Monday, March 9, 2009

Portfolio blog

In this writing I will talk about the third and the fourth portfolio that have given to us to analyze by using the ten element concept in a critical literacy view. We have to complete this two portfolio during our mid term breaks. Miss Syida has given a briefing about both of this portfolio. It will complete the four portfolios that we should do for our first assessment. So by some training from doing portfolio one and two, we have to do our best for both of three and four portfolio.In here I will explain my understanding and my point of view toward both articles.
For the first article which is a third portfolio is talk about the political issue that happen in US and Arabian. We usually know that the relationship of both sides is not really good because of the different way of perception and view toward something. So from that, we usually hear about the fighting in both sides. It’s like that US government always use their strength and power in being bad to the Arabian country. The title article for the third portfolio is ‘The Moment’ 12/08/08: Guantanamo Bay. We know that Guantanamo is a place were US send an Arabian criminal and torture them in physical and mentality in order to show their power. A evidences unfair and discrimination punishment that the US army give to the Arabian or Islamic criminal have spread all over the eye world by nothing can be done because they know that US is one of the most powerful and stronger country in the world.
The article talk about the judgment issue for a 9/11 suspect at Guantanamo. 9/11 is a most tragedy moment or incidents that happens to US when there been an attack in Pentagon tower and have makes a lot of people lose their family members, and for the responsibility of the tragedy, the US government have pointed to Arabian people. The mission to find who the people behind the tragedy are has been finding hardly by US and they find it. The 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four of his co-defendants abruptly offered to confess to coordinating the attack- in effect pleading guilty to the murder of 3,000 people. He has asked to not wasting a time to judge them and just give them the punishment and their target is martyrdom by execution. For them is like a victory and also or US president, Bush. They also like get a victory because of what they do all this time is looks great and right by the dead of the terrorist. They feel they won. But different with an Obama view, it will do it more complicated in order to make good on his promise to close Gitmo. He wants Mohammed face the trial in more conventional US courts. Many research say that they place should be close in order to stop the unfair punishment and stop the war fighting between the two countries. Just ended the cases and stop the entire humiliating thing. In here we can see how the power that use by US can lead to the something to become more complicated, unfair and bad. It’s also show how the egoism in a strong country in giving their serving into the weak country. They just thought that they are the best, and power is everything.
For the second portfolio, which is the fourth portfolio, the article title is, ‘The UN proves – once again – its toothless nature’. It talk about how bad and weak UN management in handling a global issues and challenges. It about handling a war issues in Palestine that have been conquered by Israel and have kill many people in there by their attack. Behind all the issues that happen in there, UN cannot handle the problem even tough they actually can. It is because they are trying to denied the truth and afraid to discover about who is the rights and who is wrong. They already know the answer but them afraid to bring up the answer. It is also about how strong the power and the influences of that regime in order to cover up all their action by using the influence from UN. UN also likes afraid to against the Israel and like being under the thumb of Israel and follow all instruction. When the UN have made the resolution action, Palestine did not being influence by that promise because they know that the UN just pretending the action to show that they concern for what happen in Palestine but will not do anything if the Israel didn’t follow the resolution action. So where is the power of the mind map for a peace agent in here? From that we can see that UN also being weak when it comes to Israel. UN just pretending to show their behave action in order to show that they still concern about the problem. The Zionist and the Israel regime had brought all the problem and nothing can stop the attack from them. So it’s up to us to judge the function of UN that supposedly to become a roadmap for a peaceful condition and help to handling the global issue but know everything can be happen and we should not easy to trust everyone. The people who supposedly do their job in order to bring a peace must do something and not just by saying and campaign something but him didn’t do anything. This article is written to the newspaper and the paper publishes it in order to aware and warned public for what had happen. We should know about it.
I think both article is very good and relate a little bit with each other. They talk about the political issue in the world nowadays. We should know that power can ruin everything. It’s very interesting article and most part that article have teach and educate me about the real thing outside there that we cannot trust anyone easily and power can do everything.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Blog 12

The class in Wednesday have been dismissing, so the next class continue in Friday. In Friday we have the last presentation for the last topic.

