2 VOLUNTARY TEACHERS NEEDED

Dear friends,

Here's a message from Dr Tan:

Dr Tan wants to know if there are any among our PKPG students keen to give some talks on motivation, maths and science to prepare students for UPSR. Venue is Jelutong, Penang and date is 5 June 08.
This is organized by Cik Reetha, a student of PPSK, USM fulfilling her
kerja luar pelajar rancangan kerja sosial. She needs 2 voluntary
teachers for the talks.

Pls let our friends know and contact Cik Reetha on 012 4727605 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to let her know whether there are or there are no takers. Thanks.

Regards,
Dr. Tan

CONVO 14-17 AUGUST

It's confirmed.
Our convocation is on 14 till 17 August 2008 (that's the week before the school holidays, folks).
I haven't got the exact date for us PKPG TESOLians.
How many will be graduating this August from our original class of 51?

Ok, anyone who can confirm the exact date of our convo please let me know, k.
I'm sure all of us are eager to graduate.
You may check this site fom time to time http://fax.reg.usm.my/konvo/default.asp

Happy holidays, everyone!

ACTION RESEARCH

Ok, Faizal..

Here's the suggested subsections for the action research in the write-up (based on the briefing):

• objective
• significance
• background
• research quest(s)
• lit.review
• research methodology
• data analysis
• discussion
• references
• appendices

Reflect only on your action research, eg the strengths and weaknesses of the project, effectiveness of treatment, your role, ect.

Dateline for submission of report is 6 JUNE 2008.

I guess you'll have to submit the report to your supervisor. Better that you call him/her for further instruction before you submit it at PPIP. Good luck everyone!

EXAM RESULTS ARE OUT

Our last semester's exam results are out, friends.
You can check by clicking here: http://registry.usm.my/reg/semgredyPM.asp
Congratulations to all who did well, and to those with less than satisfactory results.... well, we've done our best, right.
See you all on graduation day, God willing!

arrghhh!!! HXE302 is really the killer subject for most of us, no thanks to the addition of Pragmatics :(
Anyway, thanks Dr Rozi & Dr Fong for being so generous with the grades :)
You saved us!!!!

Psssstt.. Faizal & Meena, any more get-together before the graduation day?
By the way, I heard that it's on the 14-17th of August 2008.
Need to confirm. Can anyone help?

THE INCENTIVE DG29 TO DG41

MELAKA, 16 Mei (Bernama) — Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hari ini mengumumkan beberapa insentif untuk guru dalam usaha kerajaan memperkasakan profesion perguruan.
Perdana Menteri berkata bertepatan dengan gagasan kerajaan membangunkan modal insan dan bersesuaian dengan dasar pensiswazahan, kerajaan bersetuju untuk mengambil kira pengalaman mengajar guru semasa dalam skim bukan siswazah D.G.A 29 untuk pertimbangan kenaikan gred secara “time-based” setelah berada dalam skim siswazah iaitu dari D.G.41 kepada D.G.44.
“Kaedah yang akan digunakan ialah setiap tiga tahun pengalaman di Gred D.G.A.29 akan dikira sebagai satu tahun pengalaman di Gred D.G.41, tertakluk kepada had maksimum pengiraan sebanyak tiga tahun pengalaman D.G.41.
Insentif ini merupakan satu tambahan kepada keputusan kerajaan sebelum ini untuk memberikan satu hadiah kenaikan gaji,” katanya semasa merasmikan sambutan Hari Guru Peringkat Kebangsaan 2008 di sini Jumaat.

Pengumuman beliau disambut dengan tempukan gemuruh lebih 3,000 guru yang hadir. Yang turut hadir isteri Perdana Menteri Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein dan Ketua Menteri Melaka Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.
Abdullah berkata bersandarkan kepada asas-asas pertimbangan sama iaitu menggalakkan guru melanjutkan pelajaran, kerajaan bersetuju meluluskan cadangan supaya guru Gred D.G.41 yang berasal dari skim bukan siswazah dan memegang jawatan guru besar, dipertimbangkan untuk kenaikan pangkat ke Gred D.G.44 selepas tiga tahun berkhidmat sebagai guru besar pada Gred D.G.41.

