Integrating Technology in ESL Writing

Tuesday, 11/12/2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills


Write an article on the topic integrating technology in teaching writing. It can be anything related to the slides, own opinion, how you would use it in future.

It might be difficult for teachers to keep up and adapt to the advancements of the technology in the world that we’re living today. In this century, everything around us revolves the usage of technology. It helps in further the information as quick as possible compared to the olden days. The field of education is not excluded. The advancement of technology has brought numerals of improvement in education. The advancements that technology contributed in today’s way of learning has made it become vital to all of us. Technology, in the sense of learning has helped teachers to expand their ability from the linear, text-based learning to various kinds of other ways that helped to engage the students’ interest and understandings. However, there are several of other ways that educators can do in order to implement the usage of technology in their classroom, especially in teaching writing.

One of the advancement that technology offers in teaching is by using the online based word-document such as The Google Docs. Of the many digital tools that many tech-savvy teachers used, Google Docs has been one of the most brilliant invention. The fact that it stores documents on the Web makes it accessible from anywhere. It allows its users to share their work with others, which make writing even more interesting. This brilliant tool has created a space where collaborative works becomes easier and smooth, which also reduced the difficulty to gather everybody all at once. It is time consuming, and sometimes the discussions carried out were not even productive. This enhancement has also contributed in bridging and connecting the students and teacher. For instance, if the student managed to do their homework online, the teacher just has to log in and check their students’ work, as easy and quick as that. The auto-save feature in Google Docs allows the users to save the docs without even clicking the ‘save’ button as many people tend to be in a rush and forgotten to do so.

The usage of interactive whiteboard has also broaden the learning process. It has increasingly replaced the features of a traditional classroom blackboard or ordinary whiteboard to an electronic one. Interactive whiteboards display large visual panels that can be used as a traditional whiteboard, but it expends the ability of a traditional whiteboard by adding the features such as image projector, or interactive computer projector. Interactive whiteboards are designed for classroom use, and apparently it has engaging with the students and the current learning process. This innovative teaching tools allows the teachers to enhance any presentation or lesson by easily integrating video, animation, graphics, text and audio with the spoken presentation. It is believed that students may respond better seeing information presented visually.

As for my opinion, there are a lot more improvement that technology has contributed in learning process. It works both way between the students and teacher, and it allows interaction widely and beyond the traditional ways of how learning process was. These interactions assigned by the recent inventions are usually the real-time response by both of the students and teachers, so the learning process becomes a lot easier and smooth.

Mini Test Question 2: 'Environment'

Wednesday, 5/12/2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills
Tutorial 6 (b)

Question: You are teaching the theme 'Environments' to a form three class with intermediate level of proficiency. Describe one activity on how to integrate the following thinking skills into your lesson.

A) Analysis
B) Application

Answer: 

A) Analysis
Firstly, teacher divides the students into groups of 4-5. Next, the teacher will ask them to examine what pollution is currently running on their surrounding. Each group might get different or similar types of pollution. Then, they will proceed by listing down the causes of the pollution. In order to do so, they have to relate to their own experience, based on what they saw or heard, or came across to in their daily lives.

B) Application
Break the students into groups of 4-5 as previous. Next, the teacher provides different types of pollution to each group respectively (air, water, land and sound pollution). Teacher distributes a paper listing the causes of each pollution, (it could be the one that they prepared during the analysis thinking skill previously) Later, teacher asks them to solve the causes. For example, land pollution occurs due to the waste dumping in the landfill area in the neighborhood. So they have to discuss in the group in what way can this problem be solved. 

Mini Test Question 1: MAP

Wednesday, 5/12/2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills
Tutorial 6 (a)

We were asked to write instructions for 2 writing activities based on the picture given below.

1. Your friend, Steven has just arrived to Kota Kinabalu for his holiday. He will be in Kota Kinabalu for three days. By referring to the picture, construct a full day tentative that he can use as a tour plan while he is here.

2. Steven who has just arrived from Australia is staying at the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel. By referring to the map, provide him a direction to the Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation using at least 10 suitable prepositions.

