Reflection on E-Learning

WOW, a long, tiring(well, not very) and fun week with blog posts! With 6 done and this 7th coming up. So here we go, action:

i) Overall did you put in more hours per day with E-Learning or a regular school day with homework?

Obviously I put in much longer hours with E-Learning. Its compulsory, isn' it? With the whole day, teachers will give more stuffs also. I'm not complaining, it has to be like that.

ii) Were you able to complete the Language Arts assignments in about an hour each or did they take longer?

Actually, to say the truth, I took longer than an hour for each post, but I can only blame myself for my poor time management. If I spent the hour wisely, 100% focus on LA assignments, I can make in time. I think an hour should be enough.

iii) Which assignment(s) did you like the best and which one(s) did you like the least? Explain why.

For me, I'm neutral with all the assignments. It's not that I'm lazy to explain, but all the seven assignments are related to what we are going to focus on in the new term, so, it's a whole new experience and new beginning to learn and write poems. I'm more like discovering new stuffs for each assignment rather than choosing my favourites, yet.

iv) My suggestions to make E-Learning better are...

Hwa Chong's E-Learning gave me a whole new experience, I've never expected an E-Learning to be so efficient, so quick, so demanding on the need of MSN, (for discussion). I can't think of improvements, maybe after a few years.

v) A general reflection on how you feel the week went. Please share your honest opinion as ALL feedback is critical at this time.

Hwa Chong's E-Learning gave me a whole new experience, I've never expected an E-Learning to be so efficient, so quick, so demanding on the need of MSN, (for discussion). Though I can't spare any time for other things till as late as night sometimes, but it's really good!
Writing homeworks on Microsoft Word, on blog, on wetpaint, on comment box; discussing through MSN; efficient and brilliant programming of SMB, ivle, etc. Hwa Chong makes use of advance technology in a helpful and efficient way. I enjoyed the week, I'll manage my time well in future E-Learings.

Home Learning Lesson 6

2. The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.

I personally support the opeening of the casino. Well firstly, gambling is not a harm to everyone, not everyone will be like the characters in the short stories or poems I have read. It isn't really fair for those people who just treat gambling as a relaxing game or use it to bond with people or guests.

Moreover, an advanced developing country like Singapore, it's alright, if not important to build a fun, mature place like casino. It's important, one big reason is tourist attraction. Singapore had always been one of the favourite choices of tourists, with casino built, it will continue or even improve this situation by a great deal.

View the casino as a good place to strenghen family relationships. View the casinoas a good place for bonding with business partners. If one looks at it in a different angle, things don't turn out to be always bad.

Home Learning Lesson 5

1. Show how the poem Tom Beatty could be compared to The Rocking Horse Winner. In studying the poem, note that the opera house is really life and when He makes the rules it’s either the Lord or perhaps the devil. Beatty suggests that everyone has about 70 years, but Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner had much less time. Explain what Paul’s weakness was, how the cards were stacked against him and do you think Paul was lucky not to live to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses?

They are the same in a way that both are about gambling games and god or devil or what so ever was always against the protagonist. As for Paul, he might have the luck at first, winning loads but what's the consequence? Mentally ill and died! What's the point of those money when one cannot enjoy spending?
Paul's weakness was his young age, causing him to believe and got attracted to something too easily, he lacked mature thinking.
If Paul were to live on, but lives to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses. He is then lucky to die now. As he would just be a walking-dead, no purpose of living, no determination, just looking at money, touching them would satisfy him and a lost would cause him to grief over for days.


2. In The Green Clothes, green is the color of envy, greed and money! This poem is thematically similar to Paper. Even though the poem takes place at a roulette wheel the gamblers from the short story and the poem have similar experiences. Explain how tips, dry lips, and all that was spent in vain could apply to the short story Paper.

In the short story Paper, the couples dreamed about the imaginary house, they bought stocks, exhilarated over the big gains, greed was mirrored in them. In the end, Tay Soon died, with papers, with papers purchased by his life savings, all his salaries. All the hard work, all the dreams, all the excitement were all spent in vain. Just like in The Green Clothes, revenge, winning, nervousness, lost were all in vain! When greed comes nothing works, so don't even try it in the first place.

