4 March 2014.
Lesson Plan
Class/Level: Primary/Intermediate (Standard 6)
Date : 4th of March 2014
Time: 2 periods = 1 hour 20 mins
Proficiency level of students: Intermediate
Topic: Conjunction
Language skill: English Grammar
General objectives:
- Expose the students with the sub branch of grammar, conjunctions
- Enable students to categorize conjunctions with its functions.
- Enable students to use conjunctions in writing
Learning outcomes :
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able:
- To identify each conjunction with their functions.
- To apply the conjunction in simple exercises
Evaluations for learning outcomes:
- The videos shown to the students will help the identification of conjunctions
- The exercises done by the students will measure their application of understanding of the lessons
Materials required for lesson:
Websites :
LESSON PLAN
Procedure / Steps
|
Activities
|
Time
|
Islamic values
|
1) Induction (5 minutes)
|
-The class will start with the recitation of Ummul kitab al-Fatihah
- The teacher will introduce the language skill they will be learning (grammar)
|
5 minutes
|
Respecting the teacher by listening
|
2)Content Development (70 minutes)
|
- Teacher will present to them a short paragraph on favourite pastime
-Students will guess what are the sub branch of grammar they are going to learn based on the paragraph
|
10 minutes
| |
-Teacher will explain the first type of conjunction to the students
-Teacher will point out the conjunction from the paragraph
-Students will watch a video on the website pertaining to the first type of conjunction
-Students will proceed with exercise regarding the first lesson
-Teacher will ask students on any mistakes done and will explain why.
|
3 minutes
2 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
5 minutes
|
Honesty in surfing the internet without teacher’s full observation
Obeying the teacher’s instructions
| |
Total :
25 minutes
| |||
-Teacher will then move to explain the second type of conjunction to the students
-Students will be asked to point out the conjunction
-Students will watch a video on the website pertaining to the second type of conjunction
-Students will proceed with exercise regarding to the second lesson.
-Teacher will ask students on any mistakes done and will explain why.
-Another exercise will follow which combines two types of conjunctions
-Students will continue the lesson by playing games provided by the website on regard of the topics learned
|
3 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
10 minutes
5 minutes
5 minutes
5 minutes
| ||
Total :
35 minutes
| |||
3) Closure (5 minutes)
|
-The teacher will summarize the lesson of the day to the students
- A recap of the lesson will be done by the students
|
5 minutes
|
Teacher reflections:
_______________________________________________________________
Assessment #2
8 April 2014
CMC: Journal Summary
Summary
SUMMARY
(PART 1)
- TITLE: “Blogging and Emergent L2 Literacy Development in an Urban
Elementary School: A Functional Perspective”
- AUTHORS: Meg Gebhard, Dong-Shin Shin and Wendy Seger
- URL: http://journals.sfu.ca/CALICO/index.php/calico/article/view/895
·
PURPOSE OF STUDY: To analyze how a
teacher in the United States used systemic functional linguistics to design a
blog-mediated writing curriculum to support second grade English language
learners’ (ELLs) literacy development and abilities to use computer-mediated
communication tools for social and academic purposes in and out of school.
- STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: This study is to
address the gap where those attending high-poverty urban and rural
schools, are less likely than middle class counterparts to have access to
technologies that would support academic language development in the
research and pedagogical literature.
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1)
How did blogging practices shape
the nature of ELLs’ literacy practices in an
elementary school context?
2) How did ELLs’ emergent literacy practices and
abilities able to produce written
texts change over time as evidenced by blog postings?
- PARTICIPANT:
Focus on one Puerto Recan student called “Diany”.
- METHODOLOGY:
1) Research setting
and participant
Ø
Conducted in a large urban elementary school
in a former industrial city in New England.
Ø
Nearly all were failing the state mandated
exams in reading, English language arts, and mathematics (Massachusetts
Department of Education, profiles.doe.mass.edu/search)
Ø
A second-language “struggling reader and
writer”
Data collects
Data collection and
analysis combined the tools of classroom ethnography (Dyson, 1993) and genre
analysis using the tools of SFL (Christie & Derewianka, 2008; Martin &
Rose, 2008).
Data analysis
i)Analysis of these data occurred in three phases. Phase one consisted
of a content analysis of the activities associated with each unit of study. The
purpose of this phase was to describe the classroom and online literacy
activity systems, identify major trends in the data, and accomplish the interim
task of data reduction. Phase two consisted of profiling Diany’s literacy practices
as she engaged in classroom and online activities related to producing target
genres (e.g., letters, recounts, explanations, reports, arguments). Last, phase
three centered on analyzing the linguistic features of Diany’s posted texts using
the tools of SFL (e.g., genre and register features of student texts; see
Martin & Rose, 2008; Christie & Derewianka, 2008).
