Paraphrasing and Summarising

Hi all!

Next week we will embark on vital writing skills, which are paraphrasing and summarising. Click at the URL below for prior readings to provide you with background knowledge on paraphrasing and summarising before you head for class next week. Enjoy your weekend!

http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/QuotingSources.html


http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/example1paraphrasing.html

Class Replacements

Hi all!

I am back to work today after a 2 day medical leave due to conjunctivitis. I therefore, would like to suggest that we replace our missed lessons sometime next week on Thursday as well as the Saturday after Good Friday's weekend. We will have a proper discussion on the day, & time of our replacement classes when I see you in class. Group 3 needs 2 sessions replaced, where as Group B will need only a session replaced.

See you soon!

Using critical thinking skills to make inferences

Hi all!

This is your little online task. Watch the clip closely, as many times as possible until you can draw inferences from the movie clip. Kindly leave your inferences in the comments column. The clip is taken from a movie scene, "Office Space". Good luck!

"The Wet Drugs" by Pete Hamill

Hi Group 3!

Kindly leave your group discussion output in the comments. Do not forget to include your group details (your group member's names)!

"Wet Drug" by Pete Hamill, commented by Stephanie, Candy and Ai Ting.

1. From the first paragraph,we can infer that the author actually does not want to give up drinking but because of the religious converts, he has to give up.
2.The author has changed his view about drinking because he has come across many cases, such as ruining marriages, brutalizing, destroying careers, violating, auto accidents and many more which are by alcohol.
3.The author shows his friends' experience, violation episodes, auto accidients and studies which indicate that alcohol is a factor in those cases.
4.He intends to show that alcohol is not only a factor for auto accidents, but also for homocides, fires, robberies, wife-beating and child abuse.
5.The author calls liquor as 'wet drug' because liquor is certified as an drug which is in liquid form.
6.In paragraph 9, the writer implies that he is against banning liquor.
7.The author wants the media to ban alcohol advertising to counter the ills of drinking.
8.The author considers smoking a lesser evil because cigarette smokers usually kill only themselves with their habit. But, we do not agree because the second-hand smoke is more unhealthy to other people than the one who smoke.
9.The phrase ' criminal narcissists' tell us that the author thinks that those who are drunk are more likely to commit crimes.
10.Yes, we agree with the author's view about drinking. It is because those who are drunk often neglect the existence of the other people and only care about their drinking hours. Which crimes occur they are not only killing themselves but also other people who are innocent.

Critical Reading Strategies

Hi all!

Click at the link below that directs you to a page on the 7 critical reading strategies. We will have a thorough discussion on the material below in our second meeting this week and it is hoped that everyone will have gone through the link by the time we meet again. Cheers!

http://www.salisbury.edu/counseling/New/7_critical_reading_strategies.html

Group 3: Class cancellation

Dear Group 3,

The 12.00-2.00 p.m. class today is cancelled to give time for most of you to collect your SPM results in your respective schools. We will meet again on Tuesday from 4.00-6.00 p.m. and will discuss on the suitable time slot to replace our today's session. All the best for your results!

The appetizer-What is critical reading and thinking?

Along with the hi tech, and modernised human civilization, reading has inadvertantly become an every day's necessity. In today's present world, reading is more of a daily need than just a basic academic requirement, and has evolved as an every day's repertoire. Critical reading goes way beyond mere reading, involving readers to communicate and interact actively with the text. For more detailed and vast explanation on Critical Reading and Thinking,
click on the links below:

http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_reading.htm

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/ACCDitg/SSCT.htm

http://www.hope.ac.uk/GNU/stuhelp/reading.htm

Announcement for Group B

Hi Group B!


The Friday 4.00-6.00 p.m. class has been successfully changed to 10.00 a.m.-12.00 noon at G3 204, effective next week onwards. See you next week on Wednesday 14 March and we'll try to cover this week's session (on personal sharing and reflection about learning experience in response to "Look up and Paddle Hard" by Gabriel Omin.) Judging from the small population in your class, I'm positive that we can cover our sharing and reflection session next Wednesday. I hope this gives an extended time for all of you to re-evaluate your prepared speech and I look forward to hearing from all of you next Wednesday.

Enjoy your weekend and let's keep our CRTS learning exciting!

"Look up and Paddle Hard" by Gabriel Omin (Sharing and Reflections moments)

"Look up and Paddle Hard" is a narrative piece of writing, depicting hard work and diligence as mechanics for success. The narrative piece also implies that learning is both on-going as well as a life-long process. As the author put at halt his learning to cycle effort in 1988, he stopped making any progress in riding, thinking that he would forever be unable to ride a bicycle. A turning point took place in 1955 when he once again decided to acquire riding skills with the help of his friend, Aniefiok Enoh. This also signifies that support and encouragement from people around you are equally significant with self-driven motivation in cultivating persistence and diligence during learning process. Very often, most learners are advised to uphold positive beliefs in ensuring endurance to achieve success and famous proverbs such as "No pain no gain" and "To err is human" have become a common learning creed.

p.s-To all Group 3&B, kindly leave your reflections in response to "Look up and Paddle Hard" by Gabriel Omin

Discovering your learning styles

Auditory or Visual Learners

A type of learner who learns effectively by listening (auditory) or seeing (visual). An auditory learners prefers to listen to lectures compared to reading lecture notes.

Applied or Conceptual Learners

If you are an applied learner, you prefer tasks that involve real objects and situations. Therefore, practical, authentic, real-life instances are perfect for you. If you are a conceptual learner, you prefer to work with language and ideas. You also tend to rely less on practical applications for understanding than applied learners.

Spatial or Verbal Learners

Spatial learners can visualize or mentally "see" how things work or how they are positioned in space. Their strengths may include drawing, assembling, or repairing things. Verbal or non spatial learners lack skills in positioning things in space. Instead, they rely on verbal or language skills.

Social or Independent Learners

If you are a social learner, you prefer to work with others, closely and directly. You tend to be people-oriented and enjoy personal interaction. If you are an independent leaner, you tend to be self-directed or self-motivated as well as goal-oriented.

Creative or Pragmatic Learners

Creative learners are imaginative and innovative. They prefer to learn through discovery or experimentation. They are comfortable taking risks and following hunches. Pragmatic learners are practical, logical, and systematic. They seek order and are comfortable following rules.

So, which combination of types of learners define your learning styles?

(Source adapted from McWhorter K.T, 2004 Academic Reading, 5th Edition, Pearson Longman, New York)