Tag: english co-academic

The Audacity Of The Young One

I have been involved in the development and fine tuning of  Co-Academic activities concept paper for quite some time. I was among the youngest when I started.  The group was quite small back then and it is a fact that I have always been intimidated by my colleagues. Older and more experienced in many ways.

During one of my early meetings I was sitting across the table to a senior teacher. In one of our heated discussion on how we should go about one of the activities. She blurted out “the audacity of the young one” at me. It sounded harsh in the beginning but her face had a smile. For context, I was explaining to my colleagues on why we shouldn’t follow her direction for a competition.

At that time it was shocking. But as time passes by I realise it should have been the opposite, it should have been a proud moment. I have done what many wouldn’t do. To respectfully disagree when the situation demands for it. And I believe that is why there was a smile accompanying the words.

I believe that was why I was included in the discussion, to be candid and to be frank when the ideals seems to be too lofty. To introduce fresh ideas. To simplify and to make it easy for adoption.

My younger colleagues may have heard this story from me before, it is all but a reminder that they too have ideas that may be worth more than mine.

Logical Fallacies

How many logical fallacies have you seen today?

One of the first few things we need to learn before we start delving into debates or arguments is logical fallacies. A good debater need to develop the ability to recognize logical fallacies and not be pulled into it.

If you see someone, basing their arguments on a fallacy. Side step!

Let’s start with a few logical fallacies

1. Ad Hominem
The worst type, a personal attack, because someone likes something, is affliated with another person, comes from a place then he/she is deemed something else regardless of the truth.

2. Equivocation
Using an ambiguous term, or a word which have several meanings. Then proceeding not to clarify which meaning is intended.

3. Appeal To Pity
Using pity to mislead and sway your opponent. It often appears as an emotional manipulation.

4. Slippery Slope
Claiming that through a series of small events, a bigger impact/event will happen. Essentialy messing around with the probability.

5. Circular Reasoning
When a person repeats the same argument that they have already assumed without coming to a new conclusion. A is true because B is true; B is true because A is true.

Let me stop here, obviously there are more fallacies, but we’ll cover those on another day.

National Level English Carnival 2018

Working here at UiTM Pulau Pinang from 16 to 19 August as Scrabble Tournament Director, my 3rd year as one since I started at state level in 2014.

Official Concept Papers

Finally got the official version of the concept papers from BKK officer. Pn. Nora. Sharing here for easy reference.

bit.ly/EnglishCo-A

Enjoy

Think Tank Meeting 2015

Was invited to the English Co-Academic Activities Think Tank Meeting couple of week back. As a result I attended a day long meeting. Main agenda of our meeting today was to discuss the concept paper of Poetry Recitation and Scrabble competition. Specifically to include the secondary schools in the competition.

After going over the concept paper back and forth so many times we finally came out with the revised concept paper. Both competition had minor changes, most of it is to ease the running of the competition and also to clarify a few issues and to address feedback from our colleagues.

Hopefully the changes are beneficial for everyone and will make the competition more enjoyable and able to achieve its objectives and aims.

Links for the concept papers are below.

*the concept papers are not considered final nor official until it is from the moe or its website, it is just here to spread the news about the 2 new categories.

Adieu

bit.ly/EnglishCo-A

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Themes for national level poetry competition 2015 (primary & secondary)
1.beauty
2.freedom
3.hope