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS:
- An analysis of
the data discloses that the subject used the class blog to communicate
with an extended audience for a wide range of academic and social purposes
in ways that also expanded the subject semiotic resources. In SFL terms,
subject used blogging in interpersonal ways to build and show social roles
associated to being a valued peer and good student. Simultaneously, she established
a greater metalinguistic awareness of the semiotic resources available in
online communication to textually display these roles as well as to better
achieve the flow of her written discourse. Consequently, subject developed
an ability to produce more varied and complex clause structures, a greater
control over tense and modality, and a better understanding of the
differences between oral and printed discourse. In the following
discussion, researchers illustrate how subject used blogging to
communicate with an expanded audience by analyzing how she (1) completed
genre-based class assignments, (2) provided other students with feedback on
their writing, and (3) constructed and displayed social boundaries and
status. Finally, researchers provide an analysis of subjects language
development through blogging over the course of the 22 months of the
study.
COMMENTS:
Ø
The purpose of the study may not be practical
to all students since they only focus on one student.
Ø
The research may be improved by future
researcher with more participants in order to obtain more accurate result.
CMC: Research Paper
Research
Objective
The aim of the research is to :
1.
Identify
the characteristics of Malaysian English used by Malaysian writer in personal
blog.
Literature
Review
According to Hauck M. and Hampel
R. (2006), the usage of Internet-based computer-mediated communication
technologies for language teaching and learning (e.g. email, internet relay
chat, or, more recently, instant messaging and audio-conferencing), is not
adequate to see the new learning spaces as replicates of conventional
face-to-face settings. They also suggested that it may be useful to consider
how meaning is made using the modes and media available in electronic
environments. On top of that, they also found one study which involves students
learning a second language using multimedia and which reports positive effects
of matching instructional modality to students’ initial modal preference
(Plass, Chun, Mayer, &Leutner, 1998). The participants retained more words
studied in their preferred modality (or modalities) as compared to an
alternative modality. Despite this evidence they agreed with Klein (2003) that
“representations that can be categorized as a single kind of system are less
common […]than those that combine two or more such systems” (p. 66). Learners
in such environments constantly have to deal with narrative texts accompanied
by images or audio, prose texts with illustrations, images with audio, etc.
with one being embedded in the other(s) to different degrees. Hence, when
planning tasks for language learning in environments such as Lyceum, tutors need
to take the right modality mix into account as well as the different modes at
their nature; their specific potentials for representation and making meaning,
andtheir limitations.
Ramlee Awang and Lydia Wong
Su Mei stated that,
”Blogs are now marking a new mode of communication,
making impact on domains such as virtual formation of speech communities,
knowledge-sharing, pedagogical implication as well as formation of virtual
identity. It is estimated that more than three billion websites in the world
today and more than 70 million are blogs. In Malaysia, it is estimated that
half a million blogs existed. Language used by bloggers could reflect the
unique pattern of discourse within the blogosphere where the combination of
both monologue and dialogue in a space-bound, digital environment is observed.
Some studies show that a strong sense of identity is seen within the literacy
practices in blogosphere where bloggers tend to use code-switching and code
mixing in their blogs.”
In a research done by
Gebhard M., Seger W., and Dong-Shin Shin mentioned that learners were able to
gain confidence as well as develop their own writing styles (Murray and
Hourigan’s, 2008). In the same research, Lee (2010) also reported that blogging
gave students the opportunities for personal expression and to interact
collaboratively, which collective influence learner’s writing fluency
positively as well as increased their motivation to write for a broader
audience.Next, the research also identified that the subject developed an
ability to write in structures in more complex and vary in which required the
subject to attend and to gain control over aspects of the English tense system
develop conceptions of text. The subject also demonstrated greater control over
uses of text to interpret and produce informal exchanges with her teacher and
peers in order to expand the set of functions. The second consequence of this
study can be relate to classroom practice and the potential of linking
genre-based pedagogy with a blog-mediated reading and writing curriculum as a
way of providing under-serviced language learners attending under-privileged
schools with more opportunities to interact through blogs with wider range of
audience regarding topics in which are academically, socially, and politically
related.
Methodology
Corpus
selection: The process
of finding the suitable blogs to be analyzed includes several blogs of
Malaysian bloggers which the theme of the blogs were narrowed down to the
specific theme which is food. Among those blogs, we have chosen one blog to be
specifically analyzed.
Data
collection: All the
contents of the blog were relocated to Microsoft Word for an easier process of
analysis. It is analyzed according to the framework of Malaysian English. The
organizations of the contents were presented in a table for an easy
understanding.
Findings
From
our analysis we found out that Malaysian blogger exhibits the characteristics
of Malaysian English in her writing. Table 1 shows the distribution of features
of Malaysian English. The characteristics of Malaysian English are divided into
11 categories and they are: 1) Special feature of Malaysian English, 2) Duplication of words,
3) Code switch, 4) Spelling, 5) You-deletion, 6) It-deletion, 7)
Copula-deletion, 8) Past continuous tense, 9) Direct translation, 10)
Overgeneralization of vocabularies and 11) Lexical features.
One
distinctive feature of Malaysian English is the addition of the words such as
–lah, -meh, and –lor at the end of a sentence. This feature is frequently
exhibit by the blogger in most of her writing. This shows a sense of belonging
to the Malaysian society as this is the style of Malaysian speakers. For
example, Not a restaurant meh, it was yummy too lei and must
be good lah.