Assessing Students' Writing

Tuesday, 4/12/2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills


Last week, we were taught to assess the students' writing. How do we do that? In what way can we assess the papers without demotivating them? Should we praise them or should we follow the marking guideline strictly? Is there any right or wrong way to assess the papers?

These are some of the questions that we, as the future teachers would ask to others and even to ourselves the first time we were being exposed to this. So in order to guide us in assessing and responding, Ms. Yoon has distributed a marking scheme that has been adapted from the MUET scoring scheme for writing.

*You may click the picture to enlarge*

Next we were separated into a few groups. My group had to respond and assess the paper that I've posted in my previous post. It's quite challenging because the student seems to have a lot to say, and it shows that he  or she knows how and when to use a certain vocabulary. However this student seems to have a problem in arranging the words in a sentence and the writing is lacking in the usage of connectors. So based on the marking scheme and on our personal motive as well that we were agreed to not let this student fails, so we gave him 10 out of 20 :)

Responding to Students' Writing

Tuesday, 4/12/2012

TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills

Hello everyone! This time our lecturer, Ms Yoon has distributed some of her students paper so that we are able to see how is a lower-proficiency student did their writing. We've learned to respond to students' writing in many ways, she also gave us the guideline, or the basic principle before and during the respond. Basically there are three ways to respond to students' writing that we can do, referring to Ms. Yoon's guide and they are:

1. Written comment

2. Talk about the paper

3. Checklist 

Personally, I think it would be the best to talk about the paper. For instance, I will call the students probably during their recess time, or before they go back home. Of course, I will also take responsibility in taking care of my students. For example if it's recess time I will provide them a meal. Or if it's after the school hours, I will personally bring that student to their home after the talk. What I am trying to do is not actually impossible. I know that some people who came across this post might think that, by using this way some students might take the help for granted, but of course, as a teacher you will know your students best. If this student is not improving, there shall be a different reminder. If this student is just pretending to be very weak just to draw attention and get free home-made meal, you'll spot that. I believe that when I be a teacher, I will be able to recognize my students' behaviors and levels. I also believe that there is nothing wrong to get closer with your students in that kind of way because they will appreciate that and somehow it will motivate them to do better. Different students have different perceptions but as a teacher you must be able to identify which is which and how to manage it well. 

Anyway, this is the example of a student's writing. I will tell you how would I assess this paper in my next post. See you! :)

*You may click the picture to enlarge*

Educational Games: fun and meaningful all at once!

Do you have any idea what educational games are? Have you ever tried to play any educational games before? Educational games are the games that are enjoyable to play but at the same time, it is purposeful. While playing the game, we will reach certain objectives that are meaningful to gain and are useful in our daily lives. Our lecturer, Ms. Yoon Sook Jhee has encouraged us to play these kind of games and find some ways that we can integrate these games in our lessons, specifically in writing.

Haiti Catastrophe (introduced by Ms. Yoon)
This game lets its' players to choose which role they would like to play as. Next, the players will determine the best choice that they can work on in order to help the victims. The choices must be relevant and brilliant. There is no right or wrong choice but of course there is better choice or the worse ones. So basically it'll educate the players to choose wisely and sort of imagine how it is like, to be in that role's shoes. Overall it's a great game.

*click on pictures to enlarge*

So these are some of the snapshots of the game, it basically educate its players in playing a role wisely. 

Some of the writing activities that we can come up with:

1. Ask students to write on their experience about the roles that they played.

2. Ask students to choose the roles and write a passage on the responsibilities carried as the role chosen.

3. Teacher creates more roles, and ask them to write what would that role do in order to accomplish a certain task. 

There are some other sites all over the Internet that are intended for educational purposes. Nobel prize, for instance also provided some educational games for everyone, including some other subjects offered in schools. 

URL: http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/all_productions.html

Although most of the subjects that Nobel stresses on are Sciences subjects, English teachers may do a little bit of an adjustment to teach writing. 

