tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51100942769082113962024-03-14T02:54:25.914+08:00ENGLISH TEACHERS' NETWORKAn English Language teaching and learning blog that contributes and discusses ELT and educational issues. Blogged by a progressive English Teacher (ET) from the UNESCO Historic City of Melaka in Malaysia--its aim is to inform and inspire other ETs to be great ETs!RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-27289121085730851072014-04-08T22:50:00.001+08:002014-04-08T22:50:20.137+08:00Poem: Nite of the iguana by Cecil Rajendra<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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This fun and humourous poem must be read aloud to appreciate it's wonderful effect. Great for a class breather or to liven up a slow afternoon. Would work as an induction set for discussions on drugs or aphrodisiac. Note that this poem is written in the Malaysian local patois. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
Nite of de Iguana<br />
<br />
Kuala Lumpur: The "heroin-filled condoms" doctors removed from the
stomach of a man who claimed to have swallowed iguana eggs have been certified
as iguana eggs. City anti-narcotics chief said the chemist's report confirmed
the three objects removed from S. Adinarayanan's stomach were iguana eggs.<br /><br />
Doctors who had operated on him after he had complained of stomach pains found
three oval-shaped objects which they thought were condoms stuffed with heroin
and called the police.<br />
-- 'The Star'<br />
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So one nite<br />
my wife she tole me,<br />
"Ayah, really lah<br />
nowadays you tak guna."<br />
I say, "Wat you mean,<br />
wat you mean, wassamatter?"<br />
She say, "You know lah<br />
dat ting, dat ting ...<br />
no mo fun, too fas lah."<br />
So nex day after work<br />
I go to see dis bomoh<br />
explain my deligate probrem.<br />
He tell me, "Dat kondishun<br />
quite common, no probrem ...<br />
urut also can, but urut<br />
ohnee temporaree solushun.<br />
I have sumtin better<br />
much much better, but will<br />
cos you plenny, plenny dollar."<br />
I say, "Come on, pachee<br />
doan play de fool wit me.<br />
Tell me how much lah?<br />
I no cheepskate wan.<br />
Money no probrem when it<br />
coming to looking after<br />
der wife an der thungachee."<br />
Dis bomoh den tell me<br />
“Bess cure in town is egg<br />
of iguana se-biji, se-biji<br />
swallowed whole wit honey."<br />
"I gip him pipty dolla<br />
and makan tiga telor iguana.<br />
I go home ready for ackshun<br />
but all I get is plenny<br />
stummach-ake and constipayshun<br />
Adoi, pain terror, brudder;<br />
so much so nex day I<br />
mus go to Hospital Besar.<br />
After X-ray, doktor he say<br />
he must rightaway operayshun.<br />
So dey put me to sleep<br />
my han hancuff to de bed<br />
and everywhere de mata-mata.<br />
“What's going on, man?”<br />
I ask de fierce sarjan.<br />
Deffler say, "Adinarayan,<br />
You a bad, bad man<br />
To try an smuggle de<br />
dadah in your stummach<br />
bungkus in der condom."<br />
I say, "You crazy or vat?<br />
Dat no dadah, man<br />
dat is egg of iguana!"<br />
An den you know vat<br />
he say, dees crazee sarjan?<br />
Deffler say "Vereee funnee,.<br />
Deh Adina, you tink<br />
you can teech your<br />
granmudder to suck eggs, ah?"<br />
So 5-day awreddy I in bed<br />
with hancuff an de sarjan<br />
wile dey send de iguana egg<br />
to testing in Camistry Deparmen.<br />
And den dey fine out<br />
(dees stoopid mara-mata)<br />
wat I dun tell dem all along<br />
dat in my poor stummach<br />
is no topi perancis dadah<br />
but reelly de egg of iguana.<br />
Eye-yo, kadavallay, so much trubble<br />
lah brudder, an all becoz i took<br />
three leetle egg of de iguana<br />
to help, you know lah, tahan lama.<br />
<br />
-Cecil Rajendra<br />
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RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-37704620999246369002012-06-18T00:49:00.000+08:002012-06-18T00:49:27.414+08:00Inspiring Video: What Makes A Great TeacherDear Teachers,<br />
<br />
I know the main reason you are dropping by this page is you want to know what ingredients make a great teacher.<br />
<br />
According to research by a mentor of Teach for America, its not: an outgoing personality, a Master's degree or even teaching experience.<br />
<br />
But there are 3 things that will make a person a great teacher.<br />
<br />
I won't spoil it for you but please watch this 3.22 minute video and you'll discover them.<br />
<br />
Enjoy & be inspired to be a great teacher as much as I have.<br />
<br />
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and MAKE LEARNING AN ABSOLUTE JOY!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy3_LY21ajVHISugmy1RSNYlDJ_G3jrheLZ_P0mupQkl1nioZEILqh5ynFVJq-yqiaHNoJ-wqBPS_g8G24Ggw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-49069633337913755572012-06-11T02:08:00.000+08:002012-06-11T02:08:04.876+08:00inspiring Video: Race of LifeDear ETs,<br />
<br />
Here's an inspiring video of a runner who fell during her indoor middle distance but managed to get up and against all odds, to pip the first leading runner to eventually win the event.<br />
<br />
This video would make a good discussion with our students about life -- when one falls to get up and continue running. A good question to ask is what if the runner did not get first place, what could she do? What would the students do?<br />
<br />
This video is suitable as a warmer or just a clip to inspire students to go on inspite failing the first time.<br />
<br />
Enjoy! <br />
<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
---------------------------------------------<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzomU9oz8q3lqtdK3KfpK3FVrw_CVSOcVErdGW3md08AYBntvERqmyPO3pbaxn0I03CQpkYBfHj-Kn0jp7HwA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-67993822412381429262012-06-09T22:04:00.000+08:002012-06-09T22:04:46.762+08:00Poem: Time Tested Beauty Tips by Sam LevensonDear All,<br />
<br />
This is a wonderful poem written by the late humourist Sam Levenson for his granddaughter.<br />
<br />
It is aptly written to encourage the inner beauty that can be developed by any women.<br />
<br />
Would be great to have this read aloud by a female student or teacher as a warmer or enrichment activity when dealing with the theme of virtues, woman's role, the ideal women and beauty.<br />
<br />
A discussion could also flow after reading the poem aloud. Topics such as physical beauty versus inner beauty, how to be a lady or character building.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
<br />
--------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 22pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time Tested Beauty Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following was written by the late educator-humorist Sam Levinson for
his grandchild and read by Audrey Hepburn on Christmas Eve, 1992. It was also
used by Ms. Hepburn on occasion when she was asked for beauty tips. [From
Audrey Hepburn by Barry Paris, 1996, Putnam] <br />
</span></i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.<br />
<br />
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.<br />
<br />
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.<br />
<br />
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.<br />
<br />
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.<br />
<br />
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed
and redeemed; never throw out anyone.<br />
<br />
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each
of your arms.<br />
<br />
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping
yourself, the other for helping others.<br />
<br />
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she
carries or the way she combs her hair.<br />
<br />
The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the
doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.<br />
<br />
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is
reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion
that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white;">
<i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Sam Levenson </span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;">Contrary to what some may think, Audrey Hepburn did not write this
beautiful poem, Sam Levenson did. Levenson wrote "Time Tested Beauty
Tips" for his grandchild, and it just so happened to be one of Audrey's
favorite poems. She read it to her children on the very last Christmas Eve she
spent with us here on Earth.</span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Learnfromlife"><span style="color: blue;">Lessons Learned In Life</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<img alt="File:Samlevenson.jpg" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Samlevenson.jpg" width="323" /><br />
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<br /></div>
<img height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H4KWsxYYapE/Tb-juKcR11I/AAAAAAAABRE/qjRktJu6v_0/s400/Audrey-Hepburn-was-fucking-gorgeous.jpg" width="400" />RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-53569675175094735392012-06-09T02:19:00.000+08:002012-06-09T02:19:15.773+08:00News: A Headmaster's View on the Slide of English Proficiency in East Malaysia<div class="pf-src" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #222222; height: auto; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: right; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 775px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a class="pf-src-url" href="http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/08/put-a-halt-to-slide-in-english-proficiency-headmaster/" style="color: #356da9; cursor: default; font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.62em; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/08/put-a-halt-to-slide-in-english-proficiency-headmaster/</a></div>
<h1 style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #222222; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 28px/normal arial, "Lucida Grande", Lucida, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 22px 0px 0px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
Put a halt to slide in English proficiency — Headmaster – BorneoPost Online</h1>
<div id="readability-content" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 775px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 1em 0px;">
<div class="newsInfo">
by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="orange">Lim How Pim, reporters@theborneopost.com</span>. Posted on<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="orange">June 8, 2012, Friday</span></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_212232" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(177, 167, 155); clear: both; color: #838383; float: right; font-size: 0.85em; margin: 1.2em 0px 1em 1em; padding: 8px 8px 16px; page-break-inside: avoid; vertical-align: top; width: 300px;">
<a href="http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/08/put-a-halt-to-slide-in-english-proficiency-headmaster/attachment/0000004945/" rel="attachment wp-att-212232" style="color: #356da9; word-wrap: break-word;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-212232" height="302" src="http://cdn.theborneopost.com/newsimages/2012/06/0000004945.jpg" style="border: currentColor; clear: right; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 8px; page-break-inside: avoid;" title="0000004945" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
Anthony Layan Kayah</div>
</div>
KUCHING: A teacher with many years of experience teaching English yesterday conceded that the standard of English now “is not as good as during our time.”<br />
Anthony Layan Kayah, 56, said something had to be done to enhance the standard of English among the young ones.<br />
Having been appointed as the headmaster of SK St Teresa since 2002, he said some children had the habit of mixing up English with Bahasa Malaysia while the others had grown used to the SMS style of communicating in the language.<br />
“We have to constantly correct them, telling them that it is not for exams. We have to teach them to differentiate between exams and SMS.<br />
“In exams, they have to write in full and proper English, but when they send SMSes, it is up to them. As far as exams are concerned, it must be grammatically correct,” he told reporters after receiving the Hyacinth Gaudart English Language Teacher Award during the 21st Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta) international conference here yesterday.<br />
Anthony, who has been teaching English for 30 years, noted that more and more Sarawakians used English in their daily life compared to a decade or so ago.<br />
He said when serving in Simunjan and Serian prior to 2002, he had noticed that some parents did not realise the importance of English. “Back then, we even had a programme ‘SIR’, which is ‘Say It Right’ to encourage children to speak proper and correct English.<br />
“You have to speak to them in English rather than using the translation method, which is no good,” said Anthony, from Kampung Paon Gahat, Serian.<br />
<div class="hilight" style="background-color: #f9ffb5; cursor: pointer; position: relative;">
One of the ways, he said, was for a teacher to demonstrate the act of drinking from a cup when teaching children to say ‘I want to drink’.</div>
Saying young learners might not speak English “as good as the Queen’s English”, he was glad to note that at the very least, they were picking up the language.<br />
Personally, Anthony said he preferred English as the teaching medium for Science and Maths. He reasoned that this would help keep Malaysian students on par with others.<br />
“I do not want to blame it on education policy, but we shall adapt to changes and needs.”<br />
On the standard of English of pupils at SK St Teresa, he said: “Based on the UPSR results in the last five years, many of our students got A for English, and the pass rate is 98 per cent and above.”<br />
The school has 18 classes with 749 pupils.</div>
</div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-14090138504322108602012-06-08T22:51:00.000+08:002012-06-09T00:39:30.263+08:00Inspiring Student: From Homeless Janitor to HarvardDear All,<br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">Here is another inspiring true story of a teen who succeeded in obtaining consistent straight As & is going to Harvard after college inspite of her hardship & being abandoned by her family. She had to work as a janitor at her high school and was almost taken away by the Department of Social Services had it not being for caring teachers and villagers. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">There's a video below and a long writeup on her. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">Share this with fellow teachers and especially students!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">This would be a good extensive reading for your students as well.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">As an extension activity, discuss what are the possible reasons Harvard had accepted her in advance.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="messageBody">What can students do to be accepted for a full scholarship admission into their dream university? This could also be a writing activity as well.</span><br />
<br />
Enjoy and be inspired!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
------------------------------------------------------<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx4lasnKIxWXVTOOtyLItvkaSm2q0gIC9jpkzh_RjqRmXu_E7fm2Jf6cHpm_k5lYNSqKEhzew66Hk-PMc_Ryw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.85pt; margin: 7.2pt 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">From
scrubbing floors to Ivy League Homeless student to go to dream college<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By </span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vivian
Kuo</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #666666; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, CNN<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June 8,
2012 -- Updated 1314 GMT (2114 HKT</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn
Loggins, 18, was abandoned last year and left homeless<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Staff
at Burns High School in North Carolina chipped in to help<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn
applied to 5 colleges and was accepted to each, including her dream school<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 2.4pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn
worked as school janitor between her studies to make ends meet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lawndale, North Carolina (CNN)</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> --
It's before sunrise, and the janitor at Burns High School has already been down
the length of a hallway, cleaning and sweeping classrooms before the day
begins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This particular janitor is
painstakingly methodical, even as she administers a mental quiz on an upcoming
test. Her name is Dawn Loggins, a straight-A senior at the very school she
cleans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On this day, she maneuvers a
long-handled push broom between rows of desks. She stops to pick up a hardened,
chewed piece of gum. "This annoys me, because there's a trash can right
here," she says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The worst, she says, is snuff
cans in urinals. "It's just rude and pointless."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With her long, straight dark
blonde hair and black-rimmed glasses, Dawn looks a bit like Avril Lavigne. But
her life is a far cry from that of a privileged pop star.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She was homeless at the start of
the school year, abandoned by her drug-abusing parents. The teachers and others
in town pitched in -- donating clothes and providing medical and dental care.
