The Role of Peer & Tutor Feedback

I have spent more than three-quarters of my life studying and throughout my education life, all the way from kindergarten till now, this is my very first module which emphasizes on the importance of feedback. Not only were we given feedback from our tutor, feedback from our fellow classmates were also being practiced on a regular basis.

To be honest, I have never really liked giving feedback. I will tend to give a very vague form of feedback (e.g. Good job,  Excellent work, etc.) when being forced to. Furthermore, I have rarely received feedback which may be one of the reasons for me disliking to contribute.

However, this module has changed my view on giving as well as receiving feedback.

Upon receiving countless constructive feedback from my tutor as well as my fellow classmates with regards to my work, I feel better about myself after receiving several positive feedback. We have a tendency to look down on our own work as we are more likely to focus on our weaknesses and mistakes that we would tend to ignore our strengths. Through the peer and tutor feedback, not only did they point out our weaknesses, our strengths in our work which we usually do not take notice of were also being raised. Such feedback, provides the determination i need to further improve my work.

Apart from all the peer & tutor feedback given, this particular module as the module name itself mentions is very effective. We will be able to apply the knowledge gained within this module in our everyday life and in whichever field of work or study that we will end up being in.

Back to my very first post for this module, ‘The Importance of English for Me’, whereby i stresses the importance of English with respect to communication. Communication is a key aspect in life. We will never be able to go on a day without communicating with one another and communication comes in many different forms.

Most of us will relate communications in terms of speech. However, communication also takes place in writings, such as letters and report. Without being able to produce a letter or a report with a proper organisation and tone, our main objective of writing the letter or report would not be able to be portrayed to our target audience.

This module, on the other hand, covers both communications i in terms of speech and writings. Although the module only lasted for a couple of months or so, I am proud to say that my presentation skills  along with my writing skills have improved greatly. However, there are still rooms for improvements and I will strive to make everyday better than the day before.

Proposal (The Guardians)

Personal Statement

Having spending the last couple of years serving the National Service with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, I have personally experienced attending calls whereby elderly have collapsed in their homes without receiving any assistance. Some of them had collapsed and were left unattended for several days to weeks before being noticed by their neighbours or the authorities due to the stench of the rotting body. As a student with an engineering background, I find it a need to introduce a suitable and reliable medical sensor device that can help the elderly communicate with the Emergency Medical Services in times of emergency as such device can help save lives.

Reader Response Draft #4

In the article “Why the Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme aims to assist practicing engineers in cultivating their industrial and professional expertise. Shah also mentions that this programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region’s fight against climate change.  Shah (2015) mentioned that “Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015”.

I agree and share the same sentiments as Shah that engineers play a fundamental part in fighting climate change as they are one of the many main contributors to a country’s success and development.

While it is undeniable that almost everyone can play their part in fighting climate change, engineers are equipped with the expertise and resources, that others cannot or do not possess, for significant measures that are most likely to have a larger impact. Limiting the use of fossil fuels, reducing carbon emission along with encouraging organisations to develop a greenhouse gas inventory are a few of the many measures that have been taken but with the today’s demands for energy and increased level of consumerism, these measures are not easy to execute and manage. An example of a creative innovation, initiated by engineers, that requires little to no monitoring is the “Smart” hump. “Smart” humps transform energy from vehicles that are slowing down into electricity. This ingenious creation can be placed at traffic junctions to conserve the amount of electricity needed for traffic lights to function (‘Smart’ humps; clean energy, 2015). As the development of this example shows, engineers are able to provide innovation and expertise by transforming everyday activities into potential measures that have significant impacts in fighting climate change.

Engineers’ contributions in conserving the environment and combating climate change are evident in Singapore. Some examples are green buildings and the water treatment plants. As of today, about 30 to 40 percent of Singapore’s water used by domestic households is directed back to be recycled (Chua, 2015). On top of that, the Engineers Progression Pathway Programme, as mentioned at the start, is one of the many initiatives that have been set up to improve on the current climate situation. A competition to identify the top 50 engineering accomplishments organised by the IES in conjunction with the SG50 celebration was also carried out to recognise the innovations, creations or schemes that have played a part in Singapore’s financial development as well as enhancing the lives of the people in Singapore (Chua, 2015). Such work and initiatives of engineers play an important role in the fight for climate change.

