# data[].attributes.body
1.Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video? Why, or why not?

The video shows a woman sewing up a pouch and it is also meant for playing a game called "five stones". She is sewing it cautiously and professionally. Then she puts the "stones" into a jar and wraps it nicely. I personally would enjoy to do this activity as I am a hands on and detailed person. To me, the activity in the video is quite meaningful as its the little things that we do matters like giving gifts out of the blue or even asking how they are doing. Gifts are like a special symbol to symbolise how much a person actually means to you. I vividly remember the time where my parents brought me to a perfume workshop as I wanted to make a perfume for a friends as a birthday gift. I was so indulged in making every detail perfect to the point where I lost track of time and I ended up taking 2 hrs to finish it but this was the first time I actually put my mind and soul into doing something for someone. The whole process made me realise how much one can use up so much effort just to make the other person happy and satisfied.

2.Tell me about something you have done well.

There are many things I have done well in but this incident was the most memorable one to me. It was mothers day and I wanted to surprise my mom by baking her a cake by myself. As it was my first time baking a cake, I did not know where to start. I started fishing out for recipes and ended up flipping the whole house upside down when I couldnt find it. I gave up and searched an online line for recipes online instead. To my surprise, online recipes were actually easier to follow than the hardcopy ones as everything in the online recipes were detailed but easy to understand. I successfully made a scrumptious and tender cake for her. Till this day, I have no idea how I managed to bake that cake with my clumsy hands, but I enjoyed the whole process and it was quite meaningful and heartfelt to me.

3.Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What is your opinion?

I agree with this statement as being hands on is one of the ways that I think can help me to learn and absorb things faster. In my opinion, I think that practical lessons are actually more effectively than normal lessons as students are able to understand better when they actually do hands on work rather than written work. Further more, students can apply these hands on knowledge when they start working in the future and practical can also teach student to clean up after themselves. Just this year, I went to an old folks home to volunteer to help out. My views of the old folks home had a drastically changed when I actually started doing the hands-on work. It was actually more tiring than I expected it be, I wasnt even half way done with the job but my energy was all burned out drained. But all that efforts put in werent in vain as I went back home learning a valuable lesson, and that is to appreciate what I have now before they all disappear. In conclusion, hands-on learning has a very big impact in our lives as we learn and grow in every step we take with this learning in many stages of our lives.

# data[].attributes.body
1.Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video? Why, or why not?
The video shows someone cutting a piece of cloth into 5 equal pieces and sews them up into a small pouch first.Then she pours grains into the pouch to make a traditional game called 5 stones. She then put the 5 stones into a glass jar and wraps it with a ‘Happy Birthday’ wrapping paper. I personally do not like this activity as I am bad with handicraft which will take up a lot of time if I do this. Last year, I tried to make a gift for my classmate for his birthday but the end product turned out hideous.In the end I just went to a gift shop and bought him a gift. I never did any handicraft work from that day onwards.

2.Tell me about something you have done well.
One thing I’ve done well was passing my maths during PSLE. I found out I wasn’t a math person was when I was P5. I scored a whopping 25/100 for my CA1 and was extremely disheartened. After a year of getting reprimanded by my parents and teachers, I decided to put in more effort in my work and paid more attention in class. However during prelims , I only got 45/100. Luckily I have friends and teachers around me that are extremely helpful and always helped me when I didn’t understand the question. When I got back my PSLE results, I started crying because after almost 2 years of hard work, I finally passed my math and gotten a C. To me, that was something I had done well.

3.Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What is your opinion?

I personally agree with this statement.As a student who takes Geography and Biology, the content is extremely heavy and there is a lot of memorising to do. When I revise,I usually make my own notes with the notes that the subject teacher has given me as it helps me retain the knowledge easier and faster. Making my own notes also allows me to add my own explanation to certain parts that I don’t understand. Hence, hands-on activity is the most effective way for me to study.

However, some people are visual learners. That means they learn better when they there are charts and graphs and understand better with images. Hence hands-on writing may not be the most effective way for them to study.

