan minda kanak-kanak serta cara menyokong perkembangan akademik mereka, seperti yang ditulis dalam buku Grit) demi merapatkan jurang pendidikan antara desa dan bandar, mengikuti perkembangan kanak-kanak tersebut, dan mengumpul data untuk pengajian PhD saya;
e.    mewujudkan persidangan antarabangsa bertemakan pemulihan bahasa-bahasa ibunda;
f.    menjalankan perkongsian pengalaman dan pengetahuan dengan rakan seguru, serta ucapan motivasi kepada para pelajar; dan
g.    banyak lagi!


Jadi apa pendapat anda? Adakah saya bercuti dibayar?

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