tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51081811294801542342024-03-15T01:46:53.365+08:00AraLiff.EduSarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-87547240304193607762010-11-07T16:45:00.004+08:002010-11-09T09:09:16.534+08:00Passion For teaching - Newbie version. . .<div style="color: black; text-align: justify;">My entry today was initially intended to be a comment for Pn. Rahmah's <a href="http://engoasis.blogspot.com/2010/11/passion-for-teaching.html">'Passion For Teaching'</a>. Well, if you really know me, I'm not the type of person who knows how to go straight to the point of what I'm trying to say. So, anyways, I just HAD to say what was on my mind when I read Pn. Rahmah's entry on her <a href="http://engoasis.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;">So, its been almost a year of teaching for me. Until today, I find it quite hard to focus on one job when I'm at school let alone have time to really think of the most important matter for me which is to teach English.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: justify;"><u><b>So, why the problem?<br />
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</b></u><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">As a newbie, I have been given a lot of work for the sake of experience in various fields. Here are some of the various works that have been handed down to me (I have a few more positions that I hold, but I don't mention here because of the very little responsibility I hold in those positions):</div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Class Teacher </li>
<li>Committee for Ponteng Sifar - every month, I am required to make an analysis of students' attendance</li>
<li>Volleyball and Athletics Coach - training is done almost everyday in Semester 1</li>
<li>Archery teacher - training is done every day in Semester 2 (our school just started having the archery club in Semester 2) and archery courses are sometimes done during PnP hours</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;">So, this may seem like a small list of work that I do at school but they are among the work given to me that I feel has taken up most of my teaching time. Please do not see me listing my work as showing off bout what I do at school. I am only attempting to give a clearer view of my situation in hopes of getting advices from other more experienced teachers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, here goes my story as a newbie teacher in a Malaysian school. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I started working early this year with hopes of developing skills in teaching English but by the end of the year, I developed more skills as a coach (since I'm new, it's not like I can decline any work given to me)! Don't get me wrong because I'm not complaining. Being a coach has developed my skills in teaching my students to become mentally stronger because an athlete does not only require strength physically. And fortunately for me, the Physical Education (PE) teacher in my school is very keen on sharing his knowledge in educating youngsters (as you can see, I am not using the word 'students' because I personally feel that he has helped me understand how to speak and treat youngsters to help them grow mentally and physically stronger in a very subtle way)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Anyhow, with regards to teaching English, I feel there's so much more for me to learn (and my skills haven't really developed because of the lack of PnP hours that I have done - not blaming anybody else though). I still remember crying because I felt guilty that I have not been teaching my students that well and also feeling like I have been neglecting them by not entering class (this shows when they can't recall what I have taught since I sometimes am not able to do follow up activity). Mind you, I feel like I am very <span style="color: red;">passion</span>ate about my job but I sometimes wonder: 'Is it not enough to be <span style="color: red;">passion</span>ate and willing to do almost anything for the growth of my students?'. Some teachers tell me I shouldn't think too much of the students. But in what situation is it considered to be 'too much' or 'just enough'? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember talking to a friend of mine while in teaching college and saying 'Where are we supposed to draw the line?'. Back then, all we could do was say 'Maybe experience will answer our questions.' But after a almost a year of teaching, I can't help but think: What happens if we aren't able to perform during our first year of teaching? It still affects the students we teach, right? So, what are newbies supposed to do or think during their first year of teaching? I have so many questions to ask, and I have gone through a lot of emotions. Unfortunately, I have heard of some of my friends who have lost their <span style="color: red;">passion</span> for teaching even in the first year. I remember my lecturer telling me that we would loose our <span style="color: red;">passion</span> at one point in our teaching career - oh boy, was I scared when he said that! But it is true, this year, I have already felt that. But I'm grateful to Allah that when I felt down, out of the blue, a student of mine came up to me and said 'Teacher! Saya tak pernah dapat markah lebih 50. English memang fun la teacher!' But I can't really see what I did right and whether it was enough that this particular student of mine only obtained 55 marks in her exam.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, am I being <span style="color: red;">passion</span>ate in doing my job? Is having <span style="color: red;">passion</span> enough to help me become a better teacher? I mean, it does involve more than just <span style="color: red;">passion</span>, right? So, what else should I be doing? Do ALL newbies have the same thoughts as me? Or should I be satisfied with my friends' response that 'I'm thinking too much'? With all the work I'm given, is it possible for me to be always <span style="color: red;">passion</span>ate? Questions, questions, questions....answers anyone? (~_~) hurmmm....</div></div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-43032289025471239992010-11-03T16:51:00.000+08:002010-11-03T16:51:59.743+08:00The Coming Holidays ^_^<div style="text-align: justify;">Salam and Hi everyone ^_^</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wow..haha..it's already been nearly a year since my last post <blush></blush></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You must be wondering if I was drowned by the workload at school...well..yeah...I guess I was...getting used to the massive amount of workload (not to mention getting used to working with people) has somewhat made me realise that there's more to a teacher than just teaching...and I'm very much thankful for the bittersweet experience...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really can't wait for the holidays (for all sorts of different reasons..hehe...)...I'm already thinking of plans for next year's teaching. This year I was given the opportunity to teach Form 2 and next year will be a mystery for me...hmmm...This year, I wasn't able to really think much of my teaching methods, so I tried various ways - which I do NOT recommend to anyone! Next year, I'm thinking of using the task-based approach on teaching...have lots of reading up to do!