Reposted to Facebook on 9/5/2020 10:37 AM
Posted to Empty Vessel (1/4/2016) on 3 April 2016 at 9:16 AM
Commenting on “A Letter to Singapore Parents”
https://iantan.org/2016/04/a-letter-to-singapore-parents/
It is a norm that most people want more things and more throughput but not prepare to supply more input.
Every new generation, new replaces the old, whether it is technology, fashion, concept, management style, food, parenting method, education, etc.
Instead of just making ends meet, many choose to climb much higher in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ladder at the expense of the fundamental need of parental love and care for the children; I do mean substitution of love by materialistic items.
As a spherical thinking educator, I am in favour of old style “teaching” including spelling, dictation, and “repeat after me” reading, plus practical logical and cognitive learning
Parents are the most important teachers in a child’s life the moment the child comes to the world. Parents attend school to learn English, maths, cooking, public relation, finance, and all sorts of subjects trying to achieve a brighter and better future, but they forget they have already brought the future to the world, their child.
Parents do not “attend” classes on how to cope with and prepare the child, because parenting classes are hard to find. They blame their forebear for making their generation rebellious or what they have become, but never question what sort of a child they will bring up.
The difficulties faced by previous generation were that most chores were done manually and information was at a premium. They did not have the opportunity and luxury to “learn”. Unfortunately, parents of today are too lazy to learn despite the advancement in technology, and therefore they have no idea how to communicate with their children.
There is no one size fits all education system. It is evitable that the students of today have to learn more, some old but mainly new subjects. The society is getting more complex and speed of progress is getting faster. Parents can stay at the bus stop, drive in slow speed lane or the take the highway. The means and therefore the end result will be entirely different.
Apathy is the cause of all down fall. Contribute and voice your positive ideas; don’t just knock others’ without giving a good counter reason.
Friday, 8 May 2020
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
Why the university system is failing our graduates
Posted to Facebook on 30/4/2020 2:05 PM
Commenting on “Why the university system is failing our graduates”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/work/2019/10/22/australian-university-graduate-jobs/
Commenting on “Why the university system is failing our graduates”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/work/2019/10/22/australian-university-graduate-jobs/
This news article was from 22 October 2019. If there was a problem for graduates to find jobs after graduation, what are the chances now after the coronavirus pandemic?
I had a chat with a FB friend yesterday over Messenger, and I discussed about why graduates should try to land themselves with a job relevant to what they had studied, before considering going for higher degree.
For years, I encouraged many students to take up an Advanced Diploma courses from TAFE, find a job and then find pathway to complete a degree later. It takes less time to complete an Advanced Diploma course than a degree, cost less, but has the advantage of having the core materials covered, relevant to fulfil the employment requirement.
Some TAFE and VET courses are more hands-on and practical, thus makes a TAFE graduates more employable.
As for future promotion, it is up to the individual to pursue further study.
Employers are looking for more than a degree or Advanced Diploma, and I shall discuss this more in later blogs.
Thank you for reading.
I had a chat with a FB friend yesterday over Messenger, and I discussed about why graduates should try to land themselves with a job relevant to what they had studied, before considering going for higher degree.
For years, I encouraged many students to take up an Advanced Diploma courses from TAFE, find a job and then find pathway to complete a degree later. It takes less time to complete an Advanced Diploma course than a degree, cost less, but has the advantage of having the core materials covered, relevant to fulfil the employment requirement.
Some TAFE and VET courses are more hands-on and practical, thus makes a TAFE graduates more employable.
As for future promotion, it is up to the individual to pursue further study.
Employers are looking for more than a degree or Advanced Diploma, and I shall discuss this more in later blogs.
Thank you for reading.
