Final Debate

Congrats to 07A1 and 07A7 for making it into the final round.
07A1 VS 07A7 (opposition)
The motion is THBT the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.
Venue: Friday, 4 May 2007

1 – 2pm (LT1)

Phototaking session

There will be a photo-taking session for PU1 students who have not yet
taken their photos. Students who have earlier taken their photos wearing
their secondary school uniforms are required to re-take their photos
wearing MI uniform.

Date : Monday 30th April
Time : 12.05 pm to 12.45 pm
Venue : Art Gallery

Please ensure students are in MI uniform (including collar pin). No PE
attire, please.

Bowlers in my classes take note!

Rescheduled time for the GP exam for affected bowlers on 18 May will be from 2.30pm - 5.30pm

BENNY LOH ZHI HAO

07S1

BEALSON SIM

07B4

Please check the exam venue with me when the date is nearer. I will post the venue on the blog when it is finalised. Check this space.

Introduction & Paragraph writing Assignment

For this assignment, you will need a piece of writing paper,

Write your name, class and date.

“Young people today are so fortunate.”

Is this true of young people in your country?

Write

• an introduction (paragraph to state your stand)
• an argument (1 paragraph using the PEEL format)
• due Wednesday, 2 May, 6 pm
  

What should you do when you see the essay question?

Identify the topic: Young people in your country (context)

Issue: They are so fortunate now

Focus: fortunate <--- Your arguments should focus on whether youths are fortunate.

Key terms: young people, today, ‘so fortunate’

Define key terms: *vague / imprecise

“Today” implies a comparison with young people of the past *don’t have to define but need to be highlighted throughout the essay

“so fortunate”: not just fortunate but very/ extremely fortunate, almost excessively so.

Fortunate: blessed/ lucky/ privileged/ advantaged (your arguments should be linked to your definition of ‘fortunate’)

How do you approach the question?

This is a YES/ NO question.

The more balanced approach is to take the ‘No’ stand.

Reminder: Do not develop your argument through examples. Come up with points!

Sample argument:

• Young Singaporeans live in a time of peace. We do not need to face war or social unrest unlike the past generations. Our forefathers endured turbulent times in the past. (Point & Elaboration)The World War II, racial riots in the sixties and the Cold War uncertainties (Eg *relevant) caused youths in those chaotic days to fight for survival. Being in a safe and secure environment, with a strong stable government and armed forces, young Singaporeans today can sleep soundly at night. Since they do not have to suffer turmoils of war, youths today are indeed privileged. (Link back to the topic)

MYE venues

18 May 2007
8.30 to 10 am: Paper 1
10.15 to 11.45 am: Paper 2
Exam Venues
07A5 : #03-10
07A7: #03-03
07B4: #02-14:
07S1: #02-17

Narcissus

In class, we have done a passage written by Susan Sontag on beauty as a power source or a form of putting down women.
Listen to a 4 minute story about Narcissus, narrated by charismatic Timothy Carter.

Photocopying services

I will be giving relevant articles for your reading.
Why don't I just print for you?
I understand that not many students will want the articles because the IRP articles are more than enough. They are too busy to read. (Fill in an excuse for NOT reading)
Why not I email the articles to you?
Some students do not print articles from their PC because their internet are down/ no printer/ no printer ink.

I believe that if you REALLY want to read the articles, you will be self-motivated to print them. If you pay $ to print, perhaps you will appreciate the articles more and read them.

I will be leaving copies of articles with the respective GP reps.
Please get the articles from them and photocopy at the bookshop or at the library. If not, you can ask your GP rep to print in bulk at the bookstore. I will not hound you if you do not read these articles. They are definitely beneficial .

The bookshop opening hours are 9am to 3pm, Mondays to Fridays.
There is also 1 photocopying machine at the bookshop itself. For this machine, the vendor will do the photocopying and the rate is $0.035cents per page. Payment is in cash. Please give the bookshop a reasonable time if you require bulk printing. They also provide binding services; the cost is $2 for a 10mm/14mm/16mm binding ring and $2.50 for a 19mm/22mm binding ring.

There are 2 self-service photocopying machines in the library. Students need to purchase photocopying cards from the bookshop; these cards are in denominations of $2, $5 and $10. For the self-service machines, the rate is $0.03cents per page.

07A7 Round 2 Debate

Friday 27th April
2.30 pm
O7A7(prp) vs 07A3(opp)@01-10.
The motion is "THBT the generation gap is a myth."

07B4 debaters take note!!!!