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other than planning for next year, I'll be preparing for other responsibilities as well. FYI, I've been and still will be coach for various sports (despite the spinal injury I'm still suffering). I haven't really played volleyball during my school and university days but I've been appointed as the Volleybal Team Coach. I'm also involved in archery (which I am so excited about ^_^), handball, javelin (this year I was given the opportunity to go to MSSK and was appointed the district coach - can't say I was much of a coach though (~_~) but I'm very thankful for the experience).</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2kiEMt12m0Tm-32o_XPhRoP0J7AIrtPQFXugqHQSZIEDeOz1w1neypFRlho9473fQtoROMwL7U15cVvc-BEM6mdXTdugSCswESDI6o_By5yDnbJ6_nfS7ItZPLPpWlRKva5IwJ05Sh0D/s1600/coach_cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2kiEMt12m0Tm-32o_XPhRoP0J7AIrtPQFXugqHQSZIEDeOz1w1neypFRlho9473fQtoROMwL7U15cVvc-BEM6mdXTdugSCswESDI6o_By5yDnbJ6_nfS7ItZPLPpWlRKva5IwJ05Sh0D/s320/coach_cartoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would have put some pictures of myself but my laptop crashed a few months back and I have lost all my pics (~_~)</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Other than preparing for school, I can't wait to spend time with my family. I haven't had much chance to see them since I started working. My first semester was spent only at school (yup, not even ONE day spent at home with my family). I even had to work during the 1st semester's mid-sem break (I must admit, it was heartbreaking - but now, after nearly a year working at school, I can accept if I was told to come for work during the holidays). FYI, due to the stress I've faced during working, I've also picked up a hobby - just to keep my mind of school. I've learnt how to sew! ^_^ Who would have thought that I would learn how to sew! I'm not saying that I don't like thinking of school, but I feel more relaxed and able to carry out my work better after picking up this new hobby. So, to you new teachers out there: get a hobby if you feel like you can't handle the stress from work! Think of happy thoughts and you'll be fine! Here's my fourth try to make a dress for my niece (the first 3 trials were a disaster!!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrueeSZYMY5GcrHYLPtmrWG3KyG6rubSdNDgoVTWX7HQAKEtf_PZvnxcECk4eaPlGfZ5UzhJBPdcYsXkL4svRRNMqBLqcYIUnWfMYtsYMonhNiHVyX9O-V7zfI7o2j2AuksSAnutVaobRo/s1600/auni's+itty+bitty+dress+wit+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrueeSZYMY5GcrHYLPtmrWG3KyG6rubSdNDgoVTWX7HQAKEtf_PZvnxcECk4eaPlGfZ5UzhJBPdcYsXkL4svRRNMqBLqcYIUnWfMYtsYMonhNiHVyX9O-V7zfI7o2j2AuksSAnutVaobRo/s200/auni's+itty+bitty+dress+wit+flower.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKcZVPDMGuxlMLYhebVY6uYgtJUdXb2Nu1e4cyYB3nctoZRWwdheiR8OjWb-HErcDF2QAy0mnniUUVbVRWEeOZr_xmwxG6dtkr2yvhWC26wXTtdDbzHV16nDqal-zZ8Lw1EsEIMi3VRaA/s1600/fabric+flower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKcZVPDMGuxlMLYhebVY6uYgtJUdXb2Nu1e4cyYB3nctoZRWwdheiR8OjWb-HErcDF2QAy0mnniUUVbVRWEeOZr_xmwxG6dtkr2yvhWC26wXTtdDbzHV16nDqal-zZ8Lw1EsEIMi3VRaA/s200/fabric+flower2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Well, for now, I guess that's all from me. I've experiencing the sudden big flood here in Kuala Nerang. Didn't have electricity for 2 whole days and still have preparations to do for the few more weeks before the school holidays.</div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-39605189322849317632010-01-27T14:19:00.000+08:002010-01-27T14:19:42.136+08:00Finally at school =)Hello everyone,<br />
Just thot I'd inform that I am finally in school! I'm posted to a school in Kuala Nerang...yup, its a <i>pedalaman</i> school...but I think its alright...I'll update more later since its been and still is a very busy week...plus, I don't have much time to access the Internet as of now =(<br />
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Wish me luck!! =)SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-66378138562471503872010-01-18T12:52:00.000+08:002010-01-18T12:52:57.066+08:00New Link added...Just to inform that there's another interesting link I forgot to include yesterday. My sister found this link and I had forgotten to link it when she told me about it..hehe..<br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><a href="http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/home.jsp">Scholastic: Teacher - Where teachers come first</a>:<br />
</div>This site is VERY interesting to me. What I like best about the site is the videos of other teachers overseas. They also have sections for lesson plans, downloadable handouts, teaching strategies and ideas and they even have a section for new teachers! Take a look at the site! Its not related to the Malaysian education system but it would sure give great ideas if you're in need of it =)<br />
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Enjoy~SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-52894794102813365512010-01-17T17:57:00.004+08:002010-01-17T18:06:37.741+08:00Links Added!! At last, I have the energy (and mood) to add a few links on my blog. I've already had it bookmarked for months, and I think it would be best to share them with everyone. I've put the links into two groups which are:<br />
<ul><li> Malaysian Sites - for sites created by Malaysian educators and based on the Malaysian education system.</li>
<li>International Sites - for site by educators who come from countries around the world</li>
</ul>Here are some information on the links I've included:<br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://schoolmatterstome.com/">School Matters To Me</a>:</b></span> <br />
</div>"Schoolmatterstome is <i>the </i>site for the gathering of people who share the interest in matters related to school, students, teachers, teaching and learning process, also the classroom.<br />
This is also the center of information about education related matters and the place to share resources for teaching and learning in school. It is also a place for building up a community of people who are concern over the importance of creating a quality education for everyone.<br />
We’ll find a way to improve the Malaysian Eduacation! We’ll try to implant the mindset that “school really matters to me” in everyone’s head!" <i> - The School Matters To Me Team -</i><br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://literature.com.my/">Literature For Secondary Schools</a>:</b></span><br />
</div>"This is a website created by Just English Sdn. Bhd. as an online resource to guide Malaysian secondary school students who are preparing for English Literature examinations in PMR and SPM" <i>- The Literature For Secondary Schools Team -</i><br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: #6fa8dc;"><b><a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/malaysia.htm">British Council (Malaysia)</a>:</b><br />
</div>"We connect people with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and aim to build lasting relationships across the world." - <i>British Council (Malaysia) Team</i> -<br />