She got the janitorial job through a school workforce assistance program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She's grateful for the work. But
it's where she's going next, beyond the walls of Burns, that excites her most. </span><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></span></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="Dawn Loggins has worked as a janitor her senior year to make ends meet." id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 126.7pt; margin-left: 1.4pt; margin-top: 35.8pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 225.05pt; z-index: -3;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-144 0 -144 21225 21595 21225 21595 0 -144 0"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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<w:wrap type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She applied to four
colleges within North Carolina and one dream university. She'll graduate soon
before heading off, leaving her dust pan behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 3.85pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn Loggins has worked as a janitor her senior year to
make ends meet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For now, there's still work to be
done. She stops for a quick bite to eat in the custodial closet amid Pine-Sol and
Clorox. She then darts to classes -- three advanced placement courses and an
honors class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/07/overheard-on-cnn-com-teen-janitors-story-like-good-will-hunting-readers-say/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #004276; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Overheard on CNN.com: Teen janitor's story 'like Good Will Hunting,'
readers say</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Growing up without electricity</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn grew up in a ramshackle home
with no electricity and no running water. She often went days, even weeks
without showering. She and her brother Shane -- who was equally studious in his
schoolwork -- would walk 20 minutes to a public park to fetch water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We would get water jugs and
fill them up at the park, using the spigots in the bathroom. And we would use
that to flush the toilet or cook with. Stuff like that," she says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She confided in a staff member at
school. She had trouble doing homework at nighttime because her home had no
electricity and she couldn't afford candles. It was difficult to read in the
dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"OK, we'll get you some
candles. We'll take care of that," said Junie Barrett, Dawn's supervisor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another time, Barrett says, Dawn
and her brother asked if they could use the school's washing machine to clean
their clothes. "I said, 'Just leave them with me. We'll get them washed,
dried,' " Barrett recalls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We let them use our shower
facilities in the locker rooms because they had no running water. They had
nothing to bathe in."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burns High was their fourth high
school since middle school, as they moved from town to town. Living the life of
a rolling stone, the two had missed several months' worth of classwork when
they first arrived two years ago, putting them well behind other students'
progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shane was outgoing, but Dawn
always appeared more reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guidance counselor Robyn Putnam
saw the potential in Dawn and Shane early on and enrolled them in online
classes to get them caught up. The work paid off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Abandoned by parents</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last summer, Dawn was invited to
attend a prestigious six-week residential summer program, the Governor's School
of North Carolina, at Meredith College in Raleigh, 200 miles east of Lawndale,
to study natural science. It was a field Dawn had never studied before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The program is reserved for the
state's top students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Putnam ferried Dawn to Raleigh to
attend the elite program and took her shopping, making sure she had the clothes
she needed. Other faculty members contributed funds, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Putnam worried Dawn's home
situation could worsen while she was away. "We weren't even sure where her
parents were at that time. And there was an eviction notice on the house,"
she says. "We kept telling her to get everything she could; we knew this
was a possibility."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn saw her parents for 30
minutes during the middle of the summer program during a short break. They
talked about her school and how she was doing. Nothing seemed out of the
ordinary. "It was just a regular conversation," she says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She wouldn't hear from them again
for weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As she prepared to leave the
summer program, she kept calling her parents' phone, only to learn it had been
disconnected. Putnam picked her up and brought her back to Lawndale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"When I returned, my
grandmother had been dropped off at a local homeless shelter, my brother had
just left, and my parents had just gone," she says. "I found out
later they had moved to Tennessee."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her voice is steady, matter of
fact. "I never expected my parents to just, like, leave."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn was abandoned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<v:shape alt="Dawn Loggins maintained an A-average despite her hardships." id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 126.7pt; margin-left: 1.4pt; margin-top: 11.3pt; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 225.05pt; z-index: -2;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-144 0 -144 21225 21595 21225 21595 0 -144 0"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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<w:wrap type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I'm not mad at my parents.
My mom and my stepdad both think that they did what was best for me," she
says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 3.85pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn Loggins maintained an
A-average despite her hardships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In fact, she used her parents'
example to drive her. "I just realize that they have their own problems
that they need to work through," she says. "They do love me; I know
they love me. They just don't show it in a way that most people would see as
normal."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stability in Lawndale</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a while, Dawn lived on the
odd couch at friends' homes, while she figured out what to do. Sometimes, she
slept on the floor. The only thing that was clear was that she wanted to stay
in Lawndale, where she was active in extracurricular activities, had a
boyfriend and had a job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her classmates there didn't make
fun of her, though she had been mercilessly mocked in middle school. "It
was the worst. That's when I would come home crying because the teasing was so
bad," Dawn recalled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.9pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 2.9pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Helping Dawn</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those wanting to help, Dawn
appreciates the generosity. She wants to use funds to form a nonprofit
organization to help other homeless children. Any contributions can be sent to:
Burns High School/Dawn Loggins Fund, 307 East Stagecoach Trail, Lawndale, NC
28090<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She had lived with her
grandmother until she was 12 and attended junior high at a school about an hour
away from Lawndale during that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"My grandma loved me, and
she taught me a lot. She had lots of crafts around and watched History Channel
with us. But ..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn's voice halts, then begins
again a few seconds later. "She never really explained to me and my
brother the importance of bathing regularly. And our house was really
disgusting. We had cockroaches everywhere. And we had trash piled literally 2 feet
high. We'd have to step over it to get anywhere in the house."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn would go without showering
two to three months at a time and wear the same dress to school for weeks
straight. "When I was little, it seemed normal to me. I didn't realize
that other families weren't living the same way that I was. And because of that
I got teased, the kids would call me dirty."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Lawndale, a town of about 600
in the Appalachian foothills of western North Carolina, things were different.
Dawn felt comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With her parents gone, she
processed the options with her guidance counselor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She could move yet again to
Tennessee to be with her mother, or she could be turned over to the Department
of Social Services. Putnam feared what that might bring. "If Dawn were to
go into the system, she could be uprooted again and moved around," she
says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn would turn 18 during the
second semester, Putnam knew, making her an adult by law. So Putnam asked Dawn:
"What do you want to do? She said, 'I want to graduate from Burns. To be in
the same school two years.' "<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So the community and Burns staff
became her family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sheryl Kolton, a custodian and
bus driver for Burns Middle School, had met Dawn before and knew her but not
well. She wasn't expecting the phone call she received. "The counselor at
the high school just called me one day and asked me if Dawn could come live
here," Kolton says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A few days later, she and her
husband, Norm, agreed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shooting for the stars</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a roof over her head and the
contributions of Burns staff to supplement the Koltons' income needed to house
and feed a growing teenager, Dawn was seemingly in a stable environment. She
admits that having her parents out of the picture helped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Honestly it was kind of a
relief," she says. "I mean, I have a place to stay, and I have a job,
and I'm going to school."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As she began her senior year,
Dawn turned her laser-beam focus to her future: college. She knew she wanted a
different path than her parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<v:shape alt="Dawn Loggins says the worst thing about cleaning is snuff cans in urinals." id="Picture_x0020_5" o:spid="_x0000_s1028" style="height: 126.7pt; margin-left: 1.4pt; margin-top: 8.1pt; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 225.05pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-144 0 -144 21225 21595 21225 21595 0 -144 0"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<v:imagedata o:title="Dawn Loggins says the worst thing about cleaning is snuff cans in urinals" src="file:///C:\Users\Rodney\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg">
<w:wrap type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"When I was
younger, I was able to look at all the bad choices -- at the neglect, and the
drug abuse, and everything that was happening -- and make a decision for myself
that I was not going to end up like my parents, living from paycheck to
paycheck."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A straight-A student, Dawn was
president of the photography club. She also had started a community service
program collecting thousands of letters for active military troops and was
involved in National Honor Society and band club. Before she took her custodian
job, she ran cross country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She wasn't top of her class, and
she didn't have a perfect GPA, but she was smart. On paper, she had always
fared well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I was looking at her
transcript, and one of the lowest grades on her transcript is a 94 and that was
for a class called Success 101, and the irony of that is just really amazing,"
Putnam says with a laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 3.85pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn Loggins says the worst thing about cleaning is snuff
cans in urinals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 3.85pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn applied to four colleges
within the state: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; North
Carolina State University; Davidson College; and Warren Wilson College. In
December, she sent one final application off in the mail, to her
reach-for-the-stars choice, Harvard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No one from Burns High had been
accepted to the elite Ivy League school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I thought about it and just
figured, 'Why not?' "<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She asked her history teacher,
Larry Gardner, for a recommendation letter. "I don't know how many times I
started that letter of recommendation," he recalls. "Because how do
you articulate her story into two pages? How do you explain this is a young
lady who deserves a chance but hasn't had the opportunities?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But after a prayer for wisdom,
the words flowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Once again, words fail me
as I attempt to write this letter of recommendation," Gardner began.
