Typing speed

55 words

Typing Speed Test

Task 2 - Analysis

Annex A

If you cannot view the elaboration, please click the following link:

www2.hci.edu.sg/y09hci0465/annex_a.doc

Steps in Analysis
	Point	Evidence	Elaboration
1.	Point of View Soldier who was horrified the carnage during the Iraq war	"dead and maimed right before our eyes" "terror I can’t define" "The only reason I survived that day was divine" "Dirty and tired and hungry and scared" "changed so many lives" "hell was so close to God" "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink" "Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell"	As the saying goes, expect the unexpected, however the poet probably thought that fighting a war is a patriotic and honourable service to his country. The massacre and brutality of the war has changed his perspectives so much that he gave up all hope on the war that he was fighting and willingly accepted death as the solution to all of his predicament.
2.	Situation and Setting Raid on enemy line	"Where we would land we had not a clue" "We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not"	The setting of the poem most probably a raid made by the poet and his comrades. They were carrying out combat operations in Afghanistan in December 2002, flying on a plane to a place they "had not a clue". Soldiers making a raid on enemy territory will definitely face resistance from the enemy, thus creating an external conflict whereby both sides try hard to eliminate the other side.
3	Language/ Diction	"LZ is hot" LZ = Landing Zone "Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies" "Who knew hell was so close to God" "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink"	Personification - Mountains could not kiss the skies, so the poet gives it a human quality of kissing the skies which meant it was towering by the use of personification. Irony - As what people believe, God represents justice, order and peace. However the poet states that Hell (which symbolises death) was so close to God, depicting on the huge number of people who died during the war. Metaphor and irony - Shows that war creates a fear but poet mentioned about "beautiful" and majestic mountains, which totally contradicts to the "ugly" truth about war.
4	Personal Response

Task 1 - Report on Conflict

Task 1 Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2. Be sure to include your references and credit your sources.


WHAT IS THE SITUATION?
What is the historical / social / psychological / emotional setting? What is happening at this setting? Is there an external or/and internal conflict? What is the nature of the conflict (ethnic, social, cultural, psychological, emotional, spiritual etc.)?
ANALYSIS: THE SITUATION & THE SETTING

How is tension created and how is the climax produced (through the use of contrasts, through incremental repetition of diction, through the variation or development of imagery, through question and answer etc.)? Is there a resolution to the conflict? What is significant about the way the conflict is created and resolved? What is the significance if there is no resolution of conflict? What are the fundamental causes of the conflict? What is the function of the setting: background for action/ antagonist/means of creating atmosphere/means of revealing character/means of reinforcing theme? How are the functions of the setting fulfilled in this poem?

We Slept With Our Boots On
They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your ****
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell
by Steve Carlsen

Background

Poet: Steve Carlsen
-born and lives in Dowagiac Michigan
-joined the United States Army in October 2000
-attended Infantry Basic Training and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia.
-reported to D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
-was in the 82nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina
-deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations
-carried out combat operations in Afghanistan in December 2002
-discharged from the Army in 2003

Introduction
The setting of the poem most probably a raid made by the poet and his comrades. They were carrying out combat operations in Afghanistan in December 2002, flying on a plane to a place they "had not a clue". Soldiers making a raid on enemy territory will definitely face resistance from the enemy, thus creating an external conflict whereby both sides try hard to eliminate the other side.

Conflict
There are two types of conflict in his poem - physical and psychological.

Firstly, as mentioned previously, the poet was fighting enemies on the front line to capture enemy territory. This inevitably leads to shooting and killing, which can be seen "Bullets are flying" and "I kept pulling the trigger", so the poem faces physical obstacles (enemies) which he has to shoot down.

Secondly, we can note that the poet was feeling rather nervous and scared, with his "heart pumping adrenalin through his veins". He even used expletives which emphasizes on how desperate he was on the battlefield, with "terror he can’t define". It is evident that he was horrified by the carnage caused by war, whereby "hell was so close to God".

Climax
The climax was created when the fighting had began in an abrupt manner, without warning the poet was told to aboard the plane and fight their enemies. At the middle of the fighting, readers will be caught in suspense as they pray fervently for the safety of the him and his comrades.

Causes
There are no specific causes of the conflict, that is the nature of war, which is a nightmare of injury, death, fear and sadness. These causes are just inevitable in war, which could never be left out, revealing the ugly truth of the war - many types of intolerable predicaments faced by soldiers in the war.

Resolution
At the last line of the poem, he probably has given up all hope on the war he was fighting and willingly accepted death as the solution to all of his predicament by stating "Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell".