Another
distinctive feature of Malaysian English is duplication of words. An example
that can be found in the blog is the usage of word ‘blur blur’ by the blogger in order to emphasize the blurriness of
the lens. This indicates the significance of the meaning conveyed. Among the
reasons duplication of words happens in Malaysian English is because it is
similar to Malay language which use duplication of words to show the plurality
of a certain thing.
Since
English is the second language of Malaysians, Malaysian speakers tend to code
switch in their conversation as well as writing. As for this particular
blogger, although she writes in full English language, she tends to insert some
Malay words in her posts. For instance, 4 ladies and 1 gentleman sapu all wor, Hebat,
dear cousin and Hungry dah were written
in her posts.
Other
than that, the writer also tends to use short forms in writing entries in her
blog. An example that she used is Just
right for me coz I do not have sweet
tooth too. The spelling of the word ‘because’ was shorten into ‘coz’ to save time and to show her
informality in writing the blog.
Besides
using short forms in writing, Malaysian writers tend to dismiss certain
linguistics features such as pronoun You
and It as well as verb Is. This happens without the writers
noticing it because they are bound to follow Malay language grammatical
structure which omit these linguistics features. This is illustrated in the
sentences she used such as Can [you] see
me? The omission of the word ‘you’
is done by the writer. The pronoun It
and the copula Is are dropped from
these sentences I liked [it] and The texture [is] a little sticky like our “men
ku”.
As
foreign speakers of English, Malaysian speakers have limitation to English
vocabularies as well as the knowledge of grammatical structures thus, Malaysian
speakers always use the alternatives of translating phrases or sentences in
accordance to Malay language’s grammar. The method of translating used by them
is direct translation. There are two types of translation which are phrase
translation and sentences translation.
Phrase
level:
Hopefully it’s not cut throat expensive hor – this statement contains the phrase cut
throat expensive which gives the unconventional meaning of expressing that a
certain thing is very expensive.
Though it started with a wrong footing – this phrase is the direct translation of something started in a bad
decision made.
Sentence level :
This, I must
give praise. – this sentence represents the direct
translation of complimenting something. In Malay the sentence used is “Saya mesti memberi pujian”. The writer tends
to translate the verb “memberi” in Malay to give and “pujian’ to praise.
One morning we had
dim sum breakfast, one morning we had bo lo bun and milk tea breakfast! – in the same note,
this sentence is also the exact translation of Malay grammatical structure.
Due to the limited vocabularies, the
blogger tend to over generalize words of different contexts. Some of Malay
words have little lexical which can mean the same thing but at the same time
give a different degree of it. Therefore, this particular blogger are not aware
of the different vocabularies which English has that can give the appropriate
words according to contexts. For examples:
English words used
by the blogger
|
Appropriate English
words
|
Intended Malay
words
|
They
had freed themselves
|
Make themselves available
|
Meluangkan masa
|
The star
dish of the meal
|
The significant dish of the meal
|
Hidangan istimewa
|
I had enjoyed feasting on the pigeons
|
I enjoyed eating the pigeons
|
Saya seronok makan
burung merpati
|
We were driven
there
|
We were brought there
|
Kami dibawa ke sana
|
When we reached it
|
When we arrived it
|
Bila kami sampai
disitu
|
Last but not least,
characteristics of Malaysian English are through its lexical features. This
feature is divided into two types which are 1) English words which have
acquired a local meaning and 2) Local words which entered English language and
has became a part of it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this research has
fulfilled the research objective which is to identify the characteristics of
Malaysian English. Therefore, it can be seen that the characteristics of
Malaysian English can be distinguish from other English varieties thus making
it special in its own way.
Reference
4. http://Liongirlblog.wordpress.com
Appendix A
Dear cousin’s HK friend and hubby were so nice.
They had freed themselves for a day to take us to Sha Tin, for HK’s popular pigeon and visit
their racecourse!
Only 3 out of 5 of us tagged along coz the other 2
preferred shopping wor…. ;D
Yup! We were driven there! The car was parked on the opposite side
of the road from our destination. We were going to Lung Wah Hotel! Huh?
Not a restaurant meh??
“This place
is very popular for their roast pigeon!”
Hey, the
locals telling us that wor, must be good lah! Drooling already!
Must cross the overhead bridge to get to the other side! Ya wor, we
going up to Lung Wah Hotel… Need to go through another entrance. Like the
alley feeling. ;D
Our HK
couple said that this place has not changed its furniture and sitting
arrangements since the 60s and that we can see this scene in many HK movies!
Waaaa!!! Impressive!!!!
The plate of pigeons came with plastic gloves! The star dish of the meal
~ roast pigeon! See, this was how we ate our pigeons ~ with our hands after
wearing the gloves lah! Haha! Stylo lei!
All of the
above came with that plate of pigeon coz they all belonged to a set meal!
4 ladies and
1 gentleman sapu all wor… ”sai lee” (terror) or not??!
Note:
We ordered
one stewed pigeon to taste the other cooking style of the pigeons. Hmmm, it was
yummy too lei! I liked!! We arrived just before lunch time. By the time we
finished, it was lunch time and the place was packed! Rest assured that every
table here had a plate of pigeon on it!