For instance, when class tests  are round the corner, I will start making my own notes to revise and try to score well for the class test. Even after the class tests are over, I can still refer back to my hand written notes when I’m doing exam papers or revising for major exams. Since I write the notes myself, I have an easier time finding the information I need and this will increase my productivity and effectiveness. Hence, hands-on writing is the most effective way for me to study.

# data[].attributes.body
1. i would not enjoy doing such activities as i feel that i would get bored easily. The videos shows someone making a gift for someone by their self.  For someone like me, who is very lazy, I would rather go out to explore and buy something more interesting as a present for someone. But because of the current pandemic i had no choice but to make a little bear for my mother for mothers day last Sunday, and sure enough i was bored when making it.

2. One thing that i had done well would be the bear i made for my mother on mothers day. To be honest it turned out better than i had expected, i thought the bear would either not look like one or the bear would have not been sewn together properly. But in the end all that matters is if my mother likes it of course. The end product looked way better than the ones that u could buy outside, maybe it because i made it myself. My mother loved it so much, the bear, and that was my reward for going through a boring day of making it through watching youtube videos and finding the materials in the storage room.

3. In my opinion, hands-on learning is not the most effective way of  gaining knowledge. Gaining knowledge is basically learning ,and everyone has their own method of learning. some learns better seeing, some hearing and some are better going hands-on. i personally am better at learning by hearing and hands-on. learning through hearing doesn't always work as sometimes i can't visualise what the teacher is saying, so hands-on is like my back up, after trying out what the teacher is trying to explain to me, it would become clearer for me. There are others like my tuition friend who in better in learning through seeing and  hearing if u explain to him while showing him what u mean, he would understand in no time.In conclusion everyone has different efficient ways in gaining knowledge and in their eyes those ways are better and more efficient than others

# data[].attributes.body
1. To some extent yes I would enjoy doing this activity making those “stones” as I quite enjoy making stuff that’s the reason I took DNT for my elective. However I feel like I wouldn’t enjoy this activity, as much as I personally am not fond of sitting down for long periods of time as I have a fairly short attention span and I would get bored of such an activity pretty quickly. In conclusion I would certainly enjoy this activity, because as a kid I would play with the game called 5 stones, and those are made in the activity shown in the video. It would bring about a sense of nostalgia and many memories I had as a kid playing the 5 stones game with my friends.

2. Something that I have done well would be cooking I think I’m fairly good at cooking although my mom is disastrous at cooking 😂.(in the actual oral exams I would be able to express my facial expression but now I’m just gonna use this emoji:)) I got my cooking skills from my paternal side of the family, my dad is a great cook and my paternal grandmother is an absolute master chef. One of my favorite dish that I can make is the chicken fajita,  it is a pretty simple dish all I needed to do was to watch a YouTube video and voila I can make it. IF u are interested I’ll tell you how u cook it, you oil a cooking pot with butter olive oil works too then you cut some chicken breast and stir fry it in the pot, after it gets thoroughly cooked remove the chicken from the pot and throw in some chopped chunky capsicum and stir fry it , the capsicum will taste amazing even if u hate capsicum. After a few minutes of stir frying the capsicum you throw the chicken back in and add chili powder, black pepper and some salt, cumin is optional if u want it. After a few minutes of stir frying u add some penne pasta however much u like and add chicken stock and milk, let it simmer until the pasta is cooked and the dish looks a little saturated and then add cheese and stir it abit more and it’s done. Delicious chicken fajita baby. That rounds up something I had done well.

3. I couldn’t agree more hands on learning is undisputedly the best and most effective way to learn. Take cooking for example, it is impossible to master cooking by sitting down and studying how to cook. You need to have hands on experience and try things out, otherwise you’ll never actually fully learn that thing or piece of knowledge you want to learn or achieve and cooking as actually kind of fun when you get the hang of it. All in all I genuinely feel that hands on learning is the most effective not to mention fun and exciting way to learn.

