I wrote about Che Husna Azhari for my research paper. She is one of the creative writers in Malaysia among others like Karim Raslan, Ali Majod, Rehman Rashid, Saleh Ben Joned and so on. Her masterpieces are very impressive and equals if we compared to the famous female writers in this world such as Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Kate Chopin and etcetera. Most of her literary works were based from her personal background experiences from her state; Kelantan. She has written many short stories and poems that were mostly related to Kelantan’s background. Some of her famous literary works that I know are short story entitledMariah, Pak De Samad’s Cinema, Of Bunga Telur and Bally Shoes and so many more. She also had published her first English anthology entitled ‘An Anthology of Kelantan Tales’ in 1992. This anthology is about the Kelantan tales and the latest anthology that she had written is ‘An English Sojourn’. Based from my research on Che Husna Azhari’s works, I found that her literary works contain many implications for our education system and also for the teaching field. She is a very thoughtful person as the issues that she is trying to pull out here in her works are so much related to be seen by us. From her works, the students could be encouraged to read literature. Because of this, they could be the aesthetic readers. They will not only read literature as to fulfill their teachers’ requirement, but also to find pleasure in reading the literary texts. Her works also full of humors and jokes which I think it is very suitable for the students to read at any time. Besides, Che Husna Azhari’s work also can promote the culture awareness among the students. Many of her literary works are closed to our Malaysian context, which will make the students to understand her works easier. Moreover, the issues that she is trying to say in her literary texts are current and very recent. Students could look at the moral values found in the texts and can apply them in their lives.
Let's Talk About It: Building Language and Literacy Skills
Bilingualism In today's world, speaking more than one language is a definite asset. At the same time, in order to get along in our society, children must be able to speak, read, and write English well. But speaking English doesn't mean children have to give up speaking their first language. There is no finer way to honor children's ethnic or cultural background than by welcoming and encouraging the use of their home language or dialect in other settings, including preschool.
Gaining a sense of belonging at school helps children become good learners. Even when teachers don't speak your child's language, you can help them to learn a few essential words or phrases, beginning with the correct pronunciation of your child's name and your family's names. Help teachers learn about your family's culture and heritage. Share songs and stories in your native language as well as cultural customs.
Emergent Literacy Gaining literacy-the ability to read and write with ease-is an essential part of language learning. To achieve literacy, children must first acquire many basic concepts and strategies, including an awareness of the sounds that make up language, an ability to rhyme syllables and words, and a familiarity with print materials. By playing language games with your children (asking them to make rhymes or to think of words that begin with the same sound), you can help them get ready to read.
One of the most important things you can do to foster children's literacy skills is to read aloud to them every day and to encourage other caregivers and teachers to do the same. Chat about the story as you read together, bearing in mind that the talk surrounding the story is as important as the story. As children turn the pages, ask them to point to things that interest them. When they pretend to read, children are making progress toward reading.
Provide young children with plenty of opportunities to experiment with writing, including scribbling and drawing, but resist the impulse to pressure them to write correctly. You can also write down children's own stories and help them dictate and decorate letters to other children or adults. You can also encourage kids to add written materials, such as signs, phone books, or menus, to their pretend play.
Find more tips on encouraging your child's emerging literacy.
Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in schools and Early Years settings
Implications for Special Education on Teaching Math
What Teachers Need to Be More Effective
An important key to improving math education in the United States is improving the mathematical skills of teachers through professional development, Ball asserted. A person can hardly teach others a topic they do not understand well themselves.
“It’s worth doing some math practice themselves before teaching,” she noted. Teachers of math need knowledge of the math curriculum plus several additional layers of knowledge, including common content knowledge, specialized content knowledge, knowledge of content and students, and knowledge of content and teaching and curriculum. They need both subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.
Ball concluded that content knowledge is crucial to teaching effectiveness, and the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching is both specialized and more than the common content knowledge known by any well educated adult. She said it is possible and important to assess this kind of content knowledge in mathematics.
Ball says that to understand the role of content knowledge in student performance, we must measure teachers’ content knowledge. Doing so would also provide useful information for designing professional development opportunities for teachers to expand their content knowledge as well as facilitate the evaluation of professional development and teacher education outcomes.
Strategies to Help Students
Of particular interest to Ball was the importance of fractions in elementary students’ learning. She demonstrated some of the kinds of work with fractions students are capable of doing and discussed the level of mathematical knowledge teachers must have.
Ball said teachers need to be able to use multiple types of representations for fractions and be able to help their students see how they are similar and how they connect. Different types of representations can help students understand different aspects of fractions. For example, a number line can help pupils understand pi. Visual tools such as three colored boxes within a group of four boxes to represent 3/4 or fraction points marked on a ruler can help students visualize and comprehend fractions.
