Post1.Net

Singapore Science P3 Diversity Concept Map v0.02

biow — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:42:06 -0800

Earlier I posted this. Today, Ken came back with his Science file with more notes. So, I updated the diagram.

Reference:

See also:

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 3 (effective from 2007)

biow — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:17:48 -0800

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 3

Topics	Sub-topics	Content
1. WHOLE NUMBERS	Numbers up to 10 000	Include: number notation and place values (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones), reading and writing numbers in numerals and in words, comparing and ordering numbers, odd and even numbers, number patterns.
	Addition and subtraction	Include: addition and subtraction of numbers up to 4 digits, use of the terms 'sum' and 'difference', solving up to 2-step word problems involving addition and subtraction.
	Multiplication and division	Include: building up the multiplication tables of 6, 7, 8 and 9 and committing to memory, use of the terms 'product', 'quotient' and 'remainder', multiplication and division within the multiplication tables, division with remainder, multiplication and division of numbers up to 3 digits by 1 digit, solving up to 2-step word problems involving the 4 operations.
	Mental calculation	Include: addition and subtraction involving two 2-digit numbers, multiplication and division within the multiplication tables.
2. FRACTIONS	Equivalent fractions	Include: recognising and naming equivalent fractions, listing the first 8 equivalent fractions of a given fraction, writing the equivalent fraction of a fraction given the denominator or the numerator, expressing a fraction in its simplest form, comparing fractions with respect to half, comparing and ordering unlike fractions. (Denominators of given fractions should not exceed 12.)
2. FRACTIONS	Addition and subtraction	Include addition and subtraction of two related fractions within one whole. (Denominators of given fractions should not exceed 12.
3. MEASUREMENT	Length, mass and volume	Include: measurement of length in kilometres (km), volume of liquid in millilitres (ml), measurement of length/ mass/ volume (of liquid) in compound units, conversion of a measurement in compound units to the smaller unit, and vice versa, kilometres and metres, metres and centimetres, kilograms and grams, litres and millilitres. solving word problems involving length/ mass/ volume/ capacity. Exclude the 4 operations and word problems involving compound units.
	Time	Include: telling and writing time to 1 minute, use of the terms 'past' and 'to', e.g. '10 minutes past 5' and '15 minutes to 12', measurement of time in hours and minutes, conversion of time in hours and minutes to minutes only, and vice versa, finding the duration of a time interval, finding the starting time/ finishing time, solving word problems involving addition and subtraction of time given in hours and minutes.
	Money	Include: addition and subtraction of money in decimal notation, solving word problems involving addition and subtraction of money in decimal notation.
	Area and perimeter	Include: concepts of area and perimeter of a plane figure, measurement of area in square units, measurement of area in square centimetres (cm²) / square metres (m²), calculation of the perimeter of rectilinear figure rectangle square use of formula to calculate the area of a rectangle/ square, solving word problems involving the area/ perimeter of squares and rectangles. Exclude conversion between cm² and m².
4. GEOMETRY	Perpendicular and parallel lines	Include: identifying and naming perpendicular and parallel lines, drawing perpendicular and parallel lines on square grids.
4. GEOMETRY	Angles	Include: angle as an amount of turning, identifying angles in 2-D and 3-D objects, identifying angles in 2-D figures, identifying right angles, angles greater than/ smaller than a right angle. Exclude use of the terms 'acute', 'obtuse' and 'reflex' angles.
5. DATA ANALYSIS	Bar graphs	Include: reading and interpreting bar graphs in both horizontal and vertical forms, reading scales, completing a bar graph from given data, solving problems using information presented in bar graphs.

See also:

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 1 (effective from 2007)

Reference:
Ministry of Education, Singapore: Subject Syllabuses - Sciences

June 2010 Lunar Eclipse

biow — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:13:24 -0800

I took this sometime back in 26-Jun-2010, but I don't remember me posting them.. I took about some 50 photos.. unfortunately I did not bring my tripod.. hence the photos were not "chun-chun"- nicely aligned.. I took the photos from 7:34pm to 7:43pm.. this post is serously backlog ^-^

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 1 (effective from 2007)

biow — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:15:40 -0800

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 1

Topics	Sub-topics	Content
1. WHOLE NUMBERS	Numbers up to 100	Include: counting to tell the number of objects in a given set, comparing the number of objects in two or more sets, use of ordinal numbers (first, second, up to tenth) and symbols (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.), number notation and place values (tens, ones), reading and writing numbers in numerals and in words, comparing and ordering numbers, number patterns. Exclude: use of the terms 'cardinal number' and 'ordinal number', use of the symbols > and <.
	Addition and subtraction	Include: concepts of addition and subtraction, use of the addition symbol (+) or subtraction symbol (−) to write a mathematical statement for a given situation, comparing two numbers within 20 to tell how much one number is greater (or smaller) than the other, recognising the relationship between addition and subtraction, building up the addition bonds up to 9 + 9 and committing to memory, solving 1-step word problems involving addition and subtraction within 20, addition of more than two 1-digit numbers, addition and subtraction within 100 involving a 2-digit number and ones, a 2-digit number and tens, two 2-digit numbers, addition and subtraction using formal algorithms.
	Mental calculation	Include: addition and subtraction within 20, addition and subtraction involving a 2-digit number and ones without renaming, a 2-digit number and tens.
	Multiplication and division	Include: multiplication as repeated addition (within 40), use of the multiplication symbol (×) to write a mathematical statement for a given situation, division of a quantity (not greater than 20) into equal sets: given the number of objects in each set, given the number of sets, solving 1-step word problems with pictorial representation Exclude: use of multiplication tables, use of the division symbol ÷
2. MEASUREMENT	Length and mass	Include: measurement and comparison of the lengths/ masses of two or more objects in non-standard units, use of the following terms: long, longer, longest short, shorter, shortest tall, taller, tallest high, higher, highest heavy, heavier, heaviest light, lighter, lightest Exclude: finding the difference in length/ mass.
	Time	Include telling and writing time to the hour/ half hour. Exclude 24-hour clock.
	Money	Include: identifying coins and notes of different denomination, matching a coin/ note of one denomination to an equivalent set of coins/ notes of another denomination, telling the amount of money in cents up to $1, in dollars up to $100. use of the symbols $ and ¢, solving word problems involving addition and subtraction of money in dollars only (or in cents only). Exclude: combinations of dollars and cents.
3. GEOMETRY	Basic shapes: rectangle square circle triangle	Include: identifying and naming the 4 basic shapes from 2-D and 3-D objects, describing and classifying shapes.
3. GEOMETRY	Patterns	Include: making/ completing patterns with 2-D cut-outs according to one or two of the following attributes shape size colour making / completing patterns with 3-D models: cube cuboid (rectangular block) cone cylinder
4. DATA ANALYSIS	Picture graphs	Include: collecting and organising data, making picture graphs, use of a symbol/picture to represent one object, reading and interpreting picture graphs in both horizontal and vertical forms. Exclude: picture graphs with scales.

Reference:
Ministry of Education, Singapore: Subject Syllabuses - Sciences

Singapore Science P3 Diversity Concept Map

biow — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:25:18 -0800

Work in progress.. notes on P3 Science on Diversity topic..

See also:

Appointed.. class monitor..

biow — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 06:21:50 -0800

Wenn was appointed class monitor today.. I'm so proud of him.

See also:

First day of primary school for Wenn..

Singapore Maths P3 Worksheet Online Generator - Multiplication / Division

biow — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 07:56:42 -0800

For my friend, Lynn.. This worksheet is to drill on multiplication and division within 10.. hopefully no bug.. -.-!! did this like under an hour..

Click the link below to generate the worksheet
Singapore Maths P3 Worksheet Online Generator - Multiplication / Division

Sample Worksheet:

See also:

CNY card from Ken..

biow — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:24:17 -0800

Ken did this in school.. and his teacher said can be for anyone, so he made for me.. *awww*

See also:

Happy CNY 2012..

biow — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:23:36 -0800

Here's wishing all readers, "Happy Chinese New Year"..