Before start the presentation, we have discussed about the text that title ‘Body Language That Speaks to Muggers’. The text is about a body language movement that can show that which is the easy target for muggers. We have discussed the entire ten elements that we have learned before towards the text. The discussion is like a revision for us in order to keep our memory about the ten elements and understanding toward the text.

After that we continue our class with the presentation. The group is by Nur Liyana and Syairiah. Their group present about the topic ‘reading 5.3’ which is the types of exposition: ‘persuading that’ and ‘persuading to’. The topic is about the types of exposition something to other people. The exposition has two types which is analytical and hortatory exposition.

The hortatory exposition is a persuade the people by using the action. The text writing must follow by the action. It can show how bad or important writing it is. It mostly be use to get an attention from the reader. These types of exposition are a ‘persuade to’ exposition. For an analytical exposition it is more typical of lecturer, seminar or so on. It’s like for a usual delivery not hard as a hortatory exposition.

Exposition not also is use in writing part but also can be use for show the personality of someone by the word that it says. The personality can be expressed through attitude and feeling. For the two types of exposition, the hortatory exposition shows more personality expression rather than the analytical. In hortatory exposition, sometime the speaker really wants to people who hear about its speech to understand and being influences by it. So it uses the expression of his/her feeling to make its goal of the speech comes realistic.

Other than that, the explanation on this topic also talks about the using of metaphor. The metaphor is typically found in expository writing. The metaphor is using a symbolic word to show and expressed something. Sometime when someone want to delivery their speech or explanation about something or someone, sometime they not use the direct word to show about the thing, they might use the metaphor in order to describe about thing or someone. Usually it being use in time when want to condemn or talk negative about someone. Using a metaphor is like to cover the thing and not straight to the point. Mostly when using the metaphor is like to show the reasoning and personality about something in other word. Metaphor usually can be found in writing exposition rather than in speech.

For the conclusion, there is many ways of exposition than include. We use it in our daily life without realize it. The more strong the exposition that use when delivering something, the more effect that influence the reader or audience get.

So after the group finish their presentation, the usual section which is question and answer is having. The question is to test how deep we understand the explanation of that topic. After all that finish, Miss Shida has given the explanation what will learn in next class. That is the ending of today class.

Blog 11

For this week we continue our class in Monday with discussing about the last lesson. The last lesson is about positioning in one text. So we continue with the next subtopic which is impact and visual literacy. Miss Syida has explained about both subtopics.

The impact is an effect the text towards the reader. How deep the effect is depending to the using of writing skills in the text. It can make the reader feel sad, happy, angry, confuse and all the feeling that related to the text. More good the writer wrote or reflex the text, more effect can the reader get.

For the example in a text of ‘Please let me go to your school’, the effect that can get after read the text is we will feel sympathy and sad for the situation that happen to the Scarlett which is she cannot enter The Hills Grammar school for the reason, she is disabilities children. In the text, her parents have told about the situation of Scarlett and want to get the right for their daughter. Of course as a reader we will feel that it is discrimination toward the disabilities people. We also feel sad and sympathy toward her. This is the effect that we feel after we read the text.

For the second subtopic is visual literacy. The visual literacy is a graphic, picture, colour or anything that can attract and describe what text is about. It also likes an attraction aspect for the text. Sometimes not all the text has the visual literacy. It just depends on the text. Sometimes by just looking at the visual literacy we can guest what is the topic or the text is all about. It depends on how far the visual can give the effect.

In the example text ‘Please Let Me Go to School’, the visual literacy on the text just shows the picture of big faces of one girl looking at something. It’s not a clear visual and we cannot predict what all is about. The clear visual will help the reader to understand more to the text.

That’s what we have discussed in the class for that day. After that we have share what we have learnt from both subtopic.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Blog 10

