Happy New Year!!!!

After waiting for 12 years, it is my years back!
The year of Rabbit!
(I was born in the year of Rabbit)

I hope everyone, no matter you are Chinese or other races.
I do sincerely hope that you will enjoy CNY as I do!

Normally, every year CNY I have many plans to do, and many fun to have.
I'm not saying I'm not having fun this year.
But I prefer resting rather than visiting friends and relatives.
As we Chinese say,"To rest is to ready for a long distance of walking"
I am readying myself for the next week presentation.
It is me and Safwah turn you see.

New Year Resolution!!!
Oh well, I do have some actually...
Haha, three actually...
1. Manage my weight (I want to have Angelic face, Devilish body figure haha)
2. Get very good result for my final semester.
3. Successful in applying for what I want.

Well I can say that I'm carrying these three resolutions pretty equally smooth.
Just that I am forced to put aside the first one in this CNY.
Why? Too many delicious cookies, crackers and mandarin oranges!
Everything taste soooooooo good! (Hmmmmm, yummy)

Well end of talk, I'm going back to enjoy.
Happy Chinese New Year!

Where Is Your Memory?

What is remember?
What to remeber?
How to remember?

I always think that it is always an instinct instead of ability of human to remember.
Just a passing remark, really.

Today we learn a new term, "Mnemonic"--- ways of associating the information we want with a visual image, a sentence, or a word, so that it helps us remember something.

Upon mentioning the term, my brain was fully blasted with the typical example of mnemonics.
Let me tell you this one, this is a funny one:
When I was in my first year, UM is having the campus election.
And the candidates, yes the candidates, oh how smart and creative they are.
They are the real experts in using mnemonics.
So, one of my seniors managed to make fun of his own name by using the same thing.
"Nampak tung sampah, ingat Tong. Sila mengundi Joseph Tong."
I laughed like a mad woman that day, that's why I remember until now.

Wow, it seems Mnemonics method has a really good and deep impact on our memory.



I like Mnemonics, not because it makes my memory lasting longer,
but also making my study life more interesting.

For example, I remember this is how I remember the magnet characteristics:
"Same sides dislike each other, so they push each other away.
Different sides likes each other, so they are always stick together."

Of course, magnets are lifeless objects, so technically, magnets do not have feelings.
But it is my own perception that magnets act like human: Together when you're in love, Separate when you're in hate."
This is how I learn during science lessons.


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Now I want to share with you a really interesting movie that I have seen:
"V For Vendetta."
Firstly, this male protagonist introduced himself with a really interesting quotes:
"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me V."

To be furthermore, he always wears a Guy Fawkes mask.
And he quotes a special day for his revolution.
November the 5th, the day of gunpowder treason.
It is impossible to forget him, really.
He is a true grand master of mnemonics.

3rd Week feeling

Well to be frankly, I was quite enjoying presenting power points in front of my friends and Mr. Shahul.
I like challenges, so I wish for more questions.

I remembered how my friends take note when I was presenting.
That was very good.

Oh how I am looking forward to the next week presentation.
Let the quest begin...

My Group First Presentation

At 3rd week Monday(17/01/2011), me, Zhuan & Safwah had made a presentation.

Here it is:

Tomorrow I Have A Presentation

So to all my dear friends and Mr. Shahul, I'll be seeing you all tomorrow afternoon.
My group will be presenting the powerpoint tomorrow.

I try not to drag ok?
As simple as possible, that's what my main point is.

Whatever it is, I wish you all have a good dream tonight...
Good Night, everyone.

Good Night, Malaysia.