See also:

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

biow — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:30:44 -0800

On the DBS/POSB ATM card fraud case in Singapore

lowem — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:41:39 -0800

So I've been writing in to a Minister once again. Probably not the first or last person to bring up these simple facts to Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance of Singapore, but I thought I would contribute my two cents (ha, ha). Here it goes :

...
Delivered-To: ...
Subject: Improving security for ATM/NETS cards
From: Low Ee Mien [...]
To: tharman_s@mof.gov.sg

Dear Minister for Finance,

I am writing in my personal capacity regarding the recent DBS/POSB ATM fraud case. As we have seen, the two-factor authentication mechanism of ATM/NETS cards has been defeated. The perpetrators have managed to successfully obtain both factors of authentication : something you have (ATM card details via the card skimming device), and something you know (ATM PIN via a strategically-located pinhole camera).

It has been proven time and again that the magnetic stripe data such as those being used in the ATM and NETS cards in Singapore is quite easily copied. This magnetic stripe technology was invented over 50 years ago and is able to contain at most a few bytes of information, and has no processing capability of any sort, nor any form of cryptographic technology to resist cloning or tampering. In short, this is a completely outdated technolgy that the whole of our nation is using for our daily financial transactions, at thousands of retail establishments, ATM's, top-up kiosks, and so on.

Something needs to be done about this glaring security vulnerability.

As you can see from the link below, Malaysia's Maybank is already ahead of Singapore in this respect :
http://www.maybank2u.com.my/mbb_info/m2u/public/personalDetail04.do...

The Maybank ATM card includes an embedded smartcard chip, which as their website states, offers "Increased security, as the smart chip is tamper-resistant and the data stored is harder to extract and copy". This is the key point : smartcard technology, well established by now, mitigates many of the shortcomings of magnetic stripes. It is much harder to simply clone compared to magnetic stripes and requires sophisticated and intrusive physical attacks to get to the private key data contained in the smartcard chip. The technology currently required to carry out such attacks does not fit in a simple card skimmer that can be installed in an ATM card slot. Other security measures such as revocation of the certificates of any particular set of smartcards can be carried out on demand. In addition, manufacturers have already included a number of on-board security measures in smartcard processor chips to resist cloning and tampering.

Hence, in the interest of increased security for banking customers, I would like to suggest that MAS work towards regulations requiring all banks issuing ATM and NETS cards to include embedded smartcard technology such as the EMV technology being used by VISA and other credit card issuers.

As an additional security measure, I would also like to suggest industry-wide regulation to eventually disallow transaction fallback to magnetic strip reading, thus removing one of the main factors contributing to ATM card fraud. The ultimate goal is for ATM/NETS cards to be issued *without* any form of magnetic stripes whatsoever, and ATM's as well as POS terminals to be updated to smartcard-acceptance only, thus finally retiring this outdated 50-year old magnetic stripe technology.

Thank you for your attention.

Low Ee Mien (Mr)

- Sure, smartcards are not impossible to defeat, but they are much harder than the increasingly laughable magnetic stripes, with card skimmers being more readily available nowadays, even apparently custom fitted to closely resemble the "anti-intrusion" devices installed over the ATM card slots. Some have said that 3D printers have now been used to create the exact shapes of these "anti-skimming" devices, or Fraudulent Device Inhibitor (FDI), in an ironic application of cutting-edge technology being used to defeat a simple physical device that was meant to guard against just such occurrences of card skimmers being installed.

The measures announced by the bank are well and fine, such as blocking foreign ATM withdrawals for folks who have not used them overseas, sending out SMS messages and so on, but all these reek of reactionary and stop-gap measures.

I don't quite agree with the DBS CEO's claim that replacing the magstripes with smartcard chips has its own set of problems, such as : "The problem with that is it's a huge inconvenience to customers. When you go to the US, they don't accept chip cards". My man, the world is moving away from this outdated magstripe technology, I am frankly surprised and amazed simply that Singapore has not gone along and our neighbour Malaysia has. Fact is, we are actually behind Maybank Malaysia in this area and there's quite a bit of catching up to do.

Singapore Maths P3 Worksheet - Addition and Subtraction (Within 10 000)

biow — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:40:18 -0800

First worksheet of P3. Questions on additon and subtration within 10 000 including word problems. Click on link below. It's a PDF file.

2012-p3_maths_p3-01_add_sub_1.pdf (118065 bytes, application/pdf)

See also:

2011 O-Levels cut off point to Polytechnic in Singapore (JAE 2011 Cut-Off Points)

biow — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:32:15 -0800

The CCA Bonus Point System

Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements for admission to a Polytechnic course and have done well in CCA will receive bonus points when being considered for admission into their chosen course of study at the polytechnics.

Qualification	CCA Grade	No. of Bonus Points Awarded
GCE "O" Level holders	a. Grades of A1 - A2	2 points
GCE "O" Level holders	b. Grades of B3 - C6	1 point
ITE Higher NITEC & NITEC holders	a. Grade A	0.2 point
	b. Grade B	0.15 point
	c. Grade C	0.1 point
	d. Grade E	0.05 point

Courses available in 2011 and the JAE 2011 Cut-Off Points (COP)

COP indicates the ELR2B2 aggregate score (after deducting CCA bonus points) of the last student posted to the course under the 2011 JAE.