In conclusion, I strongly feel that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change. The world today has been experiencing several harsh weather occurrences such as the extreme heatwave that hit India in May 2015, killing at least 2500 innocent lives, as well as the frequent flooding in Myanmar with over one million severely affected (Palmer, 2015). Hence Singapore should fight the climate change and help to minimize the damage that had been done through every channel possible, one of which is by the means of the roles that engineers portray.

 

References

Chua, J. (2015) Engineering plays crucial role in climate change. Eco-Business. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/

Palmer, F. (2015) Extreme weather events of 2015: Is climate change to blame? Climate Change News. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/08/21/extreme-weather-events-of-2015-is-climate-change-to-blame/

‘Smart’ humps; clean energy. (2015). Eco-Business. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/smart-humps-clean-energy/

The person who have inspired and influenced my life.

There are numerous people who have managed to inspire as well as influence my life. They range from close friends, celebrities to even the newscasters. Every person that I have met shapes me into who i am today.

The person, or the people in fact, who have inspired and influenced me the most in my life are my parents. They are the most amazing people in my life for all the sacrifices that they had made for me. They had been there and helped me with every step of my life. They are my heroes.

My father, in particular, had made one of the greatest impact in my life. He had been the only breadwinner of the family for more than 20 years of my life, before my sister started her full-time job as an educator. When i was growing up, I used to be afraid of my father. He had always been stern with me and would punish me with his favorite wooden cane for every of my wrongdoing. Now that I am much older, I started to realize and appreciate what he did as it was only what is best for me.

As i am growing older, I tend to forget that my parents are ageing as well. From time to time, I do notice several changes in them. They are not as strong as they were before. They tend to get tired easily. They also tend to fall sick more often. These are the little things that we are likely to not take notice of as we are too busy with our daily life. Hence we should always show our gratitude towards them while we are able to.

 

Oral Reflection

I had an oral presentation a couple of days back, on the November 16th to be exact. My group, The Guardians, were hoping that the Ministry of Health would adopt our idea of introducing a health band for the elderly, especially those who were living alone.

Prior to the presentation, I had taken time off from my busy schedule to prepare myself for the presentation together with my group mates. However, on the day of the presentation itself, things did not go on as planned. We had several hiccups along the way. For myself, in particular, i made the wrong choice of memorizing my lines. I thought that i was well prepared and had my lines memorized.

Halfway through my presentation, my mind went blank and i  had lost my flow of speech. Being too dependent on my memorized script, I did not managed to get back on track as fast as I could have. I took several seconds to finally be able to recall my lines and to continue with my presentation.

This presentation had made me realized how important it is to not memorize my lines blindly as it is difficult to get back on track once the flow is interrupted. An effective way to carry on a presentation is to remember the main points of the topic and to elaborate on them instead.

The feedback given by my fellow classmates were very heart warming. Not only they point out on my areas that I am able to improve on, they also mentioned on several strong points that I had made. After looking through all of the feedback given, I felt the urge to improve on my presentation skills further and to give a much better performance in the future presentations to come. (:

Reader’s Response Draft #3

In the article “Why the Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme aims to assist practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Shah also mentions that this programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region’s fight against climate change.  “Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015” quoted by Shah.

As such, I agree and share the same sentiments as Shah that engineers play a fundamental part in fighting climate change as they are one of the many main contributors to a country’s success and development.

While it is undeniable that almost everyone can play their part in fighting climate change, engineers are equipped with the expertise and resources for significant measures that are most likely to have a larger impact, that others cannot or do not possess. Limiting the use of fossil fuels, reducing carbon emission along with encouraging organisations to develop a greenhouse gas inventory are a few of the many measures that have been taken but with the today’s demands for energy and increased level of consumerism, these measures are not easy to execute and manage. An example of a creative innovation, initiated by engineers, that requires little to no monitoring of people’s dedication and commitment in combating climate change, is the “Smart” hump. “Smart” humps transforms energy from vehicles that are slowing down into electricity. This ingenious creation can be placed at traffic junctions to conserve the amount of electricity needed for traffic lights to function (‘Smart’ humps; clean energy, 2015). Engineers therefore are able to provide innovation and expertise, tapping on everyday activities into potential measures that have significant impacts in fighting climate change.

