I Read to Write

Creating Capacity Leadership

2009-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

Adapted from: Rowland, D. & Higgs, M. (2008). 'Sustaining change; leadership that works'. England; Jossey-Bass.

Leadership once recognized in a leader in often about the capacity of a person in completing a targeted task. A better leader is creating that capacity in his/her team work. Below are the sets of behaviors that characterized 'creating capacity leadership'

Develops people's skills in implementing change
Change happens in every moving organisations to meet the demand of the present and the future, thus, Creating Capacity leaders focus their time in assisting others to learn on how to master the transition both for themselves and the organisations at large. Leaders in the study done by the writer acknowledge that the change happens in an organisation create extraordinary demands thus, Craeting Capacity leaders invest in monetary, time and effort to equip the members and the organisation in delivering the changes. This is done by focussing on different groups with different skills and the development are done with interventions accordingly.

Lets people know how they are doing and coaches them to improve
Creating Capacity leaders, regarding this topic focuses their attention in giving feedbacks and coach their members. The practices include of guiding the members in enveloping the change. They not only focus on what should be accomplished but how to achieve the targeted accomplishment. These two elements is fully recognized by Creating Capacity leader in achieving greater performance improvement by guiding through the task in different approach.

Gets people to work across organisational boundaries and along key processes.
Through facilitation towards accomplishing tasks, Crearing Capacity leaders helps improve the setting by connecting members with different group and departments across organisational boundaries. Critical work gets mapped out and accomplised so that operational excellence is improved and greater values created. The practices includes creating:

formal teams
informal alliances
networks to support change
large group gathering

These pratices is to implement information sharing and best practice exchange processes that build collective wisdom about performance and the capability to improve it.

Makes sure the organisation's processes and systems support the change
Creating Capacity leaders take actions to reconfigure current processes and systems that do not support the change. Most important element is information exchanges to members that need it and/or it could be encouraging behaviors that reinforce a steady state scenario. In this aspect, Creating Capacity leaders recognize that not only member's attitude and bahaviours need to be changed, but the support system must be in linear with the changing efforts.

Personality Traits and Leadership

2009-05-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Adapted from:
Lussier, R.N. & Achua, C.F. (2007). Personality traits and leadership; Chapter 2 Leadership traits and ethics. Leadership: theory, application & skill development. (pp. 30 - 35). Canada: South-Western.
by Rabiatul A. Aziz

Many researches and case studies has raises the issue of the should-be personality and traits of a leader. We do understand not all people are born to be leaders, although it could be developed throughout the years of life. Yet there is a definite distinction of a leader and a follower. Let us understand the definition of personality and traits as the first step. Personality is a person's consistent and stable response to the world (Dalton & Ernst, 2004) or a combination of traits that classifies an individual's behaviour (Lussier & Achua, 2007). Traits are the distinguishing personal characteristics (Lussier & Achua, 2007).

Everybody is born with their individual personality and this could be assessed through designated assessment this can be accessed in Lussier & Achua (2007), pp. 30. Through the personality profile; the identification of individual's stronger and weaker traits, we can explain reasons of people's behavior and predict job performance. By knowing that a friend is as an introvert person, you can avoid from choosing him/her to present your important group project in a presentation hall full of very-important-people. The personality profile is very useful to categorized people for predicting job success. Amazingly, personality traits is developed from genetics and environmental factors. The traits can be categorize using the Big Five Model Of Personality.

There are five dimensions of traits in the Big Five Model, which are:
Sugency: this includes leadership and extraversion traits. Strong surgency is commonly called dominance, while extraversion is the continuum of extravert and introvert personality. The example of statement of high surgency is:

I step forward and take charge in leaderless situations
I enjoy competing and winning
I an outgoing and willing to confront people when in conflict.
I want to climb the corporate ladder to as high level of management as I can.

Agreeableness: traits that are related to getting along with people. It is strong when the person is sociable, spends most of time with people annd have many friends. The traits moost noted as a strong agreeableness is warm, easygoing, compassionate and friendly. The example of statements are:

I am concern of getting along well with other people
I enjoy having lots of friends and going to the parties
I try see things from other people's point of view
I want other people to like me and to view me as very friendly
I enjoy working with others more than working alone

Adjustment: traits that are related to emotional stability. This trait is the continuum between stable and unstable. Those with high level of adjustment is seen as calm, excellent self-control, relaxed and praising others. The example of statements are:

I have a good self-control; I dont get emotioanl, angry at all
I perform well under pressure
I am an optimistic person who sees the positive side of situations
I give people lots of praise and encouragement; I don;t put down and critisize.
I view myself as being relaxed and secure, rather than nervous and insecure.

