Advantages and disadvantages of starting a blog as a student. Support your answer with examples

1. Advantages and disadvantages of starting a blog as a student. Support your answer with examples. You should write at least 350 words.

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Starting and updating a blog helps to stimulate critical thinking skills as students read more, they have more knowledge to analyse and evaluate what they read. Students can share their point of views and any readers can give ideas in the comment section. Discussions in the blog enable the commenters to discuss the topic. (Example: Discussions on the educational issue will consider the current situation by viewing different aspects, involving the countries, citizens and resources.)	Blogging can be distracting for students because they can browse other websites that are irrelevant to their studies. Students get carried away when accessing the Internet and eventually wasting time doing unbeneficial activities. (Examples: playing games and chatting with friends via FB) Students are exposed to negative influences on the Internet such as violence and sex. Sexually explicit contents are able to corrupt the students’ minds.
Blogging plays a key role in building a knowledgeable community.          Students will have to do research on certain topics before writing in their blogs. Reading more academical journals would help the students to write better and expound views in a more matured manner.          Information and knowledge sharing via blogs can reach more people in just a short time. Plus, students don't need to look for publishers.	Blogging consumes a lot of time and may be a burden for students who can't manage their time.  Finding time to write regularly can be stressful for students as they have to handle a lot of schoolwork.  Students have to spend time to do a lot of research to ensure the information is accurate as they cannot simply write baseless allegations/ideas  Students may neglect their studies when they spend too much time for blogging.
Blogging can enhance unity among different races and religions.            Students can blog about their unique cultures and traditions, so that, students of other races who came across the articles will be well-informed about other people’s cultures            Students will have a better sense of understanding other people's cultures and beliefs  (Example: An Indian student posts about the tradition of visiting one another during Deepavali – students of other races and religions will get to know more about the Indian cultures and the dos and don’ts when they join the celebration.)            Maintain the precious unity among races, which is crucial to the harmony of a multiracial country such as Malaysia.	Blogging may cause students in trouble when they express their feelings in anger           Consequences of angry posts can be dire. (Example: There are people who were publicly disgraced due to something they shared. Some even faced criminal charges like sentenced to one year's jail after pleaded guilty to making remarks disparaging other religions)           Teenagers who cannot control their anger might vent their frustrations in their blogs which they may regret later.            People may give rude and inappropriate comments which can ignite controversy.

Identify the main and supporting points form the video

Video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpY2D5lDbew

I used this video as a lesson to familiarize my two-year-programme students with panel discussion. It  was my second class (2nd hour) with the students after the ice-breaking session in the first class.

Lesson Plan

1. Teacher plays the video in the class for students to watch

2. Teacher asks the students to jot down important points and supporting details.

*the video is also sent to Google Classroom for students to re-watch (if needed).

4. Teacher informs the students to put their main and supporting points in a mind-map to be presented in the next class.

The outcome:

These students had learnt mind-map since secondary school. Thus, it is assumed that using mind-map to produce effective notes is not rocket science for them. During the presentation day, students displayed their mind-maps in front of the class and explained their points which obtained from watching the video entitled 'The Chindian Diaries" Grammar and vocabulary errors were corrected on the spot. Anyway, students enjoyed the presentation in class. 

Problems identified: Students had difficulties to distinguish between main and supporting points based on what they presented on paper. Some students displayed irrelevant points such as "religions", "easy to learn", etc. and there three groups of students who even put "introduction" and "conclusion" as their main points but without supporting points in the mind-maps.

Planning treatments for he students to be better listener and able to determine main and supporting points.

Activity 1: (2 hours) 

Play short tracks/excerpts

Ask the students to list four keywords from the listening tracks

Activity 2: ( 2 hours)

Play short videos

Instruct the students to identify the main points and supporting points

Activity 3: (2 hours)

Play a video about 10-15 minutes

Ask the students to fill in the blanks of a (guided) mind-map  which has main and supporting points

Activity 4: (2 hours)

Play a video about 10-15 minutes

Ask the students to mind-map the main and supporting points

As for now, I am searching for more simple short videos and short tracks (audio) which can be used in treatment.

suggested topics for panel discussion

Suggested topics for Panel Discussion (in my class)
THEMES: Social issues, Social media, Sports, Hobbies and interests, Financial matters, Consumerism

Students' participation in sports should be made as one of the criteria for entry into universities. What do you think of this requirement? Discuss

Males are able to gossip more than females. Agree or disagree?

Teenage girls are hardworking than boys. Discuss.

Teenagers should not be allowed to use credit cards. Discuss.

Peer pressure in high school or college helps students to learn better in academics. Discuss.

Smartphones should be switched off during lecture time. Agree or disagree?

Students need to exercise more and sit lesser during school days. Agree or disagree?

Hobbies can be used to make money. Discuss.