"I can promise I've never written one like this before and will probably
not write one like this again. Because most students who face challenges that
are not even remotely as difficult as Dawn's give up. This young lady has,
unlike most of us, known hunger. She's known abuse and neglect, she's known
homelessness and filth. Yet she's risen above it all to become such an
outstanding young lady."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Months passed. She was accepted
to the four schools in North Carolina. Each time, the acceptance letter came as
part of a thick package with fat brochures and congratulatory notes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Days went by. Nothing from
Harvard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But on a sunny day earlier this
year, she came inside after tending the garden. There was a letter from
Harvard, the type of letter every high school senior dreads from a university
-- a regular-sized envelope, the ominous sign of rejection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cautiously, she opened it:
"Dear Ms. Loggins, I'm delighted to report that the admissions committee
has asked me to inform you that you will be admitted to the Harvard College
class of 2016. ... We send such an early positive indication only to
outstanding applicants ..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She gasped when she read those
words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gardner had the same reaction
when she handed him the note at school the next day. "I just looked up at
her, and kind of teared up because this is a young lady who ... " he
stops, his voice breaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"When I first met her and
had her brother in class, they were living in a home without electricity,
without running water, they were showering at a local park in a restroom after
most of the people at the park had left. This is a young lady who's been
through so much and for her to receive this letter -- pretty awesome."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not only was Dawn accepted to
Harvard, she got a full ride. She was offered tuition, room and board, as well
as assistance finding an on-campus job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tiny town of Lawndale rallied
around Dawn again. They raised money to get her to Boston so she could see the
school in person in April.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We in a sense had a
collective responsibility to get her to Harvard," says Aaron Allen, Burns
High principal. "Even though Harvard was going to pay for Dawn to go on
her own, this is a girl who's had multiple moves, never flown, never ridden a
subway, never really been outside small town USA, North Carolina foothills, and
you're expecting her to go to Cambridge all by herself?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barrett, her custodial
supervisor, traveled to Cambridge with her. "When we went up there, it was
just like she was at home. She will succeed, and she will excel."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For Dawn, it wasn't a foregone
conclusion that she would attend, but her inaugural visit solidified the
decision. "I just could not picture myself anywhere else, at any other
college."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Helping others</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since Dawn's story has come out,
she's attracted attention worldwide from well-wishers sending her everything
from simple encouragement to monetary donations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn doesn't want the money.
"When I get to college, I can work for what I need. And I know my future
is going to be great."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She hopes to start a nonprofit
organization to help other teens who've had obstacles in their educations,
using the funds that have been sent to her. There are more than 200 students
listed as homeless in Cleveland County, where Lawndale is located.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"There are so many kids
whose futures aren't so sure, and they need help more than I do," she
says. "I want them to be able to use my story as motivation. And I want
the general public to realize that there are so many kids who need help."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The final pages of Dawn's high
school chapter are nearing a close. She will walk across the stage today --
June 7 -- to accept her diploma. She has invited her parents but isn't sure
they will be able to attend. "If they're not there, it would be for good
reason."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the one person she will look
for in the crowd is her brother Shane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Throughout the years, no
matter where I've been or been through, he's always been there for me,"
she says, with a rare ghost of a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shane will attend Berea College
in Kentucky on a scholarship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn has learned the sort of
lessons that can't be learned in school. "I love my parents. I disagree
with the choices that they've made. But we all have to live with the
consequences of our actions," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She takes it all in stride.
"If I had not had those experiences, I wouldn't be such a strong-willed or
determined person."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She might just find Harvard to be
easy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: </span><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/07/us/from-janitor-to-harvard/index.html?iref=allsearch"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/07/us/from-janitor-to-harvard/index.html?iref=allsearch</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-75657142614738559452012-06-07T23:36:00.001+08:002012-06-07T23:37:18.527+08:00Worksheet: My Honeywell Educators@SpaceCamp 2010 ExperienceDear All,<br />
<br />
Its a pleasant surprised to know that a friend of mine, Ms. Yong Fui Yin had used a write-up on my experience at the Honeywell <a href="mailto:Educators@SpaceCamp"><span style="color: #009eb8;">Educators@SpaceCamp</span></a> 2010 experience as a comprehension and summary text for her SPM (1119) exercises for her Skor A+ Kertas Model 2012 Edition published by Pelangi Publications.<br />
<br />
I liked the way that the text had been modified and the questions posed for the students to answer.<br />
<br />
Below are the text and questions.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
(Spaceman Teacher)<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRsv_UB76y4/T9DJ8MlmMwI/AAAAAAAAAn8/AN0Xvhituwk/s1600/SpaceCamp+Comprehension+n+Summary_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRsv_UB76y4/T9DJ8MlmMwI/AAAAAAAAAn8/AN0Xvhituwk/s640/SpaceCamp+Comprehension+n+Summary_0003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-60422216253941591272012-06-07T21:07:00.000+08:002012-06-07T21:07:02.240+08:00Videos: Free English Video Lessons & Activities<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dear All,</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those who need videos for a change in their ELT lessons, I've included a link below which has links to YouTube videos and some separate files for the comprehension and extension activities. The Sherlock Holmes files are excellent.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The video series include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">English Lessons for Jamie Oliver's School Dinners</span></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">English lessons for Sherlock Holmes (7 videos & exercises)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">English Lessons for the I.T Crowd (4 series - 22 videos)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">English Lessons for The Office (1 series - 6 videos from the BBC)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Link: <a href="http://www.skype-lessons.com/lang-en/content/10-video-lessons-skype-english-lessons"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">http://www.skype-lessons.com/lang-en/content/10-video-lessons-skype-english-lessons</span></a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 25px; font-style: normal; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #374853; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px currentColor; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rodney Tan Chai Whatt</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-25139567367968229772012-06-07T13:38:00.000+08:002012-06-07T13:38:02.486+08:00Idea: Cartoon Strip - The Wheels of LifeDear ETs,<br />
<br />
From the moment we are born till our death, we seem to be transported on wheels.<br />
<br />
The comic strip below is a humourous look at the various forms of transport that we get ourselves into at different ages of our life.<br />
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Some ideas I had was a discussion on various modes of transport, life and death, stages of a person's life and why do people choose different transportation at different stages of life.<br />
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Students can contruct sentences with structures such as "When I was _____ years old, I rode/drove (on) a _________ ." or "When I am _____ (age), I will ride/drive _____________ (transport)."<br />
<br />
As a writing exercise, students can describe the various stages of life and what they are able to do. <br />
<br />
This picture series can be cut up and students rearrange the pictures in the correct order. It will be a great warmer or enrichment activity.<br />
<br />
What are some other ideas that we could do from this comic strip?<br />
<br />
Comments and suggestions are welcomed.<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pwvaiF8_Bc/T9A8_SkUcLI/AAAAAAAAAnE/awpx6oIbxIQ/s1600/Life+Goes+On++.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9pwvaiF8_Bc/T9A8_SkUcLI/AAAAAAAAAnE/awpx6oIbxIQ/s400/Life+Goes+On++.png" width="400" /></a></div>
-----------------------------------------------------------------RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-26227998785858958152012-06-07T03:55:00.000+08:002012-06-07T03:55:26.706+08:00Inspiring Video: Bing Crosby on EducatorsDear Friends,<br />
<br />
Here's a 30 second clip of Bing Crosby encouraging educators and the impact we will make on young minds.<br />
<br />
Actually, its a short clip promoting an NBC programme called "The More You Know".<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwW1uAVzgQbWy03H0L44J-_HTk9oJ_7i0Ub0nL7eoz13IoJJI0PilujGXY-zKIbypa-C1vRUQ7xQlCMLmz5tw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-63088967187466607372012-06-05T23:48:00.000+08:002012-06-05T23:48:50.870+08:00Idea: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Celebration ActivitiesDear Readers,<br />
<br />
As Britain celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the country momentarily forgets its economic problems and join in the festivities.<br />
<br />
The pictures below gave me ideas that can be used in our ELT lessons.<br />
<br />
Speaking<br />
Elicit from students:<br />
-What they know about the British monarchy and their own country's royalty, if they have any? <br />
-What are the roles of the monarchy? <br />
-Why do some countries maintain their royalty and why others do not? <br />
-How are the people in the UK celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee?<br />
-Why do people celebrate their royalty's birthday or reign?<br />
<br />
Personalization<br />
Discuss with students what they wish as they grow old? <br />
What wouldn't they want to be when they are old? <br />
How do they honour the old and their aging parents? <br />
What will happen to them physically, emotionally and relationally as they age? <br />
What do they think of holding celebrations to honour the contributions of senior citizens? <br />
Why do we remember important events in one's life? <br />
What celebrations would the students liked to be celebrated in their life? <br />
How would you like people to remember you?<br />
If you are a king or a queen, what are some of the things you will to do for your country and people?<br />
<br />
Writing<br />
Describe the royal couple today.<br />
Compare the physical description of the the royal couple based on the picture given.<br />
If I were a king/queen, what will I do for my country?<br />
<br />
<br />
Hope that those ideas would get us going as we used this unique event for our classroom.<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
<br />
P.S. Most of these pictures are taken from the Love UK Facebook.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iy7dbDMSaUc/T84pEHJO0AI/AAAAAAAAAmw/v6xbP3ZY7IM/s1600/Streets+Lined+With+Union+Jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iy7dbDMSaUc/T84pEHJO0AI/AAAAAAAAAmw/v6xbP3ZY7IM/s320/Streets+Lined+With+Union+Jack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-4483400569513726142012-06-04T17:45:00.000+08:002012-06-04T17:45:47.397+08:00News: Dancing for EnglishHow about doing a flash mob dance as a way to learn English and advertise your English language association?<br />
<br />
That's what happened at the UPSI teaching university in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Read all about this event below.<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
-----------------------------------<br />
<h1 id="story_title" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: bold 29px/36px Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px 35px 0px 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
Dancing for English</h1>
<h2 id="story_byline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: bold 11px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</h2>
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
STUDENTS and staff members of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim, Perak were given a surprise when a group of students from the English Language Association (ELA) performed a flash mob in front of the varsity’s Faculty of Languages and Communication.</div>
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The flash mob idea came about from several Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) senior students and was agreed upon by the majority of the association members as a fun way of introducing the association into the varsity society.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
“We wish to show students of other programmes that we, the English Language Association, are still active,” said association president Fitri Mokhtar.</div>
<div class="story_image center" style="float: none; margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 5px 10px 0px; width: 414px;">
<img alt="" height="220" src="http://thestar.com.my/archives/2012/6/3/education/e_12ELA.jpg" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px;" width="400" /><span class="caption" style="clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold;">ELA members staging a flash mob to introduce their association to other students.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