Conscientiousness: traits that are related to achievement which it is the continuum between reponsible/dependable to irresponsible/undependable. This trait includes credibility, conformity and organisation where individuals with this traits are seen to be hard workers, willing to participate and put in extra time. example of the statements are:

I'm dependable; when I say I will do something, its done well on time
I work hard to be successful
I am a well-organized person
I conform by following by following the rules of an organization.
I am considered to be credible because I do a good job and come through for people.

Openness to experience: traits that are related to being willing to change and try new things. People with high openness are creative and innovative to new ideas. They look for changes and take the risks of trying new things. the example of statements are:

I try to things diffeently to improve my performance
I go to new places and enjoy travelling
When I go out to a new restaurant, I order food I haven't tried
I volunteer to be the frst to learn and do new tasks at work
When people suggest doing things differently, I support them and help them bring it about; I dont make statements like these: "it won't work, we never did it before, no one elese ever did it, or we cant do it".

Derailed Leadership Traits.
Not all leaders have strong Big Five Traits, although it is an ideal personality for a successful leaders. Yet, there are few elements that also makes a leader successful, that is by treating people as a valuable assets in an organisation, regardless of its population. Not only that, successful leadership can be achieved by avoiding greed and welcoming change. However, weaknesses in leaders or managers can be a damaging to an organization if not corrected instantly. The following are the six weaknesses that could be found in failed leadership:

The usage of bullying style portraying intinidation, insensitivity and abrasion
The traits of being cold, aloof and arrogant
The betrayal of personal trust
Self-centered and overly ambitious
Having specific performance problems in tasks
Overmanaged and incapable of group delegation or team building.

Summary: University Challenges; Borderless Higher Education, Today and Tomorrow

2009-04-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Middlehurst, R. (2001). University challenges: Borderless higher education, today and tomorrow. Minerva, 39, 3-26. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Summary by Rabiatul A. Aziz

Introduction

Higher education now is rapidly changing becoming new providers and in new forms. The changes are well defined as 'borderless education' which refers to the development that goes or is potential of going beyond the traditional borders of higher education. These borders are national, organizational and sector boundaries, border of time and space and private/ public boundaries. The development causes the needs for redefinition which widen the conceptual frameworks and challenge the way of teaching, learning, research and community are serviced and delivered.

The key factors that driven new development in higher education are the increasing numbers of student which is caused by people who wants credentials or training in their working field, and the increasing costs of higher education which is caused by the expansion of flexibility and educational provisions. The drivers of this change are:

Economic and business dynamics: higher education is economic imperatives and business concerns, higher education the central of agenda for knowledge-driven economy, the globalisation of knowledge economy.
Social and intellectual change: widens access and participation, higher expectations of customer service, increasing individual and group autonomy, authority challenges and new patterns of interaction and relationship by variety of networks.
Technological development: convergence of technologies into forms of digital storage and convergence of networks producing volatility.
The policy context: the lifelong learning and skills' agendas offers opening for competition which need a change of present policy.

Development landscape in new educational sector can be grouped in seven different heading:

Corporate Universities: represents a re-organization and re-naming of human resource and education and training activities.
'For-Profit' Education: is the manifestation of the education and training development in business sector, which many of them have significant global 'brands'.
Media/ Publishing Businesses: is one of the major threat to universities in educational development. However, universities has collaborated by offering variety of services through partnership.
Professional Associations: seeking was to sell their 'brand-name' and assess their selling propositions just like companies. The growth of specialist professional and vocational colleges is also one of the trend in professional associations.
Educational Service and Brokers: Corporate universities and traditional universities need to depend on other organisation that offers educational service and brokers using fully integrated electronic systems in the era of rapid advances in technology.
'Borderless' Developments among Universities and Colleges: borderless development have four visible trends among existing universities which areconvergence between distance learning and face-to-face modes of teaching and learning, various form of collaboration, increasing commercialism and involvements in business ventures and lastly closely involves in creating or tailoring courses to the needs of business.

Challenges to Universities from 'Borderless' Higher Education.

The first challenges arises from new professionalism and customer-focused approach to training and education. The second is from the advancing of technology that becomes widespread and being dependent on globally. The third challenge derives from the convergence between previously discrete academic territories and organisations.