In the last presentation for this week is done by my group which is me, Nooraini and my partner Syafinaz. We get the next topic which is Reading 4.5 ‘Crooked and Fallacious Thinking’. It’s very interesting topic and I really like it. I and my partner give a full commitment to deliver the best toward our presentation.
The crooked and fallacious thinking is a trick of human thinking. It is a development of a clear and perceptive outlook entails the ability to think logically and to recognizes and analyse instances of crooked and fallacious thinking. Crooked means a dishonest thinking and a kinds of bad thinking way. It likes a confusing way of thinking that can bring something to another path of thinking. Same also with are fallacious thinking which is a way of confusing and disturbing of thinking. The two of this trick can let to bring a problem toward us, other people or to surrounding.
I and my partner start with explaining the ten elements. This text is written to inform, to educate and to investigate about the thinking trick by human. It also delivers about the information of this trick and how to recognise it in our condition of life thinking.
The trick also can be transfer devices. by this devices it use as a medium to transfer a one information or prestige of something or someone to another way, could it be a bad thing or a good thing. For example like a status of Doctor, Lawyer or so on. Public might think positive about them and by using this trick it can be a different thing.
In this trick also have a few different types like circular argument which is a crooked thinker give the impression that he is saying something meaningful and logical when he is in fact not proving anything and simply drawing his conclusion. This kind of people always likes to judge something and give his opinion toward it. Next is false analogy, it is a used to support and argument in fact proves nothing. They like to add something that can relate to what they want to deliver but it’s can’t proves nothing.
Other than that, is a equivocation. It is a fallacy arises because some of the word used in argument may be ambiguous and can give a different meaning. Like example is the word gay, it can give a two meaning which is a cheerful mood or a mien that is homosexual. So it can give a different perception to the reader or listener. It also same with a assumption. Assumption is a people opinion about something or someone. It can be a several of assumption whether a bad or good assumption. Maybe because of the assumption it can create a problem.
Crooked and fallacious thinking usually use in term of advertisement or campaign mood in order to persuade or make the people thinks toward something. It can be a good and bad thing. So we suppose to know how to faces with this types of mind trick. After finished the presentation, we proceed with a question and Miss Syida also give her opinion and experience in facing a crooked and fallacious thinking way.
Before finished the class, Miss have told about the last topic that we have to make and another one presentation for a next class. There a lot of input that we get for this week presentation.

Blog 9

In the second presentation, the groups are Muhd Fahmi and Mohd Subhi. They will present about a new chapter which is Reading 4.4 ‘Statistic’. This chapter were discussing about the use of statistic information in text. The group presentation having a litter bit problem which is their transparency paper for the notes presentation cannot be use properly and because of that they have to use the presentation by using the laptop only. So we have to pay more attention to their presentation to get the ideas of this presentation briefing.
The group stated with the elaboration about the ten elements. The topic is use to inform and educated students especially about the using of statistics information in the text. The text is also wanted to tell about the concern of the use and misuse of statistics. It’s new information of learning to us and it’s very interesting.
They begin with telling the introduction of statistic. Statistic begins by defining term, mentioning a number of domains where statistic is widely used. The statistic it’s referring to inform about any phenomenon @ activity that’s expressed in rhetorical form. The word statistic has two meaning which, first when we use for a plural verb, it refers to information about any phenomenon or activity expressed in numerical form, such as vital statistic, college-enrolment figures and opinion poll percentages. In the singular sense, it denotes the art and sciences of collecting, presenting, analysing and interpreting numerical data. In other words, it is in the second sense, the tool for us to make the maximum use o quantitative measurement and assessment. The important of statistic in human affairs is obvious from our tendency to associate fact closely with figures.
The statistic is using to intemperate the data of any information by using the graphic and number. It very important for some information that can’t deliver by using the text. To relate this using a statistic in a learning of critical literacy is by transfer the data from the number or graphic into text information. Maybe for the some information that using the statistic information it can be more easy and clear to understand. The statistic types can be dividing into four groups which are an unqualified averages, fallacious sampling, percentages unaccompanied by actual number and misleading presentation. It has their own function and the roles for the delivering information.