How to save money while travelling? Discuss

Live a purpose-driven life by embracing your hobbies and interests. Discuss.

Awesome hobbies that you should consider trying. Discuss.

Internet side-hustles among college students can distract them from their studies. Discuss.

Media should promote certain beauty standard so that we will groom ourselves. Discuss.

Students should not study something that they are not interested in. Discuss.

The impact of K-pop stars' beauty on teenagers' self-esteem and body image. Discuss.

Keeping a close eye on personal finance is the key in achieving a better life in future. Discuss. 

Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Wechat, Snapchat, Instagram, etc) has destroyed face-to-face communication skills. Discuss.

Table manners are no longer practised by the teenagers nowadays. Discuss.

Advertisements affect the vulnerable human psychology and make consumers buy unnecessary things.

Why some people hate sports? Discuss.

How to spread happiness? Discuss.

All women should learn martial arts. Discuss.

Consumerism has caused a shift away from values of contentment, integrity  and community.to competitiveness, materialism and disconnection. 

Green consumerism is not popular among the low-income households in Malaysia. Discuss.

People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more money and what money can buy. What is your opinion on being materialistic? (MUET Writing question - YEAR END 2008)

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the cause of today's many social ills. What is your opinion? (MUET Writing question - MID YEAR 2009)

People commit crime for selfish reasons. Discuss.(MUET Writing question - YEAR END 2009)

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Agree or disagree? (MUET Writing question - MID YEAR 2011)

A person's career choice should be determined by his or her interest. Discuss. (MUET writing question - YEAR END 2011)

Women make better leaders than men. Do you agree? (MUET writing question - NOVEMBER 2012)

Everyone should aim to become a millionaire by the age of 35. Discuss. (MUET writing question JULY 2013)

"The imbalance between the number of boys and girls pursuing university education creates social problems." To what extent is this statement true? Discuss. (MUET Writing question - JULY 2014)


Hope these suggested topics could be helpful for those who still don't have any ideas on what to. You need to embark on your project asap.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Reference for my dear two-year-programme students (Session 2018-19)


The typical panel consists of seven elements:

1. Welcome (Moderator welcomes the panelists and audience)
2. Panelist introductions (Moderator introduces the panelists)
3. Panelist initial comments (Panelists give some initial comments about the topic discussed)
4. Moderator pose questions to the panelists
5. Questions from the audience directed to panelist(s) (not included in the six minutes - time for panel discussion)
6. Summary (Moderator summarizes the discussion)
7. Thank you (Moderator expresses thanks to the panelists and audience)

Adapted from: https://powerfulpanels.com/panel-discussion-formats/

If you want to perform well in this activity, you need to plan well and allow room for fortuitous improvisation. Practise more to make the discussion interesting, engaging and looking effortless to audience.

PREPARATION FOR PANEL DISCUSSION

• Choose a theme and then narrow down a topic (e.g. Theme: financial matters; Topic: Why celebrities should have side hustles?) Create a catchy title for this activity and make sure the topic is trendy and fun.
• Choose a moderator with a backbone. He or she must be able to control the discussion. The moderator should be able to give response or react to funny, provocative or interesting stories that will make for a fun discussion.
• Choose 3 or 4 panelists and not more than that for this classroom activity. Too many panelists will negatively affect timing and the liveliness of the discussion. Panelists whom you want to role play must have good resumes or LinkedIn profiles (e.g. Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Dr. Soo Wincci, Henry Golding) and of course, make sure they are relevant candidates to discuss about the topic you have selected.
• Conduct research on your pertinent topic through reading articles or newspaper (e.g. www.thestar.com.my, www.wikihow.com, www.nst.com.my, www.pinterest.com) and watching news or videos (e.g. ed.ted.com, Youtube). Take good notes and discover interesting stories. You may also contribute riffs or opinions in your discussion.
• Rehearse beforehand. During rehearsal time, moderator can practise asking questions in a directed way to bring out interesting stories and remind the panelists of the stories or topics they can speak about. Meanwhile, panelists can practise delivering their ideas intelligibly and effectively. Take it as a speaking practice. There should be some spontaneity, but having a good handle on some interesting questions and topics in advance is key.
• Structure the discussion to be more like a conversation. It should not be a series of presentations, but instead a lively discussion among experts sharing their thoughts and opinions.
• Develop a final list of questions for the actual panel discussion and make sure you have answers/responses for all the questions.
• Try not to have two or more panelists speaking at the same time. Use turn-taking strategies (refer to: https://busyteacher.org/20571-7-turn-taking-strategies-boost-student-speaking.html)

WARNING: DO NOT READ FROM YOUR NOTES AS MARKS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR SPEAKING NOT READING!