The impact of the challenges is that it create fluidity in boundaries of time and space in the relation to the delivery of education. The dissolving boundaries raises the issues of identity, structure, co-ordination and regulation particularly between the universities' functions and between major and peripheral service. The expectation of education has changed the 'offer' to be created in new form where specialized function is clearer. This cause the universities to redefine their core business. More focused education is designated to praticality needs in the industry rather than just focusing on university qualification. The borderless features also involving of reputation and brand image to expand opportunities in the education and traning market.

Hanging proposal, finding strength

2009-04-18T06:58:00.002-07:00

I had delayed completing my proposal for nealy a week. I had determined to send it to my lecturer last week. But the exams coming and the due assignments I have to meet. The determination went downhill. Phew! I had just finished finding the quotation from 10 various scholar books for any gist of leadership. There are alot...only that me and Mak have to find one that suits with 'Framing the Future'. Leadership skills that discusses of devoloping it for global use. Something partly new...giving me a bit of headache and waking up at night.

So now I have to start finding the mood for my proposal. I had it few days ago...but I had to apply it for 'Framing the Future', now I have to complete my assignments due next week...the mood to have a little rest *which tend to be a long rest* kept on coming. I have to find ways to overcome this situation.

I think I want to start by reading the literature review...one that it relevant to leadership, leadership development, AKEPT and job performance...I need to at least write 2 pages each day to be able to have progress.

Finding strength...keep finding strength

I am starting my writing again

2009-04-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

After a year joining the course in M. Sc. Organisational Communication, I feel that it is a waste not to put in writing. Although it is just an informal one, at least later when I have succeeded (iAllah) I could read back all the hardship that I go through and I will not forget the journey of a student learning new wonderful things (although sometimes it is pain in the a**).

More than year ago I write in this blog because of requirement during my project paper in B. Ed. TESL. It is a relief sometimes when you have no ideas and you put it in here, you feel like what is clogged in your head is slowly clearing out (I sounded like a sewer). But yeah the 'writer's block' that I learnt could really happen to an expert. I think what makes someone expert is that he/she knows how to let the idea flowing. So i'm choosing this medium to let it out.

Currently, I have to finish up my proposal. It is the end of the 2nd semester. The proposal is still hanging. (I feel guilty...ehehe). But right now I should be focusing on my exam this evening. After this I only have to attend 1 more course and finish all 5 core subjects. Then I could really focus on my thesis.

Yosh! I am determined already
But maybe still a bit sleepy and good for a little nap...(the guilt is still there though)

It’s spilling out

2007-10-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

I need to refine my research paper. I guess I’ve put in too much quotation from the reference books that I found. I feel like putting in all that I know. But I guess I have to abandon some (although I found it relevant for the paper)

So far, I have major problems in quoting the quotations I don’t have much knowledge on quoting those from the internet. Luckily I found an example (from the internet itself), but I found difficulties again when some of the sites doesn’t put in the dates or in most cases, the author. I guess I would just put it in the way it is with some exceptions.

I am going mad with the research paper. I had actually delayed Tharani in front of the bathroom to talk about this. Yet she listened and advised me on it…for 30 minutes (more or less) until my feet ache from the standing. It’s amazing how these papers could bother us all to the limits. Some cried, some temporarily insane, some lost the ability to compose at all. It’s a bit funny really. I feel like laughing, but it does occur and some occurred to me too.

What I could say is, I have to refine my paper!

How was my research paper doing?

2007-10-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, to be honest, I’m not sure. But I guess I am okay since I worked out what to do and what I don’t need to do. I decided to not write on biographical research, because that would need Blake’s autobiography (if he has one – which I couldn’t find), his letters to all his friends, family and colleagues and I would need a lot of critiques. I just found that it is a lot of work and it could even fit 10 pages.

So I worked on the imagery of the colour black that has being portrayed a lot in his works. I first thought that it is boring…but as I work through, it is not if you know how to tackle it.

I would need to find his biography, critiques on the poems and colour reference towards emotions. I guess I am alright, as long as I know what I don’t know…then I would know what I need to find.

Essay vs Composition

2007-10-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

I felt ashamed…not exactly, but I somehow felt embarrassed. I learned that all this while, I had never written a well written essay, but just a lame composition. We learned of an accomplished essay by George Orwell: Shooting an Elephant. The elements that he touches in his essays are those that has deep conflicts…I fell inferior (I guess anybody would if to compare the essays side by side)

Well in the essay, it talks of imperialism; the not wanting to do sinful and wrong things that is thought as wrong. Talks of taking life; elephant’s life is much more worthy than a coolie (human being) as it’s been compared by the amount of work each could take. It also talks of duty and societal pressure.

