Remembering Tatay on his 70th

Tatay would have been 70 years old today.

Tatay, when he was about my age. 

What I always remember about my father: 

He held my hand to cut my first birthday cake. When I was in primary, he would protect my notebooks with plastic cover. When I was in the intermediate grades up to high school he would draw me laboratory tools and write down their uses. He was not a chemist but working as a laboratory technician, he knows the chemical formula, names, mixing protocols, handling, etc. 

My 1st birthday family pic

When I took the UPCAT he was outside the CEAT-UP lecture hall, peeking through the window and watching me take the exam from 8am to 12nn. He was with me when I needed to go, for the first time to UP Diliman library and waited for the entire day outside. When I was in college, the only time I got sick, I remember him waking me up in the middle of the night so I can take the medicine and be able to come to school again the next morning. 

On my first job, he went with me for my final interview in Manila. When I worked in the research laboratory, he would fetch me late at night after setting up an experiment that would last the whole evening. 

But what I would always remember is whenever our viand has no soup or sauce, there would always be a bottle of Coke to pair with whatever fried meat or fish. For 36 years, he took care of me and I was only given 36 days to return that favor. 

I was there when he got a heart attack on the eve of his 65th birthday and when he was revived at dawn. I was there when he took his last meal, I administered his last insulin shot and made the last adjustment to his oxygen, hoping against hope that he would last another birthday. I think I was the only one to whom he would reminisce his memories as a child with his own father, during his last week. And I was there when finally he took his last breath. 

I feel sad for those who never knew their father, and I pity those who cannot remember even a single good memory with their father. For the things my Tatay did as I was growing up and what he made me witness on his last days, he wanted me to remember: "I am smart and I am strong"; a first born favorite, all along [just like him].

English Language Arts for Science Learners and Science for English Language Learners

Integrative Education starts with a paradigm shift

The RSA video can be accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

A Personal Reflection

Having gone through the three TESOL modules, (the fourth and last module is due this week) I realized that teaching science using English is an interdisciplinary task. NGSS and Science and Engineering practices are included in one of the modules and it is very clear that it is not as simple as including the practices in the plan or classifying learning tasks. They encompass both instruction and assessment. Another point for reflection is looking at the BICS and CALPS or the level of social and academic language proficiency of both teacher and learner. All the S&P practices entail a certain level of communication so it is very important that the teacher knows the level of proficiency of the students, in both receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) of the students. Every teacher must also exert effort in organizing the lesson in a way that it will address lexical (vocabulary), syntax (grammatical structure), and discourse (academic understanding) levels of language. The key to effectively using English as the language of science is first for the teacher to overcome difficulties as an English Language Learner (ELL), herself/himself. For instance, how can one define a quality blended learning objective if there is inferior language proficiency? 

Let me share some of the entries that I posted on the discussion fora. The first is a T-chart that compare and contrast two views about science education which was constructed after a study on the 21^st century skills. This module made me reflect on my own application of the science and engineering practices. I think I need to analyze deeper how I really do instruction as far as making my students develop these practices according to their level of language proficiency. The second entry is a reflection about differentiated instruction based on varying levels of language proficiency. We must acknowledge that media poses a threat to the depreciating interest of students to academic English language. Teachers, must therefore exert more effort to become better models of academic discourses in English. The third is a synthesis of the challenges, the tools to use and proposed teacher training activities. The third is a table that highlights the alignment of S&P practices for recommended assessment techniques for EL in science. 

 

SERVICE LEARNING IN MHCC-Can

 MHCC AS HOST SCHOOL FOR THE SERVICE LEARNING WORKSHOP

Service learning is defined by different educating institutions and organizations but there are four salient points that characterize what service learning is: first, it is a pedagogical model or a teaching approach; second, it is applying knowledge into a realistic situation; third, it is a civic engagement; and fourth, it requires reflection. Service learning is putting academic skills into relevant use to address a community or social need. It is much more than volunteerism or community outreach activity. Last June 26-27, 2015, Mary Help of Christians College served, for the second time, as host school for another TEA-ILEP Small Grant Project. The seminar-workshop, Instituting Service Learning as a 21^st Century Skill, was funded by the US Department of State through the International Research and Exchanges Board. It was one of the winning projects for the Fall cycle (February)  grant competition. Last year, MHCC-Canlubang was also the host school for the seminar workshop on Improving Science Instruction through Science and Engineering Practices. For this school year, the Service Learning workshop was participated by 62 teachers, education students and supervising professors from six different schools and colleges, including the three basic education schools of FMA Philippine Province. 

The seminar-workshop was designed as a mentoring session between the master teachers and the pre-service interns. During the first day, a comprehensive input on the definition, attributes and rationale of service learning was presented. Teacher participants also shared their assessment practices, which were eventually transformed into service learning proposals. Also on the first day of the seminar-workshop, the TGC fellows Ms. Susan Groff and Ms. Amanda Wallace gave an input about what service learning is and both of them shared practices and successful service learning projects in their respective schools. Ms. Groff also demonstrated a website where students can actually compute carbon footprint which is relevant for an environmental service learning project.  Ms. Wallace also presented actual photos of students participating in an environmental group. What was emphasized in both of their sharing is that a service learning project need not always be a funding project or the students need not always go to a poor community to be able to serve the society. Service learning can be carried out through direct or indirect service and through advocacies, as well. Day 2 sessions was concluded through an extensive discussion on the 21^st century skills through a collaborative think-aloud exercise.