After lunch, we walked around the place and found this interesting
display! Even a playground. And this funny mirror! Can see me??? Sound
travels faster??
Oh, yes!
I heard sound of mahjong tiles before I sa w them!
Isskhhh…
hands itchy lei! How ah?
We were
being told that HK government does not allow slaughtering of birds in HK since
SARS. Hence, the pigeons we ate were frozen ones from China Mainland.
Personally,
I had enjoyed feasting on the pigeons. The meat was not tough and was
cooked just right. Not oily and well marinated. ;D
This was the
second pigeon meal we had; the first was in Stanley
(when we were there for a day’s visit)! The pigeons served there
were bigger in size and the meat was not as tender as this place although they
were tasty too!
Still more
food post coming soon!
Continue to
watch out!
;D
Visit: Hong Kong’s Bo
Lo Bun
One morning we had dim sum breakfast, one morning we had bo lo bun and milk tea breakfast! Great thinking, eh?
In HK, we must do what the Hongkies
do one mah …
Let me now share our bo lo bun
adventures with you. Yah lor, food hunting must have adventures one!
;D
This
morning, we refused to have buffet breakfast in the hotel again!
Observation:
1) I saw
many senior citizens everywhere in HK; having their walks or dim sum or taking
strolls or sitting in parks. Whether they are healthy and walking around
or walking with a stick or even being wheeled around, they get into action in
the crowd, among people. It is a wonderful observation coz it shows that
there are more caring young people and there are lesser depressed old people.
2) All civil
workers, including many senior citizens, work in the wee hours of the morning
or late nights. No obstruction to traffic and the city was cleaned by the
time we started our new day in the city.
A local
bread shop whose owner was too busy to serve us!
So… we walked a little further to find a “cha chaan teng” for bo lo bun and milk tea! Bo lo bun with a piece of butter in
it! Wow! Nice!
Their bo lo
bun texture was so much finer than our local bo lo bun!
The
fragrance of butter from the bun and the melting butter added richness in the
bun!
I must say I
can find some of our local shops able to make HK milk tea just like HK’s! So,
no surprises lor..
We tried
their “g par” (pork chop) bun too! This, I must give praise!
The pork
chop was perfectly prepared in taste as well as done just right! Simply
delicious!
After having
our first bite into bo lo buns, dear cousin and I were thrilled to find another
shop in Mong
Kok Road;
so much so
we told our HK friend to go shopping with our Power lady so that we could have
tea time although we knew very well we were going for a dinner appointment in
two hours’ time!
Yes, we saw big crowd in front of Hong Lin Restaurant! People were queuing to buy
whatever displayed here! We were so excited with our discovery that we walked into the shop
immediately! Wah! Crowded wor…
The waiter
ushered us to sit in front of a couple who did not even looked at us when we
sat down.
They just
continued talking about their children’s education, blah blah blah!
We ordered one bo lo bun to share! Freshly
baked! Soft and warm, even without butter, it was heavens!
French
toast, HK style! Yum yum!
Egg tart!
Hot from the oven!
Really, look
the steam made the lens blur blur lei!
Yup!
One more round of their milk tea!
Who cares
about not able to sleep after drinking tea in the evening? Not when in HK lah!
I could not
help noticing this guy! He kept on walking out a tray of freshly baked pastries
every few minutes! Can’t blame him coz the crowd outside was really huge! So
was the crowd inside!
Personal
Note:
I must be
honest to say that Hongkies do not have sweet tooth! Their pastries,
tarts and milk tea are not sweet. Just right for me coz I do not have
sweet tooth too! ;D
Whenever you visit Hong Kong, you must
feast on their dim sum! Don’t you ever
think that they are the same as the ones found in Malaysia! Don’t be
fooled by the same term or name used for the varieties! Same name are
differently prepared one! ;D
Now, let me share our dim sum adventure with you!
Sit tight and read on, yes! ;D
Our stay
at Shamrock Hotel came with buffet breakfast but 3 out of 5 of us chose not to
take their breakfast and ventured on our own for food!
We noticed a
few restaurants, near where we stayed, serve Dim sum!
So, off we
went for our first adventure to… Pleasant
Palace, just upstairs of McDonalds at Parkes Street. From outside, this
restaurant looked posh lei. Hopefully it’s not cut throat expensive hor?
Got crowd also… mostly young people… Oh, in HK also we have to fill up
forms like what we have to do in some restaurants in KL.
Just when
dear cousin was busy ticking the dim sum list coz she’s the only one who knows
how to read Chinese, dear Power lady was being mistreated by the waitress
attending to us!
First the
lady came and complained why dear Power lady sat on the chair near the walkway.
Next, she
throw the chopsticks and plate on the table including dear Power lady’s
at the place she wanted her to sit!
Dear Power
lady looked at me and I looked at her, then she said,
“Do we want
to eat here with this type of service?”
I
said, “No!” and
we told dear cousin we were leaving!
Poor cousin,
blur blur looked at us and got up anyway to walk away with us! Haha!
We got out of the building, crossed the road … … walked to
the next building near the traffic light and press 3… (haizzz…. why all their
restaurants on 3F, which means the 4th storey one??) Hoi Yeung Restaurant given a number to wait for our table!