Blog 8

At the class in Friday, we have another three presentation which is the first is reading 4.3 ‘What Is the Evidence?’ this topic have been presented by a couple group which is a Fazlihazwa and Nor Bazilah.
This text is about the story of one kidnapping that happen in 1932 at America. It’s happen to the son of Charles Lindbergh that been kidnapped at his nursery. A broken ladder and a chisel were found near the house, and a note, signed with symbolic device, was left in the nursery.
That’s we can say as a evidence. Evidence is a something that we can make as a proof to prove something whether is right or wrong. The evidence is can be anything or something which is can be words, things, food or anything that can be relate toward the cases. It can be anything.
In the story text of the kidnapping, the story write about the evidence that can be relate to the kidnap cases. From the evidences, the way of the writer tell about the evidence is telling that Mr Charles have been involve with his own son kidnapping and police have make the investigate toward him. He have arrested and been judge by the public and law. Evidences have brought his to the situation and just evidence also can help him to survive.
From this story also can bring out the types of evidences which is can be divide into a two types which is tangible evidences and eye-witness evidence. Tangible is a realistic evidence that can be use to prove something. If have a tangible evidences, it easy to prove something. It cans be anything evidence. For the eye-witness evidence, it is a someone who become a person that seen one cases or situation with his own eyes. It’s very strong evidence but it can be compromise by the side of the victim. The fact that they see by their eyes can be change into something else. So we cannot 100% believe that if have a evidence, we can save. If we have a strong the argument can be have from both side to prove something. They might use an argument which is a reason or set of reason that somebody uses to show that something is true or wrong. So, we cannot 100% believe to the evidence that we have.
The story of the kidnapping is to clear us to see the behind meaning of evidence and what evidence can make to the situation. The next presentation will be wrote in the next blog.

Blog 7

In this week we start our class with learning about a new text in the reading books. The text title is ‘please, let me go to your school’. It is very interesting text. We have make the discussion about the text and give our opinion towards contains of the text. It such a fun learning session.
The text is about a six-year-old girl, Scarlett Finney who cannot enter to exclusive school. It is because she is a disabilities child. The school did not take her because her lackness. First perception Scarlett towards the school is her think that the school is good and can accept disabilities student like her but after face the experience, her perception is nothing. Her parents have told about the situation to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. They want to know why her daughters have been taught like that. Her parents have told that their daughter is independent and don’t give trouble to anyone and but why she still get the server like that.
But the text is quiet bias because it just focussing into Scarlett and just mention about her. But the text not mention about the view from the side of the school administration. So we cannot blame the school 100% for what been happens. It must fair text information about both side and from that we can make the judgement. From that story of the text we have make our opinion together and discus together. Miss Syida also asks us to make a critical literacy. We have thought about it and give our individual view. We have discus about this in our two classes in Tuesday and Wednesday. After that in our next class in Friday we continue with other presentation.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Blog 6

