LEARN,TEACH, LOVE

English Mini Carnival 2012

2012-05-26T22:10:00.000+08:00

Date   : 12th May 2012
Venue    : Sri Tasek Hall, SMK Tasek Utara
Organiser    : English Language Panel, SMK Tasek Utara
Facilitators : Charles Hornsta & David Prihoda, English Teaching Assistants (ETA)

Awesome workshops conducted by the two guys. Students learn more on American culture and share their experiences with Charlie & David. I'm so blessed that I managed to rope them in. It wasn't an easy task but alhamdulillah, things turned out well eventually.

My talented students. This event is mainly organised by the Student Leaders Board with facilitation from the English Language teachers. My students set up games and photo booths, carnival style :) I'm so proud of their efforts. Good job everyone!


The participants and the committee members. I'm so glad to hear that Charlie & David had a whale of a time being with my students. Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience with us. My students were so excited and I can see they are more confident in speaking English now, thanks to this event.

Johor International Student Leaders Conference 2012

2012-05-08T19:45:00.001+08:00

Attention to all students and teachers,

Johor Student Leaders Council (JSLC) is organising the 2nd Johor International Student Leaders Conference 2012. Enclosed are the details pertaining to the conference:

Date: 26 & 27th June 2012

Venue: KSL Convention Centre, KSL Hotel

Participants: Local & international student leaders

The aim of JISLC 2012 is to encourage student leaders from schools (age 13-18) throughout Asia and beyond to meet and exchange ideas, views, initiatives, and visions on an international platform; engaging in a cross-cultural learning environment.

The 1st Johor International Student Leaders Conference 2011. Don't miss the golden opportunity this time!

This year’s theme will bring together the viewpoints and proposals of student leaders all over the world on a very critical issue of sustainable development that may determine the future of the generations to come. The United Nations 2005 World Summit. Outcome Document refers to three reinforcing pillars that form the underpinnings of sustainable development which are:

i. economic development

ii. social development

iii. environment protection.

To register as a participant or a presenter, check out this link and download the forms enclosed at the bottom of the webpage. If you are interested to be a paper presenter, please send the abstract of your paper presentation and we'll review them. Grab this golden opportunity to discover new things, hone your leadership skills and meet awesome new friends at the 2nd Johor International Student Leaders Conference.

For more information, please visit the official JISLC 2012's website. Hope to see you there!

Johor Midyear Examination Schedules 2012

2012-04-17T14:07:00.000+08:00

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” ~ General Colin Powell

Hi folks,
Enclosed are the schedules for the Johor Midyear Examinations for Form 3, Form 5 and Upper Six students. Hope this would assist you in revising your upcoming examinations. All the best of luck!

Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun T3 Negeri Johor 2012 Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun Tingkatan 5 Negeri Johor 2012 Jadual Peperiksaan Setara Pertengahan Tahun Tingkatan 6 Atas Negeri Johor 2012

Public Speaking, Choral Speaking, Parliamentary Debate & Drama's Rules and Regulations

2012-04-12T14:08:00.000+08:00

For teachers and students who are searching hi and lo for the rules and regulations for the Public Speaking,Choral Speaking, Parliamentary Debate & Drama competitions, enclosed are the documents. You can access them via my Scribd. Hope that would help others to plan and train for the upcoming competitions. All the best of luck! Public Speaking Choral Speaking Debate Drama

All in a day's work

2012-04-08T17:44:00.000+08:00

My blog had been in such a sorry state as I was frantically trying to cope with various obligations at one go. It has been a great test of patience and endurance and I thank Allah for giving me the strength to go through the manic ordeal.

First, it was English week and I count my blessings that I have good English teachers who gave their best to make it a success. The motto of our English Week is 'Keep Calm and Speak English.' The opening ceremony was officiated by the principal, Pn. Hjh. Zainab Ali and graced by a choral speaking performance from 1 KAA1. Sushmita from 3KRK1 serenaded the audience with her rendition of I Have a Dream. For the rest of the week, students had the opportunities to take part in Morning Speeches, Spell It Right competition, Explorace and the coveted event, Tasek Talentime. I believe that by initiating fun yet educating activities, students would be motivated to utilise English in their daily lives. Next month, our English Language Panel will initiate our 1st English Mini Carnival (EMC) where we will invite neighbouring schools to take part in scintillating workshops with engaging English Language games and activities. I'm so excited that I've managed to rope in the help of the American English Teaching Assistants (ETA). My students are all psyched up for this!

In the midst of English Week frenzy, I rushed to 5 schools in JB to conduct the inspection of the ULBS Assessment. The KPs were very cooperative and it was an eye opener to see various working ethos and filing systems. The next day, I had to rush to Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan (BTP) for an assessment project affliated with the Johor Education Department. Oh, did I mention I have to rush to Port Dickson on the same day for my HLP briefing? Yeah, it was manic all right...

The esteemed speakers. Dr. Maimunah Ali, Dr. Ibrahim, Dr. Kamaruddin & Dr. Latip. One day, I hope I can be as successful as them, Insya Allah.

Despite having to rush here and there, I was relieved that I managed to reach PD safe and sound. Alhamdulillah, I am selected as one of the recipients of the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) scholarship this year. Regardless of the shortcomings that I faced, I've survived the rigorous interview and I've been granted 2 years study leave. Not forgetting full pay leave with additional allowance and perks, alhamdulillah. It wasn't an easy journey. The competition was stiff. According to Bahagian Tajaan Pelajaran (BTP) at Ministry of Education, out of 800 people being interviewed, only 120 people are selected. The briefing for the HLP Scholarship recipients were held at Avilion Admiral Cove, Port Dickson and it was jam-packed with brilliant learning nuggets that would assist us in prepping ourselves for the upcoming studies. It was such a humbling experience meeting 119 other recipients who are enthusiastic and optimistic on upgrading themselves. I see this as an opportunity to be a better learner and improve myself as a greater educator. I've planned to further my studies at UTM in September and hopefully, everything will be smooth sailing.