Reflective Practitioners

1.What kind of qualities do you expect in reflective practitioner?

a)Good action researchers;
They need to judge the conditions in class in situ, whether it is conducive or not. If it is conducive, they will keep on making the effort to maximize the learning outcome. If it is not conducive, they need to change to alternative plan to fulfill all the learning outcomes.

b)Flexible;
Sometimes when there is a conflict situation, teachers need to think another solution to counter that conflict situation, not to keep on going the all plan, if the old plan will deteriorate the conflict situation.

c)Think creatively;
They are many types of learning approaches in the classroom such as behaviorism, constructivism and problem solving etc. Some topics need some special and creative learning approach to maximize the learning outcome. It is not suitable for teacher to use same approaches in every topics and lessons, because it will makes the learning process monotonous and boring. Creativity is a very important element in reflective practitioners.

d)Think critically;
On the contrary to the creative thinking, reflective practitioners have to think critically. They have to think fast for a new solution when there is a change in the classroom. They also need to judge correctly whether it is suitable or not to implement the solution. They also need to determine the mistakes students tend to make in order to remind students not to repeat the mistakes.

e)Observer;
Good reflective practitioners do not ignore the surrounding. Instead, they will use it to be one of their arsenals to intensify their teaching and learning process. For example, when that day is happened to be Mother’s day, teacher will use this special occasion to link their teaching with it. There will be three benefits:
i. Students will be able to understand mathematics topics more thoroughly.
ii. Students will be able to relate the knowledge to daily life.
iii. Values such as love for mother will be implemented on students.


2.Why do you think a beginning teacher should possess these qualities?

a)Time management;
Normally teachers are only given 40-80 minutes to carry out the lesson plan in the classroom. To fulfill the entire learning outcome in such a short time is not a really easy matter to deal with. Firstly, they need to plan the time given for the set induction, development and conclusion. For example, when there is a left over time after the teaching and learning process, teachers can distribute homework to students so they gain much deeper sense towards the topics.

b)Patience;
Every student has different learning abilities. So to treat everybody equally means to make sure everybody are able to understand what we are teaching. Patience is needed when we go through this process.

c)Dedicated;
Dedicated is a very important essence in becoming a good and inspiring teacher. Personally, I have a BM teacher (salute to Encik Musa) who is very dedicated to his teaching. He is a very strict but friendly at the same time. He teaches without bothering what kind of students he has. Last holiday, I managed to pay a visit to him. Although he is very very old now (70 I think), he is still teaching little kids BM. I was very admiring him. He was one of my role model in becoming teachers. He showed me what is meant by “dedication to education all life long.”

d)Good planner;
It is a must for every teacher to make lesson plan in every topics he/she teaches. Good lesson plans serves as a reference for every teacher in teaching and learning session. To plan a good and creative lesson plan is another story. There are many issues that teachers have to consider in planning the lesson plan: Is this approach suitable for the students? Will they be able to catch up? What kind of learning approach should I use? Such a good lesson plan will intensify the teaching and learning process, maximize the learning outcome and gain the interest of students in learning mathematics.



3.How would you expect this course to help develop these qualities?

To be a greater teacher, of course. I want to understand how math students really make sense of the world around them. When I was still a teenager, sadly my teacher only use one approach only (that is behaviourism) to teach me mathematics. That is why that time I don’t really understand why I am learning mathematics. But now, since I am becoming a teacher in a few months, I wish to be an inspiring teacher to my students.

I wish to do practical or demonstration of teaching as many as possible. For my personal own view, learning is best to practice it repeatedly, and then you can master it. Same things to teaching, we need to practice it, and then we can get the hang of it.

Lastly, I wish that I can the master of creative and critical thinking. This modern technology world is always changing. To be able to catch up with it on the top form is a good challenge for me. Creative and critical thinking is two important essences to be a great teacher. I wish to develop both of them in this course.

1st Day Lesson

Today En. Shahul ask us about the beginning teachers as reflective practitioners.
What he asked us to do is to read through the article again.

Personally, I think he is really careful with each single word.
I still remember he talk about the meaning of "articulate".
Let the mystery lingers on is not my habit.
I search through the word in my handphone.
It means expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness.
First, I thought it was another synonym of "express".
But then, it conveys more meaning than "express".
I just realized that I was too hasty in reading the article until I left such an important message.
This is my first lesson in this course.

Then, he gave us the pro forma.
Well, I like his way of letting us touching the topics group by group before he do in the class.
It's a small class afterall, so I think I will learn so many more in this class.
Me, Zhong Yuan and Safwah will start the ball rolling next week.
I am responsible for last question.
This will be fun, I promise. (*2*)

P/S: My personal favourite food is in this blogspot address.