Precious

30^th September 2010 (Thursday)

Today’s movie is one of the movies that really evoke high intensity of sadness, frustration and disgust. Undeniably, it does reflect the reality of our world, though it is cruel to the extent that is almost unbelievable and we refuse to even imagine. After watching this movie, I couldn’t help but asking myself whether this is one of the Doom’s Day symptoms. Humans are increasingly becoming inhuman!

The reality is in the world we are living now, some parents do abuse their children – mentally, physically or sexually; some schools don’t care about the welfare of their students, but care more for their reputation (Once students are pregnant, they kick them out of the schools.); and lastly, some people do suffer from HIV disease because of other peoples’ wrong doings. I once came across a nasty joke told from a mouth of a teacher, sneering at the HIV patients and ridiculing them for having AIDS – “Another Idiot Dying Soon”. This is totally absurd! It gives wrong perception that all women who get HIV are whores and all HIV-positive men are sex freaks.

The teaching implications that I have found in this story is as follow:

1. Care for students if they behave abnormally and score badly in class.

Students with dilemma will normally fall into one of these two groups, “depressed and quiet” or “rebellious and uncontrollable”. Both groups of students share the same quality, which is poor academic performance.

2. Counsel students to find out the factors of their negative changes.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to have concern on their students’ welfare. However, for many teachers, they either turn a blind eye on these students, or push the responsibility to counseling teachers and parents.

3. Support and help students in need.

If the students are abused, stand by their side and act fast to avoid more injuries or sadness on them. Since students will be emotionally affected, we can never neglect the affective domain in our teaching. Some sensitive issues that may evoke their anger or sadness should be avoided. For instance, if the student was sexually abused before, the issues like abuse, abortion, unwanted pregnancy, rape, etc, are best to be left behind.

Out of so many people, some unfortunate ones have to struggle in cruelty; out of so many students, some of them are these unfortunate ones. Yet, will the society cares for these unfortunate people? Will the school cares for these unfortunate students? How about the teachers? It is important to make them aware that they are being loved and respected for who they are.

~ It is a good feeling to be able to love and be loved. Give students that feeling…… ~ :)

CHALK

23rd September 2010

In reference to the title, the movie we watched today was focusing mostly on teaching. It is a mock documentary that revolves around teachers’ real life stories. In fact, it is both written and directed by teachers, with the aim to provide insights into the lives of teachers and the teachers' perspectives on the High School experience. The movie focuses on the lives of three teachers - Mr. Stroope (played by Chris Mass), Mr. Lowrey (Troy Schremmer) and Coach Webb (Janelle Schremmer), as well as an assistant principal, Mrs. Reddell (Shannon Haragan).

Mr. Stroope is an ambitious teacher who wants to win the Teacher of the Year competition. However, he had problems with being organized and systematic in handling lesson plans, as well as students who are smarter than him. Among the four characters in the story, he shows the least professionalism as teacher. He admitted that he had to do a lot of extra “back-scratching”, extra tutoring, extra caring to the students, etc, in order to win the competition. It seems as though he cares more for the competition, instead of the students and the whole education system. Furthermore, his explosion of anger in his lesson after losing the competition further verifies the statement.

Besides, the story also tells us about Mr. Lowrey – an inexperienced, introverted history teacher who is still wondering whether teaching is for him, and Coach Webb – a female gym teacher who wants people to take things seriously. She demands for the teachers to obey school rules or school system and her students to be serious in her lesson. Last but not the least, the movie tells the story of the first year assistant principal, Mrs. Reddell, who regrets leaving teaching. She had to deal with the new “power” she had and dealing with people who she feels trying to manipulate her power. Well, there goes the famous quote from Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility”.

The teaching implications that I obtained from the movie are:

1. Care and teach students sincerely.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to care for their students sincerely. Sincerity is deep down. Teachers do not need to let everyone knows or show to the public, just to win the Teacher of the Year.

2. Be a good role model.

Teachers should not be stealing, cursing, showing tantrums by shouting and throwing chairs in class.

3. Show teacher professionalism.

Control your emotion in the classroom. Never bring personal problems into the class.

4. Equip yourself with adequate knowledge.

Instead of asking students not to show they are too clever with history and big words, teachers should work harder and not blaming the students for intimidating them with their intelligence.

5. Decline offers to work in administration or even education, if you are not ready and not passionate.

It would be unfair to others and yourselves, as shown in Mrs. Reddell and Mr. Lowrey.