I also managed the school chess club alongside Syura and we had sent 12 participants to take part in the MSSD Chess Tournament at SMK Tun Syed Nasir Ismail last Monday & Tuesday. I am thrilled that Derrick Ng managed to be in the top 8 players and the rest had given their best in the competition. Despite the fact I am often not at school due to official duties, I believe that as long you learn to delegate and assign tasks to your students, it is manageable. I've also learned that it is hard to please everyone but the most important thing is to never neglect your core business, teaching that is. Facebook has been my saviour and I use it as a platform to communicate and teach my students amidst my absence in school. Not sure if work would slow down but hopefully, I'll be given the strength to overcome any trial or tribulation.

Latest Update on Standardised Examinations 2012

2012-03-08T18:50:00.001+08:00

For students and teachers in Johor, please take note of the latest information from the Johor Education Department.

Only one standardised examination will be conducted for each form in 2012.
For Year 6 (UPSR) , Form 3 (PMR) and Form 5 (SPM), the standardised exam will be the Midyear Examination.
For Year 3,4,5 (Primary School) and Form 1,2 and 4 (Secondary School), the standardised exam will be the Final Year Examination.
Standardised examination will no longer be carried out in 2013.

Enclosed is the letter issued by the Johor Education Department for further reference.

The Curse, Catch Us If You Can & Step by Wicked Step

2012-02-26T22:54:00.000+08:00

Based from my blog stats, I've discovered that there are quite a number of visitors who were looking for materials on the Form 5's novels ( The Curse, Catch Us If You Can and Step by Wicked Step). Although I blogged more on The Curse as that is the novel that I am teaching in my school, I thought it would be good to jot down a blog entry on all the three novels for easy reference. Enclosed are materials on all of the aforementioned novels. They are provided by the Curriculum Development Division (CDD), MOE and I've shared them on my Scribd as well. I hope that would assist any student or teacher who is in need of extra reading material.

Step by Wicked Step Catch us if you can The Curse

State SLB Establishment Workshop 2012 & my 100th post!

2012-02-24T22:10:00.001+08:00

Date         : 18th Feb 2012
Venue   : SMK Tasek Utara
Organizer   : Johor Student Leaders Council
Participant : 30 Secondary schools from various districts in Johor

The committee members worked around the clock to make the event a success. I smiled when someone asked me "How come there're not many teachers facilitating the workshop?" Basically, when it comes to event management, we believe that the student leaders should play pivotal role in delegating the jobs and executing their roles effectively albeit minimal facilitation from the teacher advisor. During the 1st JSL International Conference last year, there were only 5 adults supervising the event whereas the rest were managed almost 80% by the JSLs. It's high time we give some trust to our students to take charge and believe me, with guidance and time, they'll improve their leadership qualities by leaps and bounds.

Poster presentations by SIGS and SMK Dato Penggawa Timur's SLBs. Thanks for sharing your project with the others. Awesome job everyone!

Group presentations. The student leaders were attentive and exuded confidence and I believe with a wee bit of polishing, they have high potentials to be good leaders. Who knows one of them might be the next JSL ? :)

The JSLC team. Madam Rosliza is the Head of International Affairs/Head Coach for JSLC and I'm officially appointed to be the Coach for the JSLC by the Johor Education Department. JSLC is close to my heart as I've been with them since day 1, from drafting the SLB Constitution, supervising the JSLC Camps, International trainings and so forth. Been doing all that for the past 2 and a half year. This is pure voluntary work and some might gush on how lucky I am that I managed to go here and there but believe me, JSLC is not just about travelling but it requires a lot of sacrifice, tenacity and optimism. Most of the JSLs conduct their activities during the weekends or school holidays so, that means we don't get much rest. There are times I have to rush here and there and spend sleepless nights planning and conducting various projects pertaining to JSLC, the thing is I don't flaunt it to everyone ! I was amused when some people thought I was hogging the limelight by going to almost all international excursions with JSLC and not giving others the chance. FYI, I went there on the ticket of being the JSL Coach and not simply currying favour with the JED officers. If they decide to send others, I'm okay with it. After all, it's purely based on their decision, not mine. Oh well, at the end of the day, you know your intention in doing things and whatever it is, I'll take it with a pinch of salt and work harder to improve myself :) On a positive note, I'm glad that we have more teacher volunteers such as Rosita Manas and some other teachers who attended the workshop. Navinder from SIGS is very well-experienced in managing leadership programme in school and I definitely learn a lot from her. I felt happy talking to Mr. Segar who expressed his interest in helping out with SLB and JSL activities. Isn't that great? If you are interested to help us out, let me know and we'll be happy to consider you :)

My beloved SLB. I am proud of them as they worked hard to assist the JSLs in running the event. SLB is one of the most popular societies in my school and frankly, so many students approached me to join SLB due to the activities organised by my students. There's always room for improvement and I trust all of you to learn from your experience and perhaps that would help you be better leaders. I am lucky that I have colleague like Ali and Diana who are diligent and resourceful. Ali is a distinguished debater and I respect him for his verbal prowess. Diana offered to assist but I felt as she was swarmed with MUET schedules, I let her take a breather. She has been an awesome friend and honestly, she inspires me to be a better person. One thing I've learned from my experience working with JSLC is that we can't enjoy the rainbow if we can't endure the rain. It's not easy to establish a new society like SLB but alhamdulillah, with great work from the teacher advisors and students, the SLB in my school is gradually growing from strength to strength. Leadership is an ongoing thing and I believe the workshop would help the other schools to establish their own Student Leaders Board in school.