A couple who
reached after us got a table so dear cousin asked the waitress in charge why was
that so.
She said
there were only 2 of them and they could share table with existing customers
but there were three of us so no place yet.
However,
noticing that we were really annoyed, she walked in and came out a few minutes
later and said she found a table for us to share! We must really looked angry
lor!
Dear cousin automatically started her duty to tick the papers, as if
sitting for an exams! ;D While we were busy deciding, the waitress taking
our orders assisted us with some promotion deals!
Aiyah, why
didn’t you bring this out earlier lah?
We made it
in time coz we had 10mins before the promotion hours were over!
These two varieties of porridge were the special, the fried sesame balls
was not! You must taste HK “malai ko”! Though it may look similar to
Malaysia’s, the taste was so much different!
The aroma
and soft texture made it so, so yummy!
This was the
prawn vegy dim sum which was not found in our local dim sum shops! Totally
refreshing!
Another, not
found in KL choice, the red dates pudding!
The texture
a little sticky like our “nien ku” but it was actually pudding with dates
flavour!
I insisted
we order the steamed raddish coz the last time I had it in HK, I loved it!
Yup!
This was it! And I still love it!
Only HK dim
sum of raddish has mouthful of raddish in it!
Ya lor, one
heavy breakfast we had that morning!
Though it
started with a wrong footing, we had it right coz we had entered a restaurant
filled with old people for their morning tea breakfast here!
It was nice
to sit with the locals for good food!
We told our HK friend that we loved to have dim sum before we leave HK
and she took us to this one! This place was packed with old and young!
We waited
for awhile before we got our table for 7 !
The jug of
Chinese tea was already on the table when we reached it.
Ah, don’t
worry, our HK friend ordered everything for us!
Malai ko again, with har kaw (prawn) and choi kaw (veggie) and chee
cheung fun! All yummy yummy coz the skin were smoother and finer than
what we have at home! Everything ordered in 2 !
7 of us,
remember?! No half half! Haha!
Extras of stuffed fish paste, steamed beef ball, steamed fish ball and
chicken feet! Then the loh mai kai came! Huh? Looked like lotus rice to
me! Haha!
See, you
call the same name, in HK, it’s different one! This one very tasty lor…
Love the
sticky rice, well cooked and tasted just right!
“Chang pau”! Gotta shared liao… Really ate too
much already!
Fried
raddish, the popular siew mai, fried sesame balls and best of the whole lot;
the “kwai far kee chi” (flower wolf berry) jelly!
Dear cousin
actually learnt to make the flower jelly, recipe taught by her dear HK buddy!
Really
tasted the same eaten in HK! Hebat, dear cousin! ;D
I must tell
you about that gentlemen in grey shirt there!
Remember
there were 7 of us? We were sitting at a table for 8, so, he just joined our
table! Without asking, mind you! And
according to our HK friend, that’s a common practice in HK!
You should
look at the Power lady’s face when he sat right in front of her!
As we were
leaving, we walked out into a big crowd waiting for a place for their
breakfast!
We were
being told that Tim Ho Wan’s owner is a famous dim sum chef who had ventured
into business after he left a famous restaurant. He had chosen cheaper
locations for his restaurants because he believes with cheaper rental, he could
offer cheaper dim sum for all walks of life.
He would,
however, not compromise with the quality! So, whether you are eating here
or at the higher end location, you will still eat dim sum prepared with the
same ingredients!
Watch out
for the next HK food post ah….
got some
more good food in HK one!
“Must eat the noodles! Springy! Best!
Totally different from our Malaysia’s one!”
“Must eat their prawn
wonton too! As big as a ping pong ball! Yummy!”
“Must eat their kailan!
Young shoots! Sweet and tasty! No fibre! Not at all
like Malaysian restaurants’ claimed HK kailan! Once you eat the real ones
in HK, you will never, never want to order HK kailan in Malaysia! Ever!”
We found Mak Man Kee Noodles Shop, at Parkes Street (Jordan), within
walking distance from Shamrock Hotel, where we had stayed. Hmmm… no
English words one ah???
Small
entrance into a small shop with limited sitting space! Cramped!
We were
sitting shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee at one table and back to back
with people of the next table! Yup! Menu in Chinese words wor…
Don’t care lar, just order wonton noodles! Quick! Hungry dah!
Wah!
Really ping pong size one! And extremely tasty!
Hungry until
hands shaking liao… Picture also blur blur!
But I tell
you, the noodles really springy! Tionk, tionk in my mouth!
No Smoking. Pets No Entry See, I know
how to read lei!
Glad to find
those signage on the shop’s window!
Can eat
smoke free and hair (from dogs or cats) free in the shop!
After
visiting Mak Man Kee Noodles Shop, we saw Mak’s Noodles just a few doors away!
We were told
(later) that Mak’s Noodles also very famous for its wonton noodles!
Sigh, we did
not have a chance to try it because we had so much to eat and did not want too
many wonton noodles meal!! Haha! Action-nya!
