Singer or basketball player?

Heard this between two boys on the bus today

Boy01: Michael Jackson died today?
Boy02: He did?
Boy01: Ya
Boy02: What happened?
Boy01: Heart failure
Boy02: oh....Who's Michael Jackson? The basketball player?
Boy01: Michael Jackson is a singer. Not a basketball player.
Boy02: Really? I'm really sure he's a basketball player.


I'm pretty sure if Michael Jackson heard it he would rise up from the dead and beat them black and white

Keep On With The Force Don't Stop. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson.

Reflections

Another overdue post. Take it with a sack of salt.

Been doing a bit of reading lately. Some reflections on an idea.


Thinking About Thinking
Is a student able to attain understanding thru self-regulation? My thoughts? Maybe. Self-regulation is very much dependable on the motivation of the student. Here is what I gathered from my reading.

1. Relevance. Motivation can come from many areas and forms. I believe everyone is motivated. The difference is the source of their motivation. The more relevant the topic to their ideas, the stronger the driving force. e.g. A student places more importance on an activity and neglects another. Boredom, believe or not, is a form of motivation.



2. Self-efficacy. Different from self esteem, it is the self confidence in the ability to carry out a task. When a student has high self-efficacy, he/she is more motivated to carry out a task. Low self-efficacy results in non-coping strategies or low quality work.These students usually have very little faith in their abilities and would have thought they would fail in a task even before attempting it. Too much self-efficacy or over-efficacy can also result in mediocre or low quality work. Students' over-efficacy can hinder learning. For example, a student might be so confident in his/her abilities they avoid asking questions or enquire about something they are unfamiliar with.



3. Attribution. A student's attribution to success or failure determine their views on matters. Students who attribute their success or failures to uncontrollable factors have an external locus of control. They are referred to as internalists. Internal or uncontrollable factors include luck, stupidity, ability. Students attribute to controllable factors have an internal locus of control. This group is referred as the externalists. External or controllable factors include effort, strategy. Internalists tend to give up after failure as their view their failure as something which is out of their control. Externalists view failure as a learning and makes adjustment to strategies or increase effort to achieve their expectations.



4. The Teacher. In the regular classroom, teachers often regulate the pace of learning. In an attempt to cover the syllabus, teachers often give out worksheets after worksheets(remember borrdom?). Besides teaching content and understanding, it is also important to promote interest in learning in students.

In a time as such, when information is easily available, it is no longer enough to teach from a book; learning can and should be done thru any appropriate medium. Which brings me to another question- Are these resources readily available? How exactly should we filter the useful tools from the inappropriate ones. That will be answered when I have time for my research. To all who are moulding our young minds, look for that teachable moment and exploit it. Who knows you might just lay the foundation for the next Edison or Einstein.

To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains. -Mary Pettibone Poole

An overdue post here.

Another milestone in my job.


Finally completed the course at NIE.


Wish I had better times at NIE but I wouldn't trade anything for the one I had. The ups and downs which made my experience unique. The lifeless weekends and the dark hours at the library. Cannot believe I actually spent more time in school than at home.

TGIF!! Not because it's Friday but because the course is Finished!!
Then again, there's still practicum.......

BBQ in a few hours time. A little paiseh I had to miss SIE for this. Will make up the guilt with a run.

Waiting to head back to school to face reality. Wondering if NIE showed us the roses or the thorns. Got a few ideas in mind but wating to see if it can be adapted for the school. As usual, some food for thought. The grass is always greener on the other side. There is more manure there. Life's a bed of roses. It really is thorny and pain in the butt.


You don't need fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn. You just need people with the desire to better themselves.-Adam Cooper and Bill Collage

Dusk till dawn

Did my first marathon last weekend
Mentally and physically torturing

Mental note to self- you can try running, you can try walking but don't die trying

I think the marathon has probably fried my brain cause the moment I crossed the finish line, I told myself I must do it again next year.

A quick one on the run
Jogged for 12km
Walked and jogged for another 6
Then was walking all the way

Still I'm proud of my accomplishment

This year I did it within 9 hours
Next year, target 7 hours

Sundown 2010, if there is one, I'll tackle you.

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. - Ralph W. Sockman