Reflections on HBL 24/25 May

The home-based learning (HBL) lessons on the 24th and 25th of May was quite enjoyable and definitely productive. During the two days, we were given a few tasks for different subjects and we had to complete them by the end of the day. The tasks and assignments that we given to me were reasonable and I could complete them. One problem I faced during this home-based learning is my chinese assignment. I found it rather difficult to complete the task given which was to finish an online question sheet about a book "The Romance of Three Kingdoms". It required me to search the book for examples of a character who displayed leadership qualities. I ended up spending lots of time on this assignment. This was the only problem I faced during these two days.

I feel that home-based learning teaches us things that might not be as easily learnt in school. Home-based learning teaches how to manage our time properly and trains us to be disciplined. We learn this when we do our assignments. When we do our assignments we are tempted by the video games that are a click away. If we do not learn to be disciplined, we will end up getting no work done at all.

This home-based learning also allows us to maximize the time we have in a day. I say this because when we do home-based learning we do not waste time travelling during a normal school day. Instead once we finish our lessons and assignments we can use the extra time for other things. Moreover, we have an Integrated Humanities (IH) Exam the day on the 26th May. We can maximize the time after we finish our assignment to do revision.

On the whole, I feel that home-based learning is useful and allows us to practice discipline. I hope there will a few more home-based learning lessons.

Home-based Learning online lesson: Task 2

Point of View

The writer is writing in the point of view of the people who are affected by the spraying of Agent Orange recounting. The persona is talks about how the Americans have led astray causing illness, birth defects and deaths. He expresses his anger for the Americans when he says that the generations will pay. This shows that he is a victim whose life is destroyed by the spraying of Agent Orange because he shows his anger for the Americans who caused the deaths and illnesses.

Situation and Setting

It is during the Vietnam war where the Americans sprayed Agent Orange and other herbicides which caused many people falling ill and even deaths. Not only soldiers were affected innocent lives were too. The poem talks about the illness, birth defects and deaths and tolling on the innocent. This shows that there were many people whose lives were affected as there were many innocent people who died and got ill because of the spraying of herbicides.

Language/Diction

The writer uses sarcasm, imagery as well as rhyming words to show his anger for the Americans who caused him this suffering. The writer uses sarcasm when he says "America did not foresee" and "Now thinking twice?". He is trying to show that America saw the effects of spraying but they still carried on in spraying, they did not have a thought for the people who were going to be affected. The writer uses imagery in the poem in "green, pink, purple and other colours death potpourii" to allow the reader to imagine the situation. The reader will imagine rainbow colours sprayed down and causing death and illnesses, and recognise the amount of damage done. The writer also uses rhyming words in the last three lines of him poem. The rhyming words he used are "astray", "pay" and "spray". He is emphasizing the Americans going astray in spraying Agent Orange and other harmful herbicides and they will pay. This expresses the writers anger and frustration for the Americans.

Personal Response

I feel that the everyone should think about what they are doing twice before carrying them out. We should always think of the consequences that will follow and whether it will harm anyone. We should always make a wise decision. In the poem, it talks about how the Americans have thought of the consequences but they still chose to carry out the spraying of herbicides. This resulted in many innocent people suffering. We must always spare a thought of people around as so that we can prevent people from suffering in the future.

Home-based Learning online lesson: Task 1

Rainbow Death by Hubert Wilson
America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.
Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Conflicts
The poem talks about the Vietnam War, it shows that the effects of war that still exist. In the Vietnam war many people fell ill because of the spraying of Agent Orange. Hubert Wilson shows that although the war is long over, the after effects of war still haunt us. In the poem, he mentions Agent Orange, which is a herbicide and defoliant used by the US military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam war. Agent Orange and other herbicides that had a lasting effect on the people who were in contact with it. During the war, about 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, with 500,000 children born with birth defects. During the production of Agent Orange, dioxins were produced as contaminant, which caused numerous health problems to millions of people exposed to it. He shows how it describes how innocent people lives are destroyed and that even though literally the vietnam war is over, the effects of the war still lurk.

sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxb7CY13uc

Drive to explore space and our solar system

I agree that the drive to explore space and our solar system is still an important human endeavor. Being able to explore space and our solar system requires us to have sufficient technology to conduct the mission safely, this will make it difficult. Space has no end, there is still so much that have not been explored yet thus making it a human endeavor. Many humans are afraid of exploring the planets and space as a result not many people will want to explore space.

Firstly, although we do have the technology to explore space and our solar system. Do we have the technology to explore far out into space? For example, a team of astronauts go out to explore space. But they do not know when they will reach their destination, what if they run out of fuel before they find anything? This makes it a human endeavor as we do not have the sufficient technology to explore far out into space.

Secondly, Space is never ending. When will you find another planet? Another universe? We, humans do not know how big is space. Imagine being at the surface of the ocean, and you are looking for the sea bed. You will not be able to sea bed because it is too deep to be seen. It is just like exploring space, if you do not know how far the next universe is from where you are, how are you going to find it? This is thus a human endeavor.

Lastly, many people are afraid of losing their lives if they explore space or our solar system. This means that there will be less people willing to explore space. Without man power, it is impossible to explore the huge never ending space.

