Tutorial 11 – Debate

Buzzfeed did violate journalistic ethics.

Firstly, the journalism ethics of impartiality was violated. This is a principle of reporting with justice about the subject matter without bias and prejudice or even partisanship, was violated. The dossier was uploaded 10 days before Trump’s inauguration. By putting Trump in a bad light and accusing him indirectly through the dossier, would heighten the chance of him being  president after the president-elect phase. This is evident that Buzzfeed had an ulterior motive, to put Trump in the bad light and defame him. Besides, other the articles posted on Buzzfeed are opinion-based which brings about their view point and different perspectives, so does this mean that this article on the dossier would be their opinions instead of something that is genuinely accurate?

Secondly, they violated the discipline towards verified reporting, bringing about fake news. The information that was gathered and reported by Buzzfeed was mentioned to be potentially unverified by their journalists and there was not context added to it. It could be seen that what the journalists did was to place the document on the internet without verifying and ensuring its reliability and credibility. The process of fact-checking in this situation was certainly forgone and the consequence of this brings about FALSE and INACCURATE presentation of information, bringing about fake news. This violates the principle of journalism which is to present and gather only factual information.

Lastly, the ethics of Utilitarianism has also been violated in this situation. This ethical norm suggests that individuals or the Buzzfeed journalists should carry out acts that would bring about consequences that would benefit the greatest amount of people in the end. Clearly, this was not the case as readers of the Trump-Russia dossier would have already known by then, Trumps’s intentions and the allegations of misconduct. This will consequently spark controversy and an uproar among the American readers as well as international ones as they would jump into conclusions about Trump. Since the dossier is already being posted on the internet by these journalists, people will most likely think that the information is precise and reliable. Making the American make up their mind about such allegations about the president-elect will not serve them any good, rather it would heighten the controversy in the air.

Other points raised in class for the topic:

-Buzzfeed did not check the credibility of the article, the journalists did not cross-refer with other sources.

-Flawed because it is opinionated, it makes readers want to have certain opinion towards Trump.

-Might cause audience to not trust the media in the future.

-There is no appropriate news for the target audience.

-Agenda based article.

-Buzzfeed are fake journalists. 

-Duty to profession and audience (but information is not accurate thus spreading fake news) violated.

Points raised by Mr Selvan

-Is Buzzfeed a news site? If you consider yourself a new site, you must practise proper Jounalism.

-Journalism has gatekeeping with several layers of check.

 

 

 

 

