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This is a link to a youtube video where we review and analyse our advertisement assignment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lKgLpqRVfY
{kay xin xuan wei.pdf}

term 1 Assignment 1: Book Review corrections
Mad about Matilda
Think that you are too old for a children’s book? Not for this book! Roald Dahl has done it again, in his enchanting and engaging book, “Matilda”. Just about everyone had heard about Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl is known for his children’s books imbued with dark humour, and Matilda is no exception.
Published in 1988, the novel won the Children’s Book Award in the same year and was developed into a motion picture in 1998.
The story revolves around a young girl called Matilda. She is hated by her parents. Her parents do not care about her at all. Despised by her school’s headmaster, she is however well-loved by her pretty and understanding teacher and classmates. In “Matilda”, Roald Dahl writes about Matilda’s magical powers and a side-splitting family saga.
“Matilda”, the main character of the book, is exceptionally gifted and sensitive. She is not worried or affected by the fact that her parents do not care about her and do not appreciate her given talents. She is also witty, once pouring her mother’s bottle of purple dye into her father’s hair tonic bottle to take revenge of her father throwing away her library book. She is also very mature and independent despite her young age. She also cares a lot about her loved ones. For example, Matilda helped her teacher, Ms Honey, to get back her house and money her father left her by using her magical powers.
The main theme of the book is overcoming adversity, both at home and in school. Matilda’s parents represent opposition which she is able to overcome through belief in herself and sheer determination. Children will learn that, even though they will face difficulties and problems in their lives, they are able to overcome them by keeping a positive attitude and being resourceful.The reason why the book still remains so popular for children is because Roald Dahl engages the imagination and has a “happily ever after” ending. The book makes people laugh. In addition, the part where Matilda found out about her magical powers is very appealing to the children. The book is simple but yet beautifully written, thus the book remains so popular.
Although this book is mainly for children, this book is also appealing to teenagers. To me, the true test of a book’s greatness is it is the impact years after reading it for the first time. I had read this book when I was in primary school, but I still find the book fascinating. So if you want to read a story which is powerful, entertaining, humorous and drives you headlong into the story, go on your own quest and hunt for this treasure of a novel! Hurry down and get a copy of this remarkable book now!
Term 1 Assignment 2: Movie Review corrections
Mentally Challenged by Wong Shi Ying
Release Date: December 28, 2001 (Limited)
January 25, 2002
Genre: Drama
Director: Jessie Nelson
Writer: Jessie Nelson, Kristine Johnson
Cast: Will Wallace, Brad Silverman, Eileen Ryan, Joseph Rosenberg, Kathleen Dianne West, Richard Schiff, Doug Hutchison, Loretta Devine, Laura Dern, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sean Penn
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for language
Feeling bored and want to watch a movie that leaves you shedding buckets of tears? “I Am Sam” is the right movie for you! The movie's title is named for the line "I am Sam" featured in the book Green Eggs and Ham, which is read in the movie.
“I Am Sam” talks about Sam, who has a mental capacity of a 7-year old. Dam is so obsessed with the Beatles, that he even names his daughter, Lucy Diamond, from a Beatles Song, “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”. As young and beautiful Lucy grows up, Sam has limitations. Lucy is intentionally holding back, to avoid looking smarter than her mentally challenged father. The authorities take her away, and Sam shames lawyer Rita Harission into taking his case pro bono.
Although the movie is very long, the captivating plot of the movie continues to enthral you. Your eyes will be glued to the screen to find out what happens next in the movie. I think the director, Jessie Nelson, has made a wise choice putting the background music and the names of the believable characters from Beatles song, as Sam, one of the main characters, is obsessed with the band. For example, the name of Michelle Pfeiffer’s role as Rita is taken from the Beatles Song, ‘Lovely Rita”. This makes the movie very special and interesting.
I find the movie very comical. In many scenes of the movie, it also pulled at the heartstrings of the audience watching it. The characters exhibit strength. The theme of the movie is about love is all you just need, and also about family bonds, which makes me cherish my relationships with my family.
I find Sean Penn, playing the role as Sam, has done a wonderful job playing a mentally challenged person. You will actually lose yourself in his role, forgetting that Sean Penn is a person with normal intelligence pretending to have a mental disability.
Dakota Fanning also steals the show with her fabulous acting. I like her character the best. She makes her character look very mature. She does not give up trying to get away to find her father, but to no avail, which is why I pity her. She is also very sensitive. When she questions her father about why is he like that, her father kept apologising profusely to her. Knowing that her father is sad about the fact he is mentally challenged, she tweaked her question by telling her father that he is not like any father. This cheered her father up and he brings her to the park.
Michelle Pfeiffer, starring as Rita, demonstrates a wide range of emotions as her character struggles to work with Sam’s disabilities. Her portrayal of the lawyer is not only believable but matches the talent and strength of Sean Penn’s performance. She learns about life’s simple pleasures from Sam’s patience.
The part I like most in the movie is the part where Sam, Lucy and Sam’s friends walk across the road with colourful and bright balloons. This scene is very comical, which made me laugh till there were tears in my eyes.
I think the movie would have done better if Sam had talked more articulately and the title of the movie was more descriptive. At first, I was not too keen on the movie, but after watching it, I enjoyed it very much. So, do not be fooled by the title, thinking that the movie is not engaging. I strongly recommend this movie, so dear readers, please watch it!
CA2 Component 2 (Formal Letter) corrections
Chung Cheng High School (Main)

