In-Class Blog Writing Prompt #11 (Term 2)

In a paragraph of at least 5 sentences, dicuss the following: do we still need heroes?

I think we definitely still need heroes. Heroes have been present ever since the world began; heroes of war, heroes of peace. What make heroes so important is that they stand out; they can do things that normal people cannot, they can see things in a way that the average shallow person can't, and all this are coupled with their undertering sense of courage and bravery. We need heroes, everybody need heroes - even in this modern day and age, where war and bloodshed are not so common, so says the same for heroes. Some examples of heroes include Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr. etc. These 2 extraodinary humans pushed on with their beliefs even when their lives were put at risk, clearly showing their heroism. It is the nature of man to need to have someone to look upon as a 'guardian angel' or 'leader', and heroes serve as a role model to many people in the world. Without heroes - well now I can't complete the sentence because I simply cannot imagine what a world would be like without heroes! There will always be heroes, as long as mankind continues to exist. It is just the matter of the magnitude of the heroic act, but heroes are nevertheless important for the full functionality of this world, to continue to be a beacon of inspiration to those who are not.

In-Class Blog Writing Prompt #9 (Term 2)

Share an English-language fiction book that you've read recently. What did you enjoy about the book? What in the book challenged you? Who would you recommend the book to? Locate the book on Goodreads.com and provide a link in your entry: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236056.There_s_a_Boy_in_the_Girls_Bathroom There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom: So what this book is mainly about is actually about a boy, Bradley Chalkers, who had serious attitude and acadamic problems, and as a result, he was held back for a year in fifth grade. It goes about his story on how he was a bully in school, how he reacted to people around him, and how he changed for the better. So what made me enjoy the book, is really how the author, Louis Sachar, manages to bring out so truly the way how a bully like him actually felt. I found the entire story very touching, espiecially how the school counselor actually went to such an extent in helping this boy that many teachers and students have deemed, "helpless". What challenged me in the book was actually Bradley himself. This was not a book I read recently, but I felt I really had to share it as at that time, I was pretty much like Bradley! No, I was not held back a year, but I didn't do that well in my examinations, I hated everyone around me, I even bullied people younger than me. That was when I was primary 3, and it was abook my mother bought for me, and this book really led me to reflect about all my actions. I would recommend this book to anyone who harbours hatred for the people, or basically everyone around them, just for the fact that they feel that they are outcasts. I feel that this book would really help them to reflect on how they see and treat others, and might even change them for the better.

In-Class Blog Writing Prompt #8 (Term 2)

What is the most important or significant thing that you have learnt so far from completing the Reading and Reasoning Exercises? The most important or significant thing that I have learnt so far from completing the Reading and Reasoning Exercises would be the issues and themes that I never thought of while reading To Kill A Mockingbird. As I was reading the book, what kept going through my head was prejudice, racism, prejudice. I was reading the book with this in mind, and never really thought about the other things that might be going on in the book. What the Reading and Reasoning Exercises do is that from the abstracts that they use for us to read and answer the questions, allow me to go deeper into a certain block of texts, and understand and see things from a different point of view. I find this very insightful. An example would be Miss Caroline's teaching style and method. As I read through that block of text on my own, I just saw that as 'Miss Caroline is a strict teacher'. When I went through it thoroughly during the R&R Exercise, I found out many other things, such as inferring about how she might have felt about Atticus, though being a educated and intelligent man, teaching Scout how to read before hand, and other things like that.

In-Class Blog Writing Prompt #7 (Term 2)

In a paragraph of at least 5 sentences, state one way in which prejudice can lead to war.

In-Class Online #6 (Term 2)