J2 Tutorial 10 – Analysis of Digital Journalism

Questions:	Answers:
How does the story generate revenue for the organisation? Why do you say so?	In my opinion, I believe that the stories generate revenue or rather funds for the organisation firstly by native advertising through their articles and secondly through subscriptions. Firstly, National Geographic garner funds for their organisation through native advertising. As I have learnt through lecture 10, native advertising brings about branded content or an online publication that is in fact the organisation’s editorial content but that content is being paid for by advertisers as they intend to promote the advertiser’s product, thus the article becomes an advertorial. After reading through the different articles that the provided link has directed me to, I realised that National Geographic has partnered with different companies such as Resonance Consultancy and Abu Dhabi Tourism when they gather and report information on these articles. These articles are typically used as a platform to promote or advertise. For example, as for the article ‘Know Before You Go: Abu Dhabi City Guide’, Abu Dhabi Tourism has partnered with National Geographic for them to write an article about Abu Dhabi and why it should be visited by people. There were even pictures of attractions in Abu Dhabi accompanying the articles. This way, readers would be interested to visit Abu Dhabi. Definitely, advertising rates will apply to Abu Dhabi Tourism when they use National Geographic articles as a platform to promote themselves. As mentioned, these articles are already being paid for by the Abu Dhabi Tourism, thus it helps to generate funds for National Geographic. However, this does come with a cost, as branded content may or may not gain the trust in people since it is being paid for by the advertisers. People would ponder if this native advertisement is journalism or advertising and if has any elements of biasness since, it is already being paid for. Additionally, after a reading a couple of articles on the National Geographic website itself, I was required to subscribe to continue reading the articles. I have realised that National Geographic has engaged their audience through different elements such as photos and graphics, and this brings about an innovative way of telling their story. As such, I became more engaged, and as more and more readers are engaged in the articles on the website, they consume more of the content and with that, it is likely that they would continue to read other articles thus contributing to a higher readership metrics, as learnt in lecture 10. Moreover, I have also realised that not only does National Geographic have subscriptions for their magazine, they also do have gift subscriptions that costs around $12 to $19. This means that readers could purchase a package of gift set for others that comprises different sets such as 12 issues of the magazine and a world map. Through such subscriptions, National Geographic can garner even more funds. Lastly, National Geographic also garners revenue or rather funds from their stories by integrating stories and also booking of exhibitions and events, all in the same article. For example, there is an article on the website titled ‘The Future of Food’. Although the story of this particular article is rather short, readers will still be enlightened about the ‘interest in the future of food’. After acquiring the basics of the aforementioned topic, readers can then decide if they want to book an exhibition, in the same exact page. Through piquing the interest of readers with this story and  subsequently making them book an exhibition, the revenue or rather funds, can be generated in that manner. Other points raised in class: Viewership, subscription, online shop, newsletter and donation
How does the story engage the reader?	As mentioned, these stories being put up on the National Geographic websites, have engaged the readers in myriad of ways. As I read through the articles on their website, I have come to realise that these articles brought about data journalism and augmented journalism. During lecture 10, I have learnt that data journalism utilizes different tools such as infographics, charts and different types of visuals to tell a compelling story and consequently engage the readers. For example, on the National Geographic website, there were indeed many photographs, videos and charts accompanying the articles. This way of embedding visual elements alongside the articles, in my opinion, helps to engage the readers as they read. As I have learnt in lecture 10, one of the may elements that we have to utilize when writing for digital platforms, is ‘Interactivity’. I perceive that interactivity is essential when it comes to engaging the audience. Thus, comes about the videos and photographs that are in high-definition, on the National Geographic website. For example as for their article ‘Stunning Portraits Reveal The Power Of Traditional Fashion’, there were photos of women and men wearing their traditional gowns from Tehuana. Additionally, there were also charts accompanying the article. For example as for the article ‘The Future of Food’, there were charts that entail statistics that accompanied the articles. This helps with the engagement of readers because as a reader myself, I would not want to read an article that just describes the traditional costume or just mere numbers and statistics and imagine it, but I would also want to have a type of visual aid alongside the article that helps me better visualize rather than imagine. Additionally, I also believe that the articles brought about augmented journalism. As can be seen under their ‘The Future of Food’ article, there was some type of augmented reality being embedded to it. As can be seen in that article, there was a 360 degree simulation of a map or rather a globe, that readers could zoom in and out with, turn the globe left and right, to whichever country. Additionally, there was also a legend of the Agriculture Footprint which was coloured to indicate which part of the world has crops and which part of the world has feed and fuel on the other hand. Through such 360 degree function, readers need not imagine the information that comes with the article. Rather, they can refer to the 360 degree globe as they read, to further enhance their understanding and comprehend the article in-depth. Other points raised in class: Descriptive words, colourful statistics, short and sweet paragraph.
What characteristics of digital journalism does the example have? Explain.	I believe that the stories work around the different characteristics of digital journalism such as hyperlinks, multimedia, transmedia, and transparency. Firstly, attached as part of the stories were hyperlinks that direct readers to another website. In my opinion, hyperlinks aids readers to understand something, in-depth. For example, as for the article ‘Veteran Urban Explorer Shares His Favorite Abandoned Places’, there were many hyperlinks attached within the story. This story attached a hyperlink to the YouTube channel of the filmmaker who was being talked about in article. In my opinion, this function provides further insights into the details of the article as readers would be curious to more about the filmmaker himself. Through his YouTube channel, readers would definitely be able to know more about him and the kind of content he creates and produces. Additionally, for the same exact filmmaker, when telling how popular he is on the internet, his social media such as his Facebook and Instagram account were also embedded within the article itself. This function helps to put more emphasis on the fact that he is popular and thus readers are able to check out his social media accounts and see the type of content he uploads. Secondly, multimedia was also used in the stories in the National Geographic website. In fact, there were many charts, 360 degree photos and videos that helped readers to visualise better, as they read. These 360 photos, does help readers to immerse into the articles and helps readers to comprehend the articles better without having to question themselves; how does it look like? Or what does this mean? In fact, this also brings about interactivity among the readers and the article itself. Multimedia integrated in the articles thus helps readers to interact and understand. Thirdly, the National Geographic is also a transmedia platform. Through lecture 10, I have learnt that transmedia is telling stories across multiple platforms. As for National Geographic, their articles or information can not only be found on their print magazine but also their online magazine such that it could be accessed through computer, phones and even tablets, making it easier, convenient and feasible for readers to access and read their articles. Lastly, I have also realised that the articles that are published by the National Geographic, in my opinion brings about transparency. After reading the articles, we all know that the information gathered are only the truth and credible information and there is no biasness in their articles. The information being uploaded through the articles can be deemed accurate as there are photos to back up the articles. For example, as for the article on ‘Feeding 9 Billion People’,  there are photos attached to the article, that helps to emphasis on the transparency of the article. Other points raised in class: Multimedia, links to other articles, transparency and autonomy, the truth, no propaganda or misintepretation.
List the how, what, where and when of the story (where applicable).	As for the article ‘Feeding 9 Billion People’, the ‘how’ lies in how can the world increase the amount of food and at the same time not having to results in environmental harm caused by agriculture. All in all, how can the world find the balance in harvesting food for daily consumption and not having to emit so much harm into the earth’s atmosphere that could result in global warming. The ‘where’ in the article lies in the different parts of the world where the tradition of agriculture is most prominent at and where forest and grasslands are being plowed for farmers to embark on the inaugural of agriculture to grow crops, to feed themselves and their family. The ‘when’ in the story lies in throughout the entire time of when agriculture is possible to be carried out such as during stable condition and weather, where there is no signs of drought or other factors that could prevent the growth of the crops. The ‘what’ in the story entails what are the different ways that people or rather farmers can do to decrease the chance of global warming as they plant their crop. The process of planting crops and clearing the land to do so is inevitable as the end goal brings about benefits such as food. Through these articles, readers would know what to do in such a scenario.
Any background or interesting facts about this story.	Personally, I find the fact that this article addresses a problem that has been persisting for many years and that the seriousness of this problem is being emphasised even more through graphics and photos, piques my interest. The article ‘Feeding 9 Billion People’ is also enthralling because of the fact that many historical insights were being mentioned and talked about, further heightening the seriousness of this problem. Additionally, to help the world combat the problem that agriculture has brought about, it is interesting that the writer himself has put out his thought into the article and that he has lead a team of scientist to carry out the ‘expedition’ to surmount the problem that lies within agriculture. In a way, not only is this article a ‘service article’ that consists of five ways to surmount the problem, but also the writer’s view and analysis on the problem itself. Other points raised in class: The writer went personally, to that place to have first-hand experience