Abdullah berkata bahawa setelah menambah kuota jawatan lebih 300 peratus dalam Skim Guru Cemerlang pada tahun 2006, dan untuk memastikan jawatan itu dapat dinikmati segera oleh guru, kerajaan bersetuju untuk menambah baik beberapa syarat bagi skim itu.
Pertama, bagi pengisian jawatan guru cemerlang D.G.A.32 dari gred asal D.G.A.29 dan jawatan guru cemerlang D.G.44 dari gred asal D.G.41, syarat tempoh kelayakan dipendekkan dari tujuh tahun kepada lima tahun pengalaman mengajar. Kedua, bagi pegawai yang telah dinaikkan pangkat guru cemerlang di sesuatu gred, boleh dipertimbangkan kenaikan pangkat ke gred selanjutnya tanpa perlu menunggu tempoh tiga tahun perkhidmatan dalam gred yang sedang disandang.

HOLD ON FRIENDS...

I found this at NUTP website: http://www.nutp.org/malay/index.html

Makluman:- terkini - 20.5.08
Jawapan pada soalan-soalan yang kerap ditanya oleh ahli

Kumpulan guru gred DGA29 diberi pertimbangan kenaikan pangkat secara Time-Based dari DG41 ke DG44.
Kaedahnya:
3 tahun pengalaman di PPPLD diberi 1 tahun pengalaman mengajar untuk tujuan diatas.Maksimum 3 tahun pengalaman diberi.
Contoh :
1. PPPLD 9 tahun
2. PPPLD 10 tahun
3. PPPLD 15 tahun } 3 tahun pengalaman mengajar diberi

That means if you have 3 years' teaching experience as a teacher in primary school, you'd be considered as having 1 year's experience as a DG41 teacher,
those with 10 years' services will be considered as a DG41 teacher with 3 years' experience. That means those who have more than 9 years' experiences as a PPPLD teacher just have to wait for 7 years to be eligible for DG44.

** THOSE WHO ARE NOT NUTP MEMBERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO GET THE INCENTIVES :P
(just kidding.. what are you waiting for? Grab the NUTP forms laaa so we can be a stronger union!! I know some of you PKPG Tesolians have not registered yourselves as a NUTP member, tsskkk tssskkk tssskkk)

KSCP

I really don't know what the conditions are for KSCP. All I'm told is that final year students need to make sure that they have enough units/credit hours(130 in our case) in order to graduate this August, God Willing.
So those who do get a 'lulus bersyarat' or*P in your final exam results please go and find out whether you need to resit for the paper or not, or whether you have to postpone your graduation till next year and resit for the paper in the new 2008/2009 semester.
There are those among the 50 of us who have a *P for HXE302, PPG315 and PET301. I'm not sure whether a *P for HXE302 is considered a pass, but I do know that it's our major paper so better go and confirm with Dr Salasiah.
Do confirm with the subject lecturers concerned. Then inform Dr Tan and PPIP if you need to postpone your studies due to this problem.
For further information, you may click on http://registry.usm.my/updr/DafkurKSCP.asp (thanks Meena)

Anyone who has confirmed with the School of Humanity or Dr Salasiah that a *P for HXE 302 does not require KSCP, please let us know. And give your identity please. Thank you :)

HAPPY TEACHERS' DAY

"I will not yell in class.
I will not nag.
I will not get mad.
I will smile and not frown.
I will be good today
Because I'm a teacher
and today is after all, the Teacher's Day."

Happy Teachers' Day to:
Aruna, Erin, Bimbala, Chai, Chik, Chua, Daniel, Dev, Effa, Ellice, Nani, Patsy, Mary, Ju, Kalas, Kas, Lew, Ping, Mahen, Faizal, Nor'in, Fizza, Norlin, Nana, Liz, Syida, Premani, Regie, Rema, Rohgini, Rosli, Roslina, Rozita, Rezz, Safiza, Wani, Mira, Sarala, Saras, Balkhish, Subha, Suguna, Suhana, Tan, Calvin, Wahida, Norehan, and Syarizad... especially to Meena! (sorry dear, unintentional.. your name was first but after I must had made a mistake during the cut and paste process. Thousand apologies)

Special appreciation goes to the lecturers who had taught us, tolerated us, and must have sighed in relief to see the last of us (hehehee):
Dr Tan Kok Eng, Dr Rozinah J., Dr Leong, Dr Munir, Pn. Norlida, Dr Salasiah, Dr Hashimah, Dr Mildred, Dr Mona, Dr Suzanna, Dr Jamaluddin, Dr Azlena, Dr Fong, Dr Wan Ahmad, Dr Rosafri, Dr Irfan, Dr Hashim, Dr Tang, Tn Hj Moghni, Dr Raja Rozinah, Dr Kabilan, Dr Aziah, Dr.Abd Ghani, , Cik Siti Hawa, Pn Fadzilah, En Zainudin, Dr Shakila, Dr Shahizan..