Rescheduled debates for 07B4 vs 07S5. Both teams are to report to either #01-01 or any container classrm (depending on avail) at 745am. Pls note that no other rescheduling would be arranged. If you are supposed to go for AWARE talk, please find someone to replace you. The debate is more important. If one of the teams did not turn up, it will automatically be a walk-over.

AWARE talk on 23 Apr Mon @ 8 am

A talk on gender discrimination by a speaker from AWARE will be held on Monday, 23rd April from 8am to 9am. Please take notes & ask questions.

I will nominate 20 students per GP class to attend this talk. Attendance will be taken.

Please be seated by 7.45am.

Tan Joo Hymn is the Immediate Past President of AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research). She has served 7 terms on the executive committee in various capacities. Since 2004, she has chaired AWARE’s PopWatch subcommittee, which looked at Singapore’s population issues and is now doing a study on discrimination against pregnant employees.

Joo Hymn is also active in various social initiatives. She helped formally register Raleigh Society, a youth volunteer group in Singapore in 2001 and served on the Society’s executive committee from 1999 to 2004. She was part of the team to lead the group’s expeditions to Batam and Tibet in 1998 and 2001 respectively. She is also active in various civil society groups including The Working Committee 1 (TWC1) that brought civil society groups together in multi-party collaborations and The Working Committee 2 (TWC2), which has since become Transient Workers Count Too, working to better working conditions for foreign domestic workers.

A graduate of Warwick University in the United Kingdom, Joo Hymn trained as a lawyer and qualified in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore. She is also a qualified early childhood teacher and supervisor and had been working as pre-school teacher before becoming a full-time mum. She is continually reinventing herself and enjoys challenges, and believes passionately that every person should be allowed to achieve his or her fullest potential, without being hemmed in by gender stereotypes.

O leve English class #01-01

2nd session of O level English class will be held on Friday 2o April @ #01-01

Animation talk on 25 April, Wed, 2 pm

The Art department has invited the EGG STORY DIGITAL ARTS ACADEMY [ESDAA], a co. spear-headed by Mr Nickson Fong [who was part of the team that designed the animations for "MATRIX RELOADED" & many more, the animation man who had tea with PM Lee when he visited the U.S and who was highlighted by him in the PM's National Day speech last year...]

Well...his team members will be presenting a talk to you on:

Date: 25th April 2007, Wednesday

Time: 2 pm- 3pm (1 hour)

Venue: LT1

Contents of Talk:

1. Share about the animation industry.
2. Its career & education opportunities for students
3. Showcase of 'KUNG FU GECKO' [an animated Feature Film due for release in 2009] Trailer & Cliplets
4. Demo clip of Digital Visual Effects & its use in commercial projects.
5. The booming animation industry in Singapore.
6. Jobs available in the Animation & Digital Visual Effects industry.
7. Intro to Egg Story DAA & its program.

Interested students, please approach me so that I can submit your names to Mrs Nellie Kee before Friday. In the event that no one sign up, I will randomly select five students. I do not want to resort to this measure. Please come forward if you are interested. Thank you.

You Are Loveable

My current ringtone is Kim Jong Kook's "You Are Loveable"
I'm trying to learn how to dance this song now. Anyone can break the steps down to teach me?

IRP File Checking on 16 Apr (Mon)

Please make sure you have completed the responses for the past 3 IRP articles.
1. God Versus Science
2. Chinese Century
3. Future Trends
File checking and responses will be collected for marking next Monday 16 Apr

Sch @ 8 am on 23 April (Monday)

In conjunction with Earth Day, to nurture environmental activism in our students, each class will design one dress made of recycled materials. The dresses will be paraded on Project Runway: Recycling is Fashionable!
Not to eat into curriculum time, school will start on 8am on Monday 23 April
Don't be late for school on Monday!!!

Visuwords

Want to know what words are related to a topic? Are you a visual learner?
I came across this online graphical dictionary website, Visuwords while reading this blogpost

Visuwords™ online graphical dictionary — Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Learn how words associate.

How to use it for IT presentation/ self-study?

Type in a word like ‘discrimination’ and the association engine will churn out words associated to 'discrimination'. Click on the related words to improve your vocabulary and content knowledge. It uses Princeton’s Wordnet combined with a visualization tool. Credits to DG

1st Round Debate

Dear debaters, please take note of the following:

The motion for first round of debate is
THBT the youth today have an opnion about everything but a heart for none.

- substantive speech to be limited to 4 minutes per speaker and reply speech to be 2 minutes long

- audience participation round to be capped at 10 mintues.