However, unlike "I had a rendezvous with Death", the poet actually survived the war, he was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003 and currently attends Southwestern Michigan College where his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his experiences.

E-Learning assignment (Interpersonal) Interview with parent

Interpersonal: a. Conduct an interview with a friend (not from HCI) or family member. Find out from their point of view on prejudice and discrimination. Either record the interview or write out the interview transcript.


Me: What’s your point of view on prejudice and discrimination in the US?

Parent: Before and after the Civil, the blacks are still treated as unequally even though that the President of the North America wanted to end slavery. I feel that it prejudice could not be changed or altered overnight, for example, a treaty was signed by the US government that all Americans are equal. However, what happened was the blacks who were treated unfairly said some people are “more equal” than other people, thus the abolishment of prejudice and discrimination requires lots of time and effort.


Me: How was/can prejudice be abolished in the US?

Parent: Probably it was due to the fact that a new generation was coming in so the prejudice and thinking was not as strong as the older generation. It is also because of the the government was trying harder to destroy racism and it was much easier to teach the young generation to avoid racism while it is much harder to change the strong-willed adults’ point of view.


Me: Are there any other forms of prejudice on the Singapore society?
Parent: Of course, for example, the sons are better treated that daughters, due to the thinking that only me males are able to bring home the bacon while the females are being married to another family someday. Thus sons are preferred to daughters, if a family has a son and a daughter, the son will be treated better than the daughter, such as having the best food and clothing while the daughter has to assist the housewife in doing housework after school.
Parent: Another form of prejudice in Singapore is the status/education of a person. Many people think that students from top schools always succeed in life while the students from normal schools can never achieve anything when they grow up, thus parents are desperate to send their children to top schools. In this way, “kiasuism” is also created. In the process, parents of the bright children often despise and look down on those whose children that do not do well in school. The same prejudice applies to job interview, people from better schools gain the upper hand, although employment should focus on one’s merits, there are sometimes employers who are bias on those from neighbourhood schools.


Me: How does prejudice affect our family?

Parent: I do not think we are treated unfairly because our family has good education and I myself do not adhere to the “sons-are-better-than-daughters” principle, I will treat my children equally without discrimination.

E-Learning assignment (Spatial/Visual) Mrs Dubose's Obituary

“God wants you to return”

Henry Lafayette Dubose TX Maycomb

Henry Lafayette , 70, Maycomb resident for her whole lifetime, died Thursday morning in he house after 10 years of Morphine addiction. Born in Maycomb County. She and Mr Dubose were married for 40 years with no children.


Respected for her utmost bravery facing death and her strong spirit to live on, she distracted to avoid her morphine addiction. Jessie, her servant and Jem Atticus Finch, a boy who assisted her in doing so.


She was does not change her views easily, due to her sheer determination to live her life.


“Highly respected for her spirit to live on”

Learning Profile

After looking through my results of the learning profile test, I feel that it is somewhat accurate in depicting my learning style.
Logical --22
Visual --21
Linguistic --20
Interpersonal --20
Musical --17
Kinaesthetic --16
Intrapersonal --16
Naturalistic --14
However, 40 questions are still not enough, the results will be more accurate if more questions are asked. Logical is my most suitable learning style, however there no tasks assigned to the logical people, I would suggest that teachers will ask the logical people to do mathematical tasks on TKAM. For example, Calculate the population of Maycomb, just a suggestion.

Book Review: Black Beauty

Author: Anna Sewell
Anna Swell was born in Yarmouth, England in 1820. It took her nearly seven years to write Black Beauty, her only book.
The author learned to know and love horses when she was a young girl. Driving her father to and from the train station in a pony cart, she was able to observe both people and their horses. After a serious fall in which she was badly hurt, she could no longer ride.
Despite her pain, Anna Sewell was determined to complete her novel. She dictated much of the book to her mother, who write it all down when Anna was too weak to hold a pencil.
Black Beauty was published in 1877. Anna Sewell died a year later. The book was popular from the start. It called people’s attention to their often cruel and thoughtless treatment of animals and did much to improve conditions for all animals.
This story depicts a horse’s life, which can be filled with love and tenderness, or can also be filled with meanness and cruelty. Black beauty, a horse and the protagonist, learns both sides of life in this classic tale by Anna Sewell. It is told from a horse’s point of view, Black Beauty’s own story takes readers into the mind and heart of a sensitive animal searching for love and understanding. From happy times as a young foal romping with his mother to harsh years as a cab horse in the city and then finally t a peaceful old age, this motivating and touching story shows that animals have feelings like humans, and sometimes even know things people do not.
This story is told in an animal’s point of view, which makes it unique and different from others. It could make readers realise the cruelty of human treatment of horses, the similarity of humans and animals and the imperfections of humanity. An inspiring story which makes readers reflect on their own wrongdoings.

