The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback

The Effective Communication module had most certainly benefited me immensely in my English-learning journey. Through progressive lessons that improve my English fundamentals, I had managed to develop communication and writing skills that can be applied in real-life contexts when I eventually join the work force. I had also found the peer and tutor feedback segment especially useful for me to improve my writing and communication prowess. In this particular method of learning, our very own classmates and Effective Communication tutor observed our individual reports and presentations, while providing valuable feedback and criticisms based on their observation of our performance. From their feedback, I was able to make necessary changes that will better the way my reports were written and my presentation etiquette. Regardless of what their views are, I had made it a point to improve what was stated as my flaws, while retaining what they felt was good about my work. For example, our tutor, Miss Lim, and my fellow classmates had provided many valuable feedback during my practice presentation. There were many comments that suggested that I have to slow down my pace of presentation, as well as speak in a less monotonous manner; one which would deem captivating to the audiences. As such, I had made the respective changes by rehearsing for our final presentation and speaking with a more cheery-looking disposition. By accepting the recommendation given by the people around me, I had managed to focus on my flaws and try to improve myself. This method of learning had also helped me in improving my ability to write an appropriate report as I was able to identify the flaws of the report from a third person perspective when my peers read the report. In conclusion, the peer and tutor feedback had helped tremendously in improving my applications of my English language.

Critical Reflection on Presentation

Many weeks ago, every individual from our Effective Communication (EFFCOM) class was given the opportunity to showcase their presentation to the rest of the class. It was in a form of peer teaching, where the presenters (also known as the peer teachers) will teach the class regarding a certain topic from EFFCOM module.

When it was my turn to present, I was nervous and unprepared for the presentation. During the presentation, I stuttered many times and gave minimal eye contact to the rest of the class. I felt that I did not perform  well during that particular presentation, and decided that I should change my style of presenting, as well as ensure that I look more confident and prepared during the next presentation. 

After reviewing the peer evaluation forms, and listening to the comments given by our EFFCOM tutor, Miss Lim, I realised that my biggest flaw was that I speak too fast, and the students were unable to grasp what I said. There were also comments about me being monotonous, and that I looked nervous, which made me seem unprofessional. Therefore, I have decided to improve on these aspects of my presentation skills and do better during the final presentation that I had on 7th of November.

For the final presentation, I kept rehearsing with my team, making sure that I know every detail of the project. I had ensured that I will be able to answer every possible question issued by the audience. By doing so, I felt more confident in speaking as I knew everything at the back of my hands. During the presentation I spoke fluently and maintained eye contact with the audience. I did not speak monotonously and presented everything coherently.

It was a massive improvement and I felt that I require ample preparation to be confident during my presentation. The reviews from my peers and tutor had been great help as I had identified what I have to change, and I managed to improve myself drastically.

A vehicle-free micronation

In the article, This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, Peters reviewed the idea of a soi-disant micronation located on a small piece of land between Croatia and Serbia, known as Free Republic of Liberland. The concept of establishing and operating a city without automobiles and driven by algae had been idealized by a committee of libertarians. Peters also pointed out, in order to tackle the issue of land scarcity, an architectural plan which involves the layering of the city's neighborhood while the city expands had been established.

The article explains the concept of algae powering the city by covering the bottom of each neighborhood with genetically-altered algae, which can be used to generate power. Also, in order to achieve the status of an environmentally friendly and vehicle-less city, buildings are positioned closely within transits to allow the accessibility of the different parts of the city by foot (Raya Ani, director of RAW-NYC, 2016).

My opinion of this matter is generally positive and I strongly support the initiation of an environmentally friendly development as I believe that the innovative implementations involving algae power and vehicle-free accessibility will be beneficial in tackling global warming.

