Could this be the way our computers work in the near future?

I love Apple. The company, not the fruit.

I love the way they bring concepts into reality and constantly innovate their line. And that's only bad because it makes me want to spend money each and every time they release something new.

The Apple tablet rumour has been flying around in the internet for the longest time but this short youtube video demonstrates the power it could have.

Totally cool.

And if it comes out, I am so getting it too.

Teachers Day 2009

Got to know someone through Twitter. He happens to be the one designing the Teachers' Day website.

Students, please do take time to appreciate your teachers this Teachers' Day. Drop a small note to your teacher to let him/her know you appreciate the time he/she gave for you.

Take time to appreciate the teachers who made a difference in your lives.

For East View students, I do hope to see your entries in the website to encourage the many teachers in school of their hard work and dedication.

HD Trick Challenge

Fantastic video! Saw this on someone's tweet and was amazed at how they did it...









Of course like all people I did not pause to think of the answer and immediately clicked on the answer revealed video...



Simple answer right? But the preparation is so super complex if you think about it.

I want to do something like that too! Anyone out there interested to get it started with me?

I can be a prop in the video. I sit really still.

Longest Solar Eclipse so far...

Sec 3 Science Project 2009!

Yeah! It's the annual Pythagoras' Switch Project. I am beginning to look forward to this project as the students ideas are becoming more and more innovative as the years proceed. My aim to be able to flood youtube with the students' videos this year and hopefully come up with some ideas for TKK Young Inventors' award!











And finally one project from last year!



Have fun!

Student's view of Heat Transfer

v

Unburnt paper

The coin, which is a good conductor of heat, transfers the heat away from the flame and prevents the paper from burning up.

Water is a bad conductor of heat

The ice at the bottom of the test tube fails to melt even though the water at the top is boiling. Water is a bad conductor of heat and the heat at the top does not conduct to the bottom of the test tube.

Convection

Now teaching on transfer of thermal energy. Was telling 305 about convection. Here's two videos on it.

Cold Boot Attacks

Wow... this video is awesome! Normally I will think that the information from RAM is wiped out the moment power is cut from the computer. But this research shows otherwise! The information from RAM is kept from seconds to a few minutes and if the temperature is cooled down by using simple tools, the information can be kept for up to 10 minutes! Wow.. this means that if the RAM is being transferred to another computer, then the contents can be read... encryption keys can be stolen and private information is no longer private... or like what this research shows... RAM reading software can be developed and usedto decrypt the information just like that... Scary thought.

How then to protect your information that is stored in computers? Make sure it is not stolen physically!

First day of Term 3 and 3rd week of my attachment!

This is the 1st day of school and ... I am not in school! I am still on attachment at A-STAR and honestly I am quite bored here... Have just been reading and reading. I guess that can't be helped as the area is something I am not familiar with and it is hard for my mentor to assign me something to do when I have absolutely no idea what it is about...

Haha... good thing is that after two weeks of reading... I am able to ask simple yet intelligent questions. I know they all say there are no stupid questions but somehow I cannot bring myself certain type of questions when the answers are pretty straightforward and can be found by simply reading. I am not one who is able to ask questions off the cuff... do envy those who can just ask question after question to clarify their doubts. If I don't ask any questions, does it mean that I have no doubt or that I don't care if I have doubts or not.... haha...

Going back to the first day of school back in EVSS... do hope that everything went on smoothly... the H1N1 flu situation is constantly evolving and the instructions are constantly changing... teachers are trying to appear cool and calm... as for students... do hope that their learning can still continue as per normal... especially for the graduating classes... this last stretch is very crucial for them and they will need every minute of preparation to ensure that they will do well for the O-levels...

To my classes... I have engaged a relief teacher and gave instructions on what to do.... please do not give the relief teacher any trouble and cooperate with him to the fullest... Do leave me tags on my tagboard if you have any queries so that I will be able to answer you...

Seriously missing school... haha... feel like a student all over again... massive amounts of readings... earphones plugged in almost permanently... constant headaches from the readings...

1 week so far...

I am quite bored at my attachment. Honestly.

I find myself trying to find something exciting to do but honestly, it feels like my university research all over again. Haha... didn't exactly enjoy the research process in U... but the action research in teaching brought back a love for learning again. A love for searching for new knowledge. Sometimes teaching makes you complacent... coming to A-STAR makes me realise that I am very backward in my knowledge of the things that has been happening... makes me excited to want to learn again..

So I will try to find something exciting to hook onto... so that when I go back to school, I will have something to transfer to my students... to excite them to go beyond themselves and dream...

View from my workplace

As promised, this is the view from my workplace and it overlooks ACJC. I know it is nothing fantastic but it sure beats seeing 4 walls every day. Nice!

Research attachment @ Network Storage Technology (NST)

Today is the first day of my attachment @ NST, a division of A*STAR - the premium science research institute in Singapore. Last week was my induction and indeed I must say I was wowed by the state and level of research in Singapore. I attended talks by various group leaders in A*STAR on bioethics, the learning of Science and their research work etc. Wow! I was honestly quite impacted by their sharings and was quite of Singapore of what she has achieved through A*STAR.

What was more surprising to me was how each and every one of the people working in A*STAR is so proud of their work individually and corporately. It is normal for them to feel proud of their individual knowledge. I mean, they are among the best in their field to be working here. But corporately, they really sing the same tune! I am attached to NST and my mentor is Dr Khin Mi Mi Aung, from Myanmar. Boy is she passionate about her work, A*STAR and NST. She sings passionately about the work of not just NST but about almost all the other different organisations under A*STAR. Wow! And she's not even Singaporean. As a Singaporean, seeing now the reseach capabilities we can offer, I am super proud of the advancement in science that comes through our hard work.