Having said that, it did not stop our HK friend from taking us to
another famous wonton noodles shop; Chi Kee ! This place
completely filled! Wah, good business!
Yeay, menu
got English description!
But not the
special or promotion set! Haizzzz…
Our dear HK
friend ordered a few of the restaurant’s specialties!
Err, that
plate of chilly sauce free lah!
This was
highly recommended but we, the Malaysians, found it weird to have barley and
ginger in one drink!
“Barley is
cooling and ginger is heaty, right?
How is it
that they are boiled together lah?
Neutral
effect ke?”
Dear friend
shook her head and said,
“Don’t know
but everyone loves it!
Very popular
and sold out early one!”
The wonton
we had been waiting for!
Err, not as
big as Mak Man Kee’s though, and (to me) not as tasty!
Their
noodles were served with strips of bacon.
I am not a
big fan of bacon so I didn’t quite like the taste but the noodles were springy!
Plenty to
eat, and this was supper!
After this
we went for dessert some more!
Yes! 6
ladies ate like 10 men!
Okay,
don’t tell me I never advised you ah!
You MUST have wonton
noodles when you are in HK!
You MUST have their
kailan!
You MUST listen to me!
Assesment #3
6 May 2014
Mini Research Proposal
A Comparison Study: The Effectiveness of Books vs.
Software in Understanding Literature
1.1 Introduction
There are two types of
learning; teacher-centred learning and student-centred learning. Malaysian educational system adapts
teacher-centred learning where the learning process focuses on rote learning
(Muhammad Yusof and Tan, 2013) Rote learning is defined as repetition,
memorizing and practising, (Li, 2005). Large number of students in Malaysia is
exercising rote learning in the classes of teacher-centred learning (Lim 2007).
Students are learning through the process of accepting information passively
from the teacher, copying notes given on boards and drill and practice Through
these kinds of learning styles, students become very passive and highly
dependent on teachers. These will result in difficulty of adapting into
tertiary level of study because they are used to spoon-fed and exam oriented
style of learning system (Hussain & Berhannudin, 2009)
According to Burchfield and
Sappington (2000), students see textbook as a medium in helping them to study
for an exam however they have not been reading books to the extent that they
should outside of classroom context. In a research conducted by Derryberry and
Wininger (2008), they found that students which choose more difficult text are
the intrinsically motivated and the externally motivated on the other hand
would choose the more basic text. This shows that students have their own
tendency in choosing the types of books to refer for the learning process. The
results obtained from the study done by Fitzpatrick and McConnell (2010) found
that faculty members put a high importance in choosing their text for each
courses for learning process preparation. The text is the mean to be used to
discover the relevant content associated with class lectures and discussions.
Furthermore, they can find clarification for points accepted from lecturers
which are not clear.
With the advancement of
technology nowadays, positive impacts are gained by the teaching and learning process. In a study
conducted by Dr Tapan Kumar Sahu and Mrs. Shikha Rani Pradan (2012), they found
out through their research that in 88% of the school experimented, 80% of the
teachers found that ICT brings positive impacts on teaching and learning
process. Other findings show how the use of ICT helps in enhancing students’
understanding and achievements. Interactivity, learning effectiveness and
learning gains reallocate the traditional sense of teaching which is tutorials
in classrooms to state-or-the art technology driven or Web-based approaches
(Irem Aysegul Insel, 2010). The existence of computer technologies and the
applications in educational disciplines has resulted in the use
computer-mediated communication (CMC) for acquiring and learning foreign
language. (Cordier, 2009)
This
study is going to be conducted to identify which medium between traditional
exercise books and using software for exercises in understanding literature.
1.2 Purpose
of Study
This research aims to identify which medium is more
effective in understanding SPM English literature through the process of doing
exercises.
1.3
Significance of Study
1.
The
study is done to choose a focused learning medium in understanding literature
among form 4 students for teachers’ references in the teaching process.
2.
This
research will help students in finding the effective alternatives for them to
grasp understanding of literature and thus will trigger their initiative in
doing extra exercises.
3.
From
the findings obtained, this research may give alternatives to parents in
providing extra educational input to their children.
4.
The
results of the study expose both students and teachers on the effectiveness of
learning through software as time constraint is a problem in school context.
1.4 Statement
of problem
The advancement of technology nowadays result in
students’ tendency in choosing modern and sophisticated tools in the learning
process as compared to the traditional medium such as reference books, exercise
books as well as text books. Therefore the research is done to recognize the
effectiveness of learning through software in understanding literature.
1.5
Research Questions
1.
Which
of the mediums is more effective in understanding literature?
2.
What
are the criteria which enhance the effectiveness of the medium chosen?
1.6
Research Objectives
1.
To
identify which medium is more effective in understanding literature.
2.
To
determine the criteria which enhance the effectiveness of the medium proven in
first research objectives.
1.7 Literature Review
1.7.1
Title:
Comparing Student Perceptions of Textbooks: Does Liking Influence Learning?