Personal reflection

Personally, I enjoyed reading the National Geographic stories the most. This is simply because unlike the other stories, there is not much of a interactivity with the readers. Yes, there may be photographs accompanying the article but as for the articles in National Geographic, it is more immersive in a sense that there were a many different types of elements that as a reader, I could interact with. As mentioned, the multimedia aspect has been utilized in their website and I really like that fact because when I read, I can understand even more as I browse through the 360 globe provided and the high quality photos attached. It certainly enhance and helps me better understand the topic of the article. National Geographic, in my opinion has satisfied the ‘B’ in B.A.S.I.C. as the articles are written in clear, coherent and concise manner but it still could engage readers with the descriptive words. Additionally the ‘S’ which refers to scanability as the stories are easy to be scanned and read and that the headlines are not clickbaits and also ‘I’ as the articles are no doubt, very interactive.

J2 Tutorial 8 – OH Feature Story

“Through my education, I didn’t just develop skills, I didn’t just develop the ability to learn, but I developed confidence”.

This quote said by Michelle Obama during the International Day Of The Girl initiative, brings about what polytechnics hope to achieve for their students – skills and confidence through hands-on learning.

It all began when the government emphasised on SkillsFuture and life-long learning. Now, Student Internship Programme, (SIP) implemented in polytechnics becomes far more relevant and important to help these students secure their future.

When speaking of polytechnics, ‘hands-on learning institution’ would typically come to mind. This institution equips their students with confidence and a plethora of skills which makes studying in a polytechnic, as one would say, no different from being in the workforce.

From embarking on the six-month Student Internship Programme (SIP) a component in the third year to formal presentations to group works, students can expect to graduate with hands-on and social skills which could prepare them for their future job.

When asked about how SIP in polytechnics could help students with their future job, Ms Susan Goh, a lecturer from Hospitality and Tourism Management in Temasek Polytechnic, said that subjects taught in polytechnics, “matches what the industry requires” and that she would be “more willing to take in the polytechnic students because it minimizes the time in having to train them.”

Just at the tender age of 16, Nathaniel Lim, already has his take on SIP. The student from Ngee Ann Secondary School mentioned that he could get “real life opportunities to learn stuff”. He confidently added while crossing his arms, “if I learn new stuff and have more experience, it could like help me with my job in the future”.

Many would know that parents do play apart in the future of their children. When asked if SIP provides an upper-hand in the future for her daughter, Ms Alice Yeo, 50, lawyer, said that “I [She] would like to think it does, because sometimes practicality does translate to an advantage”.

Moreover, one can build confidence if he studies in a polytechnic and this could also secure his future job.

Formal presentations and group works in polytechnics do help to build confidence in a student. Sandra Loh, 17, a student helper said that polytechnic “teaches students how to work with their classmates so it helps to prepare them so that in the future they can work well with their colleague”.

Similarly, Ms Yeo said: “I think right from day one, when you step into the poly, if you start building your confidence from there, I think it will build up”.

An all-rounded student ready for the workforce is what an employee would look for.

“Polytechnic has a lot of hands-on discussion, a lot of project work and a lot of the work base involves team work collaboration”, said Ms Goh.

She added: “I think er team work and collaboration teaches very important life skills like getting along with colleagues and that’s very important at the work place.”

500 words

J2 Tutorial 7, Activity 2 – The OH Interviews

Angle: Hands-on skills learnt in polytechnics can help to secure the future of students. Questions	Answers
Name, age, secondary school	NurMuhd Hakimi, 17, Jun Yuan Secondary
Which course you intend in enrolling?	BioMed.
Do you know what is SkillFuture?	Er not really.
*explains what skillsfuture is*   So the government’s emphasis is on SkillsFuture and for the citizens to be equipped with skills for life-long learning right? So, do you think the course you want to enrol into, will help to prepare you for the future since it is very hands-on?	They will ah. Cause the Poly courses are very hands-on so it can help to enhance my skills, and also help to develop our own skills and mind-set and all that. So, I think it will be beneficial for every student cause they can get to develop the skills for the future ah.
So, with that do you think that more students should enrol into polys in the future?	It depends on the person ah, but in my opinion I feel they should enrol into polys because there’s many more opportunities here and there’s also internship here, so you can get experience even before you work, this is something that JC students won’t get to do. Then some more, the polys in Singapore are linked to other universities around the world, so you have more opportunities after you graduate from here.
Do you think internship can help you get more skills for you to work in the future?	I think it will broaden my horizons. It can help me have a better understanding of the industry cause frankly right now, I only know vaguely of it so I feel like internship would help me gain more knowledge on it.

