Black or White . Equality!

Song as one of the best medium to send message to the world.For the matter in fact, message on almost anything one can desire. Here,my group have chosen Michael Jackson's Black or White song. This energetic song by this famous singer surely brought upon the issue over equality among the Americans and the Black Americans.
The title of this song is rather interesting yet giving insight on what the song could be. The colour,black or white are two totally opposite colour. Therefore,this shows the opposite colour that do not attract to each other.The title gives a very unique say about equality,among the Blacks and Whites.In MJ's contexts,this inequality happened in the Unites States of America.
The lyrics in this song were rather meaningful.He repeats this phrase several times in the songs, 'It don't matter if You're Black or White'. this repetition of phrase is to shoe emphasis on the message that skin colour does not matter to him in any way. MJ uses the word 'I' to show his own dissatisfaction over this issue as he,himself was a victim once when he was new to the music world. The discrimination that fell into his life has brought to this fantastic song.

Other than that,the video of this song is simply well presented.It started of with energetic dances of the Red Indians, Thai, Moroccan and also traditional Indian dance,Odissi,while MJ sings and dances along with the dances.Later on the video, there would be two babies, a black and a white sitting on a globe and they seem close to each other.After that, the video starts showing some anger towards the issue by having fire effects and in the background,there were videos of war. Lastly,the video ended with many people of different background and skin colour singing the last bit of the song to show the many different types of people in the world

Influential Leaders.Churchill & Hitler

Both Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill were very strong yet influential leaders who managed to convince people through their famous speeches.Though the speeches they used regarding the World War 1 was long,it has managed to capture the attention of many and surely,influenced thousands and millions of their intention on the war.

Basically, it can be seen in the style of structure in their speeches. The main thing that to be noticed is the usage of pronoun, I. This indicates the authority of the leader when delivering the speech. Though they do not sound demanding in their voice, the word usage has definitely brought into a lot of meaning to the audience who were taken aback . Other than that,both,Churchill and Hitler were using facts to show how bad the opposing nation are to get the people's support in the war. This provocation definitely worked as this has given the people some anger over the issue. As for Churchill,he uses the strategy by giving appraisal to give more boost towards the eagerness of the war. He made sure he tells about how much the army have sacrificed for the nation.In my opinion,it was merely to get sympathy through the audience. While Hitler on the other hand, he tells about the misfortune that his nation has went through and also includes about issue around the world as to give awareness to the people to act fast. These both leaders have prepared their speeches very well with a persuasive speech to get the people's support and they did manage to do so.Though this speeches could be spontaneous,they have made sure that their main points and issues are delivered well.

Monalisa Smile

Does Mona Lisa smiles in the painting by Leonardo da Vinci?
It is hard to say because she does not give discreet emotion in the painting.
This movie,Mona Lisa Smile is an inspiring movie to give a picture to those who think not pursue further in life with education.The teacher, Watson is a courageous lady who wants the best for the female students who have a stereotype thinking that they should be a responsible wife after finishing school. The movie shows how stereotypical mindset the students have and how it affects them being in a traditional mind school. I believe the environment do make a difference in influencing students' mind about their role in life and society.

The brief synopsis of the movie :

Set in 1953, Mona Lisa Smile tells the story of Katherine Watson (Julia_Roberts), a new young art history professor at Wellesley College, an all-female campus with a prestigious reputation for academic excellence. Unfortunately for free-minded Berkeley grad Watson, her East Coast teaching stint comes during a less-progressive time that finds most of her students -- among them Betty Warren (Kirsten_Dunst), Joan Brandwyn (Julia_Stiles), and Giselle Levy (Maggie_Gyllenhaal) -- more interested in nabbing a good husband than achieving scholastic and intellectual growth. Watson challenges her students and the Wellesley faculty to think outside of the current mores of the community and redefine what it means to be a success; meanwhile, she tries to come to terms with her own heart's desires. Mona Lisa Smile co-stars Marcia Gay Harden, Juliet Stevenson, and, as Watson's conflicting love interests, Dominic West and John Slattery.

1. What do you think of the movie in the term of entertainment value?

The movie is well depicted through images of people and being able to see the scenarios. This movie gives a clear picture about how school and teachers might be in my future teaching career.It is surely inspiring yet motivating to be a open-minded teacher in future.Learning through this movie gives me the courage that I can make a difference in my students' life.

2. How does it affect you as you are taking B.Ed TESL course now?
As a future teacher and an motivated one in making,i find this movie to be inspiring for my profession. As i learn the various types of teaching environments and assorted learners from differing backgrounds gives a pictures for me to be prepared. We should cut away the traditional mindset that women are not to be learning with books but with the pan. As the era is to be modernized, the mindset changes. I might not go through the same issue but maybe similar which would require me to help students know their capabilities in life.

3.How does it affect you if you relate the story in the movie to the teachers whom you know in the past?