Teachers should also examine textbook math definitions and restate them in multiple ways to ensure the concepts make sense to all of their students.
Additionally, teachers need to understand and be able to explain to their students why mathematical rules work the way they do, for instance, why we obtain an accurate answer when multiplying two numbers with decimals by moving the decimal point.
Students also need to learn to “talk mathematically,” Ball asserted. They need to be able to describe and explain math to justify their answers. Helping students learn to do this may require quite a bit of effort by the teacher, but it is especially crucial for learners with exceptionalities.
“Teachers need to have a lot of flexibility to see things not only from their own perspective, but also from the perspectives of various students – especially when helping students who are struggling,” Ball said. “They need to be able to access a number of pedagogical techniques.”
Read the Math Panel’s full report here: http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/MathPanelFinalReport.pdf
Find more information about Ball and her work here: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dball/
A long time ago, in the cold September of 1962, there was a Steven's co-op at this very university. That co-op had a kitchen with a ceiling that had been cleaned by student volunteers every decade or so. Picture a college girl named Gloria, climbing up high on a ladder, struggling to clean that filthy ceiling. Standing on the floor, a young boarder named Carl was admiring the view. And that's how they met. They were my parents, so I suppose you could say I'm a direct result of that kitchen chemistry experiment, right here at Michigan. My Mom is here with us today, and we should probably go find the spot and put a plaque up on the ceiling that says: "Thanks Mom and Dad!"
Everyone in my family went to school here at Michigan: me, my brother, my Mom and Dad -- all of us. My Dad actually got the quantity discount: all three and a half of his degrees are from here. His Ph.D. was in Communication Science because they thought Computers were just a passing fad. He earned it 44 years ago. He and Mom made a big sacrifice for that. They argued at times over pennies, while raising my newborn brother. Mom typed my Dad's dissertation by hand. This velvet hood I'm wearing, this was my Dad's. And this diploma, just like the one you're are about to get, that was my Dad's. And my underwear, that was... oh never mind.
My father's father worked in the Chevy plant in Flint, Michigan. He was an assembly line worker. He drove his two children here to Ann Arbor, and told them: That is where you're going to go to college. Both his kids did graduate from Michigan. That was the American dream. His daughter, Beverly, is with us today. My Grandpa used to carry an "Alley Oop" hammer -- a heavy iron pipe with a hunk of lead melted on the end. The workers made them during the sit-down strikes to protect themselves. When I was growing up, we used that hammer whenever we needed to pound a stake or something into the ground. It is wonderful that most people don't need to carry a heavy blunt object for protection anymore. But just in case, I have it here.
My Dad became a professor at uh... Michigan State, and I was an incredibly lucky boy. A professor's life is pretty flexible, and he was able to spend oodles of time raising me. Could there be a better upbringing than university brat?
What I'm trying to tell you is that this is WAY more than just a homecoming for me. It's not easy for me to express how proud I am to be here, with my Mom, my brother and my wife Lucy, and with all of you, at this amazing institution that is responsible for my very existence. I am thrilled for all of you, and I'm thrilled for your families and friends, as all of us join the great, big Michigan family I feel I've been a part of all of my life.
What I'm also trying to tell you is that I know exactly what it feels like to be sitting in your seat, listening to some old gasbag give a long-winded commencement speech. Don't worry. I'll be brief.
I have a story about following dreams. Or maybe more accurately, it's a story about finding a path to make those dreams real.
You know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night with a vivid dream? And you know how, if you don't have a pencil and pad by the bed to write it down, it will be completely gone the next morning?
Well, I had one of those dreams when I was 23. When I suddenly woke up, I was thinking: what if we could download the whole web, and just keep the links and... I grabbed a pen and started writing! Sometimes it is important to wake up and stop dreaming. I spent the middle of that night scribbling out the details and convincing myself it would work. Soon after, I told my advisor, Terry Winograd, it would take a couple of weeks to download the web -- he nodded knowingly, fully aware it would take much longer but wise enough to not tell me. The optimism of youth is often underrated! Amazingly, I had no thought of building a search engine. The idea wasn't even on the radar. But, much later we happened upon a better way of ranking webpages to make a really great search engine, and Google was born. When a really great dream shows up, grab it!
When I was here at Michigan, I had actually been taught how to make dreams real! I know it sounds funny, but that is what I learned in a summer camp converted into a training program called Leadershape. Their slogan is to have a "healthy disregard for the impossible". That program encouraged me to pursue a crazy idea at the time: I wanted to build a personal rapid transit system on campus to replace the buses. It was a futuristic way of solving our transportation problem. I still think a lot about transportation -- you never loose a dream, it just incubates as a hobby. Many things that people labor hard to do now, like cooking, cleaning, and driving will require much less human time in the future. That is, if we "have a healthy disregard for the impossible" and actually build new solutions.