To grab the attention of passers-by, one of the association members performed the Adele song<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Someone Like You</i>.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
As students gathered around the faculty’s entrance, a freeze mob that lasted two minutes was carried out by 24 association members.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
The members, who were also TESL students, then rocked to the beat of LMFAO’s<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Party Rock Anthem</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>before swaying their hips to Korean girl group Wonder Girls’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Nobody</i>.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
“Our intention of having this flash mob is not just to provide you with entertainment but to introduce and welcome you to our association,” explained the director of the programme Muhammad Hafizuddin Ahmad Shukri to the crowd.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
When queried about their opinions on the performance, many who gathered to watch the dances agreed that it was a remarkable effort by the students to further establish the association in an interesting way.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
The event was made even more memorable due to the participation of international students from Beijing, China.</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;">
Source: <a href="http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2012/6/3/education/11372743&sec=education">http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2012/6/3/education/11372743&sec=education</a></div>
</div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-85914350244523898492012-06-03T18:59:00.000+08:002012-06-03T18:59:16.715+08:00Inspiring : Janitor Who Graduated From an Ivy League UniversityDear friends,<br />
<br />
This true story below is about an immigrant to the US who through perseverance and focus achieved his dream of graduating with a BA in the Classics from an Ivy League university.<br />
<br />
He did his homework by enquiring from his ESL teacher about the best university in his state where he was residing. It was the Columbia University. He worked as a janitor for 12 years to achieve his dream; all the while supporting himself, his studies and his family in what was war-torn Yugoslavia.<br />
<br />
He's now aiming for his Master's and PhD.<br />
<br />
I've known of a similar story here in Malacca High School where a middle-age school sweeper who took up the USM Off-Campus Programme in the early 80's and graduated with a B Soc. Science.<br />
<br />
With the democratisation of education in Malaysia, anyone who has the will and the means can achieve their academic dream.<br />
<br />
Bravo to these people!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
-----------------------------------<br />
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<h1 style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: bold 32px/32px arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">
Janitor Gac Filipaj Graduates from Columbia</h1>
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BY KRISTEN MASCIA</div>
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<a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20599341,00.html">http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20599341,00.html</a><br />
<br />
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BY KRISTEN MASCIA</div>
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<abbr class="published" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; color: inherit; font-size: 11px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="2012-06-02T11:55:00Z">Saturday June 02, 2012 11:55 AM EDT</abbr></div>
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<img alt="Janitor Gac Filipaj Graduates from Columbia" border="0" height="400" src="http://img2-2.timeinc.net/people/i/2012/news/120611/gac-filipaj-300.jpg" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; float: left; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" width="300" /><div style="background-position: 0px 50%; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 12px 0px 0px; clear: left; float: left; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 8px 0px; text-decoration: none; width: 300px;">
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Gac Filipaj</div>
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Spencer Heyfron</div>
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He's spent nearly 20 years sweeping the halls of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="tracklink2" href="http://www.columbia.edu/" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; color: #067ab4; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Columbia University</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– and now, Gac Filipaj has graduated from them.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />On May 13, after juggling a dual existence – student by day and janitor by night – for nearly 12 years, the bachelor from Queens received his degree in Classics, with honors.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />"For me, the dream was always about education," Fiipaj, 52, a native of Montenegro who immigrated to New York from war-torn former Yugoslavia in 1992.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />After asking his ESL teacher what the "best school in New York was," he says, he got a $22-an-hour job dumping trash and scrubbing toilets at Columbia in order to take seven credits' worth of classes free per year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />It took over a decade, and it wasn't easy: bone-tired from pulling graveyard shifts then studying all night, he twice thought of quitting. "But I overcame it," he says.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />As Filipaj crossed the stage at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a class="tracklink2" href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47408737/ns/today-today_news/t/ivy-league-school-janitor-graduates-honors/" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; color: #067ab4; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Columbia's commencement</a>, the crowd erupted in applause.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />"He has this amazing humility," says Columbia Dean Scott Halvorson, "but also this clear drive. It's an extraordinary thing."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />"I think I looked a little bit better than I look in my uniform," Filipaj proudly reflected the next day, "because the uniform tells that I clean bathrooms – but the gown tells that I have a college degree!"<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /><br style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" />Now armed with an Ivy League degree, he's set his sights on an even bigger prize: a master's degree in classics, then a Ph.D., with the goal of one day becoming a professor. Until then, the humble bachelor, who regularly sends money back home to his family, has no plans to quit his job as a custodian. "If a job is honest,” he says, "there's no shame in it."</div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-67066303450072088242012-06-03T17:48:00.000+08:002012-06-07T20:53:05.835+08:00Issue: To single space or double space after the full-stop or periodDear All,<br />
<br />
The writer of this article dwelt on the issue of whether to single space or double space after the full-stop / period. He makes a passionate plea that the correct method is to single space.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Personally, I would tab a single space because it'll save me one less action and the result in terms of appearance would be minimal.<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
--------------------------------<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="mailto:feedback@cleanprint.net?Subject=CleanPrint%2FSave%20feedback&body=Let%20us%20know%20how%20we%20can%20improve%20your%20experience...%0A%0A%0AThank%20you%20for%20your%20feedback.%0A%0AURL%3A%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slate.com%2Farticles%2Ftechnology%2Ftechnology%2F2011%2F01%2Fspace_invaders.single.html%0ABrowser%3A%20Mozilla%2F5.0%20%28compatible%3B%20MSIE%209.0%3B%20Windows%20NT%206.1%3B%20WOW64%3B%20Trident%2F5.0%3B%20MATP%29%0AKey%3A%20slate"><o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two spaces
after a period: Why you should never, ever do it.<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Farhad
Manjoo | Posted Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at 6:20 PM ET<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">| Posted
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at 6:20 PM ET<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0cm;" valign="bottom"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Space Invaders<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a
period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<v:shape alt="Extra space." id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 146.4pt; margin-left: 1.5pt; margin-top: 0.05pt; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 189.3pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-171 0 -171 21467 21566 21467 21566 0 -171 0"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<v:imagedata o:title="Extra space" src="file:///C:\Users\Rodney\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg">
<w:wrap type="tight">
</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can I let you in on a secret? Typing
two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably
wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And yet people who use two spaces are everywhere, their
ugly error crossing every social boundary of class, education, and taste. *
You'd expect, for instance, that anyone savvy enough to read Slate would know
the proper rules of typing, but you'd be wrong; every third e-mail I get from
readers includes the two-space error. (In editing letters for "Dear
Farhad," my occasional tech-advice column, I've removed enough extra
spaces to fill my forthcoming volume of melancholy epic poetry, The Emptiness
Within.) The public relations profession is similarly ignorant; I've received
press releases and correspondence from the biggest companies in the world
that are riddled with extra spaces. Some of my best friends are irredeemable
two spacers, too, and even my wife has been known to use an unnecessary extra
space every now and then (though she points out that she does so only when
writing to other two-spacers, just to make them happy).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What galls me about two-spacers isn't just their
numbers. It's their certainty that they're right. Over Thanksgiving dinner
last year, I asked people what they considered to be the "correct"
number of spaces between sentences. The diners included doctors, computer
programmers, and other highly accomplished professionals.
Everyone—everyone!—said it was proper to use two spaces. Some people admitted
to slipping sometimes and using a single space—but when writing something
formal, they were always careful to use two. Others explained they mostly
used a single space but felt guilty for violating the two-space
"rule." Still others said they used two spaces all the time, and
they were thrilled to be so proper. When I pointed out that they were doing it
wrong—that, in fact, the correct way to end a sentence is with a period
followed by a single, proud, beautiful space—the table balked. "Who says
two spaces is wrong?" they wanted to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Typographers, that's who. The people who study and
design the typewritten word decided long ago that we should use one space,
not two, between sentences. That convention was not arrived at casually.
James Felici, author of the The Complete Manual of Typography, points out
that the early history of type is one of inconsistent spacing. Hundreds of
years ago some typesetters would end sentences with a double space, others
would use a single space, and a few renegades would use three or four spaces.
Inconsistency reigned in all facets of written communication; there were few conventions
regarding spelling, punctuation, character design, and ways to add emphasis
to type. But as typesetting became more widespread, its practitioners began
to adopt best practices. Felici writes that typesetters in Europe began to
settle on a single space around the early 20th century. America followed soon
after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every modern typographer agrees on the one-space rule.
It's one of the canonical rules of the profession, in the same way that
waiters know that the salad fork goes to the left of the dinner fork and
fashion designers know to put men's shirt buttons on the right and women's on
the left. Every major style guide—including the Modern Language Association
Style Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style—prescribes a single space after
a period. (The Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association,
used widely in the social sciences, allows for two spaces in draft
manuscripts but recommends one space in published work.) Most ordinary people
would know the one-space rule, too, if it weren't for a quirk of history. In
the middle of the last century, a now-outmoded technology—the manual
typewriter—invaded the American workplace. To accommodate that machine's
shortcomings, everyone began to type wrong. And even though we no longer use
typewriters, we all still type like we do. (Also see the persistence of the
dreaded Caps Lock key.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The problem with typewriters was that they used
monospaced type—that is, every character occupied an equal amount of
horizontal space. This bucked a long tradition of proportional typesetting,
in which skinny characters (like I or 1) were given less space than fat ones
(like W or M). Monospaced type gives you text that looks "loose"
and uneven; there's a lot of white space between characters and words, so
it's more difficult to spot the spaces between sentences immediately. Hence
the adoption of the two-space rule—on a typewriter, an extra space after a
sentence makes text easier to read. Here's the thing, though: Monospaced
fonts went out in the 1970s. First electric typewriters and then computers
began to offer people ways to create text using proportional fonts. Today
nearly every font on your PC is proportional. (Courier is the one major
exception.) Because we've all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after
a period no longer enhances readability, typographers say. It diminishes it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Type professionals can get amusingly—if
justifiably—overworked about spaces. "Forget about tolerating
differences of opinion: typographically speaking, typing two spaces before
the start of a new sentence is absolutely, unequivocally wrong," Ilene
Strizver, who runs a typographic consulting firm The Type Studio, once wrote.