Teachers whom i knew in the past did not really have an open mindness about student's education.They were encouraging,they did support in a way but did not allow themselves to be part of their student's life.I felt my teachers kept a distance.In my opinion, teacher's should not only chalk & talk but be involve in what students think about many issues.

4.What kind of practical/theoretical lesson that you learned after viewing this movie?
From this movie,I learned being a teacher does bring a lot of differences in students' life. As for Watson, she managed to tell her students,though it was difficult at first attempt, that one should achieve success on one's desire and not what the society id expecting of them.

Animal Farm

Animals have their rights but being animal ,not being able to voice out their opinion,many are ill-treated and surely a big number are well-cared for. Animalism seems roaring high for animals which don't get treated well and politics are displayed well through the story,Animal Farm.

The lengthy story entitled 'Animal Farm' was rather boring to be read,that was my first impression of it.But as the reading goes on,it was interesting.Story's setting something alien to most of us.From this story,we are able to be more sympathetic towards animals without realizing that animals also do have feelings.As we tend describe a person 'animal-hearted' as being someone who do not have feelings is something very much not true if you have read this story.But this isn't the the main issue at all in this story.

The main issue is the critique that Orwell gives on the idea of communism.This story displays that greed and a lust for power takes over, as seen in the pigs. He used pigs in place of the leaders in animal farm because pigs

are naturally known to be fat and greedy. This symbolism is well demonstrated as to be more entertaining and to be less sensitive to readers.As the novel progresses we see the pigs get fatter and fatter because of all they have taken form the other animals.

One way or another, this story is very good to be used as a material for classroom lesson for student.Other than it to be something very imaginative by the writer, it also has a hidden message for the audience to understand its nature and its consequences.Educators can use this story to teach students about value of people's rights and how people can be monopolized by an unethical leader.

Here how the story goes :

Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, has not been a very responsible farmer. Of late, he has taken to drinking and tends to neglect his farming chores. His careless attitude makes Old Major, the Berkshire boar, incite the animals to rise up against Jones. The boar calls for a meeting to explain his dream for the farm animals. Although Old Major does not narrate the dream, he does explain the ill treatment given to them by man and the dreary and deplorable life they are leading on the farm. He also inspires the animals with his song 'Beasts of England.'

The inspired animals seize their very first opportunity to oust Mr. Jones and rename the farm as "Animal Farm". They inscribe their laws, seven commandments, on the barn-wall. Napoleon and Snowball vie with each other for leadership. Although the two boars do not see eye to eye, they come together to banish their common enemy, Jones and his men, in The Battle of Cowshed.

After the battle, the rivalry between the two contenders comes out in the open. Snowball's plan of building the windmill is declared as 'nonsense' by Napoleon. He also chases Snowball off of the farm with the help of his fire dogs. He then puts forth the windmill project as his own.

The pigs from the ruling class are non-productive and live off the labor of the other animals. They change the commandments to suit their own desires. Squealer, Napoleon's henchman, tells the other animals that the rules must be changed to prevent Jones from returning to control the farm. They are terrorized into confessing whatever the authorities want and say that they have been scheming with Snowball as his agents. Napoleon's reign of terror is severe and takes a toll of several animals. He snatches every chance to further his own personality. He even negotiates 'trade' with his human neighbors after setting them against each other.

Frederick, a neighboring farmer, launches an attack, called the Battle of Windmill, against the animals. During the fighting, the Windmill is blown off. Reconstruction of the Windmill brings about prosperity, but not for all the animals; the pigs are the only beneficiaries. Ironically, the pigs now resemble the humans that they hated. They carry whips and walk upright on their hind legs. The only rule that now exists is, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The novel ends with Napoleon entertaining his human neighbors, and it is impossible to distinguish the pigs from the men.

Lean on Me

Quite a movie, i would.I personally enjoyed the movie as it portrayed a wide range of perspective on how an educator can make a different for his/her students.

Here's the synopsis that I've got from the Wikipedia :)

Lean On Me is based on a true story of a principal in a New Jersey high school, Eastside High. The Principal, Joe Clark, is hired in 1983 to run one of the worst schools in this state. His mission is to turn this crime, drug, and graffiti infested school around completely in one year’s time. Clark must bring order and peace to this school and must also bring up the learning level of the students so they can pass the state’s minimum basic skills test.

Joe Clark is a former Army drill instructor who uses tough discipline as a means of changing Eastside High School. His methods in doing so were very much controversial. He got the nick name of "Crazy Joe" Clark by using a bullhorn and a baseball bat within his school to terrorize and intimidate the students as well as the faculty. To his supporters this tactic was to be motivation for the students and teachers to do better. According to a Mississippi State University Memo dated back in March of 1996, it stated that within two years Eastside High was declared a model school by New Jersey’s governor and in 1986, Clark was named one of the nation’s 10 "Principals of Leadership".

