Category Archives: Life as a Teacher in UTM

Dear Future Me, We Can Code Now (using Canva Code)

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It was a last-minute decision to sign up for Skolar’s July Canva Code Bootcamp (CCB July), and let me tell you, I do not regret a single cent spent. The main reason I decided to join was because I had previously tried navigating Canva AI to build my own apps, but got stuck halfway. The more CCB reminders I saw, the more tempted I became. So I thought, why not scratch that creative itch?

The two-day bootcamp left me completely bamboozled, in the best possible way. I was already impressed by the results on Day 1. But Day 2? That took things to a whole new level. Both expert speakers, Dr. Tazli Azizan and Don Skolar from Skolar, opened what I can only describe as a digital Pandora’s box. They didn’t just teach, they revealed a whole new world of possibilities. And no, I’m not exaggerating.

8 July – Wizarding Our Way to App Creation Using Canva Code

If there’s one major takeaway from Day 1, it’s this: I can be vulnerable and conversational with ChatGPT to help brainstorm app ideas. GPT becomes our creative partner in crime, helping us refine prompts until we are ready to bring them to life. The process goes something like this:

Brainstorm with ChatGPT → Copy and paste the prompt into Canva AI (Code for Me) → Let Canva do its magic → Refine as needed → Publish.

The earlier parts were conversational

Tadaa: NAK MAKAN MANA EK? & LET’S WRITE

It sounds fancy because it is. With better prompt crafting, the sky’s the limit. Sure, there’s room for improvement, but honestly, this is already a great head start. With continued practice and maybe new tools on the horizon, I believe I can create even more engaging apps for my teaching and learning needs.

9 July – Connecting App with a Database

Now this is where things got spicy, and a little tricky. We learned how to set up a database using Google Sheets and link it to our Canva Code apps using Google Apps Script. I started off following along just fine, but eventually, I got lost in the steps. Rather than panic, I decided to just observe and absorb what was being demonstrated.

I won’t go into the technical details here, mostly because I need more practice. But one thing is for sure, teaching and learning are about to get a lot more interesting.

The three pillars of hope
After 1000 tries, I succeeded! But, data captured was still faulty.

Final Thoughts

I joined CCB July with curiosity, but I left with renewed sense of hope. Enough to keep me going for 20 years+ or so.

If this is only the beginning, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Gamify and Upgrade Your Classroom with Zep Quiz

After being introduced to Zep in one of the sessions by Dr. Tazli from Skolar, I started experimenting with it in my own classroom. But I was still curious about what more it could offer. How could I use it more effectively for gamification? So, when I saw the poster entitled “Gamify dan Naik Taraf Kelas Anda dengan ZEP QUIZ” by Dr. Tazli, I signed up without hesitation.

What’s gamification all about? Let’s throw back to the days of Game Ular on the Nokia phone, TheSims, WoW or whatever game we once played. Why did we keep coming back to them? Maybe to level up, face challenges, enjoy the reward system, or simply because they were easy and fun to use.

Why do 21st century learners need this?

They’re glued to their gadgets. If we can’t beat them, let’s join them!

When students are actively involved (playing the game), they might get it wrong. That’s when we can step in with instant feedback. Interaction happens. Win-win situation!

So, as instructors, how do we gamify? Where do we begin?


As shared by Dr. Tazli, and also echoed in other sessions I’ve attended, we should start small. After the first few weeks with our students, we can gauge their pace and participation. We can try using a simple exit ticket to recap the lesson of the day. Test it out and get feedback to see if they enjoy it. From there, we’ll know what to do next. One thing is certain: it takes a few test runs before we find the ONE.

And the ONE for me right now is Zep Quiz.

It feels like a mix of Kahoot, Quizziz, and a bit of Second Life, and I’m hooked. The demonstration on how to use Zep and how AI can help streamline the preparation process was really helpful. Whether used asynchronously or synchronously, students can learn while feeling a sense of control. They get to decorate their avatars, explore the virtual room, and even check why they got a question wrong.

From the teacher’s end, it’s also easy to get the hang of it, especially when trying out pre-made quizzes by other Zep users. We can make use of the free maps and create up to 20 questions in formats like multiple choice, short answer, or true/false. We can start from scratch, use the AI feature to generate questions (hint: prompt wisely), or upload a pre-made set of questions. Once everything is ready, we simply share the quiz with our students.

So I guess the only thing left to say is… Let’s Zep!

From Passive to Proactive: AI Tips from CTRL+ALT+ENGAGE

I recently attended an insightful webinar entitled “CTRL+ALT+ENGAGE – Boosting Online Learning with AI-Infused Strategies” by Mr. Chuah Kee Man and here are my key takeaways:

1. Camera On or Off?

It’s entirely up to the student. A student can still be highly engaged even if they prefer to be off-screen. What matters more is participation, not presence on camera. Well, tbh, this one is totally understandable as sometimes my camera dies on me too. Bummer!