~ the site contains information on courses held by British Council (mainly related to learning English for students and adults and also for teacher development); British Council also organises examinations like International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Cambridge International Exams, Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) and others; and of course, the site also includes information on studying in the UK.<br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><b><a href="http://englishonline.tki.org.nz/">English Online (New Zealand)</a>:</b><br />
</div>"Te Kete Ipurangi [TKI] - the Online Learning Centre is New Zealand's bilingual education portal and is an initiative of the Ministry of Education.<br />
The Te Kete Ipurangi vision is to provide New Zealand schools with a cost effective electronic platform to communicate curriculum and administrative materials, enhance teaching and learning, raise student achievement and advance professional development for school management and teaching staff." <i>- The TKI Team -</i><br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><b><a href="http://www.esl-lab.com/">Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab</a>:</b><br />
</div>~this site offers materials to be used for Listening activities in the classroom. The materials in the site are provided for free and maintained well by the site owner, Randall Davis. However, its not available for download, but can be used online. Visit the site and see for yourself! Its a great one!<br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><b><a href="http://www.teachervision.fen.com/">Teacher Vision: Lesson plans, printables, and more</a>:</b><br />
</div>"...features tools and resources that save educators time and make learning fun for students in grades Pre-K--12. With over 20,000 resources, the site includes a vast online library of lesson plans, graphic organizers, printables, classroom management advice, email newsletters, quizzes, and printable books to help teachers enhance student learning, meet local and national educational goals, and manage their teaching lives and classrooms with ease. TeacherVision understands how valuable time is for teachers and highlights timely and relevant cross-curricular content for each subject, grade, and theme; making it simple for teachers to create a study unit that is inclusive and varied." - <i>The Teacher Vision Team -</i><br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"><b><a href="http://www.hotchalk.com/">Hotchalk: Connecting teachers, students, parents</a>:</b><br />
</div>"HotChalk is a learning environment for K-12 teachers, students and parents that includes a learning management system (LMS), a rich library of teacher-contributed lesson plans, premium digital content, and professional development for teachers in a Web-based environment. Available through any Internet browser, the HotChalk Learning Environment is an easy to use system and brings teachers, students and parents together to improve education." <i>- The Hotchalk Team -</i><br />
<i>~ </i>I came across this website thanks to the <a href="http://schoolmatterstome.blogspot.com/">School Matters To Me</a> blog.SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-89100068251925402072010-01-17T14:06:00.004+08:002010-01-17T18:01:17.759+08:00A cool group of teachers at SchoolMattersToMe ^_^So, as I have mentioned in my previous post, here's the website created by a group of new teachers. Hope you'll give the site a visit and register yourself. It's a place where you can share your teaching experience, discuss issues related to education, share resources and etc. Owh, and you can also find the group in facebook!<br />
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<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://schoolmatterstome.com/">School Matters To Me</a></b></span><br />
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</div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-49407096961969283192010-01-17T13:22:00.001+08:002010-01-17T16:28:21.417+08:00First post for MY new year...hehe... Well...it has been a while...a long while actually since my last post. I've been waiting for news on my posting since December and I've just got the result last week. And I'll be posted to KEDAH!!<br />
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I didn't post anything in my blog because I became so emotional about my posting. It wasn't really because I was eager to start work, but because how I was treated by a few people who were working in the Ministry. Unfortunately, there were more people who were unhelpful and rude rather than people who were helpful. Me and my friends were told that the posting result will be out in December. My friends who are going to teach primary school sure did get their posting in December but the secondary teachers seemed to face a problem. I went to Putrajaya (Bahagian Sekolah Harian KPM) to talk to the people who were supposed to handle the posting process and they told me that the posting forms were missing! They even told me to wait till October 2011. Oh boy, was I panicking back then. It wasn't only me who felt that way. My other friends who were still waiting for their posting also started feeling disappointed with the whole posting issue. But, I realised that if ministry says we have to wait, we just have to wait. That's what made me feel so uneasy.<br />
I wished I was able to do something but there wasn't except to prepare for school in 2010 in any way I can. Well, at least I'm doing something good and not just waiting for my posting result. So, I just did some light reading on the new lit component and also brainstorm ideas on how to teach English to learners of different proficiency levels. Owh, I also came across a group of new teachers who have started a website (after a while i realised they were my juniors back in college =) Good job people!!). I'll promote their group in the next entry. Hehe...<br />
Hello, Kedah!! Here I come!!!! Hijau Kuning all the way!!<br />
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P/S: Yep...I'm very thankful to get Kedah even though I asked for another state. I'll do my best in my new place. I expect its gonna be difficult, but hope my love for the profession won't diminish!SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-86500215875465736622009-12-15T07:22:00.001+08:002009-12-15T07:25:11.797+08:00Graphic Novels for 2010<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well...its been several days since I read the news from <a href="http://learnteachlove.blogspot.com/">Kak Fadzleen's blog</a>. And yes, novels will still be around for the new lit component but its gonna be a bit different. Well, its presentation will be very different since it'll be graphic novels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So far, the graphic novels that are set for Form 1 will be Black Beauty, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Boscombe Valley Mystery. Seems like the graphic novels are a re-make from the classic novels which I believe were great novels I read for leisure while I was at school. And I should add that there will also be novels set for the other forms as well (they just haven't got to the announcement part yet I suppose).