I could never imagine myself sitting in these people’s place; either being the officer (colonizer), or the coolie, or the Burmese society. Each has their own pressure towards each other. The worst I could imagine would be the coolie…his life is being compared to an elephant? It’s nullifying…

I’ve so much to say (more on the stupidity of those who compare humans with animals) but it’s too messed up…maybe I could start thinking of better essay next time.

Love Letter

2007-09-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Oooo, we read a love letter by famous poet. It was being read aloud by the lecturer. Honestly, if it is not being read aloud, I couldn’t have had understood a piece of its message. It is very flowery. This letter we read is from Keats to Fanny Brawne.

I am very fascinated by the way the old folks write their letters, even the formal one (meant for an acquaintance) was written in such elaborated imaginaries and symbols. Full of metaphor and many reference to other great literature (which are taken in, in a from of quotations)

Now that I learned letters has its own art of writing and its own specialty, I found that the culture of writing beautifully written letters in an endangered state. Near extinction. For a while it overwhelmed me, but as I thought back, humans gone trough evolution as well as the technology and the culture. Maybe, we could find a way to make SMS or MMS sending an art, just like letter writing centuries ago…could we?

Nelson Mandela

2007-09-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

It has been quite sometime that I have not review on our lesson in class. Something interesting came up the other day, and as I flipped through our course book, I remembered we did something on the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

It is an interesting piece to read. Something that I am deeply concern about; racism. Living here in Malaysia, I am taught to think that all people despite where you come from and how you look like, has the same red blood in our veins. Therefore all should be treated and should be judged equally. That is what I believe.

Well the story about the differences of class between the white and the blacks. It is being differentiated by a form of clothing. Long pants for the honored and the shorts for the trash (this was perhaps around 50 years ago – or more). There is more to it…but what we focused on is about the autobiography itself.

The questions arose are:
Why write autobiography?
The pitfalls in reading autobiography
The educational implication for using autobiography in the classroom

I couldn’t answered it all, but we did some discussion on it. But I like the part of the pitfalls of reading autobiography. I am the type that would easily believe…my bad…but I found out that an autobiography is just a one man’s view. So it could be bias. I love reading autobiography (like the princess of Arabia – or something like that) and I believed every single words…I think I should read back and consider the facts again.

The Possibilities of every type of Concerns

2007-09-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

There is a breaking news…we have to send in the outline of our research paper. Honestly, I had not found the confidence in conveying all my ideas in a paper yet. It was all over the place. The bits are here and there (I meant, some are on papers…some are in my head – which has not been sorted out yet). I'm concern in every aspect of Blake's and his works. But from which view?...I don't know

I found it hard without much guidance…but I actually had some from my friends. They helped a lot (esp. Tharani and Ayu Ismail…thank you so much!). We discussed on every aspects and possibility of the topic. On how I should put it to be rational and purposeful…

My outline: I guess I would be doing on biographical studies as my topic is something like:

How Blake’s background influences his works.

I found out of the Industrial and French Revolution that occurred. There was also this new ideology which is capitalism due to Industrial revolution. I found out about Blake’s religious belief too…he opposes catholic belief (as they was corrupted during those time). He is of a free thinker (not exactly), but more of meditation type of devotion…How exactly should I do this?

…

I AM LOST

Blake's Poem, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience

2007-09-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

We had had our meeting with The Supervisor; it is brief and a simple meeting. We browse our ideas one by one. He gave comments and refines those who need to be refined. He seemed to give us the freedom to choose what we would like to make research about. We are still not sure on what to do precisely, as we had to be very independent…but I felt maybe because we had so much guidance in writing our position paper, we had become unable in thinking for ourselves. It’s a new view, but I felt I might turn out alright like always.

I chose Blake. I found his poems portray a lot of children characters. Not only that, he wrote of their misery in the very deepest way. I found out that these meanings (the abusive adults towards middle class children…an insult to the church as well to the authorities) are not discovered in the early 100 years of its publish. Only when the people have gone through many revolutions and modernization that they said there’s something about this man (Blake)

I was surprised…to know that they had actually considered Blake’s poem as children poems (just because there are a lot of them in the work). It sounds to be like the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ verse. There are a lot more to find out, but I think I would stay with this topic.

