Tutorial Task 10

A LETTER TO SELF

Dear myself,

It has been a great and challenging journey which I have been through this first semester as a Teaching English as the Second Language (TESL) student here at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Such a journey which is much complicated, blood and sweat bath I guess even fascinating memories I created here with my 'Borneo-gene' friends especially and not forgotten to the rest Peninsular compare to my previous foundation programme. However, there will be always second thought, oftenly crossed in my mind, I dream to be a fashion magazine editor, perhaps in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, GQ or Glam, but why do I fit in this education course? Well, there must be a reason why the panel of interviewer previously put myself here to be trained as a future English teacher. Everything would change as I maintaining my speed and momentum to the final year for about 4 years since the first September of 2012. Who knows I could do both for teaching and working as an editor in future or even just I will be doing one particular job, it does not matter at all. Until today, I found out that being as a teacher is not that easy, you badly need the passion first, second is determination and last but not least your creativity on how you deal with the children to collaborate with your lesson plan. I do hope when I read back this letter to self, I already equipped with those three elements that I have mentioned the moment before I graduate with a very high-satisfaction of CGPA and my name proudly will be announced in that prestigue Chancellor Hall of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in almost 3 and half year later. I won't give up whatever coming in front of me till I survive to my last breath. Finn.

Yours sincerely,

(Muhammad Fariz Pugal, 2012)

Tutorial Task 9

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING WRITING

echnology nowadays has been applying in our education system as an effective mechanism of educational tool. As encouraged by the Ministry of Education, teachers and students should incorporate technology in daily lesson in order to create an enjoyment and engaging classroom atmosphere instead of using those traditional tools. While competing in this rat race century, through walking down the world with globalization era, needless to argue that it is such a huge challenge and heavy-duty responsibility for the teachers currently to apply the magic tool while conducting any lesson. Less or more, the students already fully prepared and equipped with the skills in handling Information and Communication Technology (ICT) aspect before they further their study in higher institution level.

Today, with the existence of several labels and kind of social network site such as Facebook and Twitter, teachers and students are able to communicate with one another anytime and anywhere in order to discuss regarding for any task especially for writing input. Besides that, in the perspective of synchronous on-going interaction, the World Wide Web does serve the students medium or platform to have an on-going interaction through chat-room or even a web-camera video. In this case, students who feel shy to have face-to-face interaction among their friends to point out their arguments, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook chat-room, MSN Messenger, Skype and so on we can listed are the efficient telecommunication tool as they easily to express their thoughts and words without feeling any difficulty. Moreover, introducing the e-portfolio through using Blogger, Tumblr and Wordpress for the teachers to record the students’ works instead of using the old-fashion way of scrapbook. Most importantly those students also have the chance and space to put their own video which collaborating with the writing lesson for instance.

To conclude the whole case, technology is no longer an ordinary word, but it is beyond from what we thought. To be prepared or not as well, technology keeps and getting larger than life as we need to master them for the sake of our own goodness, otherwise we will be left behind. Teachers need to be concerned towards their students by working on abundance of hands-on activity through using technology during the teaching period. I strongly believe that this mechanism will generate the students’ interest and might pull the trigger of their passion in order to involve themselves for our lesson plan which technically has been prepared almost perfectly. All in all, teacher however badly needs to be trained in using the latest software so that teacher could immerse into a better usage of the particular software as it will be equipped in the teaching period. Due to lack of time is the most noticeable which encounter by the teachers since we were being as the primary student. Hence, needless to beg that teachers require more time in handling technology to enhance their skills in creating excitement and engaging classroom atmosphere.

Tutorial Task 8

ASSESSING STUDENT'S ESSAY

We were working in a group to assess a student's essay and allocated the mark according to the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) writing rubric scheme. A short brief for this essay; the flow of the story is quite good as it much understandable. There some part where this student put a hook in order to attract the readers arouse and attention which is a well done from him/her. However, there are few bad sentence construction which is lead to our confusing while reading the particular sentences. Well, grammar mistakes and spelling errors are easily detected in certain lines, nevertheless the mistakes made are not really even worst as we able to achieve the clear view from what he/she is trying to illustrate through his/her writing. Overall, we have been decided to allocate this student with 10 marks out of 20 which is the starting point or rate to pass. 