All these points suggest that the drive to explore space and our solar system, because we do not have the sufficient technology, space does not have an end and the fact that there is not enough man power.

National Service

I agree that making NS (National Service) mandatory develops Singaporean boys into men. I believe that NS would be an unforgettable experience for all men, whether in a good way or bad way. In NS, 18 year-old men will have to face extremely tough training thus this will build them to be strong physically and more importantly mentally. They will learn to cooperate with each other and work as a team to accomplish tasks. After NS, the men will be much more discipline as they were trained very strictly.
Firstly, during NS, the men are pushed to the limit all the time and this will train them to have a strong mind set. Without a strong mindset, the men will not be able to improve and will not be tough. For example, if a man is not strong mentally he will give easily when he encounters problems and difficulties. Is this a man? A man has to tough and hardy in the mind, with this then he is able to overcome any problems faced.

Secondly, NS builds up a man's teamwork. In NS, men have to work very closely with each other. Counting on each other for support all the time and this improves a man's teamwork. In the future, men definitely have to work as a team to accomplish projects in their workplace. After NS, it allows them to cooperate with each other to get the job done. Being a man, you have to have very good teamwork as no one can handle everything on their own.

Lastly, NS disciplines men. Discipline is important as a man, as no man can accomplish anything without discipline. In NS, men have strict rules and they have to obey them. If they do not they will be punished. For example, men have to wake up at a certain time and they have to march in a straight line for long distances. This teaches them discipline. After NS, discipline is important as men have to be disciplined to get something done such as finishing an assignment given. If a man does not have discipline, he will get distracted by things like computer games and will not finish the assignment. This aspect makes Singaporean boys into men.

All the points I have stated make Singaporean boys into men as men have to be mentally strong, have teamwork and disciplined.

Online lesson 8: Diary entry

It was a really tiring day today, digging those trenches was really hard work. We were building trench system of three parallel lines and communications trenches interconnected them. Digging these trenches was to ensure that we could maintain a good defense against anyone who dared to attack. Digging trenches was the best strategy. It prevented us, soldiers from getting shot down by arm fires. Although it was very advantageous, digging wasn’t easy at all. We had spent the past few nights digging these trenches so as not to be easily seen by enemies. Trenches dug were at least three meters deep and had to be zigzagged. I really hope this hard work we’ve put in to making this trench does not go to waste. We are almost done with the digging but even after that we would have to maintain the trench so that it will not be destroyed by the weather.

I am confident that we not fall easily thanks to the trenches we built. It will definitely be huge obstacle for our enemies to avoid. We too need to be ready to engage in a battle soon, I am sure that we will be victorious against the Germans when they launch their attack on us. I guess I should have some rest now, so that I’ll have energy to continue the hard work tomorrow.

Track and Field competition experience 2011

Every year, there will be a really amazing Inter-school Track and Field competition, I will never fail to look forward to it! This was because we have been training really for a whole year for this competition! I have been participating in this Track and Field competition since primary 4. This year has been my second year representing Hwa Chong institution in this competition. Last year, I participated in the events, shot put and javelin. As a junior in the C division last year, I was a year younger than the others, as a result I did not have as much strength as the older boys. Thus I did not get a place in the finals for shot put but I managed to clench 5th place in javelin. This year being an age older, I knew I had a chance to get a medal. I had be signed up for two events this year, discus and javelin. I had focused more javelin than my discus during training, thus I was hoping to achieve better results in my javelin.

Hwa Chong has had a winning streak for the champion titles for the B and C divisions, thus the whole team was determined to keep the title this year. During the competition period, we not only had to miss lessons to compete, we also had to sacrifice many things to support the team. Our team was encouraged to go down to the stadium after school to support the competitors who were competing on that day, as a result we had to sacrifice the things we had on after school to go down to support. This would also mean that we had less time to do homework and revise work.

During the days that I had competition, I missed lessons that we were important as there were tests that we very near. Despite this, I tried my best to ask my friends what the teachers were talking about in class. This was quite a challenge for me as I did understand what the teachers were talking about when I returned to class the following day. On the day of competition, I went to the stadium early to stretch and warm up so that I was ready to throw. My first event was discus, I got 4th place which I had expected myself to get. My second even which was javelin was on the final day of competition and the school had sent a few classes of secondary one students to go down to cheer and support us. Before the competition started, I was feeling very nervous as I was very determined to get a medal. As the competition started, I tried my best and managed to get a gold medal! I was so full of excitement and joy as my hard work did not go to waste. I too was able to break my personal record! After the competition ended, the whole Track and Field team went for dinner together. Although it was not the best food, but we were able to enjoy ourselves! I really thank my teachers for their understanding when I have missed class, the students who came to support us, my coach, my friends and family who supported me all the way! I really look forward to the next Track and Field competition next year!

General elections

I feel that the PAP show more teamwork, I say this because the PAP poster shows that the GRC is very bonded as the pictures of themselves are very close together showing that they display teamwork. Also their pictures are neatly put and are facing the person looking at the poster while the pictures of the NSP seems to be individual as their picture are not together and they don't seem to be looking at the person who is looking at the poster as a result not displaying much teamwork.