Friday, January 29, 2010

Posted by smileyface on 8:54 PM
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Malay lessons

My next post is on the new subject, Malay studies in our timetable this year.

There have been quite a few changes in our schedule this year, from 30 minute periods to the 1.40p.m. dismissal time. RTA from Secondary 1 is also gone, presumably replaced by "Thinking". However, most upsetting is the absence of music from our timetable. The music periods last year were among the most enjoyable in the curriculum. With all other changes accounted for in our timetable, one can only assume that Malay has replaced music.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Malay and it's an interesting language, but I still don't see the rationale behind swapping these two subjects. The usefulness of this subject is further reduced for MSP students, who may find the lessons a little pointless. Also, we were not asked whether or not we wanted to learn Malay, unlike students who want to opt for a third language. Has this change always been around in Hwa Chong where students learn music in Sec 1 and Malay in Sec 2, or has this only come into effect in 2010?

Posted by smileyface on 8:50 PM
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Socratic Seminar

Yesterday we had our first Socratic Seminar. Although it was only a mock session, it was still pretty engaging and interesting. In the inner circle, 5 out of 8 people were actually unprepared, and the teacher in charge of our class had to show the article on the visualizer before we could begin. Still, it was an interesting experience, with many people still raising interesting questions and answering others answering them. Still, I am a bit confused as to the exact purpose of a Socratic Seminar. Is it to ask questions, to answer them, or to debate on current affairs?

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