 

Name, age, secondary school	Nathaniel Lim, 16, Ngee Ann Secondary
Which course you intend to enrol in?	Actually at first I wanted to enrol into a JC but because of my friend, now I want to go to a poly because I’m actually interested in a business course like business management.
Why do you choose to follow your Friend? what do u mean?	Er, he told me that at poly there will be more opportunities er instead of JC then like there will be more exposure while JC is just mugging ah basically.
What do u mean by more opportunities?	There will be more opportunities to go overseas, study a more wide variety of subjects.
So do you know what is SkillsFuture?	Er is it you can still develop skills even when you are older?
*explains what skillsfuture is*   So the government’s emphasis is on SkillsFuture and for the citizens to be equipped with skills for life-long learning right? So, do you think the course you want to enrol into, will help to prepare you for the future since it is very hands-on?	Er yes, I think so because if I have a wide variety of skills, and when I grow up, I have more skills like say if I learn accounting, I can not only earn accounting but with skillsfuture, I can do abit of other stuff like I can do retail and advertising also.
So I mentioned about the internship of 6 months right, so do you think that the skills u acquire during internship, can actually help you with ur future job?	Er yes, I think so. when I get the internship, I will be able to get like real life opportunities to learn stuff it’s like a better way to learn instead of staying in a classroom with a teacher so if I learn new stuff and have more experience, it could like help me with my job in the future. it will also help me secure a job because like I will have more experience compared to other people who are not from polytechnics.
With that, do u think that more and more students will enrol into polys and not jcs in the years to come?	Er, I think so actually because like the cut off points for polys are going down and it’s harder to get in because more and more people are going into the poly instead of JC. So, I guess ya more people will join.
So you know how poly is more hands-on and we have more practical and all compared to JC, plus with the gov’s emphasis skillsfuture, do you think more people will enrol into poly?	Er, I think it depends on the type of person u are. like some people prefer to study then some people like prefer hands on activities so like people would then choose polys. people that like hands on activities should go to poly because in poly I think you can really learn a lot of hands-on activities.

 

Name, age, secondary school	Muhd Ashraf, 16, Hougang Secondary School.
Which course you intend in enrolling?	Cyber Forensics
Do you know what is SkillFuture?	Isn’t it for old people?
*explains what skillsfuture is*   So the government’s emphasis is on SkillsFuture and for the citizens to be equipped with skills for life-long learning right? So, do you think the course you want to enrol into, will help to prepare you for the future since it is very hands-on?	Yes, er because I want to be a cyber forensics guy, so I am going to be taking this opportunity in poly to gain cyber forensic skills and learn more about it. And er since the government wants people to have skills, it gives me a reason to study in Poly cause er I can get the experience before I go on to work.
Do you think internship can help you get more skills for you to work in the future?	Er ya because like during intership, you are like doing the real job so like you know when you immerse yourself into the real job, you know what’s going on and what’s required of you. Er basically internship can help me to build the foundation I need in a job.

 

Name, age, occupation	Susan Goh, above 50, Lecturer of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Since the government is emphasizing on the fact that every citizen should be equipped with relevant skills for life long learning and that’s why there is skillsfuture, do you think poly education help to prepare students for their future job?	SkillsFuture in preparing the students, I guess the framework of SkillsFuture requires the student to have a structured internship programme er in which er there is a need to have mentors within at the placements where the students actually get their internship er this means that learning is not just adhoc but rather learning, because its structured so learning is then focused on imparting knowledge and skills to students to make them ready for the world of work. Right, so in the past sometimes we have placements what they do is that they might be deployed at a particular, do a particular task or role or job you know, for the whole say 20 weeks, and er you know there is no much follow up or sort of er understanding, no follow up in terms of how the skills the students pick up will really help to prepare them for the world ya. So skillsfuture actually er requires even the polytechnics to relook at the positions and jobs that the polytechnic students will actually take up when they when they leave the poly and then review our subject documents, review the way we teach so that we prepare for them to be more prepared to fill those roles when they start working.
So with that, how would the SIP help these students?	Answer: Answered above.
With that, do u think that more and more students will enrol into polys and not jcs in the years to come?	I don’t think so because we see an update obviously over the last few years, whereby more students are enrolled into the polytechnic but there is still the attraction of going to the JCs because we know that there are other dynamics involved, erm there is always the opinion that erm you know the elitist kind of mentality whereby JC will offer you more academic rule if you’re interested in you know going into professional degrees like medicine erm you know the treatment of heart sciences actually prepare you better to become a lawyer or a doctor. This is not to say that if you go to a polytechnic and you do a science-based type of er diploma, it will not automatically take you to it but I think there are other dynamics that come into play beside just being work ready because you know it depends on what is the goal of the student and of course you know for that fact that sometimes your choice of er diploma or your route of study is not only your choice but also your parents’ and society as a whole.
So what do you think are some of the polytechnic dynamics that will actually help to prepare them in the future or rather how can polys help to secure their future?	Oh so how can it secure? So, the polytechnic in reviewing the content er the way the subjects are thought to the students, matches what the industry requires in terms of output in terms of the student’s contribution or actually the employee’s contribution when they start working. So therefore there is a greater matching of if im an employer what kind of skills do I want my students to have, want my employees to have. If the polytechnic reviews its diploma to match more closely then I would be more willing to take in the polytechnic students because it minimizes the time in having to train them. And also polytechnic has a lot of hands-on discussion, a lot of project work and a lot of the work base involves team work collaboration and I think er team work and collaboration teaches very important life skills like getting along with colleagues and that’s very important at the work place.