"When I see two spaces I shake my head and I go, Aye yay yay," she
told me. "I talk about 'type crimes' often, and in terms of what you can
do wrong, this one deserves life imprisonment. It's a pure sign of amateur
typography." "A space signals a pause," says David Jury, the
author of About Face: Reviving The Rules of Typography. "If you get a
really big pause—a big hole—in the middle of a line, the reader pauses. And
you don't want people to pause all the time. You want the text to flow."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This readability argument is debatable. Typographers
can point to no studies or any other evidence proving that single spaces
improve readability. When you press them on it, they tend to cite their
aesthetic sensibilities. As Jury says, "It's so bloody ugly."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I actually think aesthetics are the best argument
in favor of one space over two. One space is simpler, cleaner, and more
visually pleasing (it also requires less work, which isn't nothing). A page
of text with two spaces between every sentence looks riddled with holes; a
page of text with an ordinary space looks just as it should.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is this arbitrary? Sure it is. But so are a lot of our
conventions for writing. It's arbitrary that we write shop instead of shoppe,
or phone instead of fone, or that we use ! to emphasize a sentence rather
than %. We adopted these standards because practitioners of
publishing—writers, editors, typographers, and others—settled on them after
decades of experience. Among their rules was that we should use one space
after a period instead of two—so that's how we should do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides, the argument in favor of two spaces isn't any
less arbitrary. Samantha Jacobs, a reading and journalism teacher at Norwood
High School in Norwood, Col., told me that she requires her students to use
two spaces after a period instead of one, even though she acknowledges that
style manuals no longer favor that approach. Why? Because that's what she's
used to. "Primarily, I base the spacing on the way I learned," she
wrote me in an e-mail glutted with extra spaces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Several other teachers gave me the same explanation for
pushing two spaces on their students. But if you think about, that's a pretty
backward approach: The only reason today's teachers learned to use two spaces
is because their teachers were in the grip of old-school technology. We would
never accept teachers pushing other outmoded ideas on kids because that's
what was popular back when they were in school. The same should go for
typing. So, kids, if your teachers force you to use two spaces, send them a
link to this article. Use this as your subject line: "If you type two
spaces after a period, you're doing it wrong."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Correction, Jan. 18, 2011: This article originally
asserted that—in a series of e-mails described as "overwrought,
self-important, and dorky"—WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange used two
spaces after every period. Assange actually used a monospace font, which made
the text of his e-mails appear loose and uneven. (Return to the corrected
sentence.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0cm;" valign="bottom"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="3" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0.75pt;"></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0.75pt;"></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0.75pt;"></td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0.75pt;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.single.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.single.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-17036637801170068242012-05-31T13:02:00.001+08:002012-06-07T20:54:03.372+08:00News: Fond memories of school in bookHere's a writeup on the 100th Anniversary of the Malacca Methodist ACS Coffee Table book launch which was published in the STAR newspaper.<br />
<br />
Please click the link below:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F5%2F31%2Fsouthneast%2F11385741&sec=southneast#.T8b5_vWVwIF.blogger">Fond memories of school in book</a>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-78610401325968283602012-04-21T13:14:00.000+08:002012-04-21T13:14:27.808+08:00Announcement: Drama Workshop (Free)<br />
Drama Workshop (free)<br />
<br />
Facilitator: Derek Straat<br />
Date: Sat. 28 April 2012<br />
Venue: Baha’i Centre at 31 Jalan Bukit Senjuang (St John's Hill Road). <br />
Time: 10 am to 12.30 pm.<br />
<br />
Contact: Saratha (0169178010)<br />
<br />
Directions: Turn left after the Salvation Army Building into the road if coming from Malacca town. The Baha'i Centre is on your left opposite a row of double-storey link houses. <br />
<br />
It’s a narrow one-way road so you will have to park further up at the furniture centre to the left.<br />
<br />
If you get lost, pls call Saratha (0169178010) for directions.<br />
<br />
Also, please stay back for 20-30’ to help with the clearing-up, as many hands make light work!<br />
<br />
This is a great opportunity where we will learn a lot and have fun, so I hope to see you soon!<br />
<br />
Audrey Lim<br />
----------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-9012853001710066772012-02-17T20:25:00.000+08:002012-02-17T20:25:42.036+08:00Fun: English is Hilarious / Brilliant<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>
<b><span style="color: #6600cc; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: #6600cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">English-absolutely hilarious/brilliant!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><u> </u></span></span><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;">We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,<br />
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.<br />
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,<br />
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.<br />
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,<br />
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.</span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">If the plural of man is always called men,<br />
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?<br />
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,<br />
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?<br />
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,<br />
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></a></span><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></a></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Then one may be that, and there would be those,<br />
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,<br />
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.<br />
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,<br />
But though we say mother, we never say methren.<br />
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,<br />
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Let's face it - English is a crazy language. <br />
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; <br />
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple. <br />
English muffins weren't invented in England.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">We take English for granted, but if we explore its
paradoxes,<br />
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, <br />
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.<br />
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, <br />
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one
amend?<br />
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,<br />
What do you call it?</span><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? <br />
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking
English</span><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.<br />
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...<br />
We have noses that run and feet that smell.<br />
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.<br />
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,<br />
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language<br />
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,<br />
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,<br />
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">And in closing..........</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="color: #201900; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #201900; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">
</span></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/enjoythemasti" target="_blank" title="E N J O Y T H E M A S T I. C O M"><span style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop.???</span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u>
</u><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br /></div>
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</u>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-66294915245026796392012-02-06T16:09:00.002+08:002012-02-06T16:09:25.939+08:00Inspiring Poem: If I Had A Life To Live Again by Erma BombeckDear Readers,<br />
<br />Erma Bombeck is a great, down-to-earth poet who is able to express life in a commonsense, practical and humourous manner.<br />
<br />She is one of the much-loved American poet who had sadly passed away.<br />
<br />
Here's a beautiful, read aloud poem for our reflection and enjoyment.<br />
<br />
We could share with fellow educators and students about what's important and what's essential in life.<br />
<br />Do not let what's urgent take away what's important in lfe!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
----------------------------------------------<br />
<h1>
If I had my life to live again </h1>
<br />
<div class="credit">
<em>by Erma Bombeck (Written after she found out she was dying from
cancer.)</em> </div>
<br />
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth
would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. <br />
<br />
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in
storage. <br />
<br />
I would have talked less and listened more. <br />
<br />
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained,
or the sofa faded. <br />
<br />
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much
less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. <br />
<br />
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his
youth. <br />
<br />
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. <br />
<br />
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass
stains. <br />
<br />
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television-and more while
watching life. <br />
<br />
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't
show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. <br />
<br />
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every
moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in
life to assist God in a miracle. <br />
<br />
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go
get washed up for dinner." <br />
<br />
There would have been more "I love you's.". More "I'm sorry's" ...But mostly,
given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really
see it ... live it...and never give it back. <br />
<br />
Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who
has more, or who's doing what. <br />
<br />
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who Do love us.
<br />
<br />
Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each
day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as
spiritually. <br />
<br />
Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and
then it's gone. I hope you all have a blessed day.<br />
<br />
<div class="credit">
<em>In memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.</em> </div>
<a name='more'></a>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-50998281527238339252012-02-06T15:41:00.000+08:002012-02-06T15:41:42.092+08:00News: Professor Dispels Myths Around Teaching English (TEFL)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 22pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Professor
dispels myths around teaching English <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Using several methods simultaneously can be counterproductive for students
learning it as a foreign language, research shows <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Iman Sherif, Staff Reporter<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Published: 00:00 February 5, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></span></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="Dr Jase Mousa Inaty" id="primaryImage" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 234.6pt; margin-left: 1.2pt; margin-top: -0.3pt; position: absolute; visibility: visible; width: 356.7pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-91 0 -91 21407 21618 21407 21618 0 -91 0"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<v:imagedata o:title="Dr Jase Mousa Inaty" src="file:///C:\Users\Rodney\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Image Credit: Courtesy: Zayed University<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr Jase Mousa Inaty, assistant professor of Educational Psychology at Zayed
University (ZU), has been studying the challenges of teaching English as a
second languge to native Arabic speakers. She recently wrote a book ‘<b>The
Impact of Spoken English on Learning English as a Foreign Language’. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Globalisation and the need to interact with various cultures means people
have to learn how to communicate in different languages these days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, becoming proficient in a second language is a challenge that
requires commitment and a lot of practice and not everyone learns at the same
speed and through the same process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr Jase Mousa Inaty, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Zayed
University (ZU), has been studying this problem here in the UAE. Her recent
study was focused on native speakers of Arabic, mainly ZU students, who were in
the process of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her research has led to the publishing of a book titled The Impact of
Spoken English on Learning English as a Foreign Language. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr Inaty found that learning was not the same for everyone in the study.
Some were better learners than others and some learned one skill better than
another. The level of proficiency was dependent on the person's ability to
comprehend, retain and use information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Teaching methods vary but, in general, we learn using one or a
combination of these <b>major skills: listening, speaking, writing and
reading." <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, using more than one mode can be detrimental to learning, says Dr
Inaty. According to her research, the human brain is limited in its capacity to
process information, and learners, whether Emirati or otherwise, have the same
human cognitive architecture with a limited working memory and an unlimited
long-term memory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The human cognitive architecture indicates a working memory that is
limited in both capacity and duration. When EFL materials are presented in ways
that exceed working memory capacity, the learning may be hindered. These
hindrances may come from a split-attention effect or even more so a redundancy
effect, which was the case in my research." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An area of her studies focused on students' learning ability when teaching
listening skills using a traditional method of presenting written material
simultaneously with auditory material. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The thinking is that our students would benefit more since they are
both listening and reading the materials at the same time. My research has
shown that at least under some circumstances, students will learn best when
only one mode of learning [eg reading only] is presented," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Her research shows that teachers should recognise pupils' abilities and
cautions them not to overload their students with material. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The condition is that when a vast amount of material or information
is being presented simultaneously, it should not contain identical information.