Setting up for panel discussion in class 

• Try to avoid using slides for the discussion. Slides are for presentations, not discussions. If you really need those slides, you may show one or two.
• Don't put panelists behind a table. It adds a formality and distance that prevents interaction with each other and the audience. Panel can be on the same level as the audience in the class.
• Arrange the panelists' sitting in a slight semi-circle so that they can see each other and the audience. Moderator may sit in the middle or at the side.

ALL THE BEST! Hope you do well.

MUET speaking _TASK B_Group Discussion

To all my students who are going to sit for MUET speaking

My S114 PST students

Here are some tips for group discussion:

1. Remember to start with a clean slate.

1.1 For e.g. Candidate C who kick-starts the conversation should not say that he/she agrees with Candidate A's point of views (POV) because in Task B Candidate A might change his/her POV

2. It is a discussion and thus not another round of individual presentation.

2.1 So, please use language forms and functions. Examples

To ask for opinion: “What do you think, Candidate D?”

To interrupt: “Excuse me, I would like to interrupt”

To disagree: “I don’t see eye to eye with you”

To ask to repeat information: “Can you please repeat your points?”

To seek for clarifications: “Do you mean…?”

3. Dead air is not good in group discussion. Dead air means there is a complete silence. If everyone agrees on one point and has no more supporting points to share, perhaps one candidate can lead the group members to talk about other points.
    3.1 Example:

          Question: Discuss ways to overcome tiredness. 
When everyone has agreed and shared all opinions on one point which is “having a good night sleep and rest” will be the best way to overcome tiredness. Therefore, nothing else to talk about this particular point but you still have time to discuss. So, one of the Candidates can lead the group members to talk about another point.

“I think we shall not overlook another point which is ‘having healthy eating habits’ to overcome tiredness. Research has found that numerous vitamins and minerals deficiencies can contribute to fatigue. Lack of vitamin B12 may cause tiredness and if untreated for a long period can lead to brain damage. Do you see eye to eye with me Candidate B?” (Share some supporting points, then pass the turn to another candidate)

4. When your brain goes blank due to anxiety, it can interrupt your ability to perform. So, when it comes to your turn to speak, you can ask the earlier candidate (before you) to repeat his/her information.

        4.1 Example: Can you please repeat your points?

         CAUTION: You cannot do it many times as you need to give           contributions to the discussion. Perhaps you can use it once             or twice.

5. You can help your friends audibly. You don’t have to whisper to your friends.

       5.1 Example: Suggest some words to a candidate who is groping                            for the right words, “Do you want to say ‘occur’”?

       5.2 Example: A candidate giving points that are not clear but you                          could understand him/her. You can help to clarify,                             “You mean ..., am I right?”

       5.2 Example: If your friend's stand or point of views are not clear, you may seek for clarifications

Candidate A: Having a positive attitude can make you happier because positivity may … What do you think Candidate C?

Candidate C: I disagree with you Candidate A, because I believe being grateful will make people happy. When you are grateful, you will be content…Candidate D, would you like to share your ideas? 
Candidate D: I believe that positive attitude can help us to think about good things about ourselves and other people...

Candidate B: So, Candidate D, do you mean that you agree with candidate A but disagree with Candidate C?

6. You know your friends/group members. So, before you go for speaking test, decide who is going to kick-start and who is going to conclude the discussion (two different candidates). Don’t decide on the spot by giving signals to friends. Get a weaker candidate to initiate the discussion and another weaker candidate to conclude. So, a dominant speaker will not conquer the entire discussion.

7. If you notice your group discussion is going off at a tangent, you can lead your group members to the right track. 
    7.1 Example:

          Question: Discuss television programmes that are useful in                               our daily lives.

 Candidate A: Television programmes for travelling can help us to learn more about other countries... and thus it is useful for our daily lives.

Candidate C: Yes, definitely. Travelling to overseas can help to widen our knowledge...* going off at a tangent

Candidate D: I agree with you. Paris is a good place to travel… *going off at a tangent

Candidate B: I think we should answer the question of why travelling is the most useful television programmes for our daily lives. I concur that incorporating travel inspiration into everyday life … (trying to lead group members to the right track)

8. Disagree or agree or partially agree

      8.1 Many candidates state that they AGREE with other                          candidates’ point of views BUT actually their points are                    showing otherwise.

         e.g. “I agree but…” X

        So, please BE CLEAR with your stand whether you agree or            disagree! If you partially agree then you have to explain to                which extent.

9. If you are afraid that you may not have much to discuss in Task B, you may disagree with each other’s point of views to a certain amount of time and subsequently choose the strongest/ stronger point(s) to agree with. But don’t agree abruptly in the end. Make sure you agree with some supporting points given.