Courses by Group	Poly	Course Code	2011 JAE COP
A. APPLIED SCIENCES
Applied Chemistry with Pharmaceutical Science	SP	S64	12
Applied Food Science & Nutrition	TP	T26	17
Baking & Culinary Science	TP	T44	16
Biologics & Process Technology	NYP	C49	16
Biomedical Informatics & Engineering	TP	T38	19
Biomedical Science	SP	S98	8
Biomedical Science	TP	T27	11
Biomedical Science / Biomedical Laboratory Technology	NP	N59	9
Biomedical Sciences	RP	R14	19
Biotechnology	RP	R16	23
Biotechnology	SP	S72	10
Biotechnology	TP	T31	13
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering	NP	N56	13
Chemical & Green Technology	NYP	C55	17
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Technology	NYP	C73	17
Chemical Engineering	SP	S70	12
Chemical Engineering	TP	T33	18
Environmental Science	RP	R29	26
Food Science & Nutrition	NYP	C69	16
Food Science & Technology	SP	S47	14
Landscape Design & Horticulture	NP	N57	18
Materials Science	RP	R17	26
Materials Science	SP	S37	15
Medicinal Chemistry	NYP	C45	14
Molecular Biotechnology	NP	N49	10
Molecular Biotechnology	NYP	C74	13
Nutrition, Health & Wellness	SP	S44	12
Perfumery and Cosmetics Science	SP	S38	13
Pharmaceutical Science	TP	T25	13
Pharmaceutical Sciences	RP	R22	25
Pharmaceutical Sciences	NYP	C65	14
Pharmacy Science	NP	N73	10
Veterinary Bioscience	NP	N90	9
Veterinary Technology	TP	T45	11
B. BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Architecture	SP	S66	14
Civil Engineering with Business	SP	S68	17
Environmental & Water Technology	NP	N74	15
Environmental Management & Water Technology	SP	S52	14
Green Building & Sustainability	TP	T29	20
Hotel & Leisure Facilities Management	NP	N40	13
Hotel & Leisure Facilities Management	SP	S95	14
Integrated Events & Project Management	SP	S50	13
Integrated Facility Management	TP	T28	16
Landscape Architecture	SP	S94	17
Real Estate Business	NP	N48	15
Sustainable Urban Design & Engineering	NP	N89	15
C. BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT
Accountancy	NP	N51	11
Accountancy	SP	S75	11
Accountancy & Finance	NYP	C98	13
Accounting & Finance	TP	T02	11
Arts Business Management	NP	N91	11
Aviation Management & Services	TP	T04	11
Banking & Financial Services	NYP	C96	14
Banking & Financial Services	NP	N53	9
Banking & Financial Services	SP	S76	11
Business & Social Enterprise	NP	N79	12
Business Administration	SP	S71	12
Business Information Technology	NP	N61	14
Business Information Technology	SP	S82	15
Business Information Technology	TP	T36	16
Business Innovation and Design NEW!	SP	S71	-
Business Management	NYP	C94	16
Business Process & Systems Engineering	TP	T43	18
Business Studies	NP	N45	11
Business/Logistics & Operations Management/Marketing	TP	T01	14
Communications & Media Management	TP	T40	12
Consumer Behaviour and Research NEW!	RP	R48	-
Culinary & Catering Management	TP	T18	15
Customer Relationship and Service Management	RP	R34	25
Financial Business Informatics	TP	T17	14
Financial Informatics	SP	S46	12
Food & Beverage Business	NYP	C46	16
Fund Management & Administration	NYP	C56	16
Hospitality & Tourism Management	TP	T08	14
Hospitality & Tourism Management	NYP	C67	16
Hotel and Hospitality Management	RP	R37	18
Human Resource Management with Psychology	SP	S48	12
Integrated Events Management	RP	R28	20
International Business	NP	N85	6
International Business	SP	S36	8
International Supply Chain Management and Logistics Management 1	NP	N80	16
Law & Management	TP	T09	13
Leisure & Resort Management	TP	T19	15
Marketing	NYP	C99	17
Mass Media Management	NYP	C93	15
Restaurant and Culinary Operations	RP	R46	20
Retail Management	TP	T39	17
Sport & Wellness Management	NYP	C81	17
Sports & Leisure Management	RP	R27	26
Tourism & Resort Management	NP	N72	10
Tourism and Resort Management	SP	S55	12
Wellness, Lifestyle and Spa Management	RP	R44	21
D. ENGINEERING
Aeronautical & Aerospace Technology	NYP	C51	15
Aeronautical Engineering	SP	S88	12
Aerospace Avionics	RP	R20	23
Aerospace Electronics	NP	N75	13
Aerospace Electronics	SP	S90	14
Aerospace Electronics	TP	T50	15
Aerospace Engineering	TP	T51	13
Aerospace Engineering 2	RP	R40	21
Aerospace Systems & Management	NYP	C52	16
Aerospace Technology	NP	N65	12
Audio-visual Technology	NP	N76	14
Automation & Mechatronic Systems	NP	N50	21
Bioengineering	SP	S58	14
Biomedical Electronics	RP	R15	26
Biomedical Engineering	NP	N60	15
Biomedical Engineering	NYP	C71	18
Civil Aviation	RP	R39	21
Clean Energy	SP	S45	16
Clean Energy	TP	T52	19
Clean Energy Management	NP	N84	15
Common Engineering Programme	RP	R42	26
Common Engineering Programme	SP	S40	16
Common Engineering Programme	TP	T56	20
Computer Engineering	SP	S53	19
Computer Engineering	TP	T13	20
Digital & Precision Engineering	NYP	C62	17
Digital Entertainment Electronics	RP	R38	26
Electrical & Electronic Engineering	SP	S99	19
Electrical & Electronic Engineering Programme 3	TP	T05	20
Electrical Engineering	NP	N43	22
Electrical Engineering with Eco-Design	NYP	C48	20
Electronic & Computer Engineering	NP	N44	23
Electronics, Computer & Communications Engineering	NYP	C89	26
Engineering Science	NP	N93	9
Engineering with Business	SP	S42	15
Engineering with Business Management Programme	NP	N71	17
Industrial & Operations Management	RP	R11	26
Infocomm & Network Engineering	TP	T37	22
Info-Communication Engineering & Design	SP	S85	20
Manufacturing Engineering	NYP	C88	26
Mechanical Engineering	NP	N41	20
Mechanical Engineering	SP	S91	18
Mechatronics/Aerospace Engineering	TP	T06	20
Mechatronics and Robotics	SP	S73	20
Mechatronics Engineering	NYP	C87	26
Micro & Nanotechnology	RP	R30	26
Multimedia & Infocomm Technology	NYP	C75	25
Nanotechnology & Materials Science	NYP	C50	19
Renewable Energy Engineering	RP	R41	26
Supply Chain Management	RP	R21	24
Telematics & Media Technology	NYP	C53	21
E. HEALTH SCIENCES
Dental Hygiene and Therapy	NYP	C72	12
Health Management and Promotion	RP	R43	26
Health Sciences (Nursing)	NP	N69	28
Healthcare Administration	RP	R45	25
Nursing	NYP	C97	28
Optometry	NP	N83	12
Optometry	SP	S67	12
Outdoor & Adventure Learning	RP	R33	25
Sports & Exercise Sciences	RP	R26	25
Sports Coaching NEW!	RP	R49	-
F. HUMANITIES
Applied Drama and Psychology	SP	S43	13
Child Psychology & Early Education	NP	N86	11
Chinese Studies ^	NP	N70	13
Creative Writing for Television and New Media	SP	S41	12
Early Childhood Education	NP	N66	14
Early Childhood Studies	TP	T54	13
Gerontological Management Studies	TP	T53	16
Psychology Studies 4	NP	N77	10
Psychology Studies	TP	T48	9
Social Sciences( Social Work)	NYP	C47	13
G. INFORMATION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Business Applications	RP	R18	25
Business Enterprise IT	NYP	C68	18
Business Informatics	NYP	C78	18
Business Information Systems	RP	R13	26
Business Intelligence & Analytics NEW!	NYP	C43	-
Business Intelligence and Analytics NEW!	TP	T57	-
Cyber & Digital Security	TP	T15	16
Digital Entertainment Technology (Games)	NYP	C70	20
Digital Forensics	TP	T55	12
Digital Visual Effects	NYP	C57	19
Engineering Informatics	NYP	C80	23
Financial Informatics	NYP	C58	15
Financial Informatics	NP	N81	14
Game & Entertainment Technology	TP	T16	19
Infocomm Security Management	SP	S54	15
Information Security	NYP	C54	17
Information Technology	NYP	C85	20
Information Technology	NP	N54	18
Information Technology	RP	R12	26
Information Technology	SP	S69	17
Information Technology	TP	T30	19
Interactive and Digital Media	RP	R31	26
Interactive Media 5	SP	S57	17
Interactive Media Informatics	TP	T34	22
IT Service Management	RP	R23	26
Mobile & Network Services	TP	T42	21
Mobile Software Development NEW!	RP	R47	-
Multimedia & Animation	NP	N55	14
Music & Audio Technology	SP	S97	12
Network Systems & Security	NP	N64	17
H. MARITIME STUDIES
Marine & Offshore Technology	NP	N42	17
Marine Engineering	SP	S63	16
Maritime Business	SP	S74	16
I. MEDIA AND DESIGN
3D Interactive Media Technology	TP	T49	21
Advertising & Public Relations	NP	N87	12
Animation & 3D Arts	NP	N92	12
Apparel Design & Merchandising	TP	T20	15
Chinese Media & Communication	NP	N88	13
Communication and Information Design	RP	R32	21
Design for Interactivity	RP	R36	22
Digital Animation	SP	S35	15
Digital Media Design (Animation)	NYP	C61	18
Digital Media Design (Games)	NYP	C60	20
Digital Media Design (Interaction Design)	NYP	C59	22
Digital Visual Effects	NP	N78	15
Environment Design	TP	T46	19
Experience and Product Design	SP	S51	16
Film, Sound & Video	NP	N82	11
Game Design	RP	R35	22
Games Design & Development	SP	S56	16
Industrial Design	NYP	C83	20
Interactive Media Design	TP	T21	18
Interior Architecture & Design	TP	T22	15
Interior Design	SP	S89	16
Mass Communication	NP	N67	10
Media and Communication	SP	S86	12
Motion Graphics & Broadcast Design	NYP	C66	18
Moving Images	TP	T23	19
New Media	RP	R19	22
Product & Industrial Design	TP	T35	19
Product Design & Innovation	NP	N68	17
Retail & Hospitality Design	TP	T47	17
Sonic Arts	RP	R24	19
Space & Interior Design	NYP	C64	18
Technology & Arts Management	RP	R25	21
Visual Communication	TP	T24	14
Visual Communication	NYP	C63	17
Visual Communication and Media Design	SP	S93	14
Visual Effects and Motion Graphics	SP	S39	16

1 - Merger of International Supply Chain Management and Logistics Management (NP)
2 - Aerospace Engineering (Quality Systems) (RP) in 2011
3 - Known as Electronics/Media & communication Technology/Computer Engineering/Microelectronics/Aerospace Electronics (TP) in 2011
4 - Known as Psychology & Community Services (NP) in 2011
5 - Known as Digital Media (SP) in 2011

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for SMU (SMU cut-off points for 2012)

biow — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0800

2011 Grade Profiles for GCE A-Level and Polytechnic Applicants to Singapore Management University (SMU)

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for NTU (NTU cut-off points for 2012)

biow — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0800

AY2011-12 Grade Profiles, Polytechnic GPAs and Programme Places for ‘A’ level and Polytechnic Applicants to NTU (Nanyang Technological University)

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for NUS (NUS cut-off points for 2012)

biow — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Notification of Grade Profiles and Course Places for Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-levels and Local Polytechnic Diploma Applicants for the AY2012/2013 NUS Undergraduate Admissions Exercise

Singapore Science P3 Experiment: Growing Bread Mould at home

biow — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Diversity.. Ken started learning Science this year.. I love Science.. I wish I could turn back time.. I will definitely be able to do my Bio better.. but I digress.. so he learned about Fungi.. example of Fungi.. what better way than experience it right?.. so, we spray some water of a slice of bread and placed in plastic bag.. then we hanged it by pegs in the kitchen.. after day3, a black spot appeared.. here's the result..