Otherwise, the learner is wasting his/her working memory space on two things
that contain identical information — which in turn may not enhance
comprehension," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Cognitive underload'</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Her studies of Emirati students show that the majority of learners
are not using most of that working memory space that is available to them. She
calls it "<b>cognitive underload</b>". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A possible cause is that students are not being provided with material rich
enough to maintain their interest in learning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We need to provide stimulating and rich learning experiences for our
human cognitive architecture to reach its potential and flourish. Teachers can
do this by selecting and designing materials that are motivating, interesting
and relevant to students," she concluded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: </span><a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/professor-dispels-myths-around-teaching-english-1.975882"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/professor-dispels-myths-around-teaching-english-1.975882</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-83195436631200356442012-01-24T02:39:00.002+08:002012-01-24T09:41:00.057+08:00Happy Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2012Dear All,<br />
<br />
Here's another collection of pictures which was downloaded from my Facebook and from friends' referrals.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
------------------------------------------------<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy8hsLYHHew/Tx2bPd23cxI/AAAAAAAAAhs/usewltHpV6A/s1600/Pizza+Hut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy8hsLYHHew/Tx2bPd23cxI/AAAAAAAAAhs/usewltHpV6A/s400/Pizza+Hut.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUd0bpb-_h8/Tx2bRDkuovI/AAAAAAAAAh0/sPrZ2Vz2Pj4/s1600/Peri+Peri.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUd0bpb-_h8/Tx2bRDkuovI/AAAAAAAAAh0/sPrZ2Vz2Pj4/s400/Peri+Peri.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wo9_yKVfr7M/Tx2bWMuFxhI/AAAAAAAAAh8/O4OtZlLKlS0/s1600/Movable+Action+Doraemon+Angpow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wo9_yKVfr7M/Tx2bWMuFxhI/AAAAAAAAAh8/O4OtZlLKlS0/s400/Movable+Action+Doraemon+Angpow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My children received this unique moveable action angpow (red packet with money). It's a Doraemon themed angpow where the two pictures will move when pulled. The circular Doraemon will turn clockwise while the smaller figure will move towards the right. The money will be in the envelope when you have pulled the right handle out. Cool!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5kNpSG5P2I/Tx2bdB3YfiI/AAAAAAAAAiE/8Q-gOAOybWI/s1600/CNY+Dragon+wishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5kNpSG5P2I/Tx2bdB3YfiI/AAAAAAAAAiE/8Q-gOAOybWI/s400/CNY+Dragon+wishes.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Hq3dSYtgw4/Tx2bgqQJ4YI/AAAAAAAAAiM/IHBOiQadG0w/s1600/CNY+Angpow+by+DAP+Hannah+Yeoh+with+Bible+verse_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Hq3dSYtgw4/Tx2bgqQJ4YI/AAAAAAAAAiM/IHBOiQadG0w/s640/CNY+Angpow+by+DAP+Hannah+Yeoh+with+Bible+verse_0001.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
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This angpow was distributed by a Member of Parliament to promote her party and her constituency.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEyku9fPaho/Tx2bl_tEaLI/AAAAAAAAAic/3OXPN8GXUhI/s1600/Agie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FEyku9fPaho/Tx2bl_tEaLI/AAAAAAAAAic/3OXPN8GXUhI/s400/Agie.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CeUFjWr6JA/Tx2bndgbSqI/AAAAAAAAAik/x6on1DzzTy8/s1600/Chinese+Character+Lung.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CeUFjWr6JA/Tx2bndgbSqI/AAAAAAAAAik/x6on1DzzTy8/s400/Chinese+Character+Lung.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Chinese Character : loong meaning dragon</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8cuJnPmxgI/Tx4DcyqKqWI/AAAAAAAAAis/M7yMGbQ-tTw/s1600/Boy+n+Lion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8cuJnPmxgI/Tx4DcyqKqWI/AAAAAAAAAis/M7yMGbQ-tTw/s400/Boy+n+Lion.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Chinese Lion Dance</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xXcuq0mmUA/Tx4DfSJJuRI/AAAAAAAAAi0/KpwlwNWTUA0/s1600/Dragon+New+Year+cutting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xXcuq0mmUA/Tx4DfSJJuRI/AAAAAAAAAi0/KpwlwNWTUA0/s400/Dragon+New+Year+cutting.png" width="373" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vEgTczfxN_s/Tx4DhTKPXrI/AAAAAAAAAi8/bWRHPPb_5Rk/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vEgTczfxN_s/Tx4DhTKPXrI/AAAAAAAAAi8/bWRHPPb_5Rk/s400/untitled.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sFRtrvHjP3g/Tx4DjkVv6iI/AAAAAAAAAjE/FLOQvjuCBo4/s1600/CNY+2012+Mahkota.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sFRtrvHjP3g/Tx4DjkVv6iI/AAAAAAAAAjE/FLOQvjuCBo4/s400/CNY+2012+Mahkota.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfEHb14VTp0/Tx4DpPWQ_-I/AAAAAAAAAjM/jbj-2QKMnwk/s1600/CNY+Eve+Dinner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfEHb14VTp0/Tx4DpPWQ_-I/AAAAAAAAAjM/jbj-2QKMnwk/s400/CNY+Eve+Dinner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Traditional Chinese New Year Meal</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwPkFbMVYys/Tx4DyR64ncI/AAAAAAAAAjU/AyOwIGkqL0U/s1600/CNY+Fruits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwPkFbMVYys/Tx4DyR64ncI/AAAAAAAAAjU/AyOwIGkqL0U/s400/CNY+Fruits.png" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9t8m38Al5qA/Tx4EHt8lVVI/AAAAAAAAAjc/_3UT3FOV2JA/s1600/CNY+Old+Scene+of+China.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9t8m38Al5qA/Tx4EHt8lVVI/AAAAAAAAAjc/_3UT3FOV2JA/s400/CNY+Old+Scene+of+China.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
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Old Style Hutong Chinese New Year Celebration</div>
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CNY Lanterns</div>
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Chinese Opera</div>
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Traditional Chinese Music - pipa</div>
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Traditional Lion Dance</div>
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Traditional Yee Sang dish (Cantonese)</div>
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CNY Lights at the Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang</div>
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CNY Lights in Penang</div>
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<br /></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-61653624461854536102012-01-24T00:06:00.000+08:002012-01-24T00:06:18.293+08:00Humour: LexophileDear All,<br />
<br />
Enjoy this play with words!<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
<br />
P.S. Can you create or think of any other sentences.<br />
---------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Lexophiles<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A will is a dead giveaway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A backward poet writes inverse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A chicken crossing the road:
poultry in motion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10. A calendar's days are numbered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11. A boiled egg is hard to beat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12. He had a photographic memory which
was never developed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13. The short fortune teller who
escaped from prison: a small medium at large.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>14. Those who get too big for their
britches will be exposed in the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15. When you've seen one shopping
center you've seen a mall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>16. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you
are in Seine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>17. When she saw her first strands of gray
hair, she thought she'd dye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>18. Santa's helpers are subordinate
clauses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19. Acupuncture: a jab well done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20. Marathon runners with bad shoes
suffer the agony of de feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>21. The roundest knight at king
Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>size from too much pi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>22. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an
Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aleutian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>23. She was only a whiskey maker, but
he loved her still.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24. A rubber band pistol was
confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>math disruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>25. No matter how much you push the
envelope, it'll still be stationery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>26. A dog gave birth to puppies near
the road and was cited for littering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>27 Two silk worms had a race. They
ended up in a tie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>28. A hole has been found in the nudist
camp wall. The police are looking into it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>29. Atheism is a non-prophet
organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>30. I wondered why the baseball kept
getting bigger. Then it hit me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>31. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab
center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>32. A small boy swallowed some coins
and went to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his
mother <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>telephoned to ask how he was, a
nurse said, 'No change yet.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>33. The soldier who survived mustard
gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>34. Don't join dangerous cults:
practice safe sects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-39524943217360736972012-01-16T15:32:00.000+08:002012-01-16T15:32:32.829+08:00Views: Why Are SMart People Usually Ugly?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Daniel Engber | Posted Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at
6:52 PM ET<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slate.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why Are Smart People Usually Ugly?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An answer to the Explainer's 2011 Question of the Year.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-MY; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jean-Paul Sartre and Socrates were known for their
brains and not their looks—at least not the good kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Illlustration by
Charlie Powell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It's been a few
weeks since we posted the questions that the Explainer was either unwilling
or unable to answer in 2011. Among this year's batch of imponderables were
inquiries like, Are the blind sleepy all the time? and Does anyone ever get a
sex change back? We asked our readers to pick the question that most deserved
an answer in the Explainer column. Some 10,000 of you were able to register a
vote, and the winning question is presented below. But first, the runners-up:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In third place,
with 6.6 percent of the total votes, a bit of speculative evolutionary
biology: Let's say that a meteor never hits the earth, and dinosaurs continue
evolving over all the years human beings have grown into what we are today.
What would they be like?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In second place,
with 7.5 percent, an inquiry into pharmacokinetics: Why does it take 45
minutes for the pharmacy to get your prescription ready—even when no one else
is waiting?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And in first
place, with the support of 9.4 percent of our readers, the winner by a
landslide and Explainer Question of the Year for 2011:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why are smart
people usually ugly? I get this isn't always the case, but there does seem to
be a correlation. Attractiveness doesn't predict intelligence (not all ugly
people are smart), but it seems like intelligence can be a good predictor for
attractiveness (smart people are usually on the ugly side). Keep in mind, I
have nothing against people who are really brilliant, I've just always wondered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answer:
They’re not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, how the
Explainer loves a false premise. When it comes time to assemble the year-end
list, he'll always give extra credit to questions that are predicated on
blatant untruths. In 2010, for example, someone wanted to know why athletes
never sneeze. In 2009, a reader asked, Why is it always funny to put
something on your head as a pretend hat? But this year's winning question
isn't merely ill-posed; it gets the truth exactly backward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The idea that an
ugly face might hide a subtle mind has attracted scientific inquiries for
many years. At first, scientists wanted to know whether it was possible to
read someone's intelligence from the shape of his face. In 1918, a researcher
in Ohio showed a dozen photographic portraits of well-dressed children to a
group of physicians and teachers, and asked the adults to rank the kids from
smartest to dumbest. A couple of years later, a Pittsburgh psychologist ran a
similar experiment using headshots of 69 employees from a department store. In
both studies, seemingly naive guesses were compared to actual test scores to
see if they were ever accurate.*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many such
studies followed, and with consistent results: You can learn something about
how smart someone is just by looking at a picture. But scientists couldn't
figure out where that information might have been hiding in the photographs.
The Ohio researcher said that some of his subjects were "greatly
influenced by the pleasant appearance or smile, but for some the smile
denotes intelligence and for others it denotes feeble-mindedness." The
author of the follow-up in Pittsburgh wondered if the secret of intelligence
might not be lurking in "the lustre of the eye."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While some
researchers pondered this question, a Columbia University psychologist named
Edward Thorndike made another, related discovery. In 1920, Thorndike
published his theory of the "halo effect," according to which
subjects, when asked to describe someone's various qualities, tend to
"[suffuse] ratings of special features with a halo belonging to the
individual as a whole." If they were describing the person's physique,
for example, along with his bearing, intelligence, and tact, they would
assign high or low ratings across the board. Later studies confirmed that the
halo effect could arise from a simple photograph: If someone looks handsome,
people tend to assume that he's smarter, more sociable, and better-adjusted,
too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now there were
two findings: First, scientists knew that it was possible to gauge someone's
intelligence just by sizing him up; second, they knew that people tend to
assume that beauty and brains go together. So they asked the next question:
Could it be that good-looking people really are more intelligent?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here the data
were less clear, but several reviews of the literature have concluded that
there is indeed a small, positive relationship between beauty and brains.
