Assignment 3

This week, the Critical Literacy class is just doing the consultation regarding the third assignment which requires all students to do the ten rules of Critical Thinking. All students need to come out with an article which approved by Miss Wani before proceed on doing it. Good Luck everyone. Hope that i can check my friend's assignment critically.

PRESENTATION CONTINUED

Salam. This week Critical Literacy class continued with the presentation from the article in reading book based on the ten elements of critical thinking. From the presentation of Zul, Gee and Nik’s group, we were asked to do some activity from the Study Guide book. We need to find out the source, audience, rhetorical function, purpose, perspective, positioning and impact based from the essay based on the article. Luckily, everyone can answer it and comprehended very well. Ms Wani said that this kind of essay should be the same like our assignment two and three. We also need to find an article to be use in assignment three and need to consult first with Ms Wani. I need to check Zul’s article while Aizat need to check mine. All the best for everyone.

PRESENTATION BASED ON THE TEN ELEMENTS

This week, critical literacy subject focuses on the ten elements of critical thinking. So, there were six groups presenting their presentation based on the article in the Reading Book. From the presentation, the students can get a view on how to make a good sample of critical thinking based on the ten elements. The presenters need to explain more about the article and also the ten elements including the hard evidence. It can show the example of the ten elements and students can get a hint to do the second assignment. Good luck everyone.

Film review – Sherlock Holmes

This week, we are just watching the fascinating movie which is Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes is an action mystery film which has an interesting plot. Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of murder, which related to the occult rituals. In London, he and Dr. John Watson race to prevent the ritual murder of a girl by Lord Blackwood who has killed five people. Fortunately, they were able to arrest Blackwood and he was sentenced to death. But, before that, he wishes to meet with Holmes and warns Holmes those three more impending deaths that will cause great changes to the world. Then, Blackwood is hanged dead, declared by Dr. Watson. One day, Holmes receives a visit from Irene who is a professional thief and his former lover; ask him to find a missing man named Reordan. He felt so curious then he discreetly followed her. He found out that Reordan is the key of the Blackwood’s plans from the conversation between Irene and her secret employer.

A few days later, Blackwood’s tomb was destroyed from the inside out and Reordan was found dead in the Blackwood’s coffin. A groundskeeper said that he’d seen Blackwood walking from the tomb. From the autopsy of the Reordan body, it leads them to his house and discovers experiments attempting to merge science with magic. Then, he is taken to the Temple of the Four Orders, an occult-dabbling secret society. He was asked by the leaders to stop Blackwood but then they were killed through apparently magical means by the Blackwood. He plans to retake the United States, weakened by civil war.


Then, Holmes went hiding and studies about Blackwood’s rituals. He then rejoins Adler and Watson and sneak into the sewers beneath Parliament and found a machine, based on the Reordan’s experiments, designed to release a cyanide derivative into the Parliament chambers. They fight off Blackwood’s men and remove the cyanide containers from the machine. Adler grabs the cylinders and races away, pursued by Holmes. Blackwood has realised that his plan has failed but he manages to run away.


Holmes confronts Adler on top of the incomplete Tower Bridge but is interrupted by Blackwood. Holmes tricks him into becoming entangled in the ropes and chains, hanging over the Thames while Holmes recounts the technical trickery behind all the Blackwood’s supposed magic. A loose beam falls off the rafter supports, causing Blackwood to fall and die by hanging from the chains.

Next presentation

This week, the presentation continued. In reading 4.5, it is about the crooked and fallacious thinking. It is about the manipulative tool in the hands of speakers or writers wishing to influence and affect the judgement of their listeners or readers. Especially in contexts where there is an intent to persuade towards a particular belief or course of action, we are likely to encounter instances of crooked and fallacious thinking. For this reason, it is important to be able to interrogate the logic contained in the argument in a text.

In reading 5.3, it is about the basic logical concept. It covers on the deductive and induction. All arguments are either deductive or inductive. In a deductive argument, the conclusion is claimed to follow necessarily from the premises while in inductive argument, the conclusion is claimed to follow only probably from the premises.