This is the last class in this week for this critical literacy course. We have one hour learning time in this day which is Friday. So after enter the class Miss Syida has told us to be preparing for the presentation. But before started the presentation we have share with Miss about the result of the election and our class representative which is Muhd Ridzwan have won the title of YDP and will be our leader to this college.
After that we proceed with the presentation. The first group is Atiqah and Rozaida group. Their topic is Reading 3.3 ‘Critical literacy: a linguistic perspective’. The linguistic perspective is a ways of writing something, how the language in the text written and works on to show the signs of the text to the audience to identify what the meaning of the text. It also to show how we can use the meaning or the knowledge of the text to become critical literacy. Sometime the language can be easier to understand but sometimes is not. Sometimes the meaning of the language that use can be given different perspective from different people.
In the example that given in the reading toward the critical reading is have two part which is part A and part B. In the part A, the text is a discussion text about ‘why do people go into business?’ .A discussion is a written genre typically used to present a reasoned account of both (or all) sides of an issue. The text discus about the suggestion on the surface, what follow is a reasoned account of why people do or don’t go into business.
From what I can understand from the text is it’s focussing more into business works and term and very detail about the grammar part. In using a lot of grammar sentences that can present the condition of the sentences. From here we can say that the text really use structure of a business discussion. The picture that using also help to determine the text is about the business situation.
For the part B, the text is a report. Reports are standard genres in the sciences and social sciences. From the report we can know about what it’s the report talking about. It’s show something information. It does also represent a summary of standard knowledge. This text present as ‘fact’ and not really open to question, the qualities of a successful business person. A textually informed text participant or text user would be likely to see this text as unproblematic. The sequences of texts, discussion followed by report, and the inter textual relationship between them is also important. Both of this article or the text is talk about business matter but in two different types of linguistic perspective which is by a discussion and report.
After finished their presentation the section of question and answer having like a usual time.
There are many question that be asking and the presentation person elaborates and give the answer. But for me, their presentation it’s not giving me a full of understanding toward this topic so I cannot really get the brief information about this topic.
The next presentation is about reading 3.4 ‘speech and speaker’. This topic has been presented by Zahratulhayat and Fatiha. This topic is about how we communicate and determine the meaning of something in telling like in speech. The sub topic is a discourse and readers. Down in the subtopic is divide in two which is first is discourse; discourse is a serious conversation, modes of talking and sexism. It mostly can be se in interview section which from the appearance of the interview van give a different meaning to the interviewer.
For example that given by the group, there are two types of women in an office that having an interview and use a different types of discourse. First is a Miss Seductress, she use a tactic like touch every one, making a direct eye contact, use her over body language when talking, attack the men like bees to the honey pot, seducing her boss and like to laugh and bewitchingly. These types of person not using her own ability and the confident when doing or get something. Another one is a Miss Winner which is a confident person, have relaxed posture, co-ordinated and well educated. These types of person are very comfortable when delivering something by using its own ability. For the reader subtopic, it’s defending on the reader on how to interoperate the delivering from someone or something by judging from their own perspective.
Another two subtopic is a language and language user. Language is a systematic means of communicating by the use of sound or conventional symbol. Language also can be considered an extremely human mode of communication. The language that use is mediated through the experiences by the person and the influence from the surrounding or the behaviour of the person. This can be say as a language user. The language of the language it’s depend on ourselves.
The last two subtopic in this reading text is a reading position and genre. Reading position gives by the perspective of us when reading something. It does also can be as a rules or instruction about to read the text. In can give us a description what should we do in reading the text. Genre of the language can be learning since us as children. We can take the way on how is language be use and practice. We also can adapt from the surrounding. From example is a speaker. Speaker is not and individual or non-social. Through the speaker, people will learn an experience using a language. So the types of much language can be known. It will affect our delivering and the giving of perspective toward something.
That is some information that I get from the delivering of the presentation. In this presentation also have acting in order to make more understanding about discourse and readers in the part of Miss Seductress and Miss Winner. The acting participates by Muaz as a boss and Adwa as a seductress and winner person. It’s so interesting and funny. We really enjoy the acting. After that we continue with question and answer section. The group member answering the question and give brief answer. Overall the presentation for that day is interesting but still have a time that I can understand much and need the revision by myself. The next class Miss will proceed to teach about the new thing and a new shared knowledge’s that make us to be critical literacy. The next blog will contain a new description about a new thing that learning.

Blog 5

This week we are going to continue our next class. But our first class in Tuesday is cancel and just need to submit our second portfolio. So all the student have to submit the portfolio. I have sent the draft into Miss Syida rooms.
In Wednesday is our second class. Today Miss Syida want to have a class so we are prepare to have a class. In that day we have to check our friend draft about the second portfolio. So Miss has given each person a different name of our classmate to be check and give our opinion toward the draft. Miss also conducts us in giving a mark. We also talk about the next election in our college. Who is the participant, when the election will be doing and so on. One of our classmates which are Mohd Ridzuan or more knows as Wan Chai has take part to compete for an YDP position. All of us give him a support and hope he will bring us to the better condition.
After finished to check the draft we have given the briefing about this assessment of this portfolio. After this we have to made another two portfolio and have to booklet all the four portfolio in one booklet and submit it together. We have to repair all the mistake in the draft and rewrite back and made the perfect one and submit it. Miss have help us by the give a guide line to do the best portfolio.
Before we dismiss the class, Miss have to tell that the next we going to continue our presentation for the next topic. The presentation will be continuing with another two group. The next blog will talk about the two presentations.
These weeks are quite busy because of the next coming election and the academic day. Many lecturer and student get involve with that event.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Blog 4

This is the last topic of presentation for the third week. This last group is a group of four which is a Fahaida, Faten, Shima and Khadijah. They will discover the next reading text topic which is Text and Textualities. This topic is cover for the reading 2.3. This topic is quite hard to understand and needs more attention to it.

First they talk about the meaning of texts. Texts are a combination of signs. The sign has such meaning for various social contexts. Signs link together to form texts, so the notion of text involves ideas of syntagmatic combination as well as paradigmatic choice. Text is a someone orders of writing. It’s containing some meaning. In a text the word becomes a signs. The combination of the word performs a text and a meaning of something. We don’t make a text by not following the order like if we want to make a story we not put the ending for the first paragraph. It’s must be in order. They also explain about the social text. The social text is like something that command and should happen in a story of social life. For example, we should wear a shock in a foot not in ears. There have their own order to look it not strange.