Most recently, the evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa pulled huge
datasets from two sources—the National Child Development Study in the United
Kingdom (including 17,000 people born in 1958), and the National Longitudinal
Study of Adolescent Health in the United States (including 21,000 people born
around 1980)—both of which included ratings of physical attractiveness and
scores on standard intelligence tests. When Kanazawa analyzed the numbers, he
found the two were related: In the U.K., for example, attractive children
have an additional 12.4 points of IQ, on average. The relationship held even
when he controlled for family background, race, and body size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From this,
Kanazawa concluded that the famous halo effect is not a cognitive illusion,
as so many academics had assumed, but rather an accurate reading of the
world: We assume that beautiful people are smart, he argues, because they
are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The story does
have some caveats and complications. First, a few other studies have come up
with different results. A recent look at yearbook photos from a Wisconsin
high school in 1957 found no link between IQ and attractiveness among the
boys, but a positive correlation for the girls. Another researcher, Leslie
Zebrowitz of Brandeis University, noticed that the looks-smarts relationship
applies only to the ugly side of the spectrum. It's not that beautiful people
are especially smart, she says, so much as that ugly people are especially
dumb. Then there's the fact of Kanazawa's having gotten into trouble last
spring for asserting—using the same dataset and similar methods to those
described above—that African-American women are objectively "far less
attractive" than whites, Asians, or Native Americans. (He later
acknowledged some flaws in his analysis.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, getting back
to the original question, the bulk of the evidence suggests that smart people
are not "usually ugly." In fact, the opposite seems to be true:
Either smart people are more beautiful than average, or dumb people are more
ugly (or both). And while no facial features within the normal range could
ever be that useful as a predictor of intelligence, people can perform better
than you’d expect from random chance using nothing more than a head shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All of which
leaves one great, unanswered question. If smart people tend to be
good-looking, that might explain the halo effect. But what led our questioner
to get things backward and assume that smart people were ugly? And why are
there so many like-minded others, asking the same question—or its
inverse—around the Internet? (Here's one, and one more.) Aren't we all
familiar with the archetypical nerd, who is both ugly and smart? At the
opposite end, what about all those beautiful, airheaded women and beefy,
brainless men we see on television? Could the person who wrote in with the
2011 Question of the Year be succumbing to a bias that hasn't yet been
documented in the lab—a sort of halo effect in reverse, a "horns effect,"
perhaps?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, 1957 STF/AFP/Getty Images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ugly geniuses
aren't uncommon in history, of course, and while these anecdotes tell us
nothing about the population as a whole, the memory of people who were
famously hideous and brilliant might have an outsize influence on our
judgments. Jean-Paul Sartre, for example, was short, bespectacled, and
wall-eyed. ("I cannot even decide whether [my face] is handsome or
ugly," says one of his characters in Nausea. "I think it is ugly because
I have been told so.") Ancient sources tell us that the great
philosopher Socrates had thinning hair, flared nostrils, widely-spaced eyes,
a thick neck, slobby shoulders, and a pot belly. Ludwig van Beethoven was
ugly and smelled bad; Abraham Lincoln's face struck the poet Walt Whitman as
being "so awful ugly it becomes beautiful."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition,
Kanazawa points out that a closer look at the data reveals an interesting
fact: The very ugliest people in his dataset are dumber on average, but they
also tend to be the most diverse when it comes to intelligence. That means
that if you're at the low end of the spectrum for looks, you're more likely
than anyone else to be at one extreme end for IQ (either very dumb or very
smart). If that's the case, then it might provide another reason why Sartre
and Socrates types stick out in our minds. We know (consciously or not) that
ugly people tend to be a little dim; but at the same time, there are more
brilliant brutes running around than we might expect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For his part,
Kanazawa rejects the notion of the horns effect—he doesn't believe the
smart-and-ugly stereotype exists at all. (Indeed, it has never been shown in
the lab.) Instead, he says, we may be assuming that smart people are nerdy,
and that nerdy people tend to lack social skills. Since people with social
skills are attractive, there could be an indirect link between at least one
kind of "attractiveness" and intelligence. But if you're looking at
pure "beauty," as measured by rating photographs or measured facial
features, then intelligence and looks go hand-in-hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bonus Explainer:
Why might intelligence and looks go hand-in-hand? There are a few different
theories. First, it might be that some common genetic factor produces both
smarts and beauty. Or maybe there's a combination of genes that make people
both dumb and ugly. Kanazawa thinks it's the former, arguing that intelligent
men have tended to rise to the top of the social hierarchy and select
beautiful women as their mates. Their offspring, contra George Bernard Shaw's
supposed quip, would have had both traits together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another theory
holds that certain environmental factors in the womb or just after birth can
produce both facial disfigurements and cognitive impairments on one side, or
facial symmetry and high intelligence on the other. A third suggests that
attractive children are treated better, and receive more attention from their
caretakers and teachers, which helps to nurture a sharper mind. It's also
possible that smart people are better able to take care of themselves and
their looks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Explainer thanks
Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics, Joshua Knobe of Yale
University, Alina Simone, author of You Must Go and Win, and Leslie Zebrowitz
of Brandeis University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Good news: After
years of hiding out in the Explainatorium like a banished superhero,
answering submitted questions from deep inside the fortress, the Explainer
has decided to soar out into the world, pen in hand, to spread peace and
understanding among the column's faithful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And so we
present a new, occasional feature on Slate: the Explainer House Call. Do you
have a family disagreement over some fact or pseudo-fact? Are you stuck in an
endless argument with an annoying co-worker or a friend? Have your attempts
to Google your way out of it only pushed you both into the filter bubbles of
the Internet? Worry no more: The Explainer will be your arbiter and your
savior, an avenging angel of argument, slinging thunderbolts of pure reason
and drenching your squabbles in the heavy rain of explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How does one
qualify for this personal Explainer service? To get a house call, and have
the Explainer resolve your special beef in Slate, you must first gain the
support of your peers. What factual matter has been driving you and your friend/spouse/coworker
bonkers in recent weeks? Post a short summary on or with the hashtag
#ExplainerHouseCall. Then we'll ask the members of Explainer Nation to vote
for the dispute that's most deserving of the Explainer's attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Winners: Please note that the
Explainer will not actually visit your house.)<br />
<br />
Correction, Jan. 12, 2012: The original overstated the magnitude of the
results of the Ohio and Pittsburgh studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Source: <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/explainer/2012/01/are_smart_people_ugly_the_explainer_s_2011_question_of_the_year_.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/explainer/2012/01/are_smart_people_ugly_the_explainer_s_2011_question_of_the_year_.html</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-63838298188466383522011-12-31T15:19:00.000+08:002011-12-31T15:19:21.735+08:00MUET 2011 - Views & ReplyThere was an interesting letter to the Editor of The STAR concerning what was perceived as changes in the frequency and the raised fees for the MUET exams & the deterioriating standard of marking.<br />
<br />
Here's the letter below and the accompanying reply by the MOE of Malaysia for your information.<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<h3 style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 4.75pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #999999; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Sunday December 18, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<br />
<h1 id="story_title" style="background: white; line-height: 17.15pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 4.75pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Don’t make a mockery of MUET<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">AS A newly-retired English language teacher
who has taught MUET ( Malaysia University English Test) classes for more than a
decade, I have always subscribed to the view that decisions taken about
educational matters should always be guided by the best interests of the
students and not sacrificed on the altar of financial gains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Thus when I recently learnt that the test
would be conducted three times next year — March, July and November — and the
registration fee raised from RM60 to RM100, I am compelled to offer my views on
many of the issues affecting the MUET classes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">To begin with, logic will dictate that many
school candidates will now choose to sit for the test in March to secure a good
Band score as fast as possible (which is what many Lower Six students are going
to do ), failing which they can then choose to sit for the exam in July and
November to secure higher scores and in the process, swell the coffers of the
Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">And that is what administering the MUET
three times a year will bring about — making a mockery of the whole purpose of
introducing MUET in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">So now, instead of the recommended 80 hours
of MUET sessions, many schools will have to make do with less than 35 hours.
Leaving aside the question on whether such a move is practical or wise the
issue should be: What good will such a plan bring about when students are
allowed to sit for their MUET exam so soon? Clearly, a case of the left hand
not knowing what the right hand is doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Unhappy situation</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">As matters now stand, the students are
being given the option to sit for the MUET in May instead of November creating
an unhappy situation whereby after the test, MUET teachers have a hard time
getting students to stay engaged in their MUET lessons. In previous years, to
keep my English classes going after the MUET in May, I would teach my students
Phonetics and Business Communication, among other things. However there were
students who upon receiving their MUET results in July, were not keen to follow
the MUET lessons, especially if they had secured Bands 5 and 4. This in effect
meant that I only had to teach the group of students who registered to resit
their MUET exam in November. With Lower Six students now allowed to sit for
their MUET exam in March, students would be left to their own devices once the
exams are over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">They would most likely use their MUET
periods to revise their other STPM subjects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">And such unfortunate circumstances have
conspired to make MUET teachers the butt of jokes and resentment in schools for
allegedly getting paid for having such a “good” time in school, no thanks to
the flexible MUET dates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Having taught MUET classes for so many
years, I must say the standards of marking and grading MUET papers have
somewhat become inconsistent over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the early years of MUET, only two or
three students would manage to secure a Band 5. Then, after some years, just
like the grade inflation plaguing SPM subjects, almost half the students in the
better MUET classes were able to secure Band 5. In fact, even average students
were able to obtain a Band 4! And it is surprising to find that students who
fared so poorly in their written English have still managed to secure a low
Band 5 for the test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The fact is that when students are able to
work out most of the answers for the Reading Comprehension paper which carries
45% of the overall aggregate scores (under the old test specifications) and do
moderately well in the speaking and listening components, which together carry
30% of the aggregate scores, it is still possible for them to secure a low Band
5 even if they barely pass the writing component which constitutes 25 % of the
aggregate scores.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Thus, when MUET is not perceived as a
reliable measure of the candidates’ English language proficiency, it has become
largely optional, if considered at all, in applying for admission in local
private colleges with “twinning” courses with their overseas counterparts which
allocate little importance to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">When students head to Singapore for their
tertiary education, they are made to sit for the English Qualifying Test, even
if they have secured a high Band 5 in MUET. This is not surprising as many
applicants can’t even write a few sentences without grammatical errors!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is a sad reflection of how the standard
of English has deteriorated in schools these days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Poor standards </span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Below is an example of an an opinion
written by a student on whether modern advertising is a bad influence on
today’s youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“… nowadays, when we swift on the
televisyens, most of the time is for advertised the advertisement. When they
watching the TV programme, the children are also watching together by them.