I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name. They all travel as if they are pack dogs and stick to each other like glue. The best people want to work the big challenges. That is what happened with Google. Our mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. How can that not get you excited? But we almost didn't start Google because my co-founder Sergey and I were too worried about dropping out of our Ph.D. program. You are probably on the right track if you feel like a sidewalk worm during a rainstorm! That is about how we felt after we maxed out three credit cards buying hard disks off the back of a truck. That was the first hardware for Google. Parents and friends: more credit cards always help. What is the one sentence summary of how you change the world? Always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting!
As a Ph.D. student, I actually had three projects I wanted to work on. Thank goodness my advisor said, "why don't you work on the web for a while". He gave me some seriously good advice because the web was really growing with people and activity, even in 1995! Technology and especially the internet can really help you be lazy. Lazy? What I mean is a group of three people can write software that millions can use and enjoy. Can three people answer the phone a million times a day? Find the leverage in the world, so you can be more lazy!
Overall, I know it seems like the world is crumbling out there, but it is actually a great time in your life to get a little crazy, follow your curiosity, and be ambitious about it. Don't give up on your dreams. The world needs you all!
So here's my final story:
On a day like today, you might feel exhilarated — like you've just been shot out of a cannon at the circus -- and even invincible. Don't ever forget that incredible feeling. But also: always remember that the moments we have with friends and family, the chances we have to do things that might make a big difference in the world, or even to make a small difference to someone you love — all those wonderful chances that life gives us, life also takes away. It can happen fast, and a whole lot sooner than you think.
In late March 1996, soon after I had moved to Stanford for grad school, my Dad had difficultly breathing and drove to the hospital. Two months later, he died. And that was it. I was completely devastated. Many years later, after a startup, after falling in love, and after so many of life's adventures, I found myself thinking about my Dad. Lucy and I were far away in a steaming hot village walking through narrow streets. There were wonderful friendly people everywhere, but it was a desperately poor place -- people used the bathroom inside and it flowed out into the open gutter and straight into the river. We touched a boy with a limp leg, the result of paralysis from polio. Lucy and I were in rural India -- one of the few places where Polio still exists. Polio is transmitted fecal to oral, usually through filthy water. Well, my Dad had Polio. He went on a trip to Tennessee in the first grade and caught it. He was hospitalized for two months and had to be transported by military DC-3 back home -- his first flight. My Dad wrote, "Then, I had to stay in bed for over a year, before I started back to school". That is actually a quote from his fifth grade autobiography. My Dad had difficulty breathing his whole life, and the complications of Polio are what took him from us too soon. He would have been very upset that Polio still persists even though we have a vaccine. He would have been equally upset that back in India we had polio virus on our shoes from walking through the contaminated gutters that spread the disease. We were spreading the virus with every footstep, right under beautiful kids playing everywhere. The world is on the verge of eliminating polio, with 328 people infected so far this year. Let's get it done soon. Perhaps one of you will do that.
My Dad was valedictorian of Flint Mandeville High School 1956 class of about 90 kids. I happened across his graduating speech recently, and it blew me away. 53 years ago at his graduation my Dad said: "...we are entering a changing world, one of automation and employment change where education is an economic necessity. We will have increased periods of time to do as we wish, as our work week and retirement age continue to decline. ... We shall take part in, or witness, developments in science, medicine, and industry that we can not dream of today. ... It is said that the future of any nation can be determined by the care and preparation given to its youth. If all the youths of America were as fortunate in securing an education as we have been, then the future of the United States would be even more bright than it is today."
If my Dad was alive today, the thing I think he would be most happy about is that Lucy and I have a baby in the hopper. I think he would have been annoyed that I hadn't gotten my Ph.D. yet (thanks, Michigan!). Dad was so full of insights, of excitement about new things, that to this day, I often wonder what he would think about some new development. If he were here today -- well, it would be one of the best days of his life. He'd be like a kid in a candy store. For a day, he'd be young again.
Many of us are fortunate enough to be here with family. Some of us have dear friends and family to go home to. And who knows, perhaps some of you, like Lucy and I, are dreaming about future families of your own. Just like me, your families brought you here, and you brought them here. Please keep them close and remember: they are what really matters in life.
Thanks, Mom; Thanks, Lucy. And thank you, all, very much.
