Wedding attendance confirmation

Dear all,

Thank you for your kind words and RSVPs thus far. As the church ceremony is now less than 2 weeks away, I will need a more accurate idea of how many of you will be attending, so that I can make the necessary catering and logistical arrangements.

If you have not already done so, please let me know if you would be coming by entering your details at http://wedding.thecoffeespoon.net/rsvp. You may also explore the rest of the website for more details about the ceremony as well as the couple.

For convenience, here are the details of the ceremony:

11 December 2010 (Saturday)
2pm - 3.30pm


Wesley Methodist Church
5 Fort Canning Road
S179493

Dropbox evangelisation

http://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMxMzQ1NTE5?src=7

(Disclaimer) This is pretty much a spammy post - essentially, I'm trying to get more free online storage space (that I use to backup/share some of my teaching materials) and am hoping that some of you can check out the service/application as well (new signups earn themselves as well as me an extra 250mb of storage).

Dropbox is essentially an application that automatically backs up a selected folder on your computer online. This is done seamlessly (integrated into OSX, Windows), without having to set up anything extra - I use it primarily to share files between my work computer and my home desktop. There are also iOS and Android apps available, so you might want to check it out if you'd like to conveniently access files on your smartphone.

So if you think this application would be useful for you (or if you're nice enough to just want to help me earn extra storage space), please check out this link, sign up and install the application now!

Wedding e-invite

Hi all!

http://wedding.thecoffeespoon.net

Not sure how many of you would read this (hopefully a number are still subscribed via email), but just thought I'd let you know that I'll be getting married this December, and you're all very welcome to share in my joy (as well as, err, the food at the church reception).

Further details can be viewed at the webpage linked above - just let me know if you're coming using the RSVP page. Feel free to spread the word among your classmates, too!

Experimental Facebook page

Dear all,

When someone you haven't heard from suddenly writes, you can almost expect that he's trying to ask you for a favour. Unfortunately, this isn't an exception, and I hope you guys can help me with one simple thing.

I've created a Facebook page, Prometheum Flame, and I hope that you guys can 'become a fan' of it. Right now, this will mainly allow you to conveniently access the 'events' tab and take a peek at upcoming EL competition deadlines and department-organised events, but I will also be posting recommended reads every now and then (hopefully about exciting things like... body pillows in Japan?) for you to browse and comment on.

It's my hope that eventually a student-powered community will form and we can expand it even further, but in the meantime, please just add the page to your fan list - you can always remove it later if you find you don't like it. Feel free to suggest it to your friends, too!

In-class compre answers

Here are the answers for the comprehension we just did in-class.

Just a repeat of information regarding the EOYs, plus some extra tips...

• Like this paper, your EOY will be a 40 mark paper, with compre - 17 marks; vocab - 5 marks; summary - 18 marks
• Summary - need to give 8 content points, 10 marks will be for language/own words
• Marks will be deducted from the compre side for poor language use
• Take note of mark allocation as a clue to what kind of answer is required
• Don't be lazy in the vocab section - check how the word is used in the passage

2008 CCT answer scheme

Please see here for the comprehension answer scheme.

You are encouraged to try the comprehension out on your own, but if you really lack the time, please try to look through the passage and the answers at the very least.

All the best!

KS Bull (issue 2) orders - Please follow link and respond!

Hi all,

Apologies for the very late notice. I'm taking orders for the new volume of KS Bull (RIJC's publication of expository essays) and the list needs to be submitted by tomorrow - can you please proceed to indicate your orders on this form? Nil replies are required.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Am9ilpq19UlDdEc5SnlheW1hU1l0Y0x6bjN4Q2VrMXc&hl=en

Highlighted cells indicate scholars, who have already placed their orders via Mr Kelvin Yap, so scholars do not need to respond to this.

I will close off editing tomorrow morning and submit the list, so please make your mark by tonight.

Some sample essay titles...