….Some of the business people are using a women body to advertised their
product …”</span></i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Let me also point out that fine tuning the
writing component by replacing Question 1, which was formerly a summary
question with a question on the interpretation of data will not do any good as
MUET teachers do no have the luxury of time to put their charges through an
intensive course to polish up the latter’s grammar and vocabulary skills. To
persist with the current writing paper is akin to putting the cart before the
horse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It would also be wise if the MEC takes note
that since Question 1 in the writing component now involves statistics, some
calculations and analysis of data, maintaining the 1½ hours for the paper is
hardly sufficient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Candidates will face severe time
constraints in tackling the writing paper and only with constant practice can
they hope to do well in the paper. Upper Six students will be hard-pressed to
do well if they are allowed to take their MUET exams so early in March. The
selection of examiners for MUET’s speaking component is another issue that
needs to be urgently addressed. It is puzzling why so many competent MUET
teachers are sidelined when it comes to appointing examiners for this component
while those not at all involved in teaching MUET classes are selected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Let me cite an example of a team leader who
was not a MUET teacher overruling his junior co-examiner who was a MUET
teacher, by assessing a candidate who spoke excellent English and performed
impressively for both the individual presentation and group discussion task a
Band 4, when it was obvious that the candidate was clearly of Band 5 or Band 6
calibre. The rationale? The team leader, dogmatically claimed that they should
avoid giving candidates a high band score for speaking as far as possible, as
instructed by their superiors!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">This undesirable state of affairs is played
out in some STPM subjects as well. It brings to mind what a Maths teacher
involved in marking STPM exam scripts said about one of his co-markers who was
a Chemistry graduate, and not a bona fide Maths teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The latter had refused to accept a candidate’s
Maths answer because the candidate had used another approach. The examiner, who
was apparently more at home with Chemistry, chose to blindly follow what was in
the marking scheme and penalised the poor student for securing the answer using
a formula that differed from the one in the marking scheme!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Such instances are reasons why it is
crucial to ensure that only competent and experienced examiners who are
teaching the respective subjects be given the task of marking public exam
papers which determine the academic future and career prospects of the
candidates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Anything short of that will not only affect
the credibility of the marked papers, but also victimise some candidates
through no fault of their own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The rationale given for the introduction of
MUET in 1999 was that undergraduates in local universities were wasting their
time learning basic grammar, and therefore MUET was introduced to address the
low English proficiency of students before pursuing higher education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">If that is the case, the present MUET
general test specifications and MUET format do not address the poor grammar and
vocabulary skills of many of the candidates. And things won’t get better with
the early registration for the test when candidates simply do not have
sufficient and sustained MUET lessons to improve their low language proficiency
in English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Grammar skills </span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">There is a dire need to test grammar to
ensure candidates take pains to improve their grammar and vocabulary skills and
be aware of the common failings displayed in their written English. Grammar is
an integral part of effective academic writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Thus, developing a better understanding of
how individual words and groups of words work to form coherent sentences and
paragraphs to construct academic texts will be useful. With knowledge born out
of hard classroom experience, it is my contention that instead of the MUET
general test specifications and exam, Form Six students are better off if they
are given a well-crafted English course conducted by committed teachers to
prepare them for entry to tertiary education. They can then be made to sit for
a rigorous common English entrance examination for admission into public
universities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is about time the MEC carried out a
survey to find out if the present coursework and MUET serves to achieve the
original aims. The council should not be too concerned with raising fees to
swell its coffers. The MUET exam must surely be a means towards an end and, not
an end by itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">HENRY SOON</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Via e-mail</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 10pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.15pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">RESPONSE TO NEWSPAPER REPORT</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Ministry
of Education (MOE) would like to refer to an article by Henry Soon published in
Sunday Star dated 18 December 2011 on the issue of – </span><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Don’t make a mockery
of MUET.</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The
Malaysian University English Test (MUET) is an English language proficiency
test designed to measure the English language ability of students wishing to
pursue first degree studies in local institutions of public learning. With
MUET, English is taught at Sixth Form or pre-university level to equip students
with the appropriate level of proficiency in English to enable them to perform
effectively in their academic pursuits at tertiary level.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The
Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC) fully agrees with Mr Henry Soon’s opinion
that decisions on educational matters should be in the best interests of
students. MUET will be conducted three times a year beginning 2012, in March,
July and November. This policy is made after receiving numerous requests from
students who intend to take MUET and after an in-depth study of its
implications.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">At
present, candidates who take the Mid-Year MUET face problems in their appeals
for intake into institutions of higher learning. The closing date for such
appeals is end of June whilst the results for Mid-Year MUET are released in
July. With MUET being offered three times a year, candidates who take the March
MUET are able to obtain their MUET results prior to the closing date for
appeals.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">At
present too, MUET dates clash with the examination schedules, new student
intake and semester holidays of various institutions of higher learning. Hence,
providing an additional test will offer better alternatives to students from
these institutions to select the MUET session that best suit their needs.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Offering
three exams a year too, allow more opportunities for candidates to improve
their MUET score. They do not need to wait 6 months before taking the next
MUET. This benefits school candidates, private candidates, and also university
students who require a stipulated minimum MUET band to qualify for entrance or
graduate from university. Private candidates who work in the private or public
sector too have a better choice of MUET sessions as some take the MUET for
promotional purposes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Contrary
to Mr Soon’s claim, the decision to include an additional MUET session in our
yearly schedule was never made for “financial gains”. The additional session in
fact will put more demands on MEC’s operational, administrative and financial
resources, but having the best interests of our clients in mind, we believe that
the benefits to our clients and nation far outweigh the additional costs
incurred. In an era where institutions of higher learning are opening up
opportunities for flexible entry and exit points for tertiary education, the
additional MUET session will provide flexibility and enhance student mobility
in line with national and international development.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On
the issue of school candidates sitting for MUET in March, students not being
keen to stay engaged in MUET lessons after taking the MUET early and MUET
teachers being the butt of jokes and resentment due to the flexible MUET dates,
this is a school administrative matter. It is stipulated clearly in a circular
to schools and also in the MUET Test Specifications (page 9) that “the MUET
programme should involve 240 hours of teaching time spanning three school
terms. Instruction should be carried out for 8 periods a week at 40 minutes per
period.” If schools do not comply with this and students feel they are prepared
to take the test earlier, it is beyond the jurisdiction of the MEC. We are,
however, confident that school administrators and MUET teachers will have the
necessary expertise and creativity to manage the teaching-learning process in
their schools. Instead of viewing the additional MUET session as a burden, we
believe schools will make full use of the flexibility offered for the benefit
of their students.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">With
regards to the issue of students scoring Band 5, well, like Mr Henry Soon
stated, they are students from “the better MUET classes.” With stringent
marking and a standardized set of scoring criteria, only the proficient can
attain Band 5. So far, and again contrary to Mr Soon’s claim of a “grade
inflation”, national records show that only 1% out of 85000 candidates have
managed to obtain Band 5.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Students
who apply to universities in the United Kingdom, United States or Singapore are
required to sit for the IELTS, TOEFL or qualifying tests because that is the
entrance requirement of such institutions.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Question
1 of the MUET writing paper has been changed from summary writing to report
writing as this skill is more reflective of academic writing in universities,
that is writing reports that incorporate the skills of analyzing and
synthesizing ideas based on data given. Candidates are not required to carry
out any calculations. The example of a piece of writing given on “modern
advertising” is not based on any previous MUET question or script.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On
the issue of teachers not having enough time to teach grammar and vocabulary
and the MUET Test Specifications not addressing the students’ poor grasp of
grammar and vocabulary, please refer again to the recommended number of hours
of teaching time as stated in the Test Specifications.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">MUET
teachers are selected to be MUET examiners based on their qualifications in
English or TESL. Some MUET teachers do not choose to be examiners, hence to get
a larger pool of examiners, MEC has to appoint teachers who teach Forms Four or
Five. MUET teachers have done well and are very committed in preparing their
students for the MUET and the examiners too have responsibly marked the MUET
scripts. Examiners for Speaking and Writing have to sit for a proficiency test
and are given training on marking besides attending marking coordination
meetings. It should be pointed out that MUET is a criterion-referenced test,
i.e. there is a set of established criteria or standard of performance for each
band. If a candidate has met the criteria set for a high band, there are no
reservations in awarding the candidate the mark or band he or she deserves. As
pointed out earlier, the issue of “grade inflation” (or ‘deflation’ in this
case) does not arise in MUET – candidates get what they deserve according to a
set of established criteria.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">MUET
fees have to be raised from RM60.00 to RM100.00 due to the rising costs of
administering the test. MEC, in fact has been bearing the extra costs incurred
which are not covered by the previous fee of RM60.00. MEC carried out a
comprehensive study taking into consideration the views of students, teachers,
lecturers, examiners, institutions of higher learning and State Education
Departments before reviewing and implementing the MUET Test Specifications,
administrative procedures and costing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Finally,
we would like to assure Mr Henry Soon and members of the public that as an
examination body, MEC has always strived for continual improvement. We adhere
to internationally established practices of assessment in ensuring the validity
and reliability of MUET which includes among others, training of examiners,
close analysis of test performance, benchmarking with and correlational studies
against international tests, and constant communications with our stakeholders,
including feedback from students, teachers, examiners, universities and experts
in the field. Our close monitoring of MUET shows that it is a reliable measure
of candidates’ proficiency in English in relation to their readiness for
tertiary education.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">CORPORATE
COMMUNICATION UNIT</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">MINISTRY
OF EDUCATION MALAYSIA</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Source: </span><a href="http://bpa.bernama.com/details.php?id=2534b"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://bpa.bernama.com/details.php?id=2534b</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-33861096463124832282011-12-03T18:13:00.001+08:002011-12-03T21:13:49.545+08:00Video: Words As ImageDear All,<br />
<br />
The video below is just a brilliant representation of a creative concept.<br />
<br />
Its main premise is words can be treated as images.<br />
<br />
A book by the same title is out in the market.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsZcGVgirIHtjN7M-WtxGzwB3zjkuKLqkhGLwTznfA3L82bxikzPQ2R47HRvlEgI0GqngAVNcEhyR0SmL2gg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5110094276908211396.post-4550340858592328602011-11-24T09:43:00.001+08:002011-11-24T09:53:13.231+08:00Inspirational Video: Poem - Knock, KnockDear All,<br />
<br />
The video that I've uploaded below is a poem recitation that was done passionately & powerfully. You can sense the energy and clear message that the man is trying to say.<br />
<br />
One message from this poem is that we teachers can make a difference in people's lives.<br />
<br />
Enjoy & share it with other teachers and students.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Rodney Tan Chai Whatt<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwofwsNoPn80itP110J5teRro_DazaW0reNfDgg8CRWGSSCT_DtrAWgLAKMv5A_zqT8HdofPAPeXbBZNDs0EA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>RODNEY TAN CHAI WHATThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758559806378829977noreply@blogger.com0