Together with me.. *ewwwww*

Labelled Bread Mould

Science is fun.. try this at home too!

First day of primary school for Wenn..

biow — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 05:47:47 -0800

Baby no more.. all ready and shine

bromance..

near the school..

in class..

Q to canteen, recess time

In the canteen.. opp him is his Buddy

Back home.. become Spiderman!

Mommy, can one hand?

yikes!

See also:

Happy New Year 2012..

biow — Sun, 1 Jan 2012 05:41:14 -0800

Let's take a look at my 2011.. I would say that I had fulfill some of them.. some need more improvement

In 2011, I wish for personal growth,

I wish to develop my competency at work,
develop my patience with my family members and all people whom I interact with..
more wisdom to guide Ken and Wenn not only in academic but also in life..
also to grow in faith, I wish to be more active in Soka activities and thus to deepen and strengthen my faith in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism..

Work
ahh, I'm a perfectionist.. and I think I did this well.. and since it's my passion.. I find the time spent rewarding and fulfilling.

Patience
though I would say I screamed at Ken less during his P2 year compared to P1.. need more improvement

Wisdom
think I did this OK for now.. I know this will be an ongoing process.. Therefore, I wish I can grow and adapt my guidance as the kids grow older..

Faith
I completed my Kaneko Group training. Kaneko Group is a group for Women Division (WD) to meet up once per month to learn and share the spirit of Soka Women Division.. I managed to attend all the meetings.. and learned a lot.. however, the putting into practice is the difficult part.. so for this, I definitely could do better..

Summary of my 2011:

Generated a list of worksheets for Ken to strengthen his maths concept
Taught Wenn Sight Words
Wenn's first milk tooth fell off
Watched a list of 2011 Summer Movies..
I permed my hair first time since working..
We bought new pets..
for the June holidays, we went to Jurong Bird Park and had a road trip to Cherating..
We replaced our bathroom doors..
On 1st Sep, we set up a parenting website SGMoms.Net
Wenn graduated from Soka Kindergarten
Ken was awarded the Model Student Cetificate

Although I did not blog about it, Ken had improved in his results. He scored 65% in his Term 3 (CA2) Maths.. I got such a shocked.. because we consistently did Maths questions.. And, because of his results, I made him worked very hard in Maths.. It was madness.. but in the end, he scored 98% for his Maths in his SA2 (final year exams).. It's something I wish that it would not be repeated.. the stress is stressful.. haiz.. And I wonder how am I going to cope with Ken and Wenn in Primary School in 2012..

But, let's start the new year with new hope.. Though it will be hard, I will work together with my children.. I will work on my attitude, my faith.. I will shower EM with more love, less grumpiness.. Many years from now, I hope my children will remember that I give my best and they should too..

Lastly, here's wishing all my dear readers.. "May 2012 be a year of possibilities."

P.S. The jetplane was drawn by Ken ^-^

See also:

Ken Cycling Without Training Wheels

biow — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:00:00 -0800

Finally, Ken is able to cycle without training wheels @8y6m17d.. the trick is to let go some air from the tyres so that the wheels are slightly deflated when he sit on.. *yay*..

He was able to cycle with training wheels when he was 3y10m17d..

See also:

Create Your Own Motivational Posters Online for Free, no registration required

biow — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:07:58 -0800

Today, I stumbled upon this website that can generate your own motivational posters - with your own photos and your own favorite quotes! Below was my first try.. The quote is my eldest sister's favorite quote.

Below: One of my favorite quotes.. when I did badly in my STPM (A-levels).. when my future seem bleak with no colors in them.. this was one of my mantra, to keep my spirit up..

P.S. You may go to their home and play around with their other generators.. Below is a popart generator with Wenn's photo.

See also:

Self drive from Singapore to Melaka (without helper).. visited Melaka Planeterium..

biow — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:09:22 -0800

We self-drive to Melaka this time without our helper.. reason being was her passport is being renewed and kept in embassy until ready.. and the passport need few weeks to process.. amazing..

Anyway, it was good experience and there is someone to take care of our terrapins at home :)

We went to the Melaka Planeterium - Adventure Science Center.. the highlight of it was the 3-D (?) movie..

On our way to Melaka.. hmm, next time I should take pictures of our REHAT stopovers :)

Budding photographer?

The result (taken by Ken):

Taken by EM.. yes, my mom has nicer bag than me!

My 2nd sis family and my eldest bro family

The inside.. nice show, i like.

we makan'ed satay celup too.. sedapnya.. forgot to take photo though.. perhaps next time.. :)

See also:

Hello Android!

lowem — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:27:58 -0800

Hello World Android! Took me long enough to get going, but here's my first honest-to-goodness Android app, running in the AVD emulator :

And here it is running on my Samsung Galaxy S2 :

Setting up the development environment was simple enough, follow Google's instructions, get the latest Eclipse (yes, I admit I've been a little out of touch lately), get the Android SDK, download the necessary files, libraries and the Android emulator and off I went.

The emulator did take all of 5 minutes or perhaps a bit more than that to boot up on my Acer laptop which up until now had yet to show its age, being perfectly useful for browsing and Microsoft Office and even the occasional VMWare. But now a 2.x GHz 8GB RAM replacement number looks mighty enticing. Running it on the actual device was also simple enough : look for the hello-android.apk in the bin folder, Gmail it to myself, install (application side-loading on the Galaxy S2 was enabled *out of the box*), take screenshot, Gmail screenshot back to myself, and voila.

So goes the saying : "You have taken your first step into a larger world." Or something along these lines.

Prezi.com a Cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software

biow — Mon, 5 Dec 2011 07:26:28 -0800

My old friend, Sue, mentioned prezi.com on her blog.. i was impressed by her christmas party "invitation".. so i went to play around..

from wiki: Prezi is a cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software and storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas upon a virtual canvas.

do be patient and wait for it to finish loading.. i did this from blank template.. i guess using some of the templates provided should be nicer.. have fun!

See also:

Introducing Model Student drum roll..

biow — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:19:53 -0800

Ken received this today.. I'm so proud of him.

See also:

maneki neko ken..

Animal Farm oil pastel drawing by Ken

biow — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:58:29 -0800

Ken did this Art for school today..

OT, does he remind you of this?