Thursday, 16 April 2020
Worried parents ask principals to take their kids
Posted to Facebook on 16/4/2020 10:29 PM
Posted to The Age (16/4/2020) on 16/4/2020
Commenting on “Worried parents ask principals to take their kids”
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/we-can-t-do-this-worried-parents-ask-principals-to-take-their-kids-20200416-p54kk1.html
Posted to The Age (16/4/2020) on 16/4/2020
Commenting on “Worried parents ask principals to take their kids”
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/we-can-t-do-this-worried-parents-ask-principals-to-take-their-kids-20200416-p54kk1.html
If parents can’t help their children in home schooling and home work, does it mean that many parents have low level of literacy and numeracy? It’s time some of these parents should re-enrol in a primary school.
Far too often, parents point fingers at teachers for not doing their job educating the children. It is time that the society must realise schools are the best and cheapest childcare centres around.
Respect the teachers, support the teachers.
Thank you for reading.
Far too often, parents point fingers at teachers for not doing their job educating the children. It is time that the society must realise schools are the best and cheapest childcare centres around.
Respect the teachers, support the teachers.
Thank you for reading.
Friday, 10 April 2020
No more Zoom for home-based learning after hackers show obscene photos to Singapore students
Posted to Facebook on 10/4/2020 11:16 PM
Commenting on “No more Zoom for home-based learning after hackers show obscene photos to Singapore students”
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hackers-hijack-home-based-lessons-on-zoom-to-allegedly-show-obscene-photos-to-children
Commenting on “No more Zoom for home-based learning after hackers show obscene photos to Singapore students”
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/hackers-hijack-home-based-lessons-on-zoom-to-allegedly-show-obscene-photos-to-children
Zoom video conferencing users beware.
Lack of security enables hackers to join the chat room. Read the attached news article from Singapore, banning use of Zoom school online home-based lessons. Zoom attracts Zoom bombing, like what the school children have experienced.
Zoom's security flaws have led to a number of organizations, companies, and schools banning or restricting its use.
Government and government agencies banning such use include NASA, Taiwan, Australian Defence Force, German Foreign Ministry, US Senate.
Google also ban its employees using Zoom on company-owned desktop and laptop computers, and administrators will disable it this week.
Many people with no knowledge or do not care about cyber security jump into the band wagon because it is the in-thing during this coronavirus pandemic, will be get more than they bargained for, and likely have their video conferencing posted to other media without their consent.
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Away from Zoom.
Thank you for reading.
No more Zoom for home-based learning after hackers show obscene photos to Singapore students
Lack of security enables hackers to join the chat room. Read the attached news article from Singapore, banning use of Zoom school online home-based lessons. Zoom attracts Zoom bombing, like what the school children have experienced.
Zoom's security flaws have led to a number of organizations, companies, and schools banning or restricting its use.
Government and government agencies banning such use include NASA, Taiwan, Australian Defence Force, German Foreign Ministry, US Senate.
Google also ban its employees using Zoom on company-owned desktop and laptop computers, and administrators will disable it this week.
Many people with no knowledge or do not care about cyber security jump into the band wagon because it is the in-thing during this coronavirus pandemic, will be get more than they bargained for, and likely have their video conferencing posted to other media without their consent.
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Away from Zoom.
Thank you for reading.
Thursday, 2 April 2020
Every graduate should have a good understanding of Marketing
Posted to Facebook on 4/2/2020 8:46 PM
Every graduate should have a good understanding of Marketing
Every graduate should have a good understanding of Marketing
Written on 4 February 2020
Every graduate should have a good understanding of Marketing, including the technique of selling products and services.
The graduate is the product and what they can offer are the services.
In one of my early careers, I was a professional cake decorator cum marketer. No matter how beautiful my creation and masterpiece was, it just looked beautiful and that was all. It did not feed my ”empty stomach”, so to say. That beautiful cake had to be sold to exchange for money, and for that I had to convince the market, the arena where exchanges took place, that the beautiful cake had its worth and value.
Graduates need to be able to market themselves as a total package, the person and what that person possesses in the grey matter.