Have a nice day;)

# data[].attributes.body
1. Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video? Why or why not?
The video shows me someone cutting a piece of cloth into 5 equal shapes. Then, she sews them up and pours rice grains inside them. She is making a traditional five stones game. After completing everything, she puts everything in a container and wrapped it up as a gift. I would enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video. I enjoy doing hands on activities and this is one of them. We often buy from the stores when it comes to giving someone a gift, but I think that it is more meaningful when we were to make one. Furthermore, I can choose the person's favourite colour and I can customise the material to use for the gift.

2. Tell me something that you had done well.
During the recent math test, I managed to score well for it. I was really proud of myself because my grades jumped from a UG to A1. I had a really understanding tuition teacher and he didn't give up on me. I managed to set up a timetable as well and it helped me manage my time properly. I had to sacrifice a lot of time to study hard for the math test like not using my phone and watching the television.
Although my results were really bad last time, I didn't let it affect me and I encourage myself to work harder the next time and to not give up easily.

3. Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What is your opinion?
I think that hands-on learning is an effective way to gain knowledge. Hands-on learning is being able to touch and see something versus reading about it. It allows us to experience it hands-on and it is easier to understand it because you can "touch" it. It also allows us to have a better understanding on the topic. For example, I was always fascinated by acid reactions and was always curious to see how it reacts. I finally had a chance to experience it hands-on during a chemistry practical and I understood the acid reaction better. Thus, I think hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge.

# data[].attributes.body
1. yes, i would enjoy doing such activities. In the video, a person can be seen making simple gifts using items that are easily available to us. i would like to try something like this as it gives me a chance to take my eyes off my phone. Most of us spend too much time on our digital devices and it makes it hard for us to enjoy the simple things in life. for example, we can do basic DIY activities with our friends or family since we are now stuck at home during this circuit breaker period. This can give us a chance to bond with our siblings and parents and prevent us from staying cooped in our rooms all day.

2. One thing I had done well is to improve my Math.
I used to fail my math consistently during secondary 1 to 2 , (hardship) but i decided pull up my socks and put in the extra hours. this has made me understand the subject deeply and this has allowed me to do the equations easily. over time , i started to get better and eventually i got an A for my end of year exams. i feel proud of this as math is not so easy for everyone , some of my friends even come to me to ask me for my guidance .because i was in their shoes once, i always agree to help them. it also turns out that when u teach someone, you are also learning new things.

3. i agree to a certain extent.
For certain skills , hands on learning is much more effective , for example playing basketball, you cannot just learn to dribble while watching a 10 minute basketball tutorial. It will be more helpful when there is someone in front of u guiding u with a ball in your hand . Another example is this home based learning. The difference between going to school physically and doing lessons online is massive. some people might like the pace at which u can go for hbl .on the other hand, some people are really unproductive with what they do at home. However sometimes learning things on the internet can be much easier then you think, like making a origami crane . there are many informative videos giving you step by step analysis on how to fold a crane. Nowadays many things are stored in the digitalized world. Students do not have to flip through there history textbooks trying to find what caused the cuban missile crisis as there are definitely 5 minute videos on the internet that can teach you more than what the textbook says.

# data[].attributes.body
1.The video shows a person cutting a clothing into 5 small equal pieces and then making it into a pouch while adding grain inside it.This is known as the traditional game called the “5 stones”.The person then puts it into a jar while wrapping it with a wrapping paper which said “Happy birthday”. Personally, for me i wouldn’t enjoy this activity as I do not like to sit down for a Long period of time doing activities which involves me cutting and making things to form a  finished product. The reason for that is because I am really bad at doing hand crafts and also I have a short attention span.I tend to get easily distracted which will lead to me needing more time for the activity. In conclusion,I would rather go out and buy something that the person likes as it is more efficient and less time consuming

2.Something that I have done well is during the circuit breaker I have managed to discipline myself to study everyday as my grades are really bad.For me something like managing to study everyday even when there is no school was impossible for me.Even when I took the national exam when i was in primary 6 I never studied everyday.What makes me study everyday during this period is for me to ensure that I pass the upcoming national exam which could pretty much decide my future.I also want to support my family when I grow older and have a job that I truly enjoy. Therefore,me disciplining myself to study everyday is something that I have done well.

