Ebooks Competition – Damai Primary School Perspective

On the 16 Mar to 24 April 2009, a nation-wide digital writing competition called the “N.E.w Author Competition” was held for schools, primary, secondary and tertiary alike. The competition, which is open to all students in Singapore, is organized by Personal e-Motion Pte Ltd (PEM), the company behind the interactive digital media software for ebooks, KooBits.

Damai Primary School became one of our contestant schools for this competition. The objective of the N.E.w Author Competition was to create an interactive ebook using KooBits Author, an ebook software designed and developed by PEM.

Damai Primary School had an IT trainer from LEAD that took on the role as project facilitator for the contestants, who were from Primary 5 and 6. He helped the students learn the technology and features of KooBits and supervised them from the point they learn about the technology behind our ebooks software up to the point they finish creating their story into an ebook that contains many interactive digital media or elements that make their story come alive. However, they would have to follow the theme of National Education, and hence these students’ ebooks should center on that theme as much as possible.

With the trainer’s help, a team of Primary 6 students won a Merit Award with their interactive ebook titled “Rising Above Our Challenges”. It was commendable since there were more than 2000 entries from 80 schools! According to one of the participating students, Nor Arinah Samsudin, the training for KooBits was “fun and enriching” and the journey from Day 1 to Judging Day has enlightened her about Singapore and its history.

Damai Primary School is situated at 52 Bedok Reservoir Crescent, and was started in 1984 as one of the 1980s' "New Generation schools" with Miss Hazel Lange as the first Principal. Through the School had gone through 4 different Principals, the commitment to develop holistic students with a global outlook can be seen through some of the unique programmes started & the recognition she received over the years.