This is an online assignment as we are missing too many lessons due to disruptions in the timetable. The objectives are:
(1) to increase your content knowledge on the topic of Human Rights
(2) to practice SRQ skills
You have two options to choose from.
Option A
Do an online search to find out more information about one specific area of Human Rights abuse in the world. The case study has to be a current and specific one. A good place to start from would be this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/links.shtml
You will provide a useful summary (in a format of your choice) of the facts of the case study and briefly discuss what can be done to minimise, stop or prevent the abuse. Also consider the consequences of not doing anything about the situation.
Option B
Read the article on "How Democracy Dies" at http://www.newsweek.com/id/234891 and write a three-paragraph response using the format of the SRQ.
DEADLINE: 4 May (Tue) which incidentally is when the SRQ is due
A reminder of your FINAL chance to score some OP points for Term 2:
(1) post your comments to on the Term 1 Review blog post
(2) answer the questions on "Rights" and "Dignity" in the previous blog post
(3) respond to your classmate's Option A post
The window for awarding OP is closing really soon.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Questions about Human Rights
We've raised a few questions about Human Rights in today's lesson. Due to limited class time and perhaps more importantly, the need for deep rumination on the subject, let's use this space to throw up ideas and dive right into the core of the issues.
1. What is this thing called "dignity" and why is it important? Because it is a difficult question to answer (and no flippant one-liner can do the idea justice), it may be easier to begin by thinking of examples of "dignity", and non-examples of dignity (just as we had done with the concept of Justice). If the term is so hard to define, yet why do most people instinctively understand what it means? Think about it.
2. Next, we have yet to answer the question "What are rights?" Would anyone venture to define it for us? It is certainly not an easy "thing" to define because it's an abstract idea. I would suggest using the reading "An Allegory" as a starting point. Think about the "things" that the community has agreed upon and think about the nature of these "things" (I will use everyone's favourite catch-all word here) as well as the purpose of these "things". Perhaps by examining these two aspects of the "thing" itself (which is otherwise called "rights"), we can begin to arrive at a better understanding of what it is.
I hope MORE of you will use this space to explore, clarify and argue ideas and concepts. We don't have the luxury of time during class to discuss ideas at a deeper, more philosophical level. Also, there are some of you who are content with scratching the surface of things and we wouldn't dream of boring you to tears in every lesson. So, I would encourage those of you who have a geniune intellectual curiosity, who have a thirst for deeper truths and who aspire to greater things to be part of this THINKING community. Let's not merely be second-hand receivers of knowledge. Let's be creators of knowledge.
1. What is this thing called "dignity" and why is it important? Because it is a difficult question to answer (and no flippant one-liner can do the idea justice), it may be easier to begin by thinking of examples of "dignity", and non-examples of dignity (just as we had done with the concept of Justice). If the term is so hard to define, yet why do most people instinctively understand what it means? Think about it.
2. Next, we have yet to answer the question "What are rights?" Would anyone venture to define it for us? It is certainly not an easy "thing" to define because it's an abstract idea. I would suggest using the reading "An Allegory" as a starting point. Think about the "things" that the community has agreed upon and think about the nature of these "things" (I will use everyone's favourite catch-all word here) as well as the purpose of these "things". Perhaps by examining these two aspects of the "thing" itself (which is otherwise called "rights"), we can begin to arrive at a better understanding of what it is.
I hope MORE of you will use this space to explore, clarify and argue ideas and concepts. We don't have the luxury of time during class to discuss ideas at a deeper, more philosophical level. Also, there are some of you who are content with scratching the surface of things and we wouldn't dream of boring you to tears in every lesson. So, I would encourage those of you who have a geniune intellectual curiosity, who have a thirst for deeper truths and who aspire to greater things to be part of this THINKING community. Let's not merely be second-hand receivers of knowledge. Let's be creators of knowledge.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wrapping up the Unit on Crime and Punishment
I hope you have found the "Crime and Punishment" unit enriching and dare I say, enjoyable? In today's lesson, you will write a reflection on your learning points for the unit. Think about the new knowledge and skills that you have acquired over the last eight weeks or so. You can organise the learning points into separate categories such as
(a) information about legal punishment (philosophy, case studies, arguments for and against etc.)
(b) skills (critical reading, comprehension answering techniques, summary skills, top level structure for essay, scripting for voice recording, use of VoiceThread etc.)
(c) soft skills (collaboration, effective presentation skills, note-taking etc.)
The important thing is not to provide a comprehensive list of your newfound skills and knowledge but to reflect deeply on one or two learning points. Make the learning point meaningful. You can also indicate how you would like to proceed. For instance, work on enlarging your vocabulary through reading two novels, keeping a daily journal, learning 10 new words everyday etc.