Starting the next work

2007-08-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

The deadline for our position paper is coming up, so before that, I had to refine everything. We didn’t get to send in the draft as requested by the lecturer, we had to send in the final draft without given much comment on it (I eventually didn’t know this and I had sent it in without the formal ‘assignment cover’…which might had influence my first impression). Nevertheless, I had done my best in extracting my ideas onto papers, and I could consider the one that I sent could be my final draft.

Everyone had their first appointment with their supervisors already…but my group has not. Well…ours told us to relax and get things done one by one. It’s just that we were getting anxious with the whole idea of a new project…research paper (the main project for the course). Honestly, it’s hard to relax.

I hadn’t thought what I would like to do precisely. But I had fallen in love with the topic of child abuse (it’s sad really). I would like to know who else had written of the same matter.

My Position Paper

2007-08-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

Now, it’s time to approve with the points. I got mine approved of during the second time the class met to review on our points. I was quite glad actually, as I could start early. Surprisingly, I do not have any difficulties in refining the points (I only need to refine it in terms of its grammatical errors only…hmn hmn)

These are my points:
- Orphan’s guardian is allowed by the parish authority to use the orphan as a means to get money.
- The parish does not prioritize the orphan’s charity, but are more concerned with the profits that the orphan could make for them.
- The orphans are not considered as children, but less than human and are not given any humanity values.
- The authorities use Christian values to cultivate the orphans’ guilt to silence their underfed and overworked conditions.
- The orphans are given away with rewards to any middle worker who needs apprentice without taking into consideration the orphans’ well being with the new guardian.

To get all these points, I had to find the different aspects of any forms of cruelty, negligence and discrimination performed to Oliver or the other orphans.
There are three different types of people that I had recognized as those who discriminate:
- The Parish (highest form of power in the society)
- The Guardian (those that are in contact with the orphans)
- The Society (those who turns a blind eye)

It’s advisable for you to read this fascinating book ‘Oliver Twist’ before actually reading my position paper, and let me know what you think,

i got my thesis statement

2007-08-04T18:31:00.001-07:00

When I came into the class, the rest of my colleagues are still battling with our thesis statement. Only about ten of us have passed on their thesis statement. So I put down mine:
Hypocrisy emerges through the misuse of Christian obligation towards the orphans.

Well, luckily this time around Dr. accepted it but changed the obligation to values. Which has turns out like this:

Hypocrisy emerges through the misuse of Christian values towards the orphans.

I like it, it sounds more matured and compact. Now what I need to get are the points. Just that… so I decided to build points from the villain point of view. I listed out all of the antagonists, which I mainly think plays a major role in making Oliver’s life more difficult.
But as I went through the whole list (which is not quite completed yet) it seems unsuitable and it does not have a topic sentence. But you could not make a character your topic sentence and list out all the bad things they’ve done. What if two characters did the same villainous thing to Oliver, like the parish authority and Mr. Bumble for instance? I guess it does not fit quiet right.

The notion of hypocrisy

2007-08-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the last time I tried suggesting my thesis statement, it was unaccepted because I can’t really give readers the whole idea that I want to write. So, this time around, I skimmed through the book again to see if there is any idea that I could make full of use. I also put in the points that were given into my brainstorm mind map. I was asked to use the notion of hypocrisy and the Christianity disguise (or something). So these are my points
hypocrisy, child labour, Christianity, cruelty
basic life’s needs, middle class men, greed

I came up with:
the deeds of the middle class society in the name of Christianity are hypocrisy
the Christian obligation done by the middle class society are mere hypocrisy

The feedback that I get is to use something like:
Hypocrisy, misuse of Christian obligation, orphan…

Ouch, now the whole sentence has changed again, and I’m still groping around on how I would want to write of the hypocrisy and the cruelty of the adults to poor Oliver. I have my points, only that I don’t have the super strong statement.

Position Paper, Oliver Twist

2007-07-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure why I like this story. I had only read it once, but I remembered it so well (which probably because I was touched by the cruelty of adults towards children) that I decided to write a position paper on Oliver Twist. I want to write on how children are being labored heartlessly.

I also remembered about another story that has the same child labour theme, I can’t remember the title, but in the story the children are used to sweep chimney in the rich men’s houses and how most of them turns out sick by inhaling too much soot into their lungs. There is also about children having to work in charcoal mines and actually having to live deep down in the tunnel without having sunlight for a year. Because the mine has small tunnels, they decide children size suits well without thinking about the harm that they do to the children.