2. Building Teacher Social Presence

In large online classes, the teacher alone can’t engage every learner individually. A great solution? AI-Moderated Online Discussions.

We can try the classic ol’ Think–Pair–Share activity with a twist: students pair up with AI tools before joining breakout rooms for discussions. This approach lets the teacher manage and facilitate more effectively. How? Give them some prompts and ask them to ‘discuss’ with ChatGPT.

3. Encouraging Interaction in Online & F2F Classrooms

One of the main issues when having online classes is the utter silence as if we are at a graveyard. Relate much? Well, to boost student engagement and participation, we can try these interactive tools:

  • Interacty – A hybrid of Kahoot, Quizziz, and Genially for gamified learning.
  • FigJam – A collaborative digital whiteboard, best used live (this would be similar to Jamboard).
  • Zep – My personal favorite! It brings spatial interaction to a whole new level. Give some buffer time to decorate their avatar and change their name for ease of documentation-game changer!

These tools work well in both online and physical classrooms, making learning more dynamic and student-centered.

4. AI-Assisted Challenge-Based Learning

Think PBL with an AI twist. For instance, students use Canva AI to create a problem-solution mind map. They then present their prototypes for feedback, discussing not only the idea but also questioning the validity of AI-generated content. (“Does this seem legit? Any info seems sus to you?”)

5. Automated Formative Feedback with Yoodli

Mindblown! We were introduced to Yoodli. Yoodli provides real-time, automated feedback on students’ spoken performance: clarity, fluency, pacing, and more. It’s perfect for speaking classes.

Not gonna lie, discovering more tools can feel overwhelming. But, just experiencing one or two from time to time until we know what works best for us and our students won’t do any harm, yes?

From ‘I Don’t know’ to ‘AI Know’: Guiding Students with ChatGPT

Ever since ChatGPT came about, there has been a constant worry about its usage in the classroom. For me, personally, I have always wanted my students to use it, but saying “I am okay with you using it but be wise about it” and not actually helping them with the how-to has led to ChatGPT’s potential going to waste. The only thing we do together in class is brainstorm potential topics for report writing. So, when I saw Skolar Malaysia’s poster entitled “Assist Your Students’ Learning with ChatGPT,” I did not hesitate to register (plus, who doesn’t fancy a free webinar ^^).

Anyhoos, this insightful webinar by Dr. M. Tazli Azizan left me eager to rethink some of my teaching practices. One of them is that I want to guide my students in using ChatGPT with style. So, here’s my takeaway and how I plan to help my students use ChatGPT effectively:

In the first class, I will already make it a known fact that they must (not just ‘can’) use generative AI such as ChatGPT. I will simulate its purposes: brainstorming topics, searching for articles, note-taking or mind-mapping, citing correctly, and finally, proofreading the write-up.

Below were some of the features on chatGPT shared by Dr Tazli:

  • NoteMaster: To simplify articles and videos. Alternatively, students can be guided on how to read more effectively. Shared prompt: “Perform Socratic approach while making me try to understand this article.”
  • Miro/Whimsical: To turn points into a mind map.
  • StudyBuddy: Answers the “I do not have time to do all my assignments” concern.
  • Consensus: To find articles with correct citations. (Alternative: Perplexity.Ai)

Alas, I enjoyed the webinar and hopefully I can share this beneficial strategy with my students.

expectations

My First Dive into AI Gamification with Canva

15 May 2025

I recently attended a webinar conducted by Skolar, facilitated by Don Skolar and Dr. Tazli Azizan, and I was truly amazed by what Canva now has to offer!

I’ll admit, I’m someone who’s “rather slow in catching up with the advancement of technology,” but I was eager to stay, listen, and try out what they shared. So, the focus was actually on using the latest Canva AI feature which has a lot to offer and will make our lives easier the moment we get a hang of using it. Honestly, nothing beats a lot of trial and error to get there.

What really blew my mind was the coding element. Now, we can just key in the right prompts, wait for the magic to happen on screen, and voila, we get what our heart desires!

Here’s what I came up with. Try it out and let me know what you think! ^^ HERE

Levelling up your social media posts

When receiving posts to be uploaded on Instagram or Facebook, there’s often a challenge: bold captions shared via WhatsApp don’t appear as bold on these platform but rather, they just show the asterisks instead. This is because Instagram and Facebook don’t recognize formatting like bold, italics, or strikethrough from WhatsApp (what a bummer! but this is as of 9th May 2025).

The trick? You have to manually format your text using third-party websites that convert plain text into styled text. There are many available, but I here’s my preferred ones:

Bolding my texts

Italic texts

Strikethrough texts

Next, sizing for Instagram is slightly tricky from FB. Here’s a sizing guideline:

source

Will update more as we go…

Ciao!

