Now the ES2007S module has already ended, I have learned a lot through this experience.
At first I thought this was going to be an easy module as there was no exam, no textbook, no lectures notes and no mid-term tests. Furthermore, the first few lectures that I had gone through was quite easy.
However, the modules seemed to be a little more complicated when I was about to do the peer-teaching. In the past I had done countless similar presentation to my fellows during secondary school, JC and university year 1. However, most of them was done by myself alone. For the ones that were done with other people, we simply split our tasks and compile only on the last day. This peer teaching for this module is different. We are going to teach other people how to do resume which is something completely new even to myself. Moreover, we had no idea how to do this. We needed to engage the audience as well. I spent two days during the e-learning week to prepare for the peer teaching.
The project was also something herculean. Before this modules, I was told by some of my friends that this module was going to be easy. However, I realised that I actually put in more time and efforts in this module than that put in for any other modules. Because the projects needed a lot of discussion, and there were always differences in opinions for discussion. It turned out to be quite a success, and a relief that I have completed this module.
In conclusion, a module without a final test can be just as tough as a module require one, and sometimes even tougher. It has been an enjoyable experience and I hope my future project can be as smooth as ES2007s
Monday, 18 November 2013
Reflection on the Project (post3)
ES2007s is a special module. Although there is no exam or any graded assignment, it requires a lot of effort to do it.
This is especially true for the group project. It requires all the skills that we have already learned during the course of this module. From information gathering , to research methodology, everything has be covered so far will be handy when we do the project. My group aim is to examine the cause of low birth rate in Singapore. By doing this project, it makes me realise the complexity of real life problems. A lot of factors contribute and inter-relate to the problem of just one issue which is low birth rate, and there are a lot of things to be examined, such as aging population, immigration, inflation and politics issues. However, we are only a four-member group with only a few weeks to do the study, and we only have 20 minutes to present our project findings. Therefore how to pick the relevant information is crucial. We can afford to present neither too much nor too little.
Therefore the second factor came into play which is teamwork. We had met countless times to discuss the project. There were always differences between our opinions on these selection of information and the organisation of the information. At first I thought this would slow us down and I did not like group work. However, after this I realised that it was important for us to share and argue our ideas, it would improve the quality of our project, brought up new ideas and made it looked like a combine effort.
In conclusion, the project is an memorable experience and I wish my future projects can be as successful as this one.
This is especially true for the group project. It requires all the skills that we have already learned during the course of this module. From information gathering , to research methodology, everything has be covered so far will be handy when we do the project. My group aim is to examine the cause of low birth rate in Singapore. By doing this project, it makes me realise the complexity of real life problems. A lot of factors contribute and inter-relate to the problem of just one issue which is low birth rate, and there are a lot of things to be examined, such as aging population, immigration, inflation and politics issues. However, we are only a four-member group with only a few weeks to do the study, and we only have 20 minutes to present our project findings. Therefore how to pick the relevant information is crucial. We can afford to present neither too much nor too little.
Therefore the second factor came into play which is teamwork. We had met countless times to discuss the project. There were always differences between our opinions on these selection of information and the organisation of the information. At first I thought this would slow us down and I did not like group work. However, after this I realised that it was important for us to share and argue our ideas, it would improve the quality of our project, brought up new ideas and made it looked like a combine effort.
In conclusion, the project is an memorable experience and I wish my future projects can be as successful as this one.
Saturday, 12 October 2013
BLOG#2 Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour
Different places have different context, therefore different behaviours of the people. I have been in Singapore for more than eight years, but I still remember all the cultural shocks I experienced when I first came here.
The first thing troubled me was that in Singapore, people just sit on the ground or floor like nothing. While in China we often use a newspaper to over the ground before sitting down. Unless it is no choice, we avoid doing that. Because the peasant workers in China often do that and block others' pathway, sitting on the ground is a symbol of incivility and being uneducated. However, it was after a while that I realised that in Singapore due to the weather and cleanness, most of the time it is okay to sit on the floor. And many places such as the school hall there are no seats, standing for hours is very torturous.