1. “Celebrities make the worst role models for today’s youth”. Comment.
2. Is investing in the arts every worthwhile? Discuss the question with reference to your country.
3. “To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to ensure bad government.” (Mark Twain) Do you agree?
4. “Globalisation makes the world a better place.” To what extent is this true today?
5. Is ambition always to be encouraged?
6. Should euthanasia be legalised in Singapore?
7. “More government intervention, not less.” Is this the best way to solve the problems we face in the world today?
8. “Countries have every right to respond with aggression when provoked.” Do you agree?
9. In your opinion, is your country doing enough to protect the environment?
10. “Foreign aid is ineffective and wasteful.” Is this true?
11. What is wrong with organ trading?
12. “Popular culture has destroyed the true meaning of love and marriage.” Do you agree?
13. “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” (Winston Churchill) To what extent do you agree?
14. “The book is dead. Long live the Internet.” Discuss.
15. “Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.” Comment.
16. “Ours is a nation of immigrants that should continue to welcome immigrants.” Discuss this in relation to Singapore.
17. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” How far is this statement a reflection of societal attitudes today?
18. “A study of history will only make us more pessimistic about the future of the human race.” Discuss.
19. “Religion divides rather than unites.” Discuss.
20. “New forms of media have made mainstream media redundant.” Discuss.
21. To what extent does technology enhance the arts?

Final reminder for competitions

A final reminder regarding the Youth Writers Award Asia 2010 - this is (probably) the final competition still running this year that will be counted for your competition participation. If you have yet to submit your entry, please submit it here.

If you have already participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year (and are able to provide evidence for this), you will not be required to submit an entry for this competition.

You can check here if I currently have a record of your competition participation. If you still have a copy of your entry, you may forward it to me and tell me which competition it was used for. Otherwise, if you'd submitted the entry via the school, please let me know which competition it was and I will check it against our records.

I will need this done by the end of September. Your competition participation (or lack thereof) will be submitted to the school at the end of the year, and it will be reflected in your APR.

Comprehension answer scheme

Hi all,

Here are the answers for the optional holiday assignment. If you have attempted it, you can evaluate yourself on how you have done. In addition, below is a short presentation with 2 alternative strategies you can use for paraphrasing.



Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions about this.

September break

Dear all,

It's finally the September break! Just 2 things.

1. Please remember that you need to participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year - the list of students who have (and have not) participated will be submitted to the school at the end of the year. You can check if I have recorded your participation here - just email me with the relevant details (and evidence, e.g. competition entry) if you've participated in something but I've not recorded it.
   
   If you've not participated in anything yet, the Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010 is still open (until 30 September), please do attempt it during the September holidays (or DMP period).
   
   
2. I've uploaded a comprehension assignment (optional) for you to attempt, I will share the answer scheme at the end of the holidays for you to check your answers against.
   

Summary answer scheme

Your class's answer key

Highlighted in yellow are the paraphrasing that we'd found questionable, but did not have the time to remedy. You should be able to give yourself a (rough) mark for your attempted summary with this guide.

For comparison, here's the version generated by the only class I'd managed to complete the exercise with - 3L's answer key

Debate preparation feedback

Hi all,

Would just like to seek your opinions on whether the pre-debate lessons were useful in helping you to prepare for your assessed debates. You may want to take a look at the lesson recaps to jog your memory on what'd happened.

Faced with having only 3-4 periods to work with, I'd opted to focus on debate preparation, getting you to make an argument on an issue and to counter each others' arguments via electronic media, and then attempting to get your teams working on generating arguments and pre-empting the opposing viewpoints in class.

Time constraints and technological hiccups aside, I was wondering if (from the students' point of view) you'd found this to be a fruitful exercise. Please take the time to respond to the quick survey below!

(If for some reason the embedded form doesn't load, you can do the survey here as well.)

