Welcome to My e-portfolio

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Hi.

Today we had a course about blogging . It was conducted by En Abd Malek in the Computer Lab.

I have forgotten a lot of stuff that I learned about Blogging. I need to refresh myself about it. There is a lot to learn.

Monday, March 9, 2009

My name is Kanakithevi

My name is Kanakithevi.K. I have been a teacher for almost 20 years. I got my first degree B.Sc.(Hons).Ed. from UKM in 1989 majoring in Biology and minoring is Science. Prior to UKM my student life was spent in a small town Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. I grew up being sheltered by my parents and my sisters because I was the youngest of four girls. I was not allowed to go on school trips or any excursions. This information is relevent because when I tell you the tale of my first posting it will give you a better picture of what my family and I went through.

My days in UKM made me learn how to fend for myself even more so since my father had passed away and without a scholarship I was dependent on my sisters to help me out. I became a more independent person and held on to my beliefs that if you do good to others someday someone will do something good to you. The only things that I spent money for in campus was food and stationaries, no fancy clothings and stylish fashions for me. I'll never forget those wonderful days because that was also when I met my Mister Right just like in the romance story books tall, dark (hair) and handsome.... We married after more than six years of courtship. I have three beautiful girls and we as parents have learned a lot from them as we teach then about life.

Through out my teaching career I have taught various subjects related to Science and Mathematics at various levels. As far as teaching concerned it was not much of a problem aspecially when it comes to teaching weaker students. This was because I always liked to support the 'underdogs' whether it was a football match , game of chess or teaching weaker students. Somehow I will be more tolerent towards weaker students eventhough sometimes they can really drive me up the wall with their nonsensical ways.
Throughout my career I have taught Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Sciencs and my latest conquer was Physics. I have taught Form 1 students until Form 6. There are many fond memories and projects that I was involved in during this time. You can view my projects with my students in my artifacts. My reflection will give you an idea as to how teaching life has been and my present student life. Hope you enjoy exploring and knowing more about me from my e-portfolio.

My Reflection

Teaching Mathematics - I have many years of experience teaching Mathematics. - I really enjoy teaching Mathematics. It keeps my brain very active and alert always - I try to teach like two of my most favourite Mathematics teacher Puan Loke ( Mathematics Form 2 – 3) and Mr Khoo (Additional Mathematics & Physics). They always smile and teach in a way that makes you feel that even the most difficult parts seem easy. They explain in a simple way and never give you the feeling of fear that this subject is difficult. Maybe because of that I used to score for those subjects. - As a mathematics teacher by following my teacher example I have been very successful in making students under mathematics in an easy way. - They learn to enjoy mathematics and look forward to learning it. - Unfortunately I have also realized that some of the misunderstood concepts in mathematics that the students learned prior to my teaching is rather difficult for me to correct. I was teaching the best and the worst class one year. When I taught the best class I didn’t have much problem but when it came to the last class basics in mathematics itself was misunderstood. The basic concepts of fraction, division , combined operation were always giving the students problems. But when I taught them something completely new in Form Five, Plan and Elevation they were actually able to understand it and some even scored higher marks than the best class students for this questions which carries 12 marks in the SPM exams. - When my last class students score good marks in Mathematics it makes me feel really good Teaching Science - Is fun if you try to be more of a provider of knowledge rather that force students to memorize terms and definition. - Let your students have a more hands-on experience, take them on a journey to explore and find out for themselves the wonders of science - Try to make students see how everything around us actually is a scientific phenomenan at work, so I try to give example that they can see and realize. - An example when teaching the students about hormones, for them to understand how it works I give them an example of coming home late at night after watching a horror movie. On the way back a lady all in white stops your motorcycle, she smiles, you see her ‘dracula teeth’ . What will happen to you? This will make my students say things like start to shiver, feel cold, heart beat is so fast and loud, face is pale and so on. This will make them understand better without having to force them to memorize the actions of the hormone adrenalin. - Now that ICT technology is being widely used in the classroom in during my lesson sometimes I surf the internet in the labarotary to show my students some interesting images or so on about the lesson . I usually do this when I see my students starting to lose interest in the lesson, sometimes I tell them some interesting science story but after that I will tell them the interval is over an back to the business on hand. - When we teach non scientifically inclined students we need to win them over by teaching them in manner that does not seem too scientific so that they are able to absorb what you are trying to teach them easily. Teaching Chemistry - I taught this subject more during my first posting than my major subject - I learned a lot during those days on how to prepare solutions with specific molarilty and concentration. This was all thanks to my extremely strict, grumpy faced and impatient Form Six Chemistry teacher. He taught me how to prepare specific solutions, how to calculate the weight of the salts to be used and to prepare the solution with the exact molarity. This was very useful to me since during those days practical exams were done in schools, this knowledge came in very, very handy. This was because the lab assistant in the school was only educated until Form 3 and was only helpful in washing and cleaning apparatus. - That experience helps me a lot till today. - In this subject one can also learn the beauty of salt crystals, mineral on earth, the wonder of how diamonds and lead in pencils are made up of the same thing – Carbon…. I will never forget the time when my students had to prepare the different types of crystals, the shape, colour, they were all a wonder of nature - the importance of chemical reactions and processes inside and outside our body - making students understand and realize the importance of organic chemistry, alkane, alkina, alcohols, esters all are useful and important to us - I really enjoyed teaching chemistry especially physical chemistry because it involves a lot of calculation, graphs and equations. - I try to be a good chemistry teacher but sometimes I find quite difficult because I can’t tell my students interesting stories like when I teach Biology Teaching Physics - It has opened a new dimension in my teaching career, I can not only see but also explain things around me working from a Physics prospective not anymore a layman. An example when it comes to explaining the effect of impact during collision and so on, the changes of force during a rollacoaster ride, how a person can lie down on a bed of nails but is hurt when one nail is pressed to their finger. - The joy of teaching the wonder of Physics in motion and in action - The best the I can find a lot of information and gain knowledge from sufing the internet about how Physics is so much a part of our life. An example when I teach my students about balance I show them images of the Taipei 101 and the Petronas Twin Towers which are marvelous examples of Physics engineering at work on how to maintain stability and the forces that act upon them, how engineers designed them to face the challenges to make these skyscrapers stand stable and majestically - I enjoyed calculating using formulas, converting units of values Teaching Biology - it is the ultimate joy, I get to inspire students to be Doctors, Botanist, Zoologists and so on - I’m able to give so many examples, personal experiences and so on in the name of imparting knowledge at the same time enjoy myself while doing it - I know that eventhough since becoming a school administrator I have less chances of teaching Biology I still make the most of it especially during my lessons with my Form Six students who are more mature and able to carry out discussion well on their own without being dependant on me solely. - I want to continue teaching Biology for as long as I’m in this profession for that is where my heart is ........

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Thursday, March 26, 2009

What a unique leaf !!!!!

Monday, March 9, 2009

My name is Kanakithevi

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