Higher Order Thinking Skills - Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

Hello there everybody! Ever heard of the Bloom's Taxonomy? The word "taxonomy" simply means "classification". Meaning to say that Bloom Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives to classify forms and levels of learning.. Let's take a closer look about it :)

On the left side is the original version of Bloom's Taxonomy by Benjamin Samuel Bloom and his colleagues  in 1956. However, in 2001, Anderson and Krathwohl had revised the cognitive taxonomy. And it has been used up until today. So I hope that explains why is this thinking skill is called as the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy :) Four out of six of the thinking skills: Synthesizing, Evaluating, Analyzing and Applying are being considered as the Higher Order Thinking Skills. 

Wednesday, 14/11/2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills
Tutorial 5

Choose one of the four levels. Refer to the themes in KBSM. Design a task which integrates the level chosen. Write meaningful instructions for your task.

Theme	Social Issues
Topic	Drug Addiction Is A Disease. What Do We Do About It?
Level	Analysis / Evaluation
Learning Outcomes	By the end of these activities, the students will:           · understand that addiction is a chronic disease and that is likely to recur;            · recognize that treatment is most effective when it combines medication and   behavioral treatments;            · be able to explain how treatment for addiction is similar to that for other  chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Activity	Teacher’s activity	Student’s activity
	Teacher asks students about the success rate for treatment on drug addiction compared to other chronic diseases.	Students make predictions about the success rate for treatment of addiction compared with treatment for other chronic diseases.
	Teacher asks whether there were cases where drug addiction and its chronic disease are differ or similar to other chronic diseases using WH questions:           · What are the differences and similarities?           · Why do they differ?           · How can treatment be effective?	Students evaluate case studies of different individuals with drug-addiction background and other chronic diseases based on readings and experiences in order to answer the questions.

With this kind of activity, students will evaluate on the questions given to them and it is good as it practices the students to judge (evaluate) as they will compare and contrast. :)

Songs and Movies Based on KSSR & KBSM

Hi everyone. So it has been awhile since my last post. I do realize that, SORRY! Anyway, I've spend hours here in the library today just so I can focus on my procrastinated assignments and tutorials. Well actually they aren't procrastinated. They are queued, to be precise. Teehee! Finally, I could spare some time posting this using a laptop; courtesy of Jeeivita, a bunch of thanks to her :D So... here it is!

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills 
(Tutorial 4)

Question: Please compile a list of songs and movies can that are related to the themes in KSSR and KBSM

So we are asked to list down a few movies and songs that are relevant to the themes based on KSSR and KBSM syllabus that can be used for educational purposes. These are some of the examples that we can use to integrate in our learning session. The themes used are mostly classified under the value of friendship, family and nature.

MOVIES	SONGS
Horton Hears A Who?	Freedom – Maher Zain
The Lorax	I Have Confidence in Me – The Sound Of Music
Wall-E	If We Hold on Together – The Land Before Time
Madeline	I Will Be There For You – Jessica Andrews
Race to Witch Mountain	Colours of The Wind – Vanessa Williams
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius	Y.M.C.A – Village People
Happy Feet	The Best Day – Taylor Swift
The Little Bear Movie	A Place in This World – Taylor Swift
Ice Age	Butterfly Fly Away – Miley Cyrus
Treasure Planet	Dream – Priscilla Ahn
Nim’s Island	When You Grow Up – Priscilla Ahn
The Wild Thornberrys Movie	We Are Family – The Corrs
Pocahontas	Let’s Go Fly A Kite – Mary Poppins
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs	At Your Side – The Corrs
Fielder’s Choice	Inner Strength – Hilary Duff
The Grinch	Fly – Hilary Duff
Monster Inc.	Working It Out – Hilary Duff
The Polar Express	I Love You, No Matter What – Jack Hatrmann
Bridge to Terabithia	Love Is Like A Boomerang – Jim Rule
The Sisterhood Of TheTravelling Pants	The Leaves on the Trees – Rachel Rambach
Game Plan	The Rain Forest Song – J. P. Taylor
Bee Movie	Getcha Head in The Game – Zac Efron from HSM
Holes	The Freedom Song – Jason Mraz

