Malaysia Kuantan

I would like to thank haimi for his reassuring description of the drive up to Kuantan via the east coast highway No.3.
If I have not heard from his experience, I would not have made the decision to drive up to Kuantan.
Now I am more confident and have much greater faith in the Malaysian Road Signs and Directions -- three cheers for the Malaysian Transport Authority!
Four cheers for haimi!


14 June:
Set out from home with my faithful wish at 6.30am.
Traffic light as it's a Sunday.
Reached Kuantan Swiss Garden at 1pm.

SSS (Sea, Sun and Sand) near 4pm.
Dinner at Jln .. Buoya -- simple Che Chza.
Then Bejaya MegaMall.
Sundaes and Macflurry at MacDonalds.
Back to Swiss Garden -- people having a wedding pool-side reception.
Rain came after wedding reception over -- rained whole night.
Luckily rain stopped the next morning.

15 June:
Buffet BF, then walked around the pool and the beach.
Reached Kuantan River Cruise Centre near 11am.
Not enough people minimum 5 adults.
Got a malay family joining us but by then 11.20am so no go.
So we headed for Charas Cave.
After Charas Cave, looked for Pandang Waterfall but cannot find.
Road led us to Sg. Lembing instead.
So we got to see the hanging bridge instead, which is also a tour destination.
Pity I could not walk across the hanging bridge as my kids all protesting.
My kids all want to go back to Swiss Garden.
Then Bejaya MegaMall for lunch -- Pizza Hut.
Back to Swiss Garden after 3pm.
SSS (Sea, Sun and Sand) after 4pm.
Leave Swiss Garden for dinner after 7pm -- sky dark already.
Turned right at Swiss Garden to look for sea-food restaurant but cannot find any.
U-turned back towards Kuantan town and stopped at Chinese Seafood Lucky Restaurant located near Jln .. Buoya.
Then back to Swiss Garden.

16 June:
Buffet BF / Laze awhile in room / Drove out to look for Kuantan Parade.
Place looked so run-down that we skipped it and ended up at Giant.
Lunch at Jln .. Buoya -- chicken rice and dry noodle and tomyan noodle -- ok, so-so, just interesting, not fantastic.
Back to Swiss Garden.
SSS (Sea, Sun and Sand) before 4pm.
Dinner at Satay Station small shop house near Berjaya MegaMall.
Satay was rubbery.
So dinner part two at Berjaya MegaMall - Kenny Rogers.
Sundaes and Macflurry at MacDonalds.
Then back to Swiss Garden.

17 June:
Buffet Breakfast.
Then leave Swiss Garden after 9am.
Reached home at 4pm.
Got some chances to over-take cars and trucks, being a week-day.

MED838

Question: What is "milk and honey" in education?
Response: In Biblical symbolism, the promised land is described as "flowing with milk and honey". A school should also be a place "flowing with milk and honey." Milk would then be the symbol of the care and affirmation that the teachers and school leaders give to students. Honey would then be the symbol for the passion for the love of learning and the sense of belonging to one big famil among the students and the staff members. This is possible only if the teacher is happy.

Question: Am I happy as a teacher?
Response: Not really. Intellectually, I do not get to have any indepth discussion on my subject matter with any students or colleagues. This explains why I sign up for the Master in Education -- seeking intellectual stimulation. The job is physically demanding, having to climb up 6 flights of stairs across 3 buildings only to discover that I have forgotten to bring my audio cable for my computer notebook. The pain in my knees is coming back. Psychologically unsound as it has always been at the back of my mind that having spend much time and energy on others' children, I fail to watch my own children, resulting in my son in Primary Six going to Normal Acad Stream next year (Touch Wood!)
On the other hand, on a more positive note, this vocation does has its perks. There is financial security, the school provides a well-ordered social environment with clear sets of rules, routines and traditions and I get to enjoy trusting relationships with my superviors, colleagues and students.
So looks like the pros out-weigh the cons. That is why on a scale of one to ten, ten being happy and one being sad, I'll say I am currently on a scale of six and a half.
Happiness is not absolute. It has ups and downs and the in-betweens and can be pretty unpredictable and you would not know what hits you. Such is the transient nature of happiness and life and there lies the beauty of this sense of being alive.

Question: What is Self-Efficacy?
Response: Self-Efficacy is the belief that one can do it, and doing it will lead to the desired outcome. But I have many students who keeps thinking that they can do it. But they don't get started studying for their exams, thinking that they can do it. So they have overly high self-efficacy, or they are suffering from self-deception or fatal procrastination?

MED838

Q1: Can a teacher of lower IQ teach a student of higher IQ?

A1: Yes. Can teach.

Yes. A teacher of lower IQ would be more knowledgeable and experienced in the subject matter. A student of higher IQ can be one that is not motivated, and thus would not be willing to learn. With experience, a teacher would have come across many questions and problems in the subject matter mang times and be able to answer them with ease. A student with higher IQ may be motivated to learn, but it would take time to for the student to build up the skills and wisdom. Over time, and given that the student has the time to dwell in the subject discipline to acquire ennough depth and breadth, then the teacher can no longer teach the student of higher IQ.

A teacher of lower IQ has knowledge and experience but if the student of higher IQ lacks the motivation to learn, then the teacher can teach and should motivate the student to surpass the teacher.

Q2: How is Motivation, Volition and Instruction related?

A2: Motivation is the intention. Volition is the action. Instruction is to equip the student with the skills to carry out the task. Teachers must get students to "want" to learn but if their spirits are strong (highly motivated) but their flesh is weak (low volition: lazy, procrastinate, not self-disciplined), then nothing gets done. If students are motivated and rallying to go, but do not possess the necessary skills, then nothing gets done well. So teachers must ensure learning takes place so that students have the necessary skills and work on their motivation and volition.


Volition or will is the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action. It is defined as purposive striving, and is one of the primary human psychological functions (the others being affection [affect or feeling], motivation [goals and expectations] and cognition [thinking]). Volitional processes can be applied consciously, and they can be automatized as habits over time. Most modern conceptions of volition address it as a process of action control that becomes automatized (see e.g., Heckhausen and Kuhl; Gollwitzer; Corno and Kanfer).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volition_(psychology)



Q3: What are Brainwaves?

A3: When one is intrinsically motivated and get the joy of the doing the task, then all three aspects are present -- motivation, volition and skills from instruction. Such a case could bring one into the alpha stage. A great teacher can get into this zone as the class switches from one learning task to another like clockwork, or engages in a task so intensely.