I Wonder & Heir Conditioning

2012-02-22T19:17:00.000+08:00

For Form 2 students and teachers who are looking for PowerPoint materials on Jeannie Kirby's I Wonder and M. Shanmugalingam's Heir Conditioning, I would like to share the materials I've received from the Johor Bahru's English Language Officer. For more English Lit materials, do check out my Slideshare's site.

I Wonder - Jeannie Kirby

View more PowerPoint from Nor Fadzleen

Heir Conditioning

View more PowerPoint from Nor Fadzleen

Around The World in 80 Days

2012-02-16T21:00:00.000+08:00

For those looking for materials to teach Jules Verne's Around The World in 80 Days, enclosed is the material provided by the Johor Bahru Education Office during the Johor Bahru's F3 English Literature Workshop recently. Thanks to Ms. Ruzana for the materials. Sharing is caring :)

Around The World In 80 Days

View more PowerPoint from Nor Fadzleen

English Teaching Assistants (ETA) Official School Visit

2012-02-12T18:30:00.000+08:00

Date : 30 th Jan 2012
Venue : Sri Tasek Hall, SMK Tasek Utara, Johor Bahru, Johor.

Howdy folks! Few weeks ago, my school welcomed 17 English Teaching Assistants (ETA) alongside their mentors and officers from the Ministry of Education, Johor Education Department and Johor Bahru Education Office. The ETAs are from USA and they are Fullbright Scholars. Basically, Fullbright Programme is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program which have been successfully carried out for 6 years in Malaysia. The ETAs come from various universities in the US and represent a wide variety of major fields. They would be placed in various primary and secondary schools in Johor for 10 months and assist the school in improving the English Language proficiency among the students. Way cool huh? The Johor ETAs visited two schools that day. For primary school, they went to SK Bandar Baru Uda 2 and few hours later, they went to SMK Tasek Utara!

Albeit the lack of time in preparing for the visit, I count my blessing that I could bank on my Student Leaders Board & MPPU to assist me in preparing for the official visit. They took charge of the programme from A-Z, with minimal facilitation from the teachers. My principal, Pn. Hajah Zainab assured us that we can pull this off smoothly and alhamdulillah, we did. My English Language teachers are amazing too as they gave their best in making sure the programme is a success. The delegation were welcomed by the principal, Pn. Hjh. Zainab Ali and later on, I briefed them on the English Language programmes conducted in my school. They were informed on the internationalisation programmes, excursions and projects carried out by the Student Leaders Board & MPPU too. Next, Francis, Mujahid and Ambrose gave their speeches on their experiences being student leaders in SMKTU. Good job boys :) The ETAs went to several classes to check out the English Language lessons conducted by the teachers. They went to Kak Izlin's, Kak Nida's, Hanim's and Wani's and based on the feedbacks, they felt that the lessons were well-executed and the students were attentive...hmm ;) Gosh, all the hard work paid off!

Before they went back to their hotel, some of the ETAs were given the honour to plant a tree in front of the counselling room. Thanks Ali for his effort in finding the seedling ! We felt this is an apt ceremony as it symbolises the nurturing of friendship and goodwill between two countries. As we inculcate the love towards nature and green living among our students, we believe that the tree would be a good reminder on how we should give back to others, be it via education, social works or environmental conservation.

The Johor's ETAs delegation with SMKTU's reps. I sincerely hope that all of you would enjoy your stay in Johor and have fun in teaching the Malaysian students. Seize the opportunity to visit all the magnificent places in Johor and try out the local delicacies ;) Thank you for putting smiles on my students' face. They really enjoy your visit albeit a brief encounter. Thank you to Mr. Shan, Mr. Rozlan, Ms. Ruzana and Mr. Vijayan for coming to our humble school too. We gave our best and we hope that the ETA programme would be a success, Insya Allah :)

Johor-Victoria Student Leadership Programme: A Photo Essay

2012-01-28T20:59:00.000+08:00

15 Johor Student Leaders flew to Melbourne, Australia for the Johor-Victoria Student Leadership Programme starting from 12 to 25th December 2011. It is a collaborative effort with the Victoria Education Department, in order to expose the JSLs to global leadership and cultural diversity. They were accompanied by Mr. Md. Noor B. A. Ghani, Director of Johor Education Department (JED), his wife, Pn. Asiah Mori, Mr. Kamarudzaman Mubin, Assistant Director at JED, Ms. Azura Abdullah, the JSLC Physical Trainer and yours truly, as the Coach for JSLC. We were warmly welcomed by Mark Reeves, the Principal of Alpine School of Students' Leadership along with the other teaching personnels. Each of the JSL was given an Aussie room mate so they would be able to learn more about each other's culture and lifestyle. The Victorian schools involved were Wallan Secondary College, Maffra Secondary College, Rosebud Secondary College and Bandalla Secondary College.

The teachers at Snowy River Campus, Australia. They are perpetually buzzing with enthusiasm, optimism and very friendly too. I've learned and shared so many things with them and it helped to open my mind on various learning paradigms that I can venture to make my lessons engaging and meaningful. From them, I learn to give myself a break and not to sweat on the small stuff. As a teacher, it is important to establish good rapport with students yet stay grounded with our roles as a facilitator and an educator. Thank you Mark, Robyn, Tim, Francis, Tiwana, Emma, Danni, Bryan, Sarah and Sam for your friendship!