Book Review: Around the world in 80 days

Author: Jules Verne
Jules Verne was born in Nantes, France. As a child, he developed a great interest in travel and exploration. He continued to display this interest throughout his life as a writer of adventure stories and science fiction. He also wrote several books on history and geography.
Verne’s first book, Five Weeks in a Balloon, was published in 1863. It made him wealthy and famous. He following year he wrote A Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the year after that cane From the Earth to the Moon.
Around the World in 80 Days appeared in 1873. Along with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (published in 1870), it is probably Verne’s most popular work.
This story starts with a daring wager made by an English gentleman called Phileas Fogg. He betted 20000 pounds- his lifetime savings, that he could travel around the world in only 80 days. It was the time when airplanes had not been invented, only trains and ships existed. En route he meets a beautiful Indian princess and gets mistaken for a notorious criminal and is pursued by a clumsy detective struggling to get the warrant for Fogg’s arrest. He arrived back at London five minutes late and he himself thought he had lost the bet. However, his faithful and intelligent servant reminded him about something, and what happened was like a miracle and Foggs won the bet after all.
This turning point was a great surprise for readers and it really made me learn something about time that most people might not know. Just read it to find out!

Book Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
As a boy in England, Arthur Conan Doyle enjoyed reading detective stories. But once he was working his way through medical school, he did not have much time for writing.
However, in 1886, as the twenty-seven-year-old Dr Doyle sat in his new office hoping for patients, he decided to try writing a detective story. And so, Mr Sherlock Holmes was born.
Over the years, Doyle himself came to be recognized as an expert on crime. He solved many real-life criminal cases and proved the innocence of men who had been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
He interrupted his wrting career to serve as a doctor with the British Army during the Boer War in Africa. Afterwards, he had to fight the war. For these efforts, Doyle was knighted by King Edward VII and he became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
During a visit to the moor country in western England, Doyle became so interested in a lengend about a hound, that he used it as a plot for a new book. This book became the greatest of all Holmes’ adventures, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

This story starts with a superstitious curse which a hound preyed on the family of the Baskervilles. Sherlock Holmes, a famous detective, was hired to solve this complex mystery by Dr Mortimer, Sir Charles’s doctor. Sir Charles was the head of the Baskerville family until he died a mysterious death three months before that, leaving his nephew, Sir Henry, as the last Baskerville left. Everyone thought it was because if the family curse and no one was to blame. It was later found out that Sir Charles’s brother had a son, this birth of his son was unknown and unannounced. The son was an evil man called Stapleton who was eyeing on the wealth of the Baskervilles and so, he decided to hunt down all the Baskervilles and he would inherit the large fortune.
Sherlock Holmes outsmarted Stapleton and thwarted his evil plans at the end of the story. The author has inspired readers like me and after reading this book, I have discovered detective stories were my cup of tea. Readers will never put down the book until they find out the how the mystery was solved at the end.

Book Review: The War of The Worlds by Hebert George Wells

-- Book review edited by Mr S. --
Author: Hebert George Wells
H.G. Wells was born in London in 1866 but did not appear destined for fame as a writer. His father, a poor shopkeeper, could not afford a proper education for his son, so the boy was apprenticed to a cloth maker, and later to a chemist.
But Wells was not content and by studying hard, he won a scholarship to The Royal College of Science. His training as a scientist and his love of writing allowed him to produce The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon, and The War of the Worlds.
The inspiration for The War of the Worlds came about inadvertently. Wells and his brother Frank were discussing the invasion of the Australian island of Tasmania in the early 1800s by European settlers, who hunted down and killed most of the primitive people who lived there.
Wells was inspired by that conversation and went on to write the Martian invasion The War of The Worlds.
The story starts with an article in the London Telegraph which reported flaming gas bursts from Mars. Ogilvy, a friend of Wells and well-known astronomer, was curious about these strange happenings. The duo investigated this phenomenon and doubted the existence of life on Mars. However, Earth was being watched closely by beings with greater intelligence and an arsenal of frightening weapons. These beings had plans to leave their dying planet and take over a green, fertile planet crowded with “inferior animals:” earth and mankind’s existence hung in the balance.
Soon a weird-looking cylinder landed on Earth and they attacked. Creatures with tentacles crawled out of the cylinder. The Martians were intent on taking over earth and exterminating its inhabitants.
Could Earth be saved? Well, read this page-turner to find out more!
http://weread.com/book/1440463190/The+War+of+the+Worlds/FBK-1440463190_-1?refuid=19D7B3B0-E622-4991-B8FA-78E2D4CF4DB4&src=myreads&auri=

WeRead.com

Hi,
just to share with you about this fabulous site for book lovers hunting for good reads.
It provides readers with previews and reviews on books (almost all) written by registered members. In library club, having and maintaining a profile on this website is strongly recommended. This website is being introduced by Mr. S during last year's LA class, some of you might have forgotten all about it.