Extension activity
Having studied the underlying tenets for legal punishment and the various debates surrounding the myriad of applications from the death sentence, to corporal punishment to life imprisonment to forms of restorative justice for juvenile offenders, let's broaden our understanding of the topic a little more by thinking about a point raised in the comprehension test passage. The writer of the second passage criticised American Law for not being adequately developed to handle what he terms as "excusing conditions" which are sometimes called "mitigating circumstances", "extenuating circumstances", and specific instances may include insanity, temporary insanity etc. You are invited to do a little more research on this area and post your findings (don't cut and paste and remember to acknowledge source) using this thread.
Lastly, some countries allow women, children and the elderly to receive lighter sentences than men for the same offences committed, why is this the case? The astute among you will point out that my generalisation is applicable only to modern democracies and secular states and that this hasn't always been the case. You would be right of course! So let me invite you to answer the question posed above. You can provide evidence to explain and support to affirm the statement or offer counter examples to prove that I am indeed making a generalisation.
I look forward to reading scintillating nuggets of information and brilliant expositions on the topic. Don't disappoint me!
Please label your response as "Reflections" or "Extension".
(a) information about legal punishment (philosophy, case studies, arguments for and against etc.)
(b) skills (critical reading, comprehension answering techniques, summary skills, top level structure for essay, scripting for voice recording, use of VoiceThread etc.)
(c) soft skills (collaboration, effective presentation skills, note-taking etc.)
The important thing is not to provide a comprehensive list of your newfound skills and knowledge but to reflect deeply on one or two learning points. Make the learning point meaningful. You can also indicate how you would like to proceed. For instance, work on enlarging your vocabulary through reading two novels, keeping a daily journal, learning 10 new words everyday etc.
Extension activity
Having studied the underlying tenets for legal punishment and the various debates surrounding the myriad of applications from the death sentence, to corporal punishment to life imprisonment to forms of restorative justice for juvenile offenders, let's broaden our understanding of the topic a little more by thinking about a point raised in the comprehension test passage. The writer of the second passage criticised American Law for not being adequately developed to handle what he terms as "excusing conditions" which are sometimes called "mitigating circumstances", "extenuating circumstances", and specific instances may include insanity, temporary insanity etc. You are invited to do a little more research on this area and post your findings (don't cut and paste and remember to acknowledge source) using this thread.
Lastly, some countries allow women, children and the elderly to receive lighter sentences than men for the same offences committed, why is this the case? The astute among you will point out that my generalisation is applicable only to modern democracies and secular states and that this hasn't always been the case. You would be right of course! So let me invite you to answer the question posed above. You can provide evidence to explain and support to affirm the statement or offer counter examples to prove that I am indeed making a generalisation.
I look forward to reading scintillating nuggets of information and brilliant expositions on the topic. Don't disappoint me!
Please label your response as "Reflections" or "Extension".
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Grouping for Online Learning
This is the grouping for the online learning. The first name in each group is the Leader and you are responsible for contacting your group members online (via MSN etc.) and for organising the group work and submissions.
Group 1: Keith (Leader), Zhong Hui, Qin Jiang, Soon Zhou, Wei Xiang, Xingyu
Group 2: Edmond (Leader), Marcus, Shi Yuan, Zi Yao, Kerry, Juncheng
Group 3: Gong Chen (Leader), Men Quan, Fangxu, Jieyang, Kaidi, Tianqi
Group 4: Zheng Xun (Leader), Caleb, Tuck Ging, Hanson, Song Ze, Han Xin
Group 5: Dominic (Leader), Wei Bo, Fan Yi, Ran Yan, Johnny, Bryan
Group 6: Benjamin (Leader), Isaac, Chan Wei, Andrew
The Voicethread presentation is posted on this blog to help you locate it. To view a larger version of it on Voicethread.com itself, click the forward arrow at the bottom right corner until you get to the last page. Then click on the top right link "Add to MyVoice page". This should take you to Voicethread.com.
Group 1: Keith (Leader), Zhong Hui, Qin Jiang, Soon Zhou, Wei Xiang, Xingyu
Group 2: Edmond (Leader), Marcus, Shi Yuan, Zi Yao, Kerry, Juncheng
Group 3: Gong Chen (Leader), Men Quan, Fangxu, Jieyang, Kaidi, Tianqi
Group 4: Zheng Xun (Leader), Caleb, Tuck Ging, Hanson, Song Ze, Han Xin
Group 5: Dominic (Leader), Wei Bo, Fan Yi, Ran Yan, Johnny, Bryan
Group 6: Benjamin (Leader), Isaac, Chan Wei, Andrew
The Voicethread presentation is posted on this blog to help you locate it. To view a larger version of it on Voicethread.com itself, click the forward arrow at the bottom right corner until you get to the last page. Then click on the top right link "Add to MyVoice page". This should take you to Voicethread.com.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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