Engineers’ contributions in conserving the environment and combating climate change are evident in Singapore. Some examples are green buildings and the water treatment plants. As of today, about 30 to 40 percent of our water used by domestic households is directed back to be recycled (Chua, 2015). On top of that, the Engineers Progression Pathway Programme, as mentioned at the start, is one of the many initiatives that have been set up to improve on the current climate situation. A competition to identify the top 50 engineering accomplishments organised by the IES in conjunction with the SG50 celebration was also carried out to recognise the innovations, creations or schemes that have played a part to Singapore’s financial development as well as enhancing the lives of the people in Singapore (Chua, 2015). Such work and initiatives of engineers play an important role in the fight for climate change.

In conclusion, I strongly feel that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change. The world that we live in today have been experiencing several harsh weather occurrences such as the extreme heatwave that hit India in May 2015 killing at least 2500 innocent lives as well as the frequent flooding in Myanmar with over one million severely affected (Palmer, 2015). We should fight the climate change and help to minimize the damage that had been done through every channel possible, one of which is by the means of the roles that engineers portray.

 

References

Chua, J. (2015) Engineering plays crucial role in climate change. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/

Palmer, F. (2015) Extreme weather events of 2015: Is climate change to blame? Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/08/21/extreme-weather-events-of-2015-is-climate-change-to-blame/

‘Smart’ humps; clean energy. (2015). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/smart-humps-clean-energy/

‘Smart’ humps; clean energy. (2015). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/smart-humps-clean-energy/

READER’S RESPONSE DRAFT #2

In the article “Why the Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Shah (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Shah also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region’s fight against climate change.  “Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015” quoted by Shah. Likewise, I agree that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change as engineers are responsible for a country’s upbringing.

There are numerous other contributions to the climate fight other than the roles that engineers play. They include limiting the use of fossil fuels, reducing our carbon emission along with encouraging organisations to develop a greenhouse gas inventory. However, I strongly feel that engineers play one of the most important aspects in minimizing climate change. The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme is one of the many initiatives that had been set up to improve on the current climate situation. Another example of such initiatives is the competition to identify the top 50 engineering accomplishments organised by the Singapore Institution of Engineers (IES) in conjunction with the SG50 celebration (Chua, 2015).

In Singapore alone, the work of engineers that contributes to a sustainable environment can be observed all around. Some examples are green buildings as well as the water treatment plants. Such work of engineers plays an important role in the fight for climate change. As of today, about 30 to 40 percent of our water used by domestic households is directed back to be recycled (Chua, 2015). In addition to recycling water, other creative innovation that was initiated by engineers include the ‘Smart’ humps whereby it picks up energy from the slowing down or stopping of vehicles and transforms it into electricity. Such ‘Smart’ humps can be placed at traffic junctions to conserve the amount of electricity usage needed for the traffic lights to function (Singapore Business News, 2015).

In conclusion, I strongly feel that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change. The world that we live in today have been experiencing several harsh weather occurrences such as the extreme heatwave that hit India in May 2015 killing at least 2500 innocent lives as well as the frequent flooding in Myanmar with over one million severely affected (Palmer, 2015) due to the drastic climate change. Therefore we should fight the climate change and help to minimize the damage that had been done through every channel possible, one of which is by the means of the roles that engineers portray.

References

Fiona Lam (2015) NTUC, IES launch career progression pathway for engineers. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/ntuc-ies-launch-career-progression-pathway-for-engineers

Freya Palmer (2015) Extreme weather events of 2015: Is climate change to blame? Retrieved September 23, 2015, fromhttp://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/08/21/extreme-weather-events-of-2015-is-climate-change-to-blame/

Jean Chua (2015) Engineering plays crucial role in climate change. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/

Singapore Business News (2015) ‘Smart’ humps; clean energy. Retrieved September 22, 2015, from http://www.eco-business.com/news/smart-humps-clean-energy/

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edited on 02/10/15

Reader’s Response Draft #1

In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Vaidehi (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Vaidehi also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region’s fight against climate change.  “Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015, said Choi.” Like Choi, I agree that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change.

