The End is Near

Hello everyone. Well, before we know it we are almost at the end of our course. Before we wrap up the course next week, there are still a few things that you have to do.

a) Grammar Test (10%)
We will have our grammar test on Tuesday, 31 March 2009 so do come prepared. Remember to understand the forms and the functions of the tenses we have discussed and how each tense has its own set of rules.

b) Blog (5%)
Make sure that you have submitted a minimum of 5 entries. I know some of you have been very active participants but there are a few of you who have not contributed your entries so please do update your entries soon.

c) Tell Me More (5%)
Last I checked most of you have completed all the assigned components in Tell Me More despite a few setbacks. The ones who have yet to complete, start cracking.

d) Final Project Report (10%)
You have submitted your proposal and progress report for your product innovation so this report will be the last item that you have to submit before your presentation. Do refer to the guideline provided in class.

e) Poster (5%)
You have to prepare a poster to promote your product. You really have to sit down with your group members and discuss how you can make your poster an effective medium to introduce your product to the public. Consider the graphic, colour scheme, fonts, tagline, etc that would really stand out.

f) Individual Presentation (20%)
We have done quite a few presentations throughout the course so this is the time for you to show how much you have improved from the very first presentation you did earlier this semester. The presentations will be next week at the Sports Complex but any changes will be informed immediately. Remember a product is only as good as the presenter. Don't forget to bring your confidence and appearance for your presentation. Knock 'em dead.

I wish all of you the best of luck.

New Exam?

Hello! I am pleased to read your comments on the issue I posted last week. It seems that you have mixed feelings about street demonstration. I do agree with some of your comments which pointed out that street demonstration is one of the ways to express dissatisfaction on certain matters but I still believe that any kind of demonstration or gathering must be carried out with permission and in an orderly fashion.

SPM results are out and our students have recorded some pretty impressive results. I read the reports with mixed feelings. I was touched reading how some students down on their luck still managed to do well in the exam. This is a clear example of how determination and hard work can lead to success despite your background. I am also intrigued to read Ministry of Education's plan to revamp the examination system in our country whereby a student's result is no longer fully dependent on the student's ability to answer in examinations but the student would also be evaluated partly by the school and teachers. The ministry hoped that this would produce well-rounded students who could survive the challenging years in universities.

Read up on this and let's hear what you think.

Mob Mentality

Hi fellas! It's good to see that some of you are slowly taking part in our blog but participation in general is still poor. Come on! Let's hear those thoughts of yours.

Last week I put forth the issue of PPSMI. From the feedback that some of you have given, most of you seem to agree to continue with PPSMI. Not trying to sound bias here but I sincerely think PPSMI could really improve our deteriorating state of English language proficiency.

Moving on to the next issue which seems to be a trend in our country nowadays; street demonstration. I, for one, am thankful that I don't live in KL because it seems that any disatisfaction on any matter would somehow end in street demonstration and thus causes traffic jam and damages to public property. What's going on?

Street demonstration used to be a common sight in foreign countries but not in Malaysia. Almost every month, we could read in the news about of group of people having street demonstration and the issues fought are various and endless. It's frustrating to see well-educated Malaysians are stooping so low by adopting this mob mentality. Do they sincerely think by being an annoyance to the public, the public would somehow rally to support their cause? Why is this becoming a norm? Let's hear your thoughts.
Please end your comment with your name and matric number ok.

p/s: For those of you who want to submit your project proposal, here is my email address: azlan_ratin@yahoo.com

Hi, everyone!

So far only one comment has been posted on our blog group. What's the matter? Too busy? Well, I hope you will spend some time posting your entries here as they are part of your assessment. You don't have to wait for me to kick start a discussion; you can start one now. Thank you Rem for your comment but I am not sure how to find out who you really are. Is it possible for all of you to use your real name when you want to leave your comment? If not do let me know how I can find out the real person behind the name.

Moving on, as of late, our beloved country is rocked with one issue after another. Political, education, social, economy, it's like there's no end in sight. One of the prominent issues headlining our country's news is the decision to keep using English language in the teaching of Maths and Sciences or to revert to using the national language. Everyone seems to have an opinion on this matter from the kings to politicians to educationists to parents and to the general public itself but so far I have yet to come across a research that seeks feedback from the ones who are really affected by this policy; the students. You are students. What do you think, honestly?