See also:

Wenn Graduation (Soka Kindergarten)

biow — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:44:49 -0700

See also:
1. Ken's Kindergarten Graduation Photo

year-end exams.. pfft..

biow — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:46:58 -0700

my primary 2 (p2) ken is having his year-end examination.. it's called SA2 (Semestral Assessment 2).. last time, when i heard/read of mommy feeling stress over their kids exams.. i pfft-ed their concerns and swore that "how silly was that".. and now that i'm experiencing Ken's exams for the first time.. (he didnt have exams in P1).. i'm all stress all.. like a mad-woman.. *sigh*..

i used to think that since consistently he's able to do his homework.. he's able to do the extra questions i give him from various assessment books, he will be fine.. we do not have to "revise" for exams.. since we are consistent, right?.. oh boy.. i didn't know i was so wrong.. seems that even with consistent effort, he performed poorly in the "mock test" his form teacher gave him.. mock test comprised of SA2 paper for year 2009 and 2010 for his school..

and now, i'm the one stress out.. *sigh*

Shell may shut its largest refinery at Pulau Bukom, Singapore at least a month following fire

lowem — Mon, 3 Oct 2011 06:31:47 -0700

channelnewsasia.com, foxbusiness.com :

Shell's fire-hit Pulau Bukom oil refinery may remain shut for at least a month. Shell is tight-lipped about how much money is going up in smoke due to the incident at its biggest refinery. But some analysts said disrupted production would affect regional supplies of Shell's products in the short term. Shell's declaration on Sun 2 Oct 2011 of force majeure on the supply of oil products to some customers following a fire at its 500,000-barrel-a-day Singapore refinery has done little to provide answers on how long refining operations will remain disrupted.

While petroleum markets have already priced in a short-term supply disruption, with gasoline, middle distillates and fuel oil all up $2-3 per barrel against crude oil prices since the fire, the declaration has exacerbated supply worries. Shell has not provided a forecast on when repairs to the refinery - the company's largest - will be complete, although it has said refining units at the Pulau Bukom complex were not damaged by the blaze which started in a pumping station near storage tanks and burned from Wednesday to Friday. The fire may have already dented demand for Middle East crude oil. A Singapore trader said Shell may have cancelled 4 million barrels of Oct 2011 crude from Saudi Arabia. It remains difficult to assess the full impact of Shell's supply disruption. Shell said it has started an investigation over the cause of the fire, and won't restart the refinery until safety is ensured, despite damage being limited to a small area.

- Though this has been one of the biggest stories out of Singapore for the past week or so, there are still many questions that are as yet unanswered, the exact cause of the fire only being one of them. The other issues include the possibility of tightness downstream through the supply chain, in particular gasoline (or petrol as we call it here in Singapore), as well as diesel. Another quite valid question is of course something that people might ask me, such as "should I go and top off my fuel tank right away, reduce my driving and in general prepare for an all-out calamity?"

Let's try to estimate this using best guesses. The Shell Bukom refinery operates at 500,000 barrels per day, which is 500kbpd, or 0.5mbpd as the industry as well as we peakoilers usually refer to it. Reportedly, 90% of that is exported, which means that 10% or 50kbpd is for local consumption. Assuming that half of it is utilized for gasoline and diesel production, that works out to 25 kbpd worth, or close to 4 million liters per day. Assuming that each vehicle has a fuel tank of 50 liters, we come to an impact estimate on 79,500 vehicles per day. The total vehicle population in Singapore is 952,221 vehicles (as at Jul 2011 according to the Singapore Department of Statistics), hence the impact will be felt on about 8.3% of the Singapore vehicle population, which roughly speaking, would be 1 out of every 12 vehicles.

As you can see, this is not an insignificant impact though it shouldn't be calamitous. Given the storage buffers throughout the supply chain, we might not expect to see an immediate impact right away. From past observations of petrol price movements, we might expect changes if any to hit within 1 to 2 weeks' time. This isn't much of a forecast, but we might expect petrol and diesel prices to move upward in this timeframe. As they say, pricing happens at the margins, and this is quite a margin.

Of course, many things might happen in a dynamic market. For all we know, it might all come down to who's bidding and who's winning. Singapore may export less distillates as a whole, with price increases passed on to local motorists, and the rest of the impact spread out among the wider Asian region. The extreme opposite could also be true, if the locals balk at increased prices, and so on. At the point of writing, nobody knows for sure. We should have a much clearer picture soon, within 2 weeks at most.

super friendly dentist for kids..

biow — Sat, 1 Oct 2011 09:00:00 -0700

Unfortunately, I didn't get a clear photo below.

Smurfs Movie craze sweeping Singapore

biow — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:07:11 -0700

la, la, la, la, la, la, sing a happy song..

What teachers really want to tell parents

biow — Fri, 9 Sep 2011 01:28:57 -0700

Editor's note: Ron Clark, author of "The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck -- 101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers," has been named "American Teacher of the Year" by Disney and was Oprah Winfrey's pick as her "Phenomenal Man." He founded The Ron Clark Academy, which educators from around the world have visited to learn.

(CNN) -- This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.

I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."

Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.

So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?

For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.

Please quit with all the excuses

The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone.
Ron Clark

And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.

His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.

Can you feel my pain?

Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.

Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor

And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.

This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"

Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.

Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.

And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.

Teachers walking on eggshells

I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.

My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"

I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators.

Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.

If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.

We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.

That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.

Reference:
CNN: What teachers really want to tell parents

Swiss unlimited forex intervention plan opens new round in currency wars

lowem — Wed, 7 Sep 2011 09:44:32 -0700

bloomberg.com :

Switzerland opened a new round in the global currency war on 6 Sep 2011 as the Swiss National Bank's decision to cap the Swiss franc for the first time since 1978 marked a bid to protect trade hurt by record currency strength against the euro and dollar. The Swiss central bank said it is "prepared to buy foreign currency in unlimited quantities" to keep the euro above 1.20 francs. The franc plunged a record 8.1% against the euro on the SNB's unilateral move, putting it head-to-head with the $4 trillion-a-day forex market that drove the franc up more than 16% against 9 major peers in the past year.

The move may help stabilize markets by forcing investors to return to riskier assets, said Jim O'Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs in London. The initiative may leave Norway and Sweden vulnerable to gains in their currencies as countries such as Brazil and Japan fight to limit appreciation amid a flight from the euro debt crisis and near-zero US interest rates. Led by China, all of Asia's 10 biggest economies last year sought to influence their own exchange rates to aid exporters as the dollar fell. HSBC recommended Norway's currency as an alternative after the SNB's action. The krone has strengthened 4.5% against its 9 major peers over the past year.

- This was one big announcement by the Swiss. At one stroke, EUR/CHF jumped from approximately $1.10 to $1.20 and stayed there. That's a gap up of around 10 cents, or in forex trading terms, 1000 pips. In the world of leveraged foreign currency trading, in large enough amounts, profits can be made trading in as little as 1-2 pips, while very good money can be made (or lost) in 10-20 pips. Hence 1000 pips is analogous to a Richter-scale 10.0 earthquake.

So the Swiss have gone nuclear on their own currency. While the exact timing of the announcement might have been a surprise, there had been hints along the way in recent weeks as the Swiss authorities had been openly discussing possible pegs to the euro and such. Investors may wish to take note that when the Japanese kicked off the current phase of the currency wars back in Sep 2010, gold prices had gone up nearly 60% from the $1200 region to over $1900 in the past year. This next round in the currency wars could eventually take prices of gold, commodities and other related assets into literally unchartered territory. Do not expect immediate jumps across asset classes though - we shall see how this plays out over time.

Singapore Parenting Forum for Sg moms and dads

biow — Thu, 1 Sep 2011 08:57:22 -0700

Over the Raya break, EM & I busied ourselves setting up SGMoms.Net.. what an irony.. I'm not even Singaporean.. But I would like to think of it as a forum to support moms in singapore or singaporean moms residing overseas currently.. of cos, although majority of us are moms, there are very few dads.. and they are prominent due to their minority status :D

But nevermind about the new board.. I wrote these as my final words in the last few functioning days of m4m..

People who know me will know I'm a sentimentalist.. I joined m4m when I was searching frantically for some form of bfg support back in 30-Jun-2003.. then Ken was 2-3weeks old.. and he was at the hardest point of bfg due to his growth spurt, perhaps.. i remembered I was with tears when I signed up and posted for help..
To reminisce those days, I'm listing down what I remembered most in no particular order:

all the breastfeeding support I gained here.. without which I would not have breastfed my 2 kids for abt 2years -direct at home, pump at work - thanks to all of you: Meg, Mum2Nats, frond, Pamela, blue, ifaish, dmjzz, lingsum, mandy, lynntan, chichu, bluemoon, michelle, citronelle, dinomom, etc, etc
i learned to bake cake from here (my first attempted recipe was from jthorge's though I can't remember which)
the bread making session by Lee (HugBear) at Ratna's place
more baking sessions at Lee's place..
the SB challenge conducted by Sri.. I swear she is the most creative person and we had such fun!
when rostov "left", I took over the admin role.. *big sweat*.. as I'm not used to php and hostings, etc.. but I'm thankful to be able to learn as such it's so useful at my current job..
the few outings organised by Ratna herself.. she's so generous inviting us to her place to bake and mingle..
Regret most: did not join the M4M gala dinner as I had just delivered Wenn and was having a tough time starting work after my retrenchment
the boliao kaki postings - super boliao sia..
the banter and jokes by DLL.. he was a great joker then..

