Oxymoron In The Tropics

Today was the last day of the seminar (refer to previous post).  More gems of wisdom :) I learned about using mnemonic devices to enhance teaching & learning of literature.  Jane Deslorena Jaikol shared her experiences in teaching students of average proficiency and helping them to remember details of the story Robinson Crusoe.  I know how frustrating it can be when after all your backbreaking efforts, you have a young student who writes in his exam paper that in the Pearl, Coyote was shot in the head by Mokgobja who wanted rain for his lotus which he needed to eat. Dr Norherani Moning talked about wikispaces and how they helped scaffold the teaching of academic writing.  Eric C talked about using efficiency (E-factors) and appropriacy (A-factors) to help in the selection of reading materials for students.  I didn't ask HIM any questions as I was one of his interviewees :) During the pleno session, the panel brought up points such as : - the excellent quality of the papers ...

I am now at the second day of a research seminar in Hotel Beverly, Kota Kinabalu. It has a title that looks dry.. Seminar Penyelidikan Dan Inovasi Pendidikan Kebitaraan Bahasa Peringkat Kebangsaan 2009 ... but the 'kebitaraan' made me look for a dictionary and the papers presented so far has made me view the seminar title in multicolour instead of drab black and white :) I always look forward to attending such seminars.... and this particular seminar is turning out to be one of the more memorable ones. For me, anyway. I met old friends from so many different phases of my life. I got to make new friends! From schools, teaching institutes, universities... I learned new strategies to use in class, such as dialogue journals (action research by Izyan Shazwani). This is a variation on journals and an excellent alternative to e-journals for schools and communities with limited access to the Internet. I found Jacinta Juin's presentation on learner autonomy using drama-based acti...

There are times when you need a boost of energy.... and one of my favourite ways is to listen to Kitaro play 'Matsuri'... oh yeah!

Here's a list of scholarship links, shared by a friend.  I haven't verified them (too many!). Please inform me if you find any broken or invalid link. MARA Scholarship Programs http://www.mara.gov.my/dasar_tajaan Yayasan Proton Scholarship http://www.malaysia-scholarship.com/yproton.html PTPTN Education Loan http://ptptn.gov.my/ The Star Education Fund http://thestar.com.my/edufund Astro Scholarship Award http://www.astro.com.my/astrolife/scholarship/default.asp Shell Scholarships http://www.shell.com/home/content/my-en click on 'Jobs and Careers' PETRONAS Education Scholarship Programs http://esu-spmtrial.petronas.com.my/ MNRB Scholarship Fund http://www.mnrb.com.my/career_sch/scholarships.asp HSBC Scholarship Awards http://www.hsbc.com.my/1/2/miscellaneous/hsbc-scholarship-awards# OCBC Bank Scholarship http://www.ocbc.com.my/global/aboutOCBC/Gco_Abt_Community.shtm Bank Negara Scholarship http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=103&pg=6...

It's official... the host of the 31st Summer Olympics is Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Tried to tweet that info but for the first time ever, I got the page "Twitter Is Over Capacity". I have a feeling a few million people stormed Twitter about the Olympics.

A few months ago, a friend recommended a Indonesian band to me and sent me a Youtube link . The melodies were soulful and the vocals were of the unforgettable sort. Their themes seem to center on love and its many permutations. Any place you go, if you hear Ungu over the PA system or on the radio, you just KNOW it's Ungu. Then just now, I saw the band sing on an Astro channel.... sweet... Lyrics : Ungu feat. Rossa – Tercipta Untukku menatap indahnya senyuman diwajahmu membuat ku terdiam dan terpaku mengerti akan hadirnya cinta terindah saat kau peluk mesra tubuhku banyak kata yang tak mampu ku ungkapkan kepada dirimu reff: aku ingin engkau s'lalu hadir dan temani aku di setiap langkah yang meyakiniku kau tercipta untukku sepanjang hidupku aku ingin engkau s'lalu hadir dan temani aku di setiap langkah yang meyakiniku kau tercipta untukku meski waktu akan mampu memanggil seluruh ragaku ku ingin kau tau kuslalu milikmu yang mencintaimu sepanjang hidupku aku ingin engkau slal...

At work, I use the Internet a lot.  I email teachers info and documents, teachers respond with data, I maintain my online groups (looking after ten groups..), I check on what's new in the oh-so-many relevant websites..MOE, JPA, Treasury.... and I have come to depend on the net a lot. Today, I found out I couldn't access my groups.  The web address has been blocked because it is categorized under 'Message Boards and Forums'.  OMG... it is the message boards and forums that is so useful to teachers......... Argh... why are they treating us like kids who don't even know how to police ourselves??? They are punishing the thousands of legitimate users for the very few who abuse the network.  Is it worth it????