3.I definitely agree that hands on learning is an effective way to learn.Hands on learning allows us to engage with the learning.For example, cooking.I definitely won’t be able to cook something just by reading and memorising the recipe.Instead by me looking at how someone does the dish and doing it by myself onwards I would be able to learn faster and effectively than by just reading the recipe.From my experience from being a student,I definitely know that hands on learning is way more beneficial than other methods.Hands on learning allows me to experiment with trials and error and learning from my own mistakes.This will lead me in understanding and learning better as a student.Hence,I agree that hands on learning is an effective way of gaining knowledge

# data[].attributes.body
1. In this video , the person is cutting a piece of cloth into 5 equal shapes and sews them up using needlework with rice grains inside. This makes a traditional game which is the five stones . the person then put the five stones into a glass container and wrapped with a wrapping paper which says happy birthday . Although this is a very sincere gift , i do not enjoy doing such activity as it takes up a lot of time .   Needle work is something that needs patience which is something i do not have . it is also very dangerous and tedious . also , i do not know anyone that likes this kind of gift which isnt pratical to them . i would rather go out and buy gifts which is much easier . therefore , i do not enjoy doing such an activity .

2. the one time i did well for my studies was when i was in primary 6 . for my prelims math i did really bad and i scored 49/100 . i was really worried for my psle and i decided to put away all my distractions and study hard. i also got helped from my teachers and friends . when the psle results were released , i was really shocked as i got an A which i was really happy about . my parents were very happy about it too. that was something that  i have done well . (elaborate)

3. i do agree that hands on learning is the most effective way to learn . it gives us freedom and responsibility  rather than listening to lessons or just simply reading which does not gets into our mind . but when doing hands on , more informations gets absorbed and it is more understandable . studies have shown that hands on learning better engages both sides of the brain . personally , i would prefer hands on learning as is more effective for me . for example , i would rather work on a math question with my teacher than doing it on my own after my teacher explains it . therefore i agree hands on learning is very effective .

# data[].attributes.body
1. i think that i would enjoy such activities, as I would be able to create interesting items as gifts for loved ones at minimal cost. Furthermore, it would be a meaningful gift to the receiver and for the sender it would be a unique experience to remember. I fondly remember a time where my family gathered together to bake Chinese new year cookies as gifts for our relatives, as we rarely get to have a family gathering such as this during the year due to our busy schedules, which makes the experience all the more meaningful.
2. During this period of the circuit breaker period, i browsed through many interesting news articles that had appeared on my computer which gave me a better insight of things happening worldwide. For example, the riots happening in the united states (specify exactly what this riot was about?) which was very shocking, where there are even armed citizens in the midst of the riots endangering many. This report has inspired me to write about my views and thoughts about the situation, which have helped to polish my English language skills. (specify how did you know you made an achievement?)
3.Hands on learning is certainly a much better way of learning as you would feel more engage in the activities. To perfrom well, Even if we may have forgotten the specific procedures or steps to do something, we can always tap on our  muscle memory that is gained from hands-on learning and experiences. if we are able to interact and understand the object, we would be able to remember it better than trying to memorize it with our brain. One good example of this would be origami. Its complex steps require much memorization. However with muscle memory, we would be able to subconsciously create the item we want. Same goes for art, at first for me, art was a tough subject where we always have to be conscious of the light and the dark shadows.however with continuous practices, it became much easier along the way to draw and shade without guidelines.

# data[].attributes.body
This video shows a person cutting five pieces of cloth and filling them with stones.this game is known as the traditional "five stone"game.The person then wraps them in a present as birthday gift.Personally, i think this i would enjoy  this video as it is cost effective and a handmade gift is the best.

2.During my psle i was shocked that i scored an A for my chinese . When I was in primary Four,..But during secondary school,i didnt improve my chinese and my results drop.For my sec 4 ca1 i got an f9.As chinese olvl is coming,i decided to buck up and start studying. what helped you to improve drastically for Chinese?

3.I think hands on learning is the best effective way to gain knowledge. During the circuit breaker period, my mom taught me to cook and bake.She taught me how to present a standard dish for the family and how to bake cookies.Now i think i can assist my mom and help make dinner when she isnt around. Therefore i think hands on learning is one of the best way to gain knowledge.