Also not forgetting those at IPTB:
Pn LaySee, Mr Genga, Mr. Mohd Raja, Mr Eng, Miss Quah, En Abd Latiff, Mr. Eswaran, En. Ismail, En. Mansor, Dr. Suharti, Dr Rohani, En.Khalil, Ms. Tan, En.Ishak..and Mr Chin (retired last year)

IF YOU HAVE A LULUS BERSYARAT

ATTENTION!!!!
This is important. Very very important.
If you or you know any of our friends who got a *P or lulus bersyarat in the Provisional exam results, PLEASE TAKE IMMMEDIATE ACTION>
Below is the e-mail Dr Tan sent to me this morning.

Dear Aliya,
Kindly send this information out to all the PKPG final year students.
If they have 'lulus bersyarat' they must take action. They must see the lecturer concerned. Then come to Makmal Komputer B, PPIP to register for the course (26-27 May 2008, 9am -4pm). KSCP exams are on 9-13 June 2008.
Lastly whatever they are not sure of they must find out. Otherwise they may not have enough units to graduate.
Thanks.
Dr. Tan

The papers that you might get a *P -
HXE302, PET301 and PPG315.
So please see Dr. Salasiah, Pn Norlida or Dr Leong if you are one of the unfortunate ones.
There are more than 10 who got 'lulus bersyarat' for HXE302, so please check your results (the link is available online just click on http://registry.usm.my/reg/semgredyPM.asp and key in your 'angka giliran' that starts with 264** or 265**.
Please check even when you are confident that you've answered well during the exam.
We want you to graduate with us.

Dear anonymous,
I am just passing Dr Tan's message to all PKPG final year students. Please check with the subject lecturer concerned if you got a 'lulus bersyarat' and you believe that you need not repeat the paper. We are all adults. We should know what's the right thing to do, right?

WHEN IS OUR CONVOCATION?

I've tried to check from the USM portal but still no news. Heard that it's in August 2008. Anyway do check this site occasionally to find out : http://fax.reg.usm.my/konvo/default.asp. Ours is USM's 38th Convocation.

By the way, the Provisional Semester 2 exam results is out. You may check to find out whether you've passed all the subjects taken by clicking on http://registry.usm.my/reg/semgredyPM.asp

I'll let you all know once I've got news about the confirmed date of our coming convocation.
If there's anyone staying in the campus hostels who's willing to find out for us, please do so and give me a message.
Thanks.

TO MARK OR NOT TO MARK

I'm sure most of us are wondering whether we should mark the mid-year exam answer scripts especially the English essays. They're not easy to mark, and when a single tick or cross can make a big difference between a student being the first in the class or the second best, it's better to make sure that we as trainee teachers (oh, we are, huhuhuu) are allowed to do so.

Anyway, I've contacted our guardian angel Dr Tan and here's what she said in her SMS:
" Should mark but ask for the marking scheme so that it is standardized with the other teachers' in the school."

Work smart, friends... ask the teachers and the principal about the school policy before you even put a red mark on the answer scripts. In my school for example, it's the school policy that only permanent teachers are allowed to mark the exam papers, to avoid parents' complaints.
So if I were you, I'd volunteer to help mark the objective papers so that the teachers can concentrate on just the essays or just keep quiet :)


P/s: Salute to the macho guys at Balik Pulau, I'm told that they have to set the questions for the Sivik exam papers :P

ASIACALL CONFERENCE

Boon Yew sent this:

AsiaCALL 2008
The Seventh International Conference ofThe Asia Association of Computer-Assisted Language Learning
hosted by:
The School of English, Institute of Social TechnologySuranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
21 to 23 November 2008

We anticipate papers, workshops, panel discussions and/or poster-sharing on a wide range of topics addressing technology issues as they affect the development of language acquisition, teaching, learning, and professional language communication in physical and virtual settings.

Format for Proposals
Abstracts relating to any of the above presentations should be of 300 words in length.
Please send the abstract, author information, affiliation and contact information as well as technology support needed to sabieh@yahoo. com [ sabieh (at) yahoo.com ]

The subject line for email should read:
ASIACALL 2008,

Abstract submission
Abstracts should be received on or before May 20th, 2008

Papers are to be planned for 30-minute presentations and 10-minute discussions.
Workshops are to be planned for 2 hours.
Panel Discussions, thread-based with four speakers, are planned for 1.5 hours where each speaker will have the floor for 15 minutes, and there will be a discussion of 30 minutes.
Full papers of the accepted abstracts are due August 20, 2008.
Format for papers: 3000 to 4000 words, APA-style referencing, 12pt font, Times New Roman
Accepted papers may be reviewed for selective publication in refereed Proceedings.