CA2 Component 2 (Formal Letter) corrections
Chung Cheng High School (Main)
222 Bedok Road
Singapore 334455
11 July 2011
Mr Michael Wong
Liaison Officer
Singapore Children’s Society
298 TIong Bahru Road
#09-05 Central Plaza
Singapore 168730
Dear Sir,
Re: Regarding the service learning choice we have made
My name is Wong Shi Ying, the student selected from Two Empathy to lead the service Learning Project with the Singapore Children’s Society (SCS).Referring to your email about the service learning choice, I am writing to inform you about the choice my class has made. We were given two choices by the society: Academic coaching and Befriending. We have decided on the second option, Academic Coaching.
All of the sessions will be conducted at the SCS’s student care centre located near our school, which is a 5 minutes’ walk from school. Thus, students do not have to spend money on transport, ensuring maximum participation from the students. Students can also return at their own time for additional lessons.
Students would have to commit to at least 3 sessions with the children they are assigned. Having 3 sessions with the children will allow better rapport.
For the academic coaching course, volunteers do not need to undergo a course, whereas for Befriending, students have to undergo a full-day course, assisted by an experienced counsellor. Students might not have the time to undergo the course if we choose Befriending as the students have other commitments. Thus, academic coaching will be a better choice.
My class is well-versed in certain English and Mathematics subjects, but we are not very outspoken. We might not do a good job in providing a friendly ear to children who call in. we have also provided coaching and academic-related help to students before, thus, having the experience in academic coaching, we can do a good job. However, we have not done Befriending before, so we lack experience. Therefore, academic coaching is a better choice for us.
Academic coaching also provides hands on experience on teaching. Students may want to consider their option in their future.
Thank you for considering our request. We hope you make it possible for us to perform a very valuable community service by coaching the children.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely
(Signature)
Shi Ying
2 Empathy Service Learning Project Leader
Term 1 Assignment 3 (CA1 Component 3) corrections
I agree that in the 21st century, gender inequality is still prevalent in the world. Society’s mindset has not changed much.

Topic: Is it a good idea to use avatars to replace humans as teachers in schools?
I think it is a good idea to use avatars to replace humans as teachers in schools. Having avatars as teachers will attract attention of students, thus they will listen during lessons, instead of doing other things. The learning of the students will thus be more effective. Look the lessons we have daily. Every teacher makes use of technology to bring us the lessons, for example showing us videos and making use of Powerpoint. Personally, I find that it attracts my attention more than teachers explaining lessons through looking at the textbook. The avatars will also make the students more active during lessons, especially the shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers. One school in South Korea has already started having avatars as teachers, and the response is so far very good. It was mentioned that "The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person," and "Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers,” Thus, I prefer to have avatars as my teachers.
June Holiday Homework
These are my reviews for the English Holiday Assignment:
Review 1: Maid in ICU after trying to hang herself
review 3: Samaritans help trace hit-&run driver
Sorry if there is any mispronunciation for some words!

Rather than just note the positive and negative aspects of our own assignments, learning from our friends' strengths and mistakes could prove useful too, especially when re-writing your assignments for corrections.
{2ep CA1 C3 Part 1.pdf}
This is a link to a youtube video where we review and analyse our advertisement assignment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lKgLpqRVfY

{E-Learning_Activity_Sheet.docx} vionna {correction 2.docx}

jamie
Although robot avatars for education could result in the loss of human interaction between the student and humans, students could express themselves more as they feel less anxiety than when they were taught by humans. Studies also show that children who read to dogs in the Reading with Rover program read better than when reading to their human teachers. In human nature, everybody has their own opinion, and the student will no doubt feel that his peers or teachers would not accept his actions, or the student would not feel confident has he thought he would embarrass himself in front of his teacher and peers if he makes mistakes. Having a robot avatar could let them express themselves better, as robot avatars have no emotions, and will not feel disappointed or amusing if the child makes mistakes.
CA2 ASSIGNMENT 2
Chung Cheng High School(Main)
50 Goodman Road
Singapore 439012
5 May 2011
Mr Lim Boon Keng
Liason Officer
Singapore Children’s Society
298 Tiong Bahru Road
Singapore 168730
Dear Mr Lim
Helping out Singapore Children’s Society
I refer to your email dated 26 April on Service Learning Project. You have given my class two choices in the email; either academic coaching the children or befriending them. My name is Ted, and I would like to inform you of our choice regarding our decision of the two options that were given to us by the Singapore Children’s Society.
After the consideration of the two options you have provided, we have come to the conclusion that befriending the children is the best option. The main reason why this option was chosen is that we felt that every child needs a proper childhood, especially the young people from the Society, as they were abused, neglected, or come from dysfunctional families. Even though academic coaching is a better choice for the convenience of our students as the student care centre was located near our school, my class has noted the importance of bringing relief and happiness to children in need. My class is also very lively, and prefers hands on tasks.
We understand that we would have to commit to at least six hours of involvement with guiding the children. We could also help man a telephone hotline to provide a friendly ear for children who call in. This would be a better commitment other than just conducting tutoring sessions at the Society, as most children at the Society may respond better to us befriending them, rather than coaching them. Some of them might be so emotionally scarred from their own past, such that their least priorities may be their studies. Furthermore, being young, we may be able to relate to children better, and understand their needs more. This is also our chance to be good role models, and have a greater impact on the children in the Society.
My class also understands that there would be an option of signing up for a fully subsidised course on basic counseling. Thus, not only could we provide emotional support to the children and give them a better childhood, we could also benefit ourselves with basic counseling. This would be killing two birds with one stone.
Lastly, my class would like to note that befriending the children could actually make the children more confident of themselves. If we were to coach them, it would not be effective enough, as the children were often afraid they would make mistakes when answering questions, and they were reluctant to ask about the problems they could not work out as they were not confident enough. Befriending the children will let the children think more positively and speak out more confidently. Thus, I would like to conclude that befriending the children is a much better choice.
Yours sincerely
Ted Dae
Leader of Service Learning project