Mini Test 1 & 2

Question 1: Use the picture given to write instructions for two activities. Your instructions must be specific and engaging. (6 marks) 

Instruction 1: Within your group, create a direction to help a tourist in order to reach Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel from the initial point of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. Then, write the direction in a short paragraph. 

Instruction 2: Construct a sentence for each tourist spot to describe the location using the right preposition provided.

Question 2: You are teaching the theme 'Environment' to a form three class with intermediate level of proficiency. Describe one activity on how to integrate the following thinking skills into your lesson. (6 marks)

(A) Analysis  

Students will work in group by finding the types of pollution occur around their living area and they need to list the pollution in a creative mind map. Later on, the whole class will generate their own ideas on how to overcome the pollution for a better living area which free from pollution.

(B) Application

By working in a group, student will create a brochure which contains a picture of their polluted living area, the mind map above and plus writing topic sentences and few elaborations on how to overcome the pollution from what they have been discussing in the previous class. They are encourage to decorate the brochure so it will attract the readers especially to their neighbourhood. 

Tutorial Task 7

RESPONDING TO STUDENT'S WRITING

Instructions: Read the essay distributed. Decide what to do with the errors. Are you going to use  written comments, talk to the writer or use checklist? Will you encourage peer edit before the next submission? What is your follow-up activity to deal with the most common errors found in your essay?

In responding towards student's writing, I am personally will talk to the writer or the students as she/he will acquire a clear view based from what I have been highlighted for some particular problems within his/her writing. I strongly believe that by applying this mechanism, the students would automatically react to the encouragement given from us and slowly they will build their self-confidence in order to correct the mistakes. And most importantly, peer edit is necessarily need to be practiced among the students before the submission as it will foster helping to fix one another weaknesses especially between the average and the high-ranked student, hence a huge barrier or a gap around them won't be exist within the class atmosphere. Well, for this particular writing which was written by a foreign student from China, the most common error I found in such essay is too much of run-on sentences and comma splices which mostly vivid the problem of bad sentence structure. The suitable follow-up activity is that I will prepare   few sentences which contains independent clauses while the students have to correct the mistakes by adding periods or semicolons and capitalizing correctly.

EXAMPLE

Run-on sentence	Thain and Donna were on the way to a yard sale an old man waved to them.
Answers	Thain and Donna were on the way to a yard sale. An old man waved to them.
	Thain and Donna were on the way to a yard sale; an old man waved to them
	Thain and Donna were on the way to a yard sale, and old man waved to them.

Tutorial Task 6

GAMIFICATION: INSIDE THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE

www.insidedisaster.com/experience/Main.html

Introducing the viewers here of Inside the Haiti Earthquake which is an online learning based game that totally will put you on the experience surviving in the Haiti Earthquake which happened long time ago. This such game provides three different roles for you to choose; a survivor, and aid worker and as a journalist. Throughout playing this game, you will be served the real visual and pictures which take more close up for behind the scene of this tragic natural phenomenon which you might unbearable to see and feeling uncomfortable while sitting in front of your computer. How amazing is that, isn't? 

Based from my experience by playing this online game, I have chosen to be an aid worker which carry tonnes of responsibilities in order to channel greater momentum of helping those people involve in surviving the earthquake. To play this game is easy, breezy but bear in mind if and only if once you pick the wrong step to save the people, let just us imagine in the end those survivors will slowly die in cause of starvation and failed to acquire medical supplies for their serious injuries. I found out that even though the game basically choosing a role and later on you have to answer the questions followed, however the steps (based on the answers) given to further the journey is quite challenging as the 3 or 4 choices are quite same and necessarily for you to choose if you enroll yourself as an aid worker. One thing for sure, it is much confusing for you to decide whether to go for A, B, C or perhaps D.

HOW TO INTEGRATE THIS GAME FOR A WRITING LESSON?