The leadership module was based on the integration of survival skills, team building and connection with Mother Nature. The students hiked into the forest every afternoon to reach the majestic sand dunes for a session they called Spirit Spot. The view was simply breathtaking. They went kayakking, mountain biking, beach exploration for 5 km and I am proud of myself that I did all of the aforementioned activities too :)

Debbie Gray, an awesome motivation coach gave a heart warming talk on her experience overcoming the impossibles. She lost her arms due to an illness and she had never see her disabilities as a setback from achieving her goals. She skydived, raced in a rally, conducted charity projects and raised her daughter single-handedly! Whoah, hats off Deb! Lots of the things she said left vivid impressions on my mind. Don't be afraid of new possibilities, she said. You don't do things to impress others as venturing new ideas and trying new things will open up various possibilities to be a better individual. Life is not all about winning but it's about seizing the opportunities to make your life more meaningful. Don't let negative thoughts, bad vibes, toxic people and setbacks stop you from moving forth. She definitely inspired me to be a better person. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Surf's up! I would never imagine that I would go surfing in Australia one day, I am so glad I braved myself and did it! We were given training by a surfing instructor. I think this is one of the highlights of our programme and all of the participants enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

Cultural Night. The JSL mingled around with their Aussie counterparts and everyone was having a ball. I had the chance to meet Mr. Lynn who is the City Council member of Marlo. He gushed how much he loves Malaysia and he had even climbed Mount Kinabalu last year! The students performed some songs. The JSLs performed a choral performance, Lean On Me and Kenangan Terindah. As it was the last night we'd be spending at Snowy River, we could see the sadness on some of the students' faces yet they tried to make use of the time by having heart-to-heart talk to their friends. I also had the chance to meet Daphnee, the officer from the Victoria Education Department who corresponded with me on the previous international conference. She is a Singaporean who has been living for 10 years in Melbourne. It was certainly wonderful to finally meet you, Daphnee! I Definitely it would be a beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Due to some technical glitch, our flight was delayed and we were put up at Tullamarine Mantra Hotel for the day. Honestly, the JSLs saw this as a golden opportunity to check out Melbourne better as we didn't have much time to go sightseeing due to our tight schedules. Hence, we counted our blessings for the opportunity to be here and decided to be adventurous and explored the city on our own! We explored the National Gallery of Victoria which is so fascinating. Then, we walked to the Square and visited Crowne Shopping Mall which is just opposite the Melbourne Aquarium. It was blazing hot and the city was jam-packed with so many people as it was Christmas Eve. I did some shopping and managed to get some souvenirs for my family, friends and colleagues back home.

Our big family :) We keep in touch constantly by setting up a Facebook group. It helps the JSLs to maintain the camaraderie and at the same time, update one another on leadership activities from both countries. As the JSLC would be organising the International Student Leaders Conference in June this year, we hope to see more student leaders participating and hopefully, some of the Aussie students would take part in the conference as well.

We were featured on Utusan Malaysia, 16th January 2012 :)

English Language Programmes for Schools in Johor 2012

2012-01-12T09:45:00.000+08:00

Enclosed is the letter issued by the Johor Education Department pertaining to the execution of English Language programmes in 2012. For the secondary schools, the programmes are:

English Literature Component
EW 20
LET ( Learn English Together)
English Language Module
An Essay a Month
English Zone
Plad JB
JOSAS ( Johor Spelling Assessment Standard )

Program Bahasa Inggeris Sekolah-Sekolah Negeri Johor 2012

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T06:31:00.003+08:00

It's time to put our noses to the grindstone, folks! I know it has been a long hiatus as I was tied up with work during the school break. Alhamdulillah, 2011 had given me various opportunities to improve myself as a teacher, a learner and an individual. I've tried my hands at writing for local newspaper (E-Lab, Utusan Malaysia), working with BPK, writing an academic paper on the use of Web 2.0. in English Language teaching for a book, targetted at international ELT practitioners ( under the tutelage of AP Dr. Kamarul Kabilan, USM), working with intelligent and wonderful students leaders (JSLC), presenting my papers at two international conferences (MELTA and ICELT), receiving awards for my work (PPDJB and JPNJ), shortlisted for Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) scholarship and the cherry on the top was spending almost 2 weeks at Snowy River School of Leadership in Melbourne, Australia two weeks ago. Honestly, I could not have achieved all that without stellar support from my family, my friends and my colleagues. Apart from that, it has been a bittersweet year for me. Thinking how I struggled with the pain of recovering patella, overcoming the trauma from a robbery, painful accusations and my own shortcomings, I believe sometimes God gives you the adversity for you to be more resilient, to press on and to move forth. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

This year, I would still be heading my English Language panel and alhamdulillah, we managed to get 100% percentage for English Language in PMR exam this year! That's something I am proud of because this is the first time we managed to do that after so many years. I know my colleagues worked so hard to achieve our target. It is definitely a collaborative effort and I am glad that I have the opportunity to work with diligent and talented teachers. Of course, there's always room for improvement and I'm determined to strive harder to achieve my goals. For those looking for the English Language's Scheme of Works, PLAN J, PLAD JB and Panel Filing System, do check my Scribd page where I've uploaded them along with other essential docs needed to manage your panel smoothly.

To those who send me emails, thank you so much and I am glad that this humble blog have assisted you in any way possible. The main reason why I write is not for self-glorification but because I believe by jotting down my experience, thoughts and teaching practices, I could reflect on ways I could improve myself as a teacher. For me, it is important for us to stay grounded despite the recognitions one received as it will pave an avenue to learn better. I would definitely love to share my experience in Melbourne, Australia as I believe it was the turning point of my life this year but that would be an entry on itself as I was there for 12 days. There's so much to share and I believe the experience I've gained would helped me to teach more efficiently, to inspire instead of preaching and to serve instead of receiving.

I do hope this new year will usher wonderful opportunities and perpetual happiness, Insya Allah. Happy New Year everyone!

