mini test! mini test! (part 2)

This is the second question for the mini test.

You are teaching a form two class on 'Environment'. Suggest one way to integrate the following level of learning objective in your writing lessons.

A)     Analysis

B)     Application

(picture: credit to thermomix)

Instruction : Analyze the picture below. Brainstorm along with your teacher and friends on what your opinion what the picture is all about. Don't forget to list down all the ideas. Next, discuss among your friends, how you all as students should apply those ideas you have brainstormed in your real life. And then create an essay for your opinion. Your essay should not be more than 250 words.

(picture: credit to Pinellas County School)

mini test ! mini test ! (part 1)

Hello again!

It's MINI TEST!

For the first question, we were given a picture, and create two instructions for two activities.

First Activity : Where am I?

Alvy is lost! The direction you told him last week was wrong. So instead of CBS Gaya Centre, he arrived at Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. Look back at your direction below and do correction on it so that Alvy can reach his destination.

Dear Alvy,                 Here is guidance for you to reach CBS Gaya Centre. From Jalan Pantai, go straight along the road until you reach the junction. Next, take a road at your right and turn to right again where you will see a smaller junction at your right. Go along that junction until you find a huge building on your right. And that huge building is your destination. Have fun!

Second activity : Show Me The Route!

Your friend was just arrived from Perak. He wants to go to Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel and currently in front of the Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation building. As a Kota Kinabalu native, you should be able to explain to him the exact route to reach Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel. Your explanation should not be more than 50 words and do use correct prepositions which are provided in the box below.

across after against along as before behind between by on opposite over past to towards within

Assessing, me? Yeah..!

Our lecturer give us her students' essays for us to assess. At first, each of us were given different essay each and we need to assess it. I paused, and blur of course. I remembered I felt like I want to give a huge X sign on that paper after I read it. XD

But I try to read it again and read it as a whole, then I understood it. It is true, he got so many grammatical errors but as a whole essay, he succeed in telling his story to the readers which means he has a good command of the language. But still I don't know what to write on his paper.

And then, our lecturer told us that we cannot correct all of our students mistakes because it can demotivate them to write more. So I chose to talk to the writer one by one for them who has serious problem in writing and motivate them. Because for me, if we just mark their mistakes, and turn their writing into a piece of art of red pen, it will demotivate them. So I think, discussing together their mistakes is better. For those who have a little problem, I will just correct their essay a bit and write down a little motivating words for them.

Peer editing?
Of course, I encourage it. I did it myself when I was in my secondary school, but I don't "it" has name. PEER EDITING. XD
I told my friend to read my essay and if they feel something is wrong, feel free to correct it. Same goes for me when my friend told me to read their essay. So I will encourage my students to do peer editing before the next submission.

Back to the essay, from what I see, this writer's mistakes is more to usage of not suitable term, incorrect spelling and incorrect usage of tenses.
Here is the activity that could be helpful for those who facing the same problem with the writer.
Enjoy!

1. I will provide a number of pictures and ask my students to fill in the blank on what the pictures tell them. For example :

What is this? (promoting suitable term)
BEEHIVE instead of bee house.

*students can learn on how to spell correctly, indirectly.

2. Complete this sentence with correct tense.

My family and I have ________ my sister to the airport this morning.
A.sending
B.sent
C.sended
D.send

The answer is B.

But what is the most effective way, in my opinion, is to provide the students with a simple, a catchy and a well written stories or context that can motivate the reader to write better and write more.
Even someone that read less will be motivated, I think, because I read less back in time. But one of my lecturer in matriculation did gave us essays about true stories, sometimes one's perspective of life which can open our mind of what real life is. Thanks to her for the life lesson. And also I'm being grateful that I still get the chance of having some lecturers like her in here, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. A round of applause to all my teachers and lecturers.!

Share The Experience, darling!

Our lecturer told us to check out on this game, Inside The Haiti Earthquake.

It is for the first time for me seeing this kind of game which let us to put ourselves in the Haiti earthquake. The pictures, the videos seem so real that can break your heart by seeing it. It makes me feel grateful for what i have, and stop complaining. You all also should try this game. The link : www.insidedisaster.com

This game also taught me to make careful decisions when we were in between of difficult situations. We were given three options to play, which are as the journalist, the aid worker or the survivor.
So, I think I should apply this game to teach my students in my writing class. I wish.

I'm sure, when the time comes for me to teach, it would be easier to get the internet access. So I will ask my students to play the game, and produce an essay on what is the game is all about, what they feel during playing the game, what are their reactions and actions if they really have to face the disaster in real life, and finally what they want to say to the world to express their gratitude.

So lets be grateful, people!

The ACTIVITY...

Hello again..

For the activity that I mentioned earlier, it will be like this. After each group got their healthy food name, I will provide them the ingredients list of each type of the food given.

In case you forgotten, these are the healthy food again..

-High Fibre Banana Pancake

-Twinkle Star Cookies

-Mini Pizza Torpedoes

-Multi-Grain Drop Scones

-Fruit on Toast


And then I will ask them to write the instruction on how to make their healthy food in three paragraphs. I'll also provide them with pictures of each type of healthy food.

I hope it will be interesting and fun for them, and for me too.

PICTURES AND SUGGESTED HEALTHY FOOD are courtesy of Nestle Healthy Kids.
Get more on www.healthykids.org.my

Tutorial 4: Students, Do It, Now!!!

Have you ever heard about Bloom's Taxonomy?

Yes? No?

Okay, Bloom's Taxonomy is refers to classification of the different objectives that educators set for students (learning objectives).

So for this tutorial, we were asked to create a task for our students-to-be which integrates the level chosen based on four levels in Bloom's Taxonomy, which are Synthesizing, Evaluating, Analyzing and Applying.

I chose the level Evaluating because my target students are from moderate level.

Based on the Curriculum Specifications (Huraian Sukatan Pelajaran), I chose the theme Health.

Let's move on to the activity!

First of all, I will ask them to form several groups which is consist of five people in a group.
Then I will ask the representative for each group to draw out a poll which is consisting of several healthy food.

Let's say, my class will be having five groups so I prepared five types of healthy food.
-High Fibre Banana Pancake
-Twinkle Star Cookies
-Mini Pizza Torpedoes
-Multi-Grain Drop Scones
-Fruit on Toast

I will provide the activity on the next post, stay tuned!
nyum nyum!

Tutorial 3 : Dont be tooooo seriooooussss!

Hello there!

For this time, we were asked to compile a list of songs and movies that are related to the KBSR and KBSM themes. So I chose a World of Self, Family and Friends theme.
Here We Go..!

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do !

1. Waiting Outside the Lines (Greyson Chance)
2. Firework (Katy Perry)
3. Live Your Live (Yuna)
4. Perfect Two (Auburn)
5. Who Says (Selena Gomez)
6. Fifteen (Taylor Swift)
7. The Climb (Miley Cyrus)
8. The Best Day (Taylor Swift)
9. Pray (Justin Bieber)
10. Born to be Somebody (Justin Bieber)
11. Never Say Never (Justin Bieber)
12. One Step at a Time (Kelly Clarkson)
13. Song for a Friend (Jason Mraz)

 1,2,3 ACTION !

• Lilo and Stitch
• Dumb and Dumber
• High School Musical
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2
• Happy Feet
• Lizzy McGuire The Movie
• Toy Story 1, 2 and 3
• The Incredibles
• Home Alone 1, 2 and 3
• Despicable Me

Hopefully I will be able to make my future students enjoy my lesson and mastering English Language at the same time...and I hope this could be helpful for other teachers there!
Enjoy!