- Chairperson for the debate (If you have any strong objections, please contact me: email)
07S1 - Rahim
07B4 - to be announced
07A5 - Mae
07A7 - to be announced

- Check your respective classes of the venues and timings for their debates

- classes on the left-side side are to propose and class on the right-hand side are to oppose
07S1 - oppose
07B4 -propose
07A5 - propose
07A7 - oppose

Pairings for Round 1
Teams	Time Slot	Judges	Venue
07A1 VS 07A2	Mon, 16/04/07 9.25 – 10.05am	Chris & Andrew	01-02
07B6 VS 07S6		Jamaliah & Jennifer	01-03
07B3 VS 07S4	Mon, 16/04/07 1.25 – 2.05pm	Yuan Shin & Sharie	02-04
07B8 VS 07B1		Chris & Jenny	03-04
07B7 VS 07A7		Elizabeth & Ajanta	F08
07S2 VS 07S1	Thurs, 19/04/07 8.45 – 10.05am	Chwee Bock & Alicia	01-02
07S3 VS 07B2		Joanne & Jennifer	02-04
07A4 VS 07B5	Thurs, 19/04/07 2.05 – 3.25pm	Shamala & Sharie	01-02
07A5 VS 07A3		Andrew & Jamaliah	03-04
07B4 VS 07S5	Thurs, 19/04/07 4.05 – 5.25pm	Terence & Catherine	01-02
07S7 VS 07A6		Kelvin & Yani	01-03

Everyone is to turn up and support your class. Attendance will be taken. Absence without valid reason will be given one detention class.

4th Week 2nd Day

1) promulgate	6) A
2) brash	7) E
3) scoff	8) D
4) pugnacious	9) C
5) belittle	10) B

The 'Ways to find relevant literature' is to aid you in your research for the IT presentation.

4th Week 1st Day

1) intimidate	6) E
2) feint	7) A
3) alacrity	8) C
4) belligerent	9) D
5) disdain	10) B

Click on the words to go to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

GP File

07S1, 07A5
Please pay $3 to your treasurer before Thursday.

07B4 - the ring file costs $2.80 each. you ordered 4 different files
Pls pay $2.80 x 4 + $3 = $14.20 to your treasurer.

Treasurer - pls change the $ into large denominations so that the stationery shop owner do not have to count $2 notes and coins until sun sets.

Debate selection

Motion: “This House Believes That the importance of family is declining in today’s society.”

Write a ONE min speech.

Not longer than 20 sentences.

- Say your NAME

- Define the motion: State d boundaries, key terms

-State your stand:

-FOR – “THBT the importance of family IS declining in today’s society”

-AGAINST - “THBT the importance of family is NOT declining in today’s society

- Give ONE argument

We will start the selection during next GP lesson

Every one will have to talk

GP Mid Year Exam

18 May (Friday)
39 Days to go...

PU 1 Interclass debates

It's the time of the term again for the 2007 PU1 Inter-class debates.
Round One will kick off on Friday, 20th April 2007.
The timings would be the same as the PU2 debates; all to start at 1.00pm, except for teams with Muslim boys. These teams will start at 2.30pm instead.
Further information with regard to pairings, venues and timings would be announced closer to the event.

Each class is to choose 4 debaters.[If there is time, I would arrange for a mini debate in the class.]
Submit the names to me by Wednesday 11 April
Make sure that the debaters' names are spelled out in full and are correct

The motion is "This House Believes That
the youth today have an opinion about everything but a heart for none"

Please prepare by doing research. Other than helping the debaters, the research will build your content knowledge.

Week 3 Updates

Next week:
We will be writing essay plans, then write structured paragraphs using topic sentence and elaborate using relevant supporting details. I need you to prepare for the lesson.

Assignment:
Essay Question: How important is the family today?
In your Powerbook,
1) Analyse the essay question - especially focus and key terms
2) Find examples of family structure in different cultural contexts.

IT Presentation proposals
Deadline: 9 Apr (Mon) for Family and Marriage
Deadline: 11 Apr (Wed) for other topics
Please refer to the blog post - What to write for IT Presentation proposal

Word Bank book checking
Please make sure there are definitions and example sentences in your word bank book.
No limitations but at least 10 words should be defined.
Remember: Always take out your Word Bank book during IRP period.

Inspirational Quote of the week

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”

- William James

What to write for IT Presentation proposal

You can use the template, Page 3 of the IT Project Rubrics sent to your email earlier.
Alternatively, you can just write on a piece of lined paper.