Power Of Being A Good Teacher

2011-11-19T17:56:00.001+08:00

I came across these videos while searching for some resources on You Tube. The topic was 'Power of Being A Good Teacher' which is relevant to my professional growth. The guest is Professor Dr. Muhaya Hj. Muhammad, Personal and Professional Development Expert, Alliance College of Medical Science (ACMS) and someone who I admire for her attitude towards life, her string of accolades and optimistic life principles. I totally agree with her when she stressed that in order to be an excellent teacher, you can't stop learning and you ought to constantly upgrade yourself from time to time. Personally, I do hope I will be able to emulate all my former teachers and lecturers who have been great sources of inspiration. One essential thing I've learned from them is to stay down to earth and to keep on learning. Do check out the videos below and I hope they would inspire you as they had inspired me. Happy holidays!

Leadership and English Language Camp (LELaC V)

2011-11-18T08:48:00.001+08:00

Wondering what to do this school holidays?

Why not head down to Penang and take part in LELaC V? I was contacted by the creator of LELaC, AP Dr Muhamamd Kamarul Kabilan of School of Educational Studies, USM, Malaysia recently and I think it's a brilliant programme to enhance your leadership qualities and inculcate love towards the English Language. It is opened for students aged 9-17 years old. It would be held from 6-8 December 2011 at Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Penang. Registration fee is RM190, including food and accomodation. For ex LELaCers, you only pay RM160.

Here are some information extracted from LELaC's flyer :

AIMS of LELaC

The content of this programme aims to encourage and motivate learners to:

- become a confident, motivating leader and communicator

- become a confident speaker

- convey thoughts effectively

- get people to listen to your opinions

- feel confident and assured when leading a large group of individuals

METHOD:

LELaC aims to help the learners achieve the above by:

- focusing mainly on skill building as a leader and effective speaker.

- using interesting and challenging activities that will get learners thinking creatively (in a collaborative, fun atmosphere)

- building the skills and confidence to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime!

If you are interested, please e-mail Dr. Kabilan kabilan@usm.my or call 0123490305 to register. The closing date is on 4th December 2011. Do check it out :)

Tips for 1119 English Language Paper

2011-11-14T16:49:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow, all the Fifth formers will sit for the 1119 English paper. I guess the teachers are as jittery as the students when it comes to examination. Here are some gentle reminders on some aspects that you need to remember in preparing for the upcoming examination.

Literature:

• Remember S.T.A.M.P. (Setting/Themes/Actors (Characters)/Moral Values/Plots. They will usually test you on one of the aforementioned literary elements.

• Know your novel well. Read the novel once through before your exam to refresh your memory about the events that occur. Highlight important events (including sad and happy events) and the effect of these events on the characters. Justify your answers with evidences from the novel.

• Find out synonyms of the important words found in all the poems.

Essay Writing:

• For directed writing, use all the points given and justify with appropriate examples.
• Do not waste time counting the number of words for directed writing. A page and a half would suffice.
• For continuous writing, choose the topic that you feel most confident writing. Infuse idiomatic expressions appropriately to enhance your composition.

Good luck and I pray that you'll be able to ace your 1119 paper! ♥

MRSM's SPM Trial Exam Paper 2011

2011-11-03T12:30:00.002+08:00

I know it has been a long hiatus as I was rather occupied with streams of obligations. Apart from heading the panel in setting up the Johor Bahru's Final Year Examination paper for Form Four this year, I had to attend meetings with the CDD as well. Oh yeah, assessment management can definitely take a toll on your time as well. First, it was the SPM Trial Exam and now it's the final year exam papers for my Form 4 and Form 1 students. A teacher's work is endless! Nonetheless, I would like to share another set of trial exam questions with all of my blog readers and followers. This is the trial exam question from MRSM and I do hope that it would help the teachers and students in preparing for the upcoming SPM examination. Thanks to this site for the paper, sharing is caring! To those celebrating Hari Raya Haji, I wish you a blessed Eid :) MRSM's SPM Trial Exam 2011 - English Language