All in all, the movie we watched today is an interesting and enlightening movie. It begins with the statement “50% of teachers quit teaching within the first three years.” Then, it uncovers the reasons by showing us the difficulties that teachers have to cope up with in school administration, classrooms and their own personal lives.

How to Produce an Effective Argumentative Writing

21st September 2010

We were happy to see Mr. Vahid came back again to guide us, though it was only for one short tutoring session. Thanks to Mr. Vahid, we finally knew how to write our position paper.

To begin with, Mr. Vahid defined what an argumentative writing is. According to him, it is an action of “making a claim or taking a position”, “providing proof in its support”, and “accounting for the probable objection”. Before this, I never thought of including the last stage, as I perceived argumentative writing as some sort of a debate. Luckily, Mr. Vahid told us that if objections for the issue are not acknowledged, the argumentative writing we produced will be a biased argumentative writing.

After that, Mr. Vahid also taught us how to write a good argumentative writing by including a few elements, which some we never heard before, i.e. claim, data, bridge, rebuttal and qualifiers.

The whole lesson was an enjoyable one, especially when Dr. Jaya treat us with KFC at the end of the lesson. Thank you so much, Dr. Jaya and Mr. Vahid!

Finding Forrester

2nd September 2010 (Thursday)

This story narrates about a 16-year-old black American teenager, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), an intellectually gifted student who excels in both sports and academic. This earns him a scholarship to a highly selective private school. He befriends a reclusive writer, Mr. Forrester (Sean Connery), who was once a Pulitzer Winner and later becomes Jamal’s “tutor” to refine his natural talent for writing. However, due to his intelligence and excellence in writing, Jamal clashes with his arrogant literature teacher, Professor Robert Crawford (F. Murray Abraham), who gives him hard times by accusing him for plagiarism. Luckily, Jamal is saved by Mr. Forrester, who willing to reveal his identity in the public and clear Jamal’s name.

As boring as it might seem, this movie (like most stories) did enlighten us with some moral values and teaching implications, especially in the teaching of writing skills. Among the teaching implications that could be found in the movie are as follow:

1. Never hesitate or think too much in writing. Just write!

Jamal: Be sure to write.

Forrester: No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!

Note: Well, that explains why the writing of my project paper goes nowhere until today. I question and think too much.

2. Do not feel intimidated when your students are cleverer or more knowledgeable. Acknowledge their intelligence and learn from them.

Prof. Robert Crawford: Perhaps the challenge should have been directed elsewhere. "It is a melancholy truth that even...

Jamal: "great men have poor relations" Dickens.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "You will hear the beat of..."

Jamal: Kipling.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "All great truths begin..."

Jamal: Shaw.

Prof. Robert Crawford: "Man is the only animal...

Jamal: "that blushes... or needs to." That's Mark Twain.

Jamal: Come on, Professor Crawford...

Prof. Robert Crawford: [shouting] Get out!

Prof. Robert Crawford: [whispered] Get... out.

Jamal: Yeah. I'll get out.

3. Admit your mistakes and upgrade yourself, when students correct you.

Prof. Robert Crawford: [to Jamal] Perhaps your skills do reach farther than basketball.

Jamal: "Further"

Prof. Robert Crawford: What?

Claire Spence: [whispered to Jamal] Don't...

Jamal: [to Crawford] You said that my skills reached "farther" than basketball. "Farther" relates to distance, "further" is a definition of degree. You should have said "further".

Prof. Robert Crawford: Are you challenging me, Mr. Wallace?

Jamal: Not any more than you challenged Coleridge.

However, I have to admit that all these teaching implications and moral values that were mentioned above are easier said than done.

Lean on Me

26th August 2010 (Thursday)


“An arrogant and unorthodox teacher returns as principal to the idyllic high school from which he had earlier been fired to find it a den of drug abuse, gang violence, and urban despair. Eventually his successful but unorthodox methods lead to a clash with city officials that threatens to undo all his efforts. Based on a true story. Written by Keith Loh ”

Extracted from IMDb.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097722/plotsummary

Whoa! I must say this is a noisy movie. And what is this place? A school? Sorry to say, it looks more like a hell to me. I don’t think anyone will want to live in there, let alone study there. Yet, despite all those yelling and cursing, this is one of the most interesting movies I have ever seen! All those shouting words make us frown and laugh at the same time.