 

Name, age, course	Sandra Loh, 17, year 1 student from Game Design & Development, School of Informatics & IT.
Are there a lot of people interested in this course and other courses in general?	It’s okok, not bad.
With the skills future series implemented around 2 years back, do u think that more and more students will enrol into polys and not jcs?	Ya, most likely. Because I feel like JC is more of studying just like secondary school, not so much of practical or like hands-on learning as compared to poly la. Because in poly we also have like formal attire presentation.
So do you think what you learn in poly can help to prepare you in your future job?	Ya like I mentioned, poly is more hands-on learning and more social stuff because er in poly we almost every module we have group project. It actually teaches students how to work with their classmates so it helps to prepare them so that in the future they can work well with their colleague. Like for my school, they have like e-learning, whereby they teach you this idea, and then they teach you how to make a website using all the coding stuff and then they give you a topic like food, and after that, you have to make your own layout and stuff with the website. So I don’t think JC students learn this in school ah.
So like right now, you learn how to do coding right, do you think in the future if you work in the IT firm, it will help you?	It will definitely help ah because the in year 1 they teach you all the basic stuff like I think every IT student will know. It’s like I don’t think in JC they teach the student with all the IT stuff. So like in my course other than coding, they teach like routers and things. They also teach about viruses and how to tackle. So maybe if you don’t want to do game design in the future, you can do like basic IT, security, because my course covers IT security also so like maybe you can be like some Singtel person. So like all these will give me exposure for my future job.
Do you think internship can help them in the future as well?	Ya, because it helps to secure them a work position as well. Talking about poly in general, you see like students in business under hospitality, they can go to a legit hotel during intern, basically it’s like you are already in the workforce. I also think through internship, if you do well, it can help you to secure your job even better because you already have the connections.

 

Name, age, occupation	Alice Yeo, 50, lawyer.
Which course do you intend to enrol your child in?	She wants to do law and management because she want to eventually get a law degree so this is a stepping stone for her to get a law degree. She did her ‘N’ Levels so to do er ‘A’ Levels for her is going to be very tough so we thought that er this is a better, easier way for her or a more direct route for her to go and get a law degree so that’s why she’s finding out more.
Since the government is emphasizing on the fact that every citizen should be equipped with relevant skills for life long learning and that’s why there is skillsfuture, do you think poly education help to prepare your child in the future?	I’m not so sure. I think it really depends on the type of course that you’re doing. Er, my eldest son is in poly as well, Nanyang poly, he is doing medicinal chemistry. I think that area of work is very specific, very specialized so if he goes into that industry, then definitely he would have gotten the skills from the poly. But should he go to another area of work, completely different one say for example, business or management then whatever skills that he had learnt, will no longer be relevant. So I think it’s very specifc to what you do unless you carry on with that industry er it should be lah, assuming nothing goes wrong and you carry on track, then it should be quite easy
So like you know how polytechnics are focusing more on hands-on learning and the work force requires you to work well with your colleagues and such like for example, you learn coding in some courses and even when they go out to work, they have to do coding, so do you think that if one learn the basics in poly, they will have an upper-hand when they work?	I would like to think it does, because sometimes practicality does translate to an advantage. But of course, on top of skills and knowledge, there is also the issue of confidence. Er from my observation, a lot of students from the good universities or from the good colleges, exhibit far higher confidence compared to those who come through the diploma route and the tougher route. I would like to see poly students have the same level of confidence as those who come from very good colleges and universities because I think that’s where they actually stand out. Sometimes it not about the grades, its about how they carry themselves, how they project themselves, and show their confidence. When I interview for lawyers, er I don’t look at their grades and decide who I think is a better candidate. I actually look at how they project themselves how they show confidence and how I think they can handle my clients. So that’s actually the selling point for me. It’s not so much of their grades or their skills. And that confidence skill is not something that is really teachable. Whether is within you or over the years its being built and you just get your confidence but I would like to see poly students have the same level of confidence as those from the better universities or good ones.
So actually polys we do have presentations where the student will have to wear formal attire and present in front of the class, especially in the school of business and we also do have cross-disciplinary subjects like public speaking where students can get to learn on how to be more confident when talking in front of a group of audience. So in that sense, do you think it will actually help them to build more confidence?	I think all things will help la. Exposure definitely will help. So, its not something that you can achieve overnight. I think right from day one, when you step into the poly, if you start building you confidence from there, I think it will build up. And I do see, from what I see today, a lot of TP students are not shy to speak. Maybe many years back I see the students, like I used to have a paralegal from law and management, about 15 years ago, very shy. Don’t dare to speak much and er very quiet and she would only hang out with the secretaries. She wouldn’t dare to hang out with the lawyers. Er but I had a lot of junior lawyers of her age but she doesn’t hang out with them. So I thought that was perhaps a confidence issue. But I don’t know maybe over the years she would have changed la.
So do you think the student internship programme that they will be taking in year 3, will help them?	If it is relevant to their course, then yes it will help to prepare them for their future jobs. It will give them a taste of what the real world is like la. So I think it’s important to get a feel of, you know, the different areas. I think currently y’all just stay with the internship for the whole 6 months right, that means if you get assigned to this particular law firm, you stay there for 6 months which I don’t think is very helpful. I think a more helpful programme would actually be, make it 1 or 2 months at different places so you can get your exposure all round. Because apart from law firms, theres a lot of other agencies that they should also be familiar with like judiciary. You can go to the ministries and all that. So, during my years, I did internship with the criminal legal aid scheme which is under a voluntary scheme with the lawyers. And I had to go to the jail to interview prisoners. This opportunity is something you won’t get unless you are practicing. So I thought it was a very good exposure and it was a very good experience to first time walk into the jail with your lawyer and then you get to interview the inmate. Er I feel that the 6 months internship with 1 law firm, is not gonna help. I feel like students should have more exposure.
So like I have mentioned, the government is emphasizing on SkillsFuture and with the fact that polys have all along been hands-on learning, do you think that more and more students will enrol into polys?	I think so la. Erm my youngest son has excellent results, I very much want him to do ‘A’ Levels, go into a college and go into NUS, but he has been telling me that he doesn’t want to do that and he rather go to poly and do biomedical engineering because he wants to create technology and whatever for medical services. So even with his excellent results, he is making a choice now not to do ‘A’ Levels. So I think this has been a trend that has already started. I do already see a lot of good students who made a conscious choice to do a diploma. I think it’s because they can learn more skills here and I think they don’t see the purpose of learning ‘A’ Level subject like History, Econs, because when you go into Uni, all of that is thrown aside because it’s really relevant at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J2 Tutorial 5, Activity 6 – The Description

