I've seen this documentary twice. The first time I saw it, I felt really ashamed. I felt like such a slacker but when I watched it again today, I realized that this was not the point the film maker was trying to get across. The point of the documentary was even though the education systems in India and China are much more competitive and stressful, the students there may not always succeed.
When I moved here from Singapore, 4 years ago, I was really shocked at what the students in my math class were learning. They were learning how to multiply fractions and learning how to calculate percentages while in the school that I came from, we were just already learning algebra. It really showed me how different the math systems were.
In the video, the teenagers from China and India were saying how laid back it would be if they came to America but I don't think that't the case. Yes, we do have a slower math system. Yes, our parents do not really stress on education as much as theirs. The reason why I think we have a better system is because we're taking our students through a less rigorous math system in middle school trying to build and firm up their math foundation so that they can take harder courses in high school. This helps the students learn better in a less stressful environment. It's like the story of the rabbit and the tortoise. The slow and steady will win the race.
:) Sarah Mia Sham
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Answers
#1 is Description
#2 is Narration
#3 is Example
#4 is Process Analysis
#5 is Definition
#6 is Classification
#7 is Argumentative/ Persuasion
#8 is Division of Analysis
#9 is Cause and Effect
#10 is Comparison and Contrast
#2 is Narration
#3 is Example
#4 is Process Analysis
#5 is Definition
#6 is Classification
#7 is Argumentative/ Persuasion
#8 is Division of Analysis
#9 is Cause and Effect
#10 is Comparison and Contrast
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friendship :)
One night, while doing homework, Stefanie gets a phone call. It is from her best friend, Natalie. She is crying hysterically because her boyfriend just broke up with her. Stefanie immediately sprints out of her house and starts driving towards her best friend’s house. She greeted Natalie’s mom at the door who has a worried look on her face and walked her to Natalie’s room. In there, Stefanie dropped down to the floor where Natalie was curled up in a fetal position and hugged her. They sat there for an hour in silence together as tears ran down both their faces.
On the first day of primary school, I was awkwardly sitting at the corner of my room in my blue and white uniform. I didn’t know how to socialize with others so I just stared down at my shoes. All of a sudden, this cheerful girl who had the cutest dimples on both of her cheeks approached me and started to ask if I had any Pokemon cards. I looked up at her and I was ecstatic. I loved Pokemon; I had every single card and every version of it on my GameBoy. I was a Pokemon fanatic and she was too. I could feel the sparks fly. We quickly became best friends because we had such a strong thing in common. We were inseparable.
I’ve always had a mentality that having a best friend meant have an endless amount of matching t-shirts, sleepovers, and friendship bracelets. But I’ve matured or at least I hope I have, I don’t think that having all those things means that she’s your best friend anymore. I think having a best friend means being able to trust one another with your deepest darkest secrets, being able to accept one another regardless of race, gender, or even sexual preference.
Making friends is easy but keeping friends is a much harder thing to do. As “requirements” for having a best friend, you have to be able to keep a conversation going. Best friends spend most of their time talking to each other. They share secrets, gossip about the clothes other people are wearing and laugh at each other’s imperfections. But before getting to that stage, we must each go through the different levels. First of all, there are strangers. They see each other in the hallways and might even look away because of the heavy tension. Next comes, friends. They aren’t best friends yet but they’re also not strangers. When you see them, you run up to them and give them the biggest hug in the world. One of the differences between a friend and a best friend is not being able to share all your secrets. You don’t know if you can trust them yet with who your latest crush is.
Having friends is something that people should always treasure. To find someone who shares the same interests, hates the same things, or accepts you for you really are is rare. But when you find them, it would be them who would be able to lift your feelings up when your parents or siblings can’t. It would be them who would cheer up with just a hug after you flunked your calculus final. It would be them who would be able to make a day of just staying home fun. It would be them who would encourage you to keep on going when you are on the verge of giving up. It would be them who will push you to your limits just because they have enough faith in you and they know that you can do it. Treasure your friends because they would always be there for you.
When we think of friendship, we always think of two girls hugging each other whenever they see each other or two guys fist-pumping one another. However, we repetitively cease to remember that a spark might occur between two people of different gender or even between a human and an animal. What happened to Willy and Jesse from Free Willy? What happened to Paul, Cindy and Benji from Benji? Even though neither Willy nor Benji could talk, it was the trust and love that each of them received and delivered that made them the best of friends.
It is not easy to make friends. One has to be open to new ideas and feelings, the other has be able to accept differences and give encouragement and vice versa. Why do we have to sometimes change how we perceive the world or even the littlest information? It’s because friends is something that every one of us should have. They’re our little escape out of this world, they help give us a different perspective on things and they even open us to things we’ve never dreamt of even doing. Like going bungee-jumping, learning a new language, or experiencing a new culture.
Keeping friends is not an easy thing to do. We have to consistently be open about one another’s feelings, try to view the problem from a different perspective, being able to forgive, etc. There is no specific formula that can help you accumulate and broaden your social network. It’s something that you have to keep working on. All you need is a little common sense and trust. Trust your gut, trust your heart and trust your brain.