Write a letter of encouragement to one of the survivors; you may also wish to write to any other survivor whom you read about in the news over the last several weeks. The letter should be minimum 250 words long, and you must follow the format of an informal letter. Post the letter on your LA blog. To: Sandra Barron Survivor of the Japanese Earthquake Dear Sandra, My heart goes out to all those Japanese people that have died, and it lightenens me to know that you and your boyfriend survived. I read the article you wrote on: "The Internet Kept Me Company", and I found it very interesting. It is indeed amazing that what technology has done to Mankind; if all communication in the world went down, all hell would probably break loose! I understand that when a disaster happens, every normal person would definitely think of their loved ones; if they are alright, if they were affected by it, and you can't blame them. Although I felt that you should have left your house and joined the others in the streets, I know that you did what you felt was right, what you felt was more safe. You chose a path of security and information, rather than what scientist or experts might say. I applaud you for that, and that you also tried your best to inform other people of the disaster and what you knew about it. I am also glad that you made the right decision and decided to help your friend restock with 'a bag of Easter Eggs', as you might have just saved a life. I send my heartiest condolences to these Japanese people, their families and friends who lost their lives in tsunami earthquake in Japan. We can't undo what has happened, and cannot stop mothernature from unleashing her wrath. They are not here with us, but very far at the better place. I hope that you and your loved ones would safely go through such hard times, and emerge from this disaster like the rest of Japan will. Thank you for your time. Warmest Regards, Shaun Wong * Step 3 (optional): Imagine that a similar natural disaster has devastated Singapore; put yourself in the shoes of one of the survivors. Write a narrative of 250-350 words that explores the experience of living through such an event, what you thought and felt both during and afterward, the possible loss of family members and friends, the destruction of property and infrastructure, etc. Post your narrative in your LA blog. "Ahhh, nothing better than a good bath after a long day of school." I said as I enjoyed the feeling of each drop of water cascading down my skin. Bathing was one of my favourite activities, it is a form of exfoliating, of cleaning, of keeping your hygiene in optimal condition. "HURRY UP LAH! YOU BATHE SO..." My sister was interrupted, as I felt the whole Earth shaking. The water felt funny, it was splashing all over the place. The heater 'detached itself' from the wall, and crashed right beside me. I screamed in pain as electricity travelled through the water, to my feet, but never reaching my upper torso, as I hopped out of the water just in time. I heard heavy and rushed footsteps, followed by a ear-piercing, 'hyena-screeching' scream. I whispered to myself, "Oh S***." I immediately went for my clothes, but a portion of the wall broke and landed on my arm. I screamed and yelled, and screamed and yelled, as I saw the blood flowing from my right arm. I thought to myself, "Why God? No no no, my ARM!!!". I could not think of anything else but my family. As much as the pain I was experiencing, I wondered how my family members were doing. Then I heard someone struggling to open the toilet door from the outside. Realisation dawned on me, as I knew that I was trapped in the bathroom, with the toilet door still locked. I broke down, and started crying. I took the pain, stretched as far as I could to the toilet door, no it would not work. I had the remove this limb of mine. "This is it I guess. Like those SAW movies." I lamented. As if God had answered my prayer, my father managed to break down the toilet door with a baseball bat. Te moment my mother saw me, she rushed to hug me and with the rest of my family, we stayed in the toilet. After a few minutes, the shaking stopped. My father called for an ambulance. As I awoke in the hospital ward, I turned my head to look at my right arm. It was not there. I closed my eyes, knowing that this disaster had only brought misery and damage to Singapore, to me.

2O4 Online Lesson: 6 April 2011

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2O4 Online Lesson: 4 April 2011

In order for racial harmony to be achieved in a country, racial slurs should be made illegal. Racial slurs more often than not causes misunderstanding, hatred and tension among races in a country. Taking into account that Singapore is a multi-racial society, misunderstandings could worsen and evolve into something worse. hatred between races could cause inefficiency and unwillingness to work or study with each other, which would affect Singapore's productivity and economy. Rising racial tension among races, if left unbothered, would lead to racial riots or prejudice among court cases. However, all these can be avoided should racial slurs be made illegal, and controlled in a country, which would definitely lead to racial harmony. Reflection I have had a personal experience with racial slurs as a slurer. Come to think of it now, I really feel what I did then was unecessary. That was when I was primary 3, and there was this student from china in my class. He was an outcast, ostracised by all his peers. I kind of felt pity for him, but if I ever tried to get close to him, people would address me as the 'guy with the outcast'. So what happened was that one day, he shat on his pants. Yes, I had to be direct. We were all queueing up to let our teacher mark our homework scripts, and he was queueing beside me, and all of sudden blocks of brown 'ice-cream' dropped just beside my legs. I was horrified, and I immediately screamed, "EVERYBODY THE CHEENA CHINKI DOG SHIT ON THE FLOOR COME AND SEEEEE!!!!!". Before I knew it, everyone was laughing at him, and he sat down crying. I was not scolded or reprimanded by my teacher, but when I shouted that sentence, I really did not think or meant for him to be hurt by it. As I grew up, I was disgusted by my own insensitivity towards other races, and that at that point of time, there was no need for me to say that of him. That is also a main reason why till this day I disgust people who use racial slurs, but I too understand that it is just a part of the human mind to do such horrid things!