In a blink of an eye, my first trimester in SIT has ended. Looking back, I realised that I had learnt a lot of communication skills this trimester, and this is all thanks to the Effective Communication Module, my tutor, Ms Lim, and of course my peers.
With my experience of working at LTA for four years before I embarked on my new learning journey at SIT, I totally understood the importance of having adequate communication skills. Therefore, I was quite sure that the learning outcomes of this module will be very beneficial to me. From writing a formal proposal to presenting in front of a large crowd, reader response and even reflective writing, I felt that I have been fully equipped to face the challenges of future school assignments, projects and even when I'm back at work. While completing my various projects in other modules, I found myself constantly looking back to what I have learnt in the module to incorporate into the reports that we had to submit.
When I first started out with this module, I had minimal confidence in myself to craft a good proposal report and to present in front of the class. However, with the continuous assessments that we were given throughout the course, I have learnt a lot of things from Ms Lim and my peers through the peer and tutor feedback sessions. Through the feedback sessions, I have received many constructive comments and was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses. I learnt how to work on my weaknesses and build my strengths.
Last but not least, I must say it has been a very fruitful and enjoyable trimester with Ms Lim and the class. Thank you for all the support and encouragement given, it has greatly boosted my confidence.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Reflection on my oral presentation!
The oral presentation has finally ended, on a good note.
First, I would like to thank my teammates for all the efforts they have committed in the preparation of slides and the numerous rehearsals we had before our presentation. I've realised that having rehearsals before the actual presentation is crucial, it heightened my confidence during the presentation.
After gathering feedbacks, I understood that the structure of our presentation was not clear enough. I have learnt that the structure of the presentation is crucial, as it determines what our audiences will take away from our presentation. Another portion of the presentation that we can improve on is time management. I have also made a few mistakes, which were already brought to my attention during the previous peer-teaching sessions, such as filler words and long pauses during my presentations. However, as I was nervous during the presentation, I made the same mistakes again.
After all, every cloud has a silver lining. In my opinion, there were things that my teammates and I have done particularly well. During the Question and Answer session, I was proud that my team could answer every question that was directed at us, it only meant that we were well-prepared and confident about the topic we were presenting. During the switching of speakers, the flow was smooth too. I could also feel my team's passion and enthusiasm about the topic.
Last but not least, the oral presentation was a valuable learning experience. From the preparation of slides to the rehearsals and finally the presentation, I will use the knowledge gained in my future presentations.
First, I would like to thank my teammates for all the efforts they have committed in the preparation of slides and the numerous rehearsals we had before our presentation. I've realised that having rehearsals before the actual presentation is crucial, it heightened my confidence during the presentation.
After gathering feedbacks, I understood that the structure of our presentation was not clear enough. I have learnt that the structure of the presentation is crucial, as it determines what our audiences will take away from our presentation. Another portion of the presentation that we can improve on is time management. I have also made a few mistakes, which were already brought to my attention during the previous peer-teaching sessions, such as filler words and long pauses during my presentations. However, as I was nervous during the presentation, I made the same mistakes again.
After all, every cloud has a silver lining. In my opinion, there were things that my teammates and I have done particularly well. During the Question and Answer session, I was proud that my team could answer every question that was directed at us, it only meant that we were well-prepared and confident about the topic we were presenting. During the switching of speakers, the flow was smooth too. I could also feel my team's passion and enthusiasm about the topic.
Last but not least, the oral presentation was a valuable learning experience. From the preparation of slides to the rehearsals and finally the presentation, I will use the knowledge gained in my future presentations.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Reader's Response (First Draft)
In the article “Sustainability Efforts _ Gardens by The Bay,” it was mentioned that environmental sustainability is one of the principles behind the planning and design of Gardens by The Bay.
The article describes that the Garden Lake system acts as a natural filtration system for water from the Gardens catchment. The system incorporates essential ecological processes and functions which help in providing aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The Garden Lake system consists of two main lakes called the Dragon Lake and the Kingfisher Lake. The system acts as a natural filtration system for water and provides aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The presence of aquatic plants and reed beds are reducing nitrogen levels and phosphorus which is critical in ensuring better water quality. High variety of aquatic plants, good water circulation, and aeration is the solution for potential problems.