There are numerous other contributions to the climate fight other than the roles that engineers play. However, i strongly feel that engineers play one of the most important aspects in minimizing climate change. The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme is one of the many initiatives that had been set up to improve on the current climate situation. Another example of such initiatives is the competition to identify the top 50 engineering accomplishments organised by the Singapore Institution of Engineers (IES) in commemoration with the SG50 celebration (Jean Chua 2015).

In Singapore alone, the work of engineers can be observed all around. Some examples are green buildings as well as the water treatment plants. Such work of engineers plays an important role in the fight for climate change. Today, about 30 to 40 percent of our water used by domestic households is directed back to be recycled (Jean Chua, 2015). In addition to recycling water, other creative innovation that was initiated by engineers include the ‘Smart’ humps whereby it picks up energy from decelerating or braking vehicles and transforms it into electricity. Such ‘Smart’ humps can be placed at traffic junctions to conserve the amount of electricity usage needed for the traffic lights to function (Singapore Business News, 2015).

In conclusion, i strongly feel that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change. The world that we live in today have been experiencing several harsh weather occurrences such as the extreme heatwave that hit India in May 2015 killing at least 2500 innocent lives as well as the frequent flooding in Myanmar with over one million severely affected (Freya Palmer, 2015). Therefore we should fight the climate change and help to minimize the damage that had been done through every channel possible, one of which is by the means of the roles that engineers portray.

References

Fiona Lam (2015) NTUC, IES Launch Career Progression Pathway For Engineers. Retrieved from http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/ntuc-ies-launch-career-progression-pathway-for-engineers

Jean Chua (2015) Engineering Plays Crucial Role in Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/engineering-plays-crucial-role-in-climate-change/

Singapore Business News (2015) ‘Smart’ Humps; Clean Energy. Retrieved from http://www.eco-business.com/news/smart-humps-clean-energy/

Freya Palmer (2015) Extreme Weather Events of 2015: Is Climate Change to Blame? Retrieved from http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/08/21/extreme-weather-events-of-2015-is-climate-change-to-blame/

Summary

In the article “Why The Climate Fight Need Engineers” by Vaidehi (2015), the writer states that The Engineers Progression Pathway Programme that consists of three tiers is welcomed by professionals. It is launched by the labour body National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The programme assists practicing engineers cultivate their industrial and professional expertise. Vaidehi also mentions that the programme emphasizes on the fundamental role that engineering expertise will play in Singapore and Asia Pacific region’s fight against climate change.  “Going forward, engineering expertise will remain a key part of the solution in realizing Singapore’s green growth vision, as laid out in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint (SSB) 2015, said Choi.” Like Choi, I agree that engineers play a fundamental role in fighting climate change..

The Importance of English for Me

Throughout the past fifteen years of my education life, the English language had never been a fan of mine. I’ve always had problems with my sentence structures and getting myself confused with all the verbs, adverbs, adjectives, nouns, etc. Furthermore, being born in a Malay-speaking family did not help much in improving my English language as English is rarely used on a daily basis for me. In addition, for the past two years, I have went through my National Service with the Singapore Civil Defense Force where majority of the personnel are Malay. Therefore, it had been quite some time since I have been using proper English, be it written or verbally.

Despite all of my struggles i had with English, the importance of English can not be stressed enough since it is the most common language spoken globally. English is a must if we want to cope and survive in this competitive world we live in today. Without the knowledge of the English language, we are very limited in terms of communicating with one another. Singapore being a multilingual country, English is used as a medium for communication.

I have always tried my best to improve my English as much as possible. I have read books on a regular basis, mostly fictional, in an attempt to improve my language as well as to expand my vocabulary usage. I also make it a habit to read up on the latest news available every morning on my way to work or school via the online news portals. By doing so, it helps me to improve my English and at the same time, make me more aware of the current affairs.

To sum it all up, I think English is what glue us all together. And for that reason alone, it stresses the importance of English for all of us.