What would you do if you were asked to turn this type of school within a year? Drastic action has to be taken. And here comes, Principal Joe Clark (played by Morgan Freeman) with his harsh but effective strategies that intimidated almost everyone.

Unlike other movies, this movie talks more about school management, instead of classroom management. Some implications in education that can be found in the movie are stated as below:

1. In discipline, deal with the problem students first.

Since problem students influence and affect other students, either we discipline them or throw them out. Then, others will follow.

Here comes Principal Joe Clark’s famous principle, “Take No Prisoners.”

Joe Clark: I want all of you to take a good look at these people on the risers behind me. These people have been here roughly five years, and done absolutely nothing. These people are drug dealers and drug users. They have taken up space. They have disrupted this school. They have harassed your teachers. And they have intimidated you. Well, times are about to change. You will not be bothered in Joe Clark's school. These people are incorrigible. And since none of them could graduate anyway...

[to those onstage]

Joe Clark: ... you are all expurgated. You are dismissed! You are out of here, forever. I wish you well! Mr. Wright...

2. Discipline First, Teaching Later

Joe Clark: This is an institution of learning, ladies and gentlemen. If you can't control it, how can you teach? Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm!

3. Show students their responsibility.

Joe Clark: They said this school was dead, like the cemetery it's built on. But we call our Eastside teams "Ghosts", don't we? And what are ghosts? Ghosts are spirits that rise from the dead. I want you to be my ghosts. You are going to lead our resurrection, by defying the expectation that all of us are doomed to failure. My motto is simple: If you do not succeed in life, I don't want you to blame your parents. I don't want you to blame the White Man. I want you to blame yourselves. The responsibility is yours!

All in all, the movie tells us the importance of managing discipline issues in school and classroom, for it is the main determinant that affects the effectiveness of teaching.

First Meeting of Project Paper

23th August 2010

Today was the first meeting with our supervisor, Pn. Juridah Mohd. Rashid, to discuss about the project paper that was assigned to us. We had to prepare a proposal with thesis statement on what we are going to work on in the project paper based on a literary theory and explain our purpose or reasons of working on the selected aspect. I was quite nervous actually. Not knowing whether my proposal will be approved or not.

Basically, I intended to analyse more about Dorothy Parker’s works as I like her wittiness, humour and sarcasms in her writings. Though my proposal was not approved yet, the idea of analyzing Dorothy Parker’s works was approved with a light change on the choice of literary theory.

Well, guess I have to start working on it. Wish me luck!

Akeelah and the Bee

19th August 2010 (Thursday)

This is one enjoyable movie that worth watching again and again. Basically, “Akeelah and the Bee” narrates about an 11-year-old girl who excels in her spelling, which leads her to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The whole story reflects how her courage, confidence and hard work win her the competition. Besides, the movie also explores issues of education in the black community.

Through the movie, I got a few teaching implications which are listed as below:

1. Always motivate your students with inspiring quotes, stories or even talk.

Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson]

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?

Akeelah: I don't know.

Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?

Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?

Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?

Akeelah: Afraid of... me?

2. Help students to believe in themselves.

3. Push students to reach their potentials

Note: Though I don’t really agree upon Mr. Welch’s intention in forcing students to win competition for school fund. He somehow did help Akeelah to realize her dreams and refine her potential.

Mr. Welch: So whoever wins the school bee today, gets to represent Crenshaw at the district bee next month.

Akeelah: Why would anybody want to represent a school where they can't even put doors on the toilet stalls?

Mr. Welch: Akeelah, if we can't show students can perform were not going to have money for books let alone bathroom doors. Now I want you to do the bee today, okay?

Akeelah: So everyone can call me a freak and a brainiac? No I ain't down for no spelling bee.

Mr. Welch: Well, maybe you'd be down for spending the rest of the semester in detention for all your absences?

4. Find students’ learning style and adapt it to the lesson

For example, Akeelah can spell better by skipping rope.

5. Understand students behaviour more through Their Parents and Peers

For instance, Akeelah rejects the spelling bee contest, feeling that her friends will laugh at her for being a nerd. Besides, her mother does not approve her for participating in any competition but put total concentration on her study. Another example would be Dylan. More often than not, he feels stressed and depressed because of his domineering father, who gives high expectation to his son and forces his son to work hard to be the champion.

Many students these days are like Dylan. They had to cope with parents’ expectations and are forced to study or go for tuition. How would teachers deal with them?