Although I read a large variety of books, I would prefer to read fictional stories to other books. Liked reading fantasy ever since I was a child. One of my favourite series is the Percy Jackson series where an 'ordinary' boy called Percy finds out that he is actually the son of a mortal human and the greek God Poseidon. In the first book, he embarks on a journey to find the ost weapon of the God Zeus.
Another genre of books which I like to read is adventure and thriller. I enjoy reading the Alex Rider series, where a teenager is asked to be a spy of some sort. In every book, he goes on a new adventure or mission where he encounters many dangers.
That is about it. Visit my electronic bookshelf at
http://weread.com/profile/index.php?id=5CF70AC5-377A-4BA6-98D0-D685C589B23F
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Diary entry from Philip's point of view entitled. "Why Did I Do It?"
Why did I do it:
Today was my first day in school. Things have gone really wrong. Really bad. The students there found out that I actually did not know how to sing the American National Anthem. All the students hate me. Nobody is willing to have lunch or seat with me. I so should not have gone against Narwin. If only I had not lie just to get at Narwin, I would not have been in this mess. If only I could reverse time... Why did I actually say that I sang the anthem when I was just humming? To get at Narwin? Bad mistake. In fact many of the students like Narwin despite her bad sense of humour. Don't know what to do...
Today was my first day in school. Things have gone really wrong. Really bad. The students there found out that I actually did not know how to sing the American National Anthem. All the students hate me. Nobody is willing to have lunch or seat with me. I so should not have gone against Narwin. If only I had not lie just to get at Narwin, I would not have been in this mess. If only I could reverse time... Why did I actually say that I sang the anthem when I was just humming? To get at Narwin? Bad mistake. In fact many of the students like Narwin despite her bad sense of humour. Don't know what to do...
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Advance technology
In the old days, to send a message to someone overseas, it would most probably take a few days. But what if it is a very important message? That could not be helped. However, with modern technology, a mail to someone overseas is merely a click away. Modern technology had enabled us to have easier and more convenient way of communication. You can type a message from Singapore to America and it would only take a few minutes. People use these ways of communication to do business with clients overseas. A simple click on the 'send' button can let the client receive a brief introduction on your product or the price you are willing to pay for a certain product etc. With modern technology, you can even chat or 'msn' your friends or clients. It has indeed allowed better and easier communication.To place an order for a certain item in a shop is also much easier now. You do not need to go down to the shop yourself, but just make a phone call to place your reservations. To contact your friends, you can just pick up the phone and make a phone call.
However, with these new technology and inventions, many bad things happen as well. People can make use of the mail system to trick money from naive old people who are not internet savvy. They also make use of these technology to defame and spam other people. They think that by defaming others online and putting their name as anonymous, people would not find out who they are. However, that is a wrong concept. No matter what you do on the internet, you can always be tracked down. By checking the IP address of your computer, they can track down the person who committed the crime. Spamming. Many people spam others for fun of for advertising purpose. This can cause irritation of many people and also make people feel uncomfortable. Examples of spamming are mails that are send to you over and over again although they are not related to you.
Therefore, I agree that although the advanced technology is good, paople still have to respect the important rules online.
However, with these new technology and inventions, many bad things happen as well. People can make use of the mail system to trick money from naive old people who are not internet savvy. They also make use of these technology to defame and spam other people. They think that by defaming others online and putting their name as anonymous, people would not find out who they are. However, that is a wrong concept. No matter what you do on the internet, you can always be tracked down. By checking the IP address of your computer, they can track down the person who committed the crime. Spamming. Many people spam others for fun of for advertising purpose. This can cause irritation of many people and also make people feel uncomfortable. Examples of spamming are mails that are send to you over and over again although they are not related to you.
Therefore, I agree that although the advanced technology is good, paople still have to respect the important rules online.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
8 things you can do to help your child sail through school part 2
Myth 5: My has to have a private tutor. It is a must to have tuition.
Reality: It works for most children, and the best results can be achieved in subjects like Mathematics.
As a matter of fact, children with too many tuitions will tend to feel too much stress. One or two tuitions is alright, but too many might cause the child to lose concentration during class and even fall sick.