Authors:
Regan Gurung and R. Eric Randrum
Journal:
International Journal of Teaching and
Learning in Higher Education, 2012, Volume 24, Number 2
Introduction: This research
discussed the comparison between textbooks chose by the
instructors
or the teachers in teaching the students in order to test the effectiveness of
the medium used. Faculty perceptions of textbook quality, and published ratings
frequently determine textbook choice. This research was done by having students
rated the introductory psychology textbooks on eight categories ranging from
visual aids to writing quality. Results show that students clearly
differentiate between textbooks, but textbook ratings did not relate to quiz
scores on text material.
Purpose of study:
To determine textbook choice based on the faculty perceptions of textbook quality,
anecdotal posts, and published ratings.
Significance of study:
Students commonly use the textbook as an aid in studying for exams, but many
students do not read the textbook to the extent that they should.
Statement of problem:
This lack of reading is a clear concern, and instructors must address it in
order for students to maximize potential textbook benefits.
Research questions:
1) How much is the textbook helps in
keeping students feel relaxed and comfortable while reading it?
2)
How easily a student can concentrate reading a book based on the colours,
layout, font, writing quality and general look of the book?
3)
How much is it that students consider a reasonable price for a new copy of
book?
Methodology:
Forty-five students from upper-level classes at a mid-sized Midwestern
university
participated in this study. There are over 40 introductory psychology books and
most have approximately 14-16 chapter covering topics such as biological bases
of behavior, intelligence, motivation, development, personality, abnormal
behavior, and social psychology. Students completed a 28-item questionnaire
using a 9-point scale (1 = Not at all, 9 = Extremely). The
majority of the items (22) were taken from the Textbook Assessment and Usage
Scale (TAUS; Gurung & Martin, 2011) that measures student opinions
about textbook figures (four items), tables (four items), photographs (two
items), research examples (three items), everyday examples (three items),
pedagogical aids (two items), visual appeal (two items), and writing quality
(two items).
Findings:
Although instructors work hard and obsess over which book to adopt, results
suggest that when using highly adopted books, students do show preferences for aspects
of one over the other. Understanding student textbook preferences could be an important concept to master for those
faculty members who value what textbooks can provide, as well as for those
instructors who believe this important pedagogical device impacts student
learning.
1.7.2 Title:
Visual Literacy in Teaching and
Learning: A Literature Perspective
Author:
Suzanne Stokes
Journal:
Electronic
Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, (2010) vol. 1, no.1
Introduction:
The presence of visual elements in today’s teaching and learning is increasing
as the integration of images and visual presentations with text in textbooks,
instructional manuals, classroom presentations, and computer interfaces
broadens Research reported in
educational literature suggests that using visuals in teaching results in a greater degree of
learning. This paper provides an introduction to visual literacy and includes a
review of studies that examine the effects of instruction that includes varying
degrees of visual components.
Purpose
of study: The
purpose of this research is to encourage interest in using visual enhancements
in teaching and to promote the development of learners’ visual skills in
combination with their development of verbal, reading, and mathematical skills.
Significance
of study: Visualization helps make sense of data that may
have seemed
previously
unintelligible.
Statement
of problem: Most people have a tendency to think in
words rather than in pictures, yet the use of visualization in thinking appears
to be increasing.
Research questions:
1) How effective visual elements are in
teaching and learning process?
2)
How can the impact of visual literacy in the classroom be measured?
Methodology:
A set of students were picked randomly to answer a test in order to divide them
into two groups. Fifty students of Troy State University participated in this
study. There are over 10 different visual elements covering several topics on
language. Students completed a set of 30-question questionnaire.
Findings:
The literature suggests that using visual elements in teaching and learning
yields positive results. In order for visual enhancements to be used most
effectively, teachers should possess skills that include the language of
imagery as well as techniques of teaching visually; therefore, guidance in the
area of visual literacy for instructors is warranted. Results of the impact of
visual literacy in the classroom can be explored further through teachers
examining their current use of visual elements and comparing visual content of
lessons with student achievement.
1.7.3 Title:
What does the Literature Say about the Effectiveness of Learner Control in Computer
Assisted Instruction?
Author:
Ellen Lunts
Journal:
Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education (2003)
Introduction:
Technological advances and the relatively low cost of computers and software make
computers a reality for many American classrooms (U.S. Department of Education,
2000). Each year, a substantial portion of educational institutions' budgets
are allocated to supporting the integration of computers into instruction under
the assumption that computers benefit teaching and learning, and can improve student
academic performance. Educational research and practice, however, demonstrate
that different ways of integrating computer technology and the context in which
computers are used have varied effects on student learning. This article
explores computer-assisted instruction (CAI), a learning environment that
supports a one-on-one interaction between a learner (or several learners) and a
computer program. It also demonstrates how the two polar characteristics of
CAI, which indicate whether the learner or the program has primary control over
the content and direction of instruction--learner control (LC) and program
control (PC)--affect instructional delivery and outcomes. While trying to
explain the inconsistency of research findings.
Purpose
of study: To demonstrate that different ways of integrating
computer technology and the context in which computers are used have varied
effects on student learning.
Significance
of study: The article argues that LC theory needs a stronger
theoretical framework in order for Learner Control studies to yield more
definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of Learner Control and Computer Assisted
Instruction in general.