Side note, I do have a great view at work. Will take a photo of the view I have in my lab. An unobstructed view of Singapore from the 14th floor!

Ok got to go for lunch now!

I know I know...

I know this video is on Ms Ang's blog... and on class 406 blog... and on my other blog... nothing to do with Physics but a super hilarious and creative way to get people to realise washing hands is very very important!!! Haha... can't believe sometimes I see people walk out of the toilets without washing hands! My gosh.. yucks!

Useful Websites

You may find the websites below useful in your revision or if you want extra help. The syllabus covered does not always match the O-level syllabus so choose carefully.

http://www.physics.org
An Institute of Physics site. If you have a burning question, you will be directed to other relevant websites .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/physics
A BBC website dedicated to revision and simple testing.

http://www.gcse.com/physics.htm
A useful site that deals with many topics in an interesting way.

http://www.colpus.me.uk/vplabd/?q=node/1
A group of simulations. Try the free sample and play with an oscilloscope, transformer, lenses etc if you do not want to buy all of the simulations.

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_index.asp?subject_id=16
Basic theory and on-line testing.

http://www.bustertests.co.uk/tests/gcse/physics/
On-line testing that might help revision.

Fleming's Left Hand Rule

Teaching 502 today and was quite shocked that some laptops still don't have flash installed. Luckily found some videos on youtube to show them.

haha... my 'fav' blogger blogging about Science Centre!

I have always thought most of the exhibits at Science Centre are very cool... not all are well maintained... some of them are 'ancient'! haha.... I remembered the electric chair and I think it was there since I started going to Science Centre in Primary school.... and that was a long long time ago!!

I wish East View is nearer to Science Centre.. this way, I will bring students more often there... and perhaps conduct lessons there... a change of environment also hooks students and interests them to study better...

Ins't tihs ture?

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses

Heavy Newspaper

Yup, this is totally amazing! hahaha... go and buy a 50 cents wooden ruler and try it out!

Physics Songs

In an attempt (some may say desperate attempt) to elevate Physics into the state of coolness, we write songs about Physics! One video is done by a teacher in Singapore... haha... guess which one har?

TV Ad for Family

The first time I saw this ad, I was touched... the many beautiful imperfections in our partners that make our lives complete... thought the poignancy of the moment was captured wonderfully by the director... I know that has not much to do with Physics... well you can say the part where she was describing the motor sounds... you will learn about the motor in Physics in Sec 4...

But education is sometimes not simply learning about the facts and figures... the journey is equally important... learning Physics is not just learning about the facts and formulae... it is also about the journey of a student trying to grasp the amount of information around him and making sense of it all...

Don't give up on learning... certain things may seem to be difficult to understand but if you take some time to read through and think about the topic, I am sure you will be enlightened!

Just survived CNY

Wow... never had such a tiring CNY before... man... bringing Joash around to go visiting is really tiring... must juggle his feeding and sleeping schedule with our visitation... man... he just can't sleep cos there's so much activities going around him... can't blame him... cos he's so CUTE!!! I know I am biased as a parent but I honestly think he's very cute! Everyone's like carrying him and talking to him... how to sleep like that? The moment he's back in the car travelling to the next place, he immediately KO... and he promptly woke up at the next place... haha... he's so tired out by the end of the day... he fell asleep even before he hits the bed...

Now that back to school... back to the reality of my students' results... sigh... last year they really didn't do well... some were too complacent but generally I feel the cohort was not putting in effort... but this year I feel the students are starting off well... way to go graduating batch of '09! Let's work hard together to bring forth the best results ever!!!

Will look for nice videos to post soon... Mr Ng got some mean looking vids on his blog... go check it out!

Week 3 of 2009

I have been swarmed with work since the beginning of school... but am happy doing some of the work especially when I see some of my students putting in hard work for their lessons. The school I am teaching in caters to the lower ability students and generally their motivational level is not very high. To enthuse them and steer them to aim higher for themselves is an art. I am constantly training myself to perfect this skill yearly.

This year, I do think that the classes are more motivated. I am not claiming credit cos I don't think I did much. The school on the whole did a lot to improve the tone of the environment and I do think that it is taking effect. As a teacher, it gives me great joy to see a recalcitrant student turning over a new leaf and putting in effort to take charge of his/her life. I am seeing more and more such students and honestly, I am very proud of them. It is not easy to put brakes on a downward spiral especially when everyone around you is not doing so. I am proud of these students who are able to put brakes on their self-destructive habits and break free from the habits. I often wonder what will be my response if I were in their shoes.... I am proud of them because I think they are better than me when I was in my younger days. They put brakes on themselves, make a big U-turn and push themselves on against all flow to better themselves.

Man I am proud of these students. But I do hope that their change will last. It is not easy to build lasting change but I do hope this bud of change I am seeing is one of permanence. I will do all I can to water, nurture and grow these budding talents into maturing pillars of the society.

I will. I can. I am.

KING OF SCIENCE!!!!

Physics is the KING OF SCIENCE!!!! Haha... this is my tagline for all my new Physics students... My ex-students will remember how I used to shout this whenever I see them and they used to shout back at me the same tagline... the two videos are definitely a testimony of that!

How time flies and it is 2009. A new year has started and I am definitely looking forward to seeing new faces again for my classes. Although I know that making new year resolutions are definitely not my strength, I do want to try to maintain this blog more often than 2008. Haha... and I ensured that I will do this by making sure people pressure me now and then..

So you students out there... if you see this blog languishing in cyberspace... drop me a tag or just let me know in school!

Physics is the KING OF SCIENCE!!!