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Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman launched YTL Foundation's Frog Classroom Programme in Sabah by signing a Frog Classroom table at the Teachers Day Festival at Universiti Sabah Malaysia (UMS). YTL Foundation Scholars in UMS will also collaborate with SMK All Saints to transform a classroom in the school into the first Frog Classroom in Sabah.

Musa later visited the mock-up of the innovative 21st century classroom at the Frog Asia booth at the festival.

The Frog Classroom Programme, a YTL Foundation initiative, aims to transform classrooms throughout Malaysia into 21st century learning spaces.

The classrooms have been designed and equipped to promote technology-enabled, student-focused learning and the use of the Frog Virtual Learning Environment (Frog VLE) provided to all schools in the country under the Ministry of Education's 1BestariNet project.

"We are excited to bring the Frog Classroom Programme to schools in Sabah for the first time.

YTL Foundation believes that effective education in the 21st century requires transformation not only in the way we learn, but also in the learning environment," said YTL Foundation Programme Director, Datin Kathleen Chew.

She said the 1BestariNet project and the Frog VLE are changing both learning and teaching throughout Malaysia by harnessing the power of the Internet and cloud-based learning.

"Sabah has some of the best performing schools in the country but also some of the most remote schools.

We hope that we can help facilitate change not just in the urban schools but in the rural schools as well."

"These Frog Classrooms feature specially designed tables and chairs that encourage collaborative learning using technology. YTL Foundation works with schools that meet certain criteria to build these classrooms.

"It will sponsor new tables, chairs, air-conditioners and provides a project toolkit and helps to project manage the makeover of the classroom. The transformation of these classrooms is carried out by the parents, teachers and students in the school who also have to raise the balance of the funds required to repaint and repair the classrooms.

In some cases, corporate sponsors participate in the makeover."

She said besides benefiting the students of the school, these classrooms will also be used to support and train neighbouring schools.

"Schools with Frog Classrooms become Frog Hubs, a place where teachers from schools in the vicinity can come together to share and learn the best ways to utilise technology in teaching and learning.

"Frog Hubs can be found in every state across the country and is accessible to teachers who are looking for hands-on training and community support. Teachers can find their nearest hub location at the FrogAsia Hubs page (www.frogasia.com/hubs)."