Myth 6:My child's success is all due to his hard work, and not my attendance at parent's event.
Reality: Behind a successful child is a super-involved parent.
Most parents think that the child should work hard and get the good results they want. However, research shows that a child will do better in school if the parents are more involved with their education.
Myth 7: Watching educational shows is good for my child and can build up his intelligence.
Reality: TV can restrict your child's development.
Watching the TV too much can cause not only hyperactivity, but also delayed language skills. Research shows that if children under 12 months watch the TV more than 2 hours a day, they are six times more likely to have delayed language skills. Research also shows that children between 16 months and seven years old who watched baby programmes on TV knew less words than those who do not.
Myth 8: Too many sports and ECA will distract my child from his studies.
Reality: Sports actually enhances academic performance.
Sports will enhance a child's socialisation, school engagement and academic motivation abilities. Many students in sports tend to score higher scores. It is proved that during the sporting season, a student's result will improve and drop when it is off- season.
Reality: It works for most children, and the best results can be achieved in subjects like Mathematics.
As a matter of fact, children with too many tuitions will tend to feel too much stress. One or two tuitions is alright, but too many might cause the child to lose concentration during class and even fall sick.
Myth 6:My child's success is all due to his hard work, and not my attendance at parent's event.
Reality: Behind a successful child is a super-involved parent.
Most parents think that the child should work hard and get the good results they want. However, research shows that a child will do better in school if the parents are more involved with their education.
Myth 7: Watching educational shows is good for my child and can build up his intelligence.
Reality: TV can restrict your child's development.
Watching the TV too much can cause not only hyperactivity, but also delayed language skills. Research shows that if children under 12 months watch the TV more than 2 hours a day, they are six times more likely to have delayed language skills. Research also shows that children between 16 months and seven years old who watched baby programmes on TV knew less words than those who do not.
Myth 8: Too many sports and ECA will distract my child from his studies.
Reality: Sports actually enhances academic performance.
Sports will enhance a child's socialisation, school engagement and academic motivation abilities. Many students in sports tend to score higher scores. It is proved that during the sporting season, a student's result will improve and drop when it is off- season.
8 things you can do to help your child sail through school
In the recent newspaper article, it shows that there are myths to help your child in school, particularly eight. These are the eight myths.
Myth 1: My child needs to start school as early as possible to give him a head start.
Reality: Delaying entry is actually better for pupils who are not ready for school yet.
I feel that for pupils who are not ready for school yet, it is better for them to have a delayed entry into the school so as to prepare them better. In this way, they can do better in their studies after being prepared.
Myth 2: If my child attends a top school, he will do better as he will thrive in the challenging environment.
Reality: Some high standard students will do better in average-ability schools.
Some students will indeed tend to do better in average schools as their learning abilities far surpasses average students. Other students on the other hand can work better under the pressure of their 'smarter' peers.
Myth 3: Buying my child plenty of books will get him into the habit of reading.
Reality: Spending quality time with your children and reading with them will work better.
I totally agree with this as a child that does not like reading will simply throw the book away. However, if a parent slowly ease the child into the habit of reading, the child will slowly like reading. Another way is to probably let the child read what he likes before letting him read more profound books.
Myth 4: the best way to motivate my child is to praise him when he get good results
Reality: Praise the child for his efforts, not for his results. This might cause him to think that the only way to do well is to get high scores.
If you only praise a on his scores, he will feel disapointed when he gets a low score. However, if you praise him on his efforts, he will feel better as he knows that he had tried his best.
To be continued.....
Myth 1: My child needs to start school as early as possible to give him a head start.
Reality: Delaying entry is actually better for pupils who are not ready for school yet.
I feel that for pupils who are not ready for school yet, it is better for them to have a delayed entry into the school so as to prepare them better. In this way, they can do better in their studies after being prepared.
Myth 2: If my child attends a top school, he will do better as he will thrive in the challenging environment.
Reality: Some high standard students will do better in average-ability schools.
Some students will indeed tend to do better in average schools as their learning abilities far surpasses average students. Other students on the other hand can work better under the pressure of their 'smarter' peers.
Myth 3: Buying my child plenty of books will get him into the habit of reading.
Reality: Spending quality time with your children and reading with them will work better.