Next their groups explain about textualities. Textualities are the visual and heading that using in the articles. It’s always use in advertisement. For example, a cigarette advertisement, the advertisement show how the brightness of the colour for the cigarette box, the satisfied faces of customer that smoke the cigarette and the text o an attractive sentence that use to attract the people out there. The significant of those textualities to the advertisement is to attract more people to buy the cigarette. It does also can be say like social text to the people out there.

After that, the group talk about social text and social meaning more briefly. In a social text it’s contain about the myth. Myth is a set of signs which implies extremely familiar and influential social structures of thinking. It’s a command thing to a social living when it’s liked a custom or belief and has traditional historical acceptance. In this part I not really understand about it and its make hard for me to comment about it.

Next they proceed with textual analysis and production. The kind of analysis applied to these two advertisements comprises a basic set of step which can be used to study many types of texts and their social meaning. The textual analysis is a signs that add with connotation and codes add denotation and create a myth. Texts are always producing in social contexts; they are always influenced by and reproduce the cultural values and myth of those contexts.

That is a several subtopic that been discuss in this topic. It’s a quite hard topic to be understood. In a question and answer section, there a lot of question fro the student to ask about this topic. Miss Syida has give explanation more about this topic in order to make us more understand.

We end the class with briefing about the next portfolio by Miss Syida. We have to submit the second portfolio next week. That all for the learning process in third week. Hope we are going to learn more interesting topic for the next class.

Blog 3

The next presentation is done by the groups of Zulikha, Noradwa, and Liyana. Their topic is about Reading 2.2 ‘Language, perspective, and ideology’.

First they talk about the ten elements like in the portfolio thing. They give the explanation about the topic, content of the text, the text source, the audience of the text, rhetorical function, purpose of this topic, perspective, positioning, the impact and the visual literacy. In the presentation they said that the topic is about the meaning and the use of language, perspective and ideology. The content talks about briefly about the topic. The source of the topic is maybe in a magazine of education, newspaper, and so on. This text is written to the people, student, the academic person and the politician. This text written to give information, educating and explaining to the readers about the three thing. This text written is to giving information to the readers about the three things more briefly. This text doesn’t give a bias perspective towards anybody. But in a few sentence they have use a word to describe about a white and a black people. This text also is also written to give and impact towards the readers about the three things.

After giving the explanation into the ten elements, they proceed about the real meaning of language, perceptive and ideology. First is about language, it can be explaining by Adwa. She says language is a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols. It’s also means the method of human communication using spoken or written symbols. From my understanding, language is an element of communication to human in order to interact with each other. There a many types of language in this world. Without language it’s hard to communicate with each other.

The second one is a perceptive. It has been presented by Zulikha. Perspective is our own view about something. It’s our own opinion and ideas about something. Everyone can have their own perspective. In this group presentation, they give a few examples to make us more clearly about the meaning of perspective. The information that given its very good and easy to understand it. Perspective is something that freedom to anyone to have it. The way the presented also interesting.

The last part is about the ideology that be explained by Liyana. Ideology is a system of ideas and principles on which a political or economic theory is based. Ideology is a little bit same with perspective but the different is perspective is come from anybody. Anyone can come out with their perspective toward something but ideology is like a perspective of something but it’s not an ordinary people can come out with ideology. There can be done by maybe a politician, economic person or so on. It’s more to knowledgeable people. Ideology can influence some person means that the ideology can give effect toward some people or situation. Perspective it’s different from ideology based on like the acceptances to the surrounding. We can give our own perspective toward the ideology whether the ideology it’s true or not. It’s based on us and the importance is, ideology it’s something that really truth and cannot be wrong.

After all the information had been given, that it’s the time of questioning and answer section. There a few questions from the student about this topic to make them more understand about the topic. This group presentation it’s really good and interesting and really to understand. Miss also gives a few information to us to more clearly toward this topic. The next presentation will be written in a next blog story.