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hence, I have been frantically (yes, I am very 'kalut' and would easily go to my frantic mode) looking for information on graphic novels. Funny thing is, everytime i google 'graphic novels' the results will show more on comics. So, I've been wondering, what is the difference of graphic novels and comics??Hurm...so I read <a href="http://myais.fsktm.um.edu.my/8793/1/11Faezal%2526Ridzal_my_JS.pdf">this</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After reading the article, I can't say I gained as much info as I wanted but, for starters, I guess it was enough. If I understand right, comics is a reading material which doesn't have heavy themes like graphic novels and the storyline in a graphic novel is more complex than in comics. In my personal opinion, as a person who read comics, I don't really see that much difference in both. So, I guess I have to wait to get into an actual school and getting my hands on the book itself (sure I can get the reference books from bookstores but I'm more interested to see how the text looks like...I've already heard it has low quality...).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Owh, and I believe I should also mention that so far, I'd say most of the articles I have read on graphic novels states that they are suitable to be used for children who are unmotivated towards reading or have difficulty in reading. Sure that's the case in schools nowadays. But do we really need to introduce such light reading for the English text?I read English comics and I dare say, its not much reading but more of enjoying the storyline. I personally would opt for teenage novels Diana Wynne Jones and also Roald Dahl. They're language in their books are easy to understand and also enjoyable (not as heavy as The Pearl, which I, as a person who doesn't really take reading as an all time hobby).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, that's just me. I'm still hoping that the change in the lit component would be for the best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">P/s: Still looking for information on how graphic novels can be used to teach English in the classroom. I'll post more entries on it if I do find more info.<br />
</span>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-70943658514158062122009-12-08T20:35:00.043+08:002010-01-17T16:27:46.092+08:00The Case of Nur Izzati from Convent Tarcisian Ipoh<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Well, this case is actually nothing new...but seems like peoples' responses to the news made me want to include this in my blog. Truth is, I'm quite saddened by the issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For those who might not have read about it, you can read the main news here: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1120&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_05.htm&arc=hive">Utusan (20/11/09): Izzati gembira disalut kesedihan</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">and some reader responses here:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1127&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Forum&pg=fo_02.htm&arc=hive">Utusan (27/11/09): Nur Izzati: Antara hutang RM57 dan SBP</a></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1127&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Forum&pg=fo_03.htm&arc=hive">Utusan (27/11/09): Yuran sekolah wajib dibayar walau secara ansuran</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://carigold.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=113415">Debate : Nur Izzati: Antara hutang RM57 dan SBP</a> </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here is the response my the Malaysian Ministry of Education:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.moe.gov.my/?id=168&aid=473">Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 27 November 2009 – NUR IZATTI: ANTARA HUTANG RM57 DAN SBP</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Basically, the problem with Izzati is that she came from a poor family and they have difficulty paying the school fees. This has caused the school to keep Izzati's examination result slip until the fees have been payed.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you ask me who is to blame in this issue, I won't be able to state anyone. I think, as always, there are ways to help a child who is in school. However, for some people to blame it all on the school, I believe that to be a bit too much. I have handled school fees before and I have met many of my students who have difficulty in paying the school fees. I understand the problem but so far, their parents have managed to come to school and explain their problem and pay little by little. If they need help, they ask for it.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also have a very dear friend who was in MRSM with me (and no, we had no political or connection with anyone 'up there'), whose father works at a factory, sells palm oil that he picks himself over the weekend. And for your information, my friend's mother doesn't work at has 8 children. My friend is now studying in Germany and InsyaAllah, on the way to becoming an engineer. </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also have several poor students when I was teaching in Bangsar who had to help sell things in the pasar malam to get money because their family can't get enough money for the whole family.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So yes, where there is a will, there is way. What we should be doing is finding a way to help these poor students. If you think you're too busy to help out, don't complain, learn from it. Nobody's perfect, and unfortunately for all of us, there are very unresponsible and corrupted people 'up there'. And as we all know, the state of the country's economy isn't well and we all need to work on some ways to overcome this, together. Yes, it is easier said than done. But if you have time to complain (not saying I never complain, but I do try to avoid it), you should have time to think of a way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I think any school who may have such problems could have a fund where anyone can contribute to, not just teachers. If you make an exception for one child, the others will ask for it too. And I dare say, our Izzati here is not the only unfortunate child in Malaysia. And she is not the only child in Malaysia who received 5A's in the UPSR exam nor is she the only child who did not get a chance to go to SBP. There are other children who do need our help so, rather than making such general statements about how horrible everything is, we could help make things better. To start off, at least join the school's PIBG meeting and get to know what's happening in schools. I've been to over 3 schools ever since I started my teaching degree and not one school had most parents attending the PIBG meeting. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So, are we really doing enough for our children?<br />
</span><br />