It is detailed in the article that the conservatories are an energy efficient cooling system which applies sustainable engineering technology. A specially selected glass is fitted on the conservatories to allow excellent light for plants and reduce a considerable amount of heat. To decrease the volume of air to be cooled, only the lower regions of the conservatories are cooled. By dehumidifying the air using liquid desiccant before cooling, the amount of energy required in the cooling process is lessened. Through the usage of Combined Heat Power (CHP) steam turbine, the reliance on the electrical grid reduces. Electricity to run the chillers in the Conservatories are generated on site and waste heat is utilised to reconstruct the liquid desiccant.
The article also explained that Supertrees play a part in the environment sustainability efforts by having photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy, and some serve as air exhaust repository.
Acknowledging the fact that much effort was made to plan and design the conservatories in Garden by The Bay to provide energy-efficient solutions in cooling, I believe that increasing the number of such facilities will further enhance the awareness of the pressing issue of Global warming.
According to “livescience.com”, Global warming is the increase in the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, and occurs when human activity introduces too much of certain types of gas into the atmosphere. Global warming is a pressing issue as not only glaciers and sea ice are melting, it’s also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move. If global warming is not brought under control sooner, there will be drastic effects on earth.
One of the ways to bring global warming under control is to lower energy consumption. Around the world, campaigns, such as “Earth Hour” were created to raise the awareness of adopting a “greener” earth. Ms. Elaine Tan, CEO of WWF-Singapore mentioned that if the whole Singapore come together to show that conservation can be possible on a large scale to make a difference. Like the article “Sustainability Efforts _ Gardens by The Bay,” it was stated that the technologies used in the conservatories could help to achieve at least 30% savings in energy consumption, compared to conventional cooling technologies. The implementation of sustainable environment practices will be able to lead an example in protecting the planet.
Finally, I think it is crucial to raise the awareness of global warming and to design more buildings that promote such awareness is welcoming. Everyone plays a part in saving the earth!
References:
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Summary of "Sustainability Efforts _ Gardens By The Bay"
Environmental sustainability is one of the principles behind the planning and design of Gardens by The Bay.
The Garden Lake system acts as a natural filtration system for water from the Gardens catchment. The system incorporates essential ecological processes and functions which help in providing aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The Garden Lake system consists of two main lakes called the Dragon Lake and the Kingfisher Lake. The system acts as a natural filtration system for water and provides aquatic habitats for biodiversity. The presence of aquatic plants and reed beds are reducing nitrogen levels and phosphorus which is critical in ensuring better water quality. High variety of aquatic plants, good water circulation, and aeration is the solution for potential problems.
The conservatories are an energy efficient cooling system which applies sustainable engineering technology. A specially selected glass is fitted on the conservatories to allow excellent light for plants and reduce a considerable amount of heat. To decrease the volume of air to be cooled, only the lower regions of the conservatories are cooled. By dehumidifying the air using liquid desiccant before cooling, the amount of energy required in the cooling process is lessened. Through the usage of Combined Heat Power (CHP) steam turbine, the reliance on the electrical grid reduces. Electricity to run the chillers in the Conservatories are generated on site and waste heat is utilised to reconstruct the liquid desiccant.
Supertrees also play a part in the environment sustainability efforts by having photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy, and some serve as air exhaust repository.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
The Importance of English for ME :)
During my stint with LTA, I was given the opportunity to work with contractors coming from various countries, such as Germany, Spain, China, and Singapore. On one occasion, I was tasked to lead a project that involves me to coordinate an integrated test which requires the participation of all contractors. I held a meeting with all participating contractors and subsequently wrote the minutes of the meeting. Halfway through the project, I started to realise that all the contractors had a different understanding of how the test is going to be conducted. My project manager had to step up and assist in resolving all misunderstandings. After gathering feedback from all the contractors, I found out that the misunderstanding was due to the way the minutes of the meeting had been written. I was embarrassed and shocked to realise that what I had written in a language that I was taught from young was the cause of all misunderstandings.
It dawned on me that while working with people from so many different countries, we have to rely heavily on the English Language to communicate. The English Language may not be the most spoken language around the world, but it definitely is the most common language that people will use to communicate on a regular basis, be it written or spoken. Therefore, in order to be able to communicate better with people around the world, a good command of English is required.
Till today, I still find the English Language fascinating and there is still so much to learn about it. I will continue to get to know the language better and hone my skills in the English Language.
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