They are all great songs and movies aren't they and I am pretty sure some of you guys probably had never even heard of some of the names before. I suggest you to watch or listen to them, or read (some are based from great best-selling novels). Personally, I think those names that I've listed down here are the great ones. Horton Hears A Who tells how important it is to appreciate lives of others even if they are as tiny as a spec of dust, while Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs will help the students to understand the various types of weather and learn safety tips for each type of severe weather. This lesson will also help students to understand how people depend on their environment and how movement of people could bring changes to the environment and surrounding in terms of problem solving. As for the songs, I think most that I weigh on here is about self-esteem and motivations. While others are about family and friends relation. 

Descriptive Essay: Describe Movement

Tuesday / September 25th, 2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills
Tutorial 3 / Task 1. 3

Question:  Find a message in your inbox. Describe the emotion of the sender (Original sentence). Expand the original sentence to at least 30 words. 


Original message:
"Jeevy wake up!"

Expended:
Her head feels so heavy she can't even lift it from her white, fluffy pillow. Her deep sleep was disturbed by the sound of birds chirping. As loud as they were screaming turbulently. She feels irritated and looks around the room half-consciously. She startled when her eyes caught up to one of the post-its she pasted on her wall. She has a library induction to be attended! She grabbed her phone hastily and texted her friend, Jeeivita right afterwards. A bundle of nervousness travels down her whole body. She grabbed her towel quickly and rushed for bath.



Any corrections or suggestions are very much welcomed.
You may fill it in the comments section below :)

Descriptive Essay: Describing A Place

Tuesday / September 25th, 2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills
Tutorial 3 / Task 1. 2

Question: Capture a photo around the campus. Describe the place by completing the five senses table.

Chancellor Hall, University Malaysia Sabah

What do you see?	What do you hear?	What do you smell?	What do you touch?	What do you feel?
1. A strong and firm building. 2. Honored university badge. 3. Trees at both sides of the building. 4. Proud ‘Dewan Canselor’ signage.	1. The cool and relaxing breeze. 2. Trees swaying/swooshing because it’s windy. 3. Sound of my shoes tapping if I walk because it’s too quiet.	1. The fresh green grass. 2. The breeze, it’s clean and refreshing. Almost like the smell after the rain..	1. The strong building. 2. A cold set of stairs – maybe because it has been raining and it’s not sunny.	1. Calm, refreshing. 2. Warm and relaxed. 3. Proud, to see such building that stands firm – somehow reminds me of my orientation week.

Descriptive Essay: Describing People

Tuesday / September 25th, 2012

TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills

Tutorial 3 / Task 1. 1

Question: Compile a list of words used to describe people.

Aspects	Descriptions
Face	Round, chubby, oval, square, heart-shaped, furrowed, good-looking, baby-faced, craggy, handsome, charming, seamed, thin, wrinkled, appealing, delicate, fine, expressionless, admirable, lovely, well-proportioned.
Eyes	Large, slanted, squinty, crinkly, brown, wide-eyed, small-eyed, hollow, lidded, deep-set, pop-eyed, black, blue, hazel-shaped, bright, greenish-blue, big.
Nose	Sharp, pointy, small, round, broad, hawk, narrow, snub, well-shaped, truncated-nose,  flaring-nostrils, hooded, big, flat, straight, beaky.
Lips	Full, big, thin, pouting-lips, rosy, chapped, puckered-up, glossy, alluring, soft, small, wide.
Complexion	Freckled, rosy, ruddy, tanned, wrinkled, rough, pale, spotless, glowing, fair, clear, dark, light-brown, lightly-tanned.
Hand	Soft, dainty, long-fingers, plump palm, strong, manicured, rough, firm, hairy, short-fingers, plump-palm, dirty, wrinkly, hairy.
Cheek	Puffy, pale, soft, sun-tanned, sun-burnt, pimpled, dimpled, plump, blushing, livid-cheeks, radiant, sun-bronzed, glowing-cheeks, curved, ruddy.
Body	Tall, big, fit, slender, skinny, thin, muscular, curvy, bonny, fat, plump, short, flabby, scrawny, petite, thin, stocky, over-weight.
Clothes/Shoes/Accessories	Baggy pants, backless dress, A-line skirts, boot-cut jeans, brief, button-down shirts, casual, conservative, drip-dry, crispy dried clothes, full-length, hooded, over-sized  patterned tights, strappy shoes, sloppy shirts.