As an authentic tool, this game will assist the students almost perfectly on narrative writing. The plan as followed; the students will be divided in a group and each groups together will play different roles. Along playing this game, they need to write down every steps which they have taken from the beginning until the end of the journey. Later on, each groups will have to create a story which incorporate 4 stages of plot; beginning, rising action, climax and resolution, on the experience of Haiti earthquake based on their chosen role.

Tutorial Task 5

INTEGRATION OF SKILLS IN WRITING WITH BLOOM'S TAXONOMY

Choose one of the four levels; synthesizing, evaluating, analyzing or applying. Refer to the themes in Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM). Design a task which integrates the level chosen. Write meaningful instructions for your task.

Level	Evaluating
Themes	People : Intercultural understanding at national level (customs and   lifestyles) Values : Love for harmony and respect
Instructions	You are currently further your study in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), meanwhile your schoolmate from your former high school got 2 confirmation letters to continue his/her study in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) as well in private higher institution. Write an email to convince him/her in order to promote the integration of 1 Malaysia which you are now experiencing in such university rather than he/she sign up for the private university as it is mostly accommodated for minority races. Write your clear reasons with evidences.

Tutorial Task 4

"Put Your Records On"

A compilation of songs and movies that are related to the themes in Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) and Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM).

World of Self, Family and Friends
	Artist/Band	Song title
1	Bruno Mars	Count On Me
2	Michael Jackson/Glee Cast	Ben Black or White
3	Journey/Glee Cast	Don’t Stop Believin’
4	Avril Lavinge/Glee Cast	Keep Holding On
5	The Pretenders/Glee Cast	I’ll Stand By You
6	Christina Aguilera	Beautiful
7	Lulu/Glee Cast	To Sir, With Love
8	Barbra Streisand	Papa, Can You Hear Me?
9	Grouplove/Glee Cast	Tounge Tied
10	Lindsay Lohan	Confession of a Broken Heart
World of Stories
World of Knowledge
1	Michael Jackson	Earth Song
2	Destiny’s Child	Stand Up For Love

World of Self, Family and Friends
1	New York Minute
2	Cheaper by the Dozen
3	Chicken Little
4	Enchanted
5	Material Girls
World of Knowledge
1	2012
2	National Treasure
3	The Day After Tomorrow
4	Lincoln
5	Cloud Atlas

Tutorial Task 3 (Group Work)

Task 1: Descriptive Essay

1. Compile a list of words used to describe people.

Eyes	Nose	Face	Lips	Complexion	Hands	Cheek	Body
Round Large Small Almond-shaped Round Wide Teary Bright Piercing Mesmerizing	Sharp Long Short Turned up Hooked Wide Narrow	Square Oval Round Triangular Heart Oblong Rectangle Inverted triangular Diamond	Thin Full Pouting Pursed Laugh Smile Beam Grin Frown Grimace Scowl	Freckled Rosy Ruddy Tanned Wrinkled Pale Spotless Silky Smooth Creamy	Big Small Thin Long Short Fat	Chubby Thin	Muscular Well-fed Thick Busty Thin

2. Capture a photo around the campus. Describe the place by completing the five senses table.

Photo 1 Chancellor Hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

Types of 5 senses	Responds
What did I see?	A huge Chancellor Hall of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) with a captivating scenery.
What did I smell?	Fresh-air of the floral elements surround.
What did I touch?	Ultra-strong concrete pillars and walls.
What did I taste?
What did I hear?	Birds chirping around.

Types of 5 senses

Responds

What did I see?

A huge Chancellor Hall of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) with a captivating scenery.

What did I smell?

Fresh-air of the floral elements surround.

What did I touch?

Ultra-strong concrete pillars and walls.

What did I taste?

What did I hear?

Birds chirping around.

3. Find a message in your inbox. Describe the emotion of the sender (Original sentence). Expand the original sentence to at least 30 words.

Message	Where on the earth you guys?
Original sentence	Brenda was worried about her friends, Fariz and Salbiah being late.
Expansion	Brenda dialed her phone once again. She looked at the buses passing by with an anxious heart. She could not reach her friends, Fariz and Salbiah. She was worried if her friends being late. She looked at her watch while waiting for them to answer her phone. Less than a minute, they appeared.