Johor Student Leaders Council 2011

2011-10-03T18:24:00.000+08:00

Phase 1 : Top 56 JSLC Candidates

Bil	Nama	Sekolah	Presentation Topic
1.	Nur Laili bt. Arba’	Sekolah Tinggi Segamat	‘Iskandar Malaysia – A Metropolis of International Standing
2.	Harvind a/l Raja Gopal	SMK Bandar Baru Uda	“ A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” – John C. Maxwell
3.	Adila bt A. Aziz	SMK Agama Johor Bahru	‘A Call for Extraordinary Leadership for Iskandar Malaysia’
4.	Adrian Yeo Tau Jiun	SMK Skudai	‘Johor – My Beloved Home’
5.	Muhammad Fahmi b. Faizal	SM Sains Muar	‘An Age of Terror – The Role of Youth Leaders’
6.	Chitra a/p Murali	SMK Indahpura 1	‘Ethical Dimension of Leadership’
7.	Nur Atikah Rosle	Sekolah Tun Fatimah	‘Asia and The World Financial Crisis’
8.	Tan Mei Sheng	SMK Canoissian Convent	‘Service : The Heart of Community Transformation’
9.	Muhamad Afiq Syafiq	Sekolah Tinggi Muar	‘Understanding the Principles of Islam in an Age of Uncertainty’
10.	Zaiton bt. Mohamad Khalid	SMK Ungku Husin	“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” – Zig Ziglar
11.	Kirthana Darshayinie a/p Vijaya Sandran	Sekolah Tinggi Kluang	‘Transforming Our Schools’
12.	Ambrose Huan Yee Yang	SMK Tasek Utara	‘Sustainable Development of Iskandar Malaysia’
13.	Muhamammad Noor Fakhruddin b. Mohd Nasir	SMK Tun Habab	‘Doing Away with Books in Schools’
14.	Hasnyzar bt. Hussin	SMK IJ Convent	‘Iskandar Malaysia – Development for the People, by the People of Johor’
15.	Faiz Zamdhi b. Zainal	SMK Taman Putri	‘Grassroots Leadership’
16.	Thivranandhaa a/l Sobramaniam	Sekolah Tinggi Muar	‘Fear of the Unknown’
17.	Dominic Tan Wen Haw	SMK Dato’ Jaafar	‘I Think, I Am!’
18.	Onn Sapuan b. Md. Nasir	SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra	‘The Power of Reflection & Self- Awarenes’
19.	Muhammad Nurariff b. Othman	SMKA Segamat	‘Leadership & Volunteerism’
20.	Naavin Raj a/l Rengasamy	SMK Kempas	‘The Leader Who Inspires Me’
21.	Amira Aisya bt. Abd. Aziz	SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim	‘I have a dream that…’
22.	Klein Kee Kay Loon	Sek. TInggi Batu Pahat	‘Freedom of Speech in School – Should It Be Encouraged?’
23.	Akmal Alkaff b. Zamsani	Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar	‘Taking Malaysian Football to the Next Level’
24.	Tam Joo Xian	SMK Jln Mengkibol	‘The Royal History of Johor’
25.	Nurulain bt. Abd. Razak	SMK Temenggong Ibrahim	‘The Power in the Voice of the Young People’
26.	Yasmin bt Mohd Zain	SM Sains Muar	‘Preserving Johor’s Culture and Heritage’
27.	Pritasha Naidu a/p Canian Anand Naidu	SMK IJ Convent	‘1 Malaysia, 1 Voice’
28.	Hayley Yong Sue Ning	SMK Sultanah Engku Tun Aminah	“Wisest is she who knows she does not know” – Jostein Gaarder
29.	Kabilen a/l Selvaraja	SMK Dato’ Penggawa Timur	‘You Don’t Need a Title to be A Leader’
30.	Aina Wafi bt. Ab Kadir	SMKA Segamat	“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” – Mohandas Ghandi.
31.	Amy Shahirah bt. Sazali	SMK Skudai	‘The Future of Our Mangrove Swamps’
32.	Asha Nair a/p Unnikrishnan	Sekolah Tinggi Segamat	‘Inequality Thwarts Progress Towards Universal Education’
33.	Gayathri a/p Ganesen	SMK Indahpura 1	‘The Rise of Women to Power Seats’
34.	Muhamad Muaz b. Mustaffa Kamal	SMK Bandar Putra, Segamat	‘In Great Leadership, Humility Is Key’
35.	Carven Chin Yee Shean	SMK Bandar Putra	‘’Failing to invest in our youth is a false economy” – UN Secretary General
36.	Nur Hanis bt. Ramlan	SM Sains Muar	‘Embracing Globalisation As Iskandar Malaysia Opens Its Doors to the World’
37.	Alif Arifin b. Asrar	SMK Bandar Putra	“He who fails to plan is planning to fail” – Winston Churchill
38.	Mark Lee Weiren	SMK Taman Mount Austin	‘The East African Food Crisis: What Needs to be Done’
39.	Siti Nurfakis bt. Kusnin	SMK Bandar Easter	‘Everyday Heroes Serving the Nation’
40.	Siti Nabilah bt. Amir	SMK Bandar Putra, Segamat	‘Climate Change and Biodiversity’
41.	Sharifah Amirah Hanis bt. Syed Omar	Sekolah Tun Fatimah	‘Nuclear: A Suitable Alternative to Fossil Fuels?’
42.	Siti Mariam bt. Ibrahim	SMK Bandar Baru Uda	‘Soft Power vs. Hard Power’
43.	Iman Sofea bt. Mohamad Ibrahim	SMK Taman Desa Skudai	‘Malaysia’s Commitment to the Millennium Development Goal’
44.	Putera Amirul Haikal b. Rosli	SMk Kulai Besar	‘What Goes Around Comes Around’
45.	Nicole Poon Sze Yen	SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim	‘Quality Education for All – Challenges in the Malaysian Context’
46.	Mohammad Siddiq b. Moideen	SMK Sultan Ismail	‘Theory of Evolution vs. Creation Science’
47.	Mohammad Farhan b. Mohd Fuad	SMK Agama Johor Bahru	‘Exploring Links Between Environmental Quality and Human Health’
48.	Suruthi a/p Mohhan	SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim	‘Promoting Stewardship In and Around the World’s Frontier Forests, Grassland and Drylands’
49.	Regine Moh Jia Wei	SMK Seri Perling	‘Acknowledging Differences and Celebrating Diversity for A Better Tomorrow’
50.	Alif Imran b. Kamaruddin	SM Sains Muar	“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower other” – Bill Gates
51.	Nurafidah bt. Mohamad Nizam	SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim	“Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision” – Henry Kissinger
52.	Ong Bao Sheng	SMK Mohd Khalid	‘In Union, There is Strength’
53.	Arjun a/l A. Ravindran	Sek. Tinggi Batu Pahat	‘Respect is Earned and Not Demanded’
54.	Lee Wen Qing	SMK(P) Temenggong Ibrahim, Batu Pahat	‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’
55.	Siti Nursharmila bt. Md. Saidon	SMK Seri Tangkak	“My Vision of Iskandar Malaysia”
56.	Tan Yan Yi	SMK Sultan Ismail, JB	“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins” – Benjamin Fraklin

Phase 2 : Individual Presentation & Group Interview

Some hopeful JSL candidates prepping themselves for the individual presentation, impromptu speech and group interview.

The JSL candidates' presentations were appraised by esteemed panel of judges, headed by Pn. Sallina Hussain, the Chairperson of the PKPSM JB. She was assisted by the Head of the Academic Sector, JPNJ and two lecturers from UTM.

