Messages

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English / A Letter Worth Sharing (Student to his teacher)

« on: May 05, 2014, 02:34:53 AM »

19 November 1957

Dear Monsieur Germain,

I let the commotion around me these days subside a bit before speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. I have just been given far too great an honor, one I neither sought nor solicited.

But when I heard the news, my first thought, after my mother, was of you. Without you, without the affectionate hand you extended to the small poor child that I was, without your teaching and example, none of all this would have happened.

I don’t make too much of this sort of honour. But at least it gives me the opportunity to tell you what you have been and still are for me, and to assure you that your efforts, your work, and the generous heart you put into it still live in one of your little schoolboys who, despite the years, has never stopped being your grateful pupil. I embrace you with all my heart.

Albert Camus


For more details, please visit the following link:

http://www.critical-theory.com/read-camus-letter-to-his-elementary-school-teacher-after-winning-the-nobel-prize/

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English / Re: HAIKU

« on: September 16, 2013, 02:38:32 PM »

Here's a new one. I'm not sure whether this follows the conventions of 'Haiku' but it's of three lines.



Love is an addiction

Which no rehabilitation

Can cure.

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Departments / Re: Evaluation System

« on: September 12, 2013, 01:46:13 PM »

It's hilarious but not less than an indictment as well.

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English / Re: A Question came to mind after expelling a student today at 27.04.13

« on: August 30, 2013, 02:46:17 PM »

I'd say the answer to your question would be an ambivalent one ! I mean - the answer can both be yes & no simultaneously ! Let me explain briefly !

If a student is studious enough to pass, he won't seek resort in cheating. Most often, it's only when he hasn't prepared/studied well for exams that he resorts to cheating.  So, if someone who wants to pass but hasn't prepared is more likely/vulnerable to cheat in exam. And then the answer to your question is YES.   But, if a student wants to pass & therefore has prepared/studied well enough, he won't cheat or let's say safely that he is less likely to cheat in exam.

Now, if our students (irrespective of their age & disciplines) belong to the first category, cheating will be out of control. And, if the teachers/invigilators/administrators do not take stern & prompt action against cheating in exam then students will be encouraged to unleash themselves in cheating. One thing must be mentioned here in this regard that we r talking about post-exam/in-exam measures to prevent/minimize/stop cheating by students. I'd say taking pre-exam measures will be (arguably) the best way to prevent/stop/minimize cheating.

Therefore,  Shibli sir's opinion of setting creative questions can be an effective solution but personally I beg to differ with that opinion, chiefly & simply because of our context.  I mean keeping the level of the majority of our students in mind, creative questions aren't the appropriate/best solution, not at least now. Just to back my opinion up, let me just give give a recent & simple evidence/fact : 

The pass (not GPA 5)  percentage of HSC exams under the eight education boards of Bangladesh dropped to 71.13, marking a fall of 5.37 points from that of 2012 (76.50).  Total 46736 examinees got GPA 5 this year, compared to last year’s 51469, which means a drop of 4733. And this decline has been attributed largely/mainly to the introduction of "Creative Question Method" in Bangla, Chemistry, Business Entrepreneurship and Civics for the HSC examinees of 2013. The PASS (not GPA 5) rate in eight education boards in chemistry was around 77% against last year’s 85%. This year's PASS (not GPA 5) rate in eight education boards in Bangla was less than 2012 by  2% to 3% !



SM Wahiduzzaman, exam controller of Dhaka board, said "apart from the political turmoil, “creative question method” in four subjects, including chemistry, business entrepreneurship and civics, also contributed to this decline as students were not yet ready for this."
So, even after having almost 2 years to prepare for HSC exam, there was a decline. Still there remains lacking from the teacher's part as well as from the students' part. And, what those stats do not show is the fact that thousands of students who passed/got GPA 5 in 2011's SSC exam  failed to pass or get GPA 5 in 2013's HSC exam because of the introduction of “creative question method” in four subjects including bangla, chemistry, business entrepreneurship and civics.

So, when we have students (meritorious/studious/average/poor/ordinary) , who couldn't cope successfully with this method in SSC/HSC even after having more than a year's time to prepare in most cases, how can we expect those same students to cope well in a course taught only for four months in a semester?? In fact, students get three months (more or less) each semester to study.

Therefore, if one is to go by those facts & consequences, creative questions method doesn't bode well for our students, not at least now.

By the way, the source of those stats is August 4, 2013 copy of the Daily Prothom Alo & The Daily Star.

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English / Re: Can we do those little, everyday things?

« on: August 30, 2013, 11:59:17 AM »

Someone would need to be pretty calculative & patient to mould himself according to all those advice. It's tough ask but a great one if achieved.

Thanks to Irian Madam again for resurfacing the little things we tend to ignore unconsciously or subconsciously sometimes.

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English / Re: Quotations can move us

« on: August 30, 2013, 11:42:33 AM »

I like this one :

"Freedom, privileges, options, must constantly be exercised, even at the risk of inconvenience." - Jack Vance.

Thank you Irina Madam for sharing such a quote 

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English / if this doesn't make you laugh, nothing else will !!!! (part 3)

« on: August 03, 2013, 02:29:54 PM »

fun unlimited ! 

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English / Re: Interesting way to learn english

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:54:49 PM »

 

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English / Re: New Expressions

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:43:04 PM »

Rabeya Madam

I knew one of those expressions. And now I'd say : keep all of us in the loop. 

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English / Re: Some rules of spelling: Rule 4

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:26:41 PM »

Shampa Madam

Can't thank u enough for posting this rule. Loving it :-)

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English / Re: Some rules of spelling: Rule 3

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:24:06 PM »

I like the rule. Feeling like a student :-)

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English / Re: Some rules of spelling: Rule 2

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:18:44 PM »

Shampa Madam

Nice post but sadly our students find the rules of grammar hard enough to remember or understand. How they would react to rules of spelling is worth a thought.

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English / Re: Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

« on: August 02, 2013, 08:09:16 PM »

Answer to statement no. 3

I'd begin by arguing that the beginning of a child's schooling varies from country to country and most importantly the age is found to be wildly variable. So, I think that if one is to determine whether a child should start learning a foreign language right when the child's schooling begins, one needs to take the age of the child under consideration. Therefore, I'd rather disagree with the fact that a child should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school as the receptive ability of a child is too amateurish to digest the burden of learning a foreign language so early when the child hasn't even mastered the ABC of his native language.

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English / Re: Do you AGREE or DISAGREE?

« on: August 02, 2013, 02:48:52 PM »

Answer to statement no. 1 :

Man by born possesses an insatiable inquisitiveness which never allows him to rest easy and remain inactive for long. The ever-increasing thirst to explore/discover new & different things is a temptation/appeal which is too difficult for a man to resist. That's why men are never satisfied what they already have and seek new challenges. The aspiration for more or something different thus prevails. However, interestingly, this longing for more or new things dominates one's psyche even when one is satisfied with what one has achieved so far.




 

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English / Re: How to study English effectively

« on: August 02, 2013, 01:43:40 PM »

Shipra apu, interesting and effective tip indeed !