Statement
of problem: Indicate whether the learner or the program has
primary control over the content and direction of instruction--learner control
(LC) and program control (PC)--affect instructional delivery and outcomes.
Research question:
1) What are the evidence that CAI has a
positive impact on students' academic performance?
Methodology:
An excessive targeting of younger and inexperienced learners. Study design(e.g.,
the length of intervention, control of independent variables), personal
characteristics of students (e.g., age, ability, computer expertise), the
subject area and other specifics of CAI, and the most important, researchers' theoretical
standpoints with respect to how they define LC and its components, are all
factors that have to be considered when analyzing studies on LC and its
effectiveness on student learning.
Finding:
There is some evidence that CAI has a positive impact on students' academic
performance. Educators
should recognize that students need to be taught to take advantage of LC that is implemented
systematically in conditions that are natural
and
friendly for learners, in order for LC to promote better instructional
outcomes.
2.0 Methodology
2.1 ReSample
30 participants of Form
4 students will be selected from a school in rural area in Gombak district. The
participants will then further divided into two focus groups consist of 15
participants for each group. One group will be using books as the medium of
learning aid and another group will be using the software as the medium of
learning aid. The selected participants will be selected based on their
achievement throughout the year and the level selected will be the C graded
students (marks range: 50-59)
2.1.1
Framework
The framework of the
research is literature understanding. This particular framework is selected
since it is more focused and able to be measured systematically.
2.1.2
Duration
The research will be
conducted during the end of year school holiday since we would like to avoid
any influence or interference from class sessions. The duration for the
research is 8 weeks. The session is conducted twice a week, an hour per session.
2.1.3
Data
Collection
A graph will be plotted
according to the marks that the researchers collected after each session to see
the progress of students’ achievement.
2.1.4
Tools
The tools that are
chosen for this research are books and software:
i.
Books:
Novel: Step by Wicked Step by Ann
Fine (for Selangor district)
A Compilation of Short Stories, Poems, and Drama for
Form 4
and Form 5
A hardcopy of sets of questions will be compiled as the
questions will be taken from the software to ensure that the students from both
groups are answering the same sets of questions.
ii.
Software:
The software is taken from Astro Tutor tv. It is a platform
where the students are able to do activities. It started first with a video of
explanation on the topic. After the explanation, students will be given a set
of questions for them to answer. After answering the questions, the right
answers will be given together with explanations why such questions is supposed
to be answered in such a way.
2.2 Procedure
2.2.1
Method
1. 30 students of the same achievement in English
test (grade C) will be gathered. The researchers will then assemble the mean of
the participants’ achievements (throughout their form 4 year).
2. Participants will then divided into two groups
of 15 pupil. One group will be aided by books while another group with
designated software. Two classes will be conducted every week with the duration
of an hour per session for 8 weeks. There will be 16 sessions in total with the
total of 16 tests.
3. For
the group of students with aid of books, after each test, their answers will be
swapped among the students themselves to be marked and returned to the owner
right after for the students to self-evaluate their result. While fro the group
aided by software, they will get their answer and marks instantaneously.
4. The
researchers will plot graphs from the results obtained.
5. At
the end of the research, researchers will compare the two graphs between the
two groups to make comparison on students’ achievement from two different
methods.
3.0 Expected Findings
What
can be concluded from the graphs is, the usage of software in understanding
literature is more effective compared to books. This is due to the fact that
the nature of the software itself since it provides ample explanations together
with interesting features aswell as videos that aids the understanding of the
students. Towards the end, we will find out based on the graph that the
gradient of improvement is higher in software usage as compared to books.
Bibliography
1
EFL Journal, 7(4), 109-110. Retrieved
December 31, 2009, from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/Li_11-05_thesis.pdf
4
Hargreaves, A., Teaching in the Knowledge Society: Education in the Age of
Insecurity, Teachers College Press, 2003
5
Hussain Othman, & Berhannudin M.
Salleh. (2009). First Year Students First Year PBL Experience in a
Large Class. Paper presented at the International PBL Symposium 2009,
Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, 10-12 June 2009.
6
Li, X. (2005). An analysis of Chinese
EFL learners’ beliefs about the role of rote learning in vocabulary learning
strategies. Asian
7
Lim, T. C. (2007). Hubungan Antara
Pendekatan Pengajaran Guru Dengan Pendekatan Pembelajaran Pelajar Mata
Pelajaran Kimia Tingkatan Empat (The Relationship Between Teachers'
Instructional Approach and Students' Learning Approach of Form Four Chemistry
Subject). (Master Degree), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru,
Malaysia.
8
Lunts, E. (2003). What does the
Literature Say about the Effectiveness of Learner Control in Computer-Assisted
Instruction? Electronic Journal for the
Integration of Technology in Education, 4, 13.
9
Noddings, N, Care and Coercion in School Reform, Journal of educational change 2
(1), 2001, 35-43
10 Sahu,
T.K & Pradhan R. (2012), A Study of the Use of ICT in the
Teaching-Learning Process in Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools of Sangrur
District (Pb.)
Appendices
a. Example of SPM Examination English Paper 2
b. Software - http://www.astro.com.my/tutortv/
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