www Lesson Plan: In the Midst of Hardship

KBSM Literature (Form 4)

Poem : In The Midst of Hardship

Level : Form 4 Economic
Time : 10.45 a.m. to 11.55 a.m.
Aim : To practice writing a diamante shape poem and post the poem on the student’s blog.

Technical requirements:
1. One computer for each group of 4 or 5 students.
2. Internet connection, blog and email address.

Websites:
1. http://www.slideshare.net/fadzleen/in-the-midst-of-hardship
2. http://www.heartwoodethics.org/2-teaching/act_diamonte.asp

Preparation:
1. Plan the lesson before the class.
2. Write a lesson plan.
3. Locate the significant website before the class begins.
4. Check the target website before the class begins to avoid any inconvenience caused during the lesson.

Procedures:
1. Teacher asks students to look at the picture of a hardship old man at the paddy field on the screen.
2. Teacher encourages students to respond to the picture.
3. Teacher instructs students to read the poem in the literature book on page 3.
4. Teacher divides the students into groups where each group consists of 4 to 5 students in a group.
5. Teacher instructs students check the online Website: http://www.slideshare.net/fadzleen/in-the-midst-of-hardship to find the meanings of some difficult words found in the poem and fill in worksheet A.
6. Teacher tells the students that they are going to write a diamante shape poem to explain the hardship of an old man.
7. Teacher instructs to send students to the Website: http://www.heartwoodethics.org/2-teaching/act_diamonte.asp to look at the example of a diamante poem.
8. Teacher asks students to choose a word from worksheet A and compose a diamante shape poem to describe the people hardship creatively. Teacher instructs the students to type the poem in MS-Word.
9. Teacher tells each representative of the groups to present their diamante shape poem in front of the class. Teacher instructs students to use the computer and LCD projector to do the presentation.

10. Teacher instructs students to search the answer from the related Website to answers worksheet B.

Follow-up :
1. Teacher gives a stanza for each group of students to predict the meaning.
2. Teacher tells the student to practice the actions of the stanzas given to them.
3. Teacher asks the students to recite for each stanza to enable them to get attached with the poem.

Group name :

Date :

Form :

Worksheet A:
EXERCISE 1: Find the meaning of these words from the dictionary.

1. Midst –

2. Hardship-

3. Stoicism-

4. Dawn-

5. Soaky-

6. Stove-

7. Brave-

8. Horrendous-

9. Carcasses-

10. Albino-



Worksheet B:
EXERCISE 2: Answer the below questions.

1). From the title, what do you think the poem is about?

2). What do you think the occupation of the people in the poem?

3). What do you think happened to these people in the poem?

4). Are these people living in hardship? If yes, provide some examples of the hardships.

5). How many stanzas does this poem have?

6). Based from your own understanding, elicit the moral values from the poem by Latiff Mohidin?

KIRKBY : The Life and the Loves


I bought this book last year during my trip to KL. I went to Boders Book store in KL to search for a book. Suddently, I found this book in the educational book shelves. I took it and read the summary and found it was interesting. Without delay I bought the book which costed me about RM 29.90. I think it's worth the price because the book has an interesting story line and it's really encouraging me as a trainee teacher.


SYNOPSIS OF THE NOVEL
(Adapted from the synopsis of Kirkby: The Life and the Loves a fascinating novel by SHAARI ISA)

As the title of the book suggests, this novel tells the story of the life at Kirkby College, a college established by the Federation of Malaya to train its teachers in England from 1952 to 1962. In this sense the College is unique in the annals of educational history. This novel is a work of fiction set within the framework of facts which are described in great detail. It is a fascinating story of the loves and conflicts weaved within the life of the students in the College who lived within an island of diverse Malaysan cultures surrounded by the sea of British life. The book is also a historical document because it describes the curricular and extra curricular activities, also the ctual staff and physical facilities of the Colleege at that time. Dr. Shaari has an eduacational background having been trained as a teacher at Kirkby then went on to become a professioanl accountant. He has written several novels and a set of short stories in Malay and several academic books on accounting mainly in English. Like all of Shaari's creative works, this novel focuses on human relation in society. It portrays that human emotion and life cut accross all cultures, races and boundaries.


CONCLUSION

It's an interesting novel. I recommend this book to all trainee teachers. This book will develop your understanding of real life teaching.