Thank you for reading.
Every graduate should have a good understanding of Marketing, including the technique of selling products and services.
The graduate is the product and what they can offer are the services.
In one of my early careers, I was a professional cake decorator cum marketer. No matter how beautiful my creation and masterpiece was, it just looked beautiful and that was all. It did not feed my ”empty stomach”, so to say. That beautiful cake had to be sold to exchange for money, and for that I had to convince the market, the arena where exchanges took place, that the beautiful cake had its worth and value.
Graduates need to be able to market themselves as a total package, the person and what that person possesses in the grey matter.
Thank you for reading.
Monday, 30 March 2020
My Story - Volunteering at a primary school
Posted to Facebook on 31/3/2020 3:44 AM
My Story - Volunteering at a primary school"
My Story - Volunteering at a primary school"
I am very fortunate that the school I volunteer in trusted me to assist teachers in three different Years in a single day.
In a normal class, a teacher can only use one method (teaching style) to teach the students. However, when the class teacher assigned me to help small groups each are generally of the same competence level, I can use different techniques to help them understand better.
In my opinion the problem is not about the class size, but the student mix. It does not matter how a young teacher is mentored, they will still be frustrated because the one-size-fits-all method will not achieve an optimal outcome. It is sad that the system got rid of streaming, and therefore the end result is that the overall performance is just average. That my be what Australian culture is about - chopping down the tall poppies!
How can a young teacher deal with a student rolling on the floor crying, or the student keeps saying she is a failure? How can a young teacher cope with naughty or mischievous students who cannot be punished or reprimanded? How can a young teacher just use generic words to describe exact nature of the students' behaviour or the actual performance of the students in the "report card"?
It is not just the young teachers having problems. In fact many experienced teachers are as stressed and frustrated when they write the individual reports.
Thank you for reading.
In a normal class, a teacher can only use one method (teaching style) to teach the students. However, when the class teacher assigned me to help small groups each are generally of the same competence level, I can use different techniques to help them understand better.
In my opinion the problem is not about the class size, but the student mix. It does not matter how a young teacher is mentored, they will still be frustrated because the one-size-fits-all method will not achieve an optimal outcome. It is sad that the system got rid of streaming, and therefore the end result is that the overall performance is just average. That my be what Australian culture is about - chopping down the tall poppies!
How can a young teacher deal with a student rolling on the floor crying, or the student keeps saying she is a failure? How can a young teacher cope with naughty or mischievous students who cannot be punished or reprimanded? How can a young teacher just use generic words to describe exact nature of the students' behaviour or the actual performance of the students in the "report card"?
It is not just the young teachers having problems. In fact many experienced teachers are as stressed and frustrated when they write the individual reports.
Thank you for reading.
Monday, 23 March 2020
'Worst since 1932': Two million Aussies face unemployment queue
Posted to Facebook on 24/3/2020 at 9:53 PM
'Worst since 1932': Two million Aussies face unemployment queue
'Worst since 1932': Two million Aussies face unemployment queue
'Worst since 1932': Two million Aussies face unemployment queue
'Worst since 1932': Two million Aussies face unemployment queue
I am very vocal and I really don’t like a lot of the interviewers and interviewing techniques used by the employment agency consultants, HR representatives and potential employers.
The terminologies used are no more than jargons, and normally fairly new in the vocabulary. Unless the job seekers have just finished a management course in tertiary education, there is a Buckley’s chance that they can understand what they interviewers are talking about.
One typical example is about being a team player. Without having worked in that specific company or organisation, how does one know about it’s team dynamics, and therefore whether one can fit in. Then there are words like hard skills and soft skills.
Some of the advertisements are just plain ridiculous and expect too much. Unfortunately, these are written just as a formality, because the position is meant for someone awaits to be promoted internally but due to organisation policies that the position has to be advertised externally.