Outlining An Essay: Writing Topic Sentences

Tuesday / September 25th, 2012

TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills 

Question: Write 3 Topic Sentences on The Importance of Preserving Our Sea 


1. By preserving our sea, we can help to reduce the extinction of marine life.
2. The government should work on preserving the sea because fishes are the main source of protein.
3. Preserving our sea will lower the rate and risk of diseases caused by the polluted aqua lives.

Outlining An Essay: Writing Thesis Statement & Topic Sentences

Tuesday / September 25th, 2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills (Tutorial 2)

Question: Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents

Photo courtesy of: http://symmetrism.tumblr.com

Thesis Statement:
Motor vehicle accidents are caused by many other different factors but researchers found that the driver's behavior is usually the primary cause of the accidents. 

Topic Sentences: 
1. Cell phone usage while driving could be one of the causes of motor vehicle accidents.
2. Motor vehicle accidents involves the driver's aggressive behaviors such as speeding and being rude to other drivers while on road.
3. Poor vehicle maintenance could also cause motor vehicle accidents.

This is the example of writing thesis statement and related topic sentences. In a full constructed essay, topic sentences are used as the guideline to write supporting details to a certain paragraph. While the thesis statement is a sentence that concludes or signalizes the whole essay. It also guides the writer to create related/relevant topic sentences.

Literature brought me to this!

Hello dear readers. Today, as I was browsing through the internet to find examples of things I've been learning so far, regarding Onomatopoeia, precisely. So I came across this.. a Harry Potter fan fiction post! Let's not relate the Harry Potter here, just enjoy what is written :). It's a free writing site in the net (I guess) and.. I find it really interesting. It's fine if you're not one of HP fans but overall it's not about what it is, but it's about how did the writer really encourage the real senses and put it into writing. That demands a strong imagination. So I feel like sharing with all of you and put it as one of the contents here. It's really beautiful, really stimulating all of my 5 senses! I can truly imagine and sort of, be there. Like when I read it, I could really relate with all of my senses. I can smell the rain. I can hear the raindrops. I can touch the droplets on my fingers. As if it was real. Enjoy. :)

It's raining again.

I love rain.

I don't understand why people curse when the first few droplets fall, scrabbling for umbrellas with a heavy sigh.

It leaves a fresh smell. A pure smell. The air is clear and slightly misty, heavy even, clinging to your clothes and glistening like snowflakes in your hair. I don't mind. To me it seems more of a comfort than a nuisance.

He says it reminds him of tears, and so he always feels sad when it rains. I disagree. It isn't like tears at all. Rain doesn't sting when it rolls down your cheek, or leave a salty tang in your mouth when it slips onto your tongue.

And it doesn't make me sad. Not at all. Moreover, it seems to cry with me. Rain doesn't make me cry. It only rains when I cry.

Whether this is my imagination, I neither know nor care. All I do know, is that no matter where I am, indoors, outdoors, alone, in company, when that weight grows in my chest, making it hard to breath and my stomach turns inside out, a droplet of water always falls, cold but comforting, and rolls down my cheek.

Sometimes it's a torrent of heavy droplets, falling so fast it bruises when it hits me.

Sometimes its light flecks of spray, spattering my face in a light sheen of moisture.

He hates rain. He says it's a nuisance, weighing down your clothes and your hair with water, obscuring your vision.

My vision is always blurry, without my glasses on. When it rains, the water covers them, too. Sometimes it's good to not see the truth. Someone once said: 'The eyes are the window to your soul.' Well, my window is always closed.

