18 November 2005

Yes, Teacher

So I want to highlight this interesting blog where a teacher has turned blogging into homework for her students. That's right, I am talking about Madam Sng Loves to Blog. Now her students are all getting into a flurry because they have a deadline - 20 November - to set up their own blogs and start writing. Yes, yes, Madam Sng has high hopes for her students from the class of F41:
Not too long ago, certain students in other schools have been chastised by their school for flaming their teachers in their blogs. I would like to believe that my students are above such juvenile antics. Hence I would like you to take the time to write meaningful entries in your blog. What you write reflects the kind of person you are. So you are the best person to decide how you want people to see you.
Boy, if only school was this fun when I was a student. I swear I could've scored 1st Class Honours in Blogging. Then again XiaXue probably would have gotten herself a PhD.

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12 comments:

Merv said...

Nice things will always be written about the teacher, if the teacher knows who owns the blog.

The reverse is also true.

darrnot said...

what a cool teacher. Reminds me of my pri 6 English teacher who got everyone to start keeping a diary called "Expression of Thoughts". She would write an idiom or interesting word ("Empathy") on the chalkboard for us to think about and write in our diaries. We had to hand in our work every Fri for her to read/check, so I think students have it easier nowadays!

Ellipsis said...

i believe mdm sng's intentions are to encourage her students to question what they see and read, and also to blog about worthwhile issues and current affairs; not about how inspiring or not she is as a teacher.

it should be an interesting class effort - that is, if the students follow instructions and actually start contributing.;)

malc said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
malc said...

Somehow, I do not like the thought. This gives the school too much power and ways to profile their students. In addition, the students might not really know the implications of what they are writing and practice self censorship against anal school authorities and loosely-worded anti-freedom-of-speech laws in Singapore which encompass topics like race, religion, politics, etc

"Not too long ago, certain students in other schools have been chastised by their school for flaming their teachers in their blogs. I would like to believe that my students are above such juvenile antics. Hence I would like you to take the time to write meaningful entries in your blog. What you write reflects the kind of person you are. So you are the best person to decide how you want people to see you." This paragraph is so nonspecific when it says 'flaming their teachers' that it has the undertones that commenting on teachers is a childish act. Why invoke this example if not to warn the students of the trouble that they can get themselves in if they do not practice self censorship? I would go as far as to say that this paragraph sounds like a threat to the students to moderate their views in all matters.

And seriously... making blogging as homework kinda takes all the fun out of it for me as it is a chore writing what teachers want to hear. Deadlines SUCK.

I have an extremely bleak outlook on this. But then again, lets see how this goes. =)

En and Hou said...

Blogging would become an academic subject...accounting for 50% for admission to U.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Haha! I encourage everyone to click on the link supplied by En & Hou.

Jon said...

XiaXue? PhD? The semi-blonde who blogged about how spacious toilets for the disabled were and that they should stand in line (no pun intended) just like everyone else?

Really??

Anthony said...

Well, I've seen PhD's being awarded for stranger things. I'd tell you what they are, but I'm sure you won't get the joke unless you've been playing D&D for at least 20 years.

In case you have, there's a guy in Berkeley that got his PhD in Math by studying THACO progressions.

So Xiaxue getting a PhD for blogging's not THAT unreasonable.

I digress.

BunnyButt said...

Well, someone mentioned once that there are PhDs in Ikebana - never bothered to check it out though

MdmSng said...

Gee, I came back from a short trip and suddenly I see reactions to a simple class assignment...

Firstly, my invoking the example of the student bloggers who flamed their teachers came out of a genuine question from my students when I told them about the assignment. They were concerned that they would get into trouble for saying certain things so I just did my sensible teacherly thing by telling them to not just harp on teachers they don't like. Surely there are other issues they can discuss in their blogs?

And what's wrong with giving deadlines? Come on, let get real. Even your pizza delivery man has deadlines!

I believe homework should be fun at times. So, rather than getting them to do 60 essays (which was the original school-sanctioned directive), I made my students do something else.

I'm waiting to see if this effort will pull off.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Hi Mdm Sng

I wish you all the best in this project!