Why Not Ban Mahjong Papers?

Every year, in schools, an amount of money is spent on mahjong paper. It has become a need of many teachers especially for presentation purposes. Though with the advancement of technology, Prezi still cannot work without an internet connection and obviously without a laptop. In Malaysia, many are teaching if not learning in classes which most of the plug points are not working as the buildings might be a decade old and its electrical wiring has been wired and re-wired for countless times, that nothing could make it work again!

With or without technology, classroom presentations should go on because they are usually the proof of a learner-centered teaching approach.

There are movements to ban the use of plastic, there are movements to introduce 21^st century teaching so there should be movements to ban the use of mahjong papers in classrooms. First, mahjong papers are expensive considering its one-time use. Second, mahjong papers are weak and easy to tear. Third, it is complicated to dispose papers with Quranic verses. Fourth, during the process, pupils will pay more attention on making the sheets beautiful then actually finishing it.

So here, I suggest a replace for mahjong paper. Whiteboard rolls.

I’ve been using this rolls in my classes this week and I find them very helpful and cost effective. Class presentations are only important during the lesson hence when it is over, the information on the papers are of no use. This has been the reason why mahjong papers are disposed once the pupils are done with their presentation.

With this rolls, instead of disposing them, the words could be easily erased and they could be used again, and again, and again.

Since they are with lines, teachers can have rolls without lines or with boxes, pupils will not go on trying to be visually creative. Attention is given on completing the task and to get the work done. It could be stapled on classroom displays for few days then erase and taken down for the next use.

It is true that there should be a chance for students to be visually creative when doing writing work. Teachers can introduce one-pager to students. Students get to work individually if not in pairs to create an informative yet visually appealing graphics work.