It's better to update your WeRead account with more book reviews than Sounding your Hunter's Horn, isn't it?

CCA transfer

Recently, I have requested to transfer from my current CCA, Gymnastics, to Library Club. After much persuasion, the transfer was accepted and I reported at the library today. After receiving some warm welcome, I was briefed on what to do by some friendly seniors and was taught how to do library work such as arranging books.
However, these are just ROUTINE work as a librarian, every Friday there is a conference held where the teachers-in-charge and librarians make presentations on their plans. Such plans could be hosting an projects' exhibition or a Rubik's cube competition, which each event is assigned to a specific group of 4-5 members.
Arranging the books could be tedious to a beginner like me, hope I'll get a hang of it soon. Most importantly, being a librarian is the ability to give and contribute to the school, while building skills like leadership and teamwork. I think this CCA suits me because it is a WIN-WIN situation where you could make contributions to the school and students and also learn some values in the process.

Team Singapore Exhibition Debates

Recently, I have recently attended a debate, title says it all, it is undeniably a golden opportunity for me to experience what real and professional debating was like. The debate was held in the British debates' style, where 2 teams sat opposite to each other and the two groups took turns to make their speech to voice their own opinions.
What confused me was, the debate started with a side making their speech and suddenly the one competitor from the other panel stood up and said: "Sir" while putting his arm forward. I guessed the purpose was to object to what the speaker was saying and questioning him about his views.
Basically, this debate was to "warm up" Team Singapore to get ready for the international school debates held overseas. The opposing team, Team Alumni, are ex-competitions of such competition. Topic was - do family members have the right of deciding to end another family member who has terminal disease.
Team Alumni supported the fact, saying JOY is Quality of life, if someone's life is full of pain or misery, there is no point of living it. However the other side expressed that family member might make mistakes in decisions, living is JOY, the JOY of being alive, and "once you are dead, you will never ever come alive again".
Examples opposing this were notion were:
A California man woke up just 20 minutes before his scheduled death!
The other side said that that case was "very rare".
This intense debate when on and on, but to the students dismay, they were no results of which team was the victor. Certainly a great experience, definitely will attend more debates.

My Evaluation Sheet for a Prominent Blogger

Although I'm not a prominent blogger myself, I will share my expectations of a prominent local blogger like Mr Brown. LOL check it out if you are interested.
http://mrbrownshow.com/
A prominent blogger SHOULD:

1. Have understanding and interest in area/field of the topic he/she is blogging
2. Abide by the rules mentioned by my "Blog Policy" post
3. Understand what his/her readers love to know
4. Share opinions with his/her readers
5. Regularly update his/her blog
6. Add pictures to his/her blog
7. Respond to constructive questions by readers

That's all I could find till now. Bye.

Blog Policy

It's simple, rules as follow:

1. No defaming someone

2. No giving out any personal information that could allow him/her to be identified

3. No plagiarism

4. All writings should be, as much as possible, in good grammatical form free of excessive abbreviations and SMS shortcuts

5. Respect - treat everyone fairly and any criticisms you post must be constructive

Thank you for abiding by these rules.

Reasons for Blogging

Why am I blogging? Not because many other people blog, neither its because I'm being forced by teachers. I'm blogging because it helps me with learning in a better way than sitting in a classroom.
Blogging gives me a new experience and also an interesting way of doing reflections and sharing my views on many topics. People can also comment on your opinions and thus making blog a livelier and more sociable than a plain diary or newspaper. Most importantly, readers have the freedom of speech, which is lacking in other media components.
After looking through the notes my English teacher gave me, I've realised blogging is a potentially importantly tool of media and might replace newspapers one day. Celebrities and politicians have also started their blogging "career", not only gaining fame, but also reflect on their careers and lives.
Well I will only not do my post my English blog assignments in this blog, it will be included with my reflection on my education in school and also book reviews! Hope this blog will be successful. Wish me luck.