For more details about the conference program, registrations, and venues, please visit the ASIACALL website at http://asiacall. org
or contact Dr. Christine Sabieh at sabieh@yahoo. com[ sabieh (at) yahoo.com ]

Aliya, how about a column for announcements like this? - Boonyew

My dear 'Mamat', be free to send me any extra information about events like this other than the latest happenings in your own life :P
regards, your still-sane 'Srimona' :D

EXAM RESULTS OUT THIS MONTH...AYOYO !!!

Meena, thanks for alerting me about this.

Our latest exam results (arrghhh hopefully no need to repeat) will be out soon.
The Provisional (lulus/gagal) results is expected to be announced on 14 May 2008 while the official results (graded) will be out on the 27 May 2008.

You may find out either by:

a. calling 600-83-7899

b. SMS :
type USM(space)(no kad pengenalan)(comma)(angka giliran)
and send to 33221
(example: USM 700701075688, 12345)
Please change the ( ) sign into the "more that, less than" sign. I tried to use them but it seems Blogger doesnt accept them.

c. go to laman web kampus sejahtera
or registry usm.my

Good luck, everyone!

WE WANT THE DVD

This is a message from all of us, Faizal...
We want the DVD of the drama night.
Just tell us where and when to meet you.
Better pass the ori to me if you have problems making copies of it with your dealer.
I can ask my brother to do it for us for a token fee.
Meena has threatened to 'stranggle' you on graduation day if if if... [ hahahaaa, after I'm "finished"with you LOL ]

HURRAY FOR EXAMS

I love mid-year exams, especially this time around.
There'll be no lesson plan to write for two weeks.
No groupwork activities to plan for.
No worksheets to prepare.
No books to mark.
Just the action research to complete.
Just a pair of watchful eyes to catch exam cheaters.
Just a red pen to help the teachers mark the examination answer sheets for multiple choice questions.
Sorry I can't mark the subjective answers.
I'm just a teacher trainee :P

MESSAGE FROM BOON YEW

I copied this from the comment Boon Yew sent me :)

Ah Lew and Boon Yew have to change title liao. We felt that our title is not suitable for our classes.We were suppose to study on bad pronunciation of english in classroom in an intermediate class but now that both of us got super good classes, the title seemed a bit not too appropriate.So now we study into the use of crossword puzzle to enhance the learning of adjectives that will help student to write more creatively in creative writing.We have run the pre-test and going to run our post-test with remedy and then we're off to analyse our observations and generate reports for it.

On school, both of us have two super good classes each. I get Form4SA3 and 4SB1, while Shu Ren gets Form 4SA4 and 4SB3. These classes have students who speak good English and they read TheStar everyday, all of them. They come from different backgrounds. Some parents are super rich but some are hawkers and other ordinary wage eaners. But they have one thing in common, their children are in the same class, smart kids.So far, I've not been challenged intelligently by these super students yet. They are all too engrossed in and concentrating on their exam which starts on Tuesday. But after the term hoildays, both of us shall see some form of smart hostilities coming from them.

Hehehehehehe...Dr Tan has come to observed us both. Gave strong recommendations to us on our lesson plans :-D But generally, rather satisfied for the first observation. Oh, both of us will help one teacher to mark exam scipts later. She happens to be my ex-colleague when I was in Penang Free School.I never know that people will know me in that new environment. I was surprised when I found out that in fact, many English teachers in there actually know who I am!!!! Scary lar.... Oh, our senior, Teh, Ng Seng Huat's mate, is there with us. He's very supportive. Gave us guidance on many matters, especially on our action research. Thanks to him, really.I stop here now. I'll write when I have the time. Take care and enjoy yourselves. TATA!!!

Wahhhh, not fair, not fair!!! Both of you get two good classes to teach? Hey, somebody let the JPN Penang know that we've 2 super male teachers here, so they'd get the chance to serve where they're needed most - in B*l*k P*l*u, heheeheeee.... do update us about your research. It might be useful for us too :D.

REMEMBER ACTION RESEARCH

How is everyone coping?
Hope all the usm pkpg tesolians are fine, and not in the well yet, hehehee.
Just want to remind you that we have to do our action research now and hand in the final product in the 1st week of June. Not much time left, friends after the exams and holidays... so better hurry if you haven't started. I heard that Su & gang have finished theirs... really?
Please keep sending us your news so that we'd know what's happening to the others.
Good luck everyone.
All the best in all your undertakings.