…I like my eyes.

When I look into a mirror, it's one of the only things I see which doesn't lie. My eyes are like me. Whoever that is.

"Prongs?"

It's him again.

"James?"

…He hasn't called me that in ages.

The rain lashes against the pane, as though fighting to get to me. I watch as every droplet forms a tiny thread of what seemed like spun glass and slid slowly down the outside of the pane, as if gradually giving up hope. I felt the same way.

Pain by the window pane… onomatopoeia?

"Please, come away from the window."

I do not look up at him. Even if I did, it would change nothing. He would still be staring at me, trying to see through the window. It was closed. At least, to the others. But not to him.

He is standing beside me now. Without looking, I can see him. He'll seem sad, almost sympathetic. I do not look at him. I'll become angry if I see his sympathy. Nobody, and I mean nobody, knows how I feel, or can even touch the surface of the thin curtain which separates me from them.

"Oh, James…"

He doesn't know what to say. No one does. They just stand there and wait as if they expect something to happen. They're always disappointed. Every day, now. For a week.

"Prongs, I got you something to eat."

Oh. This is going to hurt.

"I need you to try. Please?"

Some invisible force makes me slowly turn my head to look at him. His dark eyes bore into mine, but somehow, they seem softer than usual. And I see no pity, only a desperation.

I shake my head violently, my dark hair dancing across my vision and settling in front of my eyes, like an immature five year old, but do not avert my gaze.

"It's soup. It'll just slip down. I promise."

I struggle with myself. Then shake my head again.

"Remus has a crush on Snivellus."

I'm so surprised my mouth falls open in shock, and I jerk as though electrified. It hurt, too. My body hasn't moved for a week. Faster than the eye can see, he quickly shoves a spoonful of the hot, sweet smelling liquid into my mouth and holds it there.

The spoon is hot, and I swallow without thinking, letting out a small whimper as I feel my tongue sizzle. He smiles slightly, a vague pride and smugness filling his eyes as he reloads the spoon.

"Just kidding. Come on, James. We'll take it one spoon at a time, just you and me, okay?"

He's serious. Sirius is serious. Ha ha, onomatopoeia. Again. He seems so different now. Almost like a spell has settled over him, maturing him far beyond his years. I mean, he has the maturity of a three year old anyway, but still…I'm not sure I like it. My Sirius wouldn't look so desperate and sad, much as the words are inadequate.

Obediently, I open my mouth reluctantly and he spoons a much larger portion of what I eventually define tomato soup, after he has blown on it to cool it. Strangely, I am not particularly bothered by being treated like a baby. I certainly don't feel any older right now.



I feel…lost. Although that doesn't really describe it. I feel more like I'm a limp, boneless corpse; being buffeted this way and that by a torrent of rushing water. At first, I tried to find something to cling too. Now, though, I just let it flow.

"That's it." He mutters softly, settling himself on the edge of the window ledge (onomatopoeia again) that has become my home. He smiles as he continues to lift the spoon to my mouth and reload it again.

"Did you know I actually made this myself?" he murmured, half to himself. I showed no signs that I had heard him, but inwardly, my mind was filled with the ridiculous vision of Sirius trying to make tomato soup, with a very stupid apron on. Somehow, I couldn't find it funny. I felt too numb.

"Yeah. I broke into the kitchens, and took over. The house elves nearly had a heart attack."

He chuckled softly, and I found myself subconsciously moving back towards the window, to allow him to sit down properly. It almost feels like I'm the child, and he's the caring parent. It's strange. All our lives, it's been me who has to drag him up from whatever deep pit he's managed to think himself into. God, did he really feel this bad every time?

It comforts me.

He comforts me.

There's a sharp intake of breath as his hand accidentally brushes my own on its way to my mouth. He carefully sets down the spoon in the bowl, and, his eyes still fixed on mine, takes my left hand between his larger ones. I shiver involuntarily as warmth floods my bone chilled fingers, spreading up my arm like vipers, giving me goose bumps.