</div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-88404293112850753412009-12-07T06:45:00.010+08:002010-01-03T17:39:31.794+08:00The All New Literature Component 2010<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So yeah, next year we'll be using the new set of poems, short stories and also one drama for the lower secondary and upper secondary students.</span><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the list (if you haven't already known):</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwW98mc0T6haGylnsgSDwEEb1Vv8soC8NqpNIGy0b7SH_4Ub7mUIyLUjo2soVJzhPThnuUe0eQlmxDtW0PQvm5hjMyoOQ9NM2mp9-AGOWmbfRkpdNXhwcQjGITTqilSiWNGUIDSjPV8uo/s1600-h/LitComponent2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vaUWHI3oJU1sllsaEsZLB_YrGk-g3H8mz1rsb43pwwNz3YUI0BOFVGSym891FzX87JlTX7Ck91Colf5zM-rB9E6EcCKZLvYOsoW6dMzjua3-LDuv9YB0kZW8AWPcTqXwqgy604KZvZZ9/s1600-h/LitComponent2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vaUWHI3oJU1sllsaEsZLB_YrGk-g3H8mz1rsb43pwwNz3YUI0BOFVGSym891FzX87JlTX7Ck91Colf5zM-rB9E6EcCKZLvYOsoW6dMzjua3-LDuv9YB0kZW8AWPcTqXwqgy604KZvZZ9/s400/LitComponent2010.JPG" width="432" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And for your information, apart from the text KPM provides schools with, there are also other books which are already available which can help you with understanding the text.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I've only found one book for the lower secondary literature component which is:</span><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tan, C., <a href="http://engoasis.blogspot.com/">Rahmah, H. S</a>. & Latiff, R. (2010). <i>Literature component: Poems, short stories and drama for Form 1 to Form 3. </i>Bangi: Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn. Bhd. </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: small;">(Price W.M.: RM6.65, E.M.:RM6.95)</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: blue;">Pro: </b><span style="color: white;">- has good illustrations</span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - love the section introducing the authors of the literary texts</span><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - the exercises are ample and interesting</span><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - has small sections that explains meaning of difficult words in English</span><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - the 'Did You Know' section!! Which talks about authors' background or about the text</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - explanations on the texts are in graphic organisers which makes it quite clear<b> </b></span><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Con:</span></b> I think the book is already good enough but I think it could be better by adding questions that can be used for discussions and maybe teaching suggestions.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here are two books i found for the upper secondary:</span><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chean, S. E. & Latiff, R. (2010). <i>Literature component: Poems, short stories and drama for Form 4 and Form 5</i>. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Bangi: Penerbitan Pelangi Sdn. Bhd.</span><br />
</div></div><div style="color: cyan; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">- its content layout is mostly the same as the lower secondary book but they added a section that allows students to answer structure questions which I think is great. But I think there should be more section to help students practice their writing because most of the time, that's what students are weak at.</span><br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Chuah, C. H. (2010). <i>Poems, short stories and drama (Form 4 and Form 5). </i>Shah Alam: Marshal Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: small;">(Price W.M.: RM5.50, E.M.: RM5.95)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Pro:</span></b> - the small size of the book ^_^</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - poems are included in the book (don't have to bring so many books...hehe)</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - themes of each text are explained quite clearly</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - love the illustrations for the short stories and drama</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Con:</span></b> - very little amount of exercise</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> - I'm not a fan of translated definitions</span><br />
</div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-69951084873996699952009-12-07T01:34:00.003+08:002009-12-07T02:08:29.159+08:00ICT Room's Paint Job - Complete ^_^<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well..we finished doing the paint job a few weeks back...but I had problems with posting issues...had to go to KL-Putrajaya-Selangor etc....was really frustrated and bla..bla...bla...but life goes on...so...here's some pics on the new room (well..not really new...but u get the drill =P hehe...)</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxiAmdzcPt4yHDDCH2y73NJZecpqX7LZKSny_E_HSqVRtbQwDo6vIeuSblkFnX2f6Vmrax5JGxm3NamrDKFIKWA-qjeKfC9_C2xSbAK5jRlxXq5xzoZpTrlRm-RftZhSNMOYby5dVThhm/s1600-h/IMGP0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxiAmdzcPt4yHDDCH2y73NJZecpqX7LZKSny_E_HSqVRtbQwDo6vIeuSblkFnX2f6Vmrax5JGxm3NamrDKFIKWA-qjeKfC9_C2xSbAK5jRlxXq5xzoZpTrlRm-RftZhSNMOYby5dVThhm/s200/IMGP0809.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So, here are the two wall colours side-by-side.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS69e_0xiPAg4DybdV6e2zXWAhbloSDAhoNTwOByDi839VvK1IvOUkzw-wQ4hbzbIvMEdMvDddOUNfPSMLuEv9oFQ6tcZE-xtDRC58xwVV9ZNzNjeZPMapZ9oPwAgwuszOffIdO0qfr22/s1600-h/IMGP0781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS69e_0xiPAg4DybdV6e2zXWAhbloSDAhoNTwOByDi839VvK1IvOUkzw-wQ4hbzbIvMEdMvDddOUNfPSMLuEv9oFQ6tcZE-xtDRC58xwVV9ZNzNjeZPMapZ9oPwAgwuszOffIdO0qfr22/s200/IMGP0781.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWuNvaIcl7Kz37oZFwUDnB21-6dIPe63CVtHSUECGDTkezyXk7YN38PItvAuMFcWjdNT2fQcLCbuFPcBI3akrmTHERvXRn70-5pk5bWMe5F0Pvu5Gd6RdZqs5h3V8FaAoA03HhPK48zK1/s1600-h/IMGP0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWuNvaIcl7Kz37oZFwUDnB21-6dIPe63CVtHSUECGDTkezyXk7YN38PItvAuMFcWjdNT2fQcLCbuFPcBI3akrmTHERvXRn70-5pk5bWMe5F0Pvu5Gd6RdZqs5h3V8FaAoA03HhPK48zK1/s200/IMGP0800.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MuumxDlnnZnkk-56OR8YQVOTieBNPdXwFXvwtc68AlvYVvYk-v81qqsrfdffjWRVGkkn-8aF59T4UoXvgXMv7s8NU9khcq1BDDxAF8TW6XsXfzTCuAj3Ldr7MNqt65Q2JnxH0xcA2gFo/s1600-h/IMGP0783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MuumxDlnnZnkk-56OR8YQVOTieBNPdXwFXvwtc68AlvYVvYk-v81qqsrfdffjWRVGkkn-8aF59T4UoXvgXMv7s8NU9khcq1BDDxAF8TW6XsXfzTCuAj3Ldr7MNqt65Q2JnxH0xcA2gFo/s200/IMGP0783.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> These pictures are of the left wall before and after (with back and front wall).</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCcqYRC5XnE-8pJzOpw_8FDfep9Loqt_DC3ufn9SeCpgQ5_FJwibiQzfVcODG0UyxE-0ocqNn2Z7J_pYjk9szDFgAZ-IKvoSZNdxu5bPkwWAW3Rcundk3voJOPhKamViU55Bb6RbACoIZ/s1600-h/IMGP0813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCcqYRC5XnE-8pJzOpw_8FDfep9Loqt_DC3ufn9SeCpgQ5_FJwibiQzfVcODG0UyxE-0ocqNn2Z7J_pYjk9szDFgAZ-IKvoSZNdxu5bPkwWAW3Rcundk3voJOPhKamViU55Bb6RbACoIZ/s200/IMGP0813.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1U8YdNMzxqQhyphenhyphensO03D6z9wm2DDNCb9NLC_S58hZ3mznVCaKG_Gn-YUuM8mJ8jVd4M_zw_NVBy86VRdXh-aSNuCvsdvTFnWXWbBBznzB6RkA_irKvfAwrtaSNpYNVtza29CN7KdRcMJPw/s1600-h/IMGP0803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1U8YdNMzxqQhyphenhyphensO03D6z9wm2DDNCb9NLC_S58hZ3mznVCaKG_Gn-YUuM8mJ8jVd4M_zw_NVBy86VRdXh-aSNuCvsdvTFnWXWbBBznzB6RkA_irKvfAwrtaSNpYNVtza29CN7KdRcMJPw/s200/IMGP0803.