Cities go into lockdown, and many businesses especially fashion, hospitality, entertainment, motor vehicle and tourism and all related industries will close for good. No one has ever imagined such a disaster can ever happen leading to depression.
No one knows when this pandemic will end, and how much longer can any government pour money in to support the businesses, workers who have been stood down and casual workers who could not find work to subsidise their income. Many businesses may not survive and even if there is a restart button, some businesses will take much longer to rebuild.
Those unemployed former employment consultants, HR experts and business owners will be queuing up to compete with a lot of others. These people will understand some of prejudices they had before, and how difficult is to be across am interviewing panel bombarded with questions only the quick minded can handle.
The negative impact of this disastrous pandemic on private schools is more visible than the public sector. I did challenge the usefulness of the lush green carpet grass school field, swimming pool, gymnasium, posh canteen, etc. These do not come into the equation of education system proper.
For those loyal followers of my real estate blogs, you probably have heard enough about my asking you to save, save and save for rainy days, and never jump in to invest on negatively geared properties. I think my advice is spot on. My prediction about the negative impact on the real estate industry has come true. Auctions and property inspection are halted during the current state of emergency and the imposition of self-distancing rule on public gathering.
After all that being said, do not get disappointed, disillusion and get yourself into a state of depression. You have a lot of spare time, and use this time wisely to self-improve yourself, not only in terms of knowledge, but also outlook in life. This is also the time to reconsider your next career path.
In one of my blogs, I explained economy will stay stagnant if money does not flow by changing hand. Until consumer confidence returns, that is when people perceive to have financial stability again, money will be saved rather than spent.
The economic recovery takes time, and you must remain strong, physically and mentally.
Thank you for reading.
The terminologies used are no more than jargons, and normally fairly new in the vocabulary. Unless the job seekers have just finished a management course in tertiary education, there is a Buckley’s chance that they can understand what they interviewers are talking about.
One typical example is about being a team player. Without having worked in that specific company or organisation, how does one know about it’s team dynamics, and therefore whether one can fit in. Then there are words like hard skills and soft skills.
Some of the advertisements are just plain ridiculous and expect too much. Unfortunately, these are written just as a formality, because the position is meant for someone awaits to be promoted internally but due to organisation policies that the position has to be advertised externally.
Cities go into lockdown, and many businesses especially fashion, hospitality, entertainment, motor vehicle and tourism and all related industries will close for good. No one has ever imagined such a disaster can ever happen leading to depression.
No one knows when this pandemic will end, and how much longer can any government pour money in to support the businesses, workers who have been stood down and casual workers who could not find work to subsidise their income. Many businesses may not survive and even if there is a restart button, some businesses will take much longer to rebuild.
Those unemployed former employment consultants, HR experts and business owners will be queuing up to compete with a lot of others. These people will understand some of prejudices they had before, and how difficult is to be across am interviewing panel bombarded with questions only the quick minded can handle.
The negative impact of this disastrous pandemic on private schools is more visible than the public sector. I did challenge the usefulness of the lush green carpet grass school field, swimming pool, gymnasium, posh canteen, etc. These do not come into the equation of education system proper.
For those loyal followers of my real estate blogs, you probably have heard enough about my asking you to save, save and save for rainy days, and never jump in to invest on negatively geared properties. I think my advice is spot on. My prediction about the negative impact on the real estate industry has come true. Auctions and property inspection are halted during the current state of emergency and the imposition of self-distancing rule on public gathering.
After all that being said, do not get disappointed, disillusion and get yourself into a state of depression. You have a lot of spare time, and use this time wisely to self-improve yourself, not only in terms of knowledge, but also outlook in life. This is also the time to reconsider your next career path.
In one of my blogs, I explained economy will stay stagnant if money does not flow by changing hand. Until consumer confidence returns, that is when people perceive to have financial stability again, money will be saved rather than spent.
The economic recovery takes time, and you must remain strong, physically and mentally.
Thank you for reading.
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