THE USE OF ICT IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING MALAYSIA

The review article is on “The Use of ICT in Public and Private Institutions of Higher Learning, Malaysia”, Vol. 2, No.4, November 2009. The study has done by Siti Rafidah Muhamat Dawam, Khairul Adilah Ahmad, Taniza Tajuddin, Shamsul Jamel Elias, Suhardi Wan Mansor form Faculty of Computer and Mathematics, Universiti Tecknologi MARA Kedah and Kamaruzaman Jusoff a corresponding author, Faculty of Forestry form Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

The article examines the extent of ICT utilization among the members of higher stitutions in Northern Malaysian. The research study is focus on to investigate the extent of ICT resources provided by universities authorities, focus on types and extent of ICT usage in daily activities, to explore the ICT proficiencies level and to investigate the level of ICT integration in teaching activities. The research’s objective is to explore on the ICT utilizations among the IPTA and IPTS educators of northern Malaysia. While, specific objectives are three folds to investigate the extent of ICT resources provided by universities authorities, focus on types and extent of ICT usage in usage in daily activities, to explore the ICT proficiencies level and to investigate the level of ICT integration in teaching activities. The research used the subject or sample of study from 76 responses out of 77 from IPTA and only 105 out of 108 responses of IPTS are usable for further analysis in this study. The findings of the study research indicated that in the IPTA, though the facilities provided are not as a lot as in IPTS, however the level of usage is quite encouraging. While in the IPTS, the levels of ICT usage among the educators are still not satisfactorily. Besides, the study also indicated that there were considerable differences in the use of ICT by educators in the process of mastering ICT’s skill. The research methodology used a survey instrument which designed to gather information on the computer usage by using close-ended questionnaire questions which adapted, edited and rephrased from the previous studies done. The study also used frequency and duration to measure usage in ICT while, instrument used to measure proficiency level related to computer technologies and integrating information technology in teaching activities. However, the research also raises some suggestions where the study could be improved by expending the total of sampling population to all faculties in both universities, method of analysis could be varied beyond the descriptive analysis done and factors that could hinder the level of ICT usage by the educators could also be studied.

MY REACTION
In my opinion, the research study does interest me on how important ICT integration in teaching activities. Besides, the professional observation on ICT usage in classroom among teachers show that ICT resources availability is really important for educators. At present most educators agree that ICT is a valuable instructional tool and by utilizing it in their preparation for teaching materials in the class teaching will enhance their professional development. Furthermore, ICT promoted the development of communication skills in writing and presentation to teacher and develop student’s deep understanding on the respective topic. The results of the study highlighted the level of ICT resources, types and extent of ICT usage, level of ICT proficiencies and level of ICT integration in teaching activities. The study level of ICT resources revealed that enough resources should be made available to every university to assist students to master the related software according to students’ discipline. Next, is the comparison usage frequencies between the IPTA and IPTS where resulted eight aspects of computing purposes used by the teachers such as informative, communicative and expensive, integrating computer technology, evaluative instructional, organizational and creative purpose. In level of ICT proficiencies, differences were found in the levels of proficiency between two institutions. Although, the educators claim they are expert or advanced in the level of proficiency, however the ICT resources that can support them into becoming creative applicants of teaching and learning process are not enough. Lastly, is level of ICT integration in teaching activities attempted to determine the educators’ process level in integrating computer technology in their teaching activities.

DO YOU THINK THE RESEARCH WELL CONDUCTED?

Yes, I think the research was well conducted because the research study covered the level of ICT resources, types and extent of ICT usage, level of ICT proficiencies and level of ICT integration in teaching activities. I think most teachers need to know what the availability of ICT resources in the school is. However, the findings did not show good sign of the use of ICT in the classroom.

In conclusion, the implications of the in the teaching and learning of ESL in the general in Malaysian contexts are teacher should be trained on how to integrate the ICT program in the classroom. Next, teacher should be occupied with knowledge about ICT to solve problem when occur during his or her teaching. Consequently, teacher must also have the interest on teaching using ICT in the classroom. Other than that, teacher has to admit that teaching using ICT in the class bring more benefits to both teacher and students. In conclusion, teacher has to believe that through the usage of ICT in teaching it will promote development of communication skills in writing and presentation using PowerPoint.

A letter to my sisters:

My darling Juciee and Judith,

One day both of you will understand the meaning of my words here. I'm taking this moment to speak to you both about being beautiful. Both of you are older now and not a little girl like we used to be in the early 90's.

What I wanted to tell you is that both of you are gorgeous. As you grow older, there are things that made you feel unsure about this. Therefore, you seek someone other than mummy and daddy to tell you. You search for approval in different ways such as from movies, magazines, clothes, makeup, peer friends regardless if they are boys or girls. Remember, not all you seek from them are reliable.

Therefore, AVOID the criticism and those who criticise. Be wary of those who flatter you too much. This is because there's a difference between genuine praise and someone who tells you what you want to hear for his or her own benefit.

Make a promise to seek approval from yourself, first and foremost. Look at yourself in the mirror. Praise your eyes, your nose, your ears, feet, hands, thighs, calves . Praise your womanhood. Nothing and nobody else need embellish your body, your mind. The size and shape of you are perfect in every way.

Have fun with it. Knowing that it is yours and yours alone, no one else's. Never treat it with disrespect. Never give it away and never sell it. Always stand tall or be proud of yourself but never show off! Don't hide what you've got. Learn to love and live with what you have. When you learn to do this, something magical happens. You will find yourself straightening up, looking at people in the eye, never feeling unworthy.

I hope this letter will remind you something for your future.

Your most loving sister,

Betty