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Handling Technicalities for LA Programmes

So, you may find yourself responsible for handling programmes for your faculty — even if it’s beyond your usual expertise. That’s exactly the situation I’m in, as I am currently part of the media team for the LA Programmes.

Sometimes, we are required to blast emails and upload posters for programme visibility. To make things easier, I took the initiative to contact DigitalCareJB, and here are the processes I’ve gathered:

1. Application for Official Email Address

1.1 Apply for an official UTM email address via UTM Service Desk (SPAB).

1.2 Once the email address is obtained, immediately inform the relevant department to add the new email to the necessary UTM mailing lists (e.g., allstaff, allstudents, etc.).

2. Uploading Posters and Sliders on MyUTM / UTMSmart

2.1 Go to support.utm.my.

2.2 Register a new account (if you do not have one) using your UTMID.

2.3 Log in to the system.

2.4 Select Maklum Balas → Aduan Baharu.

2.5 Fill in the required details:

  • Category: Perkhidmatan ICT
  • Dropdown Menu: MYUTM STAFF

2.6 Upload the following documents:

  • Approved Program Approval Letter
  • Approved Poster

2.7 In the Butiran section, clearly state: “Mohon upload di MyUTM dan UTMSmart“.

2.8 Submission will be processed within 3 working days.

All the best!

Heads up! A new semester is about to kick off!

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Assalamualaikum and hi all,

The months of semester break are coming to an end, and whether we’re ready or not, the new semester is fast approaching. It’s time to gear up, get organized, and prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead. Let’s focus on our goals and make the most of the fresh start.

As we dive into a new academic journey, let’s pray for the strength and wisdom to navigate it smoothly. Here’s hoping for a productive and fulfilling semester for everyone. Welcoming Sem 1 20242025.

Dilemma of a Millenial Teacher Teaching GenZ

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Assalamualaikum and hey there!

Today, I want to share some dilemmas I’ve been grappling with over the past few years, especially since the pandemic turned our world upside down. While I can’t claim decades of teaching experience, 12 years in the classroom have opened my eyes to some noticeable shifts in students. Of course, these insights are based on my own observations and experiences, so they might not resonate with fellow educators. But here goes:

Digital Fluency

Firstly, I can say that students these days are better equipped with technology and its usage in the classroom. This is different from the past, when I needed to provide step-by-step instructions on how to use particular software or apps. For example, back when I was using Padlet, I’d receive questions like, “How do I post my reflection on Padlet?” In contrast, today, students often suggest effective alternatives to Padlet themselves. However, being digitally fluent comes with its own disadvantages, as they may overuse or abuse the privilege. For instance, the current implementation of AI in various tools like Quillbot, ChatGPT, and Gemini gives us access to powerful resources, but the thinking process is sometimes stunted. I, for one, would never prohibit my students from using these tools, but I tell them to be smart about using them. The end product must reflect their own thinking process, with the tools serving to enhance their work. However, some of them are, as they say, “asleep at the wheel,” so my words may go unheeded. But, would this demotivate me? Of course! But would it stop me? NEVER!

Communication Gap

Secondly, I’ve noticed that I’m losing my connection with students more and more—not literally, but communicatively. I guess the generation gap is becoming more prominent, especially when I hear terms like “delulu,” “demure,” “rizz,” “cap,” “bussin,” and “sus.” For now, I’d say the gap is manageable since I’m on TikTok and familiar with the jargon, but I’m not so sure about the future, especially when Gen Alpha enters university (Lord, help me!). Beyond the vocabulary, I’m also concerned about how some students seem to be losing a sense of respect and common sense regarding their duties and responsibilities as students. I don’t expect songs of praise or anyone kissing my feet, but they should at least show respect for themselves as students. If not, what’s the point, right? Still, one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch, and I have hope for the future generation. As a teacher, I’m committed to finding ways to bridge the generational gap and foster a mutually respectful and productive learning environment.

Attention span and learning style

Thirdly, and to wrap up this post, let’s talk about a major challenge: shorter attention spans. The pandemic forced everyone into online learning back in 2020, and we all had to adapt to whatever tech we had, from shaky internet to limited devices. I noticed that students’ attention spans shrank significantly with online learning—and sadly, the trend seems to continue in physical classrooms. Students might be all in for the first 30 minutes, but then their focus starts to wander. It’s not entirely their fault; our gadget-dependent world plays a big part. Plus, students don’t just want to sit and listen for hours. They crave movement, challenges, and opportunities to lead. Thankfully, current UHLB courses are catching up with these needs. I’m all in on active learning and adding some gamification to my lessons. My hope is that, while not all students might get into it, some will find these approaches engaging and useful.