How about you? What are your memories in this wonderful place created by Ratna?

Lastly, I screen capture the below to remind me what fun I had once.. how unselfish people were to encourage a stranger like me then.. a part of me make me looked back with fondness.. another part of me is worry if I can run SGMoms.Net well.. when a bunch of people get together, there tend to be heated arguments and displeasure.. and I hate confrontations.. but, i trust that everyone will be sensible and will be tolerance towards each other.. I trust the members to safe-guard SGMoms.Net so that it will continue to be a platform for discussion for many more years.. :P

2011 O-Levels cut off point to JC (Junior College) in Singapore

biow — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:01:16 -0700

L1R5* Aggregate Scores (With Bonus Points) of Students Admitted To Junior Colleges In The 2011 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE).

*L1R5 - First language and relevant 5 subjects

See also:

2010 O-Levels cut off point to JC (Junior College) in Singapore

all time favorite korean drama actors..

biow — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:13:47 -0700

my favorite, that is.. in order of preference.. :P~

Kim Rae Won - first seen him in Love in Harvard/Harvard's Love Story.. then, in Gourmet

Cha Seung Won - first seen him in City Hall.. then, as Dokko Jin in The Greatest Love

Jang Hyuk - first seen him in Thank You.. prepare lotsa tissue, ok.. then Slave Hunter

Hyun Bin - seen him in the epic My Name is Kim Sam Soon.. then Secret Garden

Lee Byung-Heon - All In, GI-Joe

Kim Jae Won - Can you Hear My Heart?

Lee Min Ho - Personal Taste, City Hunter

See also:

Singapore Maths P2 Worksheet Online Generator - Time

biow — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:33:41 -0700

Time.. time.. where got time.. *sigh*.. below to generate P2 Maths questions on Time.

Click the link below to generate the worksheet
Singapore Maths P2 Worksheet Online Generator - Time

Sample Worksheet:

See also:

struggling learner or slow learner..

biow — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:28:01 -0700

i always believe, problems are there for us to solve, to make us to be a better person.. I do not like to label.. but reading the below make me feel comforted.. why? because I just have to repeat, repeat and repeat.. because there are ways to overcome.. because there are solutions.. and simply because, the challenge will make me be a better person.. err.. after all the mad screaming, cajoling, etc.. i come to the conclusions that being angry will not solve the problem.. so I just have to deal with it.. albeit slowly.. but knowing all these will not prevent me from blowing my top.. afterall, i'm always improving myself..

backdrop: Ken came home with his Maths test paper incomplete.. he did 30 questions out of 45 in the given 1.5hr paper.. then today, after his Maths CA2 (exam), he told me he just started question 1 of Section C, when the time was up. That means 20/100 marks gone.

So, I asked him, "what now".. grinning sheepishly, he said, "practice more?".. he's just so cool.. i wish i have half his cool-ness.. looks like back to more practice.

What does it mean to be a struggling learner or slow learner?
A "slow learner" is not a diagnostic category, it is a term people use to describe a student who has the ability to learn necessary academic skills, but at rate and depth below average same age peers. In order to grasp new concepts, a slow learner needs more time, more repetition, and often more resources from teachers to be successful. Reasoning skills are typically delayed, which makes new concepts difficult to learn.

What are some of the challenges educationally for struggling or slow learners?
Typically, a slow learner has difficulty with higher order thinking or reasoning skills. This suggests that it will be more challenging to learn new concepts. New skills need to be based upon already mastered concepts. This can be difficult when the majority of the class has already mastered a concept and is moving on, while the slow learner needs more time. This can lead to gaps in knowledge and basic skills. The more gaps in a content area, the more challenging it is for anyone to learn new concepts.
It's also important to recognize that these students are typically keenly aware they are struggling and self confidence can be an issue. They are prone to anxiety, low self image, and eventually may be quick to give up. They often feel "stupid" and start hating school. They spend all day doing something that is difficult for them, it can be very draining. Finding other activities that the student can be successful in is very important. There should be emphasis on strengths as well.

What are some classroom recommendations?

Repetition, repetition, repetition. You might feel like you are saying the same thing over and over, but it helps make a concept more concrete.
Encourage other activities in which the child can experience success and keep them connected.
Differentiated Instruction
Tutoring- This helps fill in gaps in basic skills and it helps a student stay caught up.
Teach study skills to help a student become more efficient in studying
Teach the most important concepts and leave out some of the less important details.
Peer tutoring

Reference:
http://www.schoolpsychologistfiles.com/slowLearnerFaq.html

best bubble tea in Singapore..

biow — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:54:08 -0700

My absolute favorite.. and I have asked, they sells thousand cups every weekend and few hundred cups on weekdays.. daily basis.. imagine.. $$$

Overheard.. science experiment with magnifying glass

biow — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:42:53 -0700

Ken asked me if we can really make fire from magnifying glass.. so, i told him yes.. he further asked, is it on the dry grass.. worried that he will cause bush fire in Singapore, I explained to him that he can't try that.. but we can try on a piece of paper.. and you know how kids are.. they can harp on and on for days..

Since yesterday was a Sunday, I thought why not bring Ken to do this experiment.. so we took his magnifying glass and a piece of A4 paper.. it was sunny.. so we shine on the paper and burned a hole through the paper.. naturally he got excited and all.. Then worried he will repeat the experiment at home and burn our home down.. I told him cannot do this by himself.. he said, "yea, i know.. adult supervision required.".. Later, in the evening..

Ken:	Why didn't we take a video of our experiment?
Biow:	huh?
Ken:	Then we can put it on youtube
Biow:	-.-!!!

Our kids world is really different from my growing up years.. I'm so surprised that he knows or understand what upload a video meant.. i'm amazed.

Korean Drama: City Hunter Lee Min Ho

biow — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:15:23 -0700

Lee Min Hot.. agree? I refuse to find out how ~~old~~ ~~young~~ old he is.. but *swoon*

See also:

Simple PHP login code example

biow — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:48:35 -0700

While tasked to code my very first php program, I did some googling.. who codes from scratch these days?.. but while googling, the sample codes were mind boggling.. me, the google-queen I am, will not fail.. after much ~~soul~~ code-searching, I found the forum posting here easiest to follow.. I copied the codes over to preserve the knowledge in case the forum can't be assessed any longer..

what gibberish mess right? ahh.. to be honest, I find joy writing codes.. as long as there is absolutely NO deadline.. ahh, what joy to see these gibberish turned into some webpages that can be responded to.. it's fun.. honest!

