Pasir Gudang oh Pasir Gudang

Last March, Malaysians were shocked with irresponsible act of some individuals that caused pollution and its impact of individuals health.  But, less than 6 months, there are recurrent incidents in Pasir Gudang.  Again?  We need to do something about it ASAP.  Is it enough just to take action by closing schools?  This toxic pollution needs to be stopped.  It is a national disaster and the recurring incidents are the proof that somebody still dumps toxic waste in Pasir Gudang.  

What are (some) of the criticism about CEFR cum new KSSM syllabus for English?

I found quite a lot criticism and concerns by various individuals mainly teachers or educators (those people who are in teaching profession) on the current implementation of CEFR based curriculum and MUET.  Here are some of those that I can find

New syllabus is good

New literature syllabus 

English Literature is a dying subject

MUET is a requirement for admission

The need to boost English proficiency 

The need for proficient English teachers 

MUET

When I assigned to teach form 6 student MUET subject, I was feeling a little bit apprehensive.  I never took MUET before.  The only similar kind of examination that I had taken is IELTS before I went to further my PhD at UK.  It is the requirement for admission to any of UK university.  So, with RM600+/-, I took IELTS once.  Alhamdulillah I got Band 7, so I could apply to any UK university that require at least Band 6.5 or 7 as application requirement.  Well, those were the days.  Things are different now for the better.  MUET is required as admission requirement as well as graduation requirement.

Last year, when I sent Amira and Shakir to SMKUT to take their MUET speaking test, they told me that they were partnered with a lady from UKM.  She failed her MUET and thus, she needed to retake MUET again as graduation requirement.  Amira and Shakir asked me if is it required to get Band 4 to graduate in Malaysian universities.   I told them that as far as I know, only the top five universities i.e. old or research universities make such requirement.  For other universities like USIM, it depends on your majoring.  If you major in Islamic Revealed Knowledge programme like Qur’an and Sunnah, it is required for you to get Band 4 to graduate.  This is what I know based on my conversation with USIM graduates who work as teaching in the school where I did my Latihan Ikhtisas.  

But now, they i.e. Ministry of Education want to make it as requirement for non-option teachers who are teaching English to take MUET too.  Of course, this move would create an uproar among teachers in Malaysia.   But, being as an outsider but somehow links to education system, I would like to see positive change in this move.   Would they become better teachers to teach CEFR curriculum if they take MUET?  What would happen to those teachers who are not excelled in their MUET?   That’s what I want to know in the future.  

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF)

What is CERF?  It refers to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.  You’ve got it right!  It is a European Framework that somehow as Asians, we have to follow.  Ironic, isn’t it?  Nevertheless, with that as reference and guidance, we change our curriculum i.e. in specific the English subject when we started KSSM in 2017.  Yup.  Indeed.  It makes the PT3 for this year different from the last year.  Last year, there was literature part.  But there is no more literature part in PT3 this year. 

But does the change matters?  Well, there are lots of criticism that you find from various parties like teachers, parents and others who are concern with the latest development.   Of course, it is kind of safe to say that you can’t see the impact now but have to wait for few years to see any improvement of the English language proficiency among Malaysians.  Yet, there are various elements that I notice in the textbooks used for the new curriculum. 

When I taught form 1 last year (2018) when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas, other than the literary part (poems and short story/graphic novel), I have to use Pulse 2 textbook to teach form 1 class (which is not readily available in any bookstore like MPH and such.  But you can but the workbook from Lazada though).  There are lots of criticism on this by teachers.   I reserve to comment on this matter.  After all, who am I to comment on this matter when I am not even a teacher?  😀

So, my initial thought is when the PT3 has no longer the literature part starting this year, so it would be the same for SPM then in the next two years.  How wrong I was?  They are introducing “new” literature content.  So, what’s new, pussycat?  Well, the Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin explained the new stuff would be included in the current curriculum.  

For an 18-month curriculum, students have to learn 10 poems, one novel or six short stories, and one drama.  Sound quite the same, right with the current practice?  Wait until you see the lists though.  

Among the literature contents that they have to learn is The Merchant of Venice (William Shakespeare), The Clay Marble (Minfong Ho), and Embra­cing Your Shadow (Chua Kok Yee). The poems would include To Autumn (John Keats) and When You Are Old (by William Butler Yeats).

They are piloting the literature contents in selected schools which started in 2017.  There are around 300 students from seven schools in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak would sit for the International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) Eng­lish Literature exam in June 2018 instead of the SPM English Litera­ture paper.  I don’t know how the teachers would react towards this.  But most importantly, can teachers i.e. non-option English teachers be better prepared if they take MUET?   That’s what I would like to know and see the impact in the future.

Personally, I am glad that I belong to different era so I won’t be affected by this.  But, I am sad that the current generation has to face this.  All the best, guys!

 

 

 

Psychopath…. a good example for my case study activity

When I declared that my Human Development class (MPPE 1333) would use Case Based Learning, I am determined to find as many authentic examples as I could from books, journals and my own life experience.  One of the examples that I think I could include in my existing cases would be this one.  A case of a brother who killed his younger sister to torment his mother (he has this so twisted thought that rather than killing his mom, he decided to kill his sister so that his mom would lose two of her children – his sister and him).   It seems that all of the cases that I have found are from US (except the examples from my own life).  I wonder if there are no recent psychopath cases in other parts of the world.  

What did I do while undergoing Latihan Ikhtisas_Part 5

I have to teach poetry and literature while doing my Latihan Ikhtisas.  With zero background in TEASL or BENL (Bachelor in English Language and Literature), I admit that I was struggling to get myself familiar with the poems and short stories.  I start to read poems when I was at university for leisure reading, so I don’t feel the need and pressure to understand it accurately.  I had never learned poems at secondary school (for English).  So, it was a bit stressful for me to teach the students the literature part. 

Some of the poems and literature that I have to teach are as follow.  

For form 1

  1. News Break (poem)
  2. Sad I Ams (poem)
  3. King Arthur (graphic novel)
  4. Fair’s Fair (short story)

For form 4

  1. The Living Photograph (poem)
  2. The Charge of the Light Brigade (poem)
  3. Leaving (short story)
  4. Tanjong Rhu (short story)

I constructed quizzes using Quizziz and also worksheet that I used for class activity.  Nothing much though.  For the Quizziz and worksheet, they have to do it in pair or group.  It depends on the situation.  Sometimes I used the computer room if I wanted to give them a quiz using Quizziz.  It is an element of gamification and active learning that I tried to incorporate in my class.  

Well, at least even though I am not trained in TEASL, but I just gave my best shot.  That’s my motto.  Sometimes I guess we have to be impostor.  A good one to succeed in whatever thing that we do.  In this case, to make sure that I could deliver well my lesson to the students, I become an English teacher impostor.  😀