Saturday, April 16, 2011

Reflection on Learning

During the first class, Brad told us that he promised himself never to be a boring teacher. At that moment, I knew that this module is going to be the most interesting one I will ever take in NUS. Lectures that I have attended in NUS are often boring and sleep-inducing. Even tutorials that require class participation were not half as interesting as ES2007S.

Most students talk in class for the sake of scoring marks for class participation and tutors cannot even remember their students' names such that students need to have a name tag on the table. How is this effective in achieving active interaction in class?

I really appreciate Brad's efforts in remembering all our names, which makes me feel a strong sense of belonging in this class. I speak up in class because I feel strongly for the comments that I want to make and not just for the participation marks. I made more friends in this class than in any other classes I took in NUS for the three good years that I'm here.

Not only were the interactions substantial in this class, the interpersonal and nonverbal communication skills we learnt is definitely useful in our everyday lives and the proposal writing and presentation techniques will be of use to some of us in the time to come when we enter the working world. The resume writing and interview techniques will also come in handy for those who are graduating after this semester and for the others in the future.

ES2007S has equipped me with what I believe to be the most practical skills that I have gained in my entire university life. I strongly encourage all students to take this module and I believe they will be as satisfied with it as I am.

Lastly, I would like to thank Brad for being such an inspiring and encouraging teacher, as well as everyone from Group 10 for making this module such an enjoyable one for me. Let's cherish the friendship and keep in touch in the future! :D

12 comments:

  1. Hi HT,

    I must agree with you that this is the most pratical module I have taken, with the best teacher and the best classmates!

    All the best for your career and life ahead!
    Keep in touch!

    Susan Song HT:)

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  2. Hi Hwee Teng!

    I'm glad to hear that you have had a positive learning experience taking ES2007S! I totally agree with you on the fact that Brad took the effort to remember each and every one of us. In contrast, on of my other tutors in this semester has a name and face list and still cannot remember anyone in his class, how sad is that?

    All the best in the FINAL exams!

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  3. Dear (Secretary) Hwee Teng,

    Its been a fun-filled 13 weeks in Es2007s, and I'm glad that you were in the class to share it with each and every one of us. Having you and Stella in my project group have been a real blessing, since you make the most incredible presentations! Really appreciate all the effort you put into the project =).

    Anyway, good luck for your (literally) final exams, and I'm sure that you'll succeed in your working life too!

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  4. Thank you....what's your name again?...uh...oh yeah...Hwee Teng (hehehehe), for the detailed reflection and all the applause. I really do appreciate it. As your other posts, this one is clear and concise. It's also focused on an important topic, one that is shocking for me as you mention that very often students are not recognized by their tutors, which makes me wonder about "education."

    It's very satisfying to hear from you and our colleagues in ES2007S that the nature of the interactions helped to facilitate a strong sense of bonding in the class. We certainly witnessed that as teams came together and dramatically presented the final OP, and as we partied on the last day. of course, I see it in the blogs as well and even on Facebook.

    Thank you for sharing so openly throughout the term, with regard to questions and comments. Your effort and your smile have been infectious, giving support to others and providing me with a sense that we were proceeding in the right direction, after all.

    All the best, too, in your future!

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  5. Hii Hwee Teng!

    Totally agree with you that this is the most interesting module ever taken in NUS! The interactions we had in the class were never forced and that really made us learn.

    It was really awesome to get to know you and of course peer teaching will not be made possible without you!! All the best for your exams and your future career! :D

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  7. Oh dear, the stereotypes of secretaries being females these days are so terrible. First we had Greg and secretary Vanessa, now we have Jake and secretary Hwee Teng. Lol! I'm sure Cynthia was secretary in Luqman's group, while Chuan Ting was the fierce secretary in Wellen's group. How stereotypical is that? OMG!

    That is seriously very unhealthy to our beloved feminine gender, to think they only contribute best as secretaries! Haha!

    After the Monica Lewinsky incident, the tag of secretary these days contain innuendo and filthy insinuations, so it is better for guys to be secretaries instead, or even if girls are secretaries, they should be made undercover, out of notice, out of mind, out of protecting their dignity, self-respect, integrity, honor, as a woman!! Don't everybody agree?!


    Apart from all these foreboding stuff, Hwee Teng, you were glad to have made more friends in ES2007s than in any other classes combined, and I'm glad to be one of them! Haha! I can be of good confidance at any hour, to you Hwee Teng! Haha! You are so welcome!

    With all the skills you mentioned you learned, it's still not enough, Hwee Teng, cuz applying in the classroom and applying in the hectic, real world is completely different. If you were nervous during class, you will get a heart-attack in the unforgiving real world! ES2007s was only a BASIC course to learn BASIC skills for coping and managing in communication activities, it is by no means the end of all, or be of all! You would be proud I can be this honest with you about the skills you have learnt in ES2007s, including those bottom-of-my-heart comments on your presentation, which really applies to every single person in ES2007s and beyond, within Singapore.

    Other than that, we did great work for peer teaching, thanks to the trio of us Zoe, yourself and myself, you should be proud of your achievements and teammates I suppose.

    Finally, don't forget to send me a one-page book review after you finished reading that gorilla book of yours! Haha! Or have you finished reading it already, if you have, you can also share your one-page review on the facebook page.


    To all these, Hwee Teng, let us start you on life's journey!


    Besitos
    Que tu con las felicidades para todos los trabajos, y tienes muchas alegrias y paciencias para situaciones de dificil y dolorosa. Despues, que usted encontrara el amor con tu principe un dia de verano. Muchas gracias companero, te extranare!

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  8. Thanks to all for commenting!

    By the way, Mark, we decided on the positions by drawing lots.

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  9. EH MARK! I NEED TO PROTEST!!! I am not fierce! If you don't believe, you can ask Wellens and Zoe! Moreover, we didnt have a clear role of secretary. We merely took turns.

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  10. Hi KHT!

    Firstly, I would like to thank you for dragging me to take this module! I really enjoyed this module more than any other module that I have taken in NUS. I am also glad that I am not in the same group as you for any projects as this allowed us to move out of our comfort zone and get to know more friends.

    Great job and all the best! :D

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  11. Ok Hwee Teng, sure thing!

    Hey CHuan Ting, I said fierce, because I simply like fierce girls much more than not so fierce ones!!!

    Cheers to Chuan Ting!

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  12. Hey Hwee Teng,

    Sorry for the late comment. I just finished one paper this morning(!).

    I couldn't agree more that students enrolled in other modules simply talk for class participation marks. That makes all the interaction somewhat fake.

    As for tutors, I had one this semester who promised to memorise our names at the start of the semester, only to remember mine in Week 11, after my presentation mate introduced me. How do I know? She only called out my name once before Week 11, and that's when she made that promise.

    Just as you have, I have also enjoyed the class interactions throughout the semester!

    Cheers!

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