“Wow, it looks different!”

The façade of the newly renovated and brightly-lit DesPad, compared to other canteens nearby which were drab and grey were a stark contrast to one another. The students forming the queue in front of the stalls in DesPad chirped in excitement, while the students in the old BizPark, were dragging their feet to queue for their meal.

The queues at the new DesPad were so long, making the year one student from Communications & Media Management grunt in frustration as she waited for what seemed like eternity. This was something that the teenager had expected; queues that were as long as the wall of China. But after the renovation, there were more fans than before which helped to cool Nina’s hot temper from grunting any further. At the periphery of her vision, she could see an influx of students bolting towards the queue before it got even longer. Majority were beyond exhilarated to finally drink the exotic and peculiar drinks such as “Ribena In Peach” and the Western Stall, especially the stall’s specialty; French toast doused with the orangey red juicy baked beans and its side-kick, the sizzling-hot bacon. Scrumptious, as one would describe it.

With lesser tables due to the renovation, there was barely space for Nina. Some individuals were self-centered, taking up a whole table for themselves. Nonetheless, Nina made her way through the bustling crowd, nudging and pushing her way through, to the drinks stall. However, the exotic drink she had longed for “Ribena In Peach”, was no longer for sale. “ARGH NO WAY!”

J2 Tutorial 5, Activity 2 – The Anecdote

Thaddeus quivered, instantaneously letting apprehension and anxiety rush down his system and engulf him wholly. Acing the Media Society test was never easy but he had the utmost faith and confidence in himself. He told himself that if he ever disappoints himself once again, it just means that academics is not meant for him. Approximately a year ago, Thaddeus was as nervous as he was that day as he awaited his ‘O’ Level examination results for the subject he once had an inclination for which was, Chinese. As he approached his teacher to have a grasp of the long-awaited results, a mixture of shock and bewilderment crossed his faced and his eyes widened in incredulity as he took a glance at what he initially thought could make him the happiest person in the world. However, things took a turn. He was beyond abashed the moment he realise that he only managed to obtain a C5, despite his affinity towards his second language. In that exact moment, he was so embarrassed, he wished earth could swallow him up. Thaddeus remember vividly bawling his eyes out and sobbing incessantly as all he wanted to achieve was at least B3. “I was so disappointed in myself. If I can’t do Chinese, I am close to useless”, he said. It was as if that subject was the bane of his existence. This time round, he prayed and wished that the same incident would not take course again.

 

 

Challenges

A challenge I faced is that it is rather tricky to be able to put his experience into words. The way his experience is being put into words, might differ from his original experience, the way Thaddeus himself experienced it. Thus, what I have done is to follow as closely as possible to what he has told me, but in a more descriptive and narrative way.

Another challenge faced would be that the experience he shared with me was rather brief and cut short and it was just the overview. Thus, I had to tease out an anecdote from Thaddeus, so that I can get more of what he actually experienced. By teasing an anecdote, I asked him what he felt and if he recalled the exact words when he saw his results.

 

J2 Tutorial 5 – Activity 1

 

J2 Tutorial 4, Activity 2 – Writing the story

Lead

The full-time student summoned all his courage to go up to the front of the classroom. He prepared weeks for that day, and for that exact moment. He was finally, ever-ready to clinch that ‘A’ grade for his speech that he had desired for, in a coon’s age. He began his speech in the classroom  with utmost sophistication and eloquence. As he opened his mouth ajar, words began flowing out almost as though he was letting nature take its course, “Good evening fellow classmates and Teacher!”