One of the first things Joe Clark did to reform this school was expelling 300 minority students who he claimed were "educationally hopeless and overage underachievers, parasites, hoodlums, and drug pushers" (Education Digest, 1989). To make sure these now ex-students stayed out and could not return, Clark chained and locked the school doors from the inside. Clark demanded respect from not only his students but also with the faculty. If respect was not given Clark simply removed you from the school.

There are some differences between what happened in real life and how the director, John Avildsen, portrayed Joe Clark in the movie Lean On Me. In the movie Clark was able to raise the student test scores to a level that protected the school from being taken over by the state. In real life, Eastside High was never in a threat of a take over. Clark has claimed that during his first year as principal he doubled the test scores of the students, but according to the Education Digest, 1989, they state that there is no such evidence to support Clark’s claim of this. In fact, according to this article the scores of the students at Eastside High were the lowest in the state of New Jersey between the years of 1986 to 1988. It goes on to say that over these years the percentage of students who actually did pass was as low as 24.1%. The author of this article, Irwin Hyman, tries to uncover if the "Dirty Harry" tactics used by Clark are needed in situations like these. These stricter punishment strategies used by Clark were recognized and supported by President Reagan.

Another disturbing issue that critics bring up is that in the movie none of the students rebel against this principal who threatens them, locks them inside the school, embarrasses them in front of others, intimidates and bullies them. These same critics believe that in real life things could not have gone this smooth so quickly.

Finally, Joe Clark resigned as principal in 1990. The time he spent at Eastside High has made him quite popular. Since this time Clark has made the cover of Time magazine, been on 60 Minutes, The Phil Donahue Show, and ABC’s Nightline. He is also a nationally recognized speaker who travels across the country to speak on such topics as his life story.

1.What do you think of the movie in the term of entertainment value?
The display of an unexampled school was clearly shown to us. To most of us,maybe that kind of school does not exist but this movie have given us a wider perspective on the types of school and students that we may encounter in near future. The display of the almost real scenarios gives me a better understanding of disciplinary problems that may happen in an learning institution

2.How does it affect you as you are taking B.Ed TESL course now?

As a future teacher, this movie gives a great effect on me. It opens my mind about the real-world situation about schools and students that i might experience at its worse condition.With that,i will be more prepared in handling my students and definitely in achieving affective learning environment

3.How does it affect you if you relate the story in the movie to the teachers whom you know in the past?

Teachers in the past that i have known,many of them did not care much of the well-being of their students.They just teach and left the class,and their duty is accomplished. But there were few teachers of mine who were very much dedicated to the profession.These few teachers card about the well-being of their students and took high regard about their responsibility to the nation.


4.What kind of practical/theoretical lesson that you learned after viewing this movie?
From this movie,i learn that students can be very vulnerable and it all depends on the learning institute to bring the best out in them.Young students are easily influenced by peers and bad companies. Being an educator,i believe I should make effort in making my teaching environment to be comfortable for my learners n teach them with my heart and soul.

Watching this types of movie motivates me to be a very motivated educator in future. I believe i am exposed to good scenarios of learning institutions where i might be teaching in future. The school should be in a friendly yet comfortable condition for learning to take place. Other than that,educators should befriend their students and have a good relationship with students. With that,we will be able to help them improve themselves as we can expect them come to us willingly when they are in trouble,whether in books or life :)

I can't wait to start being a teacher and be an inspiring educator.

Akeelah & The Bee

It's definitely NOT a girl with the insect Bee,but rather the Scripps National Spellling Bee that she will be participating in this movie

As for those who haven't watch this fantastic movie, below is the summary plot :

A young girl learns to believe in herself and value her intelligence in this critically-acclaimed, family-friendly drama. Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is an 11-year-old being raised by her mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett), who was left on her own after the death of her husband. While Akeelah is a very bright girl, she's hardly a star student and seems afraid of acting like a bookworm around her friends and classmates. However, Akeelah's teacher sees genuine potential in her student and encourages her to enter the school's spelling bee, convinced Akeelah has the brains and the talent to win. Akeelah applies herself and emerges victorious in the local competition, but discovers the going gets tougher when she goes to a statewide bee, studying for the regionals under the aegis of strict English teacher Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), who consents to act as her coach A college professor who was a spelling-bee champ as a child, Larabee is a stubborn taskmaster who questions Akeelah's ability and commitment, but in time he develops a respect for his pupil and helps her prove her talent as she climbs the ladder to the National Spelling Bee. Meanwhile, Tanya feels intimidated when she finds the contests are dominated by children from wealthy families and privileged backgrounds, and argues that the competition may not be in Akeelah's best interest, believing instead that homework should be the one and only priority in Akeelah's life. It soon becomes apparent that if Akeelah has any intention of entering the national spelling bee championships in Washington, D.C., she will not do so with Tanya's permission or blessing. This marks the first onscreen reunion of Bassett and Fishburne since their Academy Award-nommed performances as Ike Turner and Tina Turner in Brian Gibson's 1993 biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

My personal review from the movie viewing:

1.What do you think of the movie in the term of entertainment value?
Definitely,movie is the best tool to show about teaching visually.For me,i think this is the best way to portray example teaching to me as a future teacher.