Firstly, the concept of using algae as the main source of power is highly revolutionary. It can be used as a substitute for liquid fossil fuels or any other petroleum-based fuels. Due to its biodegradable nature and massive consumption of carbon dioxide, algae would be an environmentally friendly option as compared to different energy sources, such as fossil fuel. Research had shown that producing one gallon of oil from algae only requires 13 to 14 kilograms of carbon dioxide (Future of working, 2016). This would be a win-win situation as it involves the production of a useful source of energy at the expense of a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Not only that, this inherently renewable source of power can be produced on lands that have otherwise unfavorable conditions for other sort of agriculture, allowing ease and flexibility during production (RP Siegal, 2012). This is especially advantageous for Liberland due to the bad conditions of its access roads and land, which would otherwise be unacceptable for the growth of certain types of vegetation (Anonymous journalist, Parlamentni Listy).

Furthermore, Vít Jedlička, the self-proclaimed president of Liberland, had emphasized that the city's design will reduce any adverse environmental impacts by utilizing renewable energy (Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland, 2016). Aligning with the going-green city initiative, Peters analyzed other eco-friendly options that the city design adopted, that being the use of solar energy, and a system that converts organic waste to biogas for cooking. This interchangeability between different alternatives of clean energy will certainly be beneficial for the success of an algae-powered city as there will be flexibility and contingencies in case of a depleting source of algae.

Next, for the city to operate without any vehicles, it was deemed necessary by Raya Ani, director of RAW-NYC architecture firm, for buildings and amenities to be compact within the limited space of three square miles - the area that the country can offer (Raya Ani, 2016). This will be a favorable and highly achievable implementation as a vehicle-less city will reduce the number of main roads needed for automobiles, and therefore, the lack of roads will allow the infrastructures of the city to be clustered together, allowing the citizens to access their destination by foot. Hence, not only does the absence of vehicle significantly reduces the amount of pollutants produced by the city, it also promotes travelling without vehicles as everything is just a stone throw away.

In conclusion, Peters articulated the overall scheme, as well as benefits, for a green micronation in Liberland. Through his analysis, I believe that the idea of an environmentally-friendly country is achievable and realistic. It was a clever decision to utilize the properties of algae power to the city’s advantage. Being an eco-friendly source of energy, along with the intended no-car policy, these factors aligns with Vít Jedlička’s goal of establishing a green Liberland.

References:

This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, by Adele Peters
Retrieved June 14, 2016, from https://www.fastcoexist.com/3060800/this-self-proclaimed-micronation-has-plans-for-a-car-free-algae-powered-city

Algae-based Biofuel: Pros and Cons, by RP Siegal
Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.triplepundit.com/special/energy-options-pros-and-cons/algae-based-biofuel-pros-cons/

7 Advantages and Disadvantages of Algae Biofuel
Retrieved February 4, 2016 from http://futureofworking.com/7-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-algae-biofuel/

A vehicle-free micronation [First draft]

In the article, (This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, 2016) Adele Peters stated the idea of a soi-disant "micronation" located on a small piece of land between Croatia and Serbia, known as "Free Republic of Liberland", operating without automobiles and driven by algae had been idealised by a committee of libertarians. He also mentioned that, in order to tackle the issue of land scarcity, an architectural plan which involves the layering of the city's neighbourhood while the city expands had been established. 

The article explains the concept of algae powering the city by covering the bottom of each neighborhood platform with genetically altered algae, of which can be used to generate power. Also, in order to achieve the status of a vehicle-free city, as well as reduce pollution, buildings are positioned closely within transits to allow the accessibility of the different parts of the city by foot. To ensure the sustainability and operations of this green city, professionals were engaged to encourage business ventures through crowd-funding.

While there are both advantageous and disadvantageous implications from this idea of a green city, my opinion of this matter is generally positive and I strongly support the initiation of an environmentally friendly development as I believe that the innovative implementations involving algae power and vehicle-free accessibility will counter the global warming crisis.

Firstly, the concept of using algae as the main source of power is highly revolutionary and it can be used as a substitute for liquid fossil fuels or any other petroleum-based fuels. Due to its biodegradable nature and massive consumption of carbon dioxide, algae would be an environmentally friendly option as compared to different energy sources, such as fossil fuel. Research had shown that producing one gallon of oil from algae only requires 13 to 14 kilograms of carbon dioxide (Future of working, 2016), which would literally be killing two birds with one stone as it involves the production of a useful source of energy at the expense of a greenhouse gas that only worsens the condition of global warming. Not only that, this inherently renewable source of power can be produced on lands that have otherwise unfavorable conditions for other sort of agriculture, allowing ease and flexibility during production (RP Siegal, 2012).