Objective of proposal: Tell me exactly what you want to look at in a 40-minute lesson.

Names and Roles of Team Members
- All of you will be researchers and presenters. The rest of the roles you can select from the list given to you.

Topic
- Write your topic name
-Define the key terms related to your topic
Show an understanding of the topic
Eg. Class discrimination - Obviously, you have to define class discrimination. Other key terms related to class discrimination might be classism, structural classism, individual classism, elitism, etc.

Issue
- Identify at least TWO issues which you will be focusing on.
Provide the scope of the topic
Eg. We will be focusing on the upper, middle and lower classes of Singapore society and ways in which the lower class is being discriminated. We will also look at the caste system in India and its effects.

- What aspects of these issue would you be covering? Cause-effect? Indirect/ Direct measures? Govt policies etc?
You can also approach it in terms of concept/ topic areas. [SPERM]
S - Social/ Socio-cultural/ Scientific (Technological) / Sports
P - Psychological/Physical/ Political / Philosophical/ Personal (Individual)
E - Environmental/ Educational/ Economic/ Ethical/ Ethnic/ Emotional/ Entertainment
R - Racial/ Religious/ Rights
M - Media/ Military/ Moral/ Multinational (Global)/ Medical/ Mental

Others include Artistic/ Historical/ Geographical/ Ideological/Legal/ Communication/ Government. This list is by no means exhaustive. You can add more topic areas.

See Categorizing: Page 10 -12 of Essay Writing (Pre-writing skill) document.

Activity
- Briefly tell me what activity would be conducted.
Your IT presentation is to be supplemented with an activity to engage the class in active participation. It can be a quiz show, games, mini-debate, role-play, article-sharing, pair discussion, crossword puzzle - any activity that can aid your classmates' understanding.
Sample lesson plans are available online.

Digital Divide

A few of you said that they are not used to the paperless system.
As I have mentioned in class, this is the future of learning. In fact, it is already happening in university and many junior colleges.
We are in the Digital Age where computers are integrated into our daily lives.
I am not saying that I will not give worksheets or handouts. I will.

However, there is only so much I can print because an astronomical information archive is available on the Internet for use.
Secondly, I am up to my neck with work so you often can't get me at my desk.
You need to go straight for the next class after my lesson has ended, so do I.
Drop me an email or tag me at my blog, I will definitely reply you as soon as possible.
The success rate will be higher than getting me on the phone.
I truly value your input, your feedback, your questions.

I understand your discomfort with regards to being disadvantaged if you happen to have no computer, printer or Internet access.

Sadly, the lack of access to ICT goods and services pose social and economic disadvantages.
The Digital Divide separates the information rich and the information poor.
It is the gap between those who have real access to information and communications technology and who are able to use it effectively, and those who do not have such access.

To bridge the divide, the school gives a subsidy for low-income families to purchase a PC.
Please approach the General Office for more information.

If you still have problems access email/ internet/ computer, fix it asap.
Computer virus? Solutions available for download online. Ask around, IT-savvy friends who can help you. Any volunteers?
No computer? Access from school. Ask a friend to tell you what is going on. Print an extra copy for you.

Be Pro-active.

IT presentation write-up submission by 9 April

Good news!
No article review for Week 3.
In other words, you don't have to submit an article next week.
However, continue to read and cut articles.
Progress accumulates bit by bit, not in leaps and bounds.

Please start preparing your IT presentation.
The first presentation (Family and Marriage) will commence on
Week 5 - 16 April (2 weeks of preparation)

The relevant groups preparing for Family and Marriage topics, please submit your short write-up to me asap for approval.

Deadline: 9 April (Monday)

Those who are after these groups, I expect better quality presentations so you are strongly encouraged to start preparing too.

Deadline: 11 April (Wednesday)

Don't rejoice yet. There will be a writing assignment coming up.
Inter-class debates will be commencing soon.
Do check your mailbox and my blog often.

Preserving and Conserving the Environment Display

1. The PU 1s are required to put up a display on 18Apr 07 on "Preserving and Conserving the

environment'. (rough estimate: size of 1/2 -- 1 green board). Besides just the board, they may

want to think of a possible product, game, etc related to the above theme that they have selected.

They have been briefed on it and had even attended a talk and all class reps or group leaders are

to submit their plans by wed 4Apr 07.

2. Please help remind :

- your class and class rep on the plan.

- your class to work on it.

First draft of their project to be submitted to Mdm Siti Zubaidah on
11 Apr 07 -- next wed.