2.How does it affect you as you are taking B.Ed TESL course now?
Watching this movie had increased my motivation in educating my future students with sincerity. Students will not be able to know their capabilities until teachers help them evoke their hidden talent.Juicy motivation would make the trick.I have learned few tricks in how to be a good educator through this movie.

3.How does it affect you if you relate the story in the movie to the teachers whom you know in the past?
My teachers in the past were very much conventional who were busy trying to finish up their syllabus to achieve their target of the completion of content input to their students. I was once such a student,who was struggling a lot because i could not take too much of input at one go of a class period.This situation had made me more stressful as the competition among my classmates were high as well.By relating this movie and comparing it to my past teachers,i surely would not want to be like them but to make classes to be fun where students enjoy what they learn,understand what they are getting from the class and recognise the importance of the knowledge.

4.What kind of practical/theoretical lesson that you learned after viewing this movie?
The lesson that i have learned from this movie is that every student is unique in their own way and they would have their unique way pertaining to their understanding of the knowledge. Every individual has his/her learning style.Therefore,as a future teacher,I will consider the differences in my students.Other than that,a teacher support is very much needed by students to boost their self-esteem.I will make sure that my students are inspired and motivated in every way i can.

** Personally,i am inspired to see the different situations that i might go through in my teaching in near future.This movie has shown me the importance of teacher's involvement for student's achievement.Young students tend to be unaware of their capabilities and it is the teacher who plays the role in helping them to identify their identity.One of the interesting scene that had captuured my attention was the part where the teacher noticed that Akeelah taps her lap when she spells whoch increases her motivation to spell.The beat that she makes is the one makes her self-esteem be increased.I would recommend this movie for those who wants to make their teaching to be inspiring.**

Dead Poet Society!

A movie that i can relate to,Dead Poet Society.

As being a future English and Literature teacher ,I find this movie to be very much connected to be as being inspiring at the same time.

Literature subject can be very challenging as many are not exposed to Literature and therefore bring the least interest in students,especially among the Malaysian students.

As we are all aware,Malaysia should to have literature study in school,as what i could recall being said by my parents who studied English Literature way back during their schooling years when the British colonized.

As the Malaysia heading towards the millennium, the Literature component was introduce in 2000.I am proud to say that i was in the first batch to be introduce to the Literature component in the English subject.

As to relate to this movie,Dead Poet Society... I wished i had inspiring teachers who could have made me love the subject and not being asked to memorize answers from the workbooks.

Literature should be taught with the heart and soul which will bring out the essence of life with the magic of literature.

In this movie,Dead Poet Society,the teaching methods of their new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), are unusual by Welton standards, whistling the 1812 Overture and taking them out of the classroom to focus on the idea of carpe diem. He tells the students that they may call him "O Captain! My Captain!," in reference to a Walt Whitman poem, if they feel daring.

That was how Keating started his class with a bomb to the students that surely brought a lot of changes to their mind about Literature.

The revolutionary of the teaching of Literature has brought the students into the minds of enjoying as they did not before that. I believe that a teacher makes a lot of difference when it comes to teaching Literature to his/her students.

My personal review from the movie viewing:

1.What do you think of the movie in the term of entertainment value?

I think the portrayal of the teacher and students in a difficult classroom brought a lot of visual evidence in term if entertainment.I enjoyed watching the movie as there were sense of humour and rationale in it as well.

2.How does it affect you as you are taking B.Ed TESL course now?
As a future English Literature teacher,it does affect me,not little but a lot! From this movie,I am able to predict the situation that I might face being a teacher in future with students who have the least interest in Literature study.It shows that i have to be very motivated to inspire my students to enjoy the subject as well.

3.How does it affect you if you relate the story in the movie to the teachers whom you know in the past?
Comparing to the teachers that i had in the past,it does affect in a way for me to think that i was not given the right opportunity to understand what literature was about as exposure was at its least.Teachers themselves were not sure of what they were teaching me at that point of time as the Literature component was very new and teachers were not trained for the change of its syllabus.

4.What kind of practical/theoretical lesson that you learned after viewing this movie?
After viewing this movie,i have learned few strategies that would help me to make my Literature class to be fun.Firstly,I have to make my students comfortable with me. Then,find out about their interest about Literature.Then,make the class as interesting as possible with lots of interactive activities.Literature classes to be something stress-free for students ,so that they will enjoy it.