Is this the best learnign method for everyone?

But i STILL think that doing things by hand

# data[].attributes.body
1. I think that I would not enjoy this activity as it would take a lot of time to measure and put the correct amount of grains to be put into each bag. It would also take a lot of time to wrap the gift as I do not know how to wrap and would have to learn it online. I don’t have the patience to do all that and would rather just go out and buy something that the person likes.

2. Something I think I had done well is my PSLE. Leading up to my PSLE, I was always failing math and barely passing the rest of the subjects. I would always see borderline results like getting 60% for my English or 55% for my science. Therefore when I got back my PSLE results and saw that I got a B for science, a B for math and an A for English, I was very proud of myself as I believe that I had done well. (What were some factors that pushed you to success?)

3. I believe that hands - on learning is the Most effective way of learning. People always say “practice makes perfect” and I agree with it. If you don’t practise something, you can never get better at it. On example is sports. No matter what type of sport you are doing, to get better at it, u definitely need to practice to progress in skill. Whether it’s shooting a few baskets to improve in your basketball or even running everyday to have more have more stamina and speed for ur next race, practicing will always help you to improve. Therefore, I believe that hands - on learning is the most effective way of learning.
Is it the best method for all?
muscle memory
subjects? sometimes yes or no.. based on memorisation..

# data[].attributes.body
1. Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video ?

- The video shows a person cutting a piece of cloth into 5 equal shapes and sewing each of them into a small pouch. The person then fills each of it with rice and sews it together which then i understand she is making a traditional game known as five stones . She then places the 5 stones into a glass jar and beautifully wraps it with a wrapping paper which is printed ‘happy birthday’ . Yes , I would enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video . I can make a gift for someone special like my family member or friend by doing this activity . We often buy when it comes to gifts but making a gift is actually more meaningful . When I make a gift , i can choose the person‘s most favourite colour or pattern . I can also customise right down to the size of the item , texture of the cloth and the kind of beads to use . Although handcrafted gifts takes up a lot of time , I will enjoy doing it as i can give the person a unique, original , heartfelt and a lifelong gift.

2. Tell me about something you had done well

During this circuit breaker period , I have learnt a new language . I have learnt French by watching online lessons in YouTube and my elder sister who took French as her third language as French in school . As the proverb goes ‘practice makes perfect ‘ , i did many practices like writing and talking in French  . It was hard at first but ‘no pain, no gain’ so I used up almost all my free time to learn a new language. My sister have also praised me for grasping new French words quickly . I feel that I have learned the basic of the French language and many new French words so leaning a new language this is I something I have done well and am proud of .

3. Hands on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge . What is your opinion ?

-  I strongly agree that Hands on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge . I feel that hands on learning is another way to say ‘learning by doing’ . A few examples of hands on learning include doing a lab experiment in chemistry lessons, building circuits during physics lessons  , cooking dishes during food and consumer education and acting out a creative story during English lesson . Hands on learning has many benefits such as engaging multiple areas of the brain  and allowing us to learn from real experiences . When multiple activities such as talking , listening , and using the hands are combined in hands on learning , it activates more areas of the brain than a single activity . Hands on learning keeps learners engaged in what they are learning which helps them gain knowledge . A recent study done in London also found that students who didn’t engage in hands on learning were 1.5 times more likely to fail a course than students who did . Using actual experiences to learn concepts and skills is much more effective than simply being told about them, as in the proverb: “Tell me, I’ll forget; show me, I’ll remember; involve me, I’ll understand.” To conclude , i can say that Hands on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge  as it involves both positive physiological and psychological impacts of the learning style.

# data[].attributes.body
1.The video shows someone cutting a  piece cloth into 5 equal sizes and make it into to a small pouch.Then she sewed them up with beans to create a traditional singaporean game called "five stones"Then she puts the pouches she created into a jar and wraps it nicely.I personally do not enjoy this activity as i am bad at doing arts and crafts and i personally think that this activity is quite tedious and time consuming.I would much  rather buy something that the person likes than doing this activity.