"You're freezing."

No shit, Sherlock. That's what happens when you sit on a hard stone window ledge, in November, for a week. I can feel the soup making its way down to my stomach, and it sits there, warming my belly and rising to my chest, thawing my heart, as corny as that sounds. But, for some time, I really believed it had stopped beating.

I suddenly convulse, the strong desire to throw up overpowering my pride. I start to shudder, feeling like the entirety of my insides are jumping up into my throat.

I lean over the ledge and spill the contents of my stomach onto the floor of the tower room. He almost drops the bowl, but replaces it onto the ledge without spilling any, and drops to his knees beside me. I can feel his hand making comforting circles around my back, as I find I have nothing more to dispel.

I choke on my own breath, air jerking upwards then being pulled back down suddenly, making my throat ache. My eyes sting and well up, hot tears spilling down my cheeks in frustration and pain. It hurts.

Why does it hurt?

I thought it had stopped hurting.

I close my eyes, pressing my lashes tightly against my cheeks, trying to make it stop. In the blackness, the world is spinning unsteadily. My right hand reaches out blindly, and brushes something soft. I clutch at it, pulling myself back onto the ledge with shaky legs as the seizure passes and the world slams to a halt.

"It's alright, Prongs, it's alright. I've got you. Shh."

He sounds shaken, almost frightened. I open my eyes, although they feel so very heavy, and stare up at him, my vision blurry. I squint, and realise my glasses have fallen off. He smiles shakily, and lifts me more securely onto the ledge, and I realise how surreal the situation feels. Squashed together on a windowsill, in the loft room at the top of the north tower. I wonder hazily what Remus would make of all this.

"James?"

I glance up at him. His arms are wrapped around me, as though he is afraid I'm going to fall again. I'm glad.

I'm afraid I'll fall, too.

I'm tired. So tired, I can feel my bones ache with it, seeping out and making me feel drowsy. The fit had made me weak and feverish, my face bathed in cold sweat. Sirius' face was growing fainter and distorted, and I clutched blindly for him, my fists twisting his shirt tightly. To my dismay, I feel the back of my eyes sting again, the tears crisscrossing with the newly dried tracks of the previous moisture. I should feel afraid, embarrassed, but I feel nothing.

Just…cold.

My hands tremble as I crumple against him, turning into his shoulder, my head falling against his neck. It's blessedly cool, my flushed skin making him jolt as he pulls me closer, whispering words of comfort and uttering jumbled hushing sounds. His arms are firm against my back, and the world flickers, then dies around me. In the darkness, the torrent of water rushes around me.

But I do not go with it. I cling to the one unmoving rock in the screaming rush. It grabs for me, and I cower away, breathing shallowly and harshly. I screw up my eyes, away from it.

It rushes past…

I feel…

Safe…?

The rushing sounds fades, replaced by blessed silence as I drift, drowsily, away.

Heartbreakingly beautiful, isn't it? But as I read it, I am sort of aware that the author has misused the term onomatopoeia, but that's okay. I found the writing is interesting itself. Well anyway, hope you enjoy that!

Summary: Pros & Cons in Integrating Social Networking Tools into ESL Writing Classroom

Wednesday / September 12th, 2012
TE10503 Teaching Writing Skills (Tutorial 1) 


Strengths:

• Fasten the interaction including discussions, idea-sharing etc. between both teachers & students by just logging in to one same spot. This will also expand feedback & contact frequently and directly among them.  e.g: FB group 
• Increase the skills of using web-based technologies of both sides in order to occupy with the variety options that these technologies offered. e.g: creating links or using HTML codes for media sharing.
• Enhancing the students' writing skills as they can reach for more inputs on the internet via blogs & articles. A lot of reading can somehow increase their writing skills as they will get used to the maturity level in those good reads they might find across the internet. 
• Going online will let these students reach a larger amount of audience, therefore they can voice out their opinions wider yet still considering being moderate, which could also build up responsibility among them.
• The discussion and idea-sharing carried out through the SNSs can be more interesting as these technologies allow its users to share photos, videos, links, and so on.