In deciding whether an argument is deductive or inductive, we should apply four simple tests. The indicator words test are probably, necessarily and likely which the signal whether the argument is intended to be deductive or inductive. The next test is the strict necessity test is about the conclusion should follow with the strict necessity from the premises. The third test is the common pattern test is about the arguments that have a pattern that is characteristically deductive or inductive. The last one is the principle of charity test urges us to treat doubtful arguments in whatever way is most favourable to the arguer.

Please, let me go to your school

Topic
The article focuses on a six-year-old Scarlett Finney who suffered from the spina bifida and unsatisfied with The Hills Grammar School because has rejected her application because of her disabilities.


Content
The article covers on a disappointed child, Scarlette Finney which her application has been rejected from studying at The Hills Grammar School because of her disabilities. She felt so unsatisfied because the school said that it will take the children with disabilities. Her mother, Bernadette Finney asks the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Graeme Innes to consider about this case. She said that Scarlette who suffered from spina bifida able to walk short distances and use ordinary toilet and she is not intellectually disabled. It is unfair because the school has accepted a blind student and student with an artificial leg. While the school has its own reason on not accept Scarlette. The barrister of the school, Ms Kate Eastman said that the school is not going to accept a student if it cannot provide everything to allow that the child to achieve her best. Besides that, the arrangement of the class also might be the major reason. This is because the kindergarten children need to move many times a day. So, Scarlette cannot move a lot and fast like the other children.


Source
The article comes from the newspaper.


Audience
The article is written for a non-specialist audience because the discourse used in the article does not include a scientific term of words. It is intended for especially parents who had a disable child. They must be comprehend on the feeling and also the situation faced by Scarlette and her family. Besides that, the high education staff also might be the intended reader because they can know about the chances of the disable child to get to study at the particular school.


The rhetorical function
The article is designed to inform the reader.


Purpose
The article aims to inform the readers who are parents and the staff of high education about a six-year-old Scarlett Finney who suffered from the spina bifida and unsatisfied with The Hills Grammar School because has rejected her application because of her disabilities.


Perspective
The stance taken in the article is about condemning the decision to refuse the Scarlette enrolment to study at the school. The writer supports the stance taken by supporting the school by giving concrete reasons on why the school has rejected Scarlette application. Even though the school receive $ 974,000 a year in Federal and State funds and charge fees up to $ 9,200 a year but still does not able to provide a Scarlette services and facilities. Besides that, the school also priorities the student achievement and want Scarlette achieve her best in the school. Apart from that, the school did not accept her application because of the class arrangement. The kindergarten children need to move many times a day and it is difficult for Scarlette to move a lot in a day because of her spina bifida. In my view, i do agree with the stance taken by the writer. This is because the school has stated the reasons on why the application of the Scarlett has been rejected. It does make sense that even though the school accept Scarlette application; it will not give the comfortability to Scarlette to study there. It will make Scarlette more suffering and does not enjoy to study. The stance taken tells us that the writer probably believes that the school is really priorities the student achievement and want the students can achieve the best. The implication for understanding this article is that Scarlette and her family cannot blame the school alone because has rejected her application.


Positioning
The article describes Scarlette Finney, a disable child with spina bifida unsatisfied with the school because has reject her application. She can walk in a short distance and use ordinary toilet. So, she can be normal just like other children. While, for the school has to accept her application because the school cannot provide the services and facilities to Scarlette. Besides that, the class arrangement also makes Scarlette even harder to study at this school. This is because the kindergarten children need to move many times a day.


Impact
The effect on readers is likely to be sympathy with Scarlette Finney because she does not be accepted to study at the school that she wanted to go. She has come out with many reasons to make she can study there. However, the readers cannot blame on the school alone because the school also has it own reasons.


Visual literacy
The visual aspects of the text are significant because the headline ‘Please, let me go to your school’ and the picture showed that the disable girl wants to go to the school but her application has been rejected by the school and she seemed so sad.

Presentation Day

This week, there were lot of presentations that cover almost five readings. From reading 2.3 which is about language, the information that i find interesting is about finding the right words in order to precise our statement. Failing to be precise can lead to miscommunication. We must have good arguments but it will depend on the precise definition of words and phrases that opponents in an argument might define differently. Besides that, a good definition should be neither too broad nor too narrow which convey the essential meaning of word, provide a context where needed, and not be slanted, figurative, obscure, or circular. This is quite difficult because it need to be precise and perfect for the whole context.