Commentary 2 due W9 Thu

Hi all,

Just a gentle reminder that the second assessed commentary will be due in a week's time (Week 9 Thursday, 27 August). It is essentially the same exercise as the timed commentary you did in the computer laboratory last term, except that we have left the selection of topic completely to your own discretion.

Just a recap of what's required (slightly modified so you don't need to print it off your blog, don't worry if you've done that already though).

1. Choose one article on any social issue from the internet, newspaper or magazine. Cut out, print or make a photocopy of the article.
2. Write a commentary on the issue using Microsoft Word (Word limit: 600 words). Print this article.
3. Post the commentary on your personal English blog.
4. Submit, stapled together in this order
• ERP task sheet
• Printed commentary
• Article/Copy of article
  

Take note that to avoid the late penalty, you will need to have submitted the required documents as well as have uploaded it onto your blog. Your English blog should also be accessible to the general public.

Debate lineup

(Week 9 topic has been released.)

Please remember to bring your 'What abjudicators are looking for' set of handouts (with attached assessment rubrics and debate judgement sheet).

I am still open to mutually-agreed swaps and suggestions for the motion (you might want to check Google for some suggested motions), but keep in mind that if you change it later, you will essentially have less time to prepare for it. Please remember to CC the opposing team if emailing me about this.

W8 Mon (17/8)
Motion: This House believes that video games are a waste of time.
Proposition: Nay Myo, Cheng Sin, Rohan Gupta
Opposition: Wei Ren, Bernard, Melvin

W8 Thu (20/8)
Motion: This House believes that new technology has added little in terms of quality to the education system.
Proposition: Sheng Yi, Zheyuan, Yechen
Opposition: Jae, Jerome, Yuan Jing

W9 Tue (25/8)
Motion: This House would allow the teaching of Intelligent Design as an alternative to the theory of Evolution in school Science lessons.
Proposition: Simon, Wilson, Jonathan, Nishanth
Opposition: Yao Yang, Xin Chen, Jovan, Kelvin

W10 Wed (2/9)
Motion: This House believes that unemployment benefits do more harm than good.
Proposition: Farhan, Izhar, Guoxiang
Opposition: George, Aditya, Wasiq

Debates #3: E-debate debrief

I've looked through your trial debates, and realised that many of the groups had not quite managed to engage in a proper argument. Hopefully this is due to the limitations of the environment and reduced interaction with the electronic debate. Regardless, I hope that there have still been some takeaway lessons from this.

1) Working with your team - Hopefully this chance of splitting the work has given you an inkling of how to divide the research/preparation for the actual debates.

2) Planning your debate - Somewhat related to the earlier point, but you'll need to think about what points you expect to make during your oral debate, and preferably pre-empt some of the opposing team's arguments and prepare rebuttals for them.

3) Generating rebuttals - Some of you might not have got to this stage, but it is quite an experience to hear an unexpected point from the opposing team and attempt to generate a response on the fly.

In-class debate practice

Look at your assigned debate topics below and discuss among your groups your three (or more) major arguments. You may want to look at the existing comments on the blog to get some ideas for your argument points. You might also want to pre-empt what arguments your opponents might come up with, and prepare some rebuttals for them.

This house believes that the sale of graphically suggestive pillows should be banned in Singapore

Love in 2-D

Proposition: George, Aditya, Wasiq
Opposition: Jae, Jerome, Yuan Jing

This house believes we should not waste our resources on useless technology

Midori-san, the blogging houseplant

Proposition: Nay Myo, Cheng Sin, Rohan Gupta
Opposition: Wei Ren, Bernard, Melvin

This house believes that restaurants in Singapore should be required by law to serve complimentary water

All stirred up over drinking water in restaurants

Proposition: Farhan, Izhar, Guoxiang
Opposition: Sheng Yi, Zheyuan, Yechen

This house believes that restrictions on research unduly hinder the progress of science

Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man

Proposition: Simon, Wilson, Jonathan, Nishanth
Opposition: Yao Yang, Xin Chen, Jovan, Kelvin