Weaknesses:

• Social networking are web-based therefore it needs time to design, edit and decorate the site. On the bright side, it lets the students or the teachers be more creative but anyway, it'll take a long time to do so. The focus on intriguing these technology as a medium to improve study's quality can as well be ruined as they rather be intend in decorating the web.
• Face-to-face interaction between students and teacher can as well be knocked down since they'll be interact more in these high-end mediums. Some real cases are going through the students' real lives while teacher are being ignorant since all they might be discussing are not including personal matters. This is lacking in teacher's responsibility to get to know the students better. 

A Letter To Self

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam and upon all his family and companions.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Nur Nabilah Huda Binti Hamdan.

First and foremost, let's say alhamdulillah. Let's be thankful to Allah SWT. For whoever you are today. For wherever you've been throughout your 4 years of being a TESLian. For every single thing that you've done, you've reached and you've succeed. Without His love and mercy you won't be able to even type this or to look back and sort of reminiscing what you've gone through. So, alhamdulillah Ya Rabb. 

Anyway dear self, 

Congratulations for the right choice you made for your life. I don't know either it'll suit you well or not. But I'm sure you'll walk out of that Chancellor Hall one day, smiling proudly with your hands are holding tightly to a rolled certificate. Your graduation robe warmly embraces your success, you don't care even if it will shrink you down. You may look shorter, much shorter in that but the most important thing is, you'll be happy. As happy as you were always longed to feel. Happier than getting a bus from Kampung E. Happier than winning a whole day leisure treat. It's a happy feeling you cannot compare to anything else. The sound of cheer and the smell of richly-indulgent-knowledge sort of lingers at each and every part and corners of the hall. Feeling happier than any happy feelings you've ever felt before. 

Now that, if you really "Strive To Excel".

Which I'm sure you will. I know you. You're one lazy bone but you'll eventually pass it.

Or else you'll be crying a river reading this in 2016. Let's work on - not making that happen. Shall we? 

By the time you read this later, I'm sure you got your life planned very well. That shining black car and at least a double-storey house, remember? Have you work out on that? Have you got someone playing in your mind non-stop for 24 hours a day? You better do, dear. Okay let's not elaborate on this, it's pretty disturbing. Hahaha..

So, Nabilah I know you'll work for your success but I hope, in the moment you read this letter, you'll be better than who I am now. I've been almost 2 months here in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, still a green-new fella here. My grammar sucks, and just so you know I still can't cope with everything yet. The grammar class was horrible I'm sure you remember that too. How absentmindedly you were that time. So I really hope, that you, my dear self Nur Nabilah can correct all the grammatical errors I did in your past. Because in the end, you are becoming an English teacher in another short period of time. (Ameeeen) So be a good teacher, teach the children good, proper things and do show your love towards them. Make sure your ambitious mission is more than just a dream. Be grateful for the knowledge that you'll have, as they are all from Allah, The Lord of All-Knowing. The Lord of The Worlds & Universe. Praise be to Allah, for all that He gave you. I am always here, praying for your success, now and in the future. Now on this Earth and in the Hereafter. 

Cherish this beautiful life as much as you can, hold on tight to all your dreams and work for them, thank Allah and your parents. Remember all ups and downs you've been. For all of that, you are here. Whatever the date you'll be reading this in 2016, be humble. Be better than me, love yourself, love the path that Allah has guided you. Don't be afraid to take chances and always remember there'll be thousands and millions of stakes you might face in life, while you are tip-toeing towards success but don't ever give up. Feel the fear but jump off the edge anyway. Enjoy the roller-coaster to bits and pieces. And always, remember Allah in every single thing He puts you through.

"And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion." (Holy Qoran: 57:20 & 3:185 ― Saheeh International)


BITTAUFIQ WANNAJAH, NABILAH!
(With His guidance you'll grant success/the ability to perform well towards success.)

Sincerely your dearest past,

Nur Nabilah Huda Binti Hamdan.