2. Something that i did well is that i am the healthiest i have ever been during this circuit breaker period.with this circuit breaker period i have more time to spare as there is no school and there is nothing much to do around the house so i would try to do exercises like push up,sit up ,flutter kicks and many more to keep myself fit during this period .i would  also try to cook for myself everyday as it is much healthier than buying food from outside and i also get to learn lots of recipes
3.I agree that hands-on learning is the
most effective way to gain knowledge. Hands-on learning is where students are able to touch and see and not through reading. For example a Science experiment can only be learnt through visually and physically. Hands-on learning also allows students to have  a better understanding on the concept being taught. however, everyone has their own style of learning they prefer but personally i prefer hands on learning

# data[].attributes.body
1. The video shows a person cutting pieces of cloth and filling it with beads. This activity looks quite interesting to me but I do not think that i would enjoy doing the activity shown in the video. A lot of patience and precision is needed to perform that activity and i severely lack in those aspects. Since young , i always played sports with my parents and i rarely engage in other activities. I am also not gifted in Arts and Crafts nor am i interested , thus i think that i would not enjoy the activity shown in the video.

2. Recently , my dad challenged me to not use my phone for a few hours as he thinks that i could not do it. However , i entertained myself by playing with cards which helped me get through the hours that i could not use my phone. At the beginning , i felt like i had no chance to complete the task given but i did not give up. Even though the chances of me resisting the urge to use my phone is very low , i persevered and managed to complete the task. After  not using my phone for a couple of hours , i felt that the task was manageable as long as i put my mind to it. elaborate why it was such a big deal to you?

3. I think that hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. Being able to touch the object allows me to get more engage and interested with what i am doing learning. This reduces the chances of me getting distracted and allows me to learn more as i am focused with the task. Having physical contact with the object allows me to build muscle memory.
no experience with hands-on learning?

Personally, some people can learn just  by reciting...

# data[].attributes.body
1. Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video?Why or why not?

I think that I wouldn't enjoy the activity as shown in the video. I feel that i don't have a flair for arts and crafts and I have no interest in these type of handicraft activities. I myself don't have the patience to do these type of activities as I usually end up messing up the handicrafts or it'll end up in a very weird shape. However, the activity show in the video looks interesting and if I was given a chance I'll definitely give it a try and who knows it might even change my perspective about these sorts of handicraft activities.

2. Tell me about something you had done well.

Something that I have done well is that during this Circuit Breaker, I picked up several new skills and started to be more health conscious. One skill that I picked up was learning how to cook and I started to work out more often since this Circuit Breaker. I learned how to make interesting desserts, beverages by watching many influencers on Social Media. One particular drink that took the internet by storm was the famous "Dalgona" Coffee. Seeing how many people posting their creations online, I had no choice but to jump on the bandwagon and make one for myself. But I got to say it is a really simple beverage to make. Another interesting dessert I made was a lava cake that was very easy to make after watching those tutorials online. But all these desserts that I made taught me a valuable lesson. I learnt how tiring it was for me to wash the dishes and clean up after baking or even making a simple drink. I learnt how to be appreciative of my parents for washing the dishes and I was also grateful that my mother was cooking for us everyday. Also because of this Circuit Breaker, I realised how inactive I was at home. I was either lazing around at home or just completing the tasks given by the teachers during the Home based Learning period. I started to do HIIT ( high intensity interval training) to help keep myself active and lose some calories from home after eating everyday. I also started running around my neighbourhood as I felt that I could not be cooped up at home any longer. All these activities have definitely made me much healthier and although this period of time might a lonely time for all, by picking up a new skill is something very meaningful and I urge everyone to pick up a new skill as it might help you in the long run. Therefore I feel that by learning how to bake, is something that I have done well.

3. Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What is your opinion?

