Week Seven

 I need to unload the clutter in my mind. 

I need to reflect on my teaching online activities and issues that surround me.

I want to document my online teaching activities here.

This week is already the 7th week of the semester. 

Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions

 Don't we do this all the time?

When you come across this blog, you are already making inferences when you read the topic. Most likely, you are here because you are one of my students from my English for Critical Academic Reading class from my degree courses. Or perhaps, you are here because you are searching for the skills on making inferences and drawing conclusions. You might be thinking why I said that we have been doing this all the time. Well, don't we read all the time? Of course the reading materials vary. It also depends on your purpose and levels of education. 

My focus here is on academic reading.

What is the logical inference that you can draw based on the evidence and information that you have?

Based on that the author has stated, what is presumed to be true?

In order to remember the points for making inferences and drawing  conclusion, I'd like to share a chant created by Professor Kathleen Riley, Polk Community College (Winter Haven, Florida). 

Please read aloud repeatedly.

"Making inferences is one name;

Drawing conclusions means the same.

Details are things that authors write.

Inferences are out of sight.

Details: underline  in ink.

Inferences: you've got to think.

Inferences make you a star.

Don't pick a choice that goes too far!

Base inferences on what you've read.

Not on the ideas in your head!

Source: Exercise Your College Reading Skills (p223)J.Elder

What is an  inference?

"Inference is a logical conclusion that is based on what an author has stated."

What is a definition of conclusion?

     "Conclusion is defined as a decision reached upon careful consideration of materials  that you have read.

What is the logical inference the author aims to convey?

Inferences and conclusions exceeds what is stated in the paragraph by the author.

What are the differences between imply and infer?

Imply means to hint while infer refers to understand a message that has been implied.

A simple example to give better comprehension is when you receive a message through your smartphone now, imply is given by the sender of the message while infer is done by the receiver of the message.

Got it?

Short Story Outline

The students have limited time to write the full short story. Although I had the tendency to give comments and to correct all the grammatical errors, I've decided to restrain myself from doing so. I keep reminding myself that this is not a grammar class and I should focus on the contents of the story. 

However, frequent grammatical errors can be distracting and hinders the enjoyment of reading. I'm glad that I did not have to use my red pen in correcting or commenting the hardcopy of the outlines. Using red pens will make the process of marking slower as I tend to automatically underline or circle the errors. 

Well, in online version, I highlighted and typed the comments to the outlines that were submitted earlier before the deadline. There weren't many. Only 5 of them. The rest submitted just before the due date. 

Codes, Subjects and Responsibilities for October 2020-February 2021

1.  ELC231 Integrated Language Skills III - JBA1113B - 25
2.  ELC231 Integrated Language Skills III - JBA1143B - 19
3. ALS252 Creative Writing              - JLG1204 - 23
4. BBM157 Introduction to Malay Linguistics-JLG1202 - 17
5. ELC501 English for Critical Academic Reading-JBC2513A-22
6. ELC501 English for Critical Academic Reading-JAC2203F-10
7. JLG 1201 Academic Advisor JLG1201A-25
8. ELS 304  Professional Communication Exercise 2

Welcome October 2020

Welcome new semester! It's better late than never. 

Here I am, blogging again at the end of Week 2 of the new semester; October 2020-February 2021. It's an Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of learning again due to the recent increasing cases of Covid-19. Last semester has been a mixture of excitement and struggle for me. Excited as I got the chance to implement my area of interest in delivering my teaching through distance learning mode which I had gained in 2000. 

Wow! That's 20 years ago. I have attended a seminar and workshop to create self-learning module for distance learning. Then, I continued this interest by doing a research on instructional designers practices for e-Learning of English for my masters thesis. 

Well, why was it a struggle? Perhaps it was the readiness aspect and the expectations from different stakeholders. I'll reserve this point of view for now and will elaborate further later. My aim for this semester is to write and document my teaching activities and reflections more consistently.

It was indeed a therapeutic activity for me especially when I also wrote poems and got them published too. I'll share about my workload for this semester in a separate entry.

I'll call this my Thursday night reflection

Online Grading on Google Classroom

What I love about online grading is the speed of grading. I feel that I can grade faster as compared to using a red pen as I don't need to underline,circle or mark the errors while evaluating. The red marks help me to decide the marks that I will give but I often spend longer time to do that. I know that the students are not usually interested to know the explanation of the errors that they have made.

Warm Up for YouTube Creation

I'm a bit reluctant and hesitant to create content on my teaching and learning activities although I have a lot of materials. I have been observing and watching other Edutubers sharing their contents.

I should start as soon as possible.

Shouldn't I?

Somehow,I'm more confident to share my YouTube Channel as an artist as compared to as an educator. That's where you can watch the other side of me. The side of my childhood dream becomes a reality. You can watch my creative process of creating my artworks till the part they are being exhibited at various exhibitions.

Now, shouldn't I be more able to share my 29 years of teaching experience?

Well, we'll see!

I just need to start.

SOON!

WHY LATE ZONE?

Welcone June 2020!

It's time to blog again.

I've changed the previously  'mouthful blog name' which was 'learningandteachingenglishthroughmyeyes' into 'latezone'.

It's the acronym of  'Learning and Teaching English' (LaTE) which sounds more catchy and easier to remember.

I've decided to make full use of the blog again for several reasons:

1. The content is still relevant
2. I'm still teaching this code 
3. I'm still the LIC (Lecturer-in-Charge) for ELC501

However, I also teach other subjects that I need to develop the content from scratch which are 'Creative Writing' and another one is 'Malay Language for Translation Purposes' besides 'Integrated Language Skills'.

So,yes! 

It's 4 codes this semester with the total of 6 different classes.

I'll elaborate about each class on my upcoming posts.

Till then.