Home Learning Lesson 4

1. In relation to Paper, you should explain exactly what the title refers to and why it is so significant to gambling, gains on the stock market and ultimately the conclusion of the story.

It all started with paper, though money is much more worthy than papers, it's still related to papers. Got attracted to papers, working hard, saving hard, all to gain enough money for that dream house, paper gains as mentioned.

Then started buying stocks, a dangerous, risky gamble. No gambling game makes one as rich as buying stock but no gambling game makes one as poor as buying stock, all to the extremes.

Then the ending, I think this is where the most important meaning of paper is shown in this passage. Tay Soon died, not with big houses, not with loads of money..... but papers, real papers, papers accompanied him! So what's the point of working hard, saving, buying stocks, won at first but lost a great deal in the end, got seriously ill, upsetting the whole family? All for papers? Its just like how Tay Soon's mother spent so much but just to buy papers. Shortchanging herself.

2. For Lottery, do an analysis of 100 words in which you look at Ah Boh’s superstitions regarding gambling.

Ah Boh, no doubt, was hooked onto gambling, the method for a modern living to her was gambling, hoping to be weathy overnight. Thus when she thought too much about it, she turned to believing anything that would help her, superstitions, Ah Boh thought that that was at least what she could do. She got seriously ill mentally, she would just jot down any number that attracted her eyes, even in accidents, she never cared or felt uneasy about dying people, those numbers she needed for 4-D or any sorts of gambling blinded her. Moreover, she bought joss sticks, prayed to gods, all sorts of supersttions. Superstitions only got Ah Boh worse, caused her not even to care about her old mother, when she in an accident, Ah Boh only thought and wished her old mother will not be angry with her.

3. For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.

I think there were different people contributing to Paul's death. Firstly, Paul's mother, she was the first person who caused Paul's addict, indirectly though, her mindset was wrong in the first place. She wanted to be born lucky and be lucky for the rest of her life, never wanting to work to hard but get more advantages. She blamed for marrying an unlucky husband, causing her not to love her children. Paul wanted to show her that he could and he was lucky, for he already knew the little amount of love her mother had for him.

Another person was Pual's uncle, Oscar Cresswell, it was ok at first to bring Paul to watch the race, but I don't understand why he would agree to let Paul, his own nephew, to earn money through this way, at such a young age! How much can Paul understand, if he were not dead, he would find his secrets, partners what so ever is childish. And Oscar should know it, yet agreed to join and even supported Paul, beliving him. If Oscar were to stop Paul from saving money, talking and caring so much about horse races, riding his wooden horse madly or whatever else the habits of Paul, nothing would have happened.

Home Learning Lesson 3

The Son is in Secondary School

Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something
At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts
The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable
On Chinese New Year Mrs Lee dressed up In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo
The capital of Singapore is Singapore
My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s For his Chinese Language Multiple-choice paper
In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment When my eyes were actually closed

This poem reflects the memories of the poet's school days, he wrote it in a sad, nostolgic way, yet stating some exact examples and incidents, as he thinks back again, he simply cannot forget those days. He thinks he has not had enought of those days, those relaxing, free and fun days, he wants them back and never go again.

Colourful Beauties

Lively Springs
Blistering Summers
Breezy Autumns
Freezing Winters

School days in China is simply colourful
Just as eventful, too

Caring but fierce teachers
Warm but stinging words
No one messed with them!

Homewok? In tons somemore?
You better finish them
Or you are finished...

Throwing chalks and spitting water
Catching spiders and hide them somewhere
Then you will see:
Girls screaming
Gays running
And we, laughing

Winter PEs were fun
Snowball fights
Judo in the snow
"Professional" sliding
All in whiteness

Then got hit right on the face
OUCH!!!
That really hurts
Then the girls' snowman got destroyed
One boy always got ganged.
Poor thing

Remember those girls?
Pulling skirts and tugging shirts
Then the boys joined in
No, I'm just kidding
But can't turn our heads away
Oh, we boys...

In some snowy cold days
Peeped at certain girls and they smiled back
Suddenly feel like in summer!
Oh Man! CRAZY!

Then I'm in Singapore
High school huh?
Will there be more 4-season years?
I'm wondering...Yearning...


Well, my first poem, welcome all comments.