I strongly agree that Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. There is a saying that goes "learning beyond textbooks" and this is something that I feel all schools should stand by and indeed many schools have introduced outdoor Co Curricular Activities. I feel that the values and skills that one will learn by joining these co curricular activities are endless. For example for sports, students will be able to pick up values like sportsmanship and for the people in uniformed groups, they will gain leadership qualities. I feel that these qualities and values are something that can't be achieved in class and textbooks alone. Besides the co curricular activities alone we also have practical lessons. Some experiments cannot be seen visualised from a textbook. For example, for physics we attend lab lessons to test the experiments ourselves to see how the experiments work. Although textbooks is an essential for learning, hands on activities such as practicals will definitely help to boost students muscle memory.But for me, I would definitely prefer hands on activities as compared to lessons held in classrooms as there is more interactive learning taking place rather than sitting in classrooms listening to teachers mundane talks. All in all i feel that there should be a balance between lessons in classrooms and hands on activities.

# data[].attributes.body
1. would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video? why, or why not?

The video shows a person cutting a piece of cloth into 5 equal tiny pieces and then sewing them up together with adding some rice grains into them to make a traditional game called 5 stones. And then (who?) putting all five stones into a jar and wrapping it up with a “happy birthday” wrapping paper.  Yes, I would enjoy doing the activity shown in the video because I personally like doing hands on activities, especially making gifts for my friends. When it comes to birthdays, everyone only thinks of what to get for their friend or family because they think that it is way more convenient (to do what?) than making one on their own. In my opinion, making gifts for birthdays provides more meaning to it. I can choose the type of gift I want to make according to the person’s preference. For example, if the person likes playing traditional games like 5 stones, I can choose the person’s favourite colour or pattern for the cloth design. In addition to that, I can also customise right down to the size of the stones, texture of the cloth and the kind of beads to use. So the person receiving the gift would know how much thought i put into the gift and that it is far more interesting and special than just purchasing one from the store. Furthermore, purchasing gifts from stores means that multiple people have the same exact item as well so it would not be as special anymore. So I would always try to make unique gifts for my friends on their birthdays that only they own.

2. Tell me something you had done well.

To me, Math was always the most challenging subject in school. I have been failing Math from secondary  1 to 2 with terrible grades. And it seemed so natural to me even if i’ve gotten an F9 for the mid-year exam. But I didn’t want that to happen to me anymore so I told myself that this isn’t going to happen in Secondary 3. I decided to buck up and practice more, and not letting the past pull me down. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth the efforts. During mid-year exams last year, my hard work paid off and i managed to score a B3 for math. It was extremely unbelievable. I couldn’t believe the fact that i actually managed to jump from an F9 to a B3. So i feel that if there's a will, there's a way, it is just whether you are willing to make sacrifices to make a difference.  (what sacrifices?)

3. Hands-on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What is your opinion?

Personally, I feel that hands-on learning is the most effective way for me to gain knowledge as it gives me a clear idea of what i'm doing. For example, I take subjects like Biology, which is pretty having in content. So the practical sessions definitely help me understand more about the topic itself rather than staying in class for lessons and listening to the teacher talk. During practical sessions, i would have a better understanding of the concept by conducting some experiments like the one on "how does the light intensity affect the rate of photosynthesis?" I would then understand better and be able to apply it to my learning. Compared to just looking through the explanations on the notes, I have a clearer view of the experiment itself when I conduct it. Therefore, I feel that hand-on learning works best.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Would you enjoy doing this activity as shown in the video? Why or why not?

In this video, I see a person cutting a cloth into 5 pieces then sewing them up and fill them with beans. Finally, wrapping it up as a gift. I recognise this as a traditional game, 5 stones.

I would really enjoy doing this activity, as it is an activity I play with my aunties, uncles and cousins during our traditional festivals. This game allow us to establish stronger bonds when spending time together instead of playing our mobile devices. Nowadays, during traditional festivals, children will be hooked onto they electronic gadgets and they may most likely start playing games online, rather than face to face. It is ironic how they can meet up once in awhile in real life, but choose to spend their time being locked up in their jail 'cell' like the gaming apps. For me, I personally enjoy playing traditional games, in this case, five stones as not only we have a taste of how our pioneers use to live, but also, learn about how they use to spend their time without all these digital devices. I learnt from my aunty that back when they use to play this, they were not fortunate enough to buy fanciful 'stones'  and instead, the would get old rags and put sand into them, then, designing them with their own pens and markers. Of course they did not have expensive colourful markers, maybe only the standard colours like black, red and blue. Also, I learnt a very interesting fact that back when dinosaurs use to exist, 5 stones have already originated in the Ancient Asia.