S.O.S

Boon Yew said:

"Chik needs help! Does anyone have any cable in JPN Melaka? Chik has to be posted near to the Melaka GH for her medical needs. She wanted to go to Melaka last week to see the Pengarah or PPD or Penyelia Sek. Men. but couldn't make it coz we all can't get leave."

Please contact Chik, Boon or Aliya if you do know anyone who can help her. Thanks.

BALIK PULAU NEWS

Faizal said:

"Hi..we're okay actually. Living in Balik Pulau..hhmm, I can say that the life here is easy. Wake up at 6,then go to school and finish at 3.20! Traffic jam is not in our dictionary here in Balik Pulau.But the weather here is awfully HOT. By 10 p.m, the 'pekan' is already dead. Really miss USM's life where we can 'lepak' at mamak shop till early morning. Huhuhu....Last Saturday, Dr Leong visited us and maybe this week she'll come for observation. However, exam starts at 8 May for upper class and 12 May for lower class. The teachers here are very helpful but some are a bit belagak! Biasa la kan? We all get 5 periods for English, 2 for Sivik and another 2 for Komputer (ICT).So, I can say that our life here is not miserable as our friends in other school. "

Aliya..about the DVD, I hand it to you one day!-Faizal
P.s: Ok Faizal, I'll take ur word as a promise, hehehee.. just give me a call when you are back in your hometown BM :)

KENA LIAO

Shuren said:
"It seems that Dr Tan will pay us visits next week (5 till 9 May). She will make arrangement for the first and second observation to all the school she supposed to observe. She will only tell us the first observation but not the subsequent. However, there are always ways and means for us to "forecast" her visits. Can I urge for the attention of groups under her supervision (Chung Ling's, Sg. Nibong's and Wan Habsah's) to kindly post all your group time tables so that we can have an overall picture of her visits? The rest may do so to make our lifes less miserable! :-PRegards, shuren."

She drove her car into the school compound at 2.15pm today and I almost got a heart-attack when she just walked into the staff-room. After a short chat, she said that she'd return later in the evening to observe all 3 of us!!! Today!!! And she did; she'd actually returned and observed all 3 of us from 4.30pm until 6.30pm. Thank God we're prepared all the time.

Don't worry Shuren, our 'mother superior' definitely will be going to schools next week. We've informed her that all schools will be having the mid-year exams on the 12th May, hehehee.
And my, my... not a single smile during her class observations. Her comments?BOLEHHHHHH.. :))

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

By Taylor Mali
http://www.taylormali.com/

He says the problem with teachers is,
"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that (asked me to be honest) because, you see, I have a policy about honesty and ass-kicking: if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.
No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water? Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time, I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder, I make them question.
I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read. I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math. And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you give them this (the f*ng*r).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

HOW'S BALIK PULAU?

Ahhh... wonder how's the gang at Balik Pulau are doing... Faizal told me that they're renting a homestay house there. Must be fun, hahahaa.. We do need the input in case anyone should have the luck of being asked to teach there soon :P
By the way, Faizal if you are reading this, I still want the DVD! Do sms me when you are in the mainland.

FIRST WEEK AIYAYA..

HEre's what Regi & gang said:

ai... eveything is sucks!!!the teachers here thought we r freshies... so u know la... padahal we oredi guru tua liao le...We r teaching in morning session, so every morning we wake up at 5am... leave home at 6am. no jam so far... but very tiring lo. The school is busy wit sports day, exam, lawatan, teachers' day, meetings n etc...etc... So everyone is busy, busy... The students r very few... my form 2 class onli 14 students n almost everyday 5 will absent. So tinggal 9 students... hehe...I feel like teaching tuition classes... haha... All of us r fine... During free time we talk, we laugh, we eat, n etc...etc...

wahh.. kecian lohh 5am? hehehe.. I've done that during the final year, so now am enjoying my beauty sleep till 6.30am, tq vry much. But traffic jam on the bridge is bad specially when it rains. Finally managed to pluck up the courage to drive my Viva :P, so if u see a blue one with me inside do give way, hehehee.. Usually leave home by 11.50am, reach home by 8pm.. tiring oso laa.

The teachers in my school r ok, the students as usual..but canteen food quite lousy. All 3 of us are teaching only English subjects F1 & F2... each class 26-35 students. Exam's on the 12th may, so still got time to actually teach, hehehee. We hv the minggu anti-dadah this week, but we're not directly involved. Most of the time they leave us in peace, kikiki. One thing nice, the staff room's aircond & we got wireless, so can online when v use our laptops :D
Still waiting for Dr Tan. Anyone got visitations already?