“IT”ing the Magazine

Posted on June 4, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

I had a wonderful schooling experience when I was a student. I loved my Alma Mater.
One thing that I dreaded most is the time when we, the students, have to go canvassing for donations be it for the school magazine or walkathon/jogathon or whatever kind of donation.
It is not that I am against the school for asking us to collect money for we are always told it is for the students’ benefit. Most of all, I prided myself to belong to the school, just as what our school motto said, Fortis Atqua Fidelis (Strong and Faithful)
But to go ask people for their money is not the speciality of mine. Maybe I am too egoistic to beg even though they might be willing to give. I do not come from a well-to-do family, I do not have uncles or grandfathers or datos that are multimillionaires that will give me ten RM100 notes and never ask 100 questions.
So when the topic of donations for the school magazine comes out during the school assembly today, I can feel the agony of some of my students as I had been in their shoes.
And then as I was thinking, why, in this 21st century, do we need a school magazine? I mean in the form of papers. With the computing age, publishing a magazine is so easy. Any publication software can do it and the cost is minimal. I do not think we need so much advertising and hence so much money. All the work can be done in the computer and then download into the hard discs. Each student can been then be given a DVD each and this e-book will be trend of the future. A downloadable copy can be obtained from the school server or in the global internet server.
This probably will be better, more green sort of stuff that we should think about. Less trees cut for paper and save the environment.
Another point, easy to store, for I am sure not every one keep their high school magazine only to find them turned yellow in colour.

Censorship: A form of dictatorship of information

Posted on April 15, 2010 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

In March 2010, Google (one of the biggest search engine) pullout from China due to the Chinese goverment‘s decision to censor the internet service (see link). Many debates and forums had been setup to discuss this issue

The internet (Internet and World Wide Web) entails the beginning of a new era in human evolution. The easy accessibility of information through the internet was first welcome by the authority as a way to improve the lives of human. But, as history suggests, people in authority or governance will become intolerant when the commoners gain more knowledge through the accessibility of information.

Here, the internet becomes one of the platform and delivery medium for e-democracy. Eventually, the traditional bureaucrats who feared the freedom of information and those that like to claim themselves as moral-police will try to censure or block the accessibility of the internet. Hence, some countries becomes the enemy of the internet.

In Malaysia, we are fortunate that our government had not attempt to block or censored the internet. Last year, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Tun Dr Mahathir had opined the need for the freedom of internet access (reported in this blog)

Unfortunately, we do find over-zealous moral-police and inferiority-complex authorities in organisations and schools putting up firewalls and proxies (some higher than the Great Wall of China) in censoring the access of information by its people. courtesy from www.kinabaloo.com

When Neil Armstrong said That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind, he had to do it in a place devoid of gravity, because in the gravitiy of tyranny and oppression there is no way progress in physical and human mind can do a small step, let alone a giant leap.

Research and Colloqium

Posted on February 3, 2010 - Filed Under Teachers' Blog | Leave a Comment

Today is officially the second time meeting with my group.
Last week, I had given them the idea about the project.
Today, the group seems to be able to grasp the idea of the project
Louis try to present his idea, actually he did present his idea about the project. They are trying to do 3 types of seed.
I disagreed with them, it is best they confine the project to only one seed.

We then decide which seed to use.
Only three students debated the issue.
The students make the decision on the corn used.

I asked them about how they are going to carry out the project.
Seems that they had the rough idea how to do it.
Students can present some ideas about how to carry it out
Students want to carry out different conditions
I disagree telling them to stick to one
No one disagree with me – no debate

Writing of the project paper
I give them some idea how to write
I give them the outline of the project
I write some suggesting how to write the project and give to Louis
Observed two students discussed on how to write
The rest seems lost or anxiety/worry or do not care (probably he was not assigned to do the writing)

I suggest that they find materials for the writing up
Read up or write something on growth
Get some materials from the internet or books for discussiosn

#2 Dato Praying Ceremony

Posted on July 9, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Today is the 2nd “Dato” praying ceremony in which some teachers collectively join in to pray for the peace and prosperity of the Jitsin’s community

Aerobic or arabic

Posted on July 7, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Please see http://mycikgu.blogspot.com/2009/07/active-or-not-huh.html

LDP #3 2009

Posted on June 23, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Stress Management at Disted College on the 20th of June. Is it interesting? I think it is because I laughed until my stomach hurts.

Workloads for teachers? Are you cynical?

Posted on May 17, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Jawi Goft Resort for SPM Registration Briefing

Posted on February 27, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Yesterday 26 February, for the first time, I need not go to Penang for this annually conducted briefing from JPN. And also the first time going to the Goft Resort. I think it is good for the JPN to had the briefing once a while here in Seberang. The conference room is big enough with good facilities and fully air-cond. So at least it is more comfortable than in the Pejabat Daerah of SPS. The food, however is not as good as CityBayview with lunch consisting of rice, curry chicken, fish and vege.. no dessert of choice. This time the briefing ends at around 4:30 pm but because it here, there is not much of stress for me to go back. Hopefully next year they will held it here again.

LDP

Posted on February 22, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Yesterday was the first Inservice Training program (or Latihan Dalam Perkhidmatan) for this year. It was a disappointment for me as the program turns out to be a sales demo conducted by a company. I thought it will be a sort of a pedagogy refreshing course as touted by some but it turns out to be not even anything less than a demo on how to use the equipment for presentation. Personally I feel that LDP should not be used as a platform for sales talk. It is a waste of time and taxpayer’s money for the benefit of a company. At least, what Mr Goay’s and Khaw’s demo on how to key-in timetable in the sms and emailing are more beneficial for the staff. Hopefully the next LDP is more professionally planned.