All in all, I would love to do this activity shown in the video as it brings back all the good memories I've had with my relatives and it's as if I can relive those moments.

2. Tell me something you had done well.
Something I had done well is being productive. During this period of the circuit breaker, it was a wake up call for me. I am proud to say that I have been more productive and lesser of a procrastinator lately. Since schools are closed during this   period, I have no lessons, tuition, CCA or whatsoever. Studies will be a big problem if I do not catch up with the nation's speed as, I am taking my O levels this year and I have to buck up and stop procrastinating like what I did before the circuit breaker. So, I have made a timetable which I follow everyday and I make use of an app called 'Plantie'. Basically, whenever I want to study, I set a timer on the app, and whenever I leave the app, for example to check for updates on my social media, I will have 30s to return to the app, if not, my time have to be restarted and I will need to 'redo' my task. This is a motivator for me as I can not only focus on my work, but can also have a sense of accomplishment after every work I have done. Also, I make it a compulsory to work out every day at night. Just a short 20 min everyday will be good. Since the start of HBL, I have been working out in my room, together with my sister, for 20 min and after every session, I feel so refreshed and I feel healthier. To add on, I am able to catch up with my sister as before circuit breaker, she is so busy with her work schedule as she had tons of projects and she was so busy with her final year project. Now, we finally have time to catch up with each other.

In conclusion, during this difficult period caused by the pandemic, I've become more productive and procrastinate lesser. This is a good thing I’ve done so far.

3. Hands on learning is the most effective way to gain knowledge. What's your opinion?

I agree to a certain extent to this statement. Although hands on learning can allow a child to have fun learning, I feel that there are always two sides to a coin.

Of  course, there are many advantages for hands on learning. For instance, it encourages young teens to do things by themselves. This not only teaches them to persevere but also, independence. Important life skills will be picked up on the way and this will definitely benefit the child from there. A child might be doing a hands on task, maybe learning electricity through models needed to be built. Halfway, the child may be stuck and may need help, however, since it is a hands on activity, all the clues and hints are already placed right in front of them. So, they can learn to persevere and not ask for any help to complete the task independently. To sum up, the child can pick up independence and perseverance through this activity.

Furthermore, there are certain tasks that can't be done without hands-on activities like, learning how to swim. There are no textbooks or manual to teach one how to swim. Even if there is, the person has to get in the pool, to try and swim. One cannot confirm whether he knows how to swim just by reading up steps. Even if the person self claim that he knows how to swim, there's no proof solely by just stating, hence, to a certain extent I agree that hands on learning is the most effective way to  gain knowledge.

On the other, like I mentioned, there are two sides to a coin. The downfall of hands on learning is the same concept as how certain tasks cannot be learnt without the skill of hands-on. For now, studies is the most important thing for a student, of course, putting aside character and moral values. In school students are ranked based on their knowledge to subjects, English, Math, Mother Tongue Language, etc.. Of course, students can learn these with hands-on leaning, however, students may forget as soon as they finish the task. Nowadays, many students have very short attention span. They may be distracted once they see something or they may forget something very fast as they put all the concentration onto the thing they are interested in, and obviously it won't be studies, for most of them. If they were to learn subjects with hands-on learning, they may forget the basics and fundamental skills quickly and may impact super negative results onto their learning. Students will still need to learn through traditional ways, like reading through textbooks, writing out notes and doing worksheets to make sure they rally understand and master it. If their fundamentals are not strong, whatever they learn in the future may be useless as nothing will go into their head.

In a nutshell, to me, I feel that to be safe rather than sorry is more important. I would rather go through the harder way, and make sure I have understood every key terms I've learnt. Needless to say, there are people who prefer hands-on learning as it may help them in some way. But to me, hands-on learning is not the most effective way of learning and gaining knowledge.