In reading 3.3, it covers about linguistic perspective. It teaches people to become as text analysts. It have used an approach driven by systematic functional linguistics which provide some analytical tools which can explicitly open up space for critical readings which enable people to act as text analysts. It is about problematise the texts and dig out the ideological positionings and provide the basis of informed debate, analysis and critique. It is to illustrate that some explicit knowledge about language, how it works and how it can be used is a useful tool in reading a text critically.

In reading 3.4, it is about the speech and speakers: the formation of individuals in discourse and genre. Discourse is about the modes of talking about the world from the point of view of a social institution. It is about Miss Seductress and Miss Winner. Everyone wants to be like Miss Winner because it has good characteristics. The successful texts resolve discussive differences between two of them. While the ‘subject positions’ are sets of statements which describe and prescribe a range of options one may take up. Everyone can choose either one of the text based on the subject positions in the texts.

In reading 4.3, it stresses on the evidence in the text or any cases. It has two cases which include the finding of the evidences in each case. The first case is about the kidnapping of an infant son of Charles Lindbergh at the nursery. It has used circumstantial evidence to reveal the kidnapper. However, this kind of evidence cannot be used because there is no witnesses who testified to having seen such a particular person commits the crime. Whereas in second case which is murder trial, this one involving eyewitnesses. It has used testimonial evidence such as eyewitnesses, who testify that they themselves have seen the accused commit the crime. The use of this reading is about seeking the truth, but must be content with high probability and not demand absolute certainty.

In reading 4.4, it concerns on the statistics. The importance of us to learn about statistic is to associate ‘facts’ closely with ‘figures’. It shows about the examples of the statistic and we learn that we have to think critically about statistic because it requires more thinking and we have to think about the complicated figures in the text which consist of statistics.

We have discussed on the article which entitle, ‘Please, let me go to your school’. It is about positioning which every role in the article has their own stance in saying their statements.

Language, Perspective and Ideology

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

This week has been a very tiring week because all semester four decomers had to do the assignment that need to do the sale. Each group need to come up with the idea of the product and the sale started from 4.30 pm to 10 pm. Everyone felt very tired but we still carry on focusing towards the presentation made by two groups.

We learn about the language, perspective and ideology. This chapter stress on the perspective which students do not really understand. It is about the word choice in the writing which will indicate the stance by writer in his or her writing.

In this chapter, it considers the linguistic reflexes of differences of perspective across speakers of the same language. Based on the newspaper report on events in Soweto, it contains lot of bias. The usage of word “black” considers the writer’s perspective. For instance,” The black township of Soweto, which has been simmering.........” and also “The black hospital of Baragwanath nearby was reported.......”

The Guardian and The Times have made a different style of story because it is up to the writer’s perspective. In The Guardian, the writer uses equivocation as in the headline “Police shoot 11 dead in Salisbury riot”. The writer uses riot means that it is negative perspective. While in The Times, the writer state the positive perspective as in the headline, “Rioting blacks shot dead by police as ANC leaders meet” It is show the demonstrative as ANC leaders meet.

In conclusion, the usage of words or semantic will determine the writer’s perspective in the writing. So, it will influence the story of the particular writer about the particular story towards the readers.

V FOR VENDETTA

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

This week, Miss Wani asked us to watch film V for Vendetta. It is a very interesting movie and she asked us to evaluate the movie based on the ten rules of Critical Literacy.

This week, we have a great and interesting topic discussed in the class based on the ten rules of the film V for Vendetta. It’s about the groups of people who become the victims of the experimental product. Those groups are Muslim, Terrorist and Homosexual. The question is, why Muslim people were treated awfully by the Christian people? Why they assume Muslim people as a bad people? They were actually afraid that Muslim people will become more progressive than their people. All the sources that they get to succeed is from Al-Quran and they investigate it and learn from that. In the latest film of Shah Rukh Khan which is My Name is Khan is about the Muslim people. However, when Shah Rukh Khan went to US to promote his film, he has been caught at the US airport just because he is a Muslim. It showed that they are aware of Muslim people entering their country and assume that Muslim people is a terrorist.