The second thing is people wear the same pair of slippers all the way from home to other places. It was like a "oh my god" shock. Wearing a slipper make a person look very slothful. In my hometown, we only wear those at home. However, it also took me not long to realise that Singapore is much cleaner that my hometown. Moreover, due to the weather, if we wear boots or other types of covered shoes, it would be very smelly. During wet weather (which is quite often in Singapore), sports shoes would be soaked and wet, it is very hard to dry them, and the process is quite smelly as well.
In conclusion, it is very normal for a person to experience differences in a new environment. And it is normal as well to think these new behaviours as awkward. However, human beings are very good at adapting to new environment, it is very important to be understandable and sensible to these new changes. Because one day you would be the same as well.
The first thing troubled me was that in Singapore, people just sit on the ground or floor like nothing. While in China we often use a newspaper to over the ground before sitting down. Unless it is no choice, we avoid doing that. Because the peasant workers in China often do that and block others' pathway, sitting on the ground is a symbol of incivility and being uneducated. However, it was after a while that I realised that in Singapore due to the weather and cleanness, most of the time it is okay to sit on the floor. And many places such as the school hall there are no seats, standing for hours is very torturous.
The second thing is people wear the same pair of slippers all the way from home to other places. It was like a "oh my god" shock. Wearing a slipper make a person look very slothful. In my hometown, we only wear those at home. However, it also took me not long to realise that Singapore is much cleaner that my hometown. Moreover, due to the weather, if we wear boots or other types of covered shoes, it would be very smelly. During wet weather (which is quite often in Singapore), sports shoes would be soaked and wet, it is very hard to dry them, and the process is quite smelly as well.
In conclusion, it is very normal for a person to experience differences in a new environment. And it is normal as well to think these new behaviours as awkward. However, human beings are very good at adapting to new environment, it is very important to be understandable and sensible to these new changes. Because one day you would be the same as well.
Sunday, 1 September 2013
ES2007S Blog Spot #1
During my JC time, one day I played chess with one of my friend. The match was not great but we had some fun chitchat together. Then one of our juniors came, and he joined us to play against me. That time I was chichatting and not paying much attention to the game. After some time, I lost two vital piece and I admitted lost. Suddenly the junior got angry at me and shouted a few words, " How can you just admit you lost? Can I do the same when I lost? "
I was at a loss of words at that time. I do not know the reason behind his anger over such a small game. To me, chess is just a game. We play games to know new friends, aren't we? We are not professional players. Did he think that winning was so important? After that I tended not to speak with this junior and some of his friends due to this grudge.
However the story is not over. I was severely ill and had an urgent need for surgery just days before A-level. I needed to repeat my JC2 again. That was the time that I would be in the same level as that junior. However due to the nasty things happened, I was not at a good relation with him and his friends. So my last year in the JC I was quite lonely and anti-social.
Now today when I reflect on this, maybe he was a die-hard chess player who were eager to show his senior his skills, and to him chess was a serious game. However I treated this as disrespect and arrogance from him and resulted my own loneliness later on.
So now I share my story to everyone so I could hear from your opinions. (And my apologies that this blog got word count limit so I can't describe the story fully)
I was at a loss of words at that time. I do not know the reason behind his anger over such a small game. To me, chess is just a game. We play games to know new friends, aren't we? We are not professional players. Did he think that winning was so important? After that I tended not to speak with this junior and some of his friends due to this grudge.
However the story is not over. I was severely ill and had an urgent need for surgery just days before A-level. I needed to repeat my JC2 again. That was the time that I would be in the same level as that junior. However due to the nasty things happened, I was not at a good relation with him and his friends. So my last year in the JC I was quite lonely and anti-social.
Now today when I reflect on this, maybe he was a die-hard chess player who were eager to show his senior his skills, and to him chess was a serious game. However I treated this as disrespect and arrogance from him and resulted my own loneliness later on.
So now I share my story to everyone so I could hear from your opinions. (And my apologies that this blog got word count limit so I can't describe the story fully)
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