I had the privileges to work with dedicated and wonderful team. We worked until 7 p.m. to sort out the final selection.

Phase 3: The Johor Student Leaders Council 2011

Congratulations to the 20 Johor Student Leaders who are selected to join the Johor Student Leaders Council this year. The leaders are not only selected based from verbal eloquency alone but leadership qualities, critical thinking and the ability to foster esprit de corps. They will be receiving their official letters of appointment from the JPNJ pretty soon. The team will be going through series of leadership training, etique and etiquette classes, diplomatic communications skills and oversea excursions to Australia and Netherlands.To those who didn't make it, bear in mind that you are still leaders in your schools and you can still make a difference!

1. Amira Aisya bt. Abd. Aziz - SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim

2. Ambrose Huan Yee Yang - SMK Tasek Utara
3. Arjun a/l A. Ravindran - Sek. Tinggi Batu Pahat

4. Asha Nair a/p Unnikrishnan - Sekolah Tinggi Segamat

5. Harvind a/l Raja Gopal - SMK Bandar Baru Uda

6. Hasnyzar bt. Hussin - SMK IJ Convent

7. Hayley Yong Sue Ning - SMK Sultanah Engku Tun Aminah

8. Iman Sofea bt. Mohamad Ibrahim - SMK Taman Desa Skudai

9. Kabilen a/l Selvaraja - SMK Dato’ Penggawa Timur

10. Kirthana Darshayinie a/p Vijaya Sandran - Sekolah Tinggi Kluang

11. Mark Lee Weiren - SMK Taman Mount Austin

12. Mohammad Farhan b. Mohd Fuad - SMK Agama Johor Bahru

13. Muhamad Afiq Syafiq - Sekolah Tinggi Muar

14. Muhammad Fahmi b. Faizal - SM Sains Muar

15. Nurafidah bt. Mohamad Nizam - SMK(P) Sultan Ibrahim

16. Nurulain bt. Abd. Razak - SMK Temenggong Ibrahim

17. Ong Bao Sheng - SMK Mohd Khalid

18. Pritasha Naidu a/p Canian Anand Naidu - SMK IJ Convent

19. Sharifah Amirah Hanis bt. Syed Omar - Sekolah Tun Fatimah

20. Zaiton bt. Mohamad Khalid - SMK Ungku Husin

Negeri Sembilan's SPM Trial Examination Papers 2011

2011-10-01T08:31:00.000+08:00

Hi there,
For those looking for SPM 1119 trial exams from other states, enclosed are the papers from Negeri Sembilan. Hope these will assist you in doing revision for the upcoming SPM examination :)

ICELT 2011: A Photo Essay

2011-09-30T19:48:00.000+08:00

A 7-hour drive to Lumut was worth it. I carpooled with Kak Rahmah, Kak Fuzi & Kak Suzi, all GCs from Johor. Alhamdulillah, we managed to reach the venue albeit mild difficulties in finding the location. There were altogether 365 presentations and it was so hard to choose which session to attend as there were so many interesting papers presented during the parallel sessions. Some of the sessions ended at 7.30 p.m. ! I guess a conference of such magnitude would attract so many presenters and participants. The title itself forecasts the excitement that awaits in the teaching of English Language.

I presented a 30-minute paper presentation on the first day. I shared the findings of my classroom-based Action Research entitled '3-2-1 Action!: Digital Storytelling in ESL Classroom.' I carried out Digital Storytelling Project, a project-based learning where students produce the final products with facilitation from the teacher . I've prepared the Student Module to assist my 4 SN1 students in producing their videos as well as conducting Digital Storytelling Workshop with them. Well, it's about time we give the teacher the break and let the students do all the hard work :) My main objective in carrying out this AR is to promote engaging and meaningful student-centred learning via web-based tools. All the students' work are virtually accessable via the DSP's blog and DSP's Youtube Channel. I am so glad and flattered that a lot of participants expressed their interests in the project and would like to try Digital Storytelling with their students and their teacher trainees. To me, whether you like it or not, E-Learning will be the main approach in English Language Learning as more students are tech-savvy and demand a more interactive and personalised learning.

To me, the perk of attending international conferences is to learn new technique, approach and oratory skills from world-reknown International speakers. I was mesmerised by Jan Blake's expertise in storytelling where she captured the attention of every single participant in the room. Prof Alan Maley imparted a very important asset that we, teachers tend to overlook, our voice. He introduced fun and engaging way to help teachers maximise the flexibility of our voice without having to shout or strain our vocal chords too much. My personal favourite is Paul Cookson. He is so oh talented and gifted! I shared his poems with my sons and they simply enjoyed them :) I had the chance to meet and talk to Adisa, a famous British poet that fuses rythms and beats in poetry. These two men really transform the conventional notion of poetry recitation. Who says poetry is passe? ;) Oh yes, who could forget the 2 Steves. They are hyperactive narrative maestros that demonstrated their love for lively and dramatic stories. Honestly, the conference managed to revive my passion towards injecting performing arts in my classroom teaching. Kudos Dr. Jaya and the committee members!

I've met a lot of passionate educators who I've networked and shared my views, rants and ideas on teaching. Phewww, I was reunited with Sim, my former coursemate after 10 years leaving the college. How time flies! She looks lovely and jovial as ever :) I had the chance to meet Darshini, a bubbly blogger from Kuantan who I've been corresponding with via my blog. Although we both are working with CDD on some projects, we never had the chance to meet one another. After chitchatting, we discovered that we have mutual friends, how cool is that :) I met a group of Sabahan teachers that became my good friends during the conference. All of them forked out their own money and flew here just to attend the conference. Isn't that amazing? That's what I've been doing for the past 3 years, attending conferences sans financial support from others. Personally, some might call it crazy but to me, I enjoy learning new things and presenting helps me to sharpen my oratory skills too. I may not possess the vast experience like other presenters but I always believe that practice makes perfect.