Another topic is from this sentence, “The people should not be afraid of the government, the government should afraid of the people”. In my point of view, I do agree with this stance. Without the support from the people towards the government, the government automatically will go down. Just like in the election, if the government lost many chairs or votes from the people, it has to break the position in the parliament. So, in order to stick in the position, government should make a difference and make people happy and satisfied with the government. Like in the film V for Vendetta, V is like a part of the public which represent the public.

When we unite, we will become stronger.

10 RULES OF CRITICAL LITERACY FOR V FOR VENDETTA

TOPIC

The film focuses on the vengeance or revenge made by V represents the victims of the particular groups which have been tortured to make the experimental product which is a biological weapon towards the government.

CONTENT

The film covers about a mask guy named V seeking for revenge towards the government and the particular group of scientist who run the research to make a biological weapon. He and his other friends have been tortured because they were the experimental product to make a biological weapon. This experiment done by government in charge and Adam Setlor is the high chancellor in the top hierarchy in the government system. His role is anarchy and being demolished by witless dictatorship. He is a narrow-minded and religious person in term of Christian. The group of people who became the victim of the experiment were Homosexual, Muslim and Terrorist. In Bible, it’s wrong to be homosexual because it leads to disease like AIDS. He follows the Bible in and out so that’s why he chose those particular groups to become the victims. So, V is one of the victims and seeking for revenge by killing all the people who involved in the experiment and want to destroy the House of Parliament on the 5^th of November.

SOURCE

This movie is comes from Joel Silver, Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski.

AUDIENCE

The film is produce for the non-specialist people

RHETORICAL FUNCTION

The film is designed to inform and educate people

PURPOSE

The film aims to inform and to educate the non-specialist people about V who seeking the vengeance or revenge which represents the victims of the particular groups which have been tortured to make the experimental product which is a biological weapon towards the government.

PERSPECTIVE

The stance taken in the film is to condemn the ruling system in the government of Britain. In 2027, Britain use the totalitarism system and is ruled by the Right-wing, Fascist Norsefire regime. In this society, there is constant surveillance and propaganda, heavy censorship, and most minorities, such as Jews, blacks, Muslims, homosexuals and communists are classified as enemies of the state. In this film, the victims of the experimental products were these minorities. They were assumed as terrorists and enemies in the Britain. In my view the stance taken is really appropriate because we have to condemn the ruling system which is very irrelevant and bias towards the certain particular groups. The stance taken tells us that the producer probably believes that this kind of ruling system was exist in the real world and want to show to the worldwide that we should avoid from this transpire. The implication for understanding this film is that the minorities society was always been teased and not being respected by the majority society.

POSITIONING

The film describes the main cast in this film is V. He is a guy Fawkes-masked vigilante known as “V”. He was characterised as violent guy because he had murdered a lot of people who related to the experiment. However, he had a reason of doing so. He also make a trap to Evey by tortured her in the cell. The police threaten to execute her if she does not give up V’s location. Evey says she rather dies, and escorted out of the prison into V’s lair. She found out that her imprisonment was staged by V, to free her from fear of the fascist government – “Only when you have no fear you are free”. V says to her. It showed that he is violent but he has reason of doing so.

Secondly, Evey, a young girl who work at British Television Network (BTN), is the one who V fallen in love of. He met Evey when he save her life from the bad guys and asked her to accompany him to watch the destruction of the Old Bailey. Since from that moment, Evey always with V.

IMPACT

The effect on people is likely to be about the hot issue in this film which is the ruling system in the Britain government. Because of the bad ruling system, the representative from the public appeared to seek the revenge. V, has the right to seek the revenge because he is one of the victims of the experimental product.

VISUAL LITERACY

The visual aspects of the text are significant because this movie is set in London in a near-future dystopian society. The usage of the symbol of V is very mysterious and eye-catchy. It really can attract the public to know what the meaning behind the symbol is. Besides that, when the public see the main actor wearing mask, they will curious to know the real face of the main actor.

Reference: 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta_(film)