Step 1 - create a table dbUsers with the scripts below:

CREATE TABLE dbUsers( id int NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, username varchar(16), password char(16), email varchar(25), PRIMARY KEY(id), UNIQUE (username) )

Step 2 - create a file dbConfig.php with the codes below:

<? // Replace the variable values below // with your specific database information. $host = "localhost"; $user = "UserName"; $pass = "Password"; $db = "dbName"; // This part sets up the connection to the // database (so you don't need to reopen the connection // again on the same page). $ms = mysql_pconnect($host, $user, $pass); if ( !$ms ) { echo "Error connecting to database.\n"; } // Then you need to make sure the database you want // is selected. mysql_select_db($db); ?>

Step 3 - create a file register.php with the codes below:


<?php

        // dbConfig.php is a file that contains your
        // database connection information. This
        // tutorial assumes a connection is made from
        // this existing file.
        include ("dbConfig.php");


//Input vaildation and the dbase code
        if ( $_GET["op"] == "reg" )
  {
  $bInputFlag = false;
  foreach ( $_POST as $field )
        {
        if ($field == "")
    {
    $bInputFlag = false;
    }
        else
    {
    $bInputFlag = true;
    }
        }
  // If we had problems with the input, exit with error
  if ($bInputFlag == false)
        {
        die( "Problem with your registration info. "
    ."Please go back and try again.");
        }

  // Fields are clear, add user to database
  //  Setup query
  $q = "INSERT INTO `dbUsers` (`username`,`password`,`email`) "
        ."VALUES ('".$_POST["username"]."', "
        ."PASSWORD('".$_POST["password"]."'), "
        ."'".$_POST["email"]."')";
  //  Run query
  $r = mysql_query($q);
  
  // Make sure query inserted user successfully
  if ( !mysql_insert_id() )
        {
        die("Error: User not added to database.");
        }
  else
        {
        // Redirect to thank you page.
        Header("Location: register.php?op=thanks");
        }
  } // end if


//The thank you page
        elseif ( $_GET["op"] == "thanks" )
  {
  echo "<h2>Thanks for registering!</h2>";
  }
  
//The web form for input ability
        else
  {
  echo "<form action=\"?op=reg\" method=\"POST\">\n";
  echo "Username: <input name=\"username\" MAXLENGTH=\"16\"><br />\n";
  echo "Password: <input type=\"password\" name=\"password\" MAXLENGTH=\"16\"><br />\n";
  echo "Email Address: <input name=\"email\" MAXLENGTH=\"25\"><br />\n";
  echo "<input type=\"submit\">\n";
  echo "</form>\n";
  }
        // EOF
        ?>

Step 4 - create a file login.php with the codes below:


<?php
        session_start();
        // dBase file
        include "dbConfig.php";

        if ($_GET["op"] == "login")
  {
  if (!$_POST["username"] || !$_POST["password"])
        {
        die("You need to provide a username and password.");
        }
  
  // Create query
  $q = "SELECT * FROM `dbUsers` "
        ."WHERE `username`='".$_POST["username"]."' "
        ."AND `password`=PASSWORD('".$_POST["password"]."') "
        ."LIMIT 1";
  // Run query
  $r = mysql_query($q);

  if ( $obj = @mysql_fetch_object($r) )
        {
        // Login good, create session variables
        $_SESSION["valid_id"] = $obj->id;
        $_SESSION["valid_user"] = $_POST["username"];
        $_SESSION["valid_time"] = time();

        // Redirect to member page
        Header("Location: members.php");
        }
  else
        {
        // Login not successful
        die("Sorry, could not log you in. Wrong login information.");
        }
  }
        else
  {
//If all went right the Web form appears and users can log in
  echo "<form action=\"?op=login\" method=\"POST\">";
  echo "Username: <input name=\"username\" size=\"15\"><br />";
  echo "Password: <input type=\"password\" name=\"password\" size=\"8\"><br />";
  echo "<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Login\">";
  echo "</form>";
  }
        ?>

Step 5 - create a file members.php with the codes below:


<?php
session_start();

if (!$_SESSION["valid_user"])
        {
        // User not logged in, redirect to login page
        Header("Location: login.php");
        }

// Member only content
// ...
// ...
// ...

// Display Member information
echo "<p>User ID: " . $_SESSION["valid_id"];
echo "<p>Username: " . $_SESSION["valid_user"];
echo "<p>Logged in: " . date("m/d/Y", $_SESSION["valid_time"]);

// Display logout link
echo "<p><a href=\"logout.php\">Click here to logout!</a></p>";
?>

Step 6 - create a file logout.php with the codes below:


<?php
session_start();
session_unset();

session_destroy();
// Logged out, return home.
Header("Location: index.php");
?>

RIP

biow — Mon, 1 Aug 2011 05:49:55 -0700

Remember scarey?.. well he died today.. *sob*.. it's not easy to keep these terrapins.. and who said turtles have long life?

Inflation, Investing and Everything

lowem — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:04:28 -0700

Days like what we've been having recently remind me of why I started this blog in the first place. Looking back at the historical gold prices, in 2004 when I got seriously concerned and started blogging about inflation, gold prices were around the $400 level then.

And now, this week, gold prices have hit record highs above $1600 per troy ounce. That is a 4x increase from the $400 level. It equally reflects the rise in precious metals as it does the corresponding fall in the US dollar, the currency it is benchmarked against. It is a barometer that tells us that all is not right with our financial world. It tells us that, compared to a steady, unchanging store of value with a history of over 6,000 years, the so-called money we have in our wallets and in our bank accounts is decaying steadily. Plus, like most people I know, I don't think I have received a raise of 4 times my monthly salary in my day job in the past few years. If you have, good for you.

On the flip side of all this, with gold prices above $1600, silver prices above $40, and just as well oil prices again flirting with the $100 level, I am once again reminded of the central theme behind what I have been trying to communicate to you, the readers, of what has been coming down the road, and what is yet to come. Inflation. Inflation like nothing most of us have ever seen before.

Since 2004, I have been talking, and blogging, about the coming inflation, how what had seemed to be an unlikely but ultimately potent combination of the fiat money system, debt creation, resource depletion, peak oil, population growth, and climate change would combine to create an inflation monster that would bear down on us all. I tried to convey some measures of what we would need to do to combat inflation in our own manner. From investing in commodities ranging anywhere from gold and silver to oil and uranium, to food and water. From the base metals of iron and copper to the rare earth metals of lanthanum and neodymium and 15 other elements I'm not quite sure I know how to spell. On matters of asset allocation and how we should sub-divide our portfolios. On trying, or not trying to time the markets.

Yes, here we are. It would be prudent, now, I think, to prepare for the coming global hyperinflation. That is if the systems, and the structures that are currently in place continue to run as they have. And all indications point to the same conclusion. We still have not seen anything yet.

Inflation, Investing and Everything. Indeed.

Cisco said to be cutting as many as 10000 jobs in upcoming mass layoff

lowem — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:31:23 -0700

zerohedge.com -> bloomberg.com :

Cisco Systems, the largest networking-equipment company, may cut as many as 10,000 jobs, or about 14% of its workforce, according to two people familiar with the plans. The cuts include as many as 7,000 jobs that would be eliminated by the end of Aug 2011, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren't final. Cisco CEO John Chambers is slashing jobs and exiting less-profitable businesses as competitors such as Juniper Networks and HP take market share in Cisco's main businesses with lower-priced, simpler products.

Cisco said in May 2011 that it shuttered the Flip video-camera unit and cut 550 jobs. The company may eliminate more positions in the consumer-product unit, which makes Linksys home-networking equipment. Sales of Cisco's switches and routers, which made up more than half of revenue last year, will continue to slip, said Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co. Cisco stock had dropped 24% so far in 2011, while the S&P500 index had risen 4.9%.

- It would be quite a waste to see anything happen to the Linksys division, which used to be a standalone company in its own right until Cisco acquired them. So far all the home routers I have used have been Linksys products, from the wired BEF-SR41 to the Linux-based WRT54GL and now the Cisco Linksys E3000 wireless router, and they have all been reliable and served well over the years.

On the enterprise front, however, what I have heard from colleagues back at the office have not been as favorable in recent times, with some of them talking about the high cost and complexity especially of the newer Cisco switches and routers. In addition, as Cisco tried to integrate security features such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems into their products, I have actually been advised to specify other models from say Juniper instead, as their combo appliances are supposed to be actually cheaper and better. With the increasing level of maturity in this technology sector, the next frontier is inevitably pricing and this is where we might be looking directly at the impact of that.

Lloyds Banking to cut 15000 jobs, to focus on UK

lowem — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:21:21 -0700

bloomberg.com :

Lloyds Banking Group, Britain's biggest mortgage lender, will cut 15,000 jobs and reduce costs by an additional 1.5 billion pounds ($2.4 billion) as it withdraws from overseas units and increases its UK focus. Most of the job losses will come in the UK as a result of cuts to management functions and centralizing some roles. The bank also plans to withdraw from more than 15 of its 30 overseas units. British banks, including Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays are reviewing their operations and trimming profitability targets as regulators enforce higher capital requirements to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Lloyds had already pledged 2 billion pounds of savings annually following its purchase of HBOS 3 years ago, which has so far resulted in about 27,000 job losses. Lloyds has a total of 104,000 employees with about 4,000 outside the UK. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, had said it would cut 700 posts.

