Author

Esther

2024-25 5A08

Posts by Esther

Picnic Cancellation

Picnic Cancellation

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A depressing announcement was made this afternoon: the school picnic has been canceled. The school claims that, due to unstable weather and after careful consideration, the picnic would be canceled. All teachers and students are required to return to school for regular classes.

It is such undesirable and frustrating news for all the students and teachers. Complaints and grumbling have spread across various social media platforms about the discontented decision made today.

The mood of the students was greatly affected when the trip was canceled due to a typhoon. Initially, we were looking forward to this trip and couldn’t wait to relax at this event. Classes were filled with discussions and laughter all week. When the cancellation was announced, some classes fell silent. I even heard a resounding scream from the floor, though I’m not sure if it came from 5C or 5D. Without a doubt, they must be filled with disappointment.

Indignation is especially high among Form 6 students. As we all know, this year would be their last chance to participate in group activities during their secondary school life. It’s such a pity that there is no follow-up story for now. Whether the picnic will be postponed to a later date or canceled entirely remains a mystery.

What about other students? Two weeks ago, they were told there would be a school picnic on 18/11, but the announcement of the cancellation dropped like a time bomb. The bad news really dampened everyone’s spirits. Some had already packed their bags and bought snacks in advance. Their expectations for the trip had reached a peak, and now they face sudden changes and feel extremely disappointed. Some of my classmates suggested that it would be great to have a party in every class rather than return to regular lessons. Originally, students were full of anticipation and excitement for the trip. Everyone discussed the upcoming adventure in class, fantasizing about exploring new places and participating in activities with their classmates and teachers. This was not only an opportunity to enjoy group activities but also a time for friendship, with everyone looking forward to creating good memories together.

Needless to say, students are despondent about the result. Some described it as groundless worry, like jumping at shadows or abandoning ship too soon. For me, it felt like a balloon suddenly popped—my excitement vanished in an instant. It was as if the rug had been yanked out from under me, leaving only emptiness where joy once stood. Anticipation turned to hollow disappointment, like a mirage fading just as I approached.

But from the school’s perspective, the decision to cancel is understandable. The uncertainty of the weather may have affected the students’ safety, preventing them from fully enjoying the day. We understand that this decision was made to protect every student.

Though we regret the current situation, we trust that the school will fully consider everyone’s feelings and will try to find a new date to make up for the trip.

I’m looking forward to the new picnic day, hoping that when it comes, we can once again enjoy a moment of laughter and joy and share an unforgettable journey together.

SolidMemory

SolidMemory

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You guys are all familiar with this app, right? SolidMemory—software that assists us in enhancing our capacity to memorize various vocabularies, is one of the valuable online platforms that is considered in our academic performance at school. Sounds great, doesn’t it? However, objections such as ‘useless’, ‘time-wasting’, and ‘futile’ have already arisen among students for some time. Today, as a user of over 150 days who has attempted 2,407 words, I’m here to discuss whether SolidMemory has played an important role in effectively memorizing words and may shed light on potentially addressing a broader question. 

Introduction to SolidMemory

According to the official website of SolidMemory, it claims to use an algorithm to emulate the functioning of your brain. It figures out what you need to revise most at a particular moment in time. The founder has spent as long as 13 years developing this intelligent assisted learning system, based on the investigation of the Forgetting Curve by the psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus.

Problems with SolidMemory

Anyone who has actually used the software knows that each time you do the exercises, there are some prompt pictures at the bottom. These are not only photos; some pictures include the word that students have to enter. If they just want to be quick, they can still enter it. So, what is the use of the so-called algorithm that can emulate the functioning of your brain?

Root of the Problem

The founder has used the research of academic experts to develop the software. So why do numerous students claim it is ineffective? Most of it is about the awards. Regarding the Awards column from our school website, K S Lo English: 

1. For the Vocab Challenge Awards, it says, ‘Presented to the top five students in each form who have met our monthly learning targets’. So, how can students get these awards? They must meet the minimum requirements before competing with others. 

This situation produces two outcomes. Initially, the rewards are not of importance; individuals who desire the rewards simply pursue them. Obviously, that is not how it should work. Another result is that most of the students in each form desire the award. This causes students to input a higher number of words than necessary for the assignment. That seems good in the eyes of teachers, right? Since students learn more words because of competition. But in fact, it is not the case. The final outcome may be that students are fundamentally unable to remember so many words; as we all know, memory has its limits, and excessive input does not guarantee absorption.

2.1 Meanwhile, there is another award called the Annual Leaderboard Awards. To get this award, you need to be ranked in the top 20 of the school by September 1 of the following year. Students attempt words like crazy to get into the top 20, but the same thing happens: they can’t remember those words, let alone use them. Look at the top two in our school; the first has more than 8,000 words, and the second has more than 4,000. Not counting simple words like ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’, ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’—but words that are completely incomprehensible. Can students really remember them? I’m not denying there are prodigies at school; maybe they can really manage it. But is it reasonable to learn 4,000 English words in half a year?

Someone might say, ‘Don’t you allow them to type in very simple words? That way, they are sure to remember’. But then, what is the purpose of using this app? Isn’t it to learn new words in an effective way? If you’re doing this just for the sake of winning the prize, it’s like putting the cart before the horse.

2.2 Additionally, this award is based on a daily count. Generally, students who make the list are unlikely to give up, so they continue to do it every day. In the eyes of other students, they have no chance of winning this honor, which is, without a doubt, completely frustrating for them.

Result

These two awards will eventually lead to two outcomes: at the top, students will become utilitarian, and there will be fierce competition. Others may not care if they learn from this app. They end up being puppets, carrying out the task of attempting five words a day and repeating it for 25 days.

It’s understandable that the original intention was to develop and strengthen our incentives and motivation to learn more English vocabulary. However, will anyone enjoy learning English words with SolidMemory, and do these words genuinely stay in our brains? It’s a question worth pondering.

It’s pretty lame in general, but it’s better than nothing.

In a nutshell, using SolidMemory is bound to have a profound impact on students. The policymakers should and must make an educated decision.