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XbpPa9tGNcQETKTlnRwtZ2zw-RDlHs2UdAnikeXr_vJJ3O6irLm2XUlQtXAXekZ2yo6KM93CVKdILEcLbkVHXTXg6_nBj9LPgGuWBRvLt8a-JCZBAvfMJIXCViw-Kolo6FFJyIK8KvUn/s1600-h/IMGP0807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XbpPa9tGNcQETKTlnRwtZ2zw-RDlHs2UdAnikeXr_vJJ3O6irLm2XUlQtXAXekZ2yo6KM93CVKdILEcLbkVHXTXg6_nBj9LPgGuWBRvLt8a-JCZBAvfMJIXCViw-Kolo6FFJyIK8KvUn/s200/IMGP0807.JPG" /></a> <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These pictures are of the right wall before and after (again..with back and front wall).</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, we haven't really finished work at the ICT Room. Frankly, we're enjoying our holidays resting at home more than going to school..hehe...Well, what's left to do is rearrange the computers, tables and chairs and also format the 20+ PCs and install programmes and drivers. For now, we'll just enjoy the break while we still can =)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MuumxDlnnZnkk-56OR8YQVOTieBNPdXwFXvwtc68AlvYVvYk-v81qqsrfdffjWRVGkkn-8aF59T4UoXvgXMv7s8NU9khcq1BDDxAF8TW6XsXfzTCuAj3Ldr7MNqt65Q2JnxH0xcA2gFo/s1600-h/IMGP0783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-42597784245559846452009-11-18T23:33:00.004+08:002009-12-07T02:24:09.381+08:00The Day The ICT Room Turns Green =POh boy...I left home around 6.50am today and just came reached home...its already 9.22pm now....what...a....day!<br />
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Today, me and my sister started our paint work on the ICT room's walls....seriously...it is sooooo tiring...phew...We painted the front and back walls with Maxilite's <a href="http://www.abdmanan.biz/kod-warna-pilihan/maxilite-plus/">Pinang Green</a> and also Colorland Colorlite's Gift Yellow (which looks a bit more yellow-ish than Maxilite's Sunflower). It's me and my sister's first time attempt to pick a paint colour for a particular room so we're both hoping for the best (okay...okay...we're both excited and nervous at the same time (^_^) hehe...).<br />
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So, here are some pics on our 1st day of wall painting (yes...we both had fun even though it was sooooooo tiring...my whole body is aching!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, it started of with covering the edges of 'obstacles' on the wall (wouldn't wanna any of the school property to be vandalised by amature painters =P ). We just covered the edges with masking tape and that sure took us F.O.R.E.V.E.R.!<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvk70KyACXHzZNWjn51ZHI6pNGzmetbfsHHfeJRBp6C_7mJTGeHxG6qbOH4zLHznaDcM6RFot7WYvOvASiZSPWCeF6Wmy9b3ObXA1MnlaIa89od_KmDhApj9NPlkUbw0UjcozRq4AatRF/s1600/DSC00023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvk70KyACXHzZNWjn51ZHI6pNGzmetbfsHHfeJRBp6C_7mJTGeHxG6qbOH4zLHznaDcM6RFot7WYvOvASiZSPWCeF6Wmy9b3ObXA1MnlaIa89od_KmDhApj9NPlkUbw0UjcozRq4AatRF/s200/DSC00023.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh0pvYmiB6aRRlPEJ5bT2-QmMcJ62NDwcFg02Uy6y_zJDktEa8cDEiyT1Lur480382mv5euOdj-XCcVodUaWD4qckkbJv02PEZxbhYsQ4dhAM8ttCXf0VsbHBgZjayTQAaBNQ0aFfIfZN/s1600/DSC00024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfh0pvYmiB6aRRlPEJ5bT2-QmMcJ62NDwcFg02Uy6y_zJDktEa8cDEiyT1Lur480382mv5euOdj-XCcVodUaWD4qckkbJv02PEZxbhYsQ4dhAM8ttCXf0VsbHBgZjayTQAaBNQ0aFfIfZN/s200/DSC00024.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then, we painted the edges and corners of the walls, and also the edges of sockets and other objects. Thought it would make it easier for us to paint with the roller later.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our little helper already feeling tired (^_^)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We only had painted a small portion of the wall when we felt really tired (and I mean REALLY tired..phew!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is how our ICT Room looks like. It does look messy, I know. Maybe I'll take a better looking room after we finish painting. Btw, the square in the middle part of the wall is for the projector image. We're still not sure whether we should make a border around it. We thought that we shouldn't paint it green since it'll be difficult to look at what's being projected if it wasn't white.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYmfrTuMU8XhcZYl2v4Bmb6_vBJY3VjbrOBktUcv6X_wjiWNlVFdQD_DNaIfs1gwFQunYXzRWaxCy3nZ4hDZr3_zyTUu6WTQva6CnK8zDAAOgS3i91qFjgBZqw4t3AzntDsdRWtGiLXNA/s1600/IMGP0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYmfrTuMU8XhcZYl2v4Bmb6_vBJY3VjbrOBktUcv6X_wjiWNlVFdQD_DNaIfs1gwFQunYXzRWaxCy3nZ4hDZr3_zyTUu6WTQva6CnK8zDAAOgS3i91qFjgBZqw4t3AzntDsdRWtGiLXNA/s200/IMGP0761.JPG" /></a><br />
Luv da newly painted wall...hope the students will feel happier when they enter the room (and I really hope they take good care of the room too!!)<br />
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Hmm....It does make a good background for taking photos, don't you think?hehe...<br />
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</div>It was raining when we wanted to go home so I put my sweater on my cute lil niece and covered her head with her towel. She reminds me of Alvin and The Chipmunks with that oversized sweater on her..hehe...<br />
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</div>So, yeah....actually, the main reason we decided to paint the wall was because we thought the room looked uber dull. We hope students would enjoy using and learning in the room and not feel so bored with just a white room. We chose green and yellow based colour because it reminds us of nature (the trees and the sun and of course flowers! (^_^) ) People do say that nature can make people feel calm.<br />
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This is our first step to make the room more interesting and inviting. Hope students next year will learn to appreciate the room and not think that the room is only good for Myspace (seriously...they know more about Myspace than they know bout what keys are on the keyboard!). May next year students be more motivated to learn ICT skills!!Amiiinnnnn.......<br />
