What are your views?
I feel that the letter have both appropriate points to agree with and some that I do not agree with. For example, she says that memorizing facts is useless and one must learn to ask questions like "Why?" I agree with the fact that asking questions is important but I also find that memorizing facts is sometimes also needed to learn things. Biology for example needs students to memorize facts first before experiments are being carried out. To be able to learn languages, one must also memorize basic words first. Hence, I disagree with some of her points. She also gave an example of "Why is carbon a non-metal?". She said that she had never been told the answer to this question but I find that this example is not very good. This because the answer is simply that people have already defined what makes an element a metal or a non-metal, hence, carbon must have some properties that make it a metal based on the definition of metals. Overall, I find that this letter has both good points and also some points that I disagree with.
Read the article and give your responses to the following prompts:
To what extent do you agree with the issues that the student has raised here? Point out some issues of agreement and possible contention.
I do not agree fully with the issues the student has raised. I agree with the student that sometimes it is just not right to mark answers wrong just because you express it in your own words. However, I also feel that there is a purpose of having model answers for us. It may be because the model answer is more precise and more detailed than answers that are expressed in our own words although the idea is still the same. I also disagree with the point on stifling students voices just for the sake of pleasing the examiner. Students are not forced to not ask questions.Students can ask questions or give suggestions in school. However, I also have to agree a little with this point as it will not work if the teachers are unhelpful and just reply to you saying "this is the model answer/the system and this is what the school wants so do not ask so many questions."Examine her tone and attitude in this letter. Do you think it’s a well-crafted letter with the appropriate tone?
After examining her tone and attitude in this letter, I find that it is not a well-crafted letter and it does not have the appropriate tone. In my view, I find that it is a little hostile and a little tinge of anger in the letter. I also feel that she is kind of like blaming the Minister for the education system. I feel that she should first calm down and then write a letter politely to the Minister asking him why the education system is in this manner and tell him what she does not like about it and seek his explanation on why the education system is in this manner since there is a reason why the education system in Singapore wants us to memorize facts in our studies.If you should write a letter to Minister of Education, what are some issues you would raise? Remember- your intention is to make the system better for society’s betterment via CONSTRUCTIVE ideas.
I will raise issues like how we can apply things we learn through the education system in our life ahead.
You may view the letter here:
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/12/an-open-letter-to-the-education-minister-from-a-secondary-4-student/
Hi John, Darryl here.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that memorising is sometimes needed in exams but do memorising helps. I feel that this will instead hinder your learning process as learning by asking will definitely be a faster way than memorising. You learn it by heart instead of cramming all the notes into your mind.
I think you can try to raise more issues about the second and third question as you seems not to have answered these questions. Thanks.
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ReplyDeleteI feel that although the bond was not changed, it was manipulated with cleverly and a cunningly t suit ones' needs. Shylock is portrayed to be a an evil man, for the reader to hate him. Thus, it is not real justice that portia is expounding.
ReplyDeleteHi John! I do agree with you that this speech is not a well-crafted speech and it does not have the appropriate tone. She seems just to be ranting on and on the flaws of the Singapore Education without giving constructive explanation to help counter those problems and flaws she stated about the education in Singapore. She should instead write a cover letter to the minister to give some suggestions for the current education system in Singapore instead of stating the flaws of it through complaining and only wanting things to be improving by itself. This will then serve a purpose for this cover letter to the minister. Thank You.
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