Think of friends as rewards from God. Before getting that reward, you have accomplish a few different things. First, you would have to learn how to respect yourself. Decide what your values are and then stick to them no matter what. Secondly, you have to be loyal. You have to be there for your friend when they need you the most. You don’t have to be there physically but just emotionally. Send them a card or something sweet to remind them that you are for them if they ever need you. Last of all, stick up for them. Many close friendships are formed when they feel protected by the ones they love. These are only some examples but when you achieve them, you would be showered with love and care by all your friends.
Friends and enemies. It’s something you don’t really hear together in the same sentence. While friends give you warmth, enemies give you feelings of antagonism. Friends give you companionship while enemies give you feelings of oppression.
Friends make you feel like you’re on cloud nine while enemies make you feel like you’ve gone to hell and back up. Friends make you feel like best person and brings your self esteem up but enemies just crush your ego and whatever is left of you to make you feel insecure, uncertain and unhappy.
On the first day of primary school, I was awkwardly sitting at the corner of my room in my blue and white uniform. I didn’t know how to socialize with others so I just stared down at my shoes. All of a sudden, this cheerful girl who had the cutest dimples on both of her cheeks approached me and started to ask if I had any Pokemon cards. I looked up at her and I was ecstatic. I loved Pokemon; I had every single card and every version of it on my GameBoy. I was a Pokemon fanatic and she was too. I could feel the sparks fly. We quickly became best friends because we had such a strong thing in common. We were inseparable.
I’ve always had a mentality that having a best friend meant have an endless amount of matching t-shirts, sleepovers, and friendship bracelets. But I’ve matured or at least I hope I have, I don’t think that having all those things means that she’s your best friend anymore. I think having a best friend means being able to trust one another with your deepest darkest secrets, being able to accept one another regardless of race, gender, or even sexual preference.
Making friends is easy but keeping friends is a much harder thing to do. As “requirements” for having a best friend, you have to be able to keep a conversation going. Best friends spend most of their time talking to each other. They share secrets, gossip about the clothes other people are wearing and laugh at each other’s imperfections. But before getting to that stage, we must each go through the different levels. First of all, there are strangers. They see each other in the hallways and might even look away because of the heavy tension. Next comes, friends. They aren’t best friends yet but they’re also not strangers. When you see them, you run up to them and give them the biggest hug in the world. One of the differences between a friend and a best friend is not being able to share all your secrets. You don’t know if you can trust them yet with who your latest crush is.
Having friends is something that people should always treasure. To find someone who shares the same interests, hates the same things, or accepts you for you really are is rare. But when you find them, it would be them who would be able to lift your feelings up when your parents or siblings can’t. It would be them who would cheer up with just a hug after you flunked your calculus final. It would be them who would be able to make a day of just staying home fun. It would be them who would encourage you to keep on going when you are on the verge of giving up. It would be them who will push you to your limits just because they have enough faith in you and they know that you can do it. Treasure your friends because they would always be there for you.
When we think of friendship, we always think of two girls hugging each other whenever they see each other or two guys fist-pumping one another. However, we repetitively cease to remember that a spark might occur between two people of different gender or even between a human and an animal. What happened to Willy and Jesse from Free Willy? What happened to Paul, Cindy and Benji from Benji? Even though neither Willy nor Benji could talk, it was the trust and love that each of them received and delivered that made them the best of friends.
It is not easy to make friends. One has to be open to new ideas and feelings, the other has be able to accept differences and give encouragement and vice versa. Why do we have to sometimes change how we perceive the world or even the littlest information? It’s because friends is something that every one of us should have. They’re our little escape out of this world, they help give us a different perspective on things and they even open us to things we’ve never dreamt of even doing. Like going bungee-jumping, learning a new language, or experiencing a new culture.
Keeping friends is not an easy thing to do. We have to consistently be open about one another’s feelings, try to view the problem from a different perspective, being able to forgive, etc. There is no specific formula that can help you accumulate and broaden your social network. It’s something that you have to keep working on. All you need is a little common sense and trust. Trust your gut, trust your heart and trust your brain.
Think of friends as rewards from God. Before getting that reward, you have accomplish a few different things. First, you would have to learn how to respect yourself. Decide what your values are and then stick to them no matter what. Secondly, you have to be loyal. You have to be there for your friend when they need you the most. You don’t have to be there physically but just emotionally. Send them a card or something sweet to remind them that you are for them if they ever need you. Last of all, stick up for them. Many close friendships are formed when they feel protected by the ones they love. These are only some examples but when you achieve them, you would be showered with love and care by all your friends.
Friends and enemies. It’s something you don’t really hear together in the same sentence. While friends give you warmth, enemies give you feelings of antagonism. Friends give you companionship while enemies give you feelings of oppression.
Friends make you feel like you’re on cloud nine while enemies make you feel like you’ve gone to hell and back up. Friends make you feel like best person and brings your self esteem up but enemies just crush your ego and whatever is left of you to make you feel insecure, uncertain and unhappy.
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