Zainuddin Zakaria, who won Thailand’s Princess Maha Chakri Award last year, has networked with teachers in 15 countries including Thailand to implement his ideas.
Zainuddin has been at the forefront of various innovative ICT initiatives in Malaysia.
The Nation reported Krissanapong Kirtikara, chairman of the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation, as describing Zainuddin as a teacher with a global perspective.
In Thailand, Zainuddin has connected two schools in Pathum Thani and Chiang Mai with a Malaysia-based secondary school for a project called “ThaiMas”. He runs his initiative via Skype.
The Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation, in collaboration with the Quality Learning Foundation, recently organised a forum on the ThaiMas project, said the report.
Via the initiative, the three schools in the two countries — the Taman Bukit Maluri School in Malaysia and Pathumwilai School and Mae Rim School in Thailand – have joined forces to share learning resources.
ThaiMas has also facilitated real-time learning projects.
The Nation reported him as saying that ICT skills were among the skills needed in the 21st century. He said even remote schools with many learning restrictions could apply ICT as a tool for learning.
Janjira Pongchu from Pathumwilai School said she started working with Zainuddin early this year.
“After joining the project, I find teachers can’t stop learning. I also notice that students are more eager to learn and gain more confidence in speaking English,” The Nation quoted her as saying.