Meeting Kak Rahmah, Kak Fuzi & Kak Suzi was a cherished moment as we shared our experiences and issues in school. Apparently, we faced similar predicament as it is challenging being a GC as some people in school might not understand why you have to go out most of the time. This is one of the main issues that I am facing at the moment. As GC, we need to carry out official duties from the District Education Office, State Education Department and Ministry of Education too. I've been working closely with the aforementioned parties this year and that unfortunately means I have to be away from school frequently. Some assume it's like taking a holiday from school but the reality is we work and run here and there like headless chicken trying to accomplished official duties apart from the core business of teaching in school. Despite the challenges, I believe that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. I am thankful as my principal is understanding of my situation and she advises me to juggle my responsibilities wisely. Alhamdulillah, my husband has been so understanding and supportive of my situation and I count my blessing as I have good friends who have always been there for me when I need them.

ICELT 2011

2011-09-15T21:34:00.000+08:00

I'm off to Lumut, Perak this weekend to attend the International Conference on English Language Teaching (ICELT) 2011. I'm representing JPNJ and the title of my paper is '3-2-1 Action! : Digital Storytelling in ESL Classroom' which is based on my Action Research with 4SN1 recently. It took me about 2 months to conduct it as it involves hands-on activity (workshop on Digital Storytelling, writing storyboard and editting videos) to my target group (my students) and the project-based learning coordination as well. Nonetheless, I am glad that my students really cherished the knowledge and experience gained during the project.

The students are also exposed to the integration of Web 2.0. media tools (YouTube, Picnik, Facebook, Blog) in conducting this project. They really work hard to come up with their digital stories. They even surprised themselves (me too!) when they come up with such creative and wonderful videos. I dare say some of them are way better than me and you know, that's practically fine with me :) It's all about tapping into the students' creativity and utilising their multiple intelligence in learning English Language more efficiently. I do hope that sharing the experience of teaching Digital Storytelling with the conference participants would help others to see the potential of Digital Storytelling in enhancing verbal proficiency, creativity, active learning and high-order thinking skills. I am looking forward to learning more from other presenters and networking with other participants from all over the world.

Terengganu's SPM Trial Examination Papers 2011

2011-09-12T19:44:00.000+08:00

Hi there,

If you are looking for more SPM Trial Examination papers, I've enclosed the links to the papers set by the Terengganu Education Department, courtesy of this site. Click at the links below to download the exam papers. Sharing is caring!

The M Project: Being Malaysians

2011-09-10T19:35:00.000+08:00

In conjunction with the Merdeka month celebration in my school, I've came up with the M Project where the main themes of the lessons revolved around patriotism & Independence Day. In this context, the main educational emphases are on Thinking Skills, ICT, Knowledge Acquisition and Multiple Intelligences. There are so many ways the teachers can inculcate patriotism and raise awareness on ethnic harmony, national unity and tolerance. Rather than forcing them to embrace the 'I must be patriotic because I am a Malaysian or else, get out from this country' doctrine, I believe we should lead the students to form their own perspectives and reflections on their country via positive and constructive manners. Oh yeah, what best way than using multimedia and visual aids right? Here are some teaching aids that I've used to enhance the students' interest and patriotic fervour towards our beloved country, Malaysia.

a) Petronas' Merdeka Advertisements

Using television advertisement is a very effectual method of generating students' interests towards the topic. I always love the series of Petronas' Merdeka Advertisements as they act as catalysts during brainstorming session. You could use various questioning techniques (open-ended, probing and leading) to evoke responses. It works well, especially with weak students as the visual aids help them to come up with possible answers.

b) Project-based Learning

I always find project-based learning as the best way of boosting the students' interest and understanding towards a lesson as it generates active participation, collaboration skills, high thinking skills and indeed, a more meaningful lesson. For the M Project, the students work in group and produce a pamphlet on the topic 'Being Malaysians'. The students did this within 2 days and they really put strong effort in producing these pamphlets. Way to go! For more information on project-based learning, do check out Intel Teach programme.

Students' works.

The students' works were assessed and awarded.

c) Vlogging
This is the latest fad among the teens and I believe it can be fully utilised to teach English as well. Afterall, what best way to connect with the students then using the latest Web 2.0. technologies? Vlog is coined from video + blog = vlog and it's uberly popular nowadays. I've came across a lot of vloggers such as Mat Lutfi, Maria Elena, Anwar Hadi, to name a few. What I like about vlogging is that it fuses the elements of role playing and digital storytelling which make the viewing more engaging and entertaining. This is in parallel with my latest Action Research where I focussed on Digital Storytelling. Maybe we should encourage more students to try this out in class. That would definitely excite the students yet help them to utilise technologies in improving their language proficiency.

I've shown the vlogs below to my students and they helped the students to understand the concept of patriotism in a fun and meaningful way. Vlogging is a great learning alternative to enhance their confidence, vocabulary prowess and language competence.

2011's Johor SPM Trial Examination Paper 1

2011-09-07T23:28:00.000+08:00

I hope it is not too late to wish the best of luck to all of the SPM candidates who are sitting for their trial examination. To those who are in Johor, I do hope you have given your best shot in answering the 1119 English Language papers just now. I was amazed at the number of visitors who were looking for examination tips and samples of examination items. Fret not, enclosed is the Paper 1 just to help you out. If time permits, I'll upload Paper 2 pretty soon. I do hope it will help any teacher or student in preparing for the upcoming SPM. Do check out this blog from time to time for more trial examination papers from other states. Check it out!

Johor SPM Trial Exam P1