Starting off, this isn’t strictly an iPhone app, but Pidoco’s software has been developed to be compatible with mobile browsers and the iPhone. I saw them demo the software at a recent UX Brighton event, and they impressed upon me that it was built with usability in mind. Pidoco offers a quick way to collaborate on the design of wire frames, and quickly show these to the user or client, without the need to be in the same geographic location as them. The easy to use nature of the system means it’d be ideal when iteratively testing an interface with users, and is a mid-fi alternative to paper prototyping. Currently offering a month’s free trial, there’s no excuse not to give it a go! Pidoco°’s website: https://pidoco.com/en/ 2. Mocha VNC
Need to mock up a mid-fi prototype of an iPhone App? You obviously don’t have time to make the app in Xcode, buy the iPhone developers license, link the customer’s phone to the computer and copy the app over. Instead, how about making a prototype on your Mac, or PC and using a VNC client to make the iPhone look at the prototype. The user will still be able to interact with the prototype by clicking, or navigating around, and the ‘controller’ sat at the server can display the correct pages to the user. Easy mid-fi prototyping, on an iPhone, without the long set up costs and investments required to actually have the app running on the iPhone. Mocha VNC’s website: http://www.mochasoft.dk/iphone_vnc.htm
3. Camera
Watching someone perform a task is an important part qualitative usability testing. What about those moments where you weren’t looking, or noticed something that you wanted to ask about later, but forgot about? Looks like you need to be recording your user tests. Camera comes with all iPhones, but is only available for video recording on the 3GS. Since you are always likely to have your phone with you, it’s a handy mobile solution that allows you to record your usability sessions without requiring any additional equipment, so that they can be analysed later. Maybe buy a stand for it though! 4. exZact Data Collection
Quantitative research is also an important part of establishing user requirements, and working towards a design that meets their goals. The Data Collection iPhone app aims to allow you to create, and answer, custom surveys on the iPhone, collecting information like geographic location, and responses in a variety of forms (1-10 ratings, drop down lists, yes/no responses, and comment boxes). They then offer real time analysis, so you can see the results as they come in, and claim to be massively scalable. Offering a month’s free trial, it seems an effective solution if you require your data collection method to be mobile, and accessible anywhere. exZact’s website: http://www.iformbuilder.com 5. Insight – Basecamp on iPhone
You’ve seen from the diversity of the apps above that a usability specialist has to be experienced in a lot of areas, and its often hard to keep on top of these. A tool that I have found invaluable in project management is Basecamp, which allows you to collaborate on projects, assign tasks and see what everyone is up to. Insight is a mobile version of Basecamp, and will allow you to keep up to date with how everyone working with you on the usability project is progressing from one easy interface, and keep on top of projects. As a busy person, it’s likely to be an invaluable tool to any usability specialist or contractor! Insight’s website: http://www.encampapp.com/ Conclusion
Its clear from looking for the most useful usability apps for the iPhone that this is a largely untapped market – although there are tools available to help with the individual steps in the process, there is no one ‘go-to’ app for usability and UX professionals. What is needed is a more holistic solution, one that can work with a usability professional in every step of the process, from the initial requirement gathering stage, through building up personas of the customers, to the iterative design process and beyond. Until then we’ll have to make use of the wide range of apps covered today to achieve these tasks.
Another Fun Time in IFS
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Don’t quite know where the 12 days go, or how the students and I hang on,
but IFS 2019 wrapped up and I had a wonderful time learning about how to
measure ...
Science and Technology links (April 20th 2019)
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Early-career setback cause a performance improvement among those who
persevere. This is related to the observation that immigrants are four
times more like...
Bad Idea Fridays: Bring Your Own Entropy
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I travel quite a lot, and I’ve developed the habit of always texting myself
my hotel room number so I don’t forget it (unfortunately, I really do stay
in t...
Who was my favorite student this term?
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There was the one who refused to follow instructions and then peppered me
and the TA with panicked emails when he couldn't get things to work. There
was t...
Moving!
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Well, I started a new continuation of this neglected space over on tumblr.
Stop by and check it out! Here's the about page. I don't plan to remove
this blo...
Coaching Academics?
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A longtime reader and sometime correspondent of mine recently posed some
questions to share with FSP readers (if you are still out there). These
questions ...
Enbrel + Flu
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Since I started taking Enbrel, I've noticed that when I get sick, it hits
like a ton of bricks. This flu I had last week? Oh man, it was horrible.
With one...
Better but not BETTER
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So I finished chemo August 9th and started radiation in late August.
Radiation is much easier to handle than chemo but it is everyday. So I can
only work 5...
Update your RSS!
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So I"ve officially moved over to wordpress,
http://sciencemommy.wordpress.com. The new blog title is ScientistMother:
Raising Replicates. If I knew how to...
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell | Book Review
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Disclaimer: Thanks to the kind folks at S&S for providing me an advance
review copy. Description: Ellie was the middle child and the apple of her
mother’s ...
2015 Reading Summary
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I'm glad to say that I have completed all my reading challenges for 2015
successfully. I just wished I had more time to posts my review for all the
books I...
preloved corner.
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*7 items to let go.*
nichii short dress.
size : S
condition : worn a few times.
selling : RM35 including postage
edc sleeveless cardi.
(inner exclude)
si...