Blog 2

This third week we didn’t have a class for two days because we have a Chinese New Year. So for this week our class of Critical Literacy is only in Wednesday and Friday. For this week, the first class in Wednesday we learn about our next reading which is Reading 2.1 for portfolio task text 2. It’s about ‘Battling the Bullies’. Is tells about bullies issues that’s happen in school especially. The problem occur increasable cases of bullies. Miss Syida has explained more briefly about the text. This text contains about one story of a little kid who has been bullies by his schoolmate. After had be bully his attitude and his behaviour change dramatically and like has be trauma to go to the school. Luckily that changes has be recognizes by his mother and her mother bring the cases toward the administration and after have made the discussion; nothing’s have been done to led up the cases. It seems very serious because that still have a people who didn’t take serious towards this situation.

Miss Syida has tried to make us understand this text deeply in order to us to easy answering the ten elements in our second portfolio. We also share our experience about faces this situation. Like half of our class having an experience in facing this problems. It’s definitely show that this problem is really serious and need to be stop. Miss also shares her experience facing this problem. We discuss in class how to solve this problem. Many opinion and recommendation have been heard. This can help us in answering our question in portfolio.

This second portfolio needs to be done and show to Miss next class. So we have to do it. For my opinion this second text a little bit hard and long than the first one. Its need more thinking to be done. I will try my best to do this second portfolio and have to really understand this text in give a best answers for each question.

Finally, we end our class with a next plan for the next class. Miss has told us to be preparing for a presentation that this week involves by three groups. So the next class we have to focusing in presentation. This is the end of this blog story and will proceed with a presentation story in the next class that will be in Friday.

In the class of Friday, we started the class by discussing about what had happened in last night before that day about a problem of student that happen during the meeting with a wardens. We talk about the student behaviour. After that we continue with a next presentation which is started with a previous group which is group Syuhaida and her friend. They have to present again about the ten elements that needed like in our portfolio about their topic, Rules and Regulation. They have presented the information about that topic.

After had heard the presentation and see the info that they stated. From my understanding, rules and regulation is a main topic or issue that have been discus in that reading text (Reading 1.3). In describe about the important of rules and regulation in our life and why we practice it. It’s written for a people who need to follow the rules like a rules and regulation from an organization, company, nature and so on. Obviously we really need a rules and regulation in practising into our life in order to discipline ourselves to become a better person. Miss also adds some information based on the presentation. She also giving advice to the class about the right way to present and get a high marks for presentation. This is because this presentation we will get an individual marks. So it’s depends on our way when presenting the topic.

After that we proceed with next which is a guy groups. They supposedly present for the first topic but they having a problem and have postpone their presentation. Their topic is about the first text which is ‘Stories and Facts’. This topic contains about two things which are stories and fact. This group member is Muaz, Ridhwan, and Afif. There only three members in this group. This is a first time a group of guys present for this course.

First Muaz have tells about the meaning of stories. From their delivery they said that stories are about what has happened, usually to the person telling the story. Stories are something that we will hear everyday in our daily life. Stories can be true or not so we cannot 100% belief the truth of the story. Sometimes stories can be made after heard from one side to another sides. Stories also can be exits since a pass years ago like for example is ‘Hikayat Hang Tuah. It is very old story that exist years ago, and they still popular story among the children. Sometimes in the story it’s contain a fact.

About the fact, it proceeds with a next presenter which is Afif. Afif have told about the meaning of fact. Fact is some information that really truth and the truthiness have be done maybe by research or the thing that be seen. Fact it’s confirm truth. Fact is very important in order to prove something. Stories and fact can be combined together. In the stories can be having a fact and in the fact could be have a stories.

For the conclusion, it does have been present by Ridhwan. He have tells that there are different between stories and fact which is stories based on what had happened and being told by others meanwhile fact is something that really happen and have experience. Additionally, without story, a fact cannot be build and without strong fact a story cannot be trusted because each person has different types of stories that sometimes can be changed. From my understanding from his briefing, I can conclude that story can come first and then fact is create by the story and maybe fact is created first and then stories will come followed. Both of them have their connection between them and they can complete each others. These groups did not include the ten elements in the portfolio question and its make the presentation quite short.

After the presentation, Miss has added more some information that makes us more understand toward this topic. The next presentation will be told in the next blogs.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Blog 1

I started a new learning with a new course in the first week. First, I and all my classmate have been introduce to a new session of learning a new lecture. In this blog I will talk about what I have learned from the first week until the second week for an interesting course that I have take which is a ‘Critical Literacy’ or course code (COM 4623).