Furthermore, Vít Jedlička, the self-proclaimed president of Liberland, had emphasized that the city's design will reduce any adverse environmental impacts by utilizing renewable energy. Aligning with the "going-green" city initiative, the author had also analyzed other eco-friendly options that the city design had adopted, that being the use of solar energy, and a system that converts organic waste to biogas for cooking. This interchangeability between different alternatives of clean energy will certainly be beneficial for the success of an algae-powered city as there will be flexibility and contingencies in case of a failure or depleting source of algae.  

Next, for the city to operate without any vehicles, it was deemed necessary by Raya Ani, director of RAW-NYC architecture firm, for buildings and amenities to be compact within the limited space of three square miles - the area that the country can offer. This will be a favorable and highly achievable implementation as a vehicle-less city would mean that there will be no main roads needed for automobiles, and therefore, the lack of roads will allow the infrastructures of the city to be clustered together, allowing convenience for the potential 400,000 citizens to access their destination by foot. Hence, not only does the absence of vehicle significantly reduces, or even negates, the amount of pollutants produced by the city, it also promotes travelling without vehicles as everything is just a stone throw away. 

In conclusion, Adele Peters had articulated the overall scheme, as well as benefits, for a "green micronation" in Liberland. His sources derived directly from the architectural expert, Raya Ani, whose company was responsible for the design of the multi-layered city mainly powered by algae. His analysis were clear and concise, explaining the concept of an algae-powered and vehicle-free urban development, and supporting it with the means of achieving such an establishment.

Summary & Thesis on the concept of an environmentally friendly Liberland

In the article, (This Self-Proclaimed Micronation Has Plans for a Car-Free, Algae-Powered City, 2016) Adele Peters stated the idea of a soi-disant "micronation" located on a small piece of land between Croatia and Serbia, known as "Free Republic of Liberland", operating without automobiles and driven by algae had been idealised by a committee of libertarians. He also mentioned that, in order to tackle the issue of land scarcity, an architectural plan which involves the layering of the city's neighbourhood while the city expands had been established. 

The article explains the concept of algae powering the city by covering the bottom of each neighborhood platform with genetically altered algae, of which can be used to generate power. Also, in order to achieve the status of a vehicle-free city, as well as reduce pollution, buildings are positioned closely within transits to allow the accessibility of the different parts of the city by foot. To ensure the sustainability and operations of this green city, professionals were engaged to encourage business ventures through crowd-funding.

While there are both advantageous and disadvantageous implications from this idea of a green city, my opinion of this matter is generally positive and I strongly support the initiation of an environmentally friendly development as I believe that the innovative implementations involving algae power and vehicle-free accessibility will counter the global warming crisis.

Descriptive Reflection: The Importance of English for Me

I had always been more of an English-speaking individual, be it within my family or with my peers. I did not excel very much in my mother tongue despite having many mandarin-speaking counterparts within my family members and peers. 

I remembered drafting an email to URA regarding an invalid summon on my car for being stationary at the roadside. I was, however, present in the vehicle waiting to pick someone up. From my past experiences with letter-writing and the proper formats, I managed to construct an intricate and formal appeal letter, which I emailed to URA.  A few days later, I received an email from URA, stating that the summon had been voided as my reasoning was valid. 

This was just one of the many examples cited to emphasize the importance of English. In this aspect, the past experience and ability to draft a proper, detailed email had assisted me from being fined a hefty sum of money. Many others might just pay for the fine, but I had decided to try my luck with an appeal email, which I was quite pleased about. 

Therefore, it was a pleasant experience and I felt fortunate for having the opportunity to have undertaken English as a mandatory language subject in my years of education, allowing me to draft a well-written appeal email. However, the process of improving the English language skills is never-ending, and there will always be more to learn, widening my knowledge on the language and its many subsidiary applications, such as report writing and critical reflection. 

The English language had definitely made a positive impact on me in life, whether it is being used for a simple conversation with others or drafting a letter or email for an appropriate situation.