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P/s: Any ideas on how to make the room more cheerful?Feel free to contribute your ideas!!SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-72095270827924554432009-11-17T01:49:00.006+08:002009-11-17T03:18:10.517+08:00When Am I Ever Going To Get Over This? (~_~)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm supposed to be marking some exam papers (promised my sister I'd get it done by morning) but I just cant seem to get my mind to do it. 'Why?' you may ask. Well, I suppose there are things that should be left unsaid but I do believe I should share this with other teachers (or any human being) as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As stated in my past post, I had just recently graduated from a teaching college. However, truth is, I am not so proud of my degree. Reason being is I graduated with this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Saya pass kan awk sebab kesian je kat awak."</span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(English translation: "I passed you because I sympathize with you.")</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For your information, these words keep ringing at the back of my mind (sometimes even while I'm teaching a class). I admit, I have not been the best student (ever since I was in primary school, my teachers have always seem to see a label on my forehead that say: 'good for nothing'...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">even my counselor said that I shouldn't be a teacher because I'd ruin the kids even AFTER the career test I took shows that I've got the right personality - and mind you, I'm not making this up) but trust me, when I do something, I put all my effort into it. Right now, because of these words, often, I would think back and worry whether I really am ruining these children. I tend to doubt my self even if I don't want to because if I really am ruining these students, I should never even be near them. They are, after all, our future.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, why am I telling you this? No, it's not because I want you to sympathize my luck nor to agree or disagree with anything. But I would like to show (from my experience) how a teacher's words could effect a student.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I take a while to reflect on myself, I know I am a person who has strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, that's what a human is born with. Nobody's perfect. But, I know that I am not ALL bad. I'm hardworking and I love to learn about new things. While I was at school, people tend to think I'm a bad influence because I listen to rock music and prefer wearing pants than baju kurung and they think I'm emo because I like to sit alone, walk alone and read alone (that's the only quiet time I get with myself back then anyway - how can you do any form of thinking with people gossiping and giggling around you anyway?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, let me ask you this:</span><br />
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</div><div style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What would you do if you saw one of your students who just couldn't keep up with your expectations of a 'good student'? </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my course of life, my teachers tend to give me that stare and think that I'm just unreachable. There were also people who said I have a brilliant mind but a disappointing attitude. But very rarely has anybody held my hand and guided me in the right direction (actually, there was a senior in my school who tried to help me get along with others - she was a Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya - her friends stayed away from her after seeing her talking to me and well, she just had to avoid me in the end - which I don't blame her for).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Being a teenager is rarely easy. Without support and guidance, it would probably be difficult for anyone to go through this life unharmed. Because of what I went through, I tend to try and reach my students in any possible way. It hurt me when I didn't have anyone who tried to understand me and who ran away when I tried to reach out to them. I hope my students and my future sons or daughters do not have to go through the pain that I had to go through. Thus, at this moment, my teaching beliefs are based on this wish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It may be my confidence that has hurt me all this while. But as a person who puts all her effort in her work, it killed me the minute I heard that I passed because of sympathy. But my parents and sisters have never taught me how to give up and for that reason, I am so very thankful. And I am also thankful that Allah has given me a chance to get to know an amazing person who has always been there supporting me even from far far away =) <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Till this moment, I have met students who had all sorts of problems - family, friends, self-esteem, peer pressure and etc. And I have never succeeded in teaching any student who is burdened by their problems. Not many of my students opened up to me because I asked them 'What is your problem?'. And no - I don't know each and every one of their problems. But they came to accept me because I showed them I'd be there IF they needed my help. And often, after they come to accept me, teaching these problematic students seem to be less frustrating because they don't mind being in my class and learning what I'm teaching them.</span><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We're all human beings and human beings have feelings.</span><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you feel you don't wanna be hurt by others, try your best no to hurt others.</span><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You never know if what you do to others will bite you back.</span><br />
</div><div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forgive but never forget because if you forget, you'll never learn from that experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>P/s: I do realise this post is just my uneducated ramblings but I hope it did at least make you think of how important it is to consider your students as human beings before judging them. I believe there's always a better way of saying something.</i><br />
</span>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-53784631266111153622009-11-11T06:08:00.010+08:002009-12-09T05:54:20.656+08:00Teaching ICT (Microsoft Excel 2007)<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the last two weeks, I was given the opportunity to teach ICT in Sekolah Agama Menengah Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi (SAMBBST), Sepang. The class was for the Form 3 students who has just taken their PMR.<br />
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So, even before the class started, my eldest sister</span> (who is in charge of ICT at the school) had warned me that the students might be a handsfull because they are all so eager to go home for the holidays after the big exam. Since I was so inexperienced (not to mention the lack of knowledge in ICT stuff), my sister and I had discussions on what we should actually teach the Form 3 students.<br />
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I was told that I was required to teach the students how to use Microsoft Excel 2007 (the class was more of an introductory class). </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Due to the time constraint, I was required to teach each of the five Form 3 classes for 3 hours each day <span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(i.e.: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 Adil on Monday 11-2.30 p.m., 3 Ehsan on Tuesday 11-2.30 p.m., 3 Iman on Wednesday 11-2.30 p.m., and so on</span><span style="font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: small;">For your information, the classes were supposed to be 4 hours for each class</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(but of course there was no possible way to fit the 4 hours sessions, so we had to make do with 3 hours)</span>. For each lesson, this was <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(roughly)</span> my time allocation:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></span></span><br />