For this course, our class have been thought by Miss Norsyahidah Bt Jaafar. This is my first experience to learn with her. From my first perception, I think she is quiet serious but after know more, obviously she is very cheerful, easy going, open-minded and I really enjoy to learn with her. In the first session of our class for this course, Miss Syida have give briefing about this course overview like the credit hours take we should take for this course, the purpose to learn this subject, the assignment that we need to be done and so on. This is a compulsory course that we should take. From the explanation by her, the purpose to learn this course is to educate or to explore the reading and writing skill toward something after has been analysis about some reading. We should express our view, perspective, positioning, and argument and so on towards the text of the reading. It’s like our critical explanation towards the reading. It based on our understanding to the reading. It really interesting for me like I can wrote everything that I want about some issues based on my understanding and the concept.

The second class we have divide the group and the topic to be present by each group. We have divide into eleven groups because we have eleven topics to be present. I got topic Reading 4.5 which my partner, Nor Syafinaz. We have divide into two, three and four members for each group. I include in a couple group. We have four periods in one week for this course which is four hours, so Miss Syida has divide that period with three parts. First class for presentation, second for writing class and others two hours is for assessment time. In the third class for the first week, she tells more about assessment. We have four assignments that should be done follow by the due date of the assignment. First assignment is we need to do a portfolio for the reading that including in the text books. It gives 20% for this assignment. We have to do four portfolios. The second assignment is Critical response that does bring also 20%, the third is critical previews that bring 30% and the last one is the reflection on a blog that bring 15%. In the first week, I can imagine a few things about this course.

The second week, the fist and second class have been dismiss because Miss Syida have something woks to do. But in the fist week she already asks us to do a portfolio which is a first assignment and the first portfolios. Before we started our portfolio she have gives us the guiding how to do the portfolio based on the specific criteria that include in the study guide book for this course. The criteria explanation has in page 10 until 13. We try to do the portfolio based on that explanation. This first portfolio is based on the first reading text (Reading 1.1) that the title is “Convicted killer back at work”. It’s about the nurse who has been convicted for murdering a woman that can back and work again after giving some money and the forgiveness by the Saudi Arabia government. The news text is like giving the information and warning to the readers out there. Based on the information giving in the text we have to come out with the critical thinking and answer all the criteria that have ten criteria based on our understanding and view also with the guide in the study guide information. We supposed to check with her in the fist class of that week but the class is dismissing so we have to postpone it first. The second class also dismiss. And the third class we supposed to have the presentation from the first group but they have some kind of problem so the presentation has to move to the second group. The second group is a four members group which is Syuhaida, Hafizah, Fatimah and Afiqah. They talk about the second topic which is “Rules and Regulation”. The first topic is “Stories and Facts”. They do a good presentation. From their presentation I can understand a few things about what is rules and regulation. What can I say is rules are a instruction for behaving in ways which will bring about an intended or desire state. Rules also a medium to share and transmit the knowledge to someone who does not have the knowledge. Only the power and strong side can come out with the rules. Rules have been dividing into two parts which is an imperative and declarative. Imperative is like give a command and have to rake serious by someone. It prefers more to an individuals order. For declarative it’s sounds more polite and have to forward one to another one. It’s prefers more to the group order. For the regulation, I understand that is like a rule of instruction from one side and must be obeyed by whoever that is under them. Its makes according to the official rules. Rules and regulation looks like a same but it’s have a differentness. From the presentation and the briefing more from the lecturer I can understand more about rules and regulation.

The next class will be having another presentation by the first group and the third group about their topic. We also have to check and giving marks for the draft of portfolio by exchanging the draft in our class. So we have to mark our friend draft of portfolio after the presentation. I really not good in giving a marks so I just try it and giving the mark based on the criteria that needed. I give based on how much they deserve it. It’s a new experient for me. We also have to try to do the best in our real portfolio after have been check by Miss.

This is a litter chronologic story for the first and second week. I write from what I have faces it. The third week has a holiday for Chiness New Year and no class for that. The next class will about the next presentation and a portfolio thing. The next blog will talk about it. It something new and really interesting to learning this course.

Thank you miss...sorry if I post this blog late...