I totally agree with this as a child that does not like reading will simply throw the book away. However, if a parent slowly ease the child into the habit of reading, the child will slowly like reading. Another way is to probably let the child read what he likes before letting him read more profound books.
Myth 4: the best way to motivate my child is to praise him when he get good results
Reality: Praise the child for his efforts, not for his results. This might cause him to think that the only way to do well is to get high scores.
If you only praise a on his scores, he will feel disapointed when he gets a low score. However, if you praise him on his efforts, he will feel better as he knows that he had tried his best.
To be continued.....
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Some days back, I went with my family to a pastry shop to buy some cakes. When I was choosing which cake to buy, I noticed something from the corner of my eye. Immediately, I stopped what I was doing and turned around to see what had happened.
There was this little boy who was standing in the pastry shop beside his maid. Judging by his size, he should be around 4 or 5. He was crying very loudly and also started to beat his maid before running away to complain to his mother. About what? I am not very sure myself. However, it seems to me that the little boy is really pampered by his parents. He not only cried loudly in public, he also did not show respect to his maid by beating her. He is also very unreasonable. If he was indeed angry with somebody, he should also not use his maid as a punching bag to vent his anger on. He must understand that the maid is there to help him by doing his chores, preparing food for him, keeping his toys after he play, etc. Therefore, he should treat her as a family member and not his 'slave'.
I also feel that with a maid, the boy will not only become more self-centered, he will also become very dependent on the maid. Although I do not know how the boy treats his maid at home, but his actions towards his maid shows us that he does not treat his maid well.
Therefore, no matter who the party is, we should always show them respect.
There was this little boy who was standing in the pastry shop beside his maid. Judging by his size, he should be around 4 or 5. He was crying very loudly and also started to beat his maid before running away to complain to his mother. About what? I am not very sure myself. However, it seems to me that the little boy is really pampered by his parents. He not only cried loudly in public, he also did not show respect to his maid by beating her. He is also very unreasonable. If he was indeed angry with somebody, he should also not use his maid as a punching bag to vent his anger on. He must understand that the maid is there to help him by doing his chores, preparing food for him, keeping his toys after he play, etc. Therefore, he should treat her as a family member and not his 'slave'.
I also feel that with a maid, the boy will not only become more self-centered, he will also become very dependent on the maid. Although I do not know how the boy treats his maid at home, but his actions towards his maid shows us that he does not treat his maid well.
Therefore, no matter who the party is, we should always show them respect.
Examinations
There are recently debates on whether schools should implement examinations or rule them out. For those who support the ruling out of examinations,they feel that by ruling out the examinations, the students will be more interested in studying and will not feel so stress. Moreover, they will study independently on the subjects they like.
For people who do not support ruling out examinations, they feel that examinations have an important role to play in a student's life. Examinations is the only way to assess the student's work. I believe in this too. If there were no examinations for the Primary ones and twos, how would they be able to cope in the actual examinations when they study in Primary three? The students can only learn the format of the examinations when they are in Primary three. Furthermore they might make mistakes in the examinations and thus perform badly. Whether a student takes or does not take examinations when they are at lower primary, they will still have to sit for the PSLE. Therefore, isn't it better to let the students understand examinations earlier? Besides, it IS better to let a child learn what is "pressure" at an earlier stage. In this way, the students will learn how to cope with the pressure.
Concluding this post, examinations are good and useful for the students in the long run.
For people who do not support ruling out examinations, they feel that examinations have an important role to play in a student's life. Examinations is the only way to assess the student's work. I believe in this too. If there were no examinations for the Primary ones and twos, how would they be able to cope in the actual examinations when they study in Primary three? The students can only learn the format of the examinations when they are in Primary three. Furthermore they might make mistakes in the examinations and thus perform badly. Whether a student takes or does not take examinations when they are at lower primary, they will still have to sit for the PSLE. Therefore, isn't it better to let the students understand examinations earlier? Besides, it IS better to let a child learn what is "pressure" at an earlier stage. In this way, the students will learn how to cope with the pressure.
Concluding this post, examinations are good and useful for the students in the long run.
Information from: The Sunday Times, 1 February 2009
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