So, I got the book (which I bought for RM 8.90 Penguin Published), and read the story thoroughly trying to remember the details which I could easily retrieve later when I need it for quotation. The only problem that i have now is the Thesis Statement. Only two of us succeeded into getting the correct Thesis Statement. How do you supposed to create an argument from child abuse, heartless middle class men, using the name of Christianity to do discriminate children?
1. Child labour is to fulfill the aristocrats' greed, not the children's basic life's need
2. Child labour is to fulfill greed, not basic life's need

Can this be accepted? Does it even sound like and argument?

Tuesday With Morrie

2007-07-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love Tuesday With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I love it because I could let myself cry of it. There are so many things that are so related. I just couldn’t help myself from loving that book and reading it for the 2nd time. It is something heavy, for me. It’s not the matter of just reading the book, but it’s more of experiencing the whole topic itself. You feel very full by the end of every chapter.

Although I think what Morrie says are not all correct. I still feel that it is correct when you are dying, when you have no future to be afraid of, even I would let go of the desires for the world. But in a way it made me think; what is really important in the end?

I love the topic on forgiveness, about family, about love and other extraordinary ideas that Morrie present. It struck you just like lightning, it made you stared at the board and think, it is true? The way Mitch Albom present the ideas through his writings could also made the message conveyed; as if you get poked spiritually which actually get your scar bleeds again. That’s what I feel.

Photo cited from http://www.yunglee.com/my-images/tuesdayswithmorrie.jpg

from linguistic to paintings

2007-07-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

I forgotten to mention this in the previous class, but when I saw my notes about the painting, I suddenly remembered the whole purpose of getting the painting of The Fall of Icarus. I wrote down, to look how message conveyed from text (linguistic) to visual…

Now, here comes my opinion. It does not match at all. Surely it does not. I could imagine the farmers are watching Deadelus and Icarus up the sky. I can imagine Icarus being scorched by the sun and even the melting wax and disentangled feathers. But all that is in the picture is Icarus trashed into the sea, no sign of Daedelus and the farmers seemed not to notice anything is happening around them. I think, if I am to introduce this myth to my students, I wouldn’t use this picture. It does not help much in my imagination.

What do you think?

Daedalus and Icarus

2007-07-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is the picture of ‘The Fall of Icarus’

We had other picture with two men naked in the sky, one is falling down…yadda yadda. But this is the one which is right. First I wonder where is Icarus? I can’t even find his father. Well if you look closely at the ship, there are two legs (which I first thought was the hands…which then made me wonder where is the head?)

Have I mentioned about reading Ovid Metamorphosis (the author) Daedalus and Icarus (a person, not a country)? Well, there was patience moment which then comes the confused moments. Reading the text was a painful experience overall. Hmn hmn. There are so many names and some are not even connected and so alien to me (they are Latin names). The next step that we are asked to do is to simplify the story into 250 – 350 words essay.

While the story about the King of Bharatas made me feel a bit better than reading Ovid’s work. But the whole thing stills an alien to me. And what we had to do with the work is to find a story that has the same theme in the story King of Bharatas. We are also to find Malaysian Folklore.

Picture cited from http://www.usm.maine.edu/eng/bruegel%20icarus.JPG

i'm still hanging in the air

2007-07-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

I’m still hanging somewhere in the space. I actually understood that we have to pass up a position paper every week, but the real thing is to meet your supervisor every week. Phew! I thought I will sure fail this paper. Not because I have to meet the lecturers everyday (that’s one thing) but I actually don’t believe that I could write as THAT much.

So nightmares over, back to reality, I’m still hanging anyway. Because you have to have a strong thesis statement, which I still do not know what makes a statement a strong one. I guess others don’t know too. Well there must be some genius who knows among us.

Our next work that we have to do is to find this picture of ‘The Fall of Icarus’. Icarus…a country I guess. To read something about metamorphosis…ovid something. To read about the King of Bharatas, this will be distributed to us by Marina.

I started out late huh

2007-07-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, my laptop's gone and i'm in difficulty. so i decide to write first and then post it all. but i think i will try doing it right at the same day as the lecture so i won't get lost in case i'm about to lose my head.

overall, this course EDU3234 is one good example of a subject that make shivers go down your spine.

what we have to do is to write a position paper and a research paper. it freakes me out! and each of us to get a supervisor. we heard not to get certain lecturer...as sometimes your paper could be rejected last minute. that is scary. but nevertheless, i want to try even harder. i have the will, i have to find the strength then.

woohoo. i have more, but there's class to go and bus to catch. i miss my laptop.