<ul><li style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">11.00 - 11.30 - Introduction to Excel, its features and how to use the <span style="font-style: italic;">function</span> button</span></span> <span style="font-size: 78%;">(during this time, students were not allowed to touch the computers at all)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: arial;">11.30 - 12.30 - Students attempted to use the software to edit the given document <span style="font-size: 78%;">(during this time, teacher goes around the classroom to guide students whenever needed)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: arial;">12.30 - 1.00 - Break <span style="font-size: 78%;">(students were allowed to play games, surf the internet, carry on with the Excel task or take a walk outside the room)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: arial;">1.00 - 1.30 - Teacher explains on how to create different graphs using Excel</li>
<li style="font-family: arial;">1.30 - 2.00 - Students attempt to create graphs and design them according to their taste</li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial;">2.00 - 2.30 - Students were given extra tasks that requires them to use the skills they have learnt earlier</span><br />
</li>
</ul><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">From the discussion with my sister, I was able to better understand why my sister had suggested for me to consider following the task-based approach to learning. Since we expected students to be unmotivated to be in the ICT class <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(we were proven right when some students voiced their reluctancy and some didn't even attend the class at all)</span>, we had to figure out a way to attract their attention towards the lesson.<br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1258206198446"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.pearsonlongman.com/teaching-tips/task-based-learning.html">Here</a> you will find a bit of information on task-based learning.</span><br />
</span><br />
So, I tried to come up with tasks that would help students understand the function of Microsoft Excel 2007 and also practice using the software to create a good work. With the few days I had, I decided to use a name list of a class of students I taught in my previous school and teach the students to alter the document and use several of the function in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Insert Function </span>command.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Note:If you're interested to see the lesson content I prepared for the class, feel free to download from <a href="http://www.4shared.com/file/151931664/a0a0e2d3/MicrosoftExcel07_araliffedu_blogspot.html">here</a>. It's in Bahasa Malaysia for now cause I had to teach in BM. If anyone needs it in English version feel free to ask for it.<br />
</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><i> </i><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span></span></span></span>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-58808021331178515212009-11-11T05:30:00.003+08:002009-11-11T06:05:21.773+08:00Who I Am<span style="font-family:arial;">As an introduction, I thought I should introduce a little bit about myself.<br /><br />Currently, I am waiting to be posted to a secondary school located in Malaysia. I had requested to be in Perak <span style="font-size:78%;">(because that's where I'm from)</span>. For the time being <span style="font-size:78%;">(actually, I have been waiting since May) </span>I try to look for temporary or part time jobs <span style="font-size:78%;">(so far, I have managed to work for a month at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman as an examination assistant for a month and later in December I'll be working at a tuition centre located somewhere in Seri Kembangan)</span>. When I don't have a job or anything to do, I turn to my eldest sister, who is an English teacher at a school in Sepang. I usually help her out with maintenance work in the ICT room at the school <span style="font-size:78%;">(format the computers, count the items, arranging and cleaning up the room, etc.) </span>and if I'm lucky I get to teach classes <span style="font-size:78%;">(English or ICT) </span>and earn a bit of pocket money (^_^).<br /><br />As for my educational background, here is the list of institutions I've been to:<br />93 - 94 - Medan International School, Medan, Indonesia<br />94 - 97 - SRK St Bernadette's Convent, Batu Gajah, Perak, Malaysia<br />1997 - SRK Convent, Teluk Intan, Perak<br />98 - 00 - MRSM PDRM, Kulim, Kedah<br />01 - 02 - MRSM Taiping, Perak<br />03 - 09 - B. Ed TESL Link Programme <span style="font-size:78%;">(Institut Perguruan Bahasa-Bahasa Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur <span style="font-style: italic;">with</span> University of Auckland, New Zealand)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Somehow, I have come to believe that because I have been to several learning institutions, I should use my experience as a student in these various places to help me become a better teacher in the future. So far, my experiences has already helped me to form ideas on how to carry out my job as effectively as I can. However, I do realise that I should also discuss my ideas with other teachers who are more experienced in order to come up with the best solution to my classroom problems. Thus, I hope this blog would provide me with the opportunity to discuss my teaching and learning experiences not only with teachers in Malaysia, but also with teachers from other parts of the world.</span><br /></span></span>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5108181129480154234.post-20464840227405304082009-11-11T02:51:00.003+08:002009-11-11T03:15:20.920+08:00Salam, Hello and Welcome<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so starts my attempt to write about my experiences in life that may (or may not) be related to the teaching profession.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This blog will hopefully be filled with articles on various issues, problems & solutions, and maybe theories related to various areas in education. Due to my current job, the content of this blog will mainly be related to the teaching of English in Malaysian secondary schools. However, due to the fact that I may also be required to teach other subjects, my writings may sometimes be a reflection of it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">InsyaAllah, I will also include some of works (i.e. <span style="font-style: italic;">lesson plans, test & exam papers, handouts, etc.</span>) for others to discuss and comment about. If you feel like it, feel free to ask me for a copy of any materials that I have and I truly hope you will in return provide me with feedback on them.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;">"Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted...but to weigh and consider" ~ Francis Bacon</span></span></span><br /></div>SarahDinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05993641682351170253noreply@blogger.com0