Learning Log 7

The past few months has been pretty hectic while my group was preparing for the 'big day' of Romeo and Juliet performance. Luckily, there were no hiccups during the actual day and my group members were able to perform up to expectations. I remembered our first few rehearsals were a bit messy. However, after the fifth one, we were already confident with the acting part due to the hard work put in with the cooperation from each one of us to memorise our lines by the given date. Then, we decided to focus on the props as there were alot of things to buy and prepare. Things such as background music, backdrop and things that were to be put on the table were all carefully considered. There were also extra stuff that we managed to put up as we had time. The last part we focused on was the costumes and masks. We wanted to make sure that at least some of our costumes are more outstanding than other group's ones. Although there were bickering and quarrels during rehearsals, we worked as a group and managed to set things straight. There are more important things which needs to be accomplished. Hence, we set aside our differences. I have learnt to be more responsible after this whole experience and my gosh what a memorable journey it has been. If we have delayed even the slightest things, we may be behind other groups. I want to thank all my actors and actress for making the opportunity to lead you all as the director and being so kind. I will surely miss the times we had together. The whole thing is absolutely amazing because now we know what it feels like performing in front of a live audience...

Learning Log 6

Last week, I was exposed to many different kinds of literary devices. It is either used for emphasis, exaggeration or even enhancing a particular phrase and sentence. I have learnt to identify and make comments on the way a literary device is used in a context. I had a most interesting time as I learnt that they convey alot of meaning if you read the sentence through a few times. My favourite literary device is the oxymoron because it is very contradictory such as 'thundering silence'. It makes you think more about the meaning as a whole. Not forgetting, we also did a newspaper article on oxymorons recently. Anyway, I have a clearer picture of literary devices after reading the notes thoroughly. It could really help in answering an unseen poem/prose question. I do hope we could have a mini test next time to make sure we are on the right page. :D

Learning Log 5

There are a few techniques we must keep in mind before attempting an unseen poem/prose. Firstly, what i found most important is not to rush when you are reading a poem. It draws my attention when I saw this point as I had done this before. If you rush for time, you neglect your feelings and somtimes write what you want to write rather than what the question is asking for. Therefore, time management is another matter. There are basically two models to help you organise the structure of your answer. The IBC method - Introduction Body and Conclusion and PEEL method - Point Explain Example and Link. An excellent answer is one which follows either of these models and has paragraphs to differentiate each point.
You have to read the poem three times. When doing the first reading, you read it swiftly to get a rough idea of what the poem is about. Underline the difficult words along the way but do not stop to figure them out. The second time you are reading, find out who the characters are, how they are related and observe the mood & setting. You will get a much clearer picture of what is going on. Before doing the third reading, take a brief look at the questions. Then, annotate and analyse even further as you continue reading the text. If you want, you could jot down quick notes at the side of the paper. Be alert and you may find answers to certain questions to support your points.
I have also learnt to use the 4 Ws and 2 Hs:
-Who (is speaking in the poem)
-When (was the poem written)
-What (the poem is about)
-What (is the poet trying to say)
-How (the poet convey meaning)
-How (respond to the poem)

Learning Log 4

What I have learnt from the MacBeth's performance was to be mentally-prepared and rehearse at least once before the official performance. Our group members made a few common mistakes like the others such as not maintaining eye contact and be as expressive as the character should be. Things did not go so smoothly on the day of the performance compared to our rehearsal. Right before the performance, I told myself I was going to give it my best and took control of my nerves. Strangely, I didn't feel nervous when performing. Maybe it was because we got to witness the performance of other group members first so we got some final touch ups before going up front. We have everything that we needed and I felt confident of our group doing just fine. The performance I find very attractive to watch was the one of Jiale's group including Sanjna and Jiayi. I laughed right from the start to the end. I just want to compliment on their creativity of using umbrellas instead of brooms and their natural humour. I feel that the room where we used was perfect for the scene. It was quite dark and I could sense the tensed mood which was somewhat exciting. All and all, I had fun performing and I look forward to the Romeo and Juliet scene next term!

Learning Log 3

Predictions. This word makes me wonder about the days of my grandparents when their predictions were true which resulted in people believing in them. I for one think that they are just nothing but plain strories and lies(sometimes illogical). I mean no one can tell the future! Well, not one that I have met before.. Anyway, I fully do not believe any predictions at all made up by people. Although some may be true, I don't think people have special powers or anything but I think they were just lucky at that point of time. Some people might believe them but in the modern days, I think fewer people would still think that it is true. Based on my experiences, predictions happen in my everyday life. For instance, weather forecasts in news. Although this is a prediction, I do not entirely think it is fake though as most of the time they are true. During the lesson, I enjoyed myself thoroughly with the presentations of my classmates with each of their experiences. With Mrs Woo's number selecter, it is possible to keep everyone awake and ready for the lesson! Thank you for another awesome lesson. No suggestions for me now.

Learning Log 2

I have learnt to project my voice when speaking in front of my classmates. I also feel it is important to portray emotions and feelings during performances like the MacBeth scene acted out in class. For example, the witches' scene is best to be acted out in the tone of the witches themselves. It should not sound monotonous all throughout the scene. I think being expressive is a significant aspect in performing be it in front of your classmates, on the stage or at public. It is more entertaining to the viewers than a boring tone. For the superstitions lesson, I think different people has different perspectives about it. I have learnt to respect other religions and the superstitions they believe in. We learn to understand the diversity of races in Singapore. I think it is crucial not to humiliate or discriminate them to sustain a multi-racial life here. I look forward to the next Literature lesson as this was more interesting than the cinquain one.

Learning Log 1

I have learnt that a cinquain is a five line poem with the title at the first line, which consists of one word. Line two has two words of the description of title. Line three has three words that tell the action. Line four has four words that express the feeling. At the end of the stanza, the fifth line is a word that recalls the title. I enjoyed the lesson very much as I have learnt a new style of writing a poem. Also, Mrs Woo gave a helpful example so we could get the idea of how to construct a cinquain poem. I got to experience writing one with my group before doing it myself. I feel that there should be more examples as the notes handed out only listed one.