10. At the end of a discussion, you may get consensus or 2vs2 or   3vs1 or each adamant with their own points. Don’t worry   because any of it can be your conclusion. For example “To   wrap it up, we could not get consensus in the end of the         discussion whereby…”

11. Don’t set alarm on your smartwatch to time yourself or group     discussion. It would be annoying.

12. Don’t show your bad habits. For example, shaking legs,                spinning a pencil around your fingers, etc.

13. Don’t lose your composure.

You need to be tactful and quick-witted in a discussion.
Dear students who are going to sit for MUET speaking tomorrow,
I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best! Break a leg!

PS, If I had shared the tips verbally with you in class, but I missed it here, please help to remind me. 

Q1: REPORT WRITING - MUET NOV 2016

Q1: REPORT WRITING - MUET NOV 2016

There are various ways of writing the same OVs, As and Ss. You may share your thoughts as these are just suggested answers and they are not final.

I think this question can be either market share influenced profiles or market share influenced by profiles. However, YOU MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR STAND choose either one between: market share influenced profiles or market share influenced by profiles in your whole report writing.

*You can try to memorise the sentence structures if you are weak in English. Caution: You shall not memorise the sentence structures unless you are a Band 1 or Band 2 candidate.

Market Share and Profile of Four Hypermarkets in Malaysia

            The visuals illustrate the market share of four hypermarkets (2008-2014) and their profiles in 2008 and 2014. Generally, number of stores and workers influenced the market share of the four hypermarkets in 2008 and 2014.

            The market share of Super was the least (16%) in 2008 and 2014 (15%) because it had the lowest number of stores and workers, 6 and 150 in 2008, and 5 and 140 in 2014 respectively. Meanwhile, Prosper’s market share rose from 31% (the highest) in 2008 to its peak (40%) in 2014 due to increasing number of stores and workers from 35 to 75 stores and 1000 to 2000 respectively. However, Premium Hypermarket had a reduction in the number of stores from 10 to 9 and workers from 250 to 220 in 2008 and 2014 respectively. So, it resulted a decrease of its market share from 25% (2008) to 17% (2014). In 2008 and 2014, Mighty Hypermarket had the same number of workers (1000 respectively) and almost the same number of stores (32 and 33 respectively). Therefore, its market share in 2014 was the same as 2008 (28% respectively)

In conclusion, the market shares of the four hypermarkets were influenced by their profiles in 2008 and 2014.

(203 words)

Market Share and Profile of Four Hypermarkets in Malaysia

Figure 1 shows the market share of four hypermarkets (2008-2014) while Table 1 displays their profiles in 2008 and 2014. Generally, the market shares of the four hypermarkets affected the number of stores and workers in 2008 and 2014.

       In 2008 and 2014, Prosper’s stores rose from 35 to 75 and the workers employed doubled from 1000 to 2000 because its market share increased from 31% (its highest) to 40% (the peak) respectively. Conversely, a reduction of Premium's workers from 250 to 220 and stores from 10 to 9 in 2008 and 2014 respectively was due to a drop of 8% in its market share (from 25% to 17%). Since Mighty's market share remained unchanged at 28% in 2018 and 2014, it had the same number of workers in 2008 and 2014 (1000 respectively) and a slight increase of stores from 32 (2008) to 33 (2014). Super Hypermarket had the least market share in 2008 (16%) and 2014 (15%). Thus it had the least number of stores and workers, 6 and 150 in 2008 and 5 and 140 in 2014 respectively. 

In conclusion, the profiles of the four hypermarkets were influenced by their market shares in 2008 and 2014.

(199 words)

Question 1: Report Writing - Mid Year 2009

REPORT WRITING

There are various ways of writing the same OVs, As and Ss. You may share your thoughts as these are just suggested answers and they are not final.

MID YEAR 2009

Study the following charts. Using only the information given, write about Southern Book Store’s annual sales of reading materials. In your writing, you are to link the data presented in both charts. You should write 150 to 200 words.

Southern Book Store’s annual sales of reading materials

                The graphs show annual sales of Southern Book Store (2005-2007) and sales of reading materials in 2007. Generally, the trend depicts the increase in annual sales in 2007 corresponds with the growth in sales.

In 2005, sales remained constant at 2000 copies per month but in 2006 sales fluctuated between 3500 and 5500 copies. In 2007, the number of copies dipped 1000 copies from January (3000) to March (2000) because of the lowest sales of reading materials (best sellers, textbooks, workbooks, magazines) at about 7500. Best seller shot up to the highest sales at 14000 copies between 3^rd and 4^th quarter of 2007 respectively. Therefore, it had contributed largely to the total annual sales for Southern Book Store as the sales rocketed to 8000 in August and then plateaued at 8000 copies until December. In the 3^rd and 4^th quarter of 2007, the second largest of sales in reading materials was textbook (5000 and 7000 copies respectively) and thus it would be the second largest contributor of the annual sales from August to December.

In conclusion, best seller contributed significantly to the annual sales of Southern Book Store in 2007.

(190 words)