Days gone by as he embraced himself for the day of the release of the speech results. He remembered vividly quivering while chanting his name under his breath as he read through the list of speakers who clinched the ‘A’ grade. As he streamed down the list of names, for what seemed like eternal days, he stumbled upon a name so familiar and in that split-second he screamed in exhilaration, “Thaddeus Chea!”. He was beyond grateful for his instructor’s tips and advices that he had shared during the last TP Emcee session, to prepare him.

 

Body content

The day that preceded his speech in class was another typical day for Thaddeaus Chea who aspires to be a renowned emcee in the future. Waking up for school was a mundane chore but Tuesdays were exceptional. On that Tuesday, he woke up with full of zest and zeal as he looked forward to his Co-Curriculum Activity (CCA), TP Emcees. That was the only thing that kept him going.

Thaddeus would share with his friends, the fun times he experienced during the previous session of TP Emcees when he was watching his favourite K-Drama during the ever so boring media scriptwriting lecture and even when devouring his favourite Yong Tau Foo at ITAS after a long day in the lecture theatre.

As Thaddeus strolled through the doors where his CCA was conducted at, his presence was acknowledged amicably by his TP Emcee instructor, Mr Choo. “Thaddeus! Let’s prepare you for the speech you’ll be having in class tomorrow!”. Slowly, an influx of classmates streamed into the brightly lit classroom. During that session, Mr Choo intensively prepared them for the crucial graded speech taking place the next day.

That last emcee lesson was exceptionally hard for Thaddeus to face as he had to prepare for his crucial speech and leave his classmates the next day. Nevertheless, he was attentive during the session as his instructor went through the last bits of how to deliver an astounding yet impactful speech. To prepare the class even more, Mr Choo even played videos of public speakers, in hopes that they would deliver an awe-inspiring speech. It was at the back of Thaddeus’ head that he had to ace the speech the next day. To him, it was ‘do or die’.

Even when Thaddeus was told by his instructor to pair up with a fellow classmate for them to critic each other’s speech, his eye glistened almost as though he was looking at his prey, someone he viewed as his competitor. With his competitive nature, he knew if he did not attain the ‘A’ grade, he would be beyond mortified.

 

Ending

After the two long hours of TP Emcees, his instructor called it a day for the last CCA session. Thaddeus adjusted the grey shirt that he was clad in, which embodied his nervousness and anxiety, of being petrified of not doing well.

However, Thaddeus knew that he had to ace this speech because so much effort was put into it. It has been months since his last speech and it was not a good one.  He did not prepare much for it so he made sure that he the prepared well this time round, although it was just a speech in class. He knew he couldn’t disappoint his instructor nor himself. He approached his instructor and assured him: “I won’t let you down, cher, don’t worry, I got this”.

 

Reasons for change in lead/ending

The reason I felt that the relationship lead would fit the story better is because I would like to show the cause and effect of Thaddeus’ speech. By sharing the effect, which is in this case, him clinching the A grade, is a direct and deliberate way of conveying the angle of the story. Readers would be more interested to know what he did to clinch that A grade, which would thus lead to the body content. I believe that the relationship lead is suitable too as it shows the connection with the first paragraph, also known as the lead. I strongly believe that the relationship lead would better fit the angle as the nutgraph, helps to paint the angle of the story. I ended the nutgraph with Thaddeus being grateful for the tips given to him during his CCA session, thus this would link to the next paragraph which would be the body content paragraph. This is in light of the fact that, it smoothly transitions to the scene which will take place in the classroom, as his instructor prepare him for the speech.

This time round, I still went for a quote ending and a circle ending. In my opinion, I feel that ending with a quote brings more impact to the readers, as that quote would be etched in their mind, especially if the quote is a meaningful quote. Due to that, I have opted to write a better quote, one that I believe is more meaningful than the previous one. Additionally, I have chosen to stick with the circle ending as I feel that it helps to tie and wrap up the whole story, in a sense that the ending and the starting would have a connection and a link between one another. It also makes the story become a whole, with that readers would be able to understand the entire story even better.

 

List of questions that you had asked your partner

What were you feeling before you begin your speech?

How did you begin your speech?

How were you feeling while waiting the results?

What was reaction when your found out the results?

What do you normally do during your cca?

Why do you love your cca?

What do you normally do before your cca?

What do you normally do after your cca?

What were somethings did your instructor do or say to encourage you before the speech?

How was the last speech you gave?

Is public speaking your passion?

Do you take it seriously?

When was the last session of the CCA?

 

J2 Tutorial 3, Activity 2: A mini day in the life of Thaddeus Chea

Lead

A voice so orotund, echoed through out the classroom. His eloquence overcame his nervousness in front of the entire class. Soon after, his classmates and teacher clapped and cheered upon listening to his speech. He walked towards his seat steadily with poise, knowing that he is done with an astounding speech.

The previous day was just another typical day for the full-time student who aspires to be a renowned emcee in the near future. Waking up for school was a mundane chore that he had to do every single day. But on that day, he woke up with full of zest and zeal as he looked forward to his Co-Curriculum Activity (CCA), TP Emcees. That was the only thing  that kept him going.

Even when he was watching his favourite K-Drama during the ever so dreary Media Scriptwriting lecture, to the moment he was devouring the scrumptious Yong Tau Foo at ITAS after hours and hours in the lecture theatre, he would share the fun times he experienced during the previous session of TP Emcees. His classmates from 1C01, had absolutely no idea who he was talking about nor what he was talking about.

It was 7.00 pm on that Tuesday, when he walked through the doors where the CCA was conducted at. “Thaddeus Chea, come, sit down and prepare for the speech you have tomorrow in class!” a familiar voice bolted across the room, it was his TP Emcee instructor.

 

Ending

Thaddeus knew that he had to ace this speech because so much effort was put into it. He knew he couldn’t disappoint his instructor nor himself. He vividly remember telling his instructor, as he was adjusting his shirt: “I won’t let you down, cher, don’t worry, I got this”. It has been months since his last speech and it was not a good one.  He did not prepare much for it so he made sure that he the prepared well this time round, although it was just a speech in class.

After weeks of preparation, there he is finally ready for his speech. He walked towards the front of his classroom,  and began. “Good evening classmates and teacher. My name is Thaddeus Chea”.

Reason for lead:

I wrote a descriptive lead to describe Thaddeus’ entire day so that it could better paint a picture, of his time before his CCA. It would entice readers to go on as they find out the list of things he does.

 

Reason for ending:

I decided to go for a circle ending as I feel that it helps to sum up the entire story. It also helps as a form of assistance for the readers to better understand the story as a whole. The circle ending mainly helps to reiterate the starting of the story.

Tutorial 3, Activity 1

What type of leads/endings are they?	The first article has a descriptive and delayed lead as the scene is being painted and set, taking up a few paragraphs. The lead narratively showed the scene from the busker emerging at the train station, to him playing his violin at the metro station, as it. The nutgraph also provides a delay which has sense of suspense. The nutgraph posed a question, making the readers ponder, and at the same time leaving them on tenterhooks as to what is going to happen next. Since they are also setting a scene, it can be a situational lead. As for the ending, the article uses a surprise ending as it is a complete stark contrast to the lead where by he was describe as a typical white man, busking with his violin. However, I did not expect the twist at the end whereby he will be actually receiving a prize for being the best classical musician in America, playing at the plaza. Can be detailed ending too.	The second article has a first-person lead as the first paragraph is being written in first person’s perspective and point of view of the author. The writer uses words such as ‘I’, ‘We’ and ‘Our’ and these are words that are usually used to describe a personal story. In the article, he shared and described his life, sharing what happened in his early days such as from when he and his twin were born to how his twin passed on and that he was not ready for his passing. Predominant approach would be the first-person lead.   As for the ending, the article uses a circle ending as the last paragraph is in relation to the nutgraph in the lead, which also describes the author’s twin’s passing and how the author is still feeling as somber as he is in the lead. Finally coming back to the same point and he is wrapping up the story.	The third article has a relationship lead, whereby two things are connected to one another. The cause would be the monks ageing and that the amount of members are dwindling, and the effect would be that the monks are reaching out to the netizens to find new and younger members by coming up with videos, blog and a ringtone, to combat the aforementioned problem. Can be summary lead also since it summarises what happens in the first paragraph.   The end of this article ends with a quote. The quotation came from the interviewee in the article, as he in someone who is central to the story. Although the ending just ends with it quote, the quote is meaningful as it gives the readers an idea of what is going on in the campaign.
Do the leads entice you to read further?	Yes, it does.	Yes, it does.	Yes, it does.
Why/why not?	In the nutgraph, the article poses a question, making the readers ponder about what is going to happen next in the article. Will the finest classical be musician be recognized by anyone in the midst of his experiment? Will his experiment to find out about people’s taste and preference work out? I would really like to find out. Thus, it does entice me.	From the nutgraph, it has piqued my interest to find out the story life that the author has shared with this twin, how they surmount problems together and how their life journey has built and established for their born to be extremely strong, even until their golden years. I am interested to find out their life journey as twins.   Their memories they made, their relationship.	The nutgraph which is also the second paragraph, tells me about the gadgets and devices used to for the monks to successfully reach out to the younger monks. Considering the monks’ old age and the technology which is typically not commonly used by monks of that age, makes me curious and interested, as to whether they will succeed in getting and reaching out to the younger monks.
Does the ending close the story satisfactory?	Yes, it does. It shows how the article progresses from Bell (the protagonist) as the best classical musician undercover, transits to how only a couple of people recognized him, to his album being introduced and lastly, him receiving a prize for the music he produces.	Yes, it does. It portrays how the author spent the last few days of his twin’s life from spending their whole life together, even on the day of the funeral and how he watched a part of him leave him and the world. All in all, it wraps up the entire story.	Yes, it does. It conveys how the campaign has successfully reached out to younger monks and it answers the question of readers which is to find out if the technique of using technology will work in this scenario.
What do you think is the body content of the story based on the lead and ending?	The body content of the story would be about people reacting to the classical music that was played by Bell. Theme: how classical music is not appreciated. The story is in a chronological order.	The body of the content would be about the memories the twins shared and how the author and his twin shared such strong bonds in life. Despite them being twins which already makes them establish the bond from the start of the birth, it is also about how they overcome adversities in life together, while always having each other’s back in every setbacks they face.	History of how they end up with less young people and how they are using campaigns and gadgets to reach out to younger monks. The body could also be reasons that led to the decrease in younger monks and why the internet was chosen as a technique to combat the problem, instead of recruiting through word of mouth.