- It looks like what could be another wave of mass layoffs starting up again just as the world thought that the 2008 financial meltdown was over. With the economy supposedly in a recovery and the stock market seeming to have picked up right where it left off since 2009, the next thing is to look at the jobs front, and there things seemed to be easing for a short while before reversing course again.

But if you were to look at let's say the S&P500, you would note that the stock market has been in a consolidation pattern since the 1344 level back in Feb 2011. The SPX has been unable to make a convincing run for the 1400 level since then. Although it has not been an outright crash so far, we could suppose that the 6-month lag time also applies, which is why we might be looking at some consolidation on the jobs front in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia has reached peak oil output, commodities to rise : Goldman Sachs

lowem — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 08:17:49 -0700

theoilage.com -> energyandcapital.com :

It's all speculation over the future of the commodities market. But Goldman Sachs is predicting a significant upturn. And they're particularly bullish when it comes to crude oil. According to Goldman Sachs, Brent crude oil prices could be as high as $120 at the end of 2011 and $140 at the end of 2012. The global economy, they believe, is on the rise, despite the Japanese earthquake and the high oil prices. A rise in demand will push up commodity prices. And Goldman Sachs believes this will be fueled by the fact that Saudi Arabia won't be able to meet oil demand.

Despite claims by analysts and even OPEC that Saudi Arabia will be able to increase output to meet growing market demand, Goldman believes that the Saudis have reached their peak oil output. This stems from 2008 when oil surpassed $100 a barrel. This was plenty of reason to boost market supply, but Saudi Arabia hit its peak at 9.5 million barrels a day. Now, despite claims that Saudi Arabia has the potential for a 12 million barrel-a-day capacity, Goldman estimates a supply shortage. US natural gas, gold futures and copper prices (due to China demand) could also see a significant increase. The solution? Go long on commodities - crude oil, copper, zinc, gold - or even soybeans.

- Over time, it is increasingly getting obvious that Saudi Arabia is going through the process of peak oil production and eventual decline. And as peak oil author Matt Simmons had said, "as Saudia Arabia goes, so goes the world". The first alarm bells started ringing as early as 2005 when it was first discovered that apparently the Saudi's could be having problems keeping up production of light sweet crude oil which is the more desired grade of oil. In the years after that, the peakoiler community watched as Saudi's answer to keeping up their oil production was done instead with heavy, sour crude oil. We knew that was it, back then, and waited for the time when even the heavy, sour stuff would start to peter out, and then it would actually be Global Peak Oil, for all intents and purposes.

As a number of peak oil watchers have stated, May 2005 was the date of peak oil for light sweet crude worldwide. Now all we are awaiting is confirmation of the peak date for all liquids - that would include both light and heavy crude, oil from tar sands, from NGL (natural gas liquids), deep-sea drilling, plus all the more exotic and smaller-scale forms like CTL (coal-to-liquid), GTL (gas-to-liquid) and so on. We are getting close but the actual date is hard to pin down as the only way to tell for sure is to look into the proverbial rear-view mirror. Best estimates, as far as we can tell, are currently at 2013 +/- 3 years. So yes, it could actually be in the past and indeed some are talking about the Global Peak Oil date, All Liquids, as being some time last year, back in 2010. And now with no less than Goldman Sachs coming out and saying it, and with the economy nowadays hardly able to gain any real traction, we're getting a sinking feeling that the "early peakers" could be right after all.

Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon breaks records, hits $500 million worldwide in 9 days

reviewem — Sat, 9 Jul 2011 07:57:48 -0700

tfw2005.com -> boxofficemojo.com :

Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon tore past the $500 million worldwide mark yesterday [7 Jul 2011], which was its 9th day in theaters. That broke the 10-day record held by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Those movies went on to earn $963.4 million and $1.014 billion (and counting), respectively, which looks like a good target range for Dark of the Moon.

Transformers : Dark of the Moon has so far earned $214 million domestically. Overseas, Dark of the Moon has already earned a massive $297.1 million. Based on its current pace, Transformers: Dark of the Moon will rocket past $600 million worldwide on Saturday, its 11th day in theaters. Adding to its impressiveness is that it's hitting these numbers before striking China (July 21) and Japan (July 29). While it's a bit premature, Dark of the Moon appears to be on pace to ultimately close with over $1 billion worldwide. If Transformers avoids getting completely steamrolled by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 next week, then it should become the 9th $1 billion movie in history.

- That was really fast, as we watched the worldwide box office receipts for Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon rocket past $300 million, $400 million and now $500 million on the way to a $1 billion total box office. And that's not even counting the Blu-Ray and DVD's yet which are coming in Nov 2011 which could bring the count to $2 billion in time to come.

Of course, this being possibly the last Michael Bay directed Transformers movie might have something to do with it. But there seems to be more story left to tell, especially the last part about Optimus Prime and Megatron which seemed to take place a bit abruptly. Already there are people talking about Transformers 4 - we'll have to see about that.

money.. money.. money..

biow — Fri, 8 Jul 2011 21:01:00 -0700

I had a dream last week about Ken coming home with his Maths Test Paper with a score of 20%.. two days later, he came home with his Maths worksheet on money.. I now know why I had the dream.. Time to practice.. *gulpz*

____________ twenty-cents and 3 five-dollar notes = $16.80

A toy car cost $8. 3 toy cars cost the same as 4 balls. How much is each ball?

This is the worksheet I had done for him to practice on and I would like to share with you my readers..

P2 Maths Worksheet - 06 (Money)

See also:

Singapore Maths P2 Worksheet

Mr Angry Bird..

biow — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 18:50:49 -0700

the game in their time.. we used to play game and watch, remember? nowadays, there are all sorts of games..

Post1.Net

Singapore Science P3 Diversity Concept Map v0.02

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 3 (effective from 2007)

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 3

June 2010 Lunar Eclipse

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 1 (effective from 2007)

Singapore Mathematics Syllabus for Primary 1

Singapore Science P3 Diversity Concept Map

Appointed.. class monitor..

Singapore Maths P3 Worksheet Online Generator - Multiplication / Division

CNY card from Ken..

Happy CNY 2012..

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

On the DBS/POSB ATM card fraud case in Singapore

Singapore Maths P3 Worksheet - Addition and Subtraction (Within 10 000)

2011 O-Levels cut off point to Polytechnic in Singapore (JAE 2011 Cut-Off Points)

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for SMU (SMU cut-off points for 2012)

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for NTU (NTU cut-off points for 2012)

2011 Indicative Grade Profile for NUS (NUS cut-off points for 2012)

Singapore Science P3 Experiment: Growing Bread Mould at home

First day of primary school for Wenn..

Happy New Year 2012..

Ken Cycling Without Training Wheels

Create Your Own Motivational Posters Online for Free, no registration required

Self drive from Singapore to Melaka (without helper).. visited Melaka Planeterium..

Hello Android!

Prezi.com a Cloud-based (SaaS) presentation software

Introducing Model Student *drum roll*..

Animal Farm oil pastel drawing by Ken

Wenn Graduation (Soka Kindergarten)

year-end exams.. pfft..

Shell may shut its largest refinery at Pulau Bukom, Singapore at least a month following fire

super friendly dentist for kids..

Smurfs Movie craze sweeping Singapore

What teachers really want to tell parents

Swiss unlimited forex intervention plan opens new round in currency wars

Singapore Parenting Forum for Sg moms and dads

2011 O-Levels cut off point to JC (Junior College) in Singapore

all time favorite korean drama actors..

Singapore Maths P2 Worksheet Online Generator - Time

struggling learner or slow learner..

best bubble tea in Singapore..

Overheard.. science experiment with magnifying glass

Korean Drama: City Hunter Lee Min Ho

Simple PHP login code example

RIP

Inflation, Investing and Everything

Cisco said to be cutting as many as 10000 jobs in upcoming mass layoff

Lloyds Banking to cut 15000 jobs, to focus on UK

Saudi Arabia has reached peak oil output, commodities to rise : Goldman Sachs

Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon breaks records, hits $500